A letter to the President of the Royal College of Surgeons, on the late proceedings of that body, regarding homoeopathic practitioners / by James Russell.

  • Russell, James, M.D., F.R.S.E.
Date:
1851
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A letter to the President of the Royal College of Surgeons, on the late proceedings of that body, regarding homoeopathic practitioners / by James Russell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    thi^ 'disp^t^: mtd-Mi' a-''^l'actitioner of homoeopathy, nor much versed it' &s a system. But I have enjoyed bett^ opportunities' than ■ most-tn'eTribers of the CdUege ■ of calmly watching the actibh' of th^'remedies in' a;%onsiderable num- ber of '^'dttte diseases,—I would' specially refer to Bronchitis, Scarlatilia, Rheumatic Fever, and Croup,—and have been fre- quently surprised by their tapid and' uheiiuivocal success. The public are entitled to the benefit of these itifeans of rapidly pose they have in view. If tlie/ ha^e'^ «^M?8 %Mk]mh penalty of death, such an ignominious condition from a patient as that he shall dismiss out of his house his medical attendant, and per- haps only friend in the place, they may ext9rt any thing pise they ])lease. If he must abandon Ms physician at the bidding of surgeons, may he not be compeUed to abjure his faith, or to dedicate his for- tune to some pious surgical charity 1 If once medical mortmain be admitted, it will prove infinitely more dangerous than clerical The surgeon holds present sufferings in his hand, the priest only thi-eats of fritm-e punishment. If the principle of such a trades-union be once admitted, the proud boast of mecUcine that it is broad as hu- manity itself, and ignores all differences of creeds, nations, languages, is at an end ; and in some pai-ts of Ireland we may have Orange sm-geons who refuse to save the bves of the heretic Papists, while in others the. Roman Catholic may recrait the ranks of his church by the victims won by the,, dexterous use of his scalpel. As regards homoeopathy, it merely accelerates the period when, among the number of the many graduates of our University who are embracmg the new faith, there shall be found some of more than avierage manual dex- terity and anatomical knowledge,, and less than average sensitiveness of feebng, who will devote themselves to pure surgeiy ; and as re- gards Professor Goodsir, we acquit him of any personal animosity towards homoeopathy, for some years ago he midertook to writt- pathological articles in t\Q British Journal of Hoiwxiojyathy, and only desisted for fear of offending his less liberal brethi-en ; but we cannot justify this outrage on humanity, by the plea of his fear- ing the consequences of breaking the College law, mthout admitting the same extenuation for almost all the ciniel deeds under which this earth has groaned, for fear is the parent of cruelty.—I am, &;c. J. RUTIIERFURD Rv.SSELL. 75 Queen Street.