THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE, OB TEE TREATMENT OF DISEASE ACCORDING 70 THE PRINCIPLES AND REQUIREMENTS OF NATURE, BY J. CLAWSON KELLEY, ' ANALYTICAL PHYSICIAN. NEW-YORK: PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR AND PROPRIETORS. 1854. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1854. BY J. CLAWSON KELLEY, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern District of New-York. PRIXTED BY J. P. PRAIX, 9 SPRrjCl-ST. THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. CHAPTER I. IMPORTANCE OF THE SUBJECT OF MEDICINE —THE SICK OFTEN DISCOURAGE —VARIATIONS IN THE THEORIES OF PHYSICIANS —HIP- —VEGETABLE AGENTS —SOME ACCOUNT OF THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE —THE ALCHEMISTS —PARACELSUS AND HIS IMMORTAL CATHOLICON. To unfold to the mind important subjects which have not hitherto been permitted to be known, is no easy task. It may require extraordinary efforts to overcome prejudice, and attract that mind which may be indifferent to the "subject: and should we on this point prove successful,~we consider, the subject itself so new, and so different from any the public have heretofore conceived of, that we fear it will be hardly possible, though of the utmost importance to every being, to render it sufficiently interesting to command a dilligent investigation. The science of Medicine is rather dry and uninteresting to many ; yet there are few but who stand in need of a much better acquaintance with the nature and character of disease, and the properties of remedial agents, than they have heretofore acquired. The various opposing systems of medicine, the applications and remedies resorted to by the physicians of each sect for the relief of the sick, are of a nature so opposite in their tendencies, and some so severe in their action, as frequently to produce much more harm than good; and so seldom improving the 4 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. condition of the system, that many individuals become discouraged, considering the whole science as similar in character, resolve to use no medicine at all, and "to let nature take its course." Such a course, however, may not always be the best. A little reflection on the facts which the subject presents may therefore not be amiss. What is the Science of Medicine now, and what has it ever been ? We enter upon this inquiry with the most candid feeling. We have no prejudices to subserve, no theory to sustain, and shall give no statement unsubstantiated by known and admitted facts. Since medicine was first introduced to the world as a science, by Hippocrates, upwards of two thousand years ago, it has undergone many important changes. It would seem that the principal variations made in the theories of physicians have arisen from a desire to overthrow the popularity of each other ; with but little regard, if any, to the remedies likely to prove the most useful in disease ; for although they have altered their theories many times, their medicines have with scarcely an exception been the same, or of the same character, at least, for the last three hundred years. From the time of Hippocrates to the time of Paracelsus (a period of about 1700 years), the practice of Medicine was confined to vegetable agents, during which time many distinguished physicians lived, among whom were iEsclepiades, Celsus and Galen. As it is medicine that is designed for the patient's benefit, instead of arbitrary and conflicting theories, it becomes by far the most important individual consideration. What cares a patient whether he be attended by a dogmatical or an empirical physician, so medicines are administered which will cure him, and leave no evil consequences behind for the future injury of the system. THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. 5 Until the time of Paracelsus, physicians placed their whole dependence on vegetable remedies. The plants—the roots and herbs so profusely interspersed throughout the garden of nature, were their only agents for subjugating disease—they being believed to be most congenial to the human system. The regular physicians of that day were in possession of all the knowledge respecting vegetable remedies in their innumerable combinations, and in all the various forms of disease which the experience of 1700 years could impart. But the time had arrived when all the experience—all the knowledge accumulated respecting the utility of vegetable remedies, throughout this long period of time, was now to be overthrown and consigned to oblivion. We subjoin a few of the leading facts concerning the founders of the mineral system of medicine, and the means adopted by them to give permanency to their doctrines. THE ALCHEMISTS For a long while a class of men called Alchemists had, from their boldness and arrogance, been acquiring notoriety. Their object was the attainment of that knowledge by which they might transmute the baser metals, as copper and lead, into gold and silver. They boasted widely of their scientific attainments, and were very secret respecting them. They called each other adepts, and adopted a peculiar phraseology by which they could converse among themselves, whilst a bystander, uninitiated into their dialect, could understand nothing they said. They originated passwords and signs, by which they could secretly know each other. Many of their opinions were highly tinctured with fanaticism: one of which was, that the adept who should discover how to make gold from the baser metals should be rendered immortal on earth —he should never die. The same knowledge when attained, would likewise enable him to prepare an elixir that would cure all diseases in an instant of time, and prolong 6 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. life to an indefinite period. Many other similar absurdities seem to have been originated by them. The pretensions of the Alchemists were generally very extravagant and dishonorable. Many of them alleged they had acquired the knowledge how to transmute metals, and accordingly sold recipes for that purpose to whomsoever they found credulous enough to believe their assertions, for large sums of money, and would then either leave that part of the country, or tire out and exhaust the patience of their dupes by useless and foolish experiments. The frauds and deceptions of the Alchemists became so extensive that men in authority were compelled to enact laws with severe penalties to prevent their gross impositions. Men of science exposed their sophistical pretensions, and the wits of the age pointed their satire against them. It was under these circumstances that Ben Jonson wrote his celebrated satire called the " Alchymist." * The united influence of these agencies placed the Alchemists in no enviable position before the public. They lost their character for wisdom —lost their influence with the public ; became degraded, and were considered dishonest, artful and intriguing. Under these circumstances, they were compelled to abandon their high pretensions to science—their artifice and stratagem to obtain money could no longer sustain them. Their mask of secresy and their technicality of language failed to sustain them. The people had become acquainted with their fallacious pretensions, and were no longer to be duped by their arrogance or swindled by their cupidity. Paracelsus, who was born A. D. 1493, was one of the most prominent individuals among the Alchemists. His father being a practitioner of medicine induced him to embrace the same profession. He was -eminently arrogant, bold and presuming, and was influenced by the most ridiculous vanity. He had little moral character to sustain him, being a common drunkard, and associating with the vilest company. He boasted that he had 7 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. prepared an elixir which would prolong life to an indefinite period. In one of his lectures, in order to produce effect upon his audience, he burned the works of Galen, which had been revered by all descriptions of men for upwards of fourteen centuries; then and there blasphemously declaring that " If God would not impart the secrets of physic to man, it was right to consult the devil!" Paracelsus died in Switzerland 48 years of age, with a bottle of his great elixir in his pocket! A society composed of individuals like the Alchemists, with a leader like Paracelsus, could not long be without some expedien —some subterfuge, to enable them to regain that confidence and notoriety which by their duplicity they had deservedly lost. What course, then, do these impostors adopt ? They, with Paracelsus as their great chieftain, resolve, with unholy hands, to seize the sacred science of Medicine, and use their utmost and united power to overthrow the then existing system, and subjugate to their own control and benefit the future practice of Medicine, in which, unfortunately for the cause of suffering humanity, they were but too successful. The affairs of the Alchemists having become almost desperate, they resolved to commence their tirade by the denunciation of vegetable remedies—declaring them to be inert, inefficient, and of but little value as medicine ; and that with the exception of some very active agents, as opium, poison hemlock, hellebore, &c, they should be abandoned, and minerals or metalic remedies substituted, and thereby establish a new order of medicine, of which they should be the originators. About the year 1530 Paracelsus, who had obtained possession of the chair of medicine at Basle, introduced mercury as a medicine, giving as a reason for so doing that the human system was composed of three distinct substances, viz : salt, sulphur and quicksilver. About the same time we find another prominent associate- Alchemist, named Basil Valentine, a Benedictine Monk, rum- 8 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. maging the mountains in search of something which he might employ as medicine. He finds embedded in the rocks a black substance, which he reduces to a fine powder, but possesses no knowledge by which he could ascertain what it was—(how very deficient they were in the science of chemistry at that day!)— and in order to ascertain how it might act when given as a medicine, he administered it to some hogs. After a while the hogs appeared to grow fat, which he attributed to the efficacy of his black powder, and as his associate monks were rather lean, he determined to administer it to them also. The result was that it poisoned the monks. Until this time they had no name for the black powder, but the death of the Monks furnished them with one, which was anti-monk: but like many other alterations in orthography, the name has since been changed to Antimony! Mercury and antimony being introduced as medicine, other metalic substances one after another were resorted to in rapid succession, until all the known metals, or minerals, became in some form articles of medicine, to the almost entire exclusion of vegetable remedies. THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. 9 CHAPTER II. CONTEST BETWEEN THE BOTANICAL DOCTORS AND THE ALCHEMISTS —QUACKS AND QUECKSILBER —GALEN DENOUNCED AND RIDICULED—ARBITRARY PROHIBITORY LAWS —MEDICAL FRAUD OF THE FOLLOWERS OF PARACELSUS —REFLECTIONS ON THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE SCIENCE OF MEDICINE. The contest between the regular botanic physicians of that day and the new sect, or alchemistical doctors, was very severe, and lasted nearly two hundred years. It was hardly supposed at first by that ancient and respectable fraternity of physicians, that this new sect, with their harsh, violent and depletive remedies, together with their dishonorable character, could possibly overthrow a respectable and reputable society, whose daily acquisitions of knowledge for centuries had rendered them eminent in public estimation. In this, however, they were mistaken. The attacks upon them by these desperadoes, the alchemistical quacks, exhibited a kind of frenzy; clamorously denouncing them as selfish, ignorant, proud, dogmatical, &c, the very prototypes of their own character. Mercury was originally called quecksilber, and those who prescribed it as a medicine were termed quacks; but when the mineralites obtained the ascendency, they gave a new meaning to the word, and obtained its insertion in our dictionaries, " boastful pretender," " mean or bad acts in physic," &c. If there be in any profession more boastful pretension, or individuals more guilty of mean or bad acts in physic, than many in the medical profession, our judgment must be extremely limited. The Alchemists contended that, in order to treat disease successfully, powerful minerals must be resorted to —they alone could reach the affected part, and act upon it with 10 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. sufficient energy to change its morbid condition. At every opportunity this herd of alchemistical doctors, both publicly and privately, and with the greatest vehemence, denounced and ridiculed the Galenites, or old practitioners, as effeminate and pusillanimous ; while the Galenites, or botanical physicians, felt too much dignity to descend to a level with them in low and vulgar animadversion, but respectfully pursued their own course. But as it invariably happens that the most noisy, boasting, and turbulent party far the least deserving or intellectual) obtain the greatest notoriety; so it proved with the Alchemists, who eventually obtained possession of the schools of medicine, and the botanic physicians were completely overthrown, and were compelled either to abandon their practice altogether, or to submit to the arbitrary doctrines of the alchemistical confederacy, who soon made it their business to procure the enactment of laws by which all individuals were prohibited from practicing the healing art, unless authorized so to do by these new aspirants to power. To these prohibitory laws severe penalties were attached, which became extended throughout Europe, and eventually to the free government of the United States, where for a number of years the alchemistical doctors—the mercury doctors, the disciples of the notorious Paracelsus—continued unchecked to enjoy the immunities of their art, sustained by the laws; authorised to deal out without restraint to the sick, exhausted, suffering and almost dying patients, their calomel, blue-pill, antimony, opium, emetics, blisters, and a host of other harsh, violent, depletive and destructive agents. The patient could have no other doctor, because no other (be his qualifications what they might) was permitted, under heavy penalties, to treat disease ; and even in some of our States, these legislative enactments yet continue to disgrace our statute books. The people are thus deprived of their rights, their privileges. Why should not individuals have what doctor they please when sick ? What THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. 11 moral right has any person to interfere ? What right have any set of men to say, " You shall have this kind of doctor or none ?" To deprive the people of this right is fraud; it is aristocratical imposition to obtain pecuniary advantages, and cannot but excite disgust and indignation in every honest, disinterested citizen who reflects one moment upon the subject. Why should not every practitioner stand upon his own merits ? If he does well, let him have the credit of it—if ill, let him be made accountable for his ignorance. In some States the law was so rigid, and the interest of the doctor so cared for, that a mother could not administer to her infant a little catnip tea without incurring severe penalties. That such laws are unconstitutional and cannot long be maintained in a free government like the United States, where every individual is left free to pursue whatsoever profession or business he pleases, is becoming too conclusive in the public mind to be longer a matter of controversy. The time, however, has arrived when the public begin to realize that they have rights and intend to exercise them; although in many particulars they are yet somewhat fettered; yet are they gradually emerging into that condition which will eventually characterize them in reality as the " Sons of Liberty." Notwithstanding the opposition and persecutions the harbingers of a botanical; practice have had to contend with for upwards of three hundred years, and which for a while rendered the practice almost or quite extinct, yet, like the phenix, it has again arisen from its ashes, and its future destiny cannot be involved in mystery to the discerning mind. From time to time, through this long and dark period, have many come forward as bold champions in its cause, and with the rrost surprising calmness and perseverance have they withstood the malicious and reckless fire of their aristocratical adversaries. They have been hunted from place to place—the law, with all its rigor, has been enforced against them—they have been imprisoned, fined, tried 12 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. for their lives; all for the gratification of a most intolerant, covetous, jealous and envious hatred towards a botanical practice. Much honor is due to those worthy pioneers who have borne the burden and heat of the day; posterity will never cease to remember themi Reform has triumphed, and we find one State after another repealing its iniquitous laws in regard to practice, and the granting of exclusive privileges to certain individuals, which should be accorded as the constitutional rights of all. Some States have repealed all laws against the practice of physic and surgery. The doors are now open; the practice of medicine must in future depend upon merit; it cannot again be fettered by unconstitutional laws, and the public will decide for themselves where that merit exists. The track is clear ; one man has as good a right to practice medicine as another; it matters not whether he received his education at Yale College, Harvard University, or in the wilds of Kamtschatka; neither is it of the least importance whether he has a diploma or not. The only qualification the sick man asks is, that the physician be able to cure his disease ; it is not merely a dry diploma, or his popularity, or his collegiate studies which are to determine him in the selection of a physician—these testimonials of ability to cure disease, like the quack's certificates, have most signally failed. We admit there are individuals who will most likely continue for years to uphold the medical aristocracy. Their pride, sometimes their sympathies, at other times their attractions, from numerous causes, will induce individuals to continue to employ them. Some persons cherish great prejudices against any thing which is not of the old regular stamp, and their feelings and associations are such that they neither think nor reason about any thing which is not in accordance with the popular or aristocratic fashions of the day, although the sacrifice of human life may be the consequence. They think no improvement can take place in the science of medicine which does not emanate from or receive the sanction of those high medical dignitaries, by THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. 13 whose magisterial authority many are awed into submission. Little do individuals suppose that there is scarcely an article employed by the medical faculty, and kept for sale in drug stores, that did not originate with individuals who made no pretensions to medicine ! Physicians themselves have made but few discoveries in medicine; the articles employed by them were generally introduced and used by the people long before doctors thought of them. Doctors invariably stigmatize remedies thus introduced by the people, until take no notice of the doctors' contumacy. Doctors then introduce the same remedies into their books and practice; then laud them, tamper with them, torture them, and change them into all the forms their imagination can suggest, until the public lose confidence in them, and they fall into discredit. Such has been the case with many valuable preparations. The time, however, is not far distant when it will be impossible to keep the people longer in darkness ; the mystery will be unveiled, and truth shall no longer be deprived of its brilliancy, or enveloped in darkness by an interested and designing medical oligarchy. Science will soon make such developments, by unfolding to the public mind such truths by chemical researches, as shall put the dogmatical physician, with all his egotistical assumptions, to flight, and cause him to stand abashed in the contemplation of his own ignorance and presumption. 14 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. CHAPTEE III. ERRONEOUS NOTIONS CONCERNING " NATURE"—NATURAL LAWS, WHAT ARE THEY ?—MYSTIFICATION OF SCIENCE —IMPORTANCE OF BECOMING ACQUAINTED WITHhrNATURAL LAWS —MOTION, HOW PRODUCE —CHEMISTRY —THE MINERAL WATERS OF SARATOGA, BALLSTON, WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS —THE " VITAL PRINCIPLE" OF PHYSICIANS —THE COMPOSITION OF THE HUMAN BODY. NATURE. What is meant by the term ? People often say, "According to nature," " Nature does so and so"—" Many results," they say, " are brought about by nature—" This or that thing is natural"—" it is the nature of it," &c. Some conclude to leave their diseases to nature —to let (as they say) "nature take its course." Many speak of unnatural occurrences; this thing) or that act, is unnatural. It is always well for individuals to understand what they say, and what they mean by what they say! Persons sometimes appear very foolish by aping the sayings of others; which sayings in many instances, are totally incomprehensible to them. What other idea can we attach to the word nature, than the existence of natural laws —those laws which govern and control all material substances, let those substances constitute either living or dead matter ? The laws of nature produce life and death, sickness and health, darkness and light, cold and heat, pleasure and pain. Every transaction, change or circumstance which may occur throughout our universe, however discrepant it may appear to be, can only occur in conformity with the direct action of those laws. If they are not brought about by natural 15 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. laws, and in conformity with them, by what laws are they produced? What laws exist, other than the laws of Nature? From whence could wn.-natural laws originate ? There are no such laws! Physical laws, mechanical laws, laws of gravitation, attraction, affinity, cohesion, repulsion, and a host of other laws set forth by philosophers, are as complete a jargon as could have emanated from a maniac's brain. Are they not all the result of natural laws ? What are those laws but mediums through which natural laws are manifested ? Were the laws of nature understood as they ought to be, those different manifestations or developments, termed laws of affinity, cohesion, repulsion, &c, would no longer as independent, existing laws, find a place in works of science. It seems to have ever been one great object with philosophers to mystify science—to render it complex, and to introduce as many minute divisions as possible, merely that they might acquire the character of industrious investigators. They have been guilty of another very serious error, which has proved a powerful barrier to the spread of truth, in regard to many of the sciences. Jealousy of each other, while their pride and ambition to excel, have induced them to oppose and subjugate as far as possible each other's theory or opinions, however in accordance with clearly ascertained facts they might have appeared, until some of the most nonsensical ideas that could occupy the human mind on various sciences have become popular. If the intelligent reader will but use his own reasoning powers for a few moments, he will discover the consistency and uniformity of all of Nature's laws, which are the cause and foundation of all other laws. Those operations which are attributed to other laws, are but emanations and effects, arising from those great and original laws of Nature. The people have so long been accustomed to look upon science emanating from learned philosophers as perfectly correct, never 16 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. even doubting its accuracy, that, at this day, it cannot but be a difficult undertaking to remove the mystical garb, or mist in which it has been for ages enveloped, whereby the student of nature might indulge in a full view of its simple, plain, but majestic sovereignty. Pride and avarice have clothed it in obscurity, that it might the more readily subserve their cupidity. That we should become familiar with Natural laws and their truthful developments, is so obvious to every reflecting mind, that it is not necessary to employ argument to render it manifest. How can men make pretensions to science, who are so ignorant of natural laws ? Some, however, from their experimental and practical knowledge of certain branches of natural law, as astronomy, chemistry, mineralogy, botany, agriculture, physiology &c., may possess much more useful information on the particular branch to which they have devoted their attention, than those who have derived their knowledge from reading works written upon the subject. Information of this kind obtained by reading without practical illustrations, leads to very ambiguous theories, which the originators generally feel very sanguine are correct, yet they have not the least particle of practical evidence (the only evidence they could have) of their truthfulness. Practice but too often finds theory erroneous. That the physician should be well acquainted with the laws of Nature, is of the utmost importance, in order to prove successful in the treatment of disease. It is of the utmost importance that he should be minutely acquainted with all the actions or changes which animal and vegetable matter is capable of undergoing, under all the various conditions and circumstances to which they may be subjected. How is it possible for the physician to determine what actions or operations the system is constantly undergoing, unless he be minutely acquainted with those natural laws by which it is governed ? How could motion be produced in machinery unless the machinist understood the princi- 17 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. pies of the laws of motion ? That we may understand natural laws, we have the results of much development, in which the most reliable confidence can be placed, being the truths or facts acquired from numerous analyses of material substances. Chemistry is the illustration—the unfolding, disclosing and revealment of natural laws ; and without this great acquirement, the laws of nature would have yet remained an enigma to mortals; superstition and idolatry would have yet reigned pre-eminent— human reason would have still been subject to the dominion of a dogmatical hierarchy. How should we ever have known the constituents of water, had not chemistry taught us how to analyze it ? How should we have been able to have acquired a knowledge of the constituents of vegetable productions, and from whence the constituents comprising them were derived, had it not been for chemistry ? How should we have ever become familiar with metals, earths, alkalies and acids, unless chemistry had unfolded their hidden powers to our intellectual faculties ? How could we have acquired a knowledge of the constituents of the waters at Saratoga, Ballston, the Sulphur springs of Virginia, and their medicinal properties, unless it had been for chemistry ? Chemical aflfinity is identical with electric attraction, as illustrated by Davy. We might suppose we had passed the superstitious age, which attributed the formation of all substances to the combinations of earth, fire and water ; but there are those who apparently are but little improved by the illustrations daily presented to their understandings, especially practitioners of medicine. Medical authors still adhere to the superstitious notions of the ancients in many particulars, and especially in the power of their archaus, vis medicatrix natura, vital principle, 6rc., and cannot for a moment suppose that the body could come into existence, or continue to exist when formed—that the heart could propel the blood, liver secrete bile, or the powers of digestion and assimilation take place, unless directly supported and governed 18 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. by this inexplicable, incomprehensible, nondescript power—a power which they have not the least particle of evidence of its existence, other than that which imagination originates in their own brain; and which their ignorance of natural laws regarding animal matter renders most mysterious to their incapacitated powers of comprehension. What material substance comprises any part or portion of our whole system, other than what we find in this world of matter ? Is it not dead matter vitalized—shall I say, spiritualized ? Are not our bones composed of phosphoric acid and lime ? The brain and nerves of water, white and red fatty matter, osmazome> phosphorus, acids, salts and sulphur ? Muscle of fibrin, albumen, gelatin, phosphate of soda, phosphate of ammonia and phosphate and carbonate of lime ? The fibrin of the blood, which forms the muscle or flesh, is it not composed of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and azote ? If it be possible to acquire a knowledge of the various component parts of the human body, both solids and fluids, why is it not possible for us to become acquainted with the morbid or unhealthy material charging either the fluids or Solids, which is capable of generating disease in any organ or part ? What would then hinder us from employing the appropriate agent which was capable of neutralizing and rendering harmless that morbid or acrid matter generating and supporting disease ? Suppose that it be tubercles in the lungs—calculi in the Liver or Kidneys, or ossific formations in the heart, coronary artery, or elsewhere; if we knew the composition of those formations, what would hinder us from selecting that agent which would dissolve these accumulations, and render them capable of being eliminated from the system by the excretory organs ? 