wealth, and to act on the ancient maxim, rem si possis recte; si non quocunque modo rem; [Make money,-honestly, if you can; if not, make money!] men who, void of integrity and all honourable self-respect, looked upon such as differed from them in this point as insane. I certainly was taken quite aback, and looked, and better looked, in hopes that my senses deceived me; but the more I looked the more was I satisfied, or rather dissatisfied with the correctness of my views. It was now quite clear that I never should rise in the profession, and that, although bred to physic, physic would never be bread to me." I could not scramble for subsistence at the expense of self-respect, and live upon an ipecancuan loaf. In spite of the lamentations of my friends and patients, who thought me 'getting on so nicely,' but who were unable to read my own feelings, and at the expense of being ridiculed by many who supposed me actuated by foolish pride, &c., I bade adieu to private practice, and turned my lancet into a ploughshare. In short, I took to farming, in which vocation I have now continued for nine years, enjoying a happiness and peace of mind that I think few medical men can understand. Among the poor I still keep up a little practice, and occasionally am consulted by my country practising friends, but, like my old lancets, I grow very rusty. Perhaps you will say, So much the better. And now, why have I troubled you with all this from an entire stranger? Simply as a preface to the thanks that I now beg to offer you for the new light that broke upon me on reading your work, which was sent to me by a non-medical friend. My ideas on physic have been totally revolutionized by it, and I now recall to my mind many cases where I made most fortunate cures accidentally, by following your system, though without any knowledge of the principles of its application. Most sincerely do I congratulate you on your discoveries, and most confidently do I look forward to the day, not distant, when they will be duly appreciated. I have myself been all but a martyr at the shrine of Sangrado, but nothing will ever again induce me to part with a drop of blood, so long as it will circulate in the veins of "Your obliged and faithful, From Dr. Charles Greville. cess. BATH, Feb. 24, 1841. “My dear Sir,—I have perused with interest your excellent and original Lectures, and have much pleasure in attesting the truth of your remarks. I have treated numerous cases of disease upon the Chrono-Thermal principle, with perfect sucShould time permit, I will furnish you with various instances. I have no doubt the public will eventually appreciate the superiority of your views, and take its leave of the nefarious apothecary, whose existence seems to depend upon the deluging of his patient with unnecessary and too often deleterious compounds. "I remain, my dear Sir, "Yours very faithfully, From Mr. Henry Smith. "CHESHUNT, HERTS, Feb. 24, 1841. "My dear Sir,-At a time when your doctrines are so much the subject of discussion, both with the profession and the public, the evidence of a country practitioner as to the result of their application in his hands may not be altogether unacceptable to their author. The first time I heard your name, was about eighteen months ago, when the Hon. Edmund Byng sent your Unity of Disease to my fatherin-law, Mr. Sanders. We were both equally struck with the novelty and simplicity of your views, as there detailed, and we determined to put them to the test. You will be gratified to hear, that neither Mr. Sanders nor myself, from that time, have ever had occasion to use either leech or lancet in our practice, though formerly we felt ourselves compelled to use both. Every day has confirmed us in the truth of your opinions by our increased success. I have treated cases of Apoplexy with the most perfect success with No other means than the application of cold water dashed over the head and face,—following that up, after the fit had gone off, with quinine, ammonia, and prussic acid. I have cured all kinds of cases of convulsion by the same treatment; indeed, in the convulsive diseases of children, the prussic acid has been my sheet-anchor. In cases where children have been appa 1 rently still-born, I have succeeded in rousing them by dashing cold water over their bodies. With quinine and prussic acid, I have treated many cases of croup, and in no instance do I remember to have lost a patient. Many cases of hysteria, and some of epilepsy, have been cured or relieved by creosote, after every other medicine had been tried in vain. I have treated cases of both chronic and acute rheumatism successfully by arsenic. By the tonic practice I have been equally successful