At evening the doctor stopped, on his return, to ask after the patient. “How is he, woman?” asked the doctor.
“O, he’s been tuck away, save yer honor,” cried the widow. “The wather did him no good, only we couldn’t get down the right quantity. We did our best, doctor dear, and got down him better nor a pailful and a half, when he slipped away from us. Ah, if we could oonly ha’ got him to swaller the other half pailful, he might not have died, yer honor.”
An exact Science.
It is sometimes painfully amusing to observe, not only the difference of opinion expressed by medical men from one generation to another, but by those of the same period, and same school.
In the “London Lancet” of July, 1864, there appeared a curious table. A medical practitioner, who had long suffered from hay fever, had from time to time consulted various other medical men by letter, and he gives us in a tabular survey the opinions they gave him of the causes of this disease, and the remedies, as follows:—
“Herewith,” writes Dr. Jones, “I forward a synopsis of the opinions of a few of the most eminent men, in various countries, that I have consulted. I have substituted a letter for the name, as I do not think it prudent to place before the general reader the names of those who have so disagreed.”
| Consulted. | Opinion of Cause. | Recommended. | |
| Dr. A. | A predisposition to phthisis. | Quinine and sea voyage. | |
| Dr. B. | Disease of pneumogastric nerve. | Arsen., bell., and cinchona. | |
| Dr. C. | Disease of the caruncula. | Apply bell. and zinc. | |
| Dr. D. | Inflammation of Schneiderian membrane. | To paint with nitrate of silver. | |
| Dr. E. | Strumous diathesis. | Quinine, cod liver oil, and wine. | |
| Dr. F. | Dyspepsia. | Kreosote, henbane, quinine. | |
| Dr. G. | Vapor of chlorophyll. | Remain in a room from 11 A. M. to 6 P. M. | |
| Dr. H. | Light debility, hay pollen. | Do., port wine, snuff, salt, and opium, and wear blue glasses. | |
| Dr. L. | From large doses of iodine. (Never took any iodine.) | Try quinine and opium. | |
| Dr. M. | Disease of iris. | Avoid the sun’s rays from 11 A. M. to 6 P. M. | |
| Dr. N. | Want of red corpuscles. | Try iron, port wine, and soups. | |
| Dr. O. | Disease of optic nerve. | Phosph. ac. and quinine. | |
| Dr. P. | Asthma from hay pollen. | Chlorodyne and quinine. | |
| Dr. Q. | Phrenitis. | Small doses of opium. | |
| Dr. R. | Nervous debility, from heat. | Turkish baths. |
This needs no comment.
The different opinions on doses of medicine is more absurd. We have already mentioned cases wherein certain physicians administered calomel in scruple, and even drachm doses. Before us is a work wherein it is seriously asserted that a medicinal action was obtained from the two hundredth trituration,—a dose so small, in comparison with the scruple doses, as to be counted only by the millionths.
How many of us have had to wake up mornings, and swallow a table-spoonful of sulphur and molasses, with mingled feelings of disgust at the sulphur, and exquisite delight from the molasses, as we retired, lapping our mouths, to get the last taste! Now, L. B. Wells, M. D., of New York, informs us that he has cured an eruption of the skin by the use of the four thousandth dilution of sulphur,—so comparatively small that I cannot express it by figures. Well, these extremes have their uses, and we may look for relief in the mediate ground. The smaller we can get the dose, and still be reliable, the better we shall suit the people,—though we shall seriously offend the apothecaries.