19 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. CHAPTER IV. THE INVISIBLE ACTION OF MEDICINE UPON THE FLUIDS AND SOLIDS — WHY DO ALOES, RHUBARB, COLOCYNTH ACT AS CATHARTICS 1—I POWERFUL AGENTS, AND THEIR INJURIOUS EFFECTS—DR. CHAPMAN AND HIS THEORY OF ASSIMILATION. INVISIBLE ACTION OF MEDICINE. This is an important point, and cannot be too forcibly urged upon the public mind for their consideration. It is not without regret that we are compelled to say that medical men are ignorant of the invisible action of the medicines they employ. If they do know the n modus operandi" of medicine, why have they not given such information to the world ? Why has not the operation of antimony been explained ? Why have not iron, mercury, arsenic, lead, copper, bismuth, nitrate of silver, iodine, creosote, opium, prussic acid, and the mass of medicines of similar character which are daily employed, been investigated ? What is their invisible action upon either the fluids or solids of the human body when introduced into the stomach ? Why do they produce the visible effects they are known to do ? Why do jalap, croton oil, castor oil, aloes, rheubarb, colocynth, &c, act as cathartics ? Why do tartarized antimony, ipecacuanha, lobelia, &c, act as emetics ? Is it not necessary that a physician should know these important matters—how the invisible actions of those medicines produce their visible effects ? If he does not know what invisible action the medicines he prescribes must necessarily have upon any portion of the internal organization with which it must come in contact, with what prospect of benefit can he prescribe them ? Does he prescribe 20 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. them upon any other principle than hope and belief ? He hopes and believes they will prove beneficial to his patient; and should they not act as he rather confidently anticipates, he is surprised and disappointed, and knows not what to attribute their failure to. But resolving to accomplish the visible effect he at first designed, he determines upon the employment of a more powerful medicinal agent, without, perhaps, even thinking that serious and permanent internal injury may be produced, even for life, by his more powerful agent. Too frequently he guesses, imagines, and supposes this or that organ diseased ; that this or that medicine will answer best, and thereupon continues to pursue the course he has learned from authors, until the nervous system of his patient becomes exhausted and death follows. His conscientious scruples are quieted by his firm conviction that he has followed the most approved methods which scientific authors have advised, and which his brethren of the profession justify. He believes that he has done all that could be done to save the patient— which is no doubt true! How important that medical men should be so far acquainted with natural laws, particularly those which relate to the constituents of both vegetable and animal matter, as to enable them to employ such medicines as shall act upon the human system in accordance with laws capable of changing or removing those morbid conditions of the system which generrate disease, be it general or local, that a restoration to health may follow. Some authors seem to think that no science or experience can unfold to the world principles by which the invisible operation of medicine could be known. They suppose the operation of all medicines to depend upon what they term their " vital principle," or " effort of nature" which, they say, " enables the digestive and assimilating organs to change or destroy the qualities of the substances exposed to their operation, without sustaining in return the slightest injury or change. It would hence really appear that instead of matter, whether aliment, drink or medicine, act- 21 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. ing on the living system, as is commonly imagined, it is, on the contrary, the living system which operates on these matters." In order to render the above statement still more explicit, they again say: " It is clear that the progress of assimilation, as performed either by the chylopoetic viscera, or by any part of the absorbent apparatus, completely decomposes all substances ; and however discrepant in their properties, reduces them to a homogeneous fluid, fitted for the purposes of nutrition." Now, reader, reflect upon the above statements from the pen of that distinguished gentleman, N. Chapman, M. D., of the University of Pennsylvania. If his statements be true, one article would be as good for food or medicine as another—even sawdust or anthracite coal. The principle of which he speaks can change every article, discrepant as it may be, into nutriment, medicine or other requirement. Doctors would then be useless—the " vital principle" would then have to perform all the labor to make a patient well, whilst the doctor would have all the credit and emolument. Away with such nonsense ! Who does not know that our material bodies are formed from vegetable substances ? Do not all animals grow and become fat from the food they eat ? Is not animal matter the offspring of vegetable matter ? Are not vegetable substances changed to animal by natural laws ? Can animal matter exist except by vegetable ? Now, as these bodies of ours are composed of material substances alone, what prevents us from acquiring a knowledge, and a perfect knowledge, of all their parts—the offices each part and organ is designed to perform in the animal economy—the chemical composition of each organ or portion of the system—what are the chemical constituents of the blood, bile, gastric juice, and every fluid and solid of which the body is composed ? Who can say that science is not capable of imparting this knowledge to whoever will devote sufficient attention to the subject ? If this knowledge can be acquired, why can we not progress far- 22 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. ther, and become familiar with all the changes the body is constantly undergoing ? Placed in this condition, upon so high an elevation, how easy is it to determine with unerring certainty the diseased condition of any one organ, or the nature of any morbid constituent with which the blood might be charged? Then should we understand, when prescribing a medicine, upon what fluid or solid of the human body it would act, why it would act, and how it would act! The invisible action, which produced the visible effect, would no longer be involved in uncertainty. We should then be enabled to select on every occasion that medicine which would produce a beneficial effect. We should then no longer grope like the mole in the dark, guessing at this, and hoping for that, but should practice wisely, scientifically, correctly and beneficially, upon our suffering fellow man. People generally think that medical men do know how and why their medicines act as they do. They suppose that as colleges have professors of chemistry, they must as a matter of course possess all the chemical knowledge respecting the action of animal, vegetable, earthy and mineral substances, when taken into the system in the form of medicine. Doctors will tell you so, but when they do be assured they do not tell you that which is "correct. Reader, suppose you try your doctor at his next visit; ask him why it is that mercury produces salivation ? He may answer, " By its stimulating effects." But follow him up by another question—" Doctor, why does mercury stimulate— by what laws of nature does it produce the effects upon the system it is known to do ?" In this way you will quickly drive him to the wall. He may say, " No one can tell why medicines act as they do." Here is another mistake ; but it certainly is the most ingenious way he could devise to excuse his own ignorance, maintain his high pretensions, and sustain his reputation as a man of science in public estimation. Some persons have quite a fancy for complicated and prolix Btudies. The plain, unconfused and unsophisticated laws of 23 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. nature are not sufficiently abstruse for their proud aspirations ; and they undertake the explanation of those metaphysical abstractions which can be of no possible benefit to society, as they are beyond the pale of human intellect. They soar away to the dizzy heights of fancy, from which they must inevitably fall, invariably attended with loss of reputation, derided as visionaries, and their future prospects of usefulness in life destroyed. 24 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. CHAPTER V. ELECTRICITY THE AGENT BY WHICH ALL MATTER IS FORMED —ATTRAC- AND REPULSION —MODUS OPERANDI OF MEDICINE —ANTI- —IRON —MERCURY. ELECTRICITY. "We shall say but little on this head, our object being to sustain our unqualified conviction that electricity is the great agent of nature, that it necessarily pervades all matter, and is the prime element in the hands of the Almighty by which worlds are at first formed and finally resolved into their original elements. Could matter exist in any form whatever unless it were by electricity, which pervades all space, and attracts the gases of the atmosphere, or elementary principles of matter, towards each other, which profusely exist throughout the boundless universe, causing them to unite in their various proportions, forming matter ? How is motion sustained in any substance or body except by electrical attraction and repulsion ? Let us reason fairly and intelligently, not nonsensically, if we wish to arrive at truth. Attraction and repulsion are the grand principles in nature by which particles of matter, or bodies, are united or separated. By this power all matter, living or dead, is formed or decomposed. The acorn, possessing the power to attract the gases of the atmosphere for its support and growth, becomes a mighty tree ; it advances to age, declines and dies—becomes decomposed, and forms materials for other plants to vegetate upon. Man, upon the same principle, grows to maturity, strong, vigorous and majestic, with noble intellect; then sinks into imbecility, childhood and death ! All this is natural—the result of natural laws. 25 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. MODUS OPERANDI OF MEDICINE. We cannot, in a small publication like this, enter into a minute description of the invisible action of the numerous remc - dies used in the practice of Medicine ; but as a general illustration, we will explain the invisible action of a few of the most popular remedies employed for the treatment of disease by those termed the Kegular or Allopathic physicians, by which tho reader will easily be enabled to judge of our principles of practice. ANTIMONY. This metal combines in two proportions with oxygen, forming the protoxide and deutoxide of antimony, both of which possess the properties of an acid called antimonious and antimonic acid. Protoxide of antimony is very soluble. It is in this state, in consequence of its acidulous properties, that it readily unites with potash and forms the salt called tartar emetic, or tartrate of antimony and potash, which is the form in whichjto is now most generally employed as medicine. Antimony is a powerful irritating poison, admitted to be so by modern physicians, when taken in large doses. If it be a poison in large doses, why is it not in small ? The effects of the small dose might not so soon be perceptible, but its poisonous effects would be just as certain, although somewhat longer in undermining and destroying the energies of the system, as thousands who have taken it in fever powders, hive and cough syrups, antimonial wine, emetics, &c, can testify. It seriously impairs the nervous system, by which the circulation becomes irregular. The skin, lips and finger-nails assume a blue and livid appearance ; and the skin is generally smooth and cold, and sometimes attended with a cold, clammy moisture. It frequently induces severe pain in the limbs and other parts of the system, which generally is supposed to be rheumatism. The blood itself be- 2 26 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. comes so injured in its properties as to render it unfit to support either the muscular or nervous systems, and the patient drags along for a few years in a nervous, weak, feeble and exhausted condition, constantly failing, until he sinks by the latent poison into an untimely grave. To define the invisible action of antimony, or its " modus operandi," we have only to consider its visible effects when applied to the skin in the shape of tartar emetic ointment. The irritation it thus produces upon the skin, although its acrimony is somewhat allayed by its union with lard, yet it is still found to produce much distress by its caustic, burning properties, decomposing the skin and producing small ulcers, which, by its repeated application, become deep-eating sores. Doctors say it draws out eruptions upon the skin, but this story is too stale to impose longer upon the common sense of the present day. If tartarized antimony be capable of producing such external effects when applied to the skin, what effects may it be supposed to produce upon the tender coats of the stomach, intestines, and all the internal parts of the abdominal viscera with which it might come in contact ? Besides, when divided into such minute divisions as it is, when dissolved in water, or in the fluids of the stomach, it would rapidly be taken up by the absorbing vessels and carried into the circulation, dissolving the crassamentum of the blood and decomposing the nervous fluids—thus producing the difficulties before shown. IRON. This metal, in its simple state, has no apparent action upon the human system; yet, if introduced into the system in this state, it becomes subjected to the action of the materials comprising the organization, by which it soon becomes oxidized. When iron is introduced into the stomach in the shape of iron filings, it becomes oxidized by the acidulous properties of the THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. 27 gastric juice, which is more than ordinarily attenuated by water, which the iron, by irritating the delicate coats of the stomach, has created a thirst for ; which water, in part, becomes decomposed, the oxygen of the water uniting with the metal to form the oxide, as evinced by the dark color of the alvine evacuations; and the hydrogen is disengaged from the stomach by disagreeable eructations. Physicians generally consider iron a necessary constituent of the blood—that it forms the coloring matter. This idea, no doubt, originated from the analysis of the blood made by Fourcroy and Vauquelin, about the year 1800; but the analysis of blood made by Mr. Brande in 1812, demonstrated the opinion of Fourcroy and Vauquelin to be ill-founded ; and that the coloring matter of the blood was a peculiar animal principle, which Vauquelin, in 1815, acknowledged; and confirmed the opinion of Mr. Brande. Physicians considering iron as a necessary constituent of the blood, were led to adopt it as a medicine; hence the use of the different preparations of iron, particularly the tincture of muriate of iron. The United States Dispensatory—the text-book of what is termed the Medical Faculty—acknowledges that the use of the preparations of iron is contra indicated in all inflammatory diseases, producing, when injudiciously employed, heat, thirst, headache, difficulty of breathing, and other symptoms of an excited circulation. The above admission most clearly demonstrates that iron is capable and does produce irritation and inflammatory action. The increase of the color of the blood is indisputable evidence of the increase of inflammatory action ; which, in its turn, produces the heat, thirst and the other symptoms above admitted ; consequently, the inflammatory character of the blood thus induced, irritates the nervous system to increased action, whereby the nerves are excited beyond their due equilibrium, and the circulation rapidly increases, producing pain in the head, dizziness, distress, and sometimes delirium ensues ; a general inflammatory action of the whole system follows, with exhaustion of the nervous power, terminating in death. 28 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. If we consider iron as a constituent of the blood, we might with equal propriety consider lead, mercury, copper, and other metals, constituents of the blood. Of what utility could iron be in the human organization ? What purpose could it subserve ? What tissue or membrane requires it for its sustenance ? Mercury may become a constituent of the blood. By employing it as a medicine it would be absorbed, and by analysis would consequently be found in the blood. The blood of persons placed in a condition to inhale the fumes of mercury, would become equally charged with it. The painter finds lead in his system ; so would the individual who worked in copper find a portion in his blood—the blacksmith would find iron in his, and persons, generally, who eat food which had been prepared in iron vessels, which accounts for its generally being found in blood but in very small proportions ; and, as phosphoric acid is so abundant in the system, it could not be strange that it should unite with iron, and form a phosphate of iron. Is it very strange that such should be the case ? Doctors, however, are not satisfied unless they can raise some excuse for administering metalic substances. MERCURY, As before shown, was introduced into the Practice of Medicine somewhat over three hundred years ago, and has constantly since been very extensively employed throughout almost every city, town and hamlet in the known world, and in every disease which mortals appear to have been subjected to. At one time it was deemed almost a universal specific, but its popularity is now on the wane. We might suppose, that as it has been used so long and so extensively, that at this day, every particular in regard to its action on the human body as a medicine, would have been minutely understood by the most uninformed practitioner; and particularly so, when we take into consideration, that during the THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. 29 last century some of the most learned men have existed, that at any former period have been inhabitants of earth, who were well qualified to explain and illustrate with the greatest exactness how it would act, and why it would act, both externally and internally upon the human system in any form whatever, when introduced into the system or applied externally. Instead of which, what have we ? Reader, permit us to call your attention to an important quotation, which we select from the highest medical authority extant—the United States Dispensatory, the text-book of the Medical Faculty, containing the united wisdom of the medical world. A work, to which both physicians and druggists refer, when they wish to obtain a knowledge of all that is known in regard to the operation of any one medicine. On page 348 of this work, we find the medical properties of Mercury or Hydrargyrum, as it is called, laid down in the precise words we here quote:— " Of the modus operandi of mercury we know nothing, except that it probably acts through the medium of the circulation, and that it possesses a peculiar alterative power over the vital functions, which enables it in many cases to subvert diseased actions by substituting its own in their stead." Here is an acknowledgment that must astonish a large portion of our readers: they will enquire, " is it possible that doctors do not know the action of medicine they are using every day ?" This most certainly is the case, and no respectable physician will dare deny it! But does not the doctor know that mercury will produce salivation—that it will rot out the teeth, exfoliate the bones, prostrate the nervous system, &c. ? Yes, he knows that to be the case from daily observation! But he does not know how, or why the mercury does so—he sees the effects, but does not know what the invisible action of the mercury must necessarily be, to produce such visible effects. He will ascribe it to his vital principle, or other imaginary dogmas, and still continue its use until absolutely he is afraid to continue it longer. 30 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. Perhaps the ostentatious notions he has acquired by education may influence him some. To understand why it is that mercury produces the effects it is known to, we must become acquainted with the .chemical constituents of animal matter. We must know that the bones are composed of phosphoric acid and lime, called phosphate of lime— that the nervous fluid contains phosphoric acid—that the saliva secreted by the salivary glands, is phosphate of lime in solution; that there is more phosphoric acid in the system, than any other acid whatever, and that it is found in the fluids and all'the solid parts. Knowing the constituents of the parts upon which the mercury acts more directly, as well as the affinities which the mineral itself possesses, for the materials of which these organs are composed, we are placed in a condition to decide with certainty, what its invisible action must be —its modus operandi. We will here explain the invisible action of three of the forms in which mercury is most usually administered, viz.: blue-pill, mercurial ointment, and calomel. The explanation of the invisible action, the modus operandi of these three compounds of the metal, will enable the reader to understand the internal action of the various preparations, which amount in all to about thirty different kinds. Mercury has been tortured into a greater variety of forms than any other article of the materia medica, doubtless, with a view of rendering it less pernicious as a remedy for the treatment of disease. Blue-pill is prepared by rubbing together in a mortar, quicksilver, liquorice powder, and conserve of roses, until the globules disappear, which is called " blue pill mass;" it is then formed into pills of three grains each. To render mercury capable of being absorbed into the system, it must become oxydized. By its exposure to the atmosphere during its trituration with conserve of roses, it absorbs oxygen, forming the black oxyde of mercury, in which state it produces the effects it is known to, as salivation, &c. Blue-pill when taken into the stomach, is 31 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. therefore absorbed into the circulation, producing salivation by decomposing the glandular fluids, as well as the other effects before named. Mercurial ointment is prepared by rubbing together in a mortar quicksilver and lead, until the globules disappear, which process likewise oxydizes the mercury; and the black oxyde is here formed; by rubbing it upon the skin, it is capable of being absorbed into the circulation, producing salivation, &c, in the same manner as by blue-pill. When calomel, which is a compound of muriatic acid and quicksilver, is taken into the stomach, and from thence conveyed into the small intestines, where it meets with the bile, which being an alkaline fluid, decomposes the calomel, the alkali of the bile uniting with the muriatic acid of the calomel, while the mercury being in very minute divisions, is set free to unite with oxygen, which it readily does, forming likewise the black oxyde of mercury, which, as before shown, is absorbed into the circulation, and carried through the system, producing precisely the same effects of which blue-pill and mercurial ointment are capable. The reflecting mind will here perceive, that the oxyde of mercury is taken up by the absorbing vessels both of the skin and mucous tissues, and carried throughout the entire system—that it must necessarily come in contact with the periosteum and bones which are formed of phosphoric acid and lime and with the nerves, the fluids of which are principally phosphoric acid, together with the glandular and other fluids of the system, where phosphate of lime exists in solution. The inquiry now is, what must be the effects arising from this immediate contact of the oxyde of mercury with phosphate of lime. The affinity existing between phosphoric acid and the oxyde of mercury is very strong, far more so than between phosphoric acid and lime. Consequently, when the oxyde of mercury and phosphate of lime come in contact at the temperature of the human body, which is about 98 degrees, double decomposition takes place, and a phosphate of mercury is formed, and an 32 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. oxyde of calcium, which is our common lime: hence the cause why the teeth and jaw-bones rot out, and exfoliation of the bones generally takes place by the use of mercury. The nervous fluid being principally phosphoric acid, is taken up by the mercury, thereby depriving the nerves of their nutriment and support, when they become weak, irritable, and deranged. The glandular fluids being phosphate of lime in solution; the mercury with ease abstracts the phosphoric acid from the fluids, when decomposition rapidly takes place ; hence -the druling and foetid breathe in salivation, attended with much irritation, loosening the teeth, very sore mouth and throat, with great prostration of strength. 33 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. CHAPTER VI. MINERALS THE LAST GRADE OF MATTER —THEIR DESTRUCTIVE NATURE WHEN USED AS MEDICINE —ORGANIC POISONS —NARCOTICS, THEIR POWER OVER VITAL ELECTRICITY, AND EFFECT UPON THE NERVES. REMARKS ON MINERAL MEDICINES. The use of mercury in all its forms, has been of serious evil to thousands. Certainly, its introduction into medicine was characterized by the most consummate ignorance ! What could the alchymists know about the invisible action of medicine ? If they witnessed the relief of pain by the use of mercury, it was no evidence of its utility in the cure of disease. Its action upon the nerves, was not to allay irritability, but to render the nerves less sensible to irritation, by impoverishing them. The same ignorance yet characterizes the use of it as a medicine. We are almost constantly hearing or witnessing its distressing effects among the community ; pains and aches in all parts of the body; mercurial rheumatism, secondary syphilis, mercurial ulcers, loss of nervous power, and a host of other evils, which dire experience has made the public very familiar with. To say that the use of minerals is indicated by analogy, would be directly contrary to that we witness in the lowest grade of animals, to whom we deny reason, and are only willing to endow with the power of instinct. The dog, when sick, resorts to the camomile—the cat when sick, seeks the catnip ; and even the toad, which is among the lowest class of animal existence, has instinct, and we should think, natural sense enough, when sick, to seek relief from the plantain : while man, with all his intellectual acquirements, employs every mineral known, as a medicine 34 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. for the treatment of diseases, and then tells us, rather humiliatively, that he is ignorant of their mode of action upon the human system ! Reader, what think you of the analogy ? Minerals, evidently, are the last grade of matter, and capable of decomposing all the primary grades of matter. Animal matter is not formed from mineral substances, but from vegetable. Why, therefore, should not vegetable substances be most congenial with the components of the human organization, and best calculated to correct any of the morbid constituents which may become manifest in animal matter ? Who does not know that vegetables are correctors, purifiers, and even capable of renovating animal matter when advanced to a state of putrescency, as witnessed in sea voyages, where scurvy has made its appearance among the passengers and crew—which is no other than an alkalescent and putrescent state of the fluids. In corroboration of the above truths, we will only add, that Professor Liebeg, of the University of Giessen, in his Organic Chemistry remarks, " The true organic poisons are those articles, which possess the power to form fixed, permanent compounds, with the muscular fibres and membranes—salts of lead, bismuth, copper, mercury, and iron, are of this class." Were we to present the foregoing ideas to some medical gentlemen, they would give a contemptuous sneer in derision, and probably denounce us in the severest terms for what we here state. Such doctors the public may be assured, are either ignorant of the operation and properties of the aforesaid minerals, or they are haughty dogmatists. Every candid, learned, and experienced physician, must admit the truth of our statement. We are not writing for popularity, but to disseminate useful information. Sometimes, when new truths interfere with the pecuniary interests of a supercilious and selfish individual, he feels disagreeable and qualmish until he can sputter out his venom. Let those opposed to our principles say what they may, we shall with our utmost energies press on ; knowing, by long and deep research, 35 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. that we are pursuing a correct course respecting medicine, which will one day be acknowledged by wise and liberal philosophers, and which, eventually, will be embraced as the true science of medicine. We do not pretend that we have reached perfection ; but we are, with all the industry we are capable of, progressing towards that point; and, although we may be laid in the grave, and our name forgotten, long before perfection may be attained in the healing art; yet, we DO know, that the principles here advocated, and the system we have been permitted to be the founders of, called " The Analytical System of Medicine" is the only one that can be sustained, and which will, with the greatest certainty prove of the most utility to suffering humanity. We shall refer to but one more class of remedies, and they are from the vegetable kingdom. There are poisonous vegetables as well as poisonous minerals ; but why resort to either of them as medicine for the treatment of disease ? Those who employ them are generally totally ignorant of their properties—why, and how they produce the effects they are known to —their invisible action ! If they knew, as honest men they would never employ them. The medicines we have reference to, are termed narcotics, anodynes, sedatives, &c. They comprise the articles known as opium, laudanum, paregoric, morphene, henbane, prussic acid, &c.; to which may be added chloroform, as an active and most destructive agent