Inquiry respecting Mr. Charles Whitlaw's practice in scrofula and cancer : and the propriety of instituting an asylum, under his care, for these complaints, &c. / by A. Rennie.

  • Rennie, A.
Date:
1828
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Inquiry respecting Mr. Charles Whitlaw's practice in scrofula and cancer : and the propriety of instituting an asylum, under his care, for these complaints, &c. / by A. Rennie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    PREFACE. T HE WRITER feels it incumbent on hinn,m /ming, to obviate some objections which may be made to the course of inquiry he has been, and still is pursuing. He is aware, that persons who have taken a very lively interest in Mr. Whitlaw's success, may question his right to investigate and give publicity to his practice; while others, especially disinterested and enlightened individuals, regarding Mr. Whitlaw's pretensions, from their palpable absurdity, rather as an object of ridi- cule and contempt, than as meriting serious inquiry, may conceive it equally puerile to investigate his practice as that of Dr. Solomon, Dr. Brodum, or any other tolerated quack of the day. To the latter class of persons he would say, that it is not for them that the following very diffuse and desultory remarks are chiefly in- tended. It will be enough if they select such facts as appear to them sufficient to settle the point of Mr. Whitlaw's merits^ if dubious: and to assist them in forming a decision, the disclosure of the names, &c. of those plants on which his pretensions are founded, may be an object of no small consequence. Besides, it is to be recollected, that Mr. Whitlaw appears before the public in very peculiar circum- stances, that he is supported by a large and respectable body of citizens, whose influence and patronage diffuse the evil consequences of an imposition, if it should prove to be such, wide over the mass of the community. In this view, the utility of the following inquiry is manifest. To the patrons of Mr. Whitlaw, who offer objections to my in- quirings, I would beg leave to submit, that every individual who makes professions to society, calculated to do much good or much harm to the lives of individuals, comes justly under the cognizance of the medical profession; and on this principle, the novel propositions of Mr. Whitlaw are the fair subject of investigation to one who by his profession is called upon to do whatever lies in his power for the health of the community. Besides, both Mr. Whitlaw and the Committee have pubhcly de- clared, that all his transactions and practice are open to the strictest scrutiny of medical men. Now, if such a profession is held out, they have no right whatever to cavil at my taking advrntage of it by in- quiring for myself; and after I have inquired, I am imperatively called upon to declare the result to the public, otherwise my silence will be construed into an approval of the practice. Mr. Whitlaw and the Committee might then declare to the public, Medical men have scrutinized our proceedings - neither their prejudices nor their jeahufiij have been able to detect an objection to our treatment—we claim your confidence.'''' _ . On general principles, investigation is quite unobjectionable and indispensable, as an act of justice at once to Mr. Whitlaw and the