EDITORIAL. 
383 
idly  as  either  party  could  desire.  But  such  is  the  nature  of  the  case.  Per- 
haps it  is  phthisis,  from  which  he  cannot  recover.  He  wants  to  try  Jayne's, 
or  Swaim's,  or  somebody's  expectorant.  The  doctor  objects.  The  patient 
sends  to  the  apothecary  to  know  what  is  good  for  consumption.  He  is  shown 
a  bottle,  on  which  is  labelled,  what  the  manufacturer,  and  vender,  and  con- 
sumer, all  know  to  be  a  falsity — an  infallible  cure  for  an  incurable  malady. 
A  dollar  pays  for  it,  and  it  is  purchased.  The  patient  is  wronged  out  of  his 
dollar,  and  the  apothecary  keeps  his  share,  while  the  judgment  of  the  physi- 
cian is  set  at  defiance.  But  all  is  forgotten  when  the  poor  sufferer  dies,  ex- 
cept the  maxim,  which  it  behooves  all  to  remember — that  the  way  of  trade 
is,  in  many  instances,  the  way  of  death.  This  is  one  difficulty.  Here  is 
another.  Undue  confidence  is  imparled  to  the  manufacturer  of  quack  med- 
icine. Those  who  sell,  indirectly  sanction  the  whole  system  of  quackery, 
and  sustain  a  patented  pharmacy,  in  opposition  to  their  own  recognized  sys- 
tem. The  physician  is  responsible  for  his  prescription,  it  being  certified  by 
signature,  and  date.  If  it  does  harm,  he  is  accountable.  The  apothecary, 
by  selling  a  secret  medicine,  promising  to  cure,  shares  in  the  responsibility, 
it  a  cure  is  not  effected. 
Take  for  example,  '  worm  medicine.5  It  is  a  curious  fact,  that  if  a  child 
is  a  little  unwell,  the  careful  mother,  and  knowing  nurse,  almost  in- 
variably diagnosticate  worms.  It  picks  its  nose,  los^s  its  appetite  per- 
haps; and  a  variety  of  other  systems  present  themselves,  till,  (it 
being  a  simple  case,  not  requiring  the  advice  of  a  physician),  the  apothe- 
cary is  consulted,  and  Hobensack,  or  Fahnestock,  or  some  other  representa- 
tive of  the  school  of  patented  pharmacy,  is  offered  in  the  form  of  a  vermi- 
fuge, which  will  eject  the  worms  if  there  are  any,  either  whole  or  in  pieces, 
and  if  not,  protect  the  system  against  them..  The  medicine  is  purchased, 
and  administered.  The  bowels  are  actively  purged,  and  violent  disease  is 
induced.  Who  is  responsible  ?  We  will  not  answer.  This  is  no  picture. 
It  is  a  living  fact  We  know  that  a  large  number  of  cases  of  sickness  in 
children,  to  which  the  physician  is  called,  particularly  in  the  country,  unless 
it  be  some  sudden  illness,  have  been  previously  treated  by  the  family  for 
worms;  and  we  are  satisfied  from  no  very  limited  experience,  that  these 
4  worm  medicines,' compounded  by  the  covetous,  patented  by  the  ignorant, 
sold  with  promises,  and  used  by  the  over-credulous,  are  often  the  cause  of 
serious  mischief.  Such  mischief,  under  the  treatment  of  a  physician,  would 
subject  him  to  a  charge  of  mal  practice.  But  as  it  is  done,  by  a  counter- 
feit, with  the  noise  of  'sounding  brass,  and  tinkling  cymbal,'  the  perpe- 
trator escape?  unwhipt  of  justice. 
We  know  right  well,  that  should  the  profession  of  medicine  return  to  the 
'doctor  shop'  of  olden  time,  our  pharmaceutical  brethren  would  feel  like 
bringing  their  cantharides  to  bite  at  our  wandering  feet,  and  perhaps  with  jus- 
tice. May  we  not  say  to  them,  that  they  perhaps  need  a  gentle  sedative,  a 
cooling  draught ;— mixed  it  may  be,  with  a  moderate  aperient,  to  carry  oif 
unwholesome  deposits,  that  have  already  defiled  the  body  social  ! 
Take  our  prescription,  and  we  think  it  will  do  you  good.  Your  science  is 
a  noble  one — and  it  is  distinct.  But  so  far  as  practical  pharmacodynamic 
is  concerned,  leave  it  in  the  hands  of  the  physician,  and  he  will  do  you  all 
the  honor  you  may  claim  at  his  hands." 
There  is  some  good  advice  in  "  Old  Physic's  "  remarks,  and  as  it  is  gi- 
ven in  a  friendly  spirit,  we  hope  the  brethren  will  profit  by  it ;  as  regards 
"  Old  Physic's  "  opinion  of  his  own  profession,  we  have  a  few  words  to  say, 
lest  it  should  be  thought  that  we  consider  it  free  from  fault  in  the  mat- 
ter discussed.  He  takes  the  ground  that  "  he  does  not  sell  even  the  medi- 
cine he  has  prescribed,"  but  has  handed  it  over  to  the  apothecary,  who 
