Rival Dories
NEARLY every-one falls sick many times before he dies ; and, with or without the ministrations of registered doctor hr unlicensed healer, from all the illnesses but the final one he recovers. Many a great medical reputation had its beginning in this simple fact. Coincidence, rather than cause and effect, often expresses the true relation between " treatment " and " cure." Hence the ease with which every vendor of nostrums can obtain -perfectly genuine testimonials from individuals whose recovery has followed the - taking or the application of the medicament prescribed. Such evidence is, of itself, quite valueless ; for it gives no indication of the relation between the remedy and the return to health. Until lately, the orthodox practice of medicine has rested on foundations for the, most part crudely empiric ; and even to-day, in the exercise of his craft, the doctor often has to rely on tradition, personal experience and immediate intelligence rather than on anything worthy of the name of science. The profession of medicine is popularly associated with a con- siderable measure of coinplacendy, at times rising to the height of arrogance ; and many of its members would benefit by recalling the above facts to their consciousness. Their labour in so doing will be materially lightened by the reading of Mr. Raphael Roche's vigorous indictinent. Mr. Roche's bonnet hives its own bees—whether financial or fanatic maybe left to the reader's charity or prejudice—and his com- placency makes that of the doctors seem but a degree of humility. In his prefatory chapter, he disclaims any wish to advertise himself or his cures ; adding that the curing of disease is " the business of the doctors. It is what they are supposed to be there for. The only request I make is the modest one that I shall be allowed to show them how to do it," Unfortunately, he makes no attempt to show them in this book. " If the doctors want to know how to cure, I am prepared to tell them. I have always declared my readiness to address the General Medical Council or the Royal College of Physicians." Few will believe, on such evidence as is here afforded, that Mr. Roche has very much positive knowledge .to impart ; but his criticism of orthodox medical practice is very entertaining and very cogent; for all that.
Dr. Major's volume is of a very different order. It affords a sober and convincing answer to Mr. Roche's wilder alle- gations. It is a first-rate book to put into the hands of a layman who wishes to understand the scientific-principles on which the art of medicine is just-beginning to rebuild itself- MARRY ROBERTS.
Previous page