to the nervous system. The use of these agents, is always to a greater or less extent ruinous to the nervous energies, according to their general strength. To persons who are not habituated to the use of narcotics, death may be quickly produced by taking but a small portion. When accustomed to it, as some who take it daily, are, it may be considered a slow poison, but not the less sure; it gradually exhausts the nervous power until it can hold out no longer, and death, sometimes attended with delirium, ensues. But the advocates of narcotics will say, " Why, it allays pain, and produces sleep." True, but are those gentlemen aware of the expenditure of nervous 36 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. power they thus induce, and the consequences which must necessarily follow ? Remember the strength of the nervous system is the physician's capital in the treatment of disease ; and if he thus foolishly exhaust it, upon what principle can he predicate a recovery ? Narcotics allay pain and produce sleep we admit; but the inquiry here is, as before when speaking of minerals, How do they do it ? What is the invisible action of a narcotic, by which it produces the visible effects we witness ? This is the important inquiry, which if truthfully explained, leads to so intimate a knowledge of the whole matter, as to enable the physician to act wisely and judiciously, and not for the sake of granting immediate relief, produce permanent injury. He will then seek other means for the relief of pain and to procure sleep, than is afforded by narcotics, and discountenance altogether their habitual use. The nervous system is constantly supported by electricity— the nerves are conductors of electricity. This truth is so firmly established by philosophy, that it would be useless to here introduce argument to sustain it. We know the fact, that a small portion of opium will allay pain—that a larger portion will not only allay pain, but produce sleep ; and a still larger portion, not only allays pain and produces sleep, but also death. What is the invisible action which produces these visible effects ? Narcotics HAVE THE POWER OF RENDERING A CONDUCTOR OF VITAL ELECTRICITY, a non-conductor. Gentlemen, are your eyes opened ? Do you see that a small dose of opium partially paralyzes, or to a certain extent deprives the nerves of the power of sensation, hence they become insensible to pain ; that a larger quantity deprives them of sensation to a still greater extent, producing sleep ; and a still larger quantity, renders the nerves permanently and forever insensible, or incapable of being resuscitated, producing a condition somewhat similar to that presented by a stroke of lightning, and death speedily closes the scene ? We have explained the " modus operandi" of narcotics—will medical gentlemen think, and examine the subject, or will they 37 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. with a contemptuous sneer disregard it ? Will opium-eaters, laudanum takers, and morphene consumers, cease that practice which is hurrying them into an untimely grave ? Will the mother cease to give those agents to her offspring, for the purpose of quieting it, which will prove so destructive to its future health and vigorous organization ? If not, we have done our duty. 38 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. CHAPTER VII. VIEWS ON THE UNION OF SURGERY AND MEDICINE —ANATOMY —HU- ORGANIZATION —MAN'S MATERIAL EXISTENCE —THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM HOW ANIMAL MATTER IS GENERATED—THE SENSES — THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM. SURGERY AND MEDICINE. The union of these two branches of the profession we have ever considered to be very objectionable, as it necessarily divides the attention of the practitioner between the two. Such being the case, the student can be proficient in neither branch ; unless he, to a certain extent, abandon one and give his attention to the other. It is very seldom that we find a good surgeon and physician in the same person. Good physicians are generally quite deficient in surgery ; and a good surgeon makes but a very poor physician ! A skillful and experienced surgeon, from his popularity as such, may acquire an extensive practice as a practitioner of medicine ; but the benefits resulting from either his advice or prescriptions will not compare, in many instances, with those of the most uninformed practitioner in the profession. The truth is, a surgeon cannot devote his mind to the study of both branches ; and as mankind are somewhat vain, he endeavors to make himself as proficient as he can in that branch which will render him most popular ; especially if it be that which, will be of the most pecuniary advantage to him. As an almost universal fact, we find the best surgeons are the poorest doctors. The disposition which some surgeons have to perform an operation upon slight occurrences, is often productive of much indi- THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. 39 victual suffering and injury. In many cases of accident, limbs are amputated which might have been, by proper bandaging and other judicious treatment, again restored. Tumors and cancers are extirpated by the knife, and the operator lauded before the world as very skillful and scientific; but they seldom publish how long the suffering patient survived it. So many cases of inflammation, ulcers, &c, occur where the knife is brought in requisition, that it is truly afflicting to witness them : when we consider that if the attendant physician was as well acquainted with the duties of his profession as he ought to be, he would perceive the fallacy of such a course, and relieve the inflammation, discuss the tumor, or heal the ulcer by proper medicaments. Another circumstance which is much to be regretted, is the insensibility which the frequent use of the knife generates in the operator. The poor sufferer may writhe in agony, imploringly solicit less harshness of treatment; but coldness and indifference to his sufferings is still prominent in the countenance of the operator —all sympathy seems to have vanished, and a stoical indifference has succeeded. The science of anatomy is no other than a knowledge of the mechanisim of the human frame, which we certainly consider has been studied long enough to have become as fully understood in all its various departments as it is possible. The opportunities which the laws afford, and the innumerable dissections constantly taking place throughout our land, we think should render the student of medicine perfectly familiar with all parts of the human body; if not, he must be but an indifferent observer, and possessed of but little disposition to examine this sublime machinery, and still less capaciated to become a surgeon. The knowledge of anatomy is so far advanced at this day that by manikins, engravings, drawings, &c, the student might become fully as perfect in the science of anatomy, and, perhaps, more so, than by witnessing the dissection of human bodies. One object at least would be gained, if this course of study were 40 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. adopted : the dead might then rest in peace. But what beneficial knowledge can be acquired regarding the curability of a disease or the character of the morbid matter charging the blood or other fluids, or the nature of the remedies capable of effecting cures, by the most perfect acquaintance with the entire anatomical structure of the human body ? None whatever; and this, the remarks of one of our most distinguished anatomists clearly demonstrates. He was asked one morning by a commoner— " Doctor, why is it that you who know every bone, nerve, bloodvessel, ligament, and every organ of the human body, cannot cure every disease ?" To which the doctor replied: " The watchmen of this great city know every street, lane and avenue, but they cannot lell what is going on inside the houses." The doctor's reply evinced his honesty, respectability, industry and scientific acquirements. By the foregoing remarks we do not wish to be understood as objecting to the study of anatomy ; we consider the knowledge highly important for every physician. It is against the indiscriminate and injudicious use of the knife that we complain. And further : that the study of anatomy can in no possible way qualify an individual to judge of, select, or prepare medicines for the cure of disease. We cannot but believe that a still further separation would be advantages and useful to community. Were there a doctor for each separate condition or disease of the system, his studies would necessarily be confined to that particular difiiculty ; and consequently much greater knowledge would be acquired in such complaint. It would, however, be very difficult to establish such a state of things in the present condition of the medical fraternity, as the probabilities are, that the whole system of treating diseases would then be changed, and a large portion of physicians would be compelled to seek other employment. THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. 41 HUMAN ORGANIZATION. When we look upon the organization of man, with all its various and complicated parts, each part and each portion so completely adapted to each other, all harmonizing while performing separate and distinct offices, to sustain, aid, assist and guide each other in the various departments and duties required by this intricate living and moving structure ; the whole complex machinery possessing life, ideas, intelligence, reason, foresight, reflection, memory, thought, will, design, sympathy, affection, &c, &c, constantly progressing and improving its condition, we cannot but look with wonder at the power, wisdom and intelligence by which it must have been originated. This source, to our finite minds, is beyond our comprehension. We, with the intelligence and ability we possess, wish to view the subject as it really presents itself to our understanding. Our business, as a physician, is to investigate material existence—to ascertain and relate truths as we find them, and leave the world at liberty to draw their own conclusions, as it would be rather difficult for us to manufacture an opinion on these matters that would give universal satisfaction. That which relates to man's material existence we have the power to investigate, as far as our intellectual capacities can at present penetrate ; but we must leave all beyond for future developments. The material body of man, as before stated, we find composed of no other substance than that we recognize in the matter which surrounds us, called dead matter. It is not to be expected that we should here undertake to explain the origin of matter, either vegetable, earthy or metalic. There can be no truth more evident than that vegetable substances produce both animal and earthy matter. Is it not vegetable productions which form blood, bile, gastric juice, muscle, bone, cartilege, membranes, ligaments, and other constituents or parts of the 42 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. human body ? Do they not likewise comprise the bodies of animals ? The ox finds lime enough in the grass he eats to form his bones, albumen to form his flesh, gelatin to form his sinews. In the vegetable kingdom are found all the materials which are requisite for the formation of every portion or part of both the human and the animal system. Animal matter—all animated beings are the legitimate and natural offspring of vegetable matter. Suppose the earth were to cease yielding its products; would not all animated beings cease to exist ? Would they not all perish by one general famine ? Need we argue the point further ? From the vegetable kingdom then is this great complex and intricate machinery, man, formed. That it could have been the result of chance or accident, cannot be admitted for an instant by a reflecting and intelligent mind. That such an intricate machine as man could have been designed and formed without a superior and more powerful intelligence and a far greater power of design than that permitted to us through the agency of nature, would be at war with reason, and contrary to any law of dynamics with which we are acquainted. Let us for a moment take a survey of man's organization. Here are the bones to give form and strength, hinged, as it were, together at every joint, held in their places by elastic and powerful cartileges and ligaments, permitting them to move in almost every direction, sustaining them in almost every position the body may be thrown into ; the muscles, likewise, to give form, strength and motion ; the lungs to decarbonize the blood ; the heart to propel the venous blood to the lungs, and the arterial blood to all parts of the system ; the liver to secrete bile ; the lining membrane of the stomach to secrete gastric juice; the pancreas to secrete the pancreatic juice; the lymphatic vessels to absorb the lymph from all the serous membranes of the body, and convey it to the thoracic duct, where it is intermixed with the chyle and conveyed with it into the venous blood; the nerves and brain, the mediums through which sensation and intelligence are received THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. 43 and disseminated ; together with various other organs, the offices of which are very numerous in the human organization. To follow cause and effect is true philosophy; but we have now arrived at a question which our limited capacities are insufficient to grasp. It is a development we have never fathomed— something beyond any truth heretofore known as the result of Natural Law ; and as we have no theory to subserve, but simply and candidly wish to detail facts', we ask, can it be of a terrestrial character ? To explain how animal matter is generated from vegetable matter, and what that invisible process may be which changes vegetable substances into animal, is a question we are unable to answer. It has been said it was the union of certain material substances in a peculiar way, in accordance with natural laws. If so, why are those laws inexplicable ? Has matter an inherent power, by any of its combinations, to acquire intelligence, reason, sympathy, &c. ? If it has, from whence did it derive it ? how does it obtain it ? To reply that it always possessed it, would be a declaration contrary to evidence, which conclusively illustrates to us that all matter with which we are acquainted, is but the union and concentration of the gases of the atmosphere; and to those gases, by decomposition, it is capable of again being returned. Surely the gases of the atmosphere cannot originate intelligence, sympathy and reason ! But it is again said to be the result of electricity ! Will gentlemen explain how electricity can produce reason, intelligence, thought, hatred and love ? Assertions are not proofs. We are sometimes vauntingly called upon to show mind independent of matter. We do not say that we can ; but does our inability to do so. prove that it does not exist ? A comparison is sometimes drawn between man and animals—showing that animals as well as man possess mind. We admit that animals have mind, and on some points are capable of reasoning as well if not better than some men. But this does not answer the question. From what source do these intellectual and innate reasoning 44 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. powers originate ? Say what we will in the matter, it is evidently all hypothetical, and which we, with our present intellectual capacities, must ever remain utterly ignorant of, unless we extend our inquiries beyond a terrestrial existence. The abilities of this material organization are certainly very limited—its powers are very constantly the football of circumstances. We speak particularly of its mental endowments. All sensation is acquired through the nervous organization. Were it not for the nerves of sensation, we could not be possessed of intelligence beyond that of the most ordinary vegetable. There are five channels through which intelligence is conveyed to the brain, which appears to be the great central reservoir of intellectual power. These channels are generally designated the five senses, which are, hearing, smelling, feeling, seeing and tasting. These senses are not governed by any independent will or power we possess. We say, we see, hear, &c. To speak correctly, it is not so. Light is indispensable. Where the light is sufficient, and some object meets our vision, the light would reflect that object upon the retina of the eye upon the same principle that our image is reflected in the glass, which instantly being conveyed by the optic nerve to the brain, produces the sensation we term seeing. Just so is it with all the other organs of sensation. We could not hear unless for the vibrations of sound upon the acoustic nerve. Impressions must be made upon the nerves of the organs of sensation, or intelligence cannot be conveyed to the brain; and no knowledge, reason, or intelligence can be acquired, or opinion formed in relation to any matter whatever, unless in the sensoreal chambers of the brain. In the brain, or centre of this intellectual power, is generated thought, reason, will, &c, but in accordance with the information conveyed to it by these messengers, the nerves of sensation. For instance, the eye sees danger : it is immediately conveyed to the brain by the optic nerve —the brain being the great receptacle of all intelligence—the 45 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. senate-chamber where the various intelligences are deliberated upon, and from which the final mandate or decision must emanate—puts in requisition the powers to fly and escape the danger. Some serious accident takes place, by which an individual is seriously injured, attended with severe distress; the nerves of sensation—the members comprising the cabinet or council-chamber of the brain—deliberate upon what course it will be most judicious to pursue for the relief of one of the suffering members of their commonwealth; and for which purpose they may deem it expedient to call to their consultations the deliberations of some other mentargovernment. Each individual brain or organization is a distinct and separate government, and is as independent of each other as the political governments or kingdoms of the world. It is hardly to be expected in a work so limited as this, that we should pursue our inquiries into the component parts of the human mind—its sensibilities, reasoning powers, will, object, design, &c.—as we have already intimated that our intention was to confine our subject to materiality. We have, so far, illustrated only the operations of the nervous system, to show its material organization and the importance of its healthy condition, for if unhealthy, sensation is confusedly and indistinctly conveyed to the brain, and depraved understanding, derangement, and disordered intellect ensue. We shall ere long, in a publication of a different nature, resume our remarks upon the nervous system, and continue our elucidation of the entire nervous organization and mental capacity, by which the powers and attributes of mind will be brought into view, and its energies and limitations somewhat minutely defined. We here perceive the office of the brain and the nerves ; and it will have been observed, that it is their healthy state which renders us capable of continually improving our mental and physical condition. 46 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. CHAPTER VIII. NATURE'S PROCESS OF FORMING BLOOD INTO SOLIDS —THE CIRCULATION AN INTERESTING ANALOGY —CHANGES TAKING PLACE IN THE SYSTEM—*SANCTORIOUS —DODART —KEIL —LAVOISIER —THE IDENTITY OF THE HUMAN BODY. THE BLOOD. This fluid is of greater importance in the animal economy than any other, as it contains the materials from which all the other fluids, as well as solids, are formed. There are two kinds of blood. One is called arterial blood, because it flows through the arteries—the other venous blood, because it flows through the veins. The arterial is of a light florid red color, and the venous of a dark red, opaque color. The arterial is that which contains the different materials for the formation of bone, nerve, muscle, and all the solid parts of the body. The venous is the spent and remaining portion of the arterial blood, after it has been to a great extent exhausted of its properties by furnishing the nutriment constantly required, to supply the waste going on in the body by decomposition. As an understanding of the process by which food is formed into blood and blood into solids is very important, we will here endeavor to illustrate it. Food taken into the stomach is there dissolved into small particles by the gastric juice, which is formed from the decomposition of the mucous or lining membrane of the stomach. The solvent property in the gastric juice is muriatic acid; hence the reason why both man and beast require the use of common salt, or muriate of soda. The gastric juice is conveyed with the food from the stomach through the 47 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. pylorus into the small intestines, which are situated immediately below the pit of the stomach. Here it meets with the bile, which is secreted by the liver, and conveyed from the liver into the small intestines by the cystic and hepatic ducts. The bile is alkaline, containing, when healthy, free alkali, which neutralizes the acidulous properties of the gastric juice. The bile also contains these very important constituents, particularly picromd —the resin or bitter principle of bile. The office of the bile is to separate the nutritive part of our food from the general mass —the chyle from the chyme. The chyle or nutritive part of our food, which is a fine, bland, milk-like substance, is then taken up by a set of vessels termed lacteals or absorbing vessels, which enter" the small intestines in great number. These absorbing vessels convey the chyle to an organ called the thoracic duct, which is the great trunk of the absorbents, and receives the absorbent vessels from almost every part of the body. The thoracic duct terminates at the angle formed by the union of the left sub-clavian and jugular veins, into which it enters and evacuates its contents, the chyle (it has received from the small intestines), which is the nutritive part of our food. The chyle there unites and intermingles with the venous blood, which is then carried to the heart, and thrown by the heart to the lungs, where it is decarbonized, changed from venous to arterial blood, and returned from the lungs back to the heart; from whence it is thrown through the arteries to every portion and part of the entire organization. The blood prepared by this process contains the materials for the formation of every bone, cartilege, nerve, muscle, or other organ or part of which the body is composed. From this blood, the bone attracts phosphate of lime to supply the continual waste which the bones undergo by decomposition ; the muscles attract from the blood albumen to supply the constant waste which the flesh is subject to ; the nerves attract the phosphoric acid for their support; and in like manner is every organ and part of the body momentarily furnished with mate- 48 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. rials to supply the constant waste, and for sustaining their growth, strength and vigor. That the reader may more clearly understand the circulation of the blood, we extract the following from Hooper's Medical Dictionary: " The blood is returned by the descending and ascending venae cava) into the right auricle of the heart, which when distended, contracts, and sends its blood into the right ventricle ; from the right ventricle it is propelled through the pulmonary artery, to circulate through and undergo a change in the lungs, being prevented from returning into the right auricle by the closing of the valves, which are situated there for that purpose. Having undergone this change in the lungs, it is brought to the left auricle of the heart by the four pulmonary veins, and from thence it is evacuated into the left ventricle. The left ventricle, when distended, contracts, and throws the blood through the aorta to every part of the body, to be returned by the veins into the venae cavae. It is prevented from passing back from the left ventricle into the auricle by a valvular apparatus ; and the pulmonary artery and aorta, at their origin, are also furnished with similar organs, to prevent its returning into the ventricle." How is it possible for a tree to continue healthy, to put forth buds, leaves, flowers and fruit, unless the sap that flows through it and sustains it be of a healthy character ? If there be a single branch through which the sap does not flow freely, will not that branch wither and die ? Does not the sap contain the materials to form all parts of the tree—wood, bark, flowers, leaves, fruit, and even the pit of the peach, cherry, &c. ? As vegetable matter is the parent of animal matter, it would certainly be somewhat strange if they did not in some respects resemble each other. The blood performs in the human body precisely the same office which the sap does in the tree : it contains the constituents for the formation of all the solids, and carries them to all parts of the body for its supply and nourishment, upon THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. 49 the principle by which the sap of the tree is carried from root to branch, giving life and vigor to the minutest fibre. We have here defined the office of the arterial blood only; showing that from the arterial blood every part of the system is constantly forming. After we shall have described the changes to which animal matter is subjected, we shall be prepared to present the condition the venous blood is capable of acquiring, from which disease of every description arises. CHANGES THE SYSTEM IS CONSTANTLY UNDERGOING. Whilst the human body is constantly forming from the food we eat, it is as constantly decomposing and wasting away, so that in no instance do we remain for one moment in every respect the same ; inhalation and exhalation are constantly going on, and the absorbent vessels and excretory organs, with equal rapidity, changing the various molecules of matter of which our systems are composed. The process by which our bodies are constantly forming anew, is called composition. The food we eat produces chyle—chyle forms blood, which blood forms bones, muscles, and all the solids and fluids of the human system. The solids are constantly decomposing and forming gases and fluids, which, in a healthy condition, are disengaged from the system, by the various excretory organs, as fast as formed. This process takes place in the human body far more rapidly than people generally suppose. That it does take place, the most common observer can not but be conscious. Deprive an animal of food, so much so as merely to sustain life; will not its flesh rapidly waste away, and it become a mere skeleton ? Permit it, then, to freely partake of food; will it not almost as rapidly recover its flesh ? Philosophers, in their published statements, fix the time for the entire change of the human system at various periods : some 3 50 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. have said seven years, others about five, and others again three. We cannot agree with either of these opinions, and believe the time to be far shorter than either of them have stated, for the following reasons. Experiments have frequently been made with a view to ascertain how rapidly this decomposition takes place. Sanctorius, Dodart, Keil, Lavoisier, Seguin, and various others have investigated the subject with much care. Seguin procured a bag made of varnished silk, and air tight, within which he, divested of his clothing, was enveloped. There was a slit in the bag opposite the mouth, and the edges of the slit were accurately cemented round the mouth by means of a mixture of turpentine and pitch. Thus every thing emitted from the skin was retained in the bag—that exhaled from the lungs by respiration escaped. By being weighed in a very delicate balance, both before and after the experiment, the difference of weight gave the amount of matter exhaled from the lungs; while the difference in the weight of the bag, before and after the experiment, gave the amount of matter exhaled from the skin in the same time, which was 52.89 ounces troy, in twenty-four hours. These experiments have been repeated by different philosophers on several occasions since that time, but their variations from the above are inconsiderable. This statement may be relied on, and proves that the amount of perspirable matter thrown from the skin alone, in a healthy condition, exceeds twelve hundred pounds in one year. When we take into consideration the amount of decomposed matter exhaled from the lungs, the excretions from the bowels and kidneys, and the amount disengaged from the system by other minor secreting organs, together with the secretions from the skin, it swells the amount far beyond that which an ordinary individual would suppose. But such are the facts, and may the public be benefitted by a knowledge of them. Many other illustrations can be made of the rapidity with which this change in the human system takes place. Suppose we wound a nail at the quick, by which 51 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. it falls off, is not a new nail again formed in about sixteen weeks ? If a new nail is formed in sixteen weeks, why not a new arm—why not a new body ? Cut off the hair as close as you please—how rapid will be its growth. When a bone is broken, we find phosphate of lime in sufficient quantity is deposited from the blood, in the part, to heal and make it sound within six weeks. Man may be compared to a stream of running water ; we stand on the brink for hours, watching every little ripple as it passes along its gravelly bed; it looks the same, though we gaze for hours, yet we know the water is constantly passing away, and is as constantly re-supplied from the fountain beyond. We will suppose that a healthy, hale, hard-working man consumes daily three pounds of food. This food is changed into chyle, blood and solids. Suppose that only one pound of this food goes to form bone, cartilage, ligaments and other solids, there would then be an increase of one pound per day in weight, amounting in one year to 365 pounds, which at this rate would soon render him of mammoth size. But let us weigh the man, and we find him of a certain weight. Let him continue to use his three pounds of food per day for the year; we then weigh him again, and we find but a very trifling difference in his weight. Here then is irrefutable proof of the rapid change constantly taking place in the system —that the decomposition of the materials which form the human body does as rapidly take place, and are thrown from the system by the excretory organs as fast as the body is formed from the food we daily consume. If these changes are so constantly and so rapidly taking place in the human body (and it is very certain that they are), how can identity or individuality exist in a material body which is momentarily changing ? In what way would it be possible for impressions made upon this material substance, in the early periods of our existence, to be retained in our memories, when the .materials which then comprised our systems, or their constituents, have long since been transported far away, to form other compounds as vegetable substances, living beings, or dead matter ? 