medical essays-第9节

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ause　they　know　nothing　of　the　principle　of　their　operations。〃　　Or　if　the　argument　is　preferred；　in　the　eloquent　language　of　the　Perkinistic　poet：

　　　　〃What　though　the　CAUSES　may　not　be　explained；　　　　　　Since　these　EFFECTS　are　duly　ascertained；　　　　　　Let　not　self…interest；　prejudice；　or　pride；　　　　　　Induce　mankind　to　set　the　means　aside；　　　　　　Means　which；　though　simple；　are　by　　　　　　Heaven　designed　to　alleviate　the　woes　of　human　kind。〃

This　course　of　argument　is　so　often　employed；　that　it　deserves　to　be　expanded　a　little；　so　that　its　length　and　breadth　may　be　fairly　seen。　A　series　of　what　are　called　facts　is　brought　forward　to　prove　some　very　improbable　doctrine。　　It　is　objected　by　judicious　people；　or　such　as　have　devoted　themselves　to　analogous　subjects；　that　these　assumed　facts　are　in　direct　opposition　to　all　that　is　known　of　the　course　of　nature；　that　the　universal　experience　of　the　past　affords　a　powerful　presumption　against　their　truth；　and　that　in　proportion　to　the　gravity　of　these　objections；　should　be　the　number　and　competence　of　the　witnesses。　　The　answer　is　a　ready　one。　　What　do　we　know　of　the　mysteries　of　Nature？　　Do　we　understand　the　intricate　machinery　of　the　Universe？　　When　to　this　is　added　the　never…failing　quotation；

　　　　〃There　are　more　things　in　heaven　and　earth；　Horatio；　　　　　　Than　are　dreamt　of　in　your　philosophy；〃

the　question　is　thought　to　be　finally　disposed　of。

Take　the　case　of　astrology　as　an　example。　　It　is　in　itself　strange　and　incredible　that　the　relations　of　the　heavenly　bodies　to　each　other　at　a　given　moment　of　time；　perhaps　half　a　century　ago；　should　have　anything　to　do　with　my　success　or　misfortune　in　any　undertaking　of　to…day。　　But　what　right　have　I　to　say　it　cannot　be　so？　　Can　I　bind　the　sweet　influences　of　Pleiades；　or　loose　the　bands　of　Orion？　　I　do　not　know　by　what　mighty　magic　the　planets　roll　in　their　fluid　paths；　confined　to　circles　as　unchanging　as　if　they　were　rings　of　steel；　nor　why　the　great　wave　of　ocean　follows　in　a　sleepless　round　upon　the　skirts　of　moonlight；　nor　cam　I　say　from　any　certain　knowledge　that　the　phases　of　the　heavenly　bodies；　or　even　the　falling　of　the　leaves　of　the　forest；　or　the　manner　in　which　the　sands　lie　upon　the　sea…　shore；　may　not　be　knit　up　by　invisible　threads　with　the　web　of　human　destiny。　　There　is　a　class　of　minds　much　more　ready　to　believe　that　which　is　at　first　sight　incredible；　and　because　it　is　incredible；　than　what　is　generally　thought　reasonable。　　Credo　quia　impossibile　est；〃I　believe；　because　it　is　impossible；〃is　an　old　paradoxical　expression　which　might　be　literally　applied　to　this　tribe　of　persons。　And　they　always　succeed　in　finding　something　marvellous；　to　call　out　the　exercise　of　their　robust　faith。　　The　old　Cabalistic　teachers　maintained　that　there　was　not　a　verse；　line；　word；　or　even　letter　in　the　Bible　which　had　not　a　special　efficacy　either　to　defend　the　person　who　rightly　employed　it；　or　to　injure　his　enemies；　always　provided　the　original　Hebrew　was　made　use　of。　　In　the　hands　of　modern　Cabalists　every　substance；　no　matter　how　inert；　acquires　wonderful　medicinal　virtues；　provided　it　be　used　in　a　proper　state　of　purity　and　subdivision。

I　have　already　mentioned　the　motives　attributed　by　the　Perkinists　to　the　Medical　Profession；　as　preventing　its　members　from　receiving　the　new　but　unwelcome　truths。　　This　accusation　is　repeated　in　different　forms　and　places；　as；　for　instance；　in　the　following　passage：　〃Will　the　medical　man　who　has　spent　much　money　and　labor　in　the　pursuit　of　the　arcana　of　Physic；　and　on　the　exercise　of　which　depends　his　support　in　life；　proclaim　the　inefficacy　of　his　art；　and　recommend　a　remedy　to　his　patient　which　the　most　unlettered　in　society　can　employ　as　advantageously　as　himself？　and　a　remedy；　too；　which；　unlike　the　drops；　the　pills；　the　powders；　etc。；　of　the　Materia　Medica；　is　inconsumable；　and　ever　in　readiness　to　be　employed　in　successive　diseases？〃

As　usual　with　these　people；　much　indignation　was　expressed　at　any　parallel　between　their　particular　doctrine　and　practice　and　those　of　their　exploded　predecessors。　　〃The　motives；〃　says　the　disinterested　Mr。　Perkins；　〃which　must　have　impelled　to　this　attempt　at　classing　the　METALLIC　PRACTICE　with　the　most　paltry　of　empyrical　projects；　are　but　too　thinly　veiled　to　escape　detection。〃

