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?]
Catalogue details

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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    ADULTERATED MEDICINES-FACULTY RESOLUTIONS. given in the lectures of Prof. C, and an article on the subject, which was offered by Dr. K. to the Eclectic Med- ical .Journal, and refused publication by Dr. Newton, was published in other medical journals. For the same reason Dr. Cleaveland had to publish elsewhere the statement first made by himself, from which the following extract is taken: Dr. Hill, of the firm of F. D. Hill & Co , of this city, has given me the following slight memoranda. He is to test these agents still further. 'R. Hydrastine. grs. 22. Asclcpidin,grs 40. Hydrastin, grs. 22. lrisin. grs. o0. Lobelin. grs. 40. Gelsemin, grs. 89. Podophyllin, grs. 40. Boiling Alcohol, 08 per cent, above proof. 4 ounces.' I digested the above for three hours, with repeated agitation The Podophyllin and Hydrastine are both solu- ble in boiling Alcohol. The other five articles threw down a copious precipitate. In the Lobelia, I found Magnesia and Lobelia seeds, and a white substance ou which the Sulphuric Acid would not act. The following are the weights of the precipitate 1 obtained from the Alcoholic eolations. From the Hydrastine, 30 grains; Asclepidin, 29 grains; lrisin, 20 grains; Lobelin, 25 grains, aud from the Gelsemin, IS grains. All and each of the precipitates are soluble in Sulphuric Acid. Others who have tested these articles, have obtained similar results. Mr. Gordon found that Xanlhoxylin yielded 00 per cent, of Magnesia, and that Lobelin yielded 80 per cent. Some of these specimens examined were taken frum bottles sent by Keith & Co. to Dr. H. 8. New- ton. Those tested by Mr. Wayne were sent by the manu- facturers to me, as samples of their ageuts. As Dr. Newton was determined to pay no regard to chemical analysis, or any other proof of fraud, he Foon came into collision with his colleagues. Knowing very little of chemistry, but familiar with the arts of the scur- rilous demagogue, he seemed to suppose that a liberal dis- charge of abusive language would more than match the simple facts of chemical science. The contest began by an attack upon Dr. King's Dispensatory, in the Express and Eclectic Journal, and an assault upon the editors of the College Journal, as guilty of falsehood and depravity (March. 1856). Dr. King, tired as he was of association with Dr. New- ton, refused to continue any further his course of lectures, until the difficulty was in some manner settled, by resig- nation or compromise. A meeting of the Faculty was called on the afternoon of the same day, aud while the Faculty were thus engaged, a meeting of the class was held, and resolutions were passed, strongly sustaining Dr. Kiug, and hoping that, whatever else might be done, his services would be retained in the College. At the Faculty meeting Dr. King laid down his ultimatum, and after con- siderable discussion, Dr. Newton acceded to his demands. Dr. King also insisted (having very little confidence in Dr. Newton*s integrity) that the matter should be put in writing and signed by the parties. The agreement was reduced to writing on the spot, by Dr. Ituchanan, and signed by Drs. Newton and King. Dr. Newton also agreed to retract and apologize for his assault upon the editors of the College Journal, and a specific form of apology v as written out, aud, after considerable discussion as to its language, agreed upon by the parties; which apology was subsequeutly published in the Eclectic Journal, but with a little alteration from the form which had solemnly been agreed upon as a settlement of the matter—a paltry trick, which was considered to be in keeping with Dr. N.'s whole course. His charge of falsehood was malicious; he knew it to be untrue, but he did not appear to under- stand how au honorable man should apologize for gross injustice. Extract from the Minutes of the Faculty. The following is a copy of an 'Agreement of Dr. R. S. Newton and Dr. John King:1 1. Dr. Newton to abstain from publishing in the Ex- press, and Eclectic Medical Journal, any thiug which has a personal bearing against members of the Eclectic Medical Institute, or against the College itself. 