52 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. CHAPTER IX. HEALTHY AND IMPURE BLOOD —HOW IT ACQUIRES A MORBID CHARACTE —PERSPIRATION —THE EXCRETORY ORGANS, SKIN, BOWELS, KIDNEYS, LUNGS TENDENCY OF THE LIVER TO DISEASE. VENOUS BLOOD. This blood differs materially from the arterial. It flows through the veins, and, as before stated, is that portion of the arterial blood which has been to a great extent deprived of its properties of nutrition. The arterial blood is thrown by the heart to the capillary vessels of the skin and mucous membranes; from whence it is taken up by the veins, and is then termed venous blood. The arteries are exhaling vessels and the veins absorbing vessels. The veins convey the blood back to the heart from all parts of the body. Few of the medical profession appear to attach much importance to the blood. If one of their patients refer to its condition, and suggest that it is in an unhealthy state, the reply generally is, " Oh,, your blood is good enough—that has nothing to do with your complaint." A candid examination of the whole subject may, however, enable the reader to arrive at other conclusions in regard to its healthy or unhealthy condition. We have endeavored, in a synoptical way, to give an account of the formation of the arterial blood and its uses, by which its importance in the animal economy cannot but be perceived; and therefore to its condition must be attributed the healthy and unhealthy state of the system. If the blood contain only those constituents in their due proportion, which all parts of the system require for their growth and sustenance, what possibility THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. 53 could there be of forming unhealthy solids from it ? On the contrary, suppose the blood to be charged with foreign substances, with putrescent and effete matter, or possess some of its constituents in undue proportion, as a deficiency in fibrine or crassamentu —what possibility would there be for such impure blood to produce healthy solids ? How, then, may the blood become impure ? By inhaling vitiated gases or effluvia, which is conveyed into the circulation through the agency of the lungs, as in yellow-fever, cholera, small pox, measles, &c. By innoculation and by cuticular absorption. But the most usual causes of our diseases are, the change which the entire organization is constantly undergoing. This constant change we have already demonstrated ; but it is the results which arise therefrom that we wish now to present to our reader's consideration, as it is of the utmost importance, and requires our minute attention in order to understand how and why the blood acquires a morbid character, from which the solids become diseased. The substances produced by the decomposition of the human body are lime, carbon, ammonia, mucous, hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbonic acid gas, with several others, as water, bile, &c. In order that these useless materials, which have subserved their office in the animal economy, should be properly eliminated from the system, the great Architect of our organization has constructed us with numerous excretory organs, as the skin, lungs, bowels, kidneys, &c. The office of these organs is to discharge from the body all the effete, useless and putrescent matter there generated, or arising from the constant decomposition taking place in it. The healthy condition of all these excretory organs is of much greater importance than many imagine ; for the momen£ they become inefficient in their action, torpid, irritated, or of an inflammatory character, be assured disease has commenced in some location and requires immediate attention, or gradually must the health of the system become undermined. No effect can take place without a cause ; 54 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. neither can an impaired condition of excretory organs occur without a cause ; and it is very important that cause be attended to, let our opinions be what they may regarding it. It is really surprising with what indifference some people view this subject. One will say, " Why, I seldom if ever perspire." Another will say, " I never perspire, but often feel very warm, and a great deal of heat!" Another will say, "My bowels are very constipated; I have not more than one or two operations a week." These persons will complain of feeling sick, weak and drowsy, with pains in their limbs, body, chest, ankles, lassitude, numbness, palpitations of the heart, nausea, nervousness, &o. Could they expect anything else. To enjoy health, this effete, useless, morbid and putrescent matter must be thrown from the system as fast as it is formed ; the system must be kept free from it If the excretory organs do not perform their office, the morbid matter formed by decomposition is retained into the system. Common sense must at once perceive, if such be the case, much mischief must necessarily ensue. As the veins are absorbing vessels, the effete and putrescent gases, and the acrid products of animal matter, must be absorbed into the venous blood from the capillary vessels of the skin and mucous tissues throughout the entire organization. The venous blood thus becomes charged with substances which generate disease. As the venous blood is returned from all parts of the body back to the heart, from whence, at every pulsation, it is thrown to the lungs to be cleansed from its impurities, and again formed into arterial blood; physicians conclude that this process purines it from all its morbid constituents. This is not so. Atmospherio air, according to Lavoisier and Sheele, is a compound of 73 parts of nitrogen and 27 of oxygen gas. At every inhalation the lungs absorb atmospheric air, and at every exhalation throw off carbonic acid gas. The instant the atmosphere comes in contact with the dark blood in the lungs, it is changed to a light florid red, and returned to the 55 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. heart as arterial blood. ' We here perceive an important action constantly taking place in the lungs, which most conclusively demonstrates that the dark character of venous blood arises from its containing carbon; otherwise, carbonic acid gas could not be exhaled. The union of the oxygen of the atmosphere with the carbon of the venous blood, necessarily produces carbonic acid gas in the lungs, which they disengage from the system at every exhalation. Carbon is a product generated in all parts of the system, from the decomposition of muscle ; and where the excretory organs inefficiently perform their office, the carbon is absorbed into the venous blood in greater quantities than the lungs are capable of disengaging; consequently the venous blood becomes but partially decarbonized, and carbon is then carried into the arterial blood, rendering it impure and unfitted for the purpose of forming healthy solids. By the inefficient action of the excretory organs the arterial blood may become charged with carbonate of lime, formed from the decomposition of bone. Bile, mucous, ammonia, &c, may in the same way become constituents of the arterial blood, rendering it so depraved in character that it becomes impossible for it to produce healthy solids ; and although solids may continue for a time to be formed from such blood, the individual system throughout becomes weak, sickly, and incapable of acquiring vigor or energy, attended with nervousness, lassitude, depression of spirits, pains, rheumatism, &c, &c. ; and if at the same time one organ of the body be weaker in structure than another, that organ would be most likely to become seriously diseased, in consequence of its inability to resist the influence of diseased action, particularly as the blood containing this morbid matter must as a matter of course circulate more sluggishly through a diseased and debilitated organ, than through one which is healthy and sound, whereby time would be given for the blood to deposit in such weakened organ any morbid matter with which it might be charged. If the blood be charged 56 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. with carbon, and the lungs the weakest organ, they would become inflamed, followed by deep-seated abcesses, ulcers or vomica. If the liver was the weakest organ, it would become inflamed, and, if neglected, ulcerate. Just so with the kidneys, heart, or any portion of the system which was the weakest, let that weakness arise from what cause it might. If the blood be too highly charged with lime, and the lungs the weakest, tubercles would form in them, as tubercles in the lungs are formed from carbonate and phosphate of lime, glued together by mucous. If the liver was the weakest, billiary calculi would form, and in the kidneys, urinary calculi. Wherever the part was weakest, or the blood retarded in its circulation through a part, accumulations would there take place, called cssific formations, which, gradually increasing by deposits from the blood, enlarge and distend the part, producing pain by its pressure on the nerves passing through such part, terminating in inflammation, and sometimes ulcer. The same conditions may take place from bile, ammonia, or other improper articles charging the blood, and the symptoms in each one of the cases be precisely alike ; yet the condition of the disease and the remedies required for relief, are as different in every respect as it is possible to imagine. If blood is capable of being charged with lime, carbon, bile, mucous, &c, producing disease in the weakest organ, how is it possible to compound any one preparation capable of subduing, benefiting, or even relieving these various conditions from which disease may arise ? Will an effect cease until the cause is removed, and is it possible all these causes can be eradicated by the same agent ? It is utterly impossible, and contrary to wellunderstood natural law. None but the most ignorant quack or dishonest, avaricious medical speculator, could conceive of such a probability for one moment. The amount of blood contained in the human body upon an average, i§ computed to be about 28 pounds troy. 57 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. It is considered that at every pulsation of the heart about one ounce of blood is thrown to the lungs. The regular pulsation in a healthy individual should be about 75 per minute; thus would 6 lbs. 3 ozs. of blood pass through the heart to the lungs every minute of our lives. It is very certain that all the blood in the body passes through the heart and lungs at least every ten minute —six times every hour—and, upon an average, 144 times every twenty-four hours, from our earliest infancy to decrepit and childish old age. What mysterious, enigmatical and complicated beings we are ! How inconceivable ! How incomprehensible to ourselves or to each other ! How intricate ! How complex is the supernal machinery of our organization ! Well may the intelligent and reflecting mind look with astonishment and veneration upon the sublimity, power and wisdom of the great Architect of Nature. 3* 58 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. CHAPTER X. IS MEDICINE A TRADE, AND SHOULD PHYSIC BE PRESCRIBED ONLY TO OBTAIN MONEY ?—NECESSITIES OF THE SICK—ADVERTISED MEDICINES CALOMEL, BLUE PILL AND BLISTERS —ANALYTICAL MEDICINES, HOW AND UPON WHAT PRINCIPLES THEY ARE MADE. MEDICINES. It could hardly be supposed that medicines were used for fashion's sake, or that one person used them because another did ; yet this, in very many cases, is strictly true. Medicines are too frequently used without reflection, and in many cases much more is used than is necessary, and often that which proves of far greater evil to the patient than if none whatever had been employed. The practice of medicine has almost ceased to be a work of humanity, and has become a matter of trade and speculation. We may be answered " This is natural— every person must have a living for himself and family; and they should endeavor to do all they can to make money ; other branches of business do so, and why not they ?" True, but the practice of medicine is of a different character from that of ordinary business. The patient is here compelled, from his deficient knowledge regarding medicine and disease, to place himself under the direction of a physician. It is the patient's life, health and comfort which are here concerned. In the other case, it is but dollars and cents. We consider human life and health entitled to greater consideration, and to be of too much value to sacrifice it to a selfish desire to acquire property. A physician should be a candid, humane, honest and liberal man ; he should prefer moral to legal honesty. If he wishes to ac- THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. 59 quire wealth, let him pursue some other employment or profession where he can give full scope to his ambition, without so much wear and tear of conscience. The physician who can heartlessly tamper with the sick, by prescribing medicines which are unnecessary, perform acts, or continue visits which are not required, for the purpose of enriching himself by his patient's misfortunes, must be most contemptuously avaricious ; and he who would make his patient sick, with the object of accumulating a bill against him, we should think no better than a robber. Necessity compels the patient to place himself and family, as it regards life, health and property, at the mercy of the physician; and if the physician by his unreasonable charges and fraudulent proceedings, will cater to his own avarice, his conduct must be detestable in the opinion of every honest man. We cannot perceive how such a physician could consider himself other than base in his own view, and a source of mortification to himself whenever he thought of it; yet we fear there are too many such persons, especially among speculative or quack medicine venders. Numerous individuals, when laboring under disease, frequently resort to the use of medicines they find advertised in newspapers, especially after they have failed to be benefitted by doctors claiming great popularity or public notoriety. Here they are likewise very generally disappointed, and complain bitterly of being deceived by both the advertised medicine and the doctor. We cannot but think we have clearly explained the reason why physicians are not more successful in the treatment of disease. We have stated it to be their inefficient knowledge — their want of a familiar acquaintance with the chemical constituents of the fluids and solids of the body, with the changes those fluids and solids are constantly undergoing in the animal economy: and likewise, an equally perfect knowledge of the constituents of every agent they employ as medicine. Advertised medicines we have termed speculative medicines, 60 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. because they are manufactured expressly for sale as a speculation. Neither the manufacturers, nor those employed in selling them, know anything of their virtues or properties. They seldom if ever give advice to a patient, or if they do, it is generally that one medicine will cure all diseases. They evade by this means the responsibility of giving advice, hence the patient must govern himself in the whole matter ; and if by certificates, newspaper puffs, &c, they can, make patients believe it is just the medicine for them, they have gained their point. It is of but little consequence to the speculator whether the patient is benefitted or not, with him money-making is the summum bonum. Sometimes they call their medicines " blood purifiers"—" medicines to purify the blood"—" medicines for the blood," &c. What do these pretenders know about the blood ? Do they know what its constituents are, or ought to be ?—or what article it may contain to render it impure ? Were they even capable of knowing what substance charged the blood which rendered it impure, or unfit for the purposes of supplying the constant waste going on in the system, how would they know what medicine to select from the large class of medicinal agents which would dissolve, decompose or neutralize that morbid matter which rendered the blood impure ? Many of these dishonest medical speculators can hardly write their own names. By some accidental circumstance they overhear a conversation wherein is detailed the cure of an individual by some preparation, which they immediately manufacture ; surreptitiously obtain certificates of its wonderful cures; pay newspapers for puffing its extraordinary powers of healing, and in a few years we find them rated by the Assessors at three or four hundred thousand dollars ! Others, again, when they perceive the prospect of making money out of the laborious and expensive studies and investigations of another, will arbitrarily and dishonestly endeavor to appropriate the discoveries of such individuals to their own use and benefit—they do not hesitate to infringe the rights of 61 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. another—they will claim the right to his theory and practice— adopt the name by which his practice is known—adopt the names by which his medicines are known—imitate his packages, labels and medicines —inform the public that they are the same, or possess the same properties as those manufactured by the original inventor—resort to all kinds of falsehood, abuse and deception, with apparent or feigned honesty, for the purpose of overthrowing and destroying the character and influence of those whom they have so basely and fraudulently injured, in order that they may, undisturbed, pursue their dishonorable course, and possess unmolested the whole ground to practice their fraud, palm off their counterfeit trash, and continue their imposition upon the unsuspecting public. We speak somewhat severely, because we have been deceived, defrauded and imposed upon by such piratical impostors, and we feel it our duty to caution the public generally to beware of them. No one has, or ever had authority to prepare our medicines— we have imparted no information to any one that could possibly enable them to prepare medicines like ours, or similar to ours. No one has the right to the name of Analytical Physician, unless authorized by us to use it; or the names we have attached to our medicines ; as those names originated with us, and were given as characteristic of our system of practice ; and we pronounce all such imitations a fraud upon us and the public. We hope this notice may in some degree save the public from being humbugged further by such reckless impostures. Advertised medicines are but gull traps to catch the ignorant and unwary. Think and reason—then judge and act, and you will seldom be deceived. Speculative or advertised medicines are somewhat numerous, but they would be far less so if medical men possessed the qualifications they ought. If every pretended cure-all were subjected to analysis as soon as it made its appearance before the public, many of them would be very short-lived : while 62 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. those which were really meritorious would be sustained by scientific and reflecting men. As it now is, medical men are as ignorant regarding the " modus operandi" of any medicine, as the quack medicine speculator, or advertised medical vender. Neither of them know why medicines produce the effects they are known to; or how it is that the invisible action produces the visible effects. One may show his importance, and look very dignified, while the other may manifest more humble pretensions ; yet as to a knowledge of the invisible actions of the medicines they employ or sell, little if any difference exists between them. Doctors direct their attention to organs, not to the fluids which form the organs. It is the solids they undertake to operate upon when diseased, entirely overlooking the fact that the solids are constantly forming from the fluids, and are as rapidly decomposing and wasting away. If the liver is diseased, they employ and direct such medicines as they suppose will act directly on that organ, as calomel, blue pill, blisters, &c. If the lungs become affected, they employ the remedies which they conclude are the most likely to act directly upon the lungs, as blisters across the chest, croton oil, tartar emetic ointment, calomel, emetics, expectorants, narcotics, &c. Upon the same principle they treat all complaints; never, or very seldom paying any attention to removing the primary or exciting cause, or changing the action which continues to sustain and support the disease. They seek to relieve pain by the employment of opiates, anodynes and narcotics : how their agents allay pain is hardly a matter of consideration, so it be accomplished. Certainly this is too grave a matter to be passed over indifferently. Pain is but the irritation of a nerve. Disease does not always exist where we feel pain. The diseased organ which produces pain, may be situated far from the location where pain is felt. We may wound the foot with a rusty nail, and it results in lockjaw : here, even, the disease manifests itself at the greatest ex- 63 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. tremity from the affected part. Opiates, anodynes, &c., allay pain by partially destroying sensibility. Why not employ those means by which pain can be relieved without injury to the whole nervous system ? If we would prove successful in curing disease, we must employ medicines which will change the condition of blood: in that way alone can disease be cured. The ordinary method, or that of treating individual organs specially; or endeavoring to subdue symptoms ; and considering the patient well when his pains or symptoms are allayed, is by no means curing the disease. Such treatment may sometimes relieve by changing the disease from one organ to another ; but by its being suffered to remain in the system the diseased condition of the bloodc ontinues to increase until all portions of the system become impregnated with its acrid and diseased properties, and must inevitably terminate seriously. Such remedies are but mere palliatives—often producing' more harm than good. Physicians are governed by the symptoms which the patient relates, and doctor, or try to relieve those symptoms. Their investigations do not ordinarily extend to the causes producing the condition of the organ, or part, which occasions the general symptoms. To undertake to counteract disease with such views and such remedies is futile. Symptoms, like pain, may be abated by the use of those agents which deprive the nerves of their sensibility. Inflammatory swellings, or enlargements, may be reduced by refrigerant applications—those which drive the blood from the affected part to some other. But will such processes remove the disease from the system ? Not at all! As soon as the effects consequent upon the application have ceased, a return of the difficulty must ensue, and its effects be equally severe, unless the application be such as to render the nervous system to some extent insensible. The only medicines which should be employed in any disease whatever, are those which will reach the primary, or first cause. 64 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. That cause exists in the blood, and no where else. Various articles may charge the blood to render it impure. The scientific man—he who by analysis and other means has rendered himself familiar with the constituents of the blood, knows what its constituents should be to render it healthy, and can determine immediately, on seeing his patient, what the morbid matter in the blood may be which renders it unhealthy ; and forthwith be able to select the requisite article which would disengage the carbon, lime, bile, mucous or other deleterious property from the blood, and the patient would quickly begin to recover from his disease, be it what it might; unless the nervous system had previously become too far exhausted for resuscitation. The strength of the nervous system is, or ought to be, the physician's capital, as upon the strength and energy of it must he depend for the recovery of his patient: if that is gone, all is gone—the patient cannot be saved. What folly, then, to employ agents which must deprive the system of its vigor, as stimulants, nervines, sedatives, narcotics, &c. We do hope the public will think and reason for themselves, if doctors will not. We further hope that a sufficiently independent spirit may manifest itself in the public mind, which will induce them to question doctors upon this subject. Let them examine for themselves, and no longer conclude that every thing must be so, because the doctor says so. The doctor's influence has created such a fixed prejudice in the minds of many individuals, that they are perfectly subservient to him, and exercise but little will of their own upon any subject relating to medicine or disease. The medicines we have adopted as founders of the Analytical System of Practice, are of an entirely different character from those found in drug stores; we use none of the preparations found there, or those heretofore employed by any class of physicians. The principles upon which medicines found in drug stores, Thomsonian shops, and used by physicians generally, are prepared, would seem to be to allay pain, and forcibly to in- 65 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. crease the action of the excretory organs. We, on the other hand, prepare medicines for the purpose of neutralizing acrid matter, which may exist in the system—dissolving thick, viscid, or ossific formations; and to restore to a regular and healthy condition any excretory organ, when improperly performing its functions. Our preparations arc invariably prepared from the vegetable kingdom. We use no minerals in any of our preparations ; although doctors have stated that our medicines could not produce the effects they do, unless we used minerals in some form. What wiseacres ! If they would but analyze our preparations, they would soon find out. We advise them to have it done. Some of their learned professors of chemistry, certainly ought to be able to ascertain whether we use minerals, or not. Our preparations, however, are made in a very different way from the ordinary modes employed by physicians, or those who manufacture vegetable medicines. Vegetables contain many different properties, some very valuable, some inert, some t ary injurious. As the human body is wholly formed from vegetable matter, it is very evident that vegetable substances must contain the nutritive principle which affords the true medicamentum for every disease. We, by analysis of the plant, ascertain what its constituents are, and when we find the substances, or medicinal properties we require for the treatment of any disease, we separate them from its other combinations, and use them pure, unadulterated, and uncombined with any other. In this way we obtain all the power we require, and more than in many instances it would be judicious to employ. Having ourselves analyzed all the fluids and solids of the human body, both in a state of health and disease, it is by no means difficult for us to understand when the liver is diseased, what that unhealthy condition of the blood is which produces it, and the character of bile that must result therefrom. We are thus well prepared to select from'the vegetable kingdom that article, capable of changing that condiof the blood, and rendering it healthy. The blood will then impart 66 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. its invigorating and nutritive principle to all parts of the system—and especially to the affected part—and health as a natural result must follow. Our principles are the same in regard to diseased lungs, or any other organ or part. If tubercles charge the lungs we employ those agents which will dissolve them, and remove the morbid matter forming the tubercles from the circulation. This is what we term the analytical practice of medicine—certainly the analogy between it and quackery must be rather feeble—and we think none but a quack who felt quite sensible of his own ignorance and inability to comprehend or reasonably oppose the principles we are advocating, would attempt to cast such an epithet upon it. "We will here add to the preceding remarks a few pages respecting our views and treatment of diseases of the lungs, liver, and kidneys, which we had written and prepared for the press some time since. To the reader some of the views and statements may appear somewhat like repetition ; yet upon reflection we consider it better to publish the article as originally written, believing that it will more distinctly illustrate the principles we advocate in the treatment of those complaints, as well as of our treatment of diseases generally. 