medical essays-第17章

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In　1628；　Harvey　published　his　first　work　upon　the　circulation。　　His　doctrines　were　a　complete　revolution　of　the　prevailing　opinions　of　all　antiquity。　　They　immediately　found　both　champions　and　opponents；　of　which　last；　one　only；　Riolanus；　seemed　to　Harvey　worthy　of　an　answer；　on　account　of　his　〃rank；　fame；　and　learning。〃　　Controversy　in　science；　as　in　religion；　was　not；　in　those　days；　carried　on　with　all　the　courtesy　which　our　present　habits　demand；　and　it　is　possible　that　some　hard　words　may　have　been　applied　to　Harvey；　as　it　is　very　certain　that　he　used　the　most　contemptuous　expressions　towards　others。

Harvey　declares　in　his　second　letter　to　Riolanus；　〃Since　the　first　discovery　of　the　circulation；　hardly　a　day；　or　a　moment；　has　passed　without　my　hearing　it　both　well　and　ill　spoken　of；　some　attack　it　with　great　hostility；　others　defend　it　with　high　encomiums；　one　party　believe　that　I　have　abundantly　proved　the　truth　of　the　doctrine　against　all　the　weight　of　opposing　arguments；　by　experiments；　observations；　and　dissections；　others　think　it　not　yet　sufficiently　cleared　up；　and　free　from　objections。〃　　Two　really　eminent　Professors；　Plempius　of　Louvain；　and　Walaeus　of　Leyden；　were　among　its　early　advocates。

The　opinions　sanctioned　by　the　authority　of　long　ages；　and　the　names　of　Hippocrates　and　Galen；　dissolved　away；　gradually；　but　certainly；　before　the　demonstrations　of　Harvey。　　Twenty…four　years　after　the　publication　of　his　first　work；　and　six　years　before　his　death；　his　bust　in　marble　was　placed　in　the　Hall　of　the　College　of　Physicians；　with　a　suitable　inscription　recording　his　discoveries。

Two　years　after　this　he　was　unanimously　invited　to　accept　the　Presidency　of　that　body；　and　he　lived　to　see　his　doctrine　established；　and　all　reputable　opposition　withdrawn。

There　were　many　circumstances　connected　with　the　discovery　of　Dr。　Jenner　which　were　of　a　nature　to　excite　repugnance　and　opposition。　The　practice　of　inoculation　for　the　small…pox　had　already　disarmed　that　disease　of　many　of　its　terrors。　　The　introduction　of　a　contagious　disease　from　a　brute　creature　into　the　human　system　naturally　struck　the　public　mind　with　a　sensation　of　disgust　and　apprehension；　and　a　part　of　the　medical　public　may　have　shared　these　feelings。　　I　find　that　Jenner's　discovery　of　vaccination　was　made　public　in　June；　1798。　　In　July　of　the　same　year　the　celebrated　surgeon；　Mr。　Cline；　vaccinated　a　child　with　virus　received　from　Dr。　Jenner；　and　in　communicating　the　success　of　this　experiment；　he　mentions　that　Dr。　Lister；　formerly　of　the　Small…Pox　Hospital；　and　himself；　are　convinced　of　the　efficacy　of　the　cow…pox。　　In　November　of　the　same　year；　Dr。　Pearson　published　his　〃Inquiry；〃　containing　the　testimony　of　numerous　practitioners　in　different　parts　of　the　kingdom；　to　the　efficacy　of　the　practice。　　Dr。　HAYGARTH；　who　was　so　conspicuous　in　exposing　the　follies　of　Perkinism；　was　among　the　very　earliest　to　express　his　opinion　in　favor　of　vaccination。　　In　1801；　Dr。　Lettsom　mentions　the　circumstance　〃as　being　to　the　honor　of　the　medical　professors；　that　they　have　very　generally　encouraged　this　salutary　practice；　although　it　is　certainly　calculated　to　lessen　their　pecuniary　advantages　by　its　tendency　to　extirpate　a　fertile　source　of　professional　practice。〃

In　the　same　year　the　Medical　Committee　of　Paris　spoke　of　vaccination　in　a　public　letter；　as　〃the　most　brilliant　and　most　important　discovery　of　the　eighteenth　century。〃　　The　Directors　of　a　Society　for　the　Extermination　of　the　Small…Pox；　in　a　Report　dated　October　1st；　1807；　〃congratulate　the　public　on　the　very　favorable　opinion　which　the　Royal　College　of　Physicians　of　London；　after　a　most　minute　and　laborious　investigation　made　by　the　command　of　his　Majesty；　have　a　second　time　expressed　on　the　subject　of　vaccination；　in　their　Report　laid　before　the　House　of　Commons；　in　the　last　session　of　Parliament；　in　consequence　of　which　the　sum　of　twenty　thousand　pounds　was　voted　to　Dr。　Jenner；　as　a　remuneration　for　his　discovery；　in　addition　to　ten　thousand　pounds　before　granted。〃　　（In　June；　1802。）

