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ECLECTICISM, THE AMERICAN IDEA.

Whether sectarianism in medicine shall continue to retard the march of intellect in the field of the healing art, confusing and weaning men of science from an impartial investigation of the theories on which the various systems are based, can alone be answered by future generations. The embittered partisan contests of the present day have certainly not tended to secure, for rational medicine, that attention which its importance demands.

When we think how important the mission of the physician is— how much the community depends upon the skill and judgment of those who ought to be the dispensers of health inducing remedies-it would seem that common benevolence, Christian charity, and individual kindness, would induce those who have assumed the responsibilities of the physician, to pause, lay aside their prejudices, and examine the claims of Eclecticism upon the attention of all who prescribe for the sick. Eclecticism asks only a trial, fair and judicious; and if it cannot stand the tests of examination and application, let it give place to some other more correct system. Here is a system of practice, which is founded on reason and the highest acquirements of other systems-a system which carefully examines every new principle, tests every new remedy, adopts the demonstrative facts and principles of all systems, and presents much to the physician unknown to other schools, which, in short, courts investigation-which demonstrates its correctness by its successful results; and yet many practitioners turn a deaf ear to its merits. It would seem that physicians do not wish to know the best means of curing disease. But young men, who have reputations to gain, are beginning to learn its worth; and we have an abiding faith that all sects must soon give way to the onward march of this republican and rational system of medicine.

PISCIDIA ERYTHRINA-JAMAICA DOGWOOD.

BY JAMES SCOTT, M. R. C. S., ENG., KINGSTON, JAMAICA.

According to my experience in Jamaica, having been nearly forty years in practice, the piscidia erythrina, Jamaica dogwood, has not been used for medicinal purposes by practitioners in the island. I have never met one who seems to have given any atten

tion to the plant, or who has ever considered the therapeutical properties or uses of any portion of it. All that has been known is, that the bark of the root is employed for taking fish in some of the larger rivers, into which a certain quantity is thrown with the certainty of stupefying or narcotizing a large number. No doubt it has been known to medical men that the piscidia erythrina is a powerful narcotic, from its having so acted, and by a process of reasoning have satisfied themselves that it is capable of exerting such an influence on the human subject; but it has not come to my knowledge that it has never been employed by them.

I am not prepared to state the exact time, but some years ago my respected colleague, the late Dr. McGrath, and myself, being then in charge of the public hospital and lunatic asylum of this city, it was thought desirable, in the treatment of a certain class of patients in the latter institution, to test the power of the dogwood as a sedative and narcotic. This determination was come to in consequence of the failure of morphia and other preparations of opium, as well as several known sedatives, to produce the desired effect, more particularly in those cases where there was considerable excitement or restlessness. Being early in the year when we made this resolve, it was necessary, in order to gather the roots, to wait until the month of April, the period of inflorescence, the trees being then deprived of their leaves. Of the bark of these roots a tincture was prepared according to the formula recommended by Dr. W. Hamilton, of Plymouth, England, and which was found in the appendix to the "United States Dispensatory." It may be repeated here: "Macerate an ounce of the bark, in coarse powder, in four fluid ounces of rectified spirit for twenty-four hours, and then filter. The dose is a fluid drachm."

The medicine in the dose suggested was prescribed for lunatics, who were in a state of excitement, and who, under the use of ordinary narcotics that were given in full and repeated doses, could obtain no sleep. When administered, the effect was most remarkable. In some cases sleep was soon produced, and on awaking the patient was comparatively tranquil and quiet; whilst in others of a rather more severe character, it was necessary at short intervals to repeat the dose, until the narcotic effect of the medicine was manifest.

I write from memory, but the good results of this powerful and valuable narcotic were invariably apparent, and most certainly, after its use for a few days, there was marked tranquillity of the patient, and an improvement in his condition. So valuable was this medicine considered, being the only narcotic which it was discovered had, at the time, any decided effect upon lunatics, that for a series of years, and so long as Dr. McGrath and myself had charge of the lunatic asylum, fresh roots were gathered in the month of April, and the tincture was prepared in sufficient quantity to last fully for a period of twelve months, and it was uninterruptedly employed as the only narcotic, among the many in use and at command, which appeared to possess special sedative influence in allaying the excitement and overcoming the sleeplessness of a particular class of lunatic patients.

