Dr. James H. Miller's "Thompsonalgia" report to the trustees of the Baltimore County Alms House, with comments : preceded by a few introductory remarks relating to the same / by the Committee of Correspondence of the Thomsonian Friendly Botanic Society of Maryland.

  • Miller, J. H. (James Henry), 1788-1853.
Date:
[1836?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dr. James H. Miller's "Thompsonalgia" report to the trustees of the Baltimore County Alms House, with comments : preceded by a few introductory remarks relating to the same / by the Committee of Correspondence of the Thomsonian Friendly Botanic Society of Maryland. 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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    chief have we not done (he adds) under the belief of FALSE FACTS and FALSE THEORIES ? We have assisted in MULTIPLYING diseases;-we have done more—roe have INCREASED their MORTALITY !—Here is the honest con- fession of Dr. Rush; and what a commentary does it furnish upon the science of medicine. Yet Dr. Miller hopes that all his facts will be received as true by a discerning public; when it is notorious that he ivas incapable, as already said, of distinguishing a well defined case of SMALL POX from a COMMON ERUP- TION ! Let not the trustees startle at this fact—he ivill not dare publicly deny it, although he has not reported any cases of vmallpox, as having been treat- ed in the Alms House ; but concealed them from vulgar gaze under the tech- nical jargon Fario/a.1' We must however, act somewhat charitably, and not condemn every one who has learned what he sincerely believes to be an honest trade, and has no other available means left him to earn so easy a subsistence as the practice of medi- cine affords, besides the wealth and honors that await him. It is a fact—let who will deny it—that multitudes have gained celebrity, and accumulated a large amount of this world's goods, by practising what they knew to be impositions upon the credulity of the infatuated vulgar,'''' (above whose influence Dr. Mil- ler boasts he is far elevated) in pseudo religion, in politics, in medicine, &c. Where effrontery, backed by talents, predominated, and a competence, or an in- dependence, had not been acquired before the imposture was detected, the scene of action only has been changed, because the mode was easy and required no hard labor; and false pride, and a disinclination to toil, encumbered with po- verty or a destitution of enlarged means to cut a figure, forlade them being honest! They practised upon the maxim of one of the ancient fathers— Vult vulgus decipi; decipiatur,''' which the Dr. would anglicise, the l infatuated vulgar' are fond of being deceived ; let them be deceived. Dr. Miller attempts to be exceedingly severe on what he terms impiricism and imposture; and yet we venture to affirm that he has frequently, like many of the faculty, practised imposition upon some of his fat patients, (which are only found in a high sphere of .private practice,) afflicted with the hypo, and im- portunate for relief, by giving bread pills, rather than lose a good customer. Whether he ever recommended the prescriptions of Drs. Jamieson 8c Ewell, both regular practitioners and professors of equal if not superior rank with himself, we are not able to determine ; we have appended them merely to let the people judge whether or not there is any real quackery among the regulars. Jn a conversation, (by one of the committee) with a gentleman of the regu- lar faculty, he remarked that he had frequently witnessed such appearances as described by Dr. Miller. No doubt of it. Such appearances must necessa- rily exist where violent and corroding poisons are given to cure disease. Let it also be remembered that all the medicines given by the regulars, possessing powerful qualities, are RANK POISONS, and that some of these agents of the craft, particularly Calomel, have lain dormant in the system for weeks, nay months, without producing the effects desired or predicted by the'skilful exhibi- tors of life destroying potions; but have been roused into action and driven from their lurking places, as soon as the more powerful, though innocent (because in perfect harmony with the living principle,) Thomsonian remedies for disease have been duly administered. Of this we have abundant proof—nay the result, in such cases, is an absolute, a perfect unity. We will briefly relate one, which, if Dr. Miller will but intimate a responsible doubt, the public shall have it verified. Mrs. , of Virginia, had long been afflicted with what is termed a com- plication of disorders, and was under treatment by Dr. , who had well plied the Sampson of the craft, Mercury, without being capable of producing ptyalism, that is, rotting out her teeth. He at length attributed his failure to the quality of the Calomel, and told his patient he would send to Baltimore for some good fresh Calomel, and then he would continue the progress with more certainty and ef-