HOMOEOPATHIC QUACKERY.

the vile impostures, such as homoeopathy and mesmerism, that

now seek to wriggle into public estimation by establishing a

loathsome parasitical dependence upon her. Let the stately

THE LANCET. and sturdy oak reject the first treacherous embrace of the
crawling ivy, and it will continue to expand its green boughs
and flourish; but let it suffer the first suckers of the asphyxia-
LONDON: SATURDAY, MAY 15, 1858.
ting creeper to lay hold upon the trunk, and soon the noble
tree will be stifled, as were the sons of LAcooON, in the ever-
QUACKERY, in a thousand shapes, is a curse of the age, andspreading and ever-tightening folds of the serpent.
the besetting sin of our civilization. It is the growing vice of Medicine can only flourish like the oak. She must keep her-
modern society, the canker in the bud of our progress : in self pure from the polluting touch of quackery. More than
politics, in trade, in manufacture, in the liberal professions, that, her chastity, like that of CAESAR’S wife, must not even be
an age of puffing and falsehood is inaugurated. A short cut suspected. No true disciple of HirpocpATES will seek to play
has been opened to fortune and to fame. It is wearisome to fast and loose with the divine art. No physician, no surgeon,
labour, to strive, and to excel; but it is easy to claim merit; howsoever high his station, must expect to minister to charla-
it is a facile task to pretend to originality, or to announce tanry one day, and to meet his brethren on friendly terms the
success. A new fabric, an improved process, a real advance next. No man can serve two masters. He cannot be permit-
in medicine or in pathology, is to be won only by toil and ted with the same hand to receive the reward of virtue and the
pains, self-denial, and perseverance; each involves difficult wages of sin. Each must choose his career. Duplicity, be-
sacrifices. It is far easier to indite a lie, or to invent a puff, trayal, the profession will not endure. Medicine a man may
to plan an advertisement, or to paint a van. It often answers follow; or her personation, Charlatanism ; but both, he shall
the end proposed. Hence false pretences walk the street, and not. It is no more possible for a man honestly to keep terms
hustle plain Honesty off the " pceve." Men seek only to array with Medicine and with quackery than it is to plant one foot
their emptiness in finer clothes than their neighbour; to blow on the North pole and the other on the South.
a louder trumpet; to daub a more glaring colour. This secret The facts which have given rise to this painful agitation are
immorality which surrounds us has knocked at our door; generally known to the profession. We need only briefly re-
and sin never lies long upon the threshold. The quackery, the capitulate them. A gentleman in the neighbourhood of Stam-
puffing, the false boasting of pretenders resound in ceaseless ford was afflicted with retention of urine. Mr. PHILBRICK, a most
gabble amongst a crowd of men who assume the medical title. respectable surgeon of that town, whose conduct throughout en-
Systems of fraud and folly grow apace. It behoves us strongly titles him to the highest esteem of his brethren and the public,
to resist these treacherous encroachments. Their professorsi was called in. On the next day it was proposed to Mr. PHIL-
are strong in vigour and unblushing in effrontery : homceo- BRICK to meet a Dr. BELL, a London globuJist. In what manner a

pathists, mesmerists, hydropathists, and the like, they are men Lskilful surgeon could be aided in relieving retention of urine by
who have sacrificed science and debased morality by embracing; consultation with such a person it is impossible to imagine.
falsehood and practising deception. The members of anl Mr. PuiLBRiCE took the part which became him as a member
honourable profession cannot, therefore, hold any terms withLof an honourable profession, having a just regard to his duty,
them. It is time that a very clear and sharp decisiont to the patient, to his own character, and to his brethren, by
should be pronounced. Quackery of any kind is folly, false- declining to meet him. Dr. PALEY, of Peterborough, was there-
-

hood, or scoundrelism. In its mildest form it can never beò upon invited to meet Mr. PHILBRICK. Yet in a few days the
harmless. There must be no dallying with it. Truth is white:: globulist appears, and Mr. PuiLBRicn refused to attend with
falsehood is black. Let every man choose between them. Wes him. The services of a surgeon were, however, needed, there
can have no neutral tints; no grey cats; no twilight conceal- being, we presume, no globulistic hocus-pocus to relieve reten-
-

