126 
POPULAR SGIEXCE NEWS. 
[August, 1890. 
skin and blood vessels arc lenlly frozen, and 
all circulation is temporarily stopped. The 
condition is a most curious one, and, as far 
as we know, has not been observed in this 
country. 
The phenomena of autographism naturally 
bring to mind the stigtnata, or spots, some- 
times appearing on the bodies of religious 
devotees, which they claim to represent the 
marks made by the nails by which Christ was 
fastened to the cross. In olden times these 
persons would have be^n considered as 
sorcerers, and the peculiar marks appearing 
on their bodies as direct proof of their deal- 
ings with the devil, and worthy of punishment 
bv death. Fortunately, in this more enlight- 
ened age, the matter is of scientific interest 
only, and the unfortunate "autographists" 
are considered to be neither saint nor sorcerer, 
but only as subjects for the healing skill 
of the physicians. 
STATE REGULATION OF MEDICINE. 
Until recently the Poi'ui.Aif Science 
News has stood almost alone in opposing the 
so-called "regulation" of medical practice by 
the State — or, in other words, by the profes- 
sional politicians. We have always held that 
governmental interference in any business not 
distinctly criminal or immoral is a violation 
of personal liberty and inherent natural 
rights. While quackery is bad ensugh, the 
suppression of individuality is a great deal 
worse, and the only just and rational system 
of government is that which upholds the right 
of every individual to act exactl}' as he pleases, 
only preventing him from infringing upon the 
similar right of his fellow beings to act as 
they please. 
It is with peculiar pleasure, therefore, that 
we copy the extract given below from a recent 
editorial in the Popiilar Science Monthly^ 
as showing that similar ideas are now being 
supported by journals of the highest standing 
and authority, and we notice also that it has 
been copied into several other high class peri- 
odicals, apparently with approval of the 
views therein put forth. 
Justice consists in defending individual citizens 
against the violence or fraud which these fellows 
might otherwise exercise against them, while leav- 
ing to each as far as possible the conditions of exist- 
ence natural to him as an inhabitant of the planet. 
. . . Established for quite a diflferent purpose, 
the government has no competence to industrial 
matters, and can onlv act therein upOn the advice 
of others. This advice is nearly alwaj'S interested 
and unjust. 
The above remarks apply to tariff legislation, but 
individual liberty is abridged in many other ways 
that seem essentially wrong. That the members 
of a particular proiession should have laws passed 
in their special interest, and should be empowered 
to decide Avho may or who may not enter into com- 
petition with them, is. We think, a violation at once 
of justice and of liberty. It would scarcely be 
too much to say that the most offensive forms 
of trade-unionism are found in connection with the 
so-called learned professions. Time was when it 
was supposed that the state had to look after the 
spiritual health of individuals ; and for that purpose 
to prescribe their theological beliefs and religious 
observances. That belief has for the most part 
been exploded in the modern world, but its place 
has been taken by the notion that the state is 
responsible for the intellectual health of its mem- 
bers; and in lieu of the state church we have the 
state schools. As regards the physical health 
of the community, the general method is to legalize 
one or two — possibly quite conflicting — schools 
of medicine, and to empower them to rule out, and 
if necessary to prosecute and punish, all others. 
Nobody, broadly speaking, seems to believe that, in 
the absence of all legislation of this character, 
people could in any adequate manner preserve their 
health or protect themselves against gross impos- 
ture. We believe it — believe it most heartily; and 
we believe that the science of medicine would 
advance far more rapidly, and that, on the whole, 
the public health would be far better, if every man 
were left perfectly free to employ any one he chose 
to attend him in sickness. At present every licensed 
practititioner feels himself authorized to call every 
unlicensed practitioner a quack. We should prefer 
a system under which, to a iiuickened public intelli- 
gence in questions of health and disease, the quack 
should stand revealed by his quackery. 
