Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-09-01
SCIENTIFIC MEDICAL PRACTICE
By A. H. Swinhurne, M. d., Marietta,
Ohio,

Progress and advancement are the
watch words of the goth century. In
every department of industrial activ-
ity marvellous changes are everywhere
In evidence. The stage coach is sup
erseced by the lightning express the
horsecar by the eelectrictrolley, the tai
low candle by the glare of electric
lights and the slow messenger SER
vice by the telegraph and telephone.
In the domain of medicine, wonderful
discoveries have been made In bacter-
iology, startling advances in the field
of operative surgery and great changes
in the preparation of remedies, but
the actual ordinary pactice of medi-
cine, to be in line with the scientific
achievement of industrial progress
must be on entirely different princl-
pies from that commonly followed and
be productive of vastly better results.
The erroneous and barbarous treat
ment of bleeding and the nauseating
prescriptions of 100 years ago. have
given way to milder methods, but the
ordinary system stoday merely one of
palliation or the temporary alleviation
of distressing symptoms, thus sup
pressing or masking the manifesto
ton of disease, without reducing the
pathological condition producing it..
The almost universal use of analgesics
and anti-pyretics to control pain or
fever, opiates. morphine etc. to dead
en- sensibilty, nerve sedatives, bro
mides, etc, to induce quiet or sleep,
are every day illustrations Of this er-
roneous system, and they fail entirely
to produce curative effects. Not only
do they fail to cure disease, but when
thus treated, continues Indefinitely,
developing many chronic cases, drug
| habits, insanity or subjects for the
operating table, to say nothing of the
many cases of heart failure and death
produced by their use. The physician
who is so quick to lull his patient into
insensibilty with the hypodermic of
morphine is certainly lacking in
knowledge of skillful treatment He
too, who is content with such methods
and results, is not awake to the pro-
gressiveness of the age, and his only
consolation is his enthusiasm for sur
gerry, and his adherence to what is the
recognized practice. But the intelli-
| gent, thinking, conscientious physi-
clan who realizes the absurdity OF
such methods of practice and has the
courage to investigate other and new
er methods, finds there is a system
which is destined to become recog-
niZed as scientific and efficaCious. The
| first essential for this more modern
practice is thorough knowledge OF
| disease, to secure an accurate diagno-
| sis, and the second necessity is an eX-
tensive knowledge of the physiOlogi-
cal curative action of remedies which
have been ascertained bycareful study
of their effects produced by proving
upon healthy persons. Then with
the knowledge of the pathological dis.
ease condition and the physiological
curative action of remedies to apply
the latter to eradicate the former but
not to suppress or palliate loca
| symptoms of the general condition, i:
a method will nigh approaching al
I exact science. The results of treatmen
|. when following this principle are Sc
much superior to that of palliation
suppression or morphineism, thai
a published record of them, impel!
the public and physicians not fam
iliar with scientific methods, to dis
believe its truthfulness. When al
violent and acute diseases are thu:
treated with great reduction in NOR
tality, shorter period of sickness
quicker convalescenCe, more perfect
cures, no drug habits resulting ant
less need OF surgery, besides the mum
erouS difficult chronic cases which thl!
advanced treatment will restore tC
health, it certainly indicates method
or cure right up to the front of scien
.tific. progress. r.,....-.,