ments ; no doubtful partizans. We are bound to take thiss tion of urine. Mr. JACKSON, the senior surgeon of the Stamford
stand; for it is an honourable and just principle which dic-- infirmary, was found willing to do what Mr. PniLERiCE had
tates it. refused to undertake. This gentleman is said to " have done
No feeling is more general or stronger in the professional what was necessary, and to have acted under Dr. BELL’S
mind at this moment than the conviction that the time has orders"! attending to the surgical department only, and not
come for a clear, rigorous, and unequivocal definition of the seeing Dr. BELL in the medical treatment. Under this
rules that ought to guide the practitioner of medicine when anomalous system, the patient getting worse, Dr. BELL applied
brought into professional collision or contact with charlatans. to Mr. FERGUSSON, who accompanied that person to Stamford,
In our experience, we do not remember a more painful feeling where they met Mr. JACKSON. These, we believe, are the facts
of distrust and indignation having been excited throughout town of the case. P)’imâfucie, it had appeared that Mr, FERGUSSON
and provinces, than in consequence of the reported sanction gave the deliberate sanction of his authority to the practice of
afforded to a charlatan of the homoeopathic species by a surgeon consulting with persons outside the pale of the profession. As
who had justly stood high in the esteem of his professional we fully expected, Mr. FERGUSSON emphatically denies the
brethren. Such a suspicion, if well-founded or left to ferment, relevancy of this imputation. In a letter to this journal, pub-
would tend to destroy all confidence between the different lished last week, he says, I accompanied Dr. BELL to Lincoln-
"

members of the profession; to break up what we may call the " shire in an urgent surgical case. I have not seen the patient
solidarity of the medical body; to weaken the just influence we since. I do not consult with homoeopaths. I have no faith
possess with the public; and finally, to degrade Medicine from " in homoeopathy. I give no encouragement to homoeopaths to
her proud position as a beneficent science to the abject level of "()n111t. tY1R"
483
 HOSPITAL ADVERTISEMENTS.

The profession will of course rejoice to hear this disavowal of and the cause of science. Every medical society,
profession
any co-operation with charlatanry from Mr. FERGUSSON. We in which medical practitioners are associated,
every body
agree with him that when a surgeon is called upon for his assist- ought to pass resolutions binding its members in no way
to countenance homoeopathic, mesmeric, or any other form
ance in an urgent case, he is bound to give it, p·o7ic vice, even

if he knew a charlatan to be in attendance. Humane conside- of quackery; but to repudiate it utterly and for ever. Such
ration for the ignorance or folly of the sufferer will dictate to resolutions would be strictly Hippocratic in spirit ; they
the surgeon the propriety of aiding him in his extremity. But would be in perfect harmony with the oaths and pledges
there his duty begins and ends. He must not refuse to listen given on accepting the diplomas of the Colleges ; they
to the call of a sick man; nor must he go one step beyond are now necessary for the purpose of clearly defining the
this obvious duty. No deference to the station of the pa- duties of honourable practitioners of medicine towards them-
tient, no appeal from the patient’s friends, no circumstances selves, their profession, and the public. With these duties
ought to induce the surgeon for one moment to lend his couched in unequivocal language, and emphatically recognised
countenance, actively or passively, really or ostensibly, to the by every one throughout all ranks of the profession, the honour
sanction of what he believes to be imposture and fraud. and dignity of Medicine will be vindicated ; each member will
When he has ministered to the relief of the patient, he should feel, that, in acting up to this spirit he is supported by the
retire unless the quack be dismissed, for should he remain, if active sympathy of his brethren; and the man who transgresses
only to look on, and thus far participate in the treatment will feel that he has placed an impassable barrier between him.
which is dictated by an associated charlatan, from that mo- self and the profession he has betrayed.
ment he is imperilling his own character ; he is guilty of We say again, that the hour has come when every man who
treason to his profession; he is an accomplice in the iniquity claims to be one of us must choose his path. It is clear and
of cheating a credulous sick man ; he is bolstering up a lie straight before him :
"Sunt certi denique fines,
and a fraud, by giving it the semblance of the countenance
Quos ultra citraque nequit consistere rectum."
of science. The proverb tells us that we may judge of a man by his
Indeed, the iniquity of such conduct is even greater, be- companions. He who herds with quacks-he who stoops to
cause it is more mean and despicable than that of the quack
pick up a dirty fee proffered in consultation with a homaeopath
himself. A quack may to a certain extent be the dupe of
- accepts a bribe to betray his brethren, and forfeits all claim
his own folly : the ignorance that is so often combined with to
professional and, wewill add, to public respect. Such men
knavery may lead him to believe with more or less of sincerity the profession will despise and cast out from amongst them.
in the efficacy of his nostrum. But the educated physician or
While it is impossible to speak too highly of the just, digni-
surgeon can put forth no such plea ; for him there are no ex- fied, and truly-honourable conduct of Mr. PHILBRICK through.
tenuating circumstances, no palliation. The postponement, out this painful transaction, that of Mr. JACKSON appears to
the wilful suppression of the truth, or tacit consent in its call for an
unqualified expression of censure. Has Mr. JACK-
suppression, implied when a medical practitioner consults with SON any explanation to offer ? If so we will record it on re-
a quack, is nothing more nor less than connivance in fraud.
suming the subject in the next LANCET.
We conceive that the proper course for a physician or sur-
geon to pursue when called in to see a patient oppressed by
charlatanic influence is, promptly to answer the call. He is THERE is a friend more dangerous than an enemy. There
bound to give the best assistance in his men whose affection misleads them, and whose intense
power, surgical or are