2. Dr. Newton is not to use the influence of the Ex- press and Eclectic Medical Journal, to advocate and uphold the so-called National Eclectic Medical Convention, or Association, which is to meet in New York next June, aud which has been repudiated by the Faculty of the Institute. ,; 3. Dr. Newton is not to keep before the public as asso- ciate editor any gentleman known to be connected with the manufacture and sale of nostrum,*. R. S. Nswton, .1. Kino.'' Prof. R. S. Newton also agreed to make the amende honorable, by recalling his remarks made in the Eclectic Medical Journal, concerning the editors of the College Journal, and the article headed 'New Remedies—How to test them.'in both the Eclectic Medical Journal and the Express. He also agreed, that as the obnoxious article of Dr. Grover Coe, relative to King's Am. Ec. Dispens., was already printed on one side of the Express, to disavow and repudiate the incorrect statements therein made, on the other side. John Ki.no. Secretary. Remarks of the Editors of the Collene Journal. In justice to Prof. Newton, lest he should appear in too inconsistent an attitude in view of all the facts, we deem it proper to state, that during the discussion which re- sulted in the final actiou given above, be expressed as much hostility to the so-called Nat. Ec. -Med Ass., as any of us, and that his publications in its favor were meant as strokes of policy, whereby we might gain influence in the Association, have its next meeting held in Cin- cinnati, and then appear in sufficient'strength 'to kill it.' Respect to the fidelity of history, also requires us to call special attention to the fact, that notwithstanding the solemn pledges given to his colleagues, as above copied from the minutes, he did, in the next number of the Express, reprint his former article in favor of the Nat. Ec. Med. Ass., and did not 'disavow,' nor 'repudiate,' any of the ' incorrect statements' of 'Dr. Grover Coe.' J. R. Buchanan, M. D. J. King, M. D. W. Sherwood, M. D. J. W. Hon, M. I). C. II. Cleaveland, M. D. The Faculty were disgusted, but not astonished, to find that the whole written pledge was entirely disregarded, and speedily violated, by re-publishing in the Express the very article indorsing the N. Y. meeting, which had been thus repudiated ; and the same abusive articles against Dr. King, without any correction. This gross violation of the written pledge, Dr. N. has since attempted to excuse, on the ground that a city newspaper, just started, con- tained an editorial article reflecting upon himself, that copies had been sent to the College for distribution, and that the Faculty were accessory to the proceeding. The members of the Faculty had really nothing to do with this ; on the contrary, when they saw the newspapers, they re- commended the gentlemen who received, not to distribute them, as they did not wish such matters spread before the class. It was the misfortune of Dr. Newton, that his con- duct in the Martha Washington business, and other mat- ters, had long been known to the editor of the Freeman, and be deemed it his editorial duty to speak out. Having been well acquainted with members of the cla.ss he heard the news of the College, and thought it worth publishing. This false and flimsy pretext of Dr. Newton, for violating a pledge, needs no comment. The following resolutions were adopted at the same meeting of the Faculty (March 6th, 1850), in order to define (he position of the Institute, before the public, which had been somewhat compromised by Dr. Newton's publications: At a meeting of the Faculty of the Eclectic Medical Institute, held on March 6th, 1S.»6, Professors J. R. Buc- hanan, C. II. Cleaveland, R. S. Newton, W. Sherwood, Z. Freeman and J. King, being present, the following reso- lutions were unanimously passed: Resolved, That the Faculty of this Institute do not recognize any existing organization in the United States, as'The National Eclectic Medical Association,'and will not authorize any [ ei son or ) arsons to represent us in any body so styled, as at ] resent constituted. Resolved, That this Faculty fully indorse ' King's Ec- lectic Dispensatory,'believing it to he as free from error as any other similar work, and believing the author to be fully capable and willing to correct and improve the work as truth and progressive Bcience may require. '•'Resolved, That with reference to pharmaceutical pre- parations, this Faculty require, as a prerequisite to their being employed or recommended by us as therapeutic agents, that the following rules shall be observed : '■Eirst, A method must be made public by which each agent may be produced.