67 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. CHAPTER XI. DISEASES OF THE LUNGS —HOW TREATED BY THE REGULAR PHYSICIANS —NARCOTICS —BLISTERS —ISSUES AND SETONS —EMETICS AND EXPECTORANT —ABSURD 1 NOTIONS OF PRACTITIONERS REGARDING PULMONARY CONSUMPTION. PULMONARY CONSUMPTION Consumption is generally considered by all classes of physicians as a disease that will not ordinarily yield to remedial agents, but must almost invariably have a fatal termination, especially where it is hereditary, or has been long neglected. As so many thousands of human beings of all ages, and of the brightest intellects are yearly sacrificed to this disease, it becomes a subject of the deepest interest that more efficient means for arresting its fatal tendency than those heretofore employed, should, if possible, be discovered. That a treatment of far different character and of much greater efficacy can be pursued there is little doubt; but how, or by what means such treatment could gain public favor, except sanctioned by the existing therapeutical dogmas of popular medical philosophy, would be difficult to say. To oppose the prevalent systems of medicine is somewhat hazardous to an individual who esteems his reputation. It would be the signal for the whole medical craft to commence the most violent denunciations against him ; he must submit to abusive vulgarisms, as charlatan, imposter, quack, deceiver, humbug, and such other epithets as selfish demagogues may feel themselves disposed to use. All the language and artifice that could be employed to prevent individuals from reflecting upon 68 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. and investigating the principles in medical treatment at variance with the peculiar views of the medical aristocracy, would most assiduously be employed in defaming and prostrating it. It has ever been the case : witness Galen, Harvey, and Jenner. Although this is our firm conviction, we shall nevertheless proceed to enter upon the exposition of the evils consequent upon the usual treatment of pulmonary consumption, and the introduction of a treatment of a far different character from that usually entertained—one which we are satisfied cannot fail to recommend itself to the common sense of every unprejudiced and intelligent individual who will candidly exercise reason and common sense. So various have been the means employed for the treatment of diseases of the lungs, that a full description of these remedies would occupy a much larger space than it would be useful to employ on the present occasion. We shall, however, refer to the most prominent, or those which have obtained some notoriety and are at present genorally adopted, viz., narcotics, blisters, issues, setons, emetics, expectorants, inhaling-tubes, codliver oil and phosphate of lime. Narcotics.—By this term we mean articles that allay pain and produce sleep, as opium, morphine, prussic acid, &c. When they produce death, it is said to be by the injudicious administration of them. The milder forms or preparations are called anodynes, and are given to allay irritation and cough. That narcotics produce the effects above named we admit, but the peculiar action by which these effects are brought about has never been the subject of inquiry by medical philosophers; they have ever appeared satisfied with the results, and have given themselves no further trouble. Whoever has witnessed the habitual use of opium, laudanum, or morphine, knows the injurious effects they have upon the system generally. When the mode of action which narcotics have is explained and understood, intelligent individuals, who can sympathize with the sufferer, will at once 69 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. repudiate the use of both narcotics and anodynes, at least as a medicine for diseased lungs. To illustrate the action of narcotics upon the human system may not properly belong here, yet it is necessary, so far as to understand their action in consumption. Narcotics act directly upon the nervous system ; but how and why they act requires a knowledge of that system. The whole nervous system in every animated being is evidently to a great extent influenced by electricity ; the nerves are conductors of electricity; it is electricity that acts immediately and directly upon the nerve itself, producing sensation, and indirectly sustaining animal life; it is by the agency of electricity that all matter is formed and decomposed. Much evidence might be adduced to prove this fact, but as it is so generally admitted by all philosophers at this day, we have omitted it. Whenever narcotics, or anodynes, as they are generally called, are employed, their action upon the nerves is most destructive to the powers of life. We have before said that narcotics have the power of rendering a conductor of electricity a non-conductor. Hence it is at once explained to the most common understanding, why it is that a small quantity of morphine allays pain, a larger allays pain and produces sleep, whilst a still larger portion not only allays pain and produces sleep, but terminates in death, by destroying the power of the nervous system as a conductor of electricity. The gradual destruction of the powers of life by the use of narcotics cannot be too strongly deprecated. Many a mother so injures the nervous system of her offspring by drugging them with anodynes, opiates and narcotics, as to ruin their constitutions, rendering them weakly, sickly, effeminate and nervous through life. Blisters across the chest in consumption is a course almost universally pursued by allopathic practitioners; but the propriety or utility of it may well be questioned by the least intelligent. How the practice of blistering the chest ever originated, 70 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. or what policy suggested it,'it is difficult to imagine ;lt certainly could never have been the result of the mature deliberation of an intelligent anatomist. We are told that the object of a blister across the chest is to deplete from the lungs—to draw the disease from them, upon the principle of counter-irritation. The fallacy of this idea will be apparent when we realize the position of the lungs in the chest. The chest is a cavity. The lungs are attached to the windpipe, from which they are suspended in the cavity of the chest. The other attachments, and the only other attachments which the lungs have, are to the heart, by means of the blood vessels, which convey and re-convey the blood between the heart and lungs. There is! scarcely an indirect communication between the skin and lungs; no nerves, no ligaments, no cartilages unite them; the only communication is through the circulation. The lungs receive the venous blood from the heart and return it again to the heart after it has been decarbonized in the lungs—changed from venous to arterial. The heart then propels it through the arteries until it reaches the capillaries of the skin and the mucous membranes ; from which it is again collected into veins, and in the State of venous blood it is returned to the heart to be thrown to the lungs, to be again changed in character. Under these circumstances, wherein consists the propriety of a blister across the chest ? In what way would it be possible for a blister to benefit the lungs ? As well might we think of drawing a person out of doors, by placing a blister-plaster on the outside of the house ! Blisters across the chest in diseases of the lungs are contrary to reason, anatomy and common sense. Very great injury may be produced by their application. There are but few physicians who are not aware that the acrid principles of Spanish flies (the active principle in blister-plasters), are capable of being absorbed, carried into the circulation, and of producing much inflammation, especially of the urinary organs. This is not all. The 71 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. part to which a blister is applied becomes weak and debilitated, and by their repeated application, as is generally the case, the skin and even the muscular portion beneath the blister become decomposed. In this way the chest becomes greatly weakened and debilitated. What, under such circumstances, must be the necessary result ? Common sense answers, " Much mischief." Is a part previously debilitated placed in a condition to resist ? On the contrary, is it not weakened and rendered a nucleus—a reservoir where all the diseased matter flowing through the system must concentrate its action ? Hence, view it in whatever light we may, evils of the most serious character present themselves. Our candid and honest convictions are, that no more effectual course could be employed to render pulmonary consumption incurable and hasten it rapidly to a fatal termination than blisters across the chest. Issues and Setons.—We class these two processes together— their action upon the system being similar. The practice was instituted to divert the diseased fluid from an affected part to an artificial channel, thereby to relieve the diseased organ from the oppression and difficulty under which it labored. The practice is quite common in affections of the lungs; yet it is impossible to suppose that any permanent benefit can arise where morbid matter is continually generating and acquiring strength. They may in some instances give relief and prolong the life of the patient, but can never effect a cure. They but serve as another drain through which life must continue to ebb. Emetics and Expectorants.—The use of emetics and expectorants is another system of treatment for diseases of the lungs which almost universally prevails among all classes of physicians. Muoh evidence is furnished us of the success attending such practice; but philosophy would consider it questionable whether these agents exercise any salutary influence in the cure of diseased lungs. It is contended that these agents relieve cough and promote expectoration, which enables the pa- 72 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. tient to enjoy more comfort. But the query is, does the apparent benefit really prove to be such ? Is the patient's condition improved by it ? We think not. A little reflection upon the subject cannot fail to exhibit this matter in its true light. The reader must bear in mind that nothing but air can enter the lungs; other substances must immediately prove fatal. A minute portion of water, tea or coffee, happening to enter the windpipe when swallowing, produces excessive cough and strangulation. The emetic or expectorant is received into the stomach, which is situated below the liver, in the abdomeD. No communication exists between the stomach and lungs. Taking these facts into consideration, it is difficult for the candid and discerning mind to perceive how the use of either emetics or expectorants could prove beneficial; that they have proved so, many feel confident, but how they act, or why they act, to produce benefit, seems never to have been a subject of consideration by medical authors. Physicians have always been satisfied with the apparent benefit, without any inclination to acquaint themselves with the principles by which this apparent benefit was produced. Had they investigated the subject as they should have done, long since both emetics and expectorants would have been discarded; not only in the treatment of pulmonary affections, but in all other instances where they are now so freely employed. We are aware that, by rejecting this favorite and popular practice, we are subjecting ourselves to the disapprobation of physicians, yet it is some consolation for us to know that it can only arise from those who are ignorant of the operation of these agents. Emetics or expectorants enter the stomach. How do they act ? " They promote expectoration and loosen the cough," say the advocates of the expectorant system. How do they accomplish this ? To this question we can get no answer other than, " They do so." Now, the manner in which " they do so," 73 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. the way in which the emetic or expectorant acts, we consider to be of much importance, and if wo can prove that great evil may arise from their use, we trust we shall be excusable for our opposition to the use of emetics or expectorants in the treatment of diseases of the lungs. We then inquire of the advocates of the expectorant system, from whence they suppose the mucus expectorated by consumptive patients arises, or from what source it is produced. More than once we have received the tart reply from our adversaries—" Why, from the lungs; where else do you suppose it could come from ? Any fool might know that!" But when we have sometimes pressed our inquiry a little further by asking from what source the lungs received it, they have appeared somewhat perplexed, and have usually evaded our question, or replied, " That these matters were not yet fully understood." That they did not understand them when they answered us as just stated, we were fully aware, which they, upon further inquiry, frequently admit; but the importance and wisdom which some dogmatists assume appear so contemptible in our eye, that we cannot but turn from them with disgust: they are incapable of reasoning; they are wholly controlled by their scholastic prejudices ; no benefit could be derived were we to attempt to reason with them. In diseases of the lungs we perceive on many occasions a rapid wasting away of flesh. This rapid and constant decomposition of the muscular portions of the system, forms large quantities of mucus, and is the result of inflammatory action—the higher the inflammation, the greater will be the quantity of mucus formed. This mucus is absorbed into the venous blood, which in many instances becomes loaded with it throughout all parts of the system. When an expectorant or emetic is employed, it excites the nervous system, which increases the action of the heart and arteries, by which the circulation of the blood becomes more rapid, and the venous blood containing this mucus is hurried from all parts of the body to the heart, from 4 74 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. whence it is thrown at every pulsation with great rapidity to the lungs ; the lungs have then to perform the office of infiltrating, separating this mucus from the blood, which is then discharged by expectoration. Here let us for a moment reflect upon the facts before us. The blood is highly charged with mucus, which is constantly forming ; the lungs are enfeebled, diseased, perhaps ulcerated, and in this state compelled to infiltrate or separate this mucus from the blood. In this way the labor of the lungs is increased, which contributes still more to debilitate them, and aggravate the disease upon them. Why physiologists should have ever resorted to the use of expectorants'in diseases of the lungs, it is difficult to conceive. If the lungs are to be made the chief avenue by which this viscid matter is to be conveyed from the system, thereby increasing their labor and continually rendering them weaker, we can certainly see no prospect of their becoming stronger and more able to resist disease. Certainly it is a course most effectually calculated to ensure the increase of diseased action upon them, and to hasten a fatal termination of the complaint. It would not be likely that the strongest and most healthy condition of lungs could withstand this action without becoming impaired. The only office which it appears the lungs are designed to perform in the animal economy, is the decarbonization of the blood —to change it from venous to arterial; for which purpose, at every pulsation of the heart, the blood is thrown to the lungs, and when changed, it is again returned to the heart. The heart then throws it-through the arteries, by which means the properties contained in the blood are distributed to all portions and parts of the body for its sustenance and support. After the blood has reached the capillary vessels of the skin and mucous membranes, it is received into the veins, which return it to the heart to be again thrown to the lungs to undergo a like process, to fit it to*impart to the solids their means of support. 75 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. CHAPTER XII. INHALING TUBES OF DR. RAMAGE —THEORY CONFLICTING WITH PRACTIC —COD LIVER. OIL AND PHOSPHATE OF LIME—ANALYSIS OF THESE ARTICLES —THEIR WORTHLESSNESS IN CONSUMPTION. INHALING TUBES Were first introduced as a remedy for Consumption by Dr. Ramage, of London. About thirteen years ago, Mr. Howe, a Dentist, became the Agent of Dr. Ramage for their sale in this country. Medical speculators &at once embraced the opportunity to imitate, and extensively puff them through the country as a certain remedy for this fatal disease ; thinking thereby, to make considerable money, which we have no doubt they did—as such persons generally stand ready to seize upon any new discovery, and impudently appropriate it to their own use; which, in a short while, by the ostentatious display of their spurious imitations, renders the public mind averse to many valuable discoveries. Destitute of the knowledge themselves requisite to benefit suffering humanity, they seek to obtain money by counterfeiting or imitating some valuable production, which has cost another much time, money, and labor to acquire ; and then even undertake to justify themselves in their mean and dishonorable acts, by saying, there was no patent, and they had as much right as the inventor. Such persons possess no principles of honesty; no regard for the sufferer whom they have duped, deceived, and imposed upon by their worthless counterfeit preparations. The Inhaling Tube was evidently introduced by Dr. Ramage, who had charge of the Infirmary for Asthma, Consumption, and Diseases of the Chest, with the most worthy motives; and we 76 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. have no doubt, that under his immediate supervision, produced much good : yet we cannot but consider it dangerous in a large majority of cases, and utterly unable to cure Consumption from the following considerations : When the lungs are diseased, their whole texture necessarily must be weak and greatly debilitated. If we now reflect upon the office of the lungs—the labor they have constantly to perform during life—the reasonableness of our objections to inhaling tubes will at once become evident. At every pulsation of the heart, the blood is thrown from the heart to the lungs, to be purified or decarbonized, after which it is again returned to the heart, in the character of arterial blood. If the lungs become weak, or the blood thick or viscid, as is generally the case, they become incapable of returning the blood from them back to the heart, as fast as the heart throws it to them; consequently, the lungs become overcharged with blood, which so enlarges them, as to produce difficulty of breathing, cough, irritation, &c. By the use of the tube, the lungs become highly inflated with air, and their cavities widely distended. The distention, and consequent compression by their mucous tissues and membranes, force the blood from them back again to the heart; by which means the lungs are relieved of their accumulations of blood, and the patient may be materially benefitted. Although in some cases, benefit may in this way be derived, in other instances, serious mischief may be produced. If any portion of either lung be weak or disposed to ulcerate, or if the blood charging the lungs be thick or viscid, so as to prevent its flowing freely, there would be great danger of rupturing some bloodvessel in the lungs, by the increased pressure thus produced on them. Should the lungs have sufficient strength to withstand the laborious and violent action of the inhaling tube, other evils would necessarily take place. The circulation of the venous blood from the heart to the lungs would be impeded, or partially obstructed, and hence the requisite change of the venous blood 77 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. to arterial blood in the lungs, would not be in the proportion required for the support of the general system. Besides, in such case, a liability would exist of even the heart being impeded in its operations, which would give rise to palpitations. The venous blood would thus become obstructed in its passage to the heart, and thrown back upon the liver, which becoming charged with it, would give rise to enlargement; thus by pressing up the diaphragm and lessening the capacity of the chest, so that the lungs would not have room to expand, it would produce difficulty of breathing, or shortness of breath. It is contended, that it is beneficial, that the lungs should retain for a greater length of time the air in them, that it might be absorbed, to extend the lungs as much as possible, and that it pass from them slowly; as by that means the blood would be more thoroughly purified. Now, it cannot but be generally known that it is the oxygen of the atmosphere which the lungs require, and that it is this oxygen which unites with the carbon in the blood, and thus changes the character of the dark blood in the lungs to a light florid red, known as arterial blood. In this process, by the union of the oxygen and carbon, carbonic acid gas is formed, which all know to be a most deleterious substance, and hence should be disengaged from the lungs by respiration as soon as possible. The attempt, however, to cure Consumption by Inhaling Tubes alone, cannot be other than visionary. It is to suppose that Pulmonary Consumption does not owe its existence to a morbid constituent of the blood. Hence, then, although we may induce the blood to quit the lungs by the inhaling tube, when their strength will support it; yet, if that morbid constituent of the blood, which produces the disease, is not purified from the system, the disease cannot be cured. 78 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. COD LIVER OIL AND PHOSPHATE OF LIME. It is really wonderful to contemplate the imaginary and inventive genius of some of our modern Esculapians. By what principles of philosophy they have arrived at the conclusion that Cod Liver Oil or Phosphate of Lime was capable of proving beneficial in Pulmonary Consumption, is really difficult for us to imagine. But so it is ! Cod Liver Oil has, for some time, been the most efficient agent employed for the relief of this disease by some physicians; but more recently, Cod Liver Oil has been combined with Phosphate of Lime. This new compound, we understand to have been introduced by one pretending to be a Chemist; but we are of the opinion that the school-boy, who has but just entered upon the first rudiments of the science, would be entitled to much higher claims to chemical knowledge, than the inventor of the above oleaginous compound. Lest the honest and simple-hearted—those not versed in chemistry, should be decoyed by sophistry, and led to adopt this useless and fallacious remedy, and lose time, by which disease may become too far advanced for cure, we feel it our duty to expose its nature and character; then those laboring under affections of the lungs can accommodate themselves—either employ the proposed remedy, or let it alone. Cod Liver Oil, like other fish oils, is more of a lubricating character than animal or vegetable expressed oils, though all are, to a considerable extent, highly charged with mucilage, which, unless extracted, renders the oils less limpid: according to the quantity charging them, are they possessed of greater or less lubricating power. Cod Liver Oil, Porpoise Jaw Oil, and fine Winter Strained Oil from the Sperm Whale, perhaps contain the least mucilage of any other parts of the fish. Oils relieve pain and allay irritation to some extent, by their 79 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. lubricating power, and when applied to an affected part, relieve pain and distress, by their relaxing and soothing influence. They relax the rigid condition of muscle, where its contractile power has become diminished. Under such circumstances, oils may prove beneficial, but other oils are as efficacious in this respect as Cod Liver Oil, particularly pure and limpid Spermaceti Oil. The Olive Oil would prove very beneficial in this respect, if it be first deprived of its mucilage. But it is said that Cod Liver Oil contains articles (Iodine and Bromine) which other oils do not. This happens to be a mistake. The same articles can be detected in the oil of all fish whose natural and constant element is sea water. Besides, what benefit is the consumptive to derive from either of those substances, provided they do exist in Cod Liver Oil ? Iodine and Bromine are both very irritating substances, readily inducing inflammation, irritation, and subsequent prostration of the nervous system ; and under some circumstances they act as corrosive poisons. If either Iodine or Bromine, be a useful agent in the cure of Consumption, why resort to the use of Cod Liver Oil ? This certainly must be a very inefficient form as a medium for their administration. Both of these substances exist in their pure state, and may be found in every drug store. If their adulterated form be advocated, certainly there are other substances with which they might be incorporated, of a much less loathsome nature than Cod Liver Oil. It is really astonishing to witness the fallacies of medical men: some casual circumstance, accident, or the most vague imagination, prompts them to adopt some article as a remedy, and urge upon the public its utility with much vehemence, as some new agent, or article for the cure of disease; at the same time, they possess no ability to reason upon the properties of such remedy, or the direct and invisible action the remedy is capable of producing, yet boldly venture upon its use. If they perceive no manifest injury, they generally deem it favorable, and persevere 80 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. in its use until fashion or popularity renders it for the time being, the great desideratum for the cure of disease, and until the public become disgusted; and is only then abandoned to give place to another, possessed of no more just claims to merit than its predecessor. Cod Liver Oil and Phosphate of Lime. Is the reader aware what Phosphate of Lime is ? Phosphate of Lime (to speak so we may be understood) is burned bone—calcined bone. What nonsense could have ever entered the brain of a man to propose Phosphate of Lime for Diseased Lungs ? Where was his common sense ? We can scarcely think he ever had any ! Why introduce Phosphate of Lime into the system ? What beneficial result is it to produce ? Are not the tubercles in the lungs composed of Phosphate and Carbonate of Lime ? Could tubercles form in the lungs at all unless the blood itself was too highly charged with lime ?—why introduce more into it ? A more foolish, ignorant, and injurious course could not have been adopted. Tubercles in the lungs can never be dissolved, nor the disease they occasion be cured, unless an agent be employed that will dissolve and render fluid the lime charging the blood. In this way may tubercles be dissolved, carried off, and the disease cured, but in no other. But we hear of Cod Liver Oil and Lime being mixed togcgether, and given as a remedy for the disease. What must be the inevitable consequence of using such an article as medicine ? I will only say that Lime and Oil form an insoluble compound or soap, and if this compound is to be formed in any part of the human body, and especially in the lungs, the patient's case is desperate and irreparable. We are rather suspicious that cupidity has more to do with this matter, than disinterested philanthropy. THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. 81 CHAPTER XIII. CAUSES WHICH FIRST LED US TO STUDY MEDICINES—THE MOST IMPORTANT REMEDIES DISCOVERED BY QUACKS —THE EFFECT OF DELETERIOUS DRUGS—THE ANALYTICAL REMEDIES WHOLLY DIRECTED TO THE REMOVAL OF MORBID MATTER FROM THE BLOOD.. Having presented our objections to the usual modes adopted for the treatment of consumption, it is but right that we explain the principles we advocate, and upon which we predicate a cure of this so frequently fatal malady. We consider it necessary to explain in some measure the causes which first led us to investigate the science of medicine, as taught in our various medical schools, and to introduce to community the system known as the analytical practice of medicine, which system when sufficiently understood, enables its disciples continually to become better informed, make new discoveries, to introduce improvements into practice, increase the virtues of medicines already employed, and to form such new preparations as shall prove of the utmost utility to suffering humanity, in the various forms of disease. But what is of still greater importance is, that it qualifies the physician to almost invariably determine with accuracy, the character of the disease a patient may be laboring under, and what the character of the medicine adapted to his condition of disease must be. The attainment of the qualifications requisite to the possession of this knowledge may be disputed by many, as it is well known that the science as now taught at our medical schools, furnishes no such ability ; and some individuals have become so stereotyped in their dogmatical prejudices, that they cannot believe that any discovery or improvement in medicine can originate, except 4* 82 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. within the precincts of regular collegiate, and legally authorized institutions ; yet there appears no instance on record where the members of the faculty themselves, have made the independent discovery of any one of the medicines they consider the most valuable in their materia medica, and which they daily employ in practice. Mercury appears to have been first introduced into practice by a quack—Peruvian bark by a Jesuit, and opium by a savage. The medicines employed by medical men are not the result of deep research or scientific investigation, but were either discovered by accident, or are the result of the most imperfect experiments. They have a class of medicines called cathartics, another diuretics, sudorifics, &c. The way physicians discovered the visible actions of these medicines, was by experimenting on their patients; but why this article acts as a sudorific, that as a diuretio, or another as an emetic, the teachings of medical schools have never yet informed us. All that medical men appear to know in relation to medicine is, that it produces certain visible effects; but how or why the medicines employed produce these effects, they have no means of determining. What the invisible action may be, whether beneficial or injurious, they can only judge from appearances. Medicines frequently do much mischief, and appearances often prove deceitful, the patient appears to revive and grow better for a short time, which, like the last flickering of a candle, brightens for a moment before total extinguishment. This could not be so, did medical men more properly understand the invisible action of medicine. If they understood it they would be capable of selecting that medicine, which would not be calculated to do mischief, or debilitate still more, an already exhausted system. This imperfection in the science of medicine has led many practitioners to exclaim against the uncertain action of medicine, to complain that it did not act alike in all cases, or in one case as it did in another, and has led them to advise the THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. 