medical, that may be necessary under instant circumstances. desire to be of service is frustrated by its very eagerness; their
’That first duty accomplished, his next is to inform the patient friendly dispositions are rendered a source of mortification to
and his friends, in plain terms, what view he has taken of the themselves, and of injury to those around them, by the want of
case ; he should say what measures are necessary for the a guiding judgment. The spasmodic exertions which they are
patient’s welfare; and this done, then it is his duty to decline induced to make under the influence of "the best intentions"
any responsibility or further participation in the case, if the disappoint them by failure, and disgrace them by the ungrateful
concurrent attendance of a charlatan is insisted upon. With recriminations which they are apt to excite. Thejudicious friends
such a course we think the public could not reasonably find of the London Cancer Hospital will see with regret a somewhat
fault. We are further of opinion that in no case can a medical exaggerated eulogium of that institution in the columns of the
practitioner be fairly expected to meet a charlatan in deliberate Live’pool Chronicle of the 1st cf May, which is headed by
consultation. Such a proceeding is so obviously a farce, insult- advertisement, and accompanied by an editorial request, that
ing to the medical practitioner, and utterly fruitless of good to the article in question may be " obligingly transferred to the
the patient, that nothing short of a combination of dishonesty columns of other papers, with additional remarks, by brother
on the one part, and of fatuity on the other, can ever bring editors." Even solicitations for a purely charitable object have
such a disgraceful absurdity into action. a limit to the urgency and the freedom with which they may

We are sure the profession from one end of the country to
the other will applaud the resolution taken by the practitioners
of Southampton, which we print in another part of our columns.
Our brethren in all parts of the kingdom haveindeed shown
an admirable espg-it de C01’P8 in questions of this kind. They
are entitled to a reciprocation of the like sentiments from their
metropolitan brethren. There must be no dallying, no trifling
in a matter that now touches the most vital interests of the
484
be pressed, and we conceive that in this instance those bounds
have been overpassed. This is the more to be regretted, because
the institution itself is one of the most prominent utility, and
needs no other than the barest statement of its claims to call
down public sympathy and aid. There is a somewhat growing
tendency, we fear, to impart an element of exaggeration, and per-
haps sometimes of cant, into the advertisements asking for help
for charitable institutions. We use the opportunity for ex-
 MEDICAL ANNOTATIONS.

pressing a clear and decided opinion that it should be checked. demand for a further inquiry, to enable him to bring further
The whine of the mendicant, the religious adjuration of the evidence in refutation of the charges. The second inquiry,
priest, or the flowery eloquence peculiar to the tradesman’s which was most indecently protested against by the Bridge-
puff, are in their turn affected in the wording of these state- water guardians, was conducted by Mr. GULSON, this time
ments. We hold that they should be all alike avoided. Sick- assisted by another Inspector, Mr. GRAVES. The only fresh
ness and disease have their own dignity, which should be reo evidence was all in favour of Mr. SYMES. It is therefore need-
spected ; they have their own innate claims upon humanity, less to say, that if the case as developed on the first inquiry
which need only to be simply stated, in order that they signally failed, the condemnation then pronounced against Mr.
should be most deeply felt. A minute particularity in re- SYMES cannot be confirmed by the production of evidence which
citing the sufferings of those who claim relief, a poetic pathos tends still more conclusively to exonerate him. Such, however,
of diction in drawing the picture ofthe happiness which aid we regret to say, is the decision arrived at. The Poor-law
would bestow upon them, add nothing to the urgency, and Board, acting on the Report of its Inspectors, again formally
little to the success of these appeals, while they savour so calls on Mr. SYMES to resign.
much of the style introduced by the rival proprietors of com- Under these circumstances, we advise Mr. SYMES to appeal
peting establishments, that they tend to lower in the estima- for a third trial ; not this time before Poor-law Inspectors or

