Is there a system of medicine? : a lecture delivered in reply to the proceedings of the Iowa State Medical Society, June 17th, 1858 / by C. Pearson.

  • Pearson, Clement, 1819-
Date:
1858
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Is there a system of medicine? : a lecture delivered in reply to the proceedings of the Iowa State Medical Society, June 17th, 1858 / by C. Pearson. 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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    chariots ami some on loot. If the infantry do loss execution than the charioteers, it is because (hey cannot so soon be carried to eve- ry part of the town and dispatch so much buisness in so short a time. Hippocrates said twenty-two centuries ago, the Avholc art is exposed to much censure from the vulgar who fancy that really, there is no such science as medicine since even in acute diseases practitioners differ so widely among themselves, that those things which one administers as thinking it the best that can be done, an- other holds to be bad. Dr. Adams says in his translation of Hippocrates, one can- not think of the change in professional opinions since the days of John Hunter, (at the close of the last century ;) without the most painful feelings of distrust in all modes of treatment. JSTow-a-days we have abandoned all general rides of practice. And this conclusion would very naturally arise from the con- tradictory opinions of gentlemen of the allopathic school general- ly. Mialke maintains that alkalies cure Diabetes. Bouchardat is of opinion that they do not, but make it worse. Haygarth, and Percival, recommend murcury in Hydrocephalis. Aber- crombie says, its reputation seems to stand on very doubtful grounds.'.' Dr. McAdam rccomends Mercury in Peritonitis. Dr. Allison says it makes the disease worse. Dr. Elliotson says in his practice, page 954, If Mr. Abercrombie had lived a hundred years and done good all the time he could not have atoned for the mischief he has done in making people take blue pill. Another yery destinguished Allopathic physician Dr. Forbes says, that in a large proportion of cases treated by them, the dis- ease is cured by nature, and often in spite of them ; that old physic is sick, very sick; that its case cannot be worse, it must either mend or end. [See the British and Foreign Medical Review, 1846, page 258.] Sir Astly Cooper asserts that medical doctrines are little better than stark staring absurdities. Van Helmont declared that medicine did not advance, but turned upon its axis. But Dr. Mc Gugin contends that it came by inspiration. [And so did Mormonism if we are to believe Brigham Young.]