426 
" MARSHALL’S SPECIFIC FOR DISEASES OF THE 
EYE OF THE HORSE,” WITH SOME REMARKS 
THEREON. 
By Anti-Humbug. 
“ At the first appearance that a French quack made in Paris, a boy walked before 
him, publishing with a shrill voice, ‘ My father cures all sorts of distempers to which 
the doctor added, in a grave manner, ‘ The child says true.’ ” — Addison. 
“There are people who find that the most effectual way to cheat people is always to 
pretend to infallible cures.”' — Bishop Tili.otson. 
Mr. Editor, dear Sir, — The principles of medicine, uncer- 
tain though they be, and based as they are, to a great extent, 
upon pure empiricism, in spite of what may be urged to the con- 
trary, nevertheless prove one point, beyond, I think, the possibility 
of much effectual dispute ; viz., that no such thing as a specific 
for disease, in any of its various phases, has been, and I may with 
safety state never will be, discovered ; since experience in the treat- 
ment of disease daily gives the lie to such a notion. A certain 
medicine given in one form of disease is found to act like a charm ; 
while in a second case, to all appearance of precisely the same 
character, it is found to augment its virulence, and produce inju- 
rious instead of beneficial effects; for which no reason can be 
given save that very vague one, idiosyncracy : a word com- 
pounded from two Greek words, signifying peculiar and tempera - 
merit , or, peculiar temperament, an explanation which gives no 
light whatever upon the modus operandi of the agent used. 
Change of disease requires change of treatment : this may be 
said to be an established axiom in medicine, and one which is 
totally at variance with the idea of a specific for any of its nume- 
rous forms of development. In proof that a “ specific” for any one 
type of disease has never yet been discovered, numerous facts 
readily present themselves, although thousands have been puffed 
upon the world as such. Some time ago, a Mrs. Stevens pretended 
to have discovered a specific for “ stone in the bladder hundreds 
whose waterworks for years had been choked up (or who said they 
had been choked up, which amounted to the same) with “ gravel” 
and “ stones,” gave testimonials as to the wonderful efficacy of the 
all-potent “ gravel” dissolver. In short, everybody who had the 
gravel took it ; and everybody who had not, took it in order to pre- 
vent them having it ; until at last, incredible as it may appear, Go- 
vernment investigated the great gravel question, and actually 
paid the proprietor £5000 for the secret. And what, courteous 
reader, dost thou suppose this secret was? — why, a vile compound, 
