History of the expulsion of Drs. R.S. Newton and Z. Freeman from the Eclectic Medical Institute : with the causes which rendered it necessary, and an exposition of the slanderous and factious course which has been pursued by the off-casts from the Institute / by W. Sherwood.

  • William Hall Sherwood
Date:
[1856?]
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: History of the expulsion of Drs. R.S. Newton and Z. Freeman from the Eclectic Medical Institute : with the causes which rendered it necessary, and an exposition of the slanderous and factious course which has been pursued by the off-casts from the Institute / by W. Sherwood. 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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    JONES ON BALDRIDGE. Dr. L. E. Jones' opinion of Dr. Baldridge, in 1849, was the same that was generally entertained by the Faculty and class, and was not concealed, for he spoke contemptuously of his capacity as a teacher, considered him unlit for a professorship, and although they had been personal friends, he united with the Faculty in inducing Dr. B to re- sign, simply on account of his grunt incompetency ; after which ho shared with the entire Faculty the hostility and opposition of Dr. Baldridge and his friends, and defended the Institute from their abuse in the fall of 1851. It is not necessary now to re- publish his article from the Eclectic Journal of 1851. Suffice it to say, that ho emphatically denied the charges of Dr. Baldridge's friends, declaring of the Faculty of which Dr. Buchanan was a member, and the Dean, Not a single man in the Faculty inclines to either Al- lopathy or Ilunkerism, or to llonioeputliy, further than a spirit of enlightened and liberal investigation should prompt liim. Again he says: Indeed the school, as now organized, enjoys a greater freedvm from either influence than it has at any former period since the charter was obtained. See pamphlet published by Faculty, 1853. page 9. The Baldridge party were pronounced calumnia- tors by Dr. L. E. Jones, for this stupid Allopathic, lluuio'opatliic story. But when expelled himself, he took up the same story which he had previously de- nounced as false in Dr. Baldridge's friends. For doing 80 he was himself denounced and exposed by Dr. Newton, Dr. Powell, and the entire Faculty and class, and yet the same old. stale, inconsistent story, ragged with old age and hard usage, has been picked up by Dr. Newton as soon as he was expelled and circulated in the Express, in the form of inu- endo, implication, suggestion, and every style in which a hunted down calumny crawls into sight again. No one knows better than Dr. Newton, that all such insinuations are base attempts to im- pose upon parties unacquainted with the Institute. .IONICS ON FREEMAN AND SANDERS. As to Dr. Z. Freeman, Dr. L. E. Jones having known him as a student, and subsequently as de- monstrator and lecturer on anatomy, was able to appreciate his value. He became disgusted with Dr. Freeman as a Professor, on account of his want of reliability, and several other charges of a grave nature. Iu the spring of 1852, this disgust came to a crisis. The Faculty generally regarded Dr. Freeman's services as of but little value, and when Dr. Jones denounced him, and made grave charges, they did not care to protect him. Dr. Freeman per- ceived the general dissatisfaction, and surrendered bis office iu a conditional, indefinite way, and left the city, hoping to be recalled by the Faculty. Dr. L. E. Jones admits, in his pamphlet, that ho concurred with Drs. R. S. Newton, I. G. Jones, and J. it. Buchanan, tn reference to the dismission of Dr. Freeman, and appointment of Dr. Sherwood in his place, but claims that Dr. Buchanan took the lead in reference to this removal or change. It is not material who took the lead, but it is certain that Dr. L. E. Jones was the chief opponent of Dr. F. The rest of the Faculty thought him lacking in talent and reliability, but Dr. L. E. Jones was determined that he should not hold a position in the same school with himself, and in the latter part of 1852, wrote to Dr. Buchanan, urging him to write to Dr. Freeman, somewhere in the south, to prevent his coming to Cincinnati, and trying again to occupy his chair, to which Dr. Sherwood was to be ap- pointed if ho would accept. If Sherwood does not take the chair of Anatomy, we shall want him (K.). and If he (.S.) di at, it may be best to get K***. Write what are your views on the subnet. Another matter—Newton says you ought to write to Free- man, and let him know that he is not wanted, or he will ho up and will not resign, and we shall have trouble with him. lie and S. (Zanders) have left Memphis, and we do not know where they are, bat could you not write to Memphis and bare the latter forwarded. Write to him at once, awl let him know what is the decision in his case.— (L. E. Jones, July 22, 1852.) An important reason for the removal of Dr. Freeman according to Dr. L. E. Jones, lay in cer- tain accusations which ho made against the char- acter and deportment of Drs. Freeman and San- dors—charges so strenuously urged against Dr. Freeman, that he threatened Dr. Jones with a prosecution, and in 1853 he manifested extreme anxiety to have Dr. L. E. Jones punished severely for his persona] attacks, although he did not pros- ecute him. Whether these personal accusations were true or false, we leave to bo adjusted betwoen the parties—it is not material whether in this case Dr. Jones was a slanderer or Dr. Freeman was some- thing worse, for it is not intended to discuss private character, our subject being professional. It is suf- ficient to show how deeply and sincerely these par- ties esteem each other in consequence of being too well acqainted. Dr. Freeman hovered around the Insti- tute after being dropped out, intrigued among the students, and after the expulsion of Dr. L. E. Jones, obtained the vacancy, in consequence of being the only candidate. Prof. J. M. Sanders stood still lower in the esti- mation of Dr. L. E. Jones than Dr. Freeman. The same personal charges were made against him by Dr. Jones. He affirmed that both Freeman and Sanders cared for nothing but the honors and emol- uments of the E. M. I., and ridiculed the titles of Sanders. Like Freeman, Sanders withdrew in the summer of 1852, to the general satisfaction of all parties, followed by sundry maledictions of Dr. L. E. Jones alone, for the liberties he had taken in carrying off certain apparatus, denouncing also Dr. Newton for permitting it. No member of the Fa- culty wished to recall J. M. Sanders, after this trial of his capacities, and Dr. L. E. Jones espe- cially exulted greatly in the improvement made, by giving his department to Dr. Hoyt, an opinion in which all concurred. JONES ON BICKLET. Of Dr. Bicklf.t, Dr. L. E. Jones says : Think you Ec- lectics, his feeble, intellect is adequate to the dissemination of the great truths of American Medical Reform? Can. graduates be honored and respected who have his insig- nia. (2nd pamphlet, page 16.) Again, he predicts the ruin of the cause ■if suchfeebJa and frivolous minds are to control medical reform. Again, 'it was said hundreds of times by his class, they would not give three cents for all they should learn from him — that they should leave knowing as little about Materia Medics as when they came. Page 15. '•I thought 1'iof. Buchanan h:id more regard for truth than common, when be wrote me. and the best recommen- dation he could give of Prof, Bickley's fitness for the important chair be now holds, was that he -is a showy man — dressed fine, and has a good address ; and again, J don't consider him a deep man, nor a very strong man. In the resolutions gotten up by himself and privately adopted at his own house, by a small squad of conspirators, (signed by Dr. Baldridge, as chairman of the meeting.) he speaks of Dr. Hickley as having dugra ' and '■ rendered himself deserving of the scorn and contempt of all honorable members of the profession. It is to be hoped that Drs. Jones and Daldridgt will not express their scorn