These　and　similar　accusations；　so　often　brought　up　against　the　Medical　Profession；　are　only　one　mode　in　which　is　manifested　a　spirit　of　opposition　not　merely　to　medical　science；　but　to　all　science；　and　to　all　sound　knowledge。　　It　is　a　spirit　which　neither　understands　itself　nor　the　object　at　which　it　is　aiming。　　It　gropes　among　the　loose　records　of　the　past；　and　the　floating　fables　of　the　moment；　to　glean　a　few　truths　or　falsehoods　tending　to　prove；　if　they　prove　anything；　that　the　persons　who　have　passed　their　lives　in　the　study　of　a　branch　of　knowledge　the　very　essence　of　which　must　always　consist　in　long　and　accurate　observation；　are　less　competent　to　judge　of　new　doctrines　in　their　own　department　than　the　rest　of　the　community。　　It　belongs　to　the　clown　in　society；　the　destructive　in　politics；　and　the　rogue　in　practice。

The　name　of　Harvey；　whose　great　discovery　was　the　legitimate　result　of　his　severe　training　and　patient　study；　should　be　mentioned　only　to　check　the　pretensions　of　presumptuous　ignorance。　　The　example　of　Jenner；　who　gave　his　inestimable　secret；　the　result　of　twenty…two　years　of　experiment　and　researches；　unpurchased；　to　the　public；　when；　as　was　said　in　Parliament；　he　might　have　made　a　hundred　thousand　pounds　by　it　as　well　as　any　smaller　sum；should　be　referred　to　only　to　rebuke　the　selfish　venders　of　secret　remedies；　among　whom　his　early　history　obliges　us　reluctantly　to　record　Samuel　Hahnemann。　Those　who　speak　of　the　great　body　of　physicians　as　if　they　were　united　in　a　league　to　support　the　superannuated　notions　of　the　past　against　the　progress　of　improvement；　have　read　the　history　of　medicine　to　little　purpose。　　The　prevalent　failing　of　this　profession　has　been；　on　the　contrary；　to　lend　a　too　credulous　ear　to　ambitious　and　plausible　innovators。　　If　at　the　present　time　ten　years　of　public　notoriety　have　passed　over　any　doctrine　professing　to　be　of　importance　in　medical　science；　and　if　it　has　not　succeeded　in　raising　up　a　powerful　body　of　able；　learned；　and　ingenious　advocates　for　its　claims；　the　fault　must　be　in　the　doctrine　and　not　in　the　medical　profession。

Homoeopathy　has　had　a　still　more　extended　period　of　trial　than　this；　and　we　have　seen　with　what　results。　　It　only　remains　to　throw　out　a　few　conjectures　as　to　the　particular　manner　in　which　it　is　to　break　up　and　disappear。

1。　　The　confidence　of　the　few　believers　in　this　delusion　will　never　survive　the　loss　of　friends　who　may　die　of　any　acute　disease；　under　a　treatment　such　as　that　prescribed　by　Homoeopathy。　　It　is　doubtful　how　far　cases　of　this　kind　will　be　trusted　to　its　tender　mercies；　but　wherever　it　acquires　any　considerable　foothold；　such　cases　must　come；　and　with　them　the　ruin　of　those　who　practise　it；　should　any　highly　valued　life　be　thus　sacrificed。

2。　　After　its　novelty　has　worn　out；　the　ardent　and　capricious　individuals　who　constitute　the　most　prominent　class　of　its　patrons　will　return　to　visible　doses；　were　it　only　for　the　sake　of　a　change。

3。　　The　Semi…Homoeopathic　practitioner　will　gradually　withdraw　from　the　rotten　half　of　his　business　and　try　to　make　the　public　forget　his　connection　with　it。

4。　　The　ultra　Homoeopathist　will　either　recant　and　try　to　rejoin　the　medical　profession；　or　he　will　embrace　some　newer　and　if　possible　equally　extravagant　doctrine；　or　he　will　stick　to　his　colors　and　go　down　with　his　sinking　doctrine。　　Very　few　will　pursue　the　course　last　mentioned。

A　single　fact　may　serve　to　point　out　in　what　direction　there　will　probably　be　a　movement　of　the　dissolving　atoms　of　Homoeopathy。　　On　the　13th　page　of　the　too　frequently　cited　Manifesto　of　the　〃Examiner〃　I　read　the　following　stately　paragraph：

