and other refrigerents to restore him to health, is as though a man should, to increase a fire in his room, throw a part of it out of the house, and to increase the remainder, put on water, snow and ice?”

The figurative style of the next paragraph must excite a general regret, that our author had not taken to the trade of poetry instead of medicine:

"Having described the two kinds of fever which are the most alarming, they being most fatal, I shall pass over those of a less alarming nature, and merely observe, that there is no other difference in all cases of fever, than what is caused by the different degrees of cold, or loss of inward heat, which are two adverse parties in one body, con-, tending for power. If the heat gains the victory, the cold will be disinherited and health will be restored: but, on the other hand, if cold gains the ascendancy, heat will be dispossessed of its empire, and death will follow of course. As soon as life ceases, the body becomes cold, which is conclusive evidence that its gaining the victory is the cause of death. When the power of cold is nearly equal to that of heat the fever or strife between the two parties, may continue for a longer or shorter time, according to circumstances; this is what is called a longer fever, or fever and ague. The battle between cold and heat will take place periodically, sometimes every day, at other times, every other day, and they will leave off about equal, heat keeping a little the upper hand."

Again:

"Much has been said by the doctors concerning the turn of a fever, and how long a time it will run. When it is said that a fever will turn at such a time, I presume it must mean that it has been gone; this is true, for it is then gone on the outside, and is trying to turn again and go inside, where it belongs. Instead of following the dictates of nature and aiding it to subdue the cold, the doctor uses all his skill to kill the fever. How, would I ask, in the name of common sense, can any thing turn when killed? Support the fever and it will return inside; the cold, which is the cause of disease, will be driven out, and health will be restored. In all cases called fever, the cause is the same in a greater or less degree, and may be relieved by one general remedy. The cold causes canker, and before the canker is seated the strife will take place between cold and heat; and while the hot flashes and cold chills remain, it is evidence that the canker is not settled, and the hot medicine alone occasionally assisted by steam, will throw it off; but as the contest ceases, the heat is steady on the outside; then canker assumes the power inside; this is called a settled fever. The truth is, the canker is fixed on the inside and will ripen and come off in a short time, if the fever is kept up so as to overpower the cold, This idea is new and never was known until my discovery. By raising the fever with Nos. 1 and 2, and taking off the canker with No. 3, and the same given by injections, we may turn a fever when we please; but if this is not understood, the canker will ripen and come off itself, when the fever will turn and go inside and the cold will be driven out; therefore they will do much better without a doctor than

with. The higher the fever runs, the sooner the cold will be subdued; and if you contend against the heat, the longer will be the run of the fever, and when killed, death follows.

When a patient is bled, it lessens the heat and gives double power to the cold; like taking out of one side of the scale and putting it in the other, which doubles the weight, and turns the scale in favor of the disease. By giving opium it deadens the feelings; the small doses of nitre and calomel tend to destroy what heat remains, and plants new crops of canker, which will stand in different stages in the body, the same as corn planted in the field every week, will keep some in all stages; so is the different degrees in canker. This is the reason why there are so many different fevers as are named; when one fever turns another sets in and so continues one after another until the harvest is all ripe, if the season is long enough: if not, the cold and frost takes them off-then it is said they died of a fever. It might with as much propriety be said that the corn killed with frost, died with the heat. The question, whether the heat or cold killed the patient, is easily decided, for that power which bears rule in the body after death is what killed the patient, which is cold—as much as that which bears rule when he is alive is heat. When a person is taken sick, it is common to say, I have got a cold and am afraid I am going to have a fever; but no fears are expressed of the cold he has taken; neither is it mentioned when the cold left him. The fashionable practice is to fight the remains of heat till the patient dies, by giving cold the victory; in which case, is it not a fact that the doctor assists the cold to kill the patient? Would it not have been more reasonable, or likely to have cured them, when the fever arose to throw off the cold, to have helped the fever and give nature the victory over its enemy, when the health would be restored the same as before they took the cold."

extract, we should hardly Perhaps doctor Potter or

Against this acute and edifying be so imprudent as to run a tilt. doctor Swaim may take the subject up.

Orator Robinson informs us, that doctor Thomson's system made a very favorable impression on the mind of Dr. Rush. Now we wonder what that eminent advocate of the lancet must have thought of the following:

"The practice of bleeding for the purpose of curing disease, I consider most unnatural and injurious. Nature never furnishes the body. with more blood than is necessary for the maintenance of health; to take away part of the blood, therefore, is taking away just so much of their life, and is as contrary to nature, as it would be to cut away part of their flesh. Many experiments have been tried by the use of the lancet in fevers: but I believe it will be allowed by all, that most of them have proved fatal; and several eminent physicians have died in consequence of trying the experiment on themselves. If the system is diseased, the blood becomes as much diseased as any other part; remove the cause of the disorder and the blood will recover and become healthy as soon as any other part; but how taking part of it away can help to cure what remains, can never be reconciled with common sense." ""

The following paragraph must be a sore application to our friend Dr. Daniell, of Savannah, who proposes to cure almost all fevers by sinapisms:

"There is no practice used by the physicians that I consider more inconsistent with common sense, and at the same time more inhuman, than blistering to remove disease; particularly insane persons or what the doctors call dropsy on the brain; in which cases, they shave the head and draw a blister on it.-Very few patients if any ever survive, this application. What would be thought if a scald should be caused by boiling water to remove disease? Yet there is no difference between this and a blister made by flies. I have witnessed many instances where great distress and very bad effects have been caused by the use of blisters; and believe I can truly say, that I never knew any benefit derived from their use. It very frequently causes stranguary, when the attempted remedy becomes much worse than the disease."

But it is time to enter the steam bath. Here the doctor is quite at home; and when at home does least harm to his patients.

"Steaming is a very important branch of my system of practice, which would in many cases without it, be insufficient to effect a cure. It is of great importance in many cases considered by the medical faculty as desperate; and they would be so under my mode of treatment, if it was not for this manner of applying heat to the body, for the purpose of reanimating the system and aiding nature in restoring health. I had but little knowledge of medicine, when through necessity, I discovered the use of steaming, to add heat or life to the decaying spark; and with it I was enabled, by administering such vegetable preparations as I then had a knowledge of, to effect a cure in cases where the regular practitioners had given them over.

The method adopted by me, and which has always answered the desired object, is as follows--Take several stones of different sizes and put them in the fire till red hot, then take the smallest first, and put one of them into a pan or kettle of hot water, with the stone about half immersed--the patient must be undressed and a blanket put around him so as to shield his whole body from the air, and then place him over the steam. Change the stones as often as they grow cool, so as to keep up a lively steam, and keep them over it; if they are faint throw a little cold water on the face and stomach, which will let down the outward heat and restore the strength-after they have been over the steam long enough, which will generally be about 15 or 20 minutes, they must be washed all over with cold water or spirits and he put in bed, or may be dressed, as the circumstances of the case shall permit."

The originality of this method certainly entitled it to a patent.

The next 40 pages of our author, are devoted to the natural and pharmaceutic history of his materia medica. His

hopes rest upon lobelia inflata, cayenne pepper, ginger, black pepper, bayberry, white pond lilly, the hemlock tree, rosemary, sumach, witch hazle, raspberry, squaw weed, balmony, poplar bark, barberry, bitter root, goldenscal, peach meats, cherry stones, myrrh, spirit of turpentine, camphor, and lady's slipper; but he has, condescendingly, added the names of some thirty or forty more, among which we observe elecampane, yellow dock, summersavoury, and other, new discoveries. The quintessence of the whole lies in the following

"STOCK OF MEDICINE FOR A FAMILY.

1 oz. of the Emetic Herb,

2 ozz. of Cayenne,

"This stock will be sufficient for a family for one year, and with such articles as they can easily procure themselves when wanted, will enable them to cure any disease, which a family of common size may be afflicted with during that time. The expense will be small, and much better than to employ a doctor and have his extravagant bill to pay.

Now come the 'preparations and compositions.' These run through Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6, besides 'nerve powder,' 'cough powder,' and 'vegetable powder,' with plasters and ointments.

'No. 1.' Comprehends the preparations of lobelia-'No. 2.' of cayenne pepper-No. 3.' of bayberry, pond lily and hemlock-No. 4.' of the bitters-No. 5.' of poplar bark, bay. berry, peach meats and cherry stones-No. 6.' (rheumatic drops) of myrrh, cayenne and brandy. Nerve powder is composed but we really beg to be excused from prosecuting this branch of the subject any further; and shall wind up with the doctor's directions for what he calls a regular course of medicine, which is the new method of curing all diseases.

"As I have frequently mentioned a regular course of medicine, I will here state what is meant by it, and the most proper way in which it is performed. Firstly, give No. 2 and 3, or composition, adding a tea-spoonful of No, 6; then steam, and when in bed repeat it, adding No. 1, which will cleanse the stomach and assist in keeping up a perspiration; when this has done operating, give an injection made with the same articles. Where there are symptoms of nervous affection,

or spasms, put half a tea-spoonful of the nerve powder into each dose given, and into the injection. In violent cases, where immediate relief is needed, Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 6, may be given together. Injections may be administered at all times and in all cases of disease to advantage; it can never do harm, and in many cases, they are indispensably necessary, especially where there is canker and inflammation in the bowels, and there is danger of mortification, in which case, add a tea-spoonful of No. 6. In cases of this kind, the injection should be given first, or at the same time of giving the composition, or No. 3.”

In this way the doctor proposes, as we have said, to cure ncarly all diseases. Let us take a few examples from the back of his book:

MEASLES.

"This disease is very common, especially among children, and is often attended with bad consequences, when not properly treated. It is a high state of canker and putrefaction; and if the determining powers are kept to the surface, it will make its appearance on the outside, and go off itself; but if cold overpowers the inward heat, so as to turn the determining powers inward, the disease will not make its appearance, and the patient will become much distressed, frequently producing fatal consequences, if some powerful stimulant is not administered to bring the disorder out. To give physic in cases of this kind is very dangerous, as it strengthens the power of cold and keeps the canker and putrefaction inside, which sometimes seats upon the lungs and causes consumption; or turns to the stomach and bowels, when they die suddenly, as has been the case with hundreds, for a few years past. I have attended a great many cases of the measles in the course of my practice, and never lost one; and never have known of any that have died of this disorder, who were attended by any of my agents. When the symptoms make their appearance, give a dose of the composition powder, or of No. 2; then give the tea of No. 3, to guard against canker, and add some No. 2, to overpower the cold; and when the second dose is given, add No. 1, to clear the stomach and promote perspiration; as soon as this takes place, the disorder will show itself on the outside. By continuing to keep the determining power to the surface, naturę will take its regular course, and the disease will go off without injuring the constitution. If the bowels appear to be disordered, give an injection; and be careful to keep the patient warm.”

SMALL POX.

"This disease is the highest state of canker and putrefaction, which the human body is capable of receiving, and is the most contagious, being taken in with the breath, or may be communicated by inoculation, in which case it is not so violent and dangerous as when taken

in the natural way. The distressing and often fatal consequences that have happened in cases of the small pox, are more owing to the manner in which it has been treated than to the disease. The fashionable mode of treatment in this disease has been to give physic, and reduce the strength, by starving the patient and keeping them cold. This is contrary to common sense, as it weakens the friend and strengthens the enemy; and the same cause would produce similar effects in