• MaaßgMßgßMßßßgagßßMMß^aiGl=B!Hagßgg!g!BßHßgaiegggMßßEEgXiaCia3MggfflnC3g3aßa=^^g!gg^ggF^^ THE STAR OF THE NORTH. K. W. Weaver Proprietor.] Tr olll * Bd Rl * ht ® od " d our Co " Btry ' CTwo Dollars per An DIM VOLUME 7. THE STAR OF THE NORTH IS PUBI.I6HKD EVERY TIHJRBDAY MOBNINO BY ft. W. WEAVER. OFFICE— Up flairs, the new brick build ing, on the south side of Main Steert, third square below Market. TERMS Two Dollars per annum, if paid within six months from the time of sub scribing ; two dollars and fifty cents if not paid within the year. No subscription re ceived for a less period than six months ; no discontinuance permitted until all arrearages ore paid, unless at the option of the editor. ADVERTISEMENTS not exceeding one square will be inserted three limes for One Dollar end twenty-five cents for each additional in- , serlion. A liberal discount will be made to ( those who advertise by the year. Star of Ifyt Notify. BlooMSburg, Thursday, Sept. 6, 1855. CRpdldale Tor Assembly. The action of the Convention last Monday endorsed the nomination of JOHN G. MONT GOMERY, ESQ., of Montour County, and he is before the electors of the district as the regular Democratic candidate and as such emitted to an undivided party support. The candidate, this year, being conceded to Montour, the choice of that County should be agreed to, unless strong reasons exist a gainst it, of which the convention and the conferees selected by it, are the competent and proper judges. Alter their approval of the candidate named, his support becomes the clear duty of every member oi the party. There are those who would have prefer red a different selection and to such a few words may be timely; for it is expedient that all should be satisfied that the conven tion proceeded upon clear and solid grounds of action. 1. The nominee is a man of undoubted a bility and character; circumstances greatly to be regarded, especially in view ot the ilelec live material of which the Legislature has been composed for sqme years. The attempt ia now being made throughout the State to select substantial men as candidates, and it is right that this district unite in so good and necessary a work. 2. The nominee IB thoroughly with the party in its battle v ith intolerance and pro scription, and in its stern defence of consti tutional principles against the assaults of fa naticism, ambition and interest. The here sies which bewilder the weak, and seduce into desperate courses those who are unprio . cipled, will have in him an able and deter- mined enemy. 3. The importance of a Democratic major ity in the next Legislature is evident, and hence conciliation and a firm union of both counties upon a candidate is highly expedi ent and necessary. Subjects of legislation of great interest are to be considered at the next session, in which fundamental princi ples are involved, and a Senator to represent this State in the Congress of the United Slates is to be elected. 4. Local difficulties, which have hereto fore existed, are not involved in this election. No question between this county and Mon tour ia pending or is likely to arise; and even if this were not so, there is ample security in the fact that this county will still have a rep resentative in the Senate. Besides, we be lieve the nominee himself is sincerely op posed to any species of renewed agitation. Upon the grounds we have mentioned, and others that could be stated, we trust that Mr. M. will receive a general, generous and uni ted support from the democracy of this coun 'y- Democratic conference. On Wednesday, August 29, 1855, the con ferees from the Democratic party of Colum bia and Montour, met at the house of Jacob Dyer in Cattawissa, whereupon John Deenjr., on motion, was appointed Chairman and Daniel Lee Secretary. Daniel Lee and Casper Uahn produced their credentials as conferees from Columbia, and John Deen jr. and John Dildine as con ferees from Montour and severally took their seats in the conference. - Whereupon, on motion, John G. Montgom ery was unanimously nominated as the Dem ocratic candidate for Assembly in (he next Legislature from this district. The Conference then addressed the follow ing le'ter to Mr. Montgomery and received the following reply, which was approved and ordered to be published with the proceedings of the Conference. On motion adjourned. r * JOHN DEEN, jr., Chairman, DANIEL LEE, Seo'y. Cattawissa, Aug. 29, 1855. f. 0. MONTGOMERY, ESQ.: Dear Sir,— We the un dersigned conferees from the counties of Co lumbia and Montour, take this method of in forming you that you have been duly nomi nated as a candidate for Assembly. ♦ Very respectfully yours, JOHN DEEN, jr. C. RAHN, JOHN DILDINE, DANIEL LEE. To the Conferees cf the Democratic party of tlie Counties