As an instance of the abuses which may 
and do arise under such a condition of atl'airs, 
we may mention the case of a New York 
druggist, who was arrested and fined fifty 
dollars for giving a simple remedy to a custo- 
mer who happened to be afflicted with some 
trifling ailment — a sore throat, if we remem- 
ber rightly. A similar outrage occurred in 
this State not long ago, when some officious 
and ignorant "inspector" caused a manufac- 
tin-«r of vinegar to be arrested and heavily 
fined on the pretext that his vinegar was 
adulterated — with salt(!), the facts being 
that the vinegar was stored in a barrel which 
had previously contained brine. This whole 
matter of "inspection" and "regulation" 
of legitimate industries, is a violation of natu- 
ral and constitutional rights, an insult to 
reputable professional and business men, and 
an utterly inefficient and impracticable method 
of protecting the citizen from the actions 
of those who are not reputable. With the 
advance of civilization we may expect to see 
such laws relegated to the oblivion where now 
repose the statutes which were once intended 
to "protect" the citizens of this enlightened 
Commonwealth from the evil machinations 
of sorcerers and witches. 
SOME OLD PATENT MEDICINES. 
The evident powerful and physiological 
effects of certain medicinal substances are, to 
a considerable extent, responsible for jthe 
popular faith in " medicine" of some sort, as 
a sure remedy for all conceivable diseases, 
functional or organic, curable or incurable. 
Theaction (usuallybeneficial) o.fa dose of jalap 
or "salts and senna," is adapted to the mean- 
est comprehension, and a traveller in Central 
Asia gives a most amusing account of the 
widespread reputation as a doctor to which 
he almost instantaneously attained by admin- 
istering two or three cathartic pills to the 
chief of one of the native tribes. 
This popular demand for "medicine" has 
led to an unlimited supply of nostrums of every 
conceivable sort, and warranted to accom- 
plish everything except restore the ilead to 
life, — and it is not impossible that somebody 
may yet advertise a "corpse-reviver" at only 
one dollar a bottle. The greater part of the 
advertising space of the daily and weekly 
papers is occupied by the proprietors of these 
preparations, and is a reliable indication 
of the immense quantity of the stulf which 
is consumed by a credulous public. 
From the earliest times we find the nos- 
.strum vender to occupy a prominent position 
in the world of trade. Lyell relates that in 
one of the shops of Pompeii a box of pills 
was found "which had crumbled away to an 
earthy substance;" and a distinguished arch- 
aeologist has added to this statement the 
opinion that those pills probably never did 
contain anything but some "earthy suli- 
stance." The tnatcria rncdica of the an- 
cients, as given bv Pliny and other classical 
writers, is most amusing, but excites our 
wonder as to how anyone, even of such 
limited scientific knowledge as wc may sup- 
pose the Romans to have been possessed, 
could believe in their efficacy for a single 
moment. 
One of the earliest patent medicine adver- 
tisements on record is found in the ^Icrciirius 
Politicus, published at London in 1660, and 
reads as follows : 
Gentlemen, you are desired to take notice, That 
Mr Theophilus Buckworth doth at his house on 
Mile-end Green make and expose to sale, for the 
publick good, those so famous Lozenges or Pecto- 
rals, approved for the cure of Consumption, Coughs, 
Catarrhs, Asthmas, Hoarseness, Strongness of 
Breath, Colds in general, Diseases incident to the 
Lungs, and a sovoraign Antidote against the 
Plague, and all other contagious Diseases, and 
obstructions of the Stomach : And for more con- 
venience of the people, constantly leaveth them 
sealed up with his coat of arms on the papers, with 
Mr Rich. Lowndes (as formerly), at the sign of the 
White Lion, near the little north door of Pauls 
Church ; Mr Henry Seile, over against S. Dunstan's 
Church in Fleet Street; Mr William Mil ward, at 
Westminster Hall Gate; Mr John Place, at Furni- 
vals Inn Gate in Holborn ; and Mr Robert Horn, at 
the Turk's Head near the entrance of the Royal 
Exchange, Booksellers, and no others. 
This is published to prevent the designs of divers 
Pretenders, who counterfeit the said Lozenges, 
to the disparagement of the said Gentleman, 
and great abuse of the people. 
Four years later we find the following 
advertisement of a certain royal physician : 
Whitehall, May 14, 1664. His Sacred Majesty, 
having declared it to be his Royal will and pur- 
pose to continue the healing of his people for 
the Evil during the Month of May, and then to 
give over till Michaelmas next, I am Cismmanded to 