83 discontinuance of all medicines, as so little dependence could be placed in any kind whatever, and let nature take her own course, and it would, ultimately, be better for them. Many are the instances where medicines have been employed with confident expectation of benefit, and resulted most fatally. Very great injury to the constitution of individuals has followed the use of some prescription given in fever, rheumatism, tic doloreux, &c, and which afterwards has been attributed to the injurious effects of the disease upon the constitution, when in truth it was justly attributable to the evil effects of the medicine employed. No doubt thousands now sleep in their graves (if the truth could be known), the only cause of whose death is owing to some deleterious drug administered as medicine. This deficiency in medical knowledge every humane mind must deplore. There certainly are few that would not be highly gratified, if the art of medicine could only reach that distinguished elevation, which would enable its disciples to determine readily and correctly when examining a patient, what the primary and promoting cause of the difficulty was, and likewise, as readily be able to decide what remedy would be the most appropriate for promoting relief, or effecting a cure. The state of medical knowledge would widely differ from that at present possessed; for the cases are extremely few where a physician can determine the nature of a disease, or the requisite remedy to employ. He is governed by imperfect theories—he has no positive knowledge upon which he can rely, and only seeks to allay urgent symptoms, by the employment of. such mean3 as his imagination may suggest to We consider the foregoing remarks sufficient to enable the intelligent reader to understand the views we entertain regarding the science of medicine ; they certainly are most in accordance with reason and common sense. We believe them to be the true principles which science points out, and if so they should be embraced by all candid practitioners ; the reason, however, 84 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. why they are not, is clearly obvious. The doctrines which the profession sustain, have become almost like household gods with them, they are attached to them, they are familiar with them, they have so long adapted themselves to them, that they find them the most convenient. Their doctrines are so firmly established in all their schools, that their professors in their different professorships feel comfortable and quiet, believing themselves in the possession of the highest attainment which the science is capable of unfolding, or rather thinking the public believe so; they have but little fear that those out of the pale of regular and popular practice will ever be able to exercise so great an influence over community, as to endanger the stability of their established order, at least while they are living. Under some circumstances we are led by degrees to adopt certain habits, which if not perfectly agreeable at first, by the continued exercise of them we not only become pleased with them but they are rendered quite natural, so that it becomes difficult for us to divest ourselves of them, let them be ever so wrong, and even pernicious ; and if they be those that are profitable, and upon which we have to depend for a living, it is hardly possible to relinquish them. From the very necessity of the case, man generally is disposed to support that which supports him. It is well known that if a physician dares to abandon the views held as oracular by the profession, and embraces those of a distinct character, he must depend on the loss of popularity, if selfish demagogues can effect it. This constant fear is very likely to prevent members of the legalized profession from ever introducing any valuable improvements, or advocating any change in the principles of medical science. Again, where a physician has pursued a certain line of practice for many years, it is very difficult for him to abandon it and adopt another, where he would be compelled to even commence his studies anew. These considerations will continue to operate as a powerful preventive to medical reform, and consequently reform must originate and 85 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. be carried forward, by those who are not within the pale of the regular profession ; it must be by those who are independent, possessed of moral courage, and who are not subject to the control or influence of aristocratical power. From our remarks the reader would be led to believe that the remedies we employ, are wholly directed to removing morbid matter from the blood ! This is true ; but in order to do so, we must be able to determine what the character of the morbid matter charging the blood is. It will not answer to guess at it, as thousands of impostors and quacks do ; and some of them use one medicine for every condition of blood ! They say " the blood is not good," but are utterly unable to tell why it is not, or what it is charged with to render it impure. If they cannot tell what material renders the blood impure, how can they select a remedy capable of purifying it ? The deception practised upon the unfortunate, by avaricious pretenders to medical knowledge is enormous ; and the shameful imposition will continue, until science shall be able to expose the ridiculous fallacies of medical speculators. The blood as before shown may be charged with lime, carbon, or other substances, rendering it viscid, by which its circulation through the system may be impeded, or become irregular. If the lungs be the weakest, and the blood charged with lime, deposits of lime will take place in the lungs, and the lime, becoming glued together by mucous, would form a solid indurated mass in the air cells of the lungs, called tubercles. These are small at first, but gradually augment in size and solidity, till the lungs become filled with them ; they irritate the substance of the lungs, produce cough and form small ulcers, which uniting together increase their size, and the patient expectorates puss tinged with blood. At times these small tubercles become disengaged, and are expectorated ; they are somewhat of a cheesy nature, at other times hard or indurated. This condition of diseased lungs is called tuberculous consumption ; but it is not 86 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. the most general form in which the disease occurs. Tubercular consumption may exist for years, and the patient feel rather comfortable, with the exception of cough, which often annoys him and prevents him from sleeping. He is generally thin in flesh and somewhat feeble. Blisters across the chest under these circumstances appear ridiculous ! How could a blister dissolve tubercles in the lungs ? and how could a cure be effected unless they were dissolved and carried off ? Diseases of the lungs may also arise from sudden changes of the atmosphere, especially during the severe cold we sometimes experience in our winter seasons. It is not unfreqent that the thermometer is down fifteen and twenty degrees below zero—the temperature of the blood in the lungs is about ninety eight degrees above. Here we perceive a difference of over one hundred degrees between the temperature of the blood in the lungs and the air we are inhaling; and if the lungs be weak and irritable, or this cold air is inhaled suddenly, the lungs frequently become so much irritated by this direct contact with cold air that cough and inflammation soon ensue, which is called " catching cold;" and this irritation and inflammation often continue till it reaches the lungs, terminating in consumption. This form of the disease is generally called " hasty," or " quick" consumption. It differs materially from tubercular consumption, not being attended with tubercles ; but the substance of the lungs themselves becomes inflamed and ulcerated. The ulcers are sometimes deep-seated, and are termed vomica, or abscess. The most general and attending symptoms of the disease are known to every one. The form in which consumption most generally makes its appearance in our climate, is in connection with a disease of the liver—full fifteen cases out of twenty are of this nature ; sometimes even extending its influence to the kidneys, at other times to the lungs, according as the upper or *lower portion of the liver may become the seat of the disease. Cases have passed 87 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. under our observation, where the liver, diaphragm and lungs have all ulcerated together, and portions of the liver have been expectorated by a deep hollow cough, through the cavity of the lungs. Physicians frequently send their consumptive patients to a southern climate, some of whom recover their health, whilst others grow worse rapidly and die, far from their home and friends, among strangers, deprived of those soothing attentions which none but those whose attachments are of the warmest character can appreciate. It would be far better for them to remain among their friends than to hasten their demise by seeking a southern clime. The difficulty, however is, that neither the doctor nor the patient can determine what is the peculiar character of the disease which would be relieved by a southern climate. Patients are frequently without any regard whatever to their appropriate condition, hurried to a warm climate, with the hope of restoration, but a few short weeks proves it to be fallacious. A little reflection will convince any intelligent mind of the propriety or impropriety, of an individual laboring under an affection of the lungs, seeking to obtain relief in a southern climate. We have before shown that the cases of diseased lungs arising from a primary affection of the liver, are far more numerous than any of the other forms in which the disease occurs. Why the disease is most prevalent at warm seasons of the year, and in Southern countries ; and that diseases of the lungs prevail most in cold and variable climates is easily explained. The arterial blood predominates in the lungs, and the venous blood in the liver. The arterial blood is of a higher temperature than the venous, hence the greater liability of the lungs becoming diseased by a cold atmosphere, than the liver. The difference between the temperature of the arterial blood in the lungs, and the air inhaled, is greater than between the atmosphere and the venous blood in the liver. On the other hand the temperature of the venous blood is raised above its natural standard in a warm climate, which soon produces inflammation, and a depraved secretion of acrid 88 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. bile, and a disease of the liver becomes inevitable. In our climate the inhabitants, in consequence of the extreme heat in the summer and cold in the winter, are subjected to a disease of the liver in the summer, and a disease of the lungs in the winter; and very frequently an affection of the liver acquired in the summer terminates in a disease of the lungs in the winter, and the patient labors for months, perhaps for years, with a disease of both liver and lungs. With this view of the subject, how easy is it to perceive that if an individual be affected with a disease of the lungs which originated in the liver, by sending him south the disease of the liver must necessarily become aggravated, which would increase the difficulty of the lungs and the disease soon terminate fatally. But if, on the contrary, a disease of tha lungs existed, and the liver was healthy, not implicated with a disease of the lungs, by going south, the disease might from temperature be in some measure transferred to the liver, which would become but slightly affected, then by judicious means a cure might be obtained, and the patient enjoy a comfortable state of health, at least so long as he remained in that climate. These remarks we make for the benefit of the consumptive, and hope they may be read and reflected upon, as it cannot fail to prove beneficial. Beware of a southern climate, where there is evidence of the liver being implicated in a disease of the lungs. The climate in which you have lived is the best for your restoration—plants flourish best in their native soil. A disease of the lungs, it is almost invariably considered, will sooner or later terminate fatally ; that the prospects of cure arc very limited all admit, and many physicians even ridicule the idea of its curability. If the disease is incurable, some good and sufficient reason should be given why it is not. It is hardly philosophic in distinguished medical authors to declare it incurable upon the mere ground of their own unsuccessful attempts at cure. THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. 89 CHAPTER XIV. THE CURABILITY OF CONSUMPTION —OXYGEN, THE VIVIFYING PRINCIPLE ULCERS UPON THE LUNGS —GENERAL VIEW OF CONSUMPTION PULSATIONS OF THE HEART —ACCUMULATION OF BLOOD IN THE LUNGS —THE MEANS EMPLOYED TO RELIEVE THEM—CONCLUDING REMARKS. Authors in some instances have given their reasons for supposing consumption incurable ; some say, because no medicine can reach the lungs. This is true. Others say because the lungs are in constant motion ! This is also true. Again it is considered a hereditary complaint ! This may be true or it may not. If it be incurable what is the peculiar character of the disease which renders it so ? There are cases of the disease which are not hereditary—why are they not cured ? Others give as a reason the narrowness of the chest, stooping position, &c, which in some instances is the case and may be remedied. Various are the objections brought against the curability of the disease, as mankind are ever ready to form excuses for acts they are not qualified to succeed in. Perhaps we can place the incurability of consumption in as formidable a light as any of our cotemporaries, and then most clearly show how this mighty barrier can be overcome, and which for the instruction and encouragement of the consumptive we shall undertake. We have before shown the situation the lungs occupy in the chest, and the office they are destined to perform in the animal economy. That exceptions may not be taken to the views we here advance, we will suppose the lungs in a state of ulceration ; that they are rapidly decomposing, and the patient expectorating pus. 90 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. The oxygen of the atmosphere is the great vivifying principle in nature ; neither vegetable nor animal life can exist without it. A fish placed in a pail of .water will live till it has exhausted the oxygen the water contained ; it will then die. A person placed in an air tight box would live until he exhausted the oxygen in it, and then die. At every inhalation the lungs absorb oxygen, which, uniting in the lungs with the carbon of the venous blood, changes it into arterial blood ; consequently every exhalation from the lungs consists of carbonic acid gas, which is formed in the lungs by the union of carbon and oxygen. Therefore, an ulcer upon the lung is constantly expesed to the action of oxygen, by which the mild purulent matter effused from it becomes changed in its nature, to that of a caustic irritating virus, which not only poisons the edges of the ulcer, but continually contributes to irritate and induce it to spread wider. Upon an external ulcer a scab may form to protect it from the oxygen, or an artificial one may be placed upon it in the form of plaster. Not so with an ulcer upon the lung ; there no scab can form, nor indurated mucus to protect it, but the naked ulcer is momently subjected to the destructive action of the oxygen. The great difficulty is at once perceived. We cannot live one moment without oxygen, which is constantly aggravating the ulcer, and increasing the diseased action upon the lung. To the unreflecting mind this view establishes the utter impossibility of a cure ever being effected, after the lungs become ulcerated ; especially as they necessarily are at all times in constant motion. This objection we shall satisfactorily answer in the course of our remarks. We will now take a view of the disease as it exists. The situation the lungs occupy in the chest we explained, when speaking of blisters. When referring to inhaling tubes we showed the condition of the lungs when overcharged with blood, in consequence of their inability to return the blood back to the THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. 91 heart as fast as the heart threw it to them, producing difficulty of breathing, cough, irritation, inflammation, and finally, ulceration of the lung itself, which may be generally known by the expectoration of pus, which gives to water a milky, flocculent appearance, before it subsides to the bottom of a glass tumbler. This state of the disease is generally attended with distressing cough, commonly most severe in the morning, rapid emaciation, hectic fever, debility, swelling of the extremities, &c. We perceive the primary difficulty originated in consequence of the lungs (from their debility) becoming surcharged and even in some instances gorged with blood, occasionally evinced by the rupture of a blood vessel from sudden excitement or coughing. The patient looks pale and wan, as if there were no blood charging the capillary vessels of the skin. The blood has left the surface of the body—the powers of the heart have become diminished, and rendered incapable of throwing the blood to the surface except when the heart becomes so completely gorged as to produce reaction, as witnessed in hectic fever. The blood is therefore charging the lungs and internal organs to suoh a degree, as frequently to produce congestion. The heart beats rapidly, and sometimes palpitates ; often the pulsation is as high as one hundred in a minute, and instances occur where they are so rapid we can hardly count them. It appears like a struggling but inefficient effort to keep alive the circulation ; but no free volume of blood is thrown by the heart to either the skin or lungs. Under these circumstances it is impossible that the blood in the lungs should become decarbonized ; and hence its depraved character is hourly increasing, and becoming less able to sustain either the muscular, nervous or glandular systems. The ulcer upon the lung being constantly fed from accumulations of blood, decomposition progresses rapidly, and discharges of pus continue to increase, and the lungs to waste away until they can no longer perform their office, and death closes the scene. Even the blood becomes charged with pus by absorption from the ulcer. 92 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. The principles and practice we adopt for the cure of Pulmonary Consumption are in accordance with the views above set forth. It is an important consideration, that the lungs be relieved from the large accumulations of blood in them. Unless this is done all other remedies must be of little avail. No medicine can reach the lungs except by the inhalation of gases or vapor, and through the circulation. Various gases, vapor, &c, have from time immemorial been inhaled with but trifling benefit. Suppose it possible by the use of internal remedies to place the blood in the most healthy condition, in what way would the lungs be benefitted? Unless the surplus quantity of blood charging, distending and irritating the lungs be induced to quit them, and return to the surface of the body—again change the capillaries of the skin, and circulate freely; what hope of cure can reasonably be entertained ? It is the weakness of the lungs which produces the difficulty, and this cannot be overcome whilst the accumulations of blood in the lungs are constantly exhausting their energy and rendering them weaker. The folly and ignorance of individuals who profess to cure diseases of the lungs by internal remedies alone cannot be too strongly animadverted upon. It cannot be done! The lungs must be relieved from the accumulations of blood in them, or consumption cannot be cured ! The reader must certainly perceive, that if the blood be induced to quit the lungs, and flow freely upon the surface of the body, that the lungs must necessarily be relieved of their engorgements, and consequently relax to their original size ; hence the difficulty of breathing would be obviated, and the inspirations full. The blood vessels of the lungs being no longer distended, the irritation and inflammation must cease, and the cough which was occasioned thereby, completely removed. But how shall the ulcer be arrested and cicatrization promoted ? By inducing the blood to the surface, is not the ulcer deprived of support ? Could it exist at all unless supported ? a lamp cannot burn without a combustible fluid ! And further, by this process 93 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. the diseased matter generated in the ulcer by decomposition, instead of being expectorated, is absorbed into the lungs, from thence into the system, where, by appropriate internal remedies, its acrid properties are neutralized and destroyed, and then carried from the system by the excretory organs, which must be restored to a healthy condition. Hence it is perceived that the difficulty previously referred to respecting the oxygen of the atmosphere uniting with the mild purulent matter effused from an ulcer upon the lung, creating an acrid virus, is counteracted by not permitting the pus to be effused on the surface of the lung. The means we employ for inducing the blood from the lungs and internal organs to the surface of the body, and keeping it circulating there is what we term a medicated wrapper which is worn around the body continually. It is prepared by quilting between folds of muslin pulverised vegetable articles. It extends from the neck to the hips and laces of the back ; it is per fectly easy to wear, and little or no inconvenience attends it. This wrapper produces and keeps up a constant determination of blood to the surface ; thus relieving the lungs, upon the same principle that drafts to the feet, relieve the head. By its operation the cough in a few days becomes more dry, and expectoration gradually thickens and becomes less. The cough, likewise, gradually subsides, in consequence of the cause of the irritation being removed from the lungs, by the wrappers inducing the blood from the lungs to the surface of the body, and keeping it circulating upon the surface, until by medicine given internally the blood becomes so far restored to a healthy condition, as to make health deposits in the lungs, by which they become healed, invigorated and strengthened, and able to perform their office, whereby the patient is again restored to health. 94 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. CHAPTER XY. THE LIVER AND BILE —ENLARGEMENT OF THE LIVER —DYSPEPSIA — ABSORPTION OF BILE INTO THE BLOOD —APOPLEXY —NERVOUSNESS —THE KIDNEYS, THEIR LIABILITIES TO DISEASE—FLUOR ALBUS— PILES —WHAT MEDICINES TO USE—PARTICULAR REMARKS. DISEASE OF THE LIYER. Of all the organs of the human body none are so liable to disease as the liver. It is the largest gland of the abdomen, extending far down on the right side, then across the body towards the left side, filling the hollow of the diaphragm, to which it is attached. It never reaches the left side, as the large end of the stomach occupies the space between the liver and left side. A very large proportion of the venous blood, so liable to contain putrescent or morbid matter, enters the liver from the lower extremities of the body and abdomen, by a large vein called the vena porta, which branches into numerous smaller veins throughout the liver, which is constantly filled and highly charged with venous blood, from which the liver has to form one of the most important fluids of the whole animal economy— the bile. The venous blood when highly charged with putrescent matter, can not but render the bile of an unhealthy character, it being impossible, in this case at least, to produce a good article from bad materials, and if permitted to continue so, must necessarily soon disease the liver itself. The bile is conveyed into the gall bladder, situated under the liver, from which it is conveyed into the bile duct, a tube about the size of a crow-quill, and from thence into the duodenum, or small intestines, situated immediately below the pit of the stomach. The bile when healthy is alka- THE ANALYTICAL. SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. 95 line, containing even free alkali. One of its offices is to separate the nutritive part of our food from the general mass. Another is to neutralize the acidity of the gastric juice, which is carried with our food from the stomach into the small intestines. Authors have generally stated that the bile performed some important office in digestion, and that it was the natural evacuant > but hitherto they have been incapable of illustrating what that office was. As to its being the natural evacuant, is somewhat problematical; the facts show that a superabundant secretion of bile produces costiveness, a deficient secretion, common diarrhoea, and an acrid secretion, bilious diarrhoea. Diseases of the liver from their nature generally assume a long, lingering and chronic form; the pains and difficulties the patient experiences are attributed to some other cause than that resulting from an affection of the liver. He thinks because there is no pain in the side, and those symptoms he has been taught to believe characterize the disease, are absent, that no difficulty of that nature exists—he is not even suspicious of it. There would be no pain in the right side, unless the right lobe was affected, and that with acute inflammation ; neither is it always attended with pain between the shoulders or under the shoulder blade. Thousands have died with a diseased liver who have felt no pain whatever. In many instances the first symptom would be difficulty of breathing or shortness of breath, which arises from enlargement of the liver, caused by accumulations of thick and viscid blood, which it may be constantly receiving from the vena porta. When the liver is enlarged it presses up the diaphragm, by which the capacity of the chest is so diminished that the lungs have not room to cxjpand, causing a sense of fulness, giving rise to phthisic, asthma, &c, and when so long existing as to produce permanent enlargement of the liver, incurable asthma, which by some is supposed to be an affection of the lungs. If the blood be thick or vitiated the productions of bile are of the same character, and result in the formation of 96 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. gall stones, biliary concretions, calculi, &c, which in many instances create great distress, especially in their passage through the bile duct. In consequence of the natural heat of the body, thick or viscid bile soon undergoes decomposition, rendering it thin and of a very acrid character. So acrid does the bile sometimes become, that were it applied to the skin it would produce a sore. When the bile becomes acrid it inflames the mucous or lining membrane of the small intestines, and the patient feels a sinking weakness, or indescribable faintness just below the pit of the stomach, frequently attended with flatulence and acidity, arising from the decomposition of bile and the loss of its alkaline properties. Inflammation of the intestines under these circumstances often occurs. The small intestines are frequently so loaded with the bile, that it regurgitates through the pyloric orifice into the stomach, producing nausea, sick stomach, often attended with headache, usually termed sick headache. Physicians call this dyspepsia, and to such an extent does it sometimes progress, as to cause great emaciation and permanent injury to the constitution; the digestive and assimilating organs becoming so impaired as to be incapable of performing their functions, and the whole system suffers. The bile being absorbed into the blood produces a yellow or sallow appearance of the skin—the blood itself becomes acrid and inflammatory, giving rise to fevers, humors, eruptions, yellow jaundice, dark spots on various parts of the body, particularly over the forehead; giving rise to bilious and remittent fevers, fever and ague, and even yellow fever. The black vomit in yellow fever is but a still further decomposition of the bile. The bile so vitiates the blood that it can neither support the muscular nor nervous system ; hence weakness, debility, loss of flesh and nervous power ; and when it is acrimonious, produces humors, -eruptions and ulcers in various parts of the body, as hives, erysipelas, canker, sore mouth and throat, and which frequently concentrates its force THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. 