To　all　these　arguments　was　added；　as　a　matter　of　course；　an　appeal　to　the　feelings　of　the　benevolent　in　behalf　of　suffering　humanity；　in　the　shape　of　a　notice　that　the　poor　would　be　treated　gratis。　　It　is　pretty　well　understood　that　this　gratuitous　treatment　of　the　poor　does　not　necessarily　imply　an　excess　of　benevolence；　any　more　than　the　gratuitous　distribution　of　a　trader's　shop…bills　is　an　evidence　of　remarkable　generosity；　in　short；　that　it　is　one　of　those　things　which　honest　men　often　do　from　the　best　motives；　but　which　rogues　and　impostors　never　fail　to　announce　as　one　of　their　special　recommendations。　　It　is　astonishing　to　see　how　these　things　brighten　up　at　the　touch　of　Mr。　Perkins's　poet：

　　　　〃Ye　worthy；　honored；　philanthropic　few；　　　　　　The　muse　shall　weave　her　brightest　wreaths　for　you；　　　　　　Who　in　Humanity's　bland　cause　unite；　　　　　　Nor　heed　the　shaft　by　interest　aimed　or　spite；　　　　　　Like　the　great　Pattern　of　Benevolence；　　　　　　Hygeia's　blessings　to　the　poor　dispense；　　　　　　And　though　opposed　by　folly's　servile　brood；　　　　　　ENJOY　THE　LUXURY　OF　DOING　GOOD。〃

Having　thus　sketched　the　history　of　Perkinism　in　its　days　of　prosperity；　having　seen　how　it　sprung　into　being；　and　by　what　means　it　maintained　its　influence；　it　only　remains　to　tell　the　brief　story　of　its　discomfiture　and　final　downfall。　　The　vast　majority　of　the　sensible　part　of　the　medical　profession　were　contented；　so　far　as　we　can　judge；　to　let　it　die　out　of　itself。　　It　was　in　vain　that　the　advocates　of　this　invaluable　discovery　exclaimed　over　their　perverse　and　interested　obstinacy；in　vain　that　they　called　up　the　injured　ghosts　of　Harvey；　Galileo；　and　Copernicus　to　shame　that　unbelieving　generation；　the　Baillies　and　the　Heberdens；men　whose　names　have　come　down　to　us　as　synonymous　with　honor　and　wisdom；bore　their　reproaches　in　meek　silence；　and　left　them　unanswered　to　their　fate。　There　were　some　others；　however；　who；　believing　the　public　to　labor　under　a　delusion；　thought　it　worth　while　to　see　whether　the　charm　would　be　broken　by　an　open　trial　of　its　virtue；　as　compared　with　that　of　some　less　hallowed　formula。　　It　must　be　remembered　that　a　peculiar　value　was　attached　to　the　Metallic　Tractors；　as　made　and　patented　by　Mr。　Perkins。　　Dr。　Haygarth；　of　Bath；　performed　various　experiments　upon　patients　afflicted　with　different　complaints；the　patients　supposing　that　the　real　five…guinea　Tractors　were　employed。　　Strange　to　relate；　he　obtained　equally　wonderful　effects　with　Tractors　of　lead　and　of　wood；　with　nails；　pieces　of　bone；　slate　pencil；　and　tobacco…pipe。　　Dr。　Alderson　employed　sham　Tractors　made　of　wood；　and　produced　such　effects　upon　five　patients　that　they　returned　solemn　thanks　in　church　for　their　cures。　　A　single　specimen　of　these　cases　may　stand　for　all　of　them。　　Ann　Hill　had　suffered　for　some　months　from　pain　in　the　right　arm　and　shoulder。　　The　Tractors　（wooden　ones）　were　applied；　and　in　the　space　of　five　minutes　she　expressed　herself　relieved　in　the　following　apostrophe：　〃Bless　me！　why；　who　could　have　thought　it；　that　them　little　things　could　pull　the　pain　from　one。　Well；　to　be　sure；　the　longer　one　lives；　the　more　one　sees；　ah；　dear！〃

These　experiments　did　not　result　in　the　immediate　extinction　of　Perkinism。　　Doubtless　they　were　a　great　comfort　to　many　obstinate　unbelievers；　and　helped　to　settle　some　sceptical　minds；　but　for　the　real　Perkinistic　enthusiasts；　it　may　be　questioned　whether　they　would　at　that　time　have　changed　their　opinion　though　one　had　risen　from　the　dead　to　assure　them　that　it　was　an　error。　　It　perished　without　violence；　by　an　easy　and　natural　process。　　Like　the　famous　toy　of　Mongolfier；　it　rose　by　means　of　heated　air；the　fevered　breath　of　enthusiastic　ignorance；and　when　this　grew　cool；　as　it　always　does　in　a　little　while；　it　collapsed　and　fell。

And　now；　on　reviewing　the　whole　subject；　how　shall　we　account　for　the　extraordinary　prevalence　of　the　belief　in　Perkinism　among　a　portion　of　what　is　supposed　to　be　the　thinking　part　of　the　community？

Could　the　cures　have　been　real　ones；　produced　by　the　principle　of　ANIMAL　MAGNETISM？　　To　this　it　may　be　answered　that　the　Perkinists　ridiculed　the　idea　of　approximating　Mesmer　and　the　founder　of　their　own　doctrine；　that　nothing　like　the　somnambulic　condition　seems　to　have　followed　the　use　of　the　Tractors；　and　that　neither　the　exertion　of　the　will　nor　the　powers　of　the　individual　who　operated　seem　to　have　been　considered　of　any　consequence。　　Besides；　the　absolute　neglect　into　which　the　Tractors　soon　declined　is　good　evidence　that　they　were　incapable　of　affording　any　considerable　and　permanent　relief　in　the　complaints　for　the　cure　of　which　they　were　applied。

Of　course　a　large　number　of　apparent　cures　were　due　solely　to　nature；　which　is　true　under　every　form　of　treatment；　orthodox　or　empirical。　Of　course　many　persons　experienced　at　least　temporary　relief　from　the　strong　impression　made　upon　their　minds　by　this　novel　and　marvellous　method　of　treatment。