MEDICAL DOCTRINES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3740, 16 January 1873, Page 3

MEDICAL DOCTRINES.

TO , THE. EDITOB OR THE LYTTELTON TIMES,

Sib, —I do not interfere in political matters I have studied one subject. I keep to it and take note of everything relating to it that comes under my observation. It is to the state of English medical teaching as incidentally disclosed in the case of wholesale poisoning, which has latelyigone the rounds of all the newspapers that I wish to call attention. Some fifteen or sixteen persons died.after a few hours of great agony ; all were attended ,by duly qualified, practitioners. The woman who is supposed to have given arsenic to those unfortunates, seems to have changed her abode several times, so that several different doctors were called in. We know not how many and perhaps never shall, because as the prosecution will probably he confined to one or two,of the cases, they xnSy hot all be called upon to give evidence., But few or many, each in his turn imagined he had to deal with a case of , gastric fever, and ip each certificate for burial, such was stated to have been the cause of death. Of course, if the real nature of these cases had been recognised in : the first instance, the woman's career of wickedness would have been stopped at once. Here we see very grave mistakes and an awful amount of responsibility 1 incurred. To whom is tide responsibility j ustly . chargeable ? Probably most people would be disposed to blame the doctors ! in this, however, I for one cannot concur; because, although it is certain that these legally qualified men do, not know what the real nature of fever is, it is also certain that they would haveknown if they had been properly taught, and it is equally certain that if they hod been well taught'snob mistakes could , nob have happened, and the coroner would have been called on at once. The blame is thus traced home to our grave professors, to the faulty teaching of our schools of medicine and surgery, and it is not on the taught, but on the teachers, that the responsibility should be charged. In justification of 'this' judgment I would refer to the latest work having any pretensions to authoritative teaching, or to take rank as a standard of reference, viz., “ A System of Surgery," edited by Timothy Holmes, 1860. Only twelve years ago a number of the gentlemen attached as teachers to tho chief of the London Hospitals combined to produce this work, specially addressed to students, and professing to contain a complete digest of all modem information and improvements up to date. Of course the subject of inflammation, as the most important, takes the first place, and it is treated by Mr Simon of Guy’s Hospital in a long article. Now although there certainly is a good deal that is now in phraseology of this article, the substantive matter or tho doctrine taught consists of but little more than a reproduction of Hunter’s absurdities and obscurities rendered still more obscure by the addition of German theories. Mr Simon loudly extols Hunter’s unmatched suggestions of truth, and holds him up as a noble pattern. It is true enough that Hunter rashly guessed at everything, but every guess has since been proved to have been wrong, and this can only be concealed by ignoring all the real information of late years brought to bear on the subject. Mr Simon will have nothing to do with anything which militated against old prejudices, old theories, or foregone conclusions. Tho following extract will show (i.e. if anyone can understand what it means) what sort of progress we may expect irom German theories. Alluding to tho cell theory, he says : —“ No one can reasonably doubt, either with regard to suppuration or to other acts of cell production, but that universally the new cells aviso as endogonics, of tho old by fissiparous multiplication and growth of original nuclear material.” Hunter himself never, wrote a more obscure piece of myatilica- . tion, which, however, when stripped of its pseudo-scientific, verbiage scarcely differs from

the old idea prevalent long before Hunter's time, -rio., that suppuration was duo to the solution and corruption of the solids. Verily Mr SitnMn mky bo a good hound, but he is evidently “running heel," and would carry us bach at least 100 years. With, such teaching as this (bearing in mind that, Selected os the writers are from all the great schools, it represents the metropolitan teaching of all England), in which no correct account is given either of inflammation or of fever, how can we bo ; surprised at any amount _ of mistakes that may be made ? Sutely it. is time to ask how much longer it will bo tolerated that our Professors should continue to offer stones to their punils, who pay for broad? To what can I liken our medical doctrines? They are like a kettle that toll hold no water. Every one knows that it leaks dreadfully; but as there is no other to be had, every now and then a vain attempt is mode to patch it up. Your obedient servant, J. W. EARLE. Opawa,'Jan. 14, 1873.