tion of the public the noble institutions in behalf of which they Boards of Guardians, but before the tribunal of public opinion.
I

are penned.
MB. THOMAS DuNCOMBE, the defender and supporter of brought under the notice of Parliament.
quackery in the House of Commons, is sorely annoyed that
the statue of the great and good JENNER should be placed in a
position of honour by the side of those of the great warriors
who shed lustre upon our country. It is humiliating indeed
to find that any man, particularly a member of Parliament,
should be found at this time so ignorant of the claims
of JENNER to distinction, as to utter such impotent nonsense
regarding that illustrious man. It is not only an insult to an
honourable and noble profession, but it is a gross libel upon
humanity itself. The great discovery of JENNER—a discovery
which has thrown its beneficent influence upon every land and
in every clime-has saved more lives and prevented more suffer-
ing than all the combined agencies of war and its consequences
have ever inflicted throughout the world. And this is the
man who is unworthy to be placed in a position of honour for
the admiration of his countrymen ! The attack upon the
memory and labours of JENNER will meet with the contempt
of every friend of humanity. Tens of thousands will pass
the statue daily; upon how many faces will be found the
marks of that horrid and loathsome disease which the cow-
pox has all but eradicated ? Probably, not one in a thousand.
But how would it have been fifty years since ? In upwards of
fifty in a thousand the terrible deformity would have been
manifest. And this proportion, large as it is, bears but a
small significance when compared with the lives that have
been saved. Humanity will give its verdict, notwithstanding
the " Coffinism" and sneers of Mr. THOMAS DUNCOMBE.
ON the closure of the first inquiry held by Mr. GULSON, an
Inspector of the Poor-law Board, into certain charges of neglect
of duty against Mr. SYMES, the surgeon to the Bridgewater
Union, we analyzed the evidence adduced. We came to the
conclusion which we feel confident any jury in this country
would have arrived at. Mr. SYMES was accused of neglecting
two patients, named SOUTHWOOD and DAVIES. It is needless
again to recapitulate the evidence. We will merely repeat our
deliberate opinion, that the adverse decision pronounced by Mr.
GULSON is not substantiated by that evidence. The Poor-law
Board itself must have felt that it could not with propriety
insist upon Mr. SYMES’ resignation in consequence of this in-
quiry. It suspended Mr. SYMES’ dismissal, and acceded to his
The case exemplifies very strongly the imperfection of the pre-
sent relations of Poor-law surgeons ; it should be immediately
IT will be seen by an advertisement in this day’s LANCET,
that the appeal which we have made on behalf of Mrs. Roij?BL
has not been unattended with success. Never was a case
which more loudly demanded the sympathy of the profession.
Dr. ROLPH fell a victim to a system of persecution as cruel as
any which has ever been recorded. Hewas a man of singular
ability, of amiable manners, and a great benefactor to the
poor. In the very case which gave his enemies the oppor-
tunity of destroying him, he acted with consummate skill.
After such an instance of unjust oppression no medical practi-
tioner is safe. His case may be that of any one of us to-
morrow. We cannot recall him to life, but we may defend his-
memory and solace his widow. We trust that before the sub-
scription is closed the amount will be greatly augmented. It
is gratifying to state, that two gentlemen have promised that
if ;S350 are subscribed by the end of June, each will put
down his name for =S25. The simple statement of this fact
is surely sufficient to ensure so desirable a result.
Medical Annotations.
"Ne quid uimis."
A BATCH OF QUACKS.
IF any man wished to particularize the most infamous acts of
villany which can be perpetrated with impunity in this country,
he would find them recorded amongst the deeds of that gang
of quacks who, under the false pretence of superior medical
skill and knowledge, hide the densest ignorance, the most reck-
less boldness, and the most murderous disregard for the health
and life of their victims. Mendacity is the staff of their ex-
istence ; the astonishing boldness of their lies is a matter of
notoriety and wonder. One set of them preach up the virtues
and innocence of a poisonous herb, which they protest is as
harmless as water, and by dint of daily repetition of the false-
hood, and spite of repeated exposure, gather together de-
luded creatures upon whom they occasionally commit man-
slaughter. Another gang of rascals prey upon the infirmities
and the vices of enfeebled profligates and nervous students.
They boldly protest that thousands are affected with foul
and debilitating diseases, from which they are wholly free;
485