The Washington times., 1935-09-19

for arthritis
SSSN'' && S the detail
ar. "endenlns man had just
left, reminds me of how irreg-
ular the progress of medical
science really is.
"Oh! it progresses, all right"
he agreed, after my Mortified
protest, but at a terrific waste
of human energy, and what is
often naively called clinical OBJ
servation.
Which means just the oppo-
site of what is usually said
you can't try it out on the dog.
If you could only come to con.
illusions in the laboratory you'd
be all right. But unfortunately
we're human doctors, and dogs
can't talk, and the only way we
can make any progress is to
try out this, that and the other
that more likely than not some
kid waiting for a practice has
thought up.
Progress
Medical SCIENCE progress.
es, all right. It's when we say to
each other, Well, the kid is
right, he's smarter than he
sounds, what he said really is
So'-that medical science pro.
crosses.
Trouble is, what happens
most of the time is that after
some disease, or method, has
been proposed, we keep on using
it when we know in our hearts
it's no good because DR.. Jones
is still monkeying with it, and
then some really smart guy
shouts-'The dern thing is bunk
and then we quit it. But that
amt progress. That is what is
called by the inventor of the
method - iconoclasm or deS-
tructive criticism.
Pioneer Practices
"You know" he continued,
reflectively, throwing the arth'
ritis sample into the waste bas"
ket, II have been in practice SO
long and been through so many
whirlwinds of fashion, that I
have changed my mind as often
as a brain truSter.
II remember when constltu'
tional inadequacy used to be
called visceroptosis, and neph'
rosis was just plain chronic
parenchymatous nephritis.
There are fashions in drugs,
Long time ago it was all Strych'
nine. Old Dorskluck up there.
the apothecary, has got his
shelves filled with strychnine
waiting for a bull market. Aspl'
rim is the thing today. I use
lust as much of it as I used to
use strychnine, and it's a better
drug, I guess. I believe that's
progress. :,
II remember when they used
to anchor kidneyS-not only the
floating ones, but also the ones
that were little loose. 1t cured
now let's see-headache, lun1'
bago, neurasthenia, uric acid.
diathesis, laziness, spots before
the eyes, and hemoglobinurla.
It was mostly performed on the
upper classes, though. Delicate
operations seldom re a c h the
poor. Maybe that is why there
are so many Of them.
you know the pioneer sur
geons have lot to answer Tor.
That Lawson TAFT, way back IN
the eighties, who used to remove
gizzards by the barrel, just be-
cause they had little cysts on
them. Think of the human sut-
fering he caused. The medical
profession got over it, though.
YES" he said, in answer to
my protest, it is hard on the
victims. Reminds me of what I
guide did to me in Italy once
when I remarked that they
didn't seem to have many monu-
mentS to doctors. He took me
to a cemetery.
But we progress. Amt you
glad you're not living in the
floating kidney era of surgery?
Progress" he unused, as he
fished the arthritiS sample back
out of the waste basket.
Editors Note: Six pam
phlets by DR.. Clendening can
now be obtained by sending 10
cents in coin, for each, and a
self-addreSsed envelope stamped
with a three-cent stamp, to DR..
Logan Clendening. in care Of
this paper. The pamphlets are:
indigestion and Constipation"
Reducing and Gaining" Tn
FAINT Feeding" instructions for
the treatment of Diabetes, ="
Feminine Hygiene" and 1.-THE
Care of the Hair and Skin"