in inflammations of the chest and bowels. Before concluding this hasty sketch, permit me to express how thankful and grateful I feel towards you, for the light by which you have expelled the darkness in which medicine was formerly so much enveloped by its professors. "Yours, my dear Sir, 'Very faithfully, Since the publication of the First Edition of this Work, Mr. Smith confirms his previous statement by a further experience of three years,-five years in all—during which he has not used a leech or lancet. From H. C. Deshon, Esq., Surgeon. "SHROTON, BLandford, 10th Nov. 1841. * "Dear Sir, I have from time to time anxiously waited to hear of the state of health of that beloved relative [his mother] I left under your care, and I am now glad to hear that she considers herself better. I have cured palsy and epilepsy by hydrocyanic acid, quinine, arsenic, &c., and I have also found these medicines of avail in convulsions and dropsies. Indeed, I am confident that most diseases may be cured (I refer to chronic diseases chiefly) by medicines useful in ague, and on your principles, with reference to Periodicity and Temperature. "Dear Sir, very truly yours, "HENRY C. DESHON." From Charles Trotter, Esq., Surgeon. "HOLMFIRTH, near HUDDERSFIELD. "Dear Sir,-Having read the Second Edition of your Lectures, I have been induced in a great number of cases to try the Chrono-Thermal system of treatment, and I must confess that in very many instances it has exceeded my expectations. I have cured what are termed inflammations without the patient losing a single drop of blood. Very recently I succeeded in bringing a case of Peritonitis (inflammation of the membranous covering of the bowels) to a favourable result without bleeding at all. Several well-marked cases of Pneumonia, (inflammation of the lungs,) as well as of pure Bronchitis, (inflammation of the air passages,) have also yielded to medicine without any bleeding whatever. And I may at the same time observe, the recovery was in every case quicker, and the consequent weakness less, than if blood had been drawn. From Dr. Fogarty, Surgeon of the St. Helena Regiment. "LONDON. "My dear Sir,-I have read your Lectures with the greatest delight. Every word ought to be written in letters of gold. "Yours faithfully, "M. FOGARTY.” From H. W. Bull, Esq., Surgeon, R. N. "WORKINGHAM, 5th Feb., 1843. "Dear Sir, I beg to forward to you a statement of my own case, and one or two cases of others treated on your plan, all of which are evidence of the value of the Chrono-Thermal System. I was attacked by paralysis on the 28th of October, 1840, which deprived me of the use of my right arm and leg, affected the same side of my face, and produced some difficulty of speech. The usual plan was adopted,— bleeding, purging, leeching, mercury, and blisters. In this state I crawled on to May, 1841, when I lost more blood to prevent another anticipated attack, goaded on "Yours most sincerely and faithfully, Cases alluded to in the preceding letter. "Case 1.-Mr. C- was attacked with acute rheumatism in almost every joint, great difficulty of breathing, and violent pain in the chest. I prescribed an emetic, but he refused to take it, he is a Hampshire man, and almost as obstinate as one of his own hogs. He continued in this state two days more; at last he was prevailed on to take the emetic. It operated soon and gave him instant relief. I followed it up with quinine and colchicum; he is now quite well, and has gone to his brother's house some distance from this. "Case 2.-A girl twelve years of age was brought to me from Binfield in convulsive fits. The pupils of her eyes were much dilated, and the fits followed each other in rapid succession. I first gave her a purgative, and followed it up with prussic acid;-this was on a Monday. The fits became less and less frequent, and from the following Friday they entirely ceased. I also lately used the prussic acid with the best effect in the case of a child seven weeks old. "Case 3.-A gentleman lately brought his child, a fine boy, to me, for squint; the age, two years. Some days the boy squinted less than others. I gave him six powders, containing quinine and a little calomel: no other medicine was prescribed. There has been no squint since the powders were finished. In many other cases I have followed your plan with the best success. H. W. B." From John Yeoman, Esq., Surgeon. 