of Columbia and Montour, now in session at Cattawissa. GENTLEMEN: —I have this moment receiv ed your letter informing me of my nomina < lion for the legislature by your conference, and in reply aay that I accept (be nomination, and beg you and the conventions which you represent to accept ray thanks for the honor conferred. In order to avoid the necessity of interrog atories during tha canvas* I deem it proper • now to state, that, if elected, I shall sustain in the legislature, all tboaa principles and measures, which compose the platform of the democratic parly, o far as they may come before tbat body. My action, on con- BLOOMSBURG, COLUMBIA COUNTY, PA., THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 6, 1855. stitutional questions, will be guided by my own judgment, matured by careful reflection and on consultation of the highest judicial authorities. On questions of expediency, the will of a majority of my constituents, and not my own. shall control my action. And I shall take special pains to ascertain what that will is, at the time, on all bills of great importance. I am not aware that the know-nothing liquor law of the last session gives satisfaction to any body in this representative district, and I take it for granted that it must give place to some other law on that subject. I, of course, have no knowledge of the provisions and terms of any of the bills which may be proposed as a substitute for it; and therefore will not pledge either for or against cither of them—save only, that on this side issue, and all other questions of expediency, the will of my constituents shall be truly represented. After a personal acquaintance wilh most of my fellow citizens in this district, formed during the practice of my profession, for the last quarter of a century, amongst them; and the recent evidence of their generous confi dence, manifested by a nomination of the democratic conventions in both of the coun ties, for the legislature, unprecedented here for its unanimity; and that too without pledges on any Bubject, I feel justified in saying, that, if 1 shall go into the legislature, I may be there free and untrammeled , to rep resent them truly and honestly, to the best of my ability. J. G. MONTGOMERY. Cattawissa, Aug. 29, 1855. Terrible Accident on the Camden and Amboy Rallroud. Our city was startled yesterday by a repo'rl which reached it about noon, of a terrible ac cident on the Camden and Amboy railroad, about a mile above Burlington, caused by the cars coming in collision wilh a light pleasure wagon and horses, which were attempting to cross the track. . The first news of this instance made the loss of life trilling compared wilh what after wards proved to be the fact,- Ii was not till a lute hour in the day that the details were received. The Lodger sent a reporter to the scene nf the occurrence, and the following facts, obtained on the spot, are derived from the passengers and officers, of the railroad, and aie as reliable as they could be obtain ' ed amid the excitement and distress which the terrible occurrence had caused. The train of cars which left Philadelphia, at 10 o'clock, consisting of five passenger cars, baggage car and locomotive, had reach ed Burlington just before 11 o'clock. It then stopped, waiting for the arrival of the eight o'clock New York train, from Jersey City, which passes at this place. After wailing for from ten to fifteen minu'es, and the New Y'ork train not appearing, the I'hiladephia train went forward slowly, watching for the approach of the downward train. It had gone forward a mile and a quarter when the New York train came in sight. The whistle for tlj£ brake and to reverse the engine, was blown, and the Philadelphia train commen ced backing, and soon got under rapid head way for Burlington again. In this reverse movement, the passenger cars, usually pla ced behind and coming after the locomotive, of course had not the advantage of seeing what was ahead of the backward going train. He had run but a quarter of a mile, and a mile from Burlington, when the first passen ger car came in collision with a light pleas ure wagon, driven by Dr. Hannegan, of Co lumbus, N. J., who attempted to cross the track in front of the cars. The wagon contained Dr. Hanupgan, his wife, and two children. The former, it is said, is hard of hearing, and by this infirmity caused an accident nearly similar, but no*, so fatal, near Beverly, about a year ago. The doctor had seen the cars pass as he was dri ving down the road, and supposing all safe, neglected to keep a proper lookout. The first passenger car struck the two horses in the wagon, just as they were crossing the track, killed them instantly, and threw one thirty feet on one side of '.be track, and the other