16 DECEMBER 1843, Page 11

PHYSIC FOR THE MILLION.

MOST of our readers have heard of Homceopathy. The daily advertisements of treatises in relation to it, the publication of a quarterly journal, the establishment of a hospital and dispensaries in the Metropolis, together with the patronage of Continental monarchs and English fashionables, can hardly fail to have attracted their attention, and to have suggested the impression that a medi- cal war was about to commence ; which—supposing a clear stage afforded to the combatants—could not, in whatever way it might terminate, be productive of any thing but advantage to the lookers- on. Already there were indications of such a result ; for, even as the threatened importation of foreign corn aroused the landlords to exhortations on the advantages of well-selected manures and other neglected aids, so the spread of the German heresy had already drawn from the professors of the old school many significant hints regarding improved dietetics, the advantages of " moderate" doses, and the general evils of a too heroic practice. The quarrel, there- fore, was a very pretty one as it stood. But our hopes of a fair fight are threatened with disappointment by the interference of a third party. The white-haired philan- thropist, who in our boyish days was always proYokiogly at hand to rush between any well-matched pugilists and prevent the final settlement of their dispute, has his representative still on earth. Nay, a triple incarnation now does honour to his memory. The broad benevolence of that universal peace-maker, finding, when disembodied, no one fleshly tenement capable of granting it renewed accommodation, divided itself into three parts, and, searching for the most eligible vacancies, happily at length found lodgment and elbow- room in the breasts of the Poor-law Commissioners.

And so they will have no fighting upon physic ! The power which has so long defied the Times, at length—such is the effect of well-directed benevolence—accomplishes a task which has hitherto baffled all efforts. It takes upon itself to decide when doctors dis- agree; and, this effected, but a simple task remains, to stifle all the other squabbles that harass this contentious world.

The circumstances of their interference are curious. It appears, from a statement just put forth, that, eight years ago, a Mr. GEORGE Nxwmart was appointed Medical Officer to the poor of Glastonbury ; and that, after he had held that appointment for four years, his attention having been attracted to the homceopathic doctrine, he tested the system by experiment, and became so impressed with its results as to adopt it in his private practice, and ultimately in his treatment of the poor. Matters went on satisfactorily, until com- plaint was made to the Board of Guardians, by a neighbouring surgeon, of Mr. NEwsiesi's proceedings in adopting "a system not recognized by any College in Europe." The Guardians declined to interfere; and the complainant then applied to the Poor-law Commissioners. The Commissioners, having instituted an inquiry, were told by the Guardians, that they the Guardians were perfectly satisfied with Mr. NEWMAN, and that no complaint of a want of skill or attention had ever reached them. This reply was accom- panied by a statement of the results of that gentleman's practice for the year 1842; showing the singularly small mortality of 21 patients out of 1,085 cases.

In March last, Mr. NEWMAN was again confirmed in his appoint- ment, by a majority of 17 to 3. After this, Mr. Tunisia., As- sistant Poor-law Commissioner, came to the Board to inquire into the circumstances : the Guardians repeated, that they were perfectly satisfied ; adding, that they would take upon themselves the responsibility of the appointment : and it was accordingly con- firmed by the Poor-law Commissioners.

The influence of the complaining surgeon having failed, it ap- pears that Lord J. THYNNE entered the field on the same side ; and the charge which had been settled, as coming from a doctor, was of course to be reopened on the application of a lord. So the Commissioners referred the matter to the College of Physicians, requesting their candid opinion as to which was in the right, the College or the heretics : and to this they received a reply, "that's person who practises exchtlively the homceopathie system, is alto- gether unfit to be appointed to the situation of medical officer to a Union."

Whereupon, the Poor-law, Commissioners intimated to Mr. NEWMAN, that if he did not resign; they would take steps to re- move him. Mr. NEWMAN answered by declining to resign ; assign-

ing, among others, the following reasons. 1. That he was legally qualified to practice, and was not aware of any exclusive system binding on a medical man other than what was dictated by his ex- perience and conscience. 2. That he had held the appointment for eight years without any complaint having been made against him. 3. That the Poor-law Commissioners themselves, after a special inquiry into the case, had reported, "Under these circum- stances, we do not feel called upon to make any further objection

to Mr. Newman's continuance in office." 4. That the poor of his district had expressed their desire to remain under the homoeopathic treatment, and had transmitted a petition with 838 signatures to that effect. 5. That it was his duty to adopt the homoeopathic system, "because the mortality is smaller, the duration of illness shorter, and consequently the expense in sickness much less ; it appearing from the statistics of sixty-four of the most celebrated hospitals in Europe, including the Hotel Dieu at Paris, Charite, Berlin, the General Hospital, Vienna, St. Thomas's and St. George's, London, and the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, that the average mortality under the old treatment is nine per cent, and the mean duration of disease twenty-nine days; while the results from the Homceopathic Institutions at Leipzic, Vienna, Munich, Brieg in Silesia, and Hungary, show an average mortality of only four per cent, and a mean duration of twenty-one days : also, that in the treatment of cholera the average mortality was thirty-one per cent under the old system, and only eight per cent under the homoeopathic." The reply to this was a dismissal from the Poor-law Commis- sioners; and the matter terminated with an unanimous vote of thanks to 21.1r. NEWMAN from the Guardians of the Union, for his humane and "successful" treatment : a copy of which resolution was complimentarily transmitted to the Commissioners.

Now, there arc some curious considerations arising out of this history ; and they chiefly concern the Royal College of Physicians. The first is, as to the extent to which the College are acquainted with the results of the new system ; and whether they can con- tradict, explain, or confirm the statements put forward as to its di- minished mortality ? Next, supposing that they have the power to throw some light of this kind upon the subject, whether they should not at once exercise it, in order to disabuse the public mind? and, supposing that they have not the power, whether it is proper for them publicly to condemn a legally-qualified and re- sponsible practitioner for pursuing a method of the nature of which they are totally ignorant ?. An inquiry also suggests itself, whether there is any system of practice really recognized by the College of Physicians—Antipathie, 'Allopathic, or Hotnceopathic ? and, sup- posing that neither is definitively recognized, and that, according to their view, Nature acts in the solitary instance of medicine by partial instead of general laws, to what extent and in what pro- portions may the three be blended ? Their report creates more dissatisfaction among the members of the old school than among those of the new ; for it does not condemn the practice of hornce- opathy, but only a uniform and consistent adherence to its prin- ciples. It may be practised, but not "exclusively"! Whatever may be Mr. NEWMAN'S mistake in adopting the system, it speaks strongly in favour of his honesty that he scorned to avail himself of the loop-hole which this expression gave him.

But amidst all this, the benevolence of the Poor-law Commis- sioners shines forth unquestioned. Their care for the poor is only equalled by their patriotism, although that proverbially ungrateful class perversely refuse to acknowledge it. They seek for large supplies of food and small doses of medicine; but the Commis- sioners know what is best for them—they ask for bread, and they get blisters. A mortality of four per cent when the orthodox amount is nine, is neither wholesome for them nor for the com- munity. As the representatives of the Government, the Commis- sioners may exclaim, with Squeers—" They have the brimstone and treacle, partly because if they hadn't something or other in the way of medicine, they'd be always ailing, and giving a world of trouble ; and partly because it spoils their appetites, and comes cheaper than breakfast and dinner. So it does them good and us good at the same time ; and that's fair enough, at all events."