528 THE MOUNTAIN. 



appealed to the sympathy for weakness and infancy, asking 

 consideration for the tender, fresh-budding, and undeveloped; 

 while the rational old, on the score of generosity and dis- 

 interestedness, has been required to apologize for its tyranny 

 in the consciousness of the superiority of force, in the simple 

 possession of power. The quarrel of the regular profession 

 with quackery comes from a profound and undying antagon- 

 ism. It is the ancient war of truth and error, light and 

 darkness, knowledge and ignorance. As regular exponents 

 of the powers of evil, the quackeries of the world have ever 

 had, and will ever have to meet the honest and sane realities 

 of science in an eternal attitude of hostility and opposition. 

 Books have been written upon the philosophy of magic and 

 witchcraft, the explanation of hallucinations and delusions, 

 but we still wait to see an exposition of the diabolical 

 essence of quackery. An historical delineation of the mo- 

 dus operandi of the devil in this his favorite department 

 of stratagems and tricks, his most authentic and material op- 

 position to the final ascendency of truth and goodness, and 

 the quick arrival of the kingdom of heaven, would be a gift 

 of the gods to humanity. 



Turning with sickness and sorrow from the nauseous reci- 

 tation of the quackeries of the world, this dreary waste of 

 infatuations, this "fantastic chase of shadows after shades," 

 where is suffering humanity to look for relief ? Wounded, 

 wearied, and riven, what is the haggard victim of pain to do 

 to be saved from despair and destruction ? Are all sys- 

 tems of medication phantoms and follies, with nothing of 

 truth or light in them, only disappointment and ruin to offer 

 to the deluded faith of mankind ? 



" Grand on her pedestal, as urn -bearing statue of Hellas," 

 stands the regular profession, the ark of safety, the rock of 

 ages, the hope of the world. The god of medicine was 

 represented as seated on a throne, holding in one hand a 

 staff, and with the other resting upon the head of a dragon- 

 (serpent,) and by his side lay a dog. The interpretation of 

 this beautiful fable surely the simplest man is able to 