〃Bigelius；　M。　D。；　physician　to　the　Emperor　of　Russia；　whose　elevated　reputation　is　well　known　in　Europe；　has　been　an　acknowledged　advocate　of　Hahnemann's　doctrines　for　several　years。　　He　abandoned　Allopathia　for　Homoeopathia。〃　　The　date　of　this　statement　is　January；　1840。　　I　find　on　looking　at　the　booksellers'　catalogues　that　one　Bigel；　or　Bigelius；　to　speak　more　classically；　has　been　at　various　times　publishing　Homoeopathic　books　for　some　years。

Again；　on　looking　into　the　〃　Encyclographie　des　Sciences　Medicales　〃　for　April；　1840；　I　find　a　work　entitled　〃　Manual　of　HYDROSUDOPATHY；　or　the　Treatment　of　Diseases　by　Cold　Water；　etc。；　etc。；　by　Dr。　Bigel；　Physician　of　the　School　of　Strasburg；　Member　of　the　Medico…　Chirurgical　Institute　of　Naples；　of　the　Academy　of　St。　　Petersburg；　Assessor　of　the　College　of　the　Empire　of　Russia；　Physician　of　his　late　Imperial　Highness　the　Grand　Duke　Constantine；　Chevalier　of　the　Legion　of　Honor；　etc。〃　　Hydrosudopathy　or　Hydropathy；　as　it　is　sometimes　called；　is　a　new　medical　doctrine　or　practice　which　has　sprung　up　in　Germany　since　Homoeopathy；　which　it　bids　fair　to　drive　out　of　the　market；　if；　as　Dr。　Bigel　says；　fourteen　physicians　afflicted　with　diseases　which　defied　themselves　and　their　colleagues　came　to　Graefenberg；　in　the　year　1836　alone；　and　were　cured。　　Now　Dr。　Bigel；　〃whose　elevated　reputation　is　well　known　in　Europe；〃　writes　as　follows：　〃The　reader　will　not　fail　to　see　in　this　defence　of　the　curative　method　of　Graefenberg　a　profession　of　medical　faith；　and　he　will　be　correct　in　so　doing。〃　　And　his　work　closes　with　the　following　sentence；　worthy　of　so　distinguished　an　individual：　〃We　believe；　with　religion；　that　the　water　of　baptism　purifies　the　soul　from　its　original　sin；　let　us　believe　also；　with　experience；　that　it　is　for　our　corporeal　sins　the　redeemer　of　the　human　body。〃　　If　Bigel；　Physician　to　the　late　Grand　Duke　Constantine；　is　identical　with　Bigel　whom　the　〃Examiner〃　calls　Physician　to　the　Emperor　of　Russia；　it　appears　that　he　is　now　actively　engaged　in　throwing　cold　water　at　once　upon　his　patients　and　the　future　prospects　of　Homoeopathy。

If；　as　must　be　admitted；　no　one　of　Hahnemann's　doctrines　is　received　with　tolerable　unanimity　among　his　disciples；　except　the　central　axiom；　Similia　similibus　curantur；　if　this　axiom　itself　relies　mainly　for　its　support　upon　the　folly　and　trickery　of　Hahnemann；　what　can　we　think　of　those　who　announce　themselves　ready　to　relinquish　all　the　accumulated　treasures　of　our　art；　to　trifle　with　life　upon　the　strength　of　these　fantastic　theories？　　What　shall　we　think　of　professed　practitioners　of　medicine；　if；　in　the　words　of　Jahr；　〃from　ignorance；　for　their　personal　convenience；　or　through　charlatanism；　they　treat　their　patients　one　day　Homoeopathically　and　the　next　Allopathically；　〃　if　they　parade　their　pretended　new　science　before　the　unguarded　portion　of　the　community；　if　they　suffer　their　names　to　be　coupled　with　it　wherever　it　may　gain　a　credulous　patient；　and　deny　all　responsibility　for　its　character；　refuse　all　argument　for　its　doctrines；　allege　no　palliation　for　the　ignorance　and　deception　interwoven　with　every　thread　of　its　flimsy　tissue；　when　they　are　questioned　by　those　competent　to　judge　and　entitled　to　an　answer？

Such　is　the　pretended　science　of　Homoeopathy；　to　which　you　are　asked　to　trust　your　lives　and　the　lives　of　those　dearest　to　you。　　A　mingled　mass　of　perverse　ingenuity；　of　tinsel　erudition；　of　imbecile　credulity；　and　of　artful　misrepresentation；　too　often　mingled　in　practice；　if　we　may　trust　the　authority　of　its　founde