THE BATTLE OF THE DOCTORS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2754, 20 January 1882, Page 3

THE BATTLE OF THE DOCTORS.

(“Burlington Hawkeye.”) ’ There are lurid indications of a coming battle of the doctors over the surgical and medical treatment of the president. The contest was inevitable whether the president Recovered or died, because the medical science is still, in its infancy. Il ls old in years but young in positive achievements. .It would seem that the command, “Man, know thyself!” is a pretty difficult one to obey. Man can trace the movements of the heavenly bodies and by means of the spectrum can analyse their elements ; he can-read the eternal ages in thejrocks. of earth and make the t depths ,of .. ocean yield their secrets; he can trace: ■ life in its manifold animal and vegetable forms to its protoplasmic origin;.he can foretell the weather; dominates the snbtle forces of nature and is_ truly a monarch of the globe, he inhabits,, put his knowledge of himself is painfully limited. He has counted the bones of .. his body and learned the location and formation of the vital organs, and ;all the members of his physical being, and . be can describe learnedly the human anatomy, but this knowledge, he it remembered, pertains to the man well and not to the man sick. Let the machinery of his organization get but of order and where is he ? All at sea. He doesn’t know positively what is the nature of. . the trouble or what is the best remedy.’ If he asks his neighbors they are as helpless as himself, and if they advise him the chances are that they will give him bad advice. Nor are his chances made certain if he calls in men who devote their time and efforts to the study of human diseases and their remedies. Opinions are as conflicting among the medical, fraternity as among those unlearned in the art of healing. Conflicting schools dispute as 1 to the nature, origin, and proper: treatment of diseases, and individuals of. the same - school are at constant Variance with each other. Everywhere opinions clash and nothing is settled. No wonder, then, that man so utterly fails to know himself.

Notwithstanding all these adverse and discouraging features of medical science It is by no means to be discarded. It has done much for the amelioration of human suffering, and it is ah indispensable adjunct of ciyilsation. In many respects it is still groping in the dark, but it is steadily making progress, and each year adds to this common store many valuable discoveriesJ A science that is progressing is a live science. There is place for it in human economy. The doctor is a useful member of society. We cannot dispense with his services. He is not infallible ; neither ds thp ; student in any: other branch of science.