also to do all in their power to prevent the druggist from 'sophisti cating such drugs, or in any way defrauding his patrons.' In addition, what are called patent medicines should be sold with a statement of the articles of which they are composed, by which means it is thought that dishonest quacks will become obsolete; when the motto with regard to their preparations, 'Open your mouth and shut your eyes' will cease to have application. But the inspectors should critically examine all of this class of medicines; for it is charged that the proprietors are in the habit of buying damaged drugs, worthless for any other purpose, and they also use bad wines and alcoholic liquors in the preparation of 'invigorating bitters,' 'health cordials,' and the like. It is proposed also to forbid those who refine aloes to sell the dregs to brewers; nor may the manu facturers of quinine and morphine sell their exhausted bark and opium to druggists, for, we are told, they will invariably dry and pulverize these articles, and use them for the adulteration of genuine drugs.' As to wines and liquors, none must be allowed to be sold for medical purposes unless they have the stamp of approval of the inspectors."

"It must be confessed," continues the same writer, "that this is an alarming exhibit to such as take medicine and beer. But it does not seem likely that the proposed examination will effect the desired object, since it will be easy for any druggist to keep on hand samples for inspection other than such as will be sold. If we look deeper and further, it will be seen that the trouble arises from an adulteration of quite another kind, and, in our opinion, no remedy can be found until one is applied to this. We refer to the adulteration of human nature; for this is a necessary preliminary, not only to the adulteration of drugs but of food, and of every commodity from which money by this practice can be made. In the same journal from which we have quoted, a certain firm advertises with large heading, 'Pure White Lead,' and they add, in a sort of postscript, that they also manufacture a special article equal to that produced by any other establishment. The inevitable tendency of this wide-spread debasement is to destroy the moral sentiment in man; and there seems no hope of reformation until fraud and rascality pervade society to such an extent that the social structure breaks down with the weight of its iniquity, when the world will begin again."

The foregoing, from a disinterested source, presents a stronger inducement than the author can modestly offer, to induce invalids to employ only those physicians who prepare the remedies they dispense; and who, by so doing, have opportunities of judging correctly of the therapeutic value of the medicines they propose te administer. Self-interest and reputation, if no nobler motive, inevitably prompts physicians of this class to labor diligently to avoid the evils of adulteration. Here there is no divided responsibility. The failure of a prescription cannot be laid to the incapacity, dishonesty, or carelessness of the druggist.

In the first edition of this work, I proposed to furnish written prescriptions on the reception of a full description of a case, but I soon found myself compelled to abolish this plan, for, notwithstanding my almost uniform success in the treatment of cases wherein I prepared and supplied medicines myself, those to whom I furnished written prescriptions did poorly indeed. This was chiefly owing to the fact that drug and botanic stores, almost everywhere, are more or less stocked with stale and adulterated herbs and roots, which are worthless, in consequence of having been kept too long, or mixed with inferior species; or with those which had been gathered at the wrong season of the year, before their medicinal properties had matured, or after the changes of the season had destroyed them. Many persons whom I have employed at the proper seasons of the year to collect such things as I need in my laboratory, have made it their business out of season to gather for the market. Furnishing prescriptions, however, was more practicable at that time than now, for the reason that many of my processes of preparing medicines are entirely changed. Some of the processes are original, so much so that the apothecary could not well prepare the remedies if the prescriptions were given. Aside from these considerations many cases require electricity in some form.

Inasmuch as many who read the common-sense theories advanced in this book, will desire to avail themselves of the system of treatment they naturally suggest, I will say that if invalids at home or abroad (see Questions to Invalids) will give me the opportunity of doing for them as each individual case seems to require, I can treat such as I may be willing to undertake with confidence of success. Invalids under my treatment are not restricted in diet or exercise; and those who are able to pursue their business, can do so without

any interruption from the effects of the medicines, which will only the better enable them to follow successfully their vocations. This, to the business man, is an important consideration. Such being the debilitating effects of most things bearing the name of medicine, it is not singular that those who have a business or profession requiring their personal supervision, feel that they must live and suffer on till death ends their infirmities, rather than adopt any system of medication. My mode of treatment does away with this objection, for I do not "tear down to build up," nor are the medicines 1 administer usually unpleasant to the taste. I give nutritious instead of drug treatment.

Dietetics.

