CHAPTER XXV.
CLERICAL INFLUENCE.
As we have said before, during the dark ages medical knowledge was confined to the clergy, and the same individuals officiated both as priests and physicians. But at length medicine became a separate profession, and the treatment of physical diseases was assigned to one class of men, and the care of moral and religious matters to another. By this division of duties and responsibilities, each department was placed in a condition to cultivate and improve its own province. Each strove to shake off the errors with which superstition and bigotry had enshrined it, and to establish its foundation upon truth and reason. This greatly increased the value and importance of each profession, and made it exclusively responsible for the proper discharge of its own duties; and the good of society requires that the proper limits of each should be distinctly known and scrupulously regarded. Yet, at the same time, the two classes may labor side by side in the great cause of humanity, and be mutual helpers of each other. Their offices, though distinct, are co-ordinate, and duty often calls them to the same house of mourning and to the bedside of the same expiring patient. No other professions are brought into such close proximity. The duties of no others are fraught with such deep responsibility, or are required on such momentous occasions.
Unfortunately, the members of each profession do not always entertain towards the other such sentiments of respect and kindness as would best promote their own happiness and usefulness. On either side may sometimes be seen a coldness or smothered antipathy; the members of each appear inclined to keep aloof from the other, or to maintain a shy reserve. From such observations, the public may be ready to conclude that they have little confidence in or respect for each other, and both callings are liable to be disparaged, because the public are not likely to have full confidence in professions which do not reciprocally confide in each other.
It is not denied that clergymen, as well as other men, have a perfect right to choose their own physicians, and in their own families give their preference to whatever mode of practice they may select; but when they endeavor to bring their official influence to bear upon the subject, and strive with all their might to overthrow the established system of rational medicine, and to encourage, support and advance some empirical scheme, we think that such a course is reprehensible. With the great body of clergymen, perhaps, we have little cause of complaint; yet it is not uncommon to see individuals of that class engaged in war against the established system of medicine, and aiding and abetting some nefarious quackery. All the knowledge that the labors and observations of two thousand years have accumulated is set at naught as worthless, and they lend all their influence to the support of some new and false scheme. They are often known to make the most strenuous exertions to overthrow what they choose to call the old school of medicine, and sometimes whole communities are seen to follow the ipse dixit of such a leader, and to go over almost en masse to some absurd humbug, of the true nature of which they really know nothing. Such men appear to think that a complete revolution is soon to take place in medical matters, and they expect to lead the van to victory. But this unholy enterprise can never be accomplished. Although individuals and communities may thus be led astray for a time, yet the delusion will at length pass away and cast the mantle of shame upon its mistaken advocates; reason will some day return, and truth will be restored. When clergymen exchange the surplice for a medical toga, or attempt to wear both at the same time, they dishonor both professions. Such men are unstable, and often unreliable in everything—they mistake their calling, and instead of endeavoring to persuade men to repair to the great Physician to be healed of moral ills, they direct them to Thomson or Hahnemann for the relief of bodily infirmities; instead of leading men to the fountain of living waters to be cleansed of moral pollutions, they direct them to the wet sheet or shower bath of Priessnitz. or point them to some hydropathic pool.
Clergymen and religious newspapers sometimes recommend nostrums. The Rev. Mr. A, or the Rev. Mr. B. affixes his signature to a glowing recommendation of some worthless nostrum, and advises everybody to use it. Whether the article in question is what he recommends it to be or not, he does not and cannot know. Of this, educated physicians alone can judge, and to them exclusively the matter should be left. It is idle to suppose that some vagrant ignoramus has learnt something that no educated physician knows. Such things do not happen in our day—every such pretension is false, and every such preparation worthless. It may be said that an ignorant peasant might pick up a diamond of the first water; but if he should, neither the peasant nor any one else would know its value, until it had been examined by a competent lapidary—and if upon examination such lapidary should pronounce some supposed gem to be nothing but a worthless quartz pebble, no prudent man would be willing to give his gold for it. Nor should any reasonable man be willing to risk his life, his money or his reputation, upon an article that has not been approved by proper medical authorities.
The proprietors of nostrums are extremely fond of advertising them in religious papers, and the publishers are too often induced to comply with such requests. They may perhaps intend to exercise a judicious discrimination, and advertise only such as they suppose to be useful. But such publishers ought to know that it is not their province to decide such questions—they belong exclusively to scientific medicine; and as the great body of educated physicians have inhibited every variety of nostrum, that decision should be respected. By all high-minded and honorable physicians every such nostrum, without exception, is regarded as a public nuisance. Such publishers ought to know, that the articles which they consent to advertise, are no better than thousands of others of the same sort. If they are inert, they are criminal impositions—and if they are active and powerful preparations, they are always liable to be injudiciously
administered, and are dangerous in the hands of the common people.
It is presumed that the publishers of such religious papers have not given this subject that attention and reflection which it deserves. They may not be aware that they are mingling falsehoods with religious truths; and giving the approbation of Christianity to a reprehensible business. Are they aware that such advertisements are regarded as moral defilements?—as leprous spots upon a surface otherwise pure and healthy? Or do they intend to disregard the highest medical authority, and be guided alone by pecuniary considerations? We know of some publishers who in former times incautiously admitted such advertisements into their columns, but who have been convinced of the impropriety of so doing, and have excluded them altogether; and it is to be hoped that every truly religious paper will follow the example.
The great mass of false and contradictory testimony in favor of the multitude of nostrums which are constantly offered to the public, tends to distract and unsettle the mind, lessen the confidence of men in all testimony, and make them skeptical. An invalid sees an article advertised and recommended by some reverend clergyman, as a certain cure for some disease with which he supposes himself to be afflicted. Confiding in the high authority by which it is recommended, he procures and tries it, but is not benefited. He next tries some other nostrum, with no better success, and again he tries another and another, but is not cured. At length, perhaps, he becomes disgusted with all medicine, repudiates all medical means, and concludes that the whole profession is but a tissue of finesse and falsehood.
Yet let no one suppose that this medical infidelity will stand alone. The same causes which go to promote medical skepticism, tend also to produce religious infidelity. Whatever tends to weaken public confidence in the established system of rational medicine, most assuredly tends to weaken that confidence in the truths of Christianity. Medical and religious skepticism are intimately connected; and whatever favors the one, favors the other. The father may prompt his children to treat other men with insolence and rudeness, but he will most likely in his turn be obliged to brook the same kind of disrespect. So a clergyman may manifest an entire want of confidence in the medical profession, but he will be likely to find the same spirit of unbelief creeping in to his own province. He may aim a blow against that profession, but it will eventually recoil, with redoubled force, upon himself and the cause in which he is engaged.
It is not pretended that every man with a diploma in his pocket is deserving of implicit confidence, nor that all the members of this profession are all that they should be. Too many have been but imperfectly educated; the opportunities of too many have been insufficient; too many are by nature illy adapted to its delicate and responsible offices—and far too many neglect to improve themselves and keep pace with the onward progress of the science. Full perfection cannot be expected anywhere. Yet, with some exceptions, the great body of regular physicians are learned and worthy men, among whom may always be found those of the highest order of intellect, the most extensive learning, the most sterling integrity and practical piety. With all its imperfections, it would not perhaps suffer by comparison with any other calling. Let every one exercise a proper degree of charity towards all others;—let him scrupulously avoid the least encroachment upon their professional rights; let him endeavor, to the utmost of his ability, to build up his own and promote the honor and usefulness of every other—so shall he best advance the good of society and secure his own honor and happiness.
He is poorly acquainted with history, or has read to little purpose, who is not aware that revolutions of every kind, like tornadoes, tend to prostrate everything which stands in their way. The sweeping revolutions that have been witnessed in some European governments are melancholy proofs of this. The spirit which at first sought only to dethrone a single sovereign, in its progress overturned the church, swept away the altar, and finally buried in the dark abyss of infidelity every vestige of Christianity. The fire kindled by a single spark spread uncontrolled, and mocked all efforts to stay its progress or guide its course, until every civil and religious institution was demolished, and nothing remained but anarchy and atheism. Let those who are disposed to disturb the established institutions of their country, ponder upon these things, and beware.