Forty Years in the Wilderness of Pills and Powders: Cogitations and Confessions of an Aged PhysicianAlcott, William A. (William Andrus)
Science
Forty Years in the Wilderness of Pills and Powders: Cogitations and Confessions of an Aged Physician
Alcott, William A. (William Andrus)
Medicine -- Anecdotes
I have quoted the old adage, that "Ignorance is bliss;" but alas! is it
not to trifle with the most solemn considerations? Can that be regarded
as blissful which leaves a mother, who, in general, means to love and
honor the Saviour, to destroy her husband and one or two of his
children? There is little doubt that, besides shutting her husband out
of the sacred enclosure, after she had destroyed his health, Mrs. Y. was
the means of destroying at least one or two of her children. One of
them, who was scrofulous, ran at last--a very common occurrence--into
consumption, and perished early, in the beginning of active usefulness.
I may be suspected of exaggeration, by some of my readers. Would to God,
for humanity's sake and for Christ's sake, it were so! For though I
cannot subscribe to the creed of those who profess to be willing to come
into everlasting condemnation for the glory of God, yet, so long as
opportunity for repentance shall last, I would willingly be convicted of
untruth, if so that the falsehood might be made palpable to my mind,
rather than believe what I am compelled to believe with regard to the
murderous tendency on soul and body of our murderous modern cookery. Is
it not true--the old adage, that while "God," in his mercy, "sends us
meats, the Devil," in his malignity, "sends us cooks?"
This unnatural cookery,--this mingling medicine with viands naturally
healthful, and torturing the compounds thus formed into sources of
irritation, has more to do with that sensuality which has come upon us
like a flood,--much of it in new forms,--than many are aware. And I am
much mistaken if modern societies for moral reform, popularly so called,
might not thank the over-refined cookery of a gross and highly
stimulating diet, for that necessity which impels to their own field of
labor.
One thing more might have been mentioned in its proper place--the
tendency of high living to eruptions on the skin. These, in their
various forms of pimple, carbuncle, boil, etc., are becoming quite the
order of the day. Mr. Y.'s family had a full share of them, especially
those of them who were scrofulous. I have already mentioned the
appearance of Mr. Y.'s face, and have alluded to the change which took
place after his fall. But I should have spoken of the eruptions on his
face, which, at times, were such as almost made him ashamed to enter the
pulpit.
You will see, from the tenor of these remarks, that I have laid the
guilt, in this sad affair, just where I believe it ought to rest. I have
not sought to exculpate one individual or party, at the expense of
another equally guilty, but rather to do justice to all.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account