With regard to dietetics, I should perhaps remark that I do not mean by any thing said in the closing portion of the foregoing essay that invalids can always eat just what a vitiated appetite may call for without injurious consequences. There are many kinds of food which only the strongest stomachs can digest, and these, it is palpable to every mind, should be avoided by the invalid whether the digestive organs are impaired or not. But it would hardly seem necessary for a physician to advise an invalid to abstain from warm bread, mince-pies, rich pastries of every kind, pork, cucumbers, boiled cabbage, and such edibles as are doubtfully wholesome for healthy persons. My injunction to the sick is-eat only such food as seems to agree with you, and that which distresses you, avoid. Perhaps some dyspeptic will say: Why, Doctor, all kinds of food distress me." To such I would reply, you know something of the digestible qualities of the food set before you, and from it you must select that which is the most nutritious, and inflicts on your stomach the least disturb This is a good rule to observe, and may beneficially take the place of those starve-to-death dietetic prescriptions so often given by physicians of Grahamite proclivities. The system tottering under the burden of chronic disorders, much more than the healthy body, needs nutrition, and nothing can be more foolish than to weaken the healing powers of nature by the adoption of a system of starvation.

ance.

66

Clear Conscience Better than a Petted Stomach.

It seems to me that those physicians who direct so particularly in regard to the taking care of the stomach, would do a better thing if they would take the same amount of pains to impress on those un

der their treatment the necessity of keeping the conscience clear. An overloaded stomach will not half so much depress the physical health as a sin-loaded conscience. I have already spoken in various portions of this book, of the influence of the mind on the body, and it may be set down as an absolute fact, that if a sick man or woman is daily doing things which he or she believes to be wrong, the regrets which follow cannot fail to seriously aggravate whatever phys ical trouble may exist, while cheerfulness, or, at least, an undisturbed mind, greatly aids medicaments in effecting cures. If we may

"langh and grow fat," it is reasonable to suppose that by being at peace with ourselves, we may with proper remedies to assist nature, find relief from bodily infirmities, if curable at all.

I may be asked, "What do you mean by a sin-loaded conscience?" I answer, a conscience harassed by the commission of acts which you believe or know to be wrong. I do not intend, in this place or in any other, to don the robe of the theologian. I am a physiologist and physician, very little acquainted with theology. This volume will undoubtedly fall into the hands of Protestants, Catholics, Swedenborgians, Jews, Mormons, Deists, Atheists, Pantheists, and it may possibly be read by Mohammedans, Simonians, Supralapsarians, and may not impossibly find readers among the Jumpers, Whippers, Diggers, and others of the more eccentric class of religionists. Hence it would be useless to require my patients to conform to any particular standard of morals or creed in religion; but I can, without questioning the correctness of any one's religious opinions, insist on their living up fully to their highest conceptions of right; to their living at peace with themselves and the inward monitor. Though an act may not, in itself, be wrong, it should not be committed by one who thinks it wrong, for not only does unhappiness follow in the wake of such conduct, but the effect on the moral sense is precisely as bad as if it were an actual wrong, and it opens the way for the perpetration of the latter. In other words, persons may become heedless of the dictates of conscience by doing what they think they ought not to do, and in the end, actual as well as supposed sins are committed, while in either case remorse usually succeeds, and depresses the physical energies no less than the spiritual complacency. It is therefore properly within the province of a physician to insist on correct moral deportment on the part of the patient, as well as to direct in regard to diet, doses, etc.

I am often told by invalids consulting me, that they are distressed with doubts on religious subjects. Now, there is no good reason why any person should keep his mind in painful commotion because he cannot square his faith and belief with that of his neighbor. So long as people's brains differ in shape and size, so long will it be difficult for them to think alike, and no one should allow himself to become distressed because he cannot put on his neighbor's opinions any more than he should weep because he cannot put on his neighbor's hat, coat, and boots. To all such I say, live true to yourselves and the light you possess. Do just as you think you ought to do. Cultivate your understanding and your conscience, and be guided by both. If at any time you doubt the correctness of any opinion or creed you have long cherished, investigate cheerfully and carefully, and if a Christian-prayerfully, but not painfully and impatiently; then leave the result with a merciful Providence.

It is really more Important that the mind of a patient should be free from distress than that the stomach should be free from the presence of unwholesome food. A sin-loaded conscience has brought many a stalwart man upon a sick-bed, and it is useless to try to conceal the fact that it preys heavily on the remaining energies of the sick. I have thought proper, in another part of this volume, to present an essay on "Violating the Moral Nature," for the purpose of showing the effects of outrages of the moral sense on the nervous and vascular systems, for as the inner suffers with the outer man by the violation of physical laws, so does the outer suffer with the inner man by the violation of moral laws.

With this view of the matter, I would say to my patients, be just as particular in not overloading or offending your conscience as in not overloading or offending your stomachs. I cannot tell you just what you can or must believe; neither can I tell you just what you can or must eat. I can confidently assure you that you must not lie, cheat, steal, nor murder; that you should not eat pork, warm bread, rich pastries, nor shingle nails; but there are thousands of practices which you may or may not pursue, according to the condition of your consciences and stomachs that may or may not inflict physical pain. As your physician-not your parson-I advise you to do nothing you believe to be wrong; eat nothing which seems to distress you. So far as a life of honesty is concerned, I would advise no one to live so, merely because honesty is the best policy. This object