66 "LOFTUS, YORKSHIRE, Feb. 2d, 1843. "Sir,-Hearing that you are about to give us another edition of your Lectures, I beg now to offer to you my best thanks for the service you have already done the medical profession, by the publication of your original doctrines on disease. Being convinced, from my own experience and observation, that there is a Periodicity in most diseases, and that blood-letting is resorted to, as a curative measure, far too indiscriminately, I have read the work with very great interest and advantage. With interest, because I have been anxious and ready, for the last two years, to test the Chrono-Thermal doctrine and remedies fairly, and with advantage, because I have succeeded in a wonderful manner to cure diseases, by acting up to the principles and practice you recommend. I have treated several cases of decided Pleurisy and Pneumonia according to the Chrono-Thermal System, using emetics, purgatives, tartar emetic, prussic acid, and quinine, and without the aid of lancet or blister, most successfully. In croup and typhus-fever, I can bear ample testimony to the good effects of emetics, cold affusions, prussic acid, and quinine; and with these agents alone, I have cured several cases of both within the last six months. You are at liberty to make use of these few remarks, to make them known to the profession, or the world, as you please: and wishing you every success in your future efforts, good health, and happiness, "I am, Sir, yours sincerely, "JOHN YEOMAN." "Member of the Royal College of Surgeons, and Licentiate of the Apothecaries' Company, London." From Dr. Sprague, formerly a Medical Officer on the Staff. "CLEVEDON, near BRISTOL, Feb. 6th, 1843. "My dear Sir,-Having read over and over again your invaluable work, and having devoted much time to the study of the principles laid down, I am desirous to convey in plain language my sentiments in regard to the immense benefit which would indubitably be conferred on mankind by the general adoption of your opinions and practice. I was strictly educated to the Medical profession from my youth up, and have been in actual practice more than THIRTY-THREE years. * * * * * * "Notwithstanding the strenuous and persevering advocacy with which blood-letting has been so universally urged, and that, too, in the face of the great destruction of human life indubitably produced by it, to you, sir, belongs the honour of triumphantly proving by evidence the most incontrovertible, that all diseases which ADMIT of RELIEF can be successfully treated WITHOUT loss of blood.' And here do I most willingly record my unbiased testimony to this important TRUTH. Let me further add, that by a course of patient investigation and much practical experience, I had arrived at the same conclusion before I had the pleasure of perusing your writings. I am, therefore, bound to acknowledge how highly I value the moral courage which has induced you to promulgate your invaluable opinions, and which, I believe, are built upon an immovable foundation. With a deep sense of obligation to you for the information I have derived from your various writings, "I remain, yours faithfully, "J. H. SPRAGUE From John P. Baldy, Esq., Surgeon. "DEVONPORT, 3d March, 1843. "Dear Sir, I have for several years past followed a similar line of practice to yourself; but I must confess I never entered so deeply into the principles of it till I read your invaluable publication. If medical men would follow your steps-the steps of nature-instead of the theories of the schoolmen, mankind would be be nefitted, and you would be hailed as the Founder of a New System of Physic; and your name would go down to posterity with those immortal men, Harvey and Jen"I remain, dear Sir, yours faithfully, "JOHN P. BALDY, M.R.C.S." ner. From Dr. Carter, of Reading. "READING, Oct. 20th, 1843. "I am proud, my dear Sir, to acknowledge you as my father in Physic. From 1829 to 1838, I went through the course of my medical education after the most approved orthodox fashion, and I fancied I comprehended the practice of medicine. Your views too clearly point out that I was more than ignorant on the subject. "I find, on referring to my note-book of cases, that, since February, 1842, up to the present date, nearly three hundred medical cases have occurred in my practice -cases of acute and chronic disease. In the treatment of these, I have strictly followed the Chrono-Thermal principles, and I feel a conscious satisfaction and delight when I reflect, that, with the exception of one case, (Phrenitis,) my treatment your treatment-has restored them ALL to health. Which of our greatest doctors, by the old treatment, can boast of a similar successful result? "Yours very faithfully, "MATTHEW CARTER, M.R.C.P." From C. Don, Esq., Assistant Surgeon, 7th Madras Native Infantry. "KAMPTEE, 23d March, 1844. "My dear Sir, I hope you will excuse the liberty of a stranger to you writing a few lines. It is simply to return you my best thanks for the great gratification have had, and still have, in reading your highly original Lectures. I have a sister going home from Bengal in bad health, and I have advised her to put herself under your care, hoping you will be able to do her good. "I remain, my dear sir, yours very truly, C. DON, "Assistant Surgeon, 7th M.N.I." DR. DICKSON AND DR. FORBES. To the Editor of the Medical Times. 3rd January, 1843. SIR,-Will you allow me, through the medium of your pages, to administer a little wholesome castigation to Dr. John Forbes, of British and Foreign Medical Review notoriety? In the present January number of that periodical, Dr. Forbes pretends to review the second edition of the "Fallacies of the Faculty." The very first quotation from the volume, in his first page, is a misquotation! The second quotation in the same page is a misquotation! The first quotation in the next page is a misquotation!! At the bottom of his third page is the. following false insinuation;-" Curved spine, which Stromeyer and a few other insignificant schoolmen have attributed to paralysis of certain sets of muscles, is also, in the opinion of Dr. Dickson, a remittent affection." Certainly, at the commencement, it is a remittent affection; but in the very volume my critic pretends to review, not only do I take much pains to prove its paralytic nature, but I claim to myself the discovery of that fact; and if Dr. Forbes chooses to appeal to dates, I will make it clear to the world, that Stromeyer and his other schoolmen have only followed in my wake! As a specimen of the misquotations I have noticed in this pretended review, take the following:-In the original, the passage stands thus, "Like every other remedial agent it (iodine) cuts two ways-atomically attracting or lessening volume and secretion in one case, atomically repelling or increasing both in another, according to the electric state of the individual body for which it may be prescribed." In the misquotation, the word "anatomically" is substituted in both instances for "atomically." Dr. Forbes asks, if this be not stark staring nonsense? Most certainly; but it is his nonsense, not mine. Perhaps, Dr. Forbes will ascribe these and his other misquotations to the printer's devil-six misquotations at least in a review of as many pages! Such a course was worthy of the plagiarist of Dr. Paine [for a full account of which disgraceful transaction, see the various Medical Journals.] Yet he, Dr. Forbes, has the impudence to tell his readers, "We have done justice to his [Dr. Dickson's] doctrines, by giving them and the proofs in his own language."He concludes his review by asking, "Has not Dr. Dickson made an Ass of himself?" In return for which piece of politeness, I ask you, Mr. Editor, if Dr. Forbes has not made a Knave of himself? Dr. Forbes is a Court Physician, "Physician Extraordinary," &c.; so is his friend and coadjutor, Dr. Holland. Perhaps it is by way of revenge for my having defeated Dr. Holland's ingenious attempt to steal my discoveries, that Dr. Forbes now does his best by an equally ingenious device to stifle them. The world will doubtless cry, "Arcades ambo!" I am, Sir, your obedient servant, S. DICKSON. DR. DICKSON AND DR. LAYCOCK. To the Editor of the Medical Times. JULY 20, 1842. SIR,-I beg to express to you my obligation for your early insertion of my letter, on the subject of Vital Periodicity, and I would further beg to tender my very best thanks to the numerous friends who, in your pages, have as kindly and readily come forward to vindicate my claim to the discovery of the doctrine in question. That fragmentary parts of the doctrine of Vital Periodicity should, from time to time, have attracted the attention of medical theorists, will excite the wonder of nobody-nobody at least that had ever counted a pulse, or witnessed in his life the outward phenomena of an ague-nobody even who knows so much of man and his many diseases, as to be aware that his toothache, his tic, his gout, and his epilepsy, come on in fits only, and by no possibility can last for ever! Hippocrates, Celsus, Boerhaave, Darwin, ay, and hundreds of others, knew this much at least; some trying to explain it one way, some another. M'Culloch more recently and more fully handled the subject, and he endeavoured to prove what, for a time, scarcely one professional man in Europe doubted-that every intermittent action depends on malaria or marshy emanations. This doctrine of M'Culloch I was the first to impugn; and I have yet to learn that any author, ancient or modern, in England or elsewhere, has preceded me in the discovery, that all the movements of all animal bodies-the greater and the less-the atomic, functional, and organic-whether in health or dis |