Exposure of facts.

  • Vought, John G. (John Graff), 1791-1832.
Date:
[1828?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Exposure of facts. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    uience of families, and published a treatise on bowel complaints, (before I had the tail of M. D. attached to my name,) in which I have recommended my improvement at a secret remedy in the cure of bowel complaints, and public acVertisments, &c, all of which they say assumes the character of Quackery, and shall de- prive me from being a member of the MdicaJ Society. Now, dear Sir, if an inquiry be madeinto the conduct of the profession generally, I would be glad to learn where the line of quackery (according to the true significdon of the term) shall be drawn. It is the object of all who ttend to the practice of medicine, at least to make a livelihood b it; at ail events. I ne- ver yet found one who strictly attended :> it merely as a source of pleasure. It is evident to every caned observer, that all am- bitious practitioners do make an effort i various ways to obtain the confidence of the public ; and on a chberate investigation of facts, do not a majority of the proiessiorstoop to the level of the meanest of their fellow creatures, by piauing a course of (what is justly termed by some) private quaary ? I am one who is accused of open and public quackery, ad still I feel myself on a par with, (and guilty no farther tha) the most respectable and honourable part of my profession For ten years I have confined ray attention to that branch c medical practice, which is acknowledged by the profession at lrge to be the most diffi- cult to obtain general success. And ecause I have convinced some that improvements on the comma practice in such cases, . may be accomplished, they call out quskery. My time and my fortune has been devoted to this subjet. I have opened an in- firmary for the cure of bowel complains On my own plan, and with my own means, which is appro^d by some of the most learned and honourable part of the ptfession. I ask, who are the persons that opened the Eye and i.r Infirmary,* and the In- * [jYotebya mefnber of the Society.] Dr. Cheimanisundoubtedlyprotected, in bis sig7i for the cure of diseases of the eyiand ear, because he is or has been one of the comuiittia minora, and a sujeon of the New-York Hospi- tal. The difference is, Dr. C. rides underhe sanction of an official sta- tion, (the charlatan car) with the full approation o fthe Medical Society, when an individual who may possess muchgreater merits and acquire- ments, is prohibited the ordinary right of joclaiming his own merits, the result of personal and arduous experience. The medical tribunal to which he may have recourse should possess and sercise the power to suppress and disparage the pretended superior skill f opponents whose failures are the cause, and the only cause of opposition, The physician to the New- York Infirmary for diseases of the bowels, las published his theory, prin- ciples and practice, and dedicated his wor) to his medical subscribers and to the married ladies of the United States. The practice in other infirma- ries in this city is concealed from the pubic eye. Qwere—which is mcj£ Jangerous to community, public or privat* packer? ?