“THE QUACK IN THE CRISIS.”– This is the heading of an item in the J. A. M. A., Jan.4. From it is the following: “Who is found on the battle-field attending the dying and wounded, the quack or the regular doctor?” The “regular,” of course, because he allows no others the opportunity, and then brags of the fact that they are not there and calls them “quacks.” Now, Jama, that is not a nice thing for you to print; also, in the light of facts it is rather assinine, for, given the opportunity, the other doctors would be quite as a brave on the field of battle as you are and quite as ready to go. Drop such stuff, dear brother!
THE ORIGIN OF “QUACK.”–DR. J. R. Borland (Eclectic Review, Dec.) quotes a note to be found in Cullens “First Lines of the Practice of Physic,” 1805, concerning Paracelsus, who introduced mercury, or quicksilver, into medicine. The German people termed those who afterwards followed his practice in the 15th century “quack-salber” doctor, i.e., “quick silver,” and this was in time shortened into “quack” doctors. Time was when the esteemed brother was quite noted for the use of this drug.
A NEW CANCER TREATMENT.—The latest cancer treatment is “Fischeras method, as follows: Fresh sterile human fetuses of 2- 6 months of intra-uterine life are ground or chopped up and placed in a flask of sterile physiological salt solution,” etc., etc. This emulsion is administered medical journal, the New York State Journal of Medicine for January, otherwise one might think that it was parody on the broth brewed by Macbeths witches.
ARE THE BACILLI A MYTH?—Two French scientists, Albert and Alexander Mary, have recently published a little work that is causing comment in the European medical journals. The title is Synthese du “Bacille” de Koch. (Jules Rousset, Paris.) Have not seen it, but learn from the journals that in short, the authors deny, the existence of Kochs bacilli, say they are but a chemical precipitation, are the result of the action of the disease, and the phagocyte is the direct product of the microbe, a third stage apparently.
Some men have written the authors that their brochure is “nonsense,” but they come back with the assertion that, on the contrary, the prevailing theories are nonsense. The journals are not committing themselves very ardently on the subject either way; probably they realize that the “dawn of science,” “standing on the shore of knowledge” and things like that are something more than poetical figures of speech, and that when there is more light futility of much that passes current today will be seen.
THE WAY OF PATIENTS.—Sir William Gull hardly ever gave physic. A patient of his, at Guys Hospital, says a writer in B. M.J., made a good recovery form typhoid without the usual and too often strong drugs. Sir William congratulated him and the patient replied: “No thanks to you!” This ungracious retort was made because the patient had received no drastic dosing. This reminds us of an honest Irishman we once knew, who, after urging, by a bunch of us, took his ills to a homoeopathic doctor; on leaving the doctors office he flung the vial of pellets into the street with a muttered “tell with it!” governed by the same spirit that possessed Gulls patient.
A TYPHOID DILEMMA.—The official journal of the A. M. A. is worried because a certain newspaper has swallowed whole the talk given out about typhoid vaccination and said: “It will be a boon in towns where water-purification plants cannot be built because of the expense.” While our esteemed A. M. A. contemporary has our hearty support in wishing that the newspapers view will not find many supporters still we are inclined to believe that the newspaper is quite right in thus arguing from the rose- colored premises laid down by the A. M. A. doctors. They tell the newspaper men that the protection is certain and absolutely harmless, and any one can see that it is cheaper than filtration plant.
AT THE CONFESSIONAL.–” There is something wrong us–the medical profession. That something we believe to be the pernicious habit of prescribing proprietary mixtures, for the public is awaking to the fact that there is very little difference between the secret or semisecret ethical proprietary prescribed by the physician and the secret or semisecret patient medicine bought over the counter.”–Journal of the A. M. A., Dec.21.
A POINT SETTLED AS TO TYPHOID.– The student doesnt often go to Life, but –you can learn everywhere. That journal recently printed a letter form C. T. Stokes, Surgeon General, United States Navy in which he said that “the typhoid fever bacillus, or germ,” is a “vegetable organization.” This is official, and, therefore, important, because of the prevalent idea that it was from human dejecta and, therefore, it was supposed by many to be of animals origin.
FILES AND SUPERSTITIONS?—“Insect Porters and Bacterial Infection” is the title of a lecture delivered before the Royal Society of Physicians recently by Dr. C. J. Martin, Lancet, Jan. 4. In it he mentioned the observation made in India that enteric fever had a very definite season, following the coming of the rains. “The abundance of flies increased also soon after the beginning of the rains, but earlier than the admissions for enteric fever.”
Another observation is that in Australia (it probably holds true elsewhere) when a hot , dry wind blows flies must seek shelter or they dry up and die. The theory is that the flies carry the disease, which may be true, but is at variance with the older observation–or is it superstition?–that in seasons when flies are notably scarce, or absent, epidemics are fact it opens up a curious field for investigators for it is undoubtedly true that the flies and the fever come together from the rainy season. Has any reader observed anything bearing on this matter?
DEATH AND THE DOCTORS.— The statistician of the A. M. A. reports the death of 2,120 physician in the United States and Canada during 1912.
How many were graduated is not stated, but it is doubtful if they reached that number. Ten years or more of study for the privilege of risking a turn-down by the Examining Boards is not an attractive for young men; neither is the fact that they are tied down to one. State and after a few years are unable to move elsewhere, because of inability to answer the “latest” questions. These arbitrary laws were designed to put down irregular practitioners, but in effect they tend to make the pathway of that class easier, because the modern much-studied and expensive physician cannot afford to go to the small towns. The numerous two-years men are passing away- who will take their places?
EXAMINING AND LICENSING BOARDS.—-The spirit of the law establishing these boards was to prevent incompetent men from practicing medicine. In time these boards assumed a power to throw our colleges, a power which seems to be contrary to that given them by letter of the law. Today we have a condition in the noble profession of medicine that would make the gods on Mt. Olympus roar with laughter at their companion who presides over medicine.
The men from an old university or college may practice in this State, but may not even apply for “examination” in that; and, on the other hand, the exculded men are permitted to practice in other States, where the first named are, in turn, exculded. One can imagine the laughing gods asking Apollo whether the great profession, ruled by his son, AEsculapius, about which he has bragged so much concerning its lofty character, is, after all, on the same level as the tariff on wool,steel, sugar and the other articles of merchandise.
THE OUTLAW, SAMUEL THOMPSON.-All over the country the allopathic politicians are as busy as bees trying to gather in profitable legislation for their diminishing party. It was about 1819 that their predecessors tried to pass a law outlawing Samuel Thompson, the old herbalist. They did succeed in having him imprisoned for a time. But in those days there were men in their ranks animated by the true spirit of medicine, men disdaining the petty spirit of the tradesman. Among these was Professor Benjamin Waterhouse, of the Harvard Medical School, who said that Thompson “cured and relieved many disorders” which his persecutors could not.
Also: Had John Hunter, whom I well knew, been born and bred where Samuel Thompson was he would have been another such a man.”
THE CAUSE OF RHEUMATISM AS SEEN BY MODERN EYES.-Dr. W. P. S. Barnson (British Med. Jour., Nov. 23) opens that number with ” A Clinical Study on the Avenue of Rheumatic Infection.” The conclusion arrived at in this lengthy paper are that Sydenhams chorea and rheumatic fever are due to the same infecting agent; that the chorea depends on emotional stimuli; that the principal avenues of infections are nose and throat, and the first essential of “rational treatment” lies there. These are the conclusions-boiled down. The part of wisdom for the homoeopath not to neglect his Rhus tox., Bryonia and the other remedies that cured rheumatism before it was discovered that it is primarily a nose and throat disease.