97 upon some vital organ, as the lungs, especially if the organ be weak in structure. The absorption of bile into the blood renders it not only acrid but thick and viscid. The office of the heart is to propel the blood through the system ; but when the blood is thus rendered thick and viscid the labor of the heart is increased, consequently it becomes debilitated and weakened : hence palpitations of the heart follow, sometimes terminating in a disease of the heart itself. Under these circumstances pains and aches may be experienced across the chest, at times in the limbs, and in various parts of the body, generally supposed to be rheumatism. The pains are occasioned by the blood passing sluggishly through the veins, and as the veins are filled with valves, the blood accumulates between them and enlarges the vein, by which the accompanying nerves are pressed, producing acute sensation or pain— at times sharp sensations are experienced, called shooting or darting pains, from one part of the body to another, which is evidence that the blood has imparted its acrid character to the nerves, by which they have become irritated and affected. At other times, the blood becomes so thick and viscid as almost to stagnate in the blood vessels, which produces numbness of the limbs, insensibility and palsy. The coldness of the extremities, as the feet and hands, so frequently complained of, is in consequence of the debility of the heart, and the viscid state of the blood—the heart not possessing the power to throw the blood to the extremities, which accounts for the cold hands and feet, there being deficient circulation in them. Pain or dizziness of the head, vertigo, fullness of the head, dimness of vision, distress, &c, are frequent attendants of this state of disease. At every pulsation of the heart, the blood is thrown through the arteries to the head. The arteries leading from the heart to the head are large, and the distance is not great. This blood has to return again to the heart, but it returns through the veins; being thick, its motion through the veins is slow, and it 5 98 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. does not return to the heart as fast as the heart throws it to the head; hence accumulations of blood take place in the head, press upon the brain and nerves of the head, and produce the difficulties just mentioned. Apoplexy is produced in this way. Nervousness is another affection arising from the same cause. The nerves are small vessels, and all derive their support from the blood—they cannot be supported from any other source— they demand from the blood its most essential constituents. When the blood is thick, those small vessels cannot absorb from the blood the nutriment they require; they are deficiently supported, and their power and energy become exhausted, and great debility, nervousness, and even derangement of the human intellect ensue. The blood is sometimes so highly charged with bile that the capillary vessels of the skin become obstructed, charged and filled with an oily, hard, saline substance, causing but little or no perspiration ; and the disease is thrown forcibly upon the internal organs, particularly that one which may be the weakest. It often happens that an affection of the liver extends its influence to the spleen, situated on the left side, and the pain is felt more or less on that side. When the powers of the spleen become impaired, costiveness enBues, and sometimes the bowels become so insensible of action, that scarcely any motion is produced without the use of cathartics. Illustrations of diseases of the liver might be far more extended: it is doubtful whether any disease of a chronic character exists in which the liver does not perform a prominent part, or is not more or less concerned. We venture to affirm, that health can in no instance be maintained where the transactions of the liver are in any way imperfect. Many acute diseases are to a great extent to be attributed to the morbid condition of the liver. 99 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. KIDNEYS. When the concave surface of the liver becomes affected, a disease of the kidneys is almost invariably produced, evinced by pain in the small of the back, across the loins, and extending down the thighs; difficulty, pain, and often a smarting sensation in passing urine, which is milky or high colored, with considerable deposition of a brick-like sediment. The patient will frequently feel a disposition to pass urine, but the quantity will be small at a time ; at other times it will pass in considerable quantities at once ; accumulations of calculi are in this way formed in the bladder and urinary passages, and are what is termed gravel. Females particularly are very subject to these affections, creating much distress and weakness ; fluor albus; relaxation of the ligaments of the womb, called " falling of the womb," and bearing down pains, similar to labor, which are extremely distressing, and, in some instances, past endurance, particularly if attended with piles. Some medical men call this state of disease "Spinal Complaint!" How they could have determined it to be such, is most singular; certainly no man conversant with the subject, and who was tenacious of his reputation, would hazard such an avowal. By such erroneous conclusions many patients have been tortured by blisters, setons, issues, scarifying, cupping, &o., along the spine of the back, until it has resulted in great debility and weakness, and even curvatures of the spine, by relaxation of its ligaments. WHAT MEDICINES DO YOU USE ? Why do you not give us recipes to make our own medicines as other doctors do ? This is a question often asked us; and we think we have answered it wisely by not placing the recipes for making our medicines in the hands of the public. There are many persons, 100 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. especially doctors, who no doubt blame us very much for not making our remedies public property. They say it is selfish and avaricious in us to keep secret that which may be of benefit to a suffering fellow being; other doctors do not do so—that if we wish to reap the benefit of our discoveries, we must get them patented, and secure our right to them in that way for a term of years ; and because we do not avail ourselves of that right, they say our remedies cannot be worth much, and that the articles of which they are composed must have been long known to physicians, and perhaps discarded by them long ago as worthless— they may be nothing more than a little hoarhound, stewed up, or a compound of soot and molasses. It would be useless to repeat the many derogatory statements which our preparations have had to contend with for the last twenty-five years, from those who wish to be considered eminently learned M. D.'s, and from individuals whom they have had the power to influence against us, and the medicines we employ. No one of them, in any possible way, could know what they were composed of, or how prepared; and hence, their whole opposition to us and our mode of practice, could arise from no other consideration than their own individual pecuniary benefit, which they are extremely jealous of, and what they dogmatically assume to be their rights. As there are always two sides to a question, we will suppose that we made public the recipes for compounding our medicines —how long would it be before hundreds of speculative medical venders would be at work manufacturing, adulterating and making valueless imitations, which in a very short time would destroy their usefulness, and injure and degrade us very much in public estimation. We have ascertained the fact that a person who was in the habit .of purchasing medicines of us, has been known to boast that he made five bottles out of one, and sold them at full price ! What rascality ! There are others who counterfeit our medicines, and say they have a copy of our 101 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. recipes, and tell the public they are precisely the same. Is the public willing to be imposed upon in this way ? Again ; it is generally admitted, by disinterested and intelligent people, that no one medicine can cure every disease ; hence there is a difference in diseases—the cause which produces one disease does not another. If this be so, and it certainly is, the medicine that would benefit or cure one, would not another : consequently different medicines are required. Suppose an individual to be taken sick; would it be considered that he was best able to determine what particular complaint he was laboring under, or what condition his blood or other fluids were in ? If he did not know, how would he be able to prescribe the proper remedies for his relief ? And if he did know all about his complaint, can we suppose, that without the knowledge of medicinal remedies, he would be best able to select that one best calculated to afford him relief ? Where a patient selects medicines for his own use, he must certainly be supposed to possess such knowledge, or why assume it ? If not, why purchase advertised remedies ? the proprietors or manufacturers of them give no personal advice. How can you know what medicines are adapted to your case ? and how do you know what the medicines are composed of which you take ? If you do know, why complain that you are not benefitted by their use ? But you say this was a particular remedy, which was considered almost a universal specific—there being so many certificates and assurances of its invaluable properties ! Are you so silly as to be thus humbugged, when you know it is so very easy to obtain certificates on any subject, especially on medicine ? It is an undeniable truth, that far greater mischief has been done by publishing recipes for the preparation of medicine than is generally supposed. Almost every body, and every old lady, are proposing this thing and that, whenever any of their acquaintance becomes sick; whilst they know nothing of the character of the disease, nor the remedy they propose or recommend to be used. Such occur- 102 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE, rences are very annoying to him who has devoted his time and talents to the subject, and is honestly endeavoring to do the best he can. Interferences of this kind are often productive of much evil. Of what utility would a patent right be to us ? What protection would it afford against marauders ? By such means unworthy persons would acquire a knowledge of the composition of our medicines, and their avarice would at once prompt them to make the preparations, and sell them under some other name. To open the door for such proceedings we are not willing, and we think no honest, disinterested man would say it was right for us to do so. The idea advanced that other physicians make public their preparations, is rather equivocal. Do other doctors originate medicine ?—are they capable of it ? Do they do any thing more than employ the medicines which some other person has discovered and used? And did they not abuse and discourage its use, until its virtues had become too firmly established in public estimation for them to withstand ? Is not this the source from whence they derive all the knowledge they possess, in regard to the virtues of medicine ? They may mix a few of their articles together, hoping thereby to effect some object—they do not originate them. When they give a prescription to a patient, is it written in language the patient understands ? Must he not obtain it at a drug store, and depend upon the druggist for its correctness ? Why do not physicians give their prescriptions in English if they are so tenacious about publicity of medicines— have they no object, no reason for not so doing ? The only other argument we shall offer against rendering our medicines public, is, that we consider them our individual property. It has cost us much time, labor and money to acquire the knowledge we possess in regard to the nature and character of disease. We have been at it many years, during which time often have we analyzed the blood, bile, and other fluids of per- 103 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. sons laboring under various forms of disease. "We have analyzed the tubercles of the lungs, calculi of the liver and kidneys, ossific formations in the heart, coronary artery, &c. There is hardly a part of the human body, either solids or fluids, which we have not subjected to analysis. We have been equally industrious in acquiring a knowledge of the constituents of articles employed as medicine, and the invisible operations medicines have upon the fluids and solids of the human body, when brought into contact, as is the case when they are introduced into the system as medicine. For this purpose we have placed blood, bile, and other fluids of the body, as well as solids, in contact with medicines, as calomel, arsenic, acetate of lead, nitrate of silver, oxide of bismuth, antimony, and other minerals; and also numerous vegetable extracts, each separately, and kept them for some hours at about the heat of the body, and then analyzed them again, to ascertain correctly what change had been effected in the blood, bile, or other fluid''or other animal substance. In this way we have obtained a knowledge of the modus operandi of medicine, or what the invisible actions are upon the fluids and solids with which they come in contact; and why it is, that medicines produce the visible effects they are known to Thus have we acquired the knowledge how to dissolve tubercles in the lungs, calculi in the liver and kidneys, or ossific formations in any part of the body; how to dissolve viscid accumulations in the blood, which produce obstructions; disengage carbon, lime, mucus, bile, &c, from the system ; and to neutralize that acrid matter which produces inflammations, fevers, humors, as salt rheum, canker, erysipelas, &c. Knowing the nature, character, property, and primary constituents of this morbid matter, we are able to act directly upon it, to neutralize, dissolve or attenuate, as the case may require. Under these circumstances, what right have we to .throw away the labor of years, that ignorant and lazy quacks may enjoy the benefit of it ? Our security, our best patent right, is, not to 104 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. suffer the preparations of our medicines to he known, until we shall cease to find them necessary for our physical wants. The friends of the Analytical Practice of Medicine need not fear that our discoveries will die with us —the world shall know them in due time. 105 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. CHAPTER XVI. A FEW SUGGESTIONS AS TO DIET —WATER CURE, EXCELLENT IN THEORY BUT DOUBTFUL IN PRACTICE —CLAIRVOYANCE, ITS USELESSNESS IN THE TREATMENT OF DISEASES. DIET. Medical authors have said much about diet; some physicians almost starve their patients. It is really painful to us, sometimes, to hear the statements of those deprived of food and drink. In many instances this deprivation is the greatest afflictin they are labooring under—that which natural law furnishes the strongest evidence of its necessity. Physicians frequently strive to starve disease out of the system by depriving the patient of food. They say food increases the inflammation —the fever, heat, &c. If the most judicious course is to starve disease out of the system, why put the patient to the expense of medicine ? The common food we are accustomed to eat cannot impart inflammation ! The stimulating drinks and medicines, so generally employed, are well calculated to produce that result; but, in order to hide the character of the medicines employed, the evils experienced are charged to the food, instead of the medicine. Away with stimulants, and all agents producing inflammation; food is the only proper invigorating agent. Suppose we deprive a plant or tree of its proper support, how long would it remain healthy ? Upon the same principle, if the human body be deprived of food, debility must take place in .proportion ; remember, food forms blood, and blood all the solid parts. Howrapidly must the nervous power sink when the body is deprived of food ; but it is then at- 5* 106 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. tributed to disease, when, in fact, the course pursued is decidedlycalculated most rapidly to render the system less able to throw off disease, by debilitating it. Have medical gentlemen no medicine by which they can subdue inflammation ? Havo they no means but starving, bleeding, physicing, and sweating ? Is there no other way but to tear down and debilitate the system ? Is the health of the people always to be placed in jeopardy by the fallacious flights of fancy ? Is medicine never to arise from the ignominy with which ignorance and prejudice have succeeded in surrounding it ? Because men, who cannot know, say, " this disease cannot be cured," that " medicines will do no good," shall the public consider their sayings incontestible ? "We hope, at least, they will first think about it ! Even the intelligence possessed by animals leads them to eat food whenever their appetites crave it, sick'or not. Many is the patient lost by depriving them of food, thus prostrating their nervous power. How frequently do we hear that the doctor has forbidden his patient food or drink, and warned his friends or attendants against giving it to him; and when he has become almost famished, that by stealth or management he has succeeded in obtaining it, almost immediately recovery begins to take place, and the patient soon restored to his accustomed health ? It is true that individuals, having a slight bilious attack, or feeling slightly indisposed from a sudden cold, may find relief in a day or two by abstinence ; but it is very different when a patient has become confined to his bed, with disease. His system must then be supported or he sinks. We do not advocate an unlimited indulgence in heating and stimulating food, but in that which the appetite craves, and which is calculated to nourish and support the general system, and in quantities not calculated to oppress the stomach ; for at no time ought that organ to have too much labor to perform. 107 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. WATER-CURE. This treatment of late years, has with some persons become somewhat popular, and several water-cure establishments have been formed in various parts of the country. Like many other systems of treatment it has its friends and enemies. In some instances patients have derived considerable benefit, whilst others have received none whatever ; and have rather supposed themselves injured. The reason why some persons derive benefit from its use, and others none, has not been investigated ; consequently, it yet remains a mystery, how it produces beneficial or injurious results, as neither the cold-water doctor nor his patients understand those conditions of the system, where cold water is calculated to produce good or evil. Under such circumstances, where it is used as a general cure all, it would not be very surprising if serious injuries should occur ; especially where the article was decidedly inappropriate. Where a general inflammatory action of the system is evident, the application of cold water would prove beneficial by reducing the heat; (warm water would not have the effect,) consequently it is the result of the cold application, not the water. The effect would be the same could the cold be applied in any other convenient way ; excepting what may be derived, in some instances, from the cleansing properties of the water. Where a part of the body is chafed, or inflamed, as by swellings, where there is pain, or the part is red and angry, the frequent application of cold water by a sponge will afford speedy relief; the refrigerant effect of the cold water being such as to drive the blood from the affected part—its blood vessels being so distended as to produce pain. Where there is no inflammation, the nervous system weak, and the heart, in consequence of the debility of the nervous power, does not throw the blood to the surface duly, injury almost invariably attends the application of cold 108 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. water, as all the rubbing and friction employed, are generally insufficient to produce reaction, and cause the blood to flow freely on the surface, and charge the capillary vessels of the skin. In this way injury is often produced, by rendering the patient chilly, with lassitude, numbness, and great prostration of strength. Like many other remedies it is very useful in many instances; but to conclude that it is a general specific, a character too generally claimed for it, by the advocates of a water-cure practice is foolish, and shows both ignorance and stupidity. The sweating process, brought about by enveloping a patient in a wet sheet, is certainly not the most judicious means of producing perspiration. By such process the skin not only becomes relaxed, but the muscular and nervous system to such an extent, as often to produce much mischief. When the blood is charged with lime, mucus, bile or carbon, how, in the name of common sense, can we suppose that water can dissolve and eliminate them from the system ? Do these men ever think ? What is it but u the blind leading the blind ?» CLAIRVOYANCE. This word appears to be derived from the French. The meaning attached to it, appears to be, seeing, or clear visioii. Clairvoyance differs from Somnambulism. Somnambulism manifests itself by the subject being enabled to read, write, walk about, travel the roofs of houses, perform feats on dangerous eminences, &c, while in a state of profound sleep The mind and the actions arising therefrom, appear to be wholly governed by a principle or power independent of our organs of sensation; the actions of the body appear to be controlled by an influence which is absent, or undeveloped in our waking moments. The subject when in the clairvoyant state appears to have all obstruction to vision removed; he apparently, clearly perceives objects in space at an incredible distance. Nothing seems to obstruct his mental 109 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. vision, whilst the eye is closed and bandaged with many folds of some material which light cannot penetrate; neither walls, boxes composed of either wood, metal, or other substance can prevent their clearly perceiving the contents of a room, box, &c, although situated at a great distance from them. A state of clairvoyance or far seeing may be denied by many distinguished, intelligent persons, but it certainly cannot be by those who have given it much attention, or who have witnessed to any extent, clairvoyant manifestations. The principles of its operation not being understood by many, is no evidence of its non-existence ; hence individuals often render themselves ridiculous by indulging in vituperations against that which they know nothing about. Clairvoyancy has become fully developed, and the truths and facts so clearly and distinctly manifested respecting it, that it cannot at this day, by any possible means be doubted. This being the case it now remains for us to enquire, of what utility it may be to the human family, and if possible to appropriate it to that use, whatever it may be. But like most other discoveries which might have become of inestimable value, we fear that it may, and probably is now, employed for unworthy and unjustifiable purposes. The definition of the word, and the information acquired from witnessing its operations, only go to prove the ability of the clairvoyant to discover distant objects, enveloped in darkness, beyond the pale of our physical observation—that mind exists independent of matter, and that it is capable of controlling matter, when in a dormant, inactive and insensible state, and of which the subject himself is utterly unconscious. Of this fact both somnambulism and clairvoyance furnish the most conclusive proofs; it is as evident as that we derive light from the sun ; and none but the most prejudiced or ignorant would attempt a refutation of it. But what has all this to do with medicine, or the treatment of disease ? We should not have referred to clairvoyancy in this connection at all, had we not firmly believed that its application 110 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. to the treatment of disease is calculated eventually, not only to produce much mischief, but to bring the subject itself into disrepute. As men of science, as honest philosophers, we are bound to disseminate the principles of truth, and although we may offend many who may look upon the subject in a different light from that which we do ; we cannot, for the purpose of preserving their good opinion, yield to a presumption (to say the least of it) which our reason and common sense cannot justify. Suppose an individual in the clairvoyant state can see all the thoracic and abdominal organs, or invisible portions of the system, most clearly and distinctly, and state what organ or part the disease has concentrated its force upon; how could such knowledge qualify the clairvoyant to select and prescribe the proper remedy to effect a cure ? What knowledge can any being possess, regarding the existence of any matter or thing, the similitude of which, his intellectual powers have never yet conceived of, or been conversant with ? How would they be capable of pointing out remedies of which they never heard, or know anything about. A knowledge of these matters can only be acquired by research, study and experience ; all this cannot be done by a clairvoyant in a few minutes, any more than by an individual in his ordinary state. But it may be said, that the information is received from a greater and higher source. This wants confirmation ! It may be thought so by some, but that is evidence we cannot receive. Besides from whence would beings of a higher order, or in a different state of existence derive this knowledge ? What opportunities might they have for acquiring knowledge in this matter beyond ours ; as disease appears to be confined to this planet—this material existence ? We therefore arrive, by the exercise of our reasoning powers at the conclusion, that however clairvoyant an individual may be in the discovery of the locality or condition of disease, it can be of but little utility, beyond the knowledge which mortals may acquire in prescribing a remedy that can prove effectual to cure. We consider it no more 111 THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. difficult for any intelligent physician to determine what medicine to employ to cure an internal ulcer than an external one— if he is able to judge and determine in one case why not in the other ? Upon the condition of the blood, and how to change it—to remove or neutralize its morbid constituents, depends the whole art of healing. PERSONAL REMARKS. Having had an unbroken acquaintance of nearly twenty years with Doctor J. Clawson Kelley, I can readily attest that, with but little exception in this whole interval, he has been steadily advancing his favorite doctrine now widely known as the Analytical System of Medicine. His mind has been, and is, constantly devoted to it. The book to which this is appended is his latest effort to elucidate his views with regard to the subject of disease and its proper remedy, and to disseminate the principles which he conceives to be the true, scientific and unerring basis of medical practice. Nor would it now, at this late day, be necessary to make this statement, but for the attempts made in different parts of the country, not only to destroy his reputation as the author of the Analytical System of Medicine, but most seriously to injure the practice itself by prescribing abominable imitations of his medicines—copying his labels, stealing his directions (which are of themselves most valuable), and proceeding in many other respects most disgracefully to mislead the public mind. It is true of medical discoveries, as indeed it is of all others, that no sooner does some rational, far-discerning mind make them known to the world, either by books, lectures or conversation, than others, caught by their novelty and brilliancy, and impelled by the basest motives, seize upon them and make use 112 PERSONAL REMARKS. of them for their own sordid purposes. The class of men who are thus guilty, invariably discover themselves to be but shallow reasoners ; parasites, that draw their substance from the body of the tree into which they have struck their unnatural roots ; or perhaps more resembling a swarm of sea-fowl that, skimming over the vast swelling bosom of the sea, greedily devour such minute elements of food as are heaved up to the surface by its constant motion. Doctor Kelley has endeavored to teach the world facts, and in order to accomplish this he has found it necessary to descend to theory. The theory, therefore, of the preceding pages is truly and solely his, and by logical inference all the facts, with regard to the operation of medicine—(especially his explanation of the invisible action of medicine which produces its visible effects) — are equally his ; and though there are those who would wish to deprive him of the credit and fame to which they entitle him, yet the common sense of the day is by far too well developed to allow them to succeed. Visionary theories of medicine, it is well known, have long been fashionable in our medical schools. One-idea, aZZ-idea and ?io-idea advocates in relation to diseases, have rapidly succeeded each other. And this has not been confined to those medical ephemera who are doomed by their very nature and construction to exist but for a day, but it in truth embraces numberless others of a more enduring material—it reaches even the doctrine of Allopathy itself, the basis of which is to be found in the ponderous leaves of the United States Dispensatory. Doctor Kelley, on taking the position before the world of an unprejudiced medical writer and thinker, first made a thorough examination of these various doctrines, and subjected to his criticism successively Allopathy, Homoeopathy, the Water-Cure, and the Root and Herb patkies. He held up the fallacies of each to the mirror of his mind, and like the seven crowned kings disclosed to Macbeth, he beheld in each and all of them an interminable line 113 PERSONAL REMARKS. of pathies threatening to stretch out to the "crack of doom." Studying closely, as even at the present hour he continues to do, every fresh medical theory, desirous to elicit new truth—with an intellect matured by ripe age—occupying that sober point of time when the faculties are more accustomed to snatch truths from philosophy than to borrow trifles from fancy, Doctor Kelley rejected each and all of those seductive theories so calculated to captivate the youthful student, and commenced the erection of an independent system of his own ; one not to be found within the leaves of any known author, but drawn from the secrets of nature and the resources of common sense. With him Medicine, therefore, was not a passion—it was a reason. Hence, in order to substantiate the truths of his researches, to support his theory, to maintain his facts, he had first to demolish some of those old rotten medical edifices that stood in his way, and to show to the world that, to many of the then existing theories there was no rational foundation whatever. As an exemplification of this, read his theory of the operation of Mercury, and then contrast it with what is written of that article, in relation to its modus operandi, in the United States Dispensatory. In this respect the faculty admit themselves to be practically knownothings. It is not saying much that, after having given his views to the world, and after many successful cures, Doctor Kelley had frequent applications from all parts of the country to receive students and to teach them his doctrines. He had, indeed, offered them none of those half visionary, half poetical Utopias which are the crowning glories of Hygiene haunting the beautiful springs of Malverne—but stern medical truth stripped of its scholastic glitter and mythological absurdity. There were many that gathered around him, profiting by his conversation, reading his written works, witnessing the successful character of his office practice, and slowly and steadily wading to the depths of those opinions by which he had lifted himself free and 114 PERSONAL REMARKS. clear above both medical fashion and superstition. Some, now, it is believed, continue in the honorable discharge of their duties to their patients, and their obligations to their preceptor; but others there are who, having but limited ideas of gratitude, are seeking every occasion to tear the hand that has so generously lifted food to their mouth. Within the last ten years his son, Doctor J. Wesley Kelley, has been connected with his father as a business partner, and proves to have been a most thorough and.efficient practitioner of the Analytical System of Medicine.' He is equally enthusiastic on the subject with his father, and is destined, at no distant day, to become widely known as a skilful advocate of the system. I believe he contemplates publishing a work on a similar subject. I have seen a few of the lithographic drawings which are intended to illustrate it, and judge that it will, when published, be a valuable addition to the stock of the student of the Analytical System of Medicine. How far the latter has been connected with the foundation of the system may be gathered from the affidavit which follows. J. A. FRAETAS. New-York, Aug. 15th, 1854. City and County of New- York, ss : TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Personally appeared before me, Jacob A. Westervelt, Mayor of the City of New York, J. CLAWSON KELLEY, resident of said City, and J. WESLEY KELLEY, resident of the City of Brooklyn, Analytical Physicians, doing business in the City of New-York as co-partners, under the name, firm and style of J. Clawson Kelley & Son, who being duly sworn, doth depose and say: That they are the founders of the Analytical System of Medicine—that they have a laboratory in which they manufacture and prepare the medicines sold or prescribed by them; and that no metallic or PERSONAL REMARKS. 115 mineral substance in any form or character whatever, comprises any portion, or is rendered in any way a constituent of their preparations; but that they are derived from, and obtained by, extracting from various vegetable substances the medicinal properties they contain, except when occasionally used in their native state. And further: That the medicines employed by them originated with them, without the aid or assistance of any person whatever; That they obtained a knowledge of the virtues resident in plants by repeated chemical analyses of vegetable productions; then by extracting the medicinal virtues required, and combining them in certain proportions calculated to meet the various cases of diseased conditions of blood, which the chemical analysis of animal matter in a diseased state of the system has presented, they have produced medicines capable of dissolving ossific, thick or viscid formations in the system—-neutralizing acrid matter, disengaging carbon, lime, bile and other deleterious substances SO frequently charging the blood and other portions of the human organization. And further, That they constantly seek to improve and perfect their medical preparations, whenever they perceive that a more beneficial agent will be produced for the cure of disease. And further, they say, That at no time, or on any occasion, have they sold, given or imparted to any person or persons whatever the names of the articles from which their medicines are extracted and compounded;— nor have they, on any occasion, sold recipes of any of them, or given instructions, or any information whatever, to any one, that would enable them to prepare or manufacture Medicines of the materials they employ, or to manufacture, or prepare any medicines resembling their's, or of a similar character, or likely to produce results similar to those prepared at their laboratory. J. CLAWSON KELLEY, J. WESLEY KELLEY. Sworn to and subscribed before me, this IQth day of August, 1854. JACOB A. WESTERVELT, Mayor of the City of New York. INSTRUCTIONS BY WHICH INDIVIDUALS REQUIRE TO BE GOVERNED, WHEN PRESCRIBING THE MEDICINES OF THE ANALYTICAL PRACTICE, AS PREPARED BY J. CLAWSON KELLEY & SON, THE FOUNDERS OF THE SYSTEM. VEGETABLE ROB. The Vegetable Rob is required where the tongue shows a whitish coat, and the body of it inclined to a pale color, rather thicker and broader than usual, showing the blood to be slimy or charged with mucus; it is a powerful solvent, and dissolves thick and viscid obstructions throughout the entire system, as Biliary calculi or gall stones, which frequently form in the liver and bile duct—thick viscid bile, &c. It dissolves urinary calculi which form in the bladder, causing gravel—biliary calculi, tubercles in the lungs, and removes from the blood the lime with which it is often surcharged; the thick mucus and slime with which the blood is often loaded, tumors of the abdomen, and other parts. It is required in all cases where the above description of tongue exists; in numbness of the limbs, palsy, heavy dead pains called rheumatism, pain and dizziness of the head, inclining to apoplexy, costiveness, scanty or pale urine, blood becoming watery, terminating in dropsy, cold extremities, tuberculous deposits in the lungs, asthma, phthisic, &c. ANTISEPTIC DETERGENT. The Antiseptic Detergent removes inflammation by neutralizing that acrid matter in the blood producing and supporting it. The Detergent should be used where the tongue or edges look red or inflamed—the bowels inclined to be relaxed—sore mouth or throat, sometimes called canker—eruptions upon the skin, called humors of one description or another, as erysipelas, &c.—all ulcers—where there is much pain in either of the sides or bowels—thin and acrid bile producing bilious diarrhoea, difficulty of breathing in consequence of inflammation of the liver—weakness at the pit of the stomach, pain across the small of the back, high colored urine, sometimes voided in small quantities or attended with heat in passing it, where there is much weakness or debility—palpitations of the heart or throbbing sensations in various parts of the system. This article is invaluable for subduing inflammation wherever located. PERCURO. The Percuro is required when the tongue is thick and not very broad, and the body of it of a dark appearance, showing the blood to be highly charged with carbon, the pulse generally hard but not unusually quick, the bowels more or less costive, the urine somewhat thick and depositing at times a brick-like sediment, little perspiration or at least a deficiency, the skin somewhat rough or hard, sharp pains in the limbs, chest, and other parts of the body, particularly the head and face, called tic doloreux, neuralgia, &c, at times attended with numbness, dizziness, difficulty of breathing, fullness of the chest, phthisic, asthma, &c. It frequently occurs that it is necessary to use two medicines at a time. 117 INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING THE MEDICINES. If there exist a thick and bad state of blood and inflammation, it is necessary to determine whether it be produced by the blood being charged with carbon, bile, lime, or mucus; the above described appearance of the tongue will enable the individual generally to determine. If it be produced by carbon it will be necessary to use the Percuro and Antiseptic Detergent at the same time. The Detergent should be taken twice a day and the Percuro once. If the viscidity of the blood be occasioned by mucus, bile or lime, the Rob must be used either once or twice a day in conjunction with the Antiseptic, according to the state of existing inflammation. Sometimes by using either the Rob or Percuro alone, inflammation may arise in consequence of the acrimony which developes itself by dissolving the viscid matter charging the blood; in such cases it will generally be sufficient to use the Antiseptic once a day, and the other medicine twice; but where the blood is highly charged with bile, mucus or lime, and the inflammation is not too high, the patient may change the medicines monthly—one month taking the Antiseptic twice a day and Rob once, and next month Rob twice and Antiseptic once. Where a patient is weak and nervous, and there is not too much inflammation, the Nervine Cordial should be used two or three times a day in addition to the other medicines, taking it at the intervening times between using the others. The Nervine Cordial is not prepared from those articles that act as stimulants, but from such as support and increase the healthy character of the nervous fluid. It will be found of much benefit in ague and fever, if taken only during the intermission of the paroxysms. MEDICATED WRAPPER. This article is directed in Diseases of the Lungs, and is worn by the patient around the body next the skin. The object of using it fs to induce the blood to circulate upon the surface of the body—to charge the capillary vessels of the skin, and thereby counteract the tendency of blood to the lungs, which is invariably the case where the lungs have become weak, as at every pulsation of the heart the blood is thrown to the lungs, where it undergoes the change from venous to arterial blood. By the blood accumulating in the lungs it becomes stagnated, and consequently hepitization takes place. Loading and distending the blood vessels of the lungs, irritates them and produces cough, which in its turn is followed by inflammation and ulceration, and not unfrequently the rupture of some blood vessel of the lungs. If this blood be induced to quit the lungs, or the lungs be protected from this accumulation and engorgement of blood, the irritation and cough in relative proportion diminishes, and the lungs have time to recover their natural strength; and even where an rlcer exists upon them, by this means it is deprived of support, and as a consequence heals; provided, we at the same time make use of such medicines internally as will neutralize, purify and cleanse from the general circulation that morbid matter or morbid constituent of the blood which generates and supports the disease. In such cases we are governed by the particular circumstances attending the disease; if inflammation exists we use the Antiseptic Detergent; where the blood is charged with mucus, lime, or bile, the Rob; if with carbon, the Percuro. If the disease be wholly upon the lungs, find no other organs implicated, (which is seldom the case,) we 118 INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING THE MEDICINES. use the Pulmonicon Syrup and Powders; and the Inhaling Balsam where purulent expectoration appears, which may be known by the expectorated matter sinking in water. DETERGENT BALSAM. This article we use in diseases of the kidneys; especially where they have become ulcerated, and when there is not too high a state of inflammation. We generally use it in connection with other medicines, as Rob, Percuro, or Antiseptic Detergent, as the case may require. CATHARTIC POWDERS. These are a valuable anti-bilious cathartic, and may be used in all cases of costiveness or constipated bowels. They will be found a valuable artU cle in all kinds of fever, and in all other cases where cathartics are indicated. We consider them the best cathartic in use, and a valuable article for families to keep constantly on hand. AMERICAN VEGETABLE HEALTH PILLS. This article is designed for general usefulness, and long experience has furnished the most satisfactory evidence of their utility. They do not act as cathartics in general; their action is mild and without pain, producing no prostration of strength ; neither do they leave the bowels inclined to costiveness after their use, as is invariably the case where irritating or stimulating cathartics, as jalap, senna, colocynth, &c, are administered. They are a perfectly safe and easy cathartic under any circumstances, and few who know by experience their properties, will be without them. Their composition is of a very different character from those in ordinary use. Their direct action is to decompose and render more fluid the hard foeces or contents of the bowels, as well as to neutralize the acrid matter frequently loading the bowels, producing inflammation, cholera morbus, diarrhoea, dysentery, &c. One single pill will generally arrest a disposition to diarrhoea, and produce healthy action. No traveller should be without them; they will be found a traveler's friend in many emergencies. VEGETABLE VERMIFUGE. This article is calculated to expel from the system every description of worms generally found in the human body. It acts by destroying that morbid matter charging the intestines which serves as a burrow for worms to breed in. After the administration of three or four doses, if no cathartic effect be produced, it should be followed by a dose of the Vegetable Health Pills, sufficient to evacuate the contents of the intestines. NERVINE CORDIAL. There are two distinct and separate systems of nerves in the human body, very different from each other both in character and office. One system is that which produces sensation, as feeling, seeing, taking, smelling and hearing; by which we are enabled to reason, to think, to determine on an act, to experience pleasure or pain. The other is devoid of 119 INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING THE MEDICINES. sensation, yet by its agency all the secretions and excretions are performed : it governs and regulates (according to its healthy condition) the strength, growth and decay of every portion of the human body. Only one of these systems originate in, or is influenced by the brain, though both are directly supported from the arterial blood. We have often found that after producing a healthy condition of the blood, by the use of medicine, that the nervous system, particularly the last description of nerves, did not improve their condition as rapidly as we could desire. To obtain a preparation which would accomplish this object, as well as benefit nervous derangements generally, has long been a matter of study with us. We now present the result of our research under the name of Nervine Cordial, feeling confident that if our directions be adhered to, great benefit will be derived from its use by those laboring under debility, in consequence of deficient action of either of the secretions or excretions, which is the case in every description of disease where there is little or no inflammation. It should not be used when there is much inflammation. DIURETIC TINCTURE. This article is valuable in decomposing all obstructions of the urinary passages, thereby relieving many unpleasant and painful symptoms which characterize affections of the kidneys and bladder. It is valuable in Diabetes. INFANT'S CORDIAL, Is preferable to Godfrey's Cordial and other mixtures of the kind, as it contains no opium, or other article which might be productive of injury to the most delicate. It is excellent for restless children, removing the griping, flatulency, wind colic, and sour stomach; eases pain, and produces rest and quietness, and removes cough ; it also prevents that accumulation of morbid matter in the stomach to which infants are subject, and which is so favorable to the production of worms, convulsions, &c. DYSENTERIC SYRUP. Few, comparatively speaking, know the value of this preparation in Dysentery, Diarrhoea, Summer Complaints of Children, Cholera Morbus, Cholera Infantum, and Affections of the Bowels generally. It is anti- Dysenteric, anti-Spasmodic, &c. Its operation and action appear to be of a specific character, and may be administered in any condition, and in any stage of the disease. DIAMOND PECTORAL. An infallible and rational medication; in all slight or acute disorders of the organs of respiration, viz., Hoarseness, Cough, Tickling in the Throat, Tightness across the Chest, Irritation of the Lungs or Chest, Difficulty of Breathing or Shortness of Breath, Cough occasioned by repeated Colds, whether of short or long duration, Influenza, Soreness of the Throat and Tonsils, frequently attended with an unpleasant hacking or irritating Cough, generally severe night and morning, Catarrh, Bronchial affections, Spitting of Blood, Hooping Cough, Croup or Hives, &c. 120 INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING THE MEDICINES. Mothers can administer the " Diamond Pectoral" to their children without fear of its producing any injurious effect, as it does not contain in its preparation any mineral or poisonous vegetable. It will be found very useful in Bleeding from the Bowels, green, slimy stools, as in particular complaints. MOTHER'S ASSISTANT. Valuable for mothers before confinement. No mother should be without it. For particulars see directions accompanying each bottle. NEUTRALIZING MIXTURE. This will be found valuable in Cholera Morbus, Cholera Infantum, or Summer Complaint of Children ; Diarrhoea, Dysentery, &c. It neutralizes acidity of the stomach and bowels. DEOBSTRUENT TINCTURE. For Gout, Rheumatisms, Lumbago, Neuralgia, St. Vitus' Dance, Epilepsy, Lock-jaw, Disease of the Womb, Hysterics, Cramps, Hypochondriac diseases, Catalepsy, Derangement of the Intellect, accruing from an affection of the organic nerves, Apoplectic paroxysms, Fits of children, Spasms, &c. This should never be administered in a case where there is fever or inflammation. INVIGORATING CORDIAL. This is an article we use in female debility, fluor albus, &c, where the disease is not dependent upon inflammation, or after having subdued the inflammation by the use of the Antiseptic Detergent. PERSFIRATIVE TINCTURE. This article, used in conformity to the directions, may be depended upon in producing perspiration in all cases where it is required. After evacuating the bowels by a cathartic powder, then bathing the whole surface of the body and limbs with luke warm ley water, and rubbing dry with a coarse towel, the use of the Perspirative Tincture will produce free perspiration, and break up any fever in its forming stages, and where it has existed for some time a repetition of the same process successively for three or four days will almost invariably prove successful in effecting a cure. ACID WASH. This article we apply to dissolve thick and viscid accumulations, as tumors, swellings, bloating of the extremities or other parts, and to promote circulation in a part where it is deficient. REFRIGERANT WASH. This article will be found valuable in allaying swellings, pains and inflammations, in any part to which it is applied. Y THE ANALYTICAL SYSTEM OF MEDICINE, OR THE TREATMENT OF DISEASE ACCORDING TO THE • 9 m PRINCIPLES AND REQUIREMENTS OF NATURE. BY J. CLAWSON KELLEy/ ANALYTICAL PHYSICIAN. NEW-YORK: PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR AND PROPRIETORS. 1854. GENERAL WASHINGTON KILLED BY DOCTORS. Tim following is extracted from the New-York Daily Advertiser, of Decern! >< 30, 1*799.—"Sometime in the night of Friday, the 13th inst., having been expos( to a rain the previous day, Gen. Washington was attacked with an inflammato affection of the upper part of the windpipe called, in technical language, cynanc) trachealis (croup). The disease commenced with a violent ague, accompanied wit, some pain in the upper and forepart of the throat, a sense of stricture in the sain, part, a cough, and a difficult, rather than a painful deglutition, which were sooi. succeeded by a fever and a quick and laborious respiration. The necessity of bloodletting suggesting itself to the General, he procured a bleeder in the neighborhood who took from his arm in the night twelve or fourteen ounces of blood. He woul not, by any moans, be prevailed upon by the family to send for the attending physician till the following morning, who arrived at Mount Vernon at about 11 o'clock' on Saturday. Discovering the case to be highly alarming, and foreseeing the feta tendency of the disease, two consulting physicians were immediately sent for—o;. arrived at half past 3, the other at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. In the interim we employed two copious bleedings, a blister was applied to the part affected, two mode ate doses of calomel were given, and an injection was administered, which operated on the lower intestines—but all without any perceptible advantage, the respiration becoming still more difficult and distressing. Upon the arrival of the first consultin physician it was agreed, as there was yet no sign of accumulation in the bronchia vessels of the lungs, to try the result of another bleeding, when about 32 ounces ol blood were drawn without the smallest alleviation of the disease. Vapor of vinegai and water frequently inhaled, ten grains of calomel were given, succeeded by n peated doses of emetic tartar—amounting in all to live or six grains, with no otb elt'cct than a copious discharge from the bowels. The powers of life seemed no manifestly yielding to the force of the disorder. Blisters were applied to the extremities, together with a cataplasm of bran and vinegar to the throat. Speakinr which was painful from the beginning, now became almost impracticable ; respir tion grew more and more contracted and imperfect till after 11 o'clock on Saturd; night, retaining the full possession of his intellect, when he expired without a struggh, —James Craik, attending physician ; Elisha C. Dick, consulting physician. Remarks.—Thus we see that, in the space of 24 hours, probably less, the patien was bled four times, and took five doses of calomel —that is, of mercury in powder The bleeder whom the General sent for took twelve or fourteen ounces of bloodsuppose it to be only twelve ounces. Messrs. Craik and Dick say that they ne employed two copious bleedings, and after that a bleeding of thirty-two ounces. They do not toll us the weight of the "copious bleedings ;" but if % they wore i thirty-two ounces each (and there is not the least reason to suppose they were les there were taken in all, one hundred and eight ounces, which is nine pounds, ai which makes in wine measure nine pints, or one gallon and a pint 111 Now, it is>< computed that all the blood in a man, who is in the prime of life and in the bloo of health, does not weigh more than about fifteen pound-", and every one knows that the quantity of blood decreases as old age comes on. And yet those physician (if we believe their own report) took about nine pounds of blood from Gen. Was! ington, who was 68 years of age, while, during the same space, they gave him thr doses of calomel or mercury in powder! Think of a man being within the space i a little more than 12 hours, deprived of 80 or 90 ounces of blood, afterwards swallow ing two moderate doses of calomel, which were accompanied with an injectionthen ten grains of calomel, and five or six grains of emetic tartar, vapor of vinega and water frequently inhaled: blisters applied to the extremities, a cataplasm o bran and vinegar applied to the throat upon which a blister had already been fixed, is it surprising that, when thus treated, the afflicted soldier, after various ineffectual struggles for utterance, at length articulated a desire that he might be allowed to die without interruption. To have resisted the fatal operation of such herculean remedies, one would imagine that this venerable old man ought, at least, to havr retained the vigor of his earliest youth. CASE OF GENERAL HARRISON. Tun FOLLOWING is the Official Report of the Physicians who attended Gen. Harrison in his last illness. " On Saturday, March 27th, 1841, President Harrison, after several days' previous indisposition, was seized with a chill, and other symptoms of Fever ; the next day Pneumonia, with congestion of the liver and derangement of the stomach and bowels was ascertained to exist. The age and debility of the patient, with the immediate prostration, forbade a resort to general blood letting. Topical depletion (i. c. leeching and cupping), blistering, and appropriate internal remedies subdued in a great measure the disease of the lungs and liver, but the stomach and intestines did not regain a healthy condition. Finally, on the 3d of April, at 3 o'clock, P. M., profuse diarrhoea came on, under which he sank, at 30 minutes to one o'clock on the morning of the 14th." .... What say the doctors ? " The age and debility of the patient, with the immediate prostration, forbade a resort to general blood-letting!" Rut they resorted to leeching, cupping, blistering, and "appropriate internal remedies," till they so far prostrated the system, that the "stomach and intestines did not regain a healthy condition." CASE OF LORD BYRON. The following is extracted from a work entitled — "The Glory and Shame of England.'" —" I know it is common for friends of the dead to censure their physicians; and nothing can be more unjust when they do not deserve it. But the conduct of Byron's physicians was exceedingly culpable. They dosed Byion from the beginning of his illness with stiong purgative medicines; took a great amount of blood from him, which for a long time he firmly refused to have done. His system wasted rapidly ; for, during the eight days of his illness, he took no nourishment except a small quantity of broth at two or three different times, and two spoonfuls of arrowroot the day before his death. And y et it was only a " common cold." Well, if this was true, then this medical treatment killed him! and not the disease; and the physicians told Byron they were prescribing only for a cold. In either case thev are worthy of censure. On the seventh day of Lord Byron's illness (having taken a cold), after the most powerful purgatives had been resorted to, and he seemed to be rapidly declining, the physicians insisted upon taking blood ; he reluctantly yielded, and one pound was taken from his right arm. Mr. Fletcher (his servant) then renewed his prayer to send for Dr. Thomas, and was met by the reply that his master would be much better, or a dead man, before Dr. Thomas could come from Zante, for his lordship was sinking every hour. The physicians insisted upon bleeding him again that same night, and told him it would probably save his life. " Oh!" said Byron, with \a mournful countenance, " I fear, gentlemen, you have entirely mistaken my disease; but there, take my arm and do as you like." Infatuation, as well as quackery, seemed to conspire against the life of the illustrious patient. The next morning, although he was in a very feeble state, the doctors bled him again twice ; and in both cases fainting fits followed the operation. At two o'clock this destructive operation was performed again; and thus he was hurried to the grave. No man could be expected to survive such treatment. From that time to his death, which occurred two days after, Byron expressed great dissatisfaction with his physicians. The day before he died, the faithful Fletcher, for the last time, implored his master to let him, even at that late honr, and without the knowledge of his physicians, send an express to Zante. " Do so," said Byron, " but be quick; I wish you had sent sooner, for I know they have mistaken my disease." Fletcher instantly sent for Dr. Thomas, and then informed the attending physicians, who said, " You have done right;" they had begun, when too late, to discover their mistake. When Fletcher returned to his master's room, Byron asked him if he had sent to Zante. " You have done right," said he—" if I must die, I want to know what is the matter with me," PHILOSOPHICAL EXTRACTS. 1'hysicianH have been tinkering the constitution for about two thousand years, to cure diseases, and the result of all their discoveries is, that brimstone and mercury are the only two specifics. Diseases remain what they ever were.—Lacon. I believe we may safely affirm that the inexperienced and presumptuous band of medical tyros, let loose upon the world, destroy more human life in one year than all the Robinhoods, Cartouches, and Mackheaths do in a century.—Ttomas Jefferson. All men ought to be acquainted with the medical art. I believe that knowledge of ine dicine is the sister and companion of wisdom.— Hippocrates. To yield to any authority would be criminal. Facts must and will stand.—Underwood. The popular belief that every country produces simples suitable to eure all the prevailing local diseases, is not void of truth ; vegetable substances afford the mildest, most efficient and most congenial remedies to the human frame. The numerous cures that aro daily performed by the use of vegetable medicines, are sufficient evidence of their super excellent virtues.—Prof. Rakixhsquk. When all the functions of the human system are duly performed, a person maybe said to be in health. No disease can exist in the system, if the blood be healthy. PRICES OF MEDICINES PREPARED AT OUK LABORATORY, ACCORDING TO OUR PRINCIPLES, FOR THE TREATMENT OF DISEASES, WITH FULL AND AMPLE DIRECTIONS FOR THEIR USE. Vegetable Rob and Pills, $3 00 per package Antiseptic Detergent " 3 00 " " Percuro, 1 00 " " Pulnionicon Syrup and Powders, 4 00 " " Medicated Wrapper, 5 00 " " Invigorating Cordial, " 2 00 " " Scrofulous Fiixir, with Powders, 3 00 " " Detergent Balsam, 2 00 " * Reviving Cordial, 25 per bottle Cathartic Powders, 50 " dozen Perspirative Tincture, . . . ; 25 " bottle American Vegetable Health Pills. 25 " box Acid Wash, . 25 » bottle Cough Drops, . 25 " " Refrigerant Wash, 25 " " A r egetable Vermifuge, • 25 " " Neutralizing Mixture. 25 " " Dysenteric Syrup, 25 " " Deobstruent Tincture, 60 " " Nervine Cordial, 100 " " Inhaling Balsam, 50 " " Adhesive Plaster, . . . . • 25 " •' Diuretic Tincture, 100 " " Mother's Assistant, 100 " " Infant's Cordial, 50 " " Asthmatic Cordial, 100 " " Dental Myrrh, 38 " " Diamond Pectoral, 25 " box