A lecture delivered to the students of the Medical College of Ohio : at the opening of the session, 1841-2 / by M.B. Wright.

  • Wright, M. B. (Marmaduke Burr), 1803-1879.
Date:
1841
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A lecture delivered to the students of the Medical College of Ohio : at the opening of the session, 1841-2 / by M.B. Wright. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    pi remedies, than those engaged in their daily investigation? They may have been called to the ministry, but I deny that God ever intended them to be the special objects of His favor, op that He has bestowed upon them an intuitive perception of the laws of nature; and in the absence of such special endowment, what right have they to dictate to us, or to the people, the system of practice we or they shall adopt or sanction] In assuming such immense superiority, these kind guardians accuse us of culpable ignorance. But how stand the facts'? Every thing dignified with the title of a new system of practice—every thing claimed to be valuable as a remedy in any particular disease, is subjected to the test of experiment by those competent to judge correctly, and under circumstan- ces admitting of no mistake or deception, and the results are communi- cated to the profession throughout the world. Whatever contains promise of good is retained, while the opposite is as properly rejected. Such is the quiet, but sure and continued manner of acquiring a knowledge of every thing appertaining to the science of medicine. Professional inves- tigations not being published in the every-day journals of our country, nor proclaimed from the corners of the highways, it is not generally known that they have been instituted, and very often a remedy is an- nounced as new, which had been in general use long before, as had been as long abandoned. It would seem, also, that there is no hesitation in charging us with a want of integrity—with an unwillingness to employ any remedy sug- gested by those out of regular practice, notwithstanding its high claims may have been fully sustained. This accusation is as unjust as the former. What is the grand aim of Physicians amidst their exertions, their privations, and their deep-felt solicitude? The cure of their patients. And what care they, whence may come the medicine, or may be its char- acter; provided it can accomplish their object? Nothing. I am aware that many of the individuals who have been arraigned be- fore you, require our pity, as much as they deserve our censure. Their minds are so perverted, that they esteem nothing as valuable which haa tangibility. To be deserving of consideration, it must act upon their tin-, derstandings through the eye of faith. Write them a prescription, plain and simple to common minds, and they reject it as useless. Throw over it the veil of secrecy, and its charm becomes irresistible. The lightning aa it darts athwart the heavens, and the thunder which succeeds the flash, produce no emotions in them, when considered philosophically, but when associated with some vague notions of divinity, they stand amazed, and in awe. If Christ were to revisit this earth, and stand before them, face to face—if they were to behold Him, nailed to the cross, writhing in agany, and were to hear him exclaim, in his own pathetic language, ♦'My God, why hast thou forsaken me? they would not believe in his holiness, until after he had ascended beyond the bounds of human vision! If I know myself, I would not utter one sentence, which might be construed into a derision of the ministerial character. I would cheerfully perform any service, which might secure it against contamination. I would not address the reflecting portion of the ministry, in any other than in the language of sober and deliberate caution. I would ask them to cast their eyes over the columns of any of the newspapers of our country, and to read the thousands of certificates in favor of quack nostrums, and the names of those appended to them, and then I would ask, whose lan- guage is most extravagant, and whose names are most conspicuous? And if, after an unprejudiced examination upon these points, an answer should be returned, I am satisfied it will be in condemnation of their own brethren. I am ready to admit, that a large portion of those certificates originate in the braina, and flow from the pens, of patentees and vendors