I have had but little experience in the use of the piscidia erythrina externally. It is not improbable that with aconite, if so used in certain forms of neuralgia, relief might be afforded. I should be unwilling to employ it in the form of decoction or infusion on any abraded surface, either where there was cutaneous eruption or ulceration. In a case of rheumatic affection of the knee and ankle joints, where the skin was unbroken in any part, the patient's extremities having been placed and kept for a short time in a strong decoction of the root, he evinced such alarming symptoms in connection with his respiration and circulation as to lead to their quick removal. Having recovered from this state, it was afterwards found that he had derived considerable benefit, so far as his rheumatic complaint was concerned; but I have since been informed that the dogwood, whether in the form of tincture or decoction, should be used with much caution externally.-Therapeutic Gazette, January, 1880.

THE MEDICAL ECLECTIC.

While we return our sincere thanks to our subscribers for the aid that they have rendered the cause of Eclectic medicines, through their co-operation, we would still ask a continuance of the same. Now we are prepared to receive their subscriptions, at the beginning of volume seven, 1880. The journal will be, as heretofore, a representative of the Eclectic system of medicine and organ of the Eclectic Medical College, of the City of New York. At the same time, it is intended to meet every demand required by the whole medical profession.

SOCIETY MEETINGS.

ANNUAL ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT, W. S. LATTA, OF LINCOLN, NEB., TO THE ECLECTIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATION OF NEBRASKA. GENTLEMEN AND FELLOWS: In conformity to an established rule in medical associations, I have prepared a few words of congratulation and counsel, which I hope will be approved by you, and received in the same kindly spirit in which they are given.

We are not here as a "mutual admiration society" merely-to pass compliments on each other, or upon that branch of the medical profession to which we belong, but to qualify our minds for the great work allotted to us; yet we cannot refrain from speaking of some of the achievements made by our school of medicine, Eclectics of the nineteenth century.

The Eclectics have revolutionized the practice of medicine in the United States, and are doing the same thing throughout the civilized world. Eclectics furnish a long catalogue of medicines, which the old school and homoeopaths are forced to employ, although in a piratical way, giving credit for them where it does not belong, or carefully concealing their origin.

It is the mission of Eclectics to go before as pioneers and work out the way, and the old fogies of allopathy and placebo venders of homoeopathy will be compelled to follow. Our work is not that of the charlatan or empiric, but intelligent, liberal and progressive. We are not only liberal but fair, accepting every improvement that will bear the test of experience, and giving due credit to its source. We invite to our ranks every liberal physician who is sufficiently educated, and who has the integrity and moral courage to break away from the trammels of a pretended hierarchy, an association which claims dominion and authority, if not in sacred things, at least in every thing pertaining to the practice of medicine. And, as Dr. Munn said, "we have no 'Molly Maguire' code to impose on our members," nor have we any degrading requirements to impose on the man faithfully pursuing a worthy object, loving truth for its own sake, and modestly following the course marked out by honest conviction. Our platform is broad, amply sufficient to hold the entire medical profession. We are not exclusive; we are ready to embrace every idea of value from whatever

source, and give due honor to its originator. We have never sought to create a monopoly, but willing that every man of every school shall stand on his own merits, if he has any. We adopt the good of every system, and reject nothing that will bear the light of thorough investigation. Free from that "zeal which is not according to knowledge;" free from arrogance and bigotry, willing always to "render honor to whom honor is due;" born in the nineteenth century, indigenous to the free soil of America, nurtured by a free people, with expanded, liberal ideas, running parallel with all the great improvements of the age, it is the giant branch of the medical profession, and destined to absorb all the others.

Such is Eclecticism; and although this young scion has only had an organization for about thirty-five or forty years, it has a distinctive literature," quite a number of professional journals and colleges, and a membership of over 15,000 practitioners.

Eclecticism never takes a step backward. How is it with the other schools? The homœopathists are dissatisfied with being trammeled by the edict of "similia similibus curantur," and infinitesimal nonsense, and great numbers of them are secretly employing our remedies, although but few of them are willing to acknowledge it. Last year a resolution was offered in the Chicago Academy of Homœopathic Physicians, reaffirming the doctrine of "similia similibus curantur," and it met with so much opposition, that it was finally referred to a committee to report. If at the great central strongholds of that school such opposition is met, in an attempt to reaffirm their distinctive principles, the groundwork of their profession, what may we not look for among its individual members?

But we desire no quarrel with the homoeopathists; they have done much to benefit the profession at large, especially in illustrating the fact, that in many instances they had been giving entirely too much medicine. We must treat them as misinformed brethren, and they will gradually learn that their patients, sometimes at least, need something more than a mere placebo to act on the imagination.

What of allopathy? They claim dom of the ancients! We grant it. too much of that kind of wisdom.

that they possess all the wisIndeed, we believe they have Now, what is this boasted suc

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