forty yards on the other side. The wagon was turned round and upset, none of its in mates being injured, except in slight bruises. The front car, A, after striking the horses, ran forward, and off the track, about one hun dred yards, and over a small embankment. The second car, B, was thrown direct! v across the track. The third car (C) went through car B and slopped diagonally across the road, the fourth car (D) followed and ran into car C. The fifth passenger car ar.d baggage car stopped without leaving the track' The two latter were not injured, but three of the other passenger cars were knocked to pieces, and many of their occupants were killed, wound ed and maimed. It is impossible to describe the horrible scene that ensued' The cars were piled up on each other, and numbers of human beings were lying among the ruine—some dead, some dying, some shrieking from pain.— Those saved in the train, and the passengers on the down train, aided by citizens of Bur lington, who were quickly informed of the terrible accident, went to work to rescue the wounded and dying from the ruins. As soon as taken out they were conveyed to Burling ton, where many private houses, as well as Agnew's aud Keliey's taverns, were thrown open to the admission of the wounded, while the Lyceum was appropriated for the recep tion of the dead. Some bad been crushed to death instantly, leaving sosreely a trace to recognize tbem by ; some had been torn limb from limb by the splinters, benches and floors and their remains scattered in every direc tion. Many were suffering from crushed limbs, broken backs, and injured and lacera ted bodies. The scone was a heart-sicken- ing one; but, amid all iti terrors, there were noble instances ol resignation, a self-sacrifi cing spirit from the sufferers, whioh honored human nature. One gentleman, the Hon. Win. B. M'Clay, ex-member of Congress, from New York, who was severely injured, begged those who came to bis aid to give their attentions to others more dangerously wounded: One in dividual wilh his fool crushed, refused to re ceive the aid of the doctors till they had re lieved the sufferings of others, who seemed more to require medical assistance. It was nearly an hour before all the dead and wounded were extricated and placed in the hands of persons ready to aid them.— Eleven dead bodies were taken out of the ru. ins, and others were so badly injured tbat they died as soon as they got to the hotel at Burlington. It ia supposed that Irom fifty to sixty persons have been wounded, some seri ously, and others only slightly.— Phila. Ledg er. Facts about the fluman Body- There are two hundred and eight bones in the human body, exclusive of the teeth.— These bones are composed of animal and earthy materials, the former predominating in youtb and the latter in old age, rendering the bones brittle. The most important of the bones is the spine, which is composed of twenty-four small bones called the vertebrcc, one on top of the other, curiously hooked to gether, and fastened bj elastic ligaments, forming a pillar, so to speak, by which the 1 human frame is supported.. [ The bones are moved by the muscles, of , which there are more than five hundred.— | The red meat of beef, the fat being exclu ded, is the muscular fabric of the ox. There are two sets of muscles, one to draw the bone one way, and another to draw it back again. We cannot better describe the muscles than | by comparing them to fine elastic threads, bound up in theircases of skin. Many mus cles terminate in tendons, which are stout cords, such as may be Q£n traversing the back of the hand, just within the skin ; and which can be observed to move when the hand is opened or shut. Every motion we make, even the involuntary one of breathing, is performed through the a|ency of the mus cles. In adults there are about fifteen quarts of blood, each quart weighing about two pounds. This blood is of two kinds, the arterial and veinous. The first is the pure blood, as it leaves the heart to nourish the frame, and is of a bright vermillion color. The last is the blood, as it returns to the heart, loaded with the impurities of the body, to be there refined and is of a purple hue. Every pulsation of the heart sends out about two ounces of arte rial blood, and as there are from seventy to eighty beats in the minute, a hogshead of blood passes through (he heart every hour. In fevers the pulsations are accelerated; the waste of the body goes on faster than it can be recuperated ; and consequently death en- I sues if the fever is not choked. Tho stomach is the boiler, if we may use such a figure which drives the human engine. Two sets of muscles, crossing each other transversely, turn the food over and over, churning it up in the gastric