medical essays-第6章

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　louder　and　longer　than　other　people。　　So　it　appeared　that　when　the　〃Perkinean　Society〃　applied　to　the　possessors　of　Tractors　in　the　metropolis　to　concur　in　the　establishment　of　a　public　institution　for　the　use　of　these　instruments　upon　the　poor；　〃it　was　found　that　only　five　out　of　above　a　hundred　objected　to　subscribe；　on　account　of　their　want　of　confidence　in　the　efficacy　of　the　practice；　and　these；〃　the　committee　observes；　〃there　is　reason　to　believe；　never　gave　them　a　fair　trial；　probably　never　used　them　in　more　than　one　case；　and　that　perhaps　a　case　in　which　the　Tractors　had　never　been　recommended　as　serviceable。〃　　〃Purchasers　of　the　Tractors；〃　said　one　of　their　ardent　advocates；　〃would　be　among　the　last　to　approve　of　them　if　they　had　reason　to　suppose　themselves　defrauded　of　five　guineas。〃　　He　forgot　poor　Moses；　with　his　〃gross　of　green　spectacles；　with　silver　rims　and　shagreen　cases。〃　　〃Dear　mother；〃　cried　the　boy；　〃why　won't　you　listen　to　reason？　　I　had　them　a　dead　bargain；　or　I　should　not　have　bought　them。　　The　silver　rims　alone　will　sell　for　double　the　money。〃

But　it　is　an　undeniable　fact；　that　many　persons　of　considerable　standing；　and　in　some　instances　holding　the　most　elevated　positions　in　society；　openly　patronized　the　new　practice。　　In　a　translation　of　a　work　entitled　〃Experiments　with　the　Metallic　Tractors；〃　originally　published　in　Danish；　thence　rendered　successively　into　German　and　English；　Mr。　Benjamin　Perkins；　who　edited　the　English　edition；　has　given　a　copious　enumeration　of　the　distinguished　individuals；　both　in　America　and　Europe；　whose　patronage　he　enjoyed。　　He　goes　so　far　as　to　signify　that　ROYALTY　itself　was　to　be　included　among　the　number。　When　the　Perkinean　Institution　was　founded；　no　less　a　person　than　Lord　Rivers　was　elected　President；　and　eleven　other　individuals　of　distinction；　among　them　Governor　Franklin；　son　of　Dr。　Franklin；　figured　as　Vice…Presidents。　　Lord　Henniker；　a　member　of　the　Royal　Society；　who　is　spoken　of　as　a　man　of　judgment　and　talents；　condescended　to　patronize　the　astonishing　discovery；　and　at　different　times　bought　three　pairs　of　Tractors。　　When　the　Tractors　were　introduced　into　Europe；　a　large　number　of　testimonials　accompanied　them　from　various　distinguished　characters　in　America；　the　list　of　whom　is　given　in　the　translation　of　the　Danish　work　referred　to　as　follows：

〃Those　who　have　individually　stated　cases；　or　who　have　presented　their　names　to　the　public　as　men　who　approved　of　this　remedy；　and　acknowledged　themselves　instrumental　in　circulating　the　Tractors；　are　fifty…six　in　number；　thirty…four　of　whom　are　physicians　and　surgeons；　and　many　of　them　of　the　first　eminence；　thirteen　clergymen；　most　of　whom　are　doctors　of　divinity；　and　connected　with　the　literary　institutions　of　America；　among　the　remainder　are　two　members　of　Congress；　one　professor　of　natural　philosophy　in　a　college；　etc。；　etc。〃　　It　seemed　to　be　taken　rather　hardly　by　Mr。　Perkins　that　the　translators　of　the　work　which　he　edited；　in　citing　the　names　of　the　advocates　of　the　Metallic　Practice；　frequently　omitted　the　honorary　titles　which　should　have　been　annexed。　　The　testimonials　were　obtained　by　the　Danish　writer；　from　a　pamphlet　published　in　America；　in　which　these　titles　were　given　in　full。　　Thus　one　of　these　testimonials　is　from　〃　John　Tyler；　Esq。；　a　magistrate　in　the　county　of　New　London；　and　late　Brigadier…General　of　the　militia　in　that　State。〃　　The　〃omission　of　the　General's　title〃　is　the　subject　of　complaint；　as　if　this　title　were　sufficient　evidence　of　the　commanding　powers　of　one　of　the　patrons　of　tractoration。　　A　similar　complaint　is　made　when　〃Calvin　Goddard；　Esq。；　of　Plainfield；　Attorney　at　Law；　and　a　member　of　the　Legislature　of　the　State　of　Connecticut；〃　is　mentioned　without　his　titular　honors；　and　even　on　account　of　the　omission　of　the　proper　official　titles　belonging　to　〃Nathan　Pierce；　Esq。；　Governor　and　Manager　of　the　Almshouse　of　Newburyport。〃　　These　instances　show　the　great　importance　to　be　attached　to　civil　and　military　dignities；　in　qualifying　their　holders　to　judge　of　scientific　subjects；　a　truth　which　has　not　been　overlooked　by　the　legitimate　successors　of　the　Perkinists。　　In　Great　Britain；　the　Tractors　were　not　less　honored　than　in　America；　by　the　learned　and　the　illustrious。　　The　〃Perkinistic　Committee〃　made　this　statement　in　their　report：　〃Mr。　Perkins　has　annually　laid　before　the　public　a　large　collection　of　new　cases　communicated　to　him　for　that　purpose　by　disinterested　and　intelligent　characters；　from　almost　every　quarter　of　Great　Britain。　　In　regard　to　the　competency　of　these　vouchers；　it　will　be　sufficient　simply　to　state　that；　amongst　others　whose　names　have　been　attached　to　their　communications；　are　eight　professors；　in　four　different　universities；　twenty…one　regular　Physicians；　nineteen　Surgeons；　thirty　Clergymen；　twelve　of　whom　are　Doctors　of　Divinity；　and　numerous　other　characters　of　equal　respectability。〃

It　cannot　but　excite　our　notice　and　surprise　that　the　number　of　clergymen　both　in　America　and　Great　Britain　who　thrust　forward　their　evidence　on　this　medical　topic　was　singularly　large　in　proportion　to　that　of　the　members　of　the　medical　profession。　　Whole　pages　are　contributed　by　such　worthies　as　the　Rev。　Dr。　Trotter　of　Hans　Place；　the　Rear。　　Waring　Willett；　Chaplain　to　the　Earl　of　Dunmore；　the　Rev。　Dr。　Clarke；　Chaplain　to　the　Prince　of　Wales。　　The　style　of　these　theologico…medical　communications　may　be　seen　in　the　following　from　a　divine　who　was　also　professor　in　one　of　the　colleges　of　New　England。　〃I　have　used　the　Tractors　with　success　in　several　other　cases　in　my　own　family；　and　although；　like　Naaman　the　Syrian；　I　cannot　tell　why　the　waters　of　Jordan　should　be　better　than　Abana　and　Pharpar；　rivers　of　Damascus；　yet　since　experience　has　proved　them　so；　no　reasoning　can　change　the　opinion。　　Indeed；　the　causes　of　all　common　facts　are；　we　think；　perfectly　well　known　to　us；　and　it　is　very　probable；　fifty　or　a　hundred　years　hence；　we　shall　as　well　know　why　the　Metallic　Tractors　should　in　a　few　minutes　remove　violent　pains；　as　we　now　know　why　cantharides　and　opium　will　produce　opposite　effects；　namely；　we　shall　know　very　little　about　either　excepting　facts。〃　　Fifty　or　a　hundred　years　hence！　if　he　could　have　looked　forward　forty　years；　he　would　have　seen　the　descendants　of　the　〃Perkinistic〃　philosophers　swallowing　infinitesimal　globules；　and　knowing　and　caring　as　much　about　the　Tractors　as　the　people　at　Saratoga　Springs　do　about　the　waters　of　Abana　and　Pharpar。

I　trust　it　will　not　be　thought　in　any　degree　disrespectful　to　a　profession　which　we　all　honor；　that　I　have　mentioned　the　great　zeal　of　many　clergymen　in　the　cause　of　Perkinism。　　I　hope；　too；　that　I　may　without　offence　suggest　the　causes　which　have　often　led　them　out　of　their　own　province　into　one　to　which　their　education　has　no　special　reference。　　The　members　of　that　profession　ought　to　be；　and　commonly　are；　persons　of　benevolent　character。　　Their　duties　carry　them　into　the　midst　of　families；　and　particularly　at　times　when　the　members　of　them　are　suffering　from　bodily　illness。　　It　is　natural　enough　that　a　strong　desire　should　be　excited　to　alleviate　sufferings　which　may　have　defied　the　efforts　of　professional　skill；　as　natural　that　any　remedy　which　recommends　itself　to　the　belief　or　the　fancy　of　the　spiritual　physician　should　be　applied　with　the　hope　of　benefit；　and　perfectly　certain　that　the　weakness　of　human　nature；　from　which　no　profession　is　exempt；　will　lead　him　to　take　the　most　flattering　view　of　its　effects　upon　the　patient；　his　own　sagacity　and　judgment　being　staked　upon　the　success　of　the　trial。　　The　inventor　of　the　Tractors　was　aware　of　these　truths。　　He　therefore　sent　the　Tractors　gratuitously　to　many　clergymen；　accompanied　with　a　formal　certificate　that　the　holder　had　become　entitled　to　their　possession　by　the　payment　of　five　guineas。　　This　was　practised　in　our　own　neighborhood；　and　I　remember　finding　one　of　these　certificates；　so　presented；　which　proved　that　amongst　the　risks　of　infancy　I　had　to　encounter　Perkins's　Tractors。　　Two　clergymen　of　Boston　and　the　vicinity；　both　well　known　to　local　fame；　gave　in　their　testimony　to　the　value　of　the　instruments　thus　presented　to　them；　an　unusually　moderate　proportion；　when　it　is　remembered　that　to　the　common　motives　of　which　I　have　spoken　was　added　the　seduction　of　a　gift　for　which　the　profane　public　was　expected　to　pay　so　largely。

It　was　remarkable；　also；　that　Perkinism；　which　had　so　little　success　with　the　medical　and　scientific　part　of　the　community；　found　great　favor　in　the　eyes　of　its　more　lovely　and　less　obstinate　portion。　〃The　lady　of　Major　Oxholin；〃I　quote　from　Mr。　Perkins's　volume；　〃having　been　lately　in　America；　had　seen　and　heard　much　of　the　great　effects　of　Perkinism。　　Influenced　by　a　most　benevolent　disposition；　she　brought　these　Tractors　and　the　pamphlet　with　her　to　Europe；　with　a　laudable　desire　of　extending　their　utility　to　her　suffering　countrymen。〃　　Such　was　the　channel　by　which　the　Tractors　were　conveyed　to　Denmark；　where　they　soon　became　the　ruling　passion。　The　workmen；　says　a　French　writer；　could　not　manufacture　them　fast　enough。　　Women　carried　them　about　their　persons；　and　delighted　in　bringing　them　into　general　use。　　To　what　extent　the　Tractors　were　favored　with　the　patronage　of　English　and　American　ladies；　it　is　of　course　not　easy　to　say；　except　on　general　principles；　as　their　names　were　not　brought　before　the　public。　　But　one　of　Dr。　Haygarth's　stories　may　lead　us　to　conjecture　that　there　was　a　class　of　female　practitioners　who　went　about　doing　good　with　the　Tractors　in　England　as　well　as　in　Denmark。　　A　certain　lady　had　the　misfortune　to　have　a　spot　as　big　as　a　silver　penny　at　the　corner　of　her　eye；　caused　by　a　bruise；　or　some　such　injury。　　Another　lady；　who　was　a　friend　of　hers；　and　a　strong　believer　in　Perkinism；　was　very　anxious　to　try　the　effects　of　tractoration　upon　this　unfortunate　blemish。　　The　patient　consented；　the　lady　〃produced　the　instruments；　and；　after　drawing　them　four　or　five　times　over　the　spot；　declared　that　it　changed　to　a　paler　color；　and　on　repeating　the　use　of　them　a　few　minutes　longer；　that　it　had　almost　vanished；　and　was　scarcely　visible；　and　departed　in　high　triumph　at　her　success。〃　　The　lady　who　underwent　the　operation　assured　the　narrator　〃that　she　looked　in　the　glass　immediately　after；　and　that　not　the　least　visible　alteration　had　taken　place。〃

It　would　be　a　very　interesting　question；　what　was　the　intellectual　character　of　those　persons　most　conspicuous　in　behalf　of　the　Perkinistic　delusion？　　Such　an　inquiry　might　bring　to　light　some　principles　which　we　could　hereafter　apply　to　the　study　of　other　popular　errors。　　But　the　obscurity　into　which　nearly　all　these　enthusiasts　have　subsided　renders　the　question　easier　to　ask　than　to　answer。　　I　believe　it　would　have　been　found　that　most　of　these　persons　were　of　ardent　temperament　and　of　considerable　imagination；　and　that　their　history　would　show　that　Perkinism　was　not　the　first　nor　the　last　hobby…horse　they　rode　furiously。　　Many　of　them　may　very　probably　have　been　persons　of　more　than　common　talent；　of　active　and　ingenious　minds；　of　versatile　powers　and　various　acquirements。　　Such；　for　instance；　was　the　estimable　man　to　whom　I　have　repeatedly　referred　as　a　warm　defender　of　tracto