The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-04-22
PEOPLES FORUM
Doctors and Vaccination.

Editor OF The yirginian.
sir.-The letter of Or. w Il. Baker in The
sfsiiliah AprH - expresses SO clearly what is
needed in the medical profession OF the pres
eni day that | would like to thank him and
ask that he viii not let that be the last public
criticism OF dangerous customs among the pro-
fessien; for in the darkness Of medical igno-
rance that is upon as his article Is like a
e archlight in that darkness.
If there were more men in the allopat hic uro-
fession, who think as he does there would be
less sickness and suffering, and better hefth in
this good old town of yesterday"
| once read magazine article which stated
that the medical profession roughly divided
into two classes: Those practitioners who prey
upon suffering humanity and bleed their pa
tents of all they can b, peruaded TO give. sec
ond. physicians who col.scientiously practice the
errors they have learned III medical colleges
the latter class do far the harm, because
they are greatly IN the majority This Is the
class which, Or. Baker says, still cling to
vaccination, because they were taught it in col
tege; but alast that IL not the only dangerous
survival OF college training
There is much truth in the statement of Or
oIeary, of Philadelphia, that the best things
in the healing art have been done by those who
never had diploma.
The average man woman Is entirely inca
pahle OF forming a valid. conscientious obJec-
ton to vaccination, or any other hygienie pro
cedure; that is why these old time barbarous
customs prevail 10 such extent In this en-
lightened age
There are good. noble worthy doctors who
are blessing To mankind but they always
have been. and always will be, outnumbered by
ter class who play upon the eredulity Of the
masses and seek Keep them In ignorance and
to scare them. in order that their prestige and
their perqusites may be maintained. Man iii
the mass is opponent of Improvement.
An evidence of this upho1ding of prestige
vas indi2 dated plainly in an abusive letter In
the New York Times about English ply
stefan who does not approve of Nivisection and
said in Pretty strong language. The last
paragraph speaks for itself LAS for attacking
medical confrere I think the profession will
support in asserting that Or. Shows state
ments about the worthlessness and debasing
nature OF animal experimentation have effee-
tLaity removed him from the protection of pro-
fessionai courtesy Well from the further
consideration of all sensoibie people James
Ewing
All sensible enlightened people whoshave the
courage TO break away from superstition viii
heartily approve iT, Shows statements Just
they will approve Or. Bakers logical common
practice due to ignorance and superstition
Some of the methods which Or. Baker men
tons existing l13 years ago still in ex-
stence among ignorant. narrow minded, lack
and afraid to say I don't know, use. what an
eminent physician has termed shotgun
method. fire hroadside in the hope that at
least some of the preparation will take effect
and he sapenty adds, in the experiment the
constitution of hundreds may be ruined" In
the present fndiscriminate OF deadly poisons
ty allopa thic doctors and nurses, how many
thousands of constitutions ruined win never
se known, for the medical profession VIII sup
Port and protect any who helps 10 BLIND
shams and trickerN of the unworthy of the pro-
fosson. fIippocretcs the father OF medicine,
declared. Mature cures. not the physician. -
and the that truth is emphasized the less
suffering will there be.
MISS f. PARHAM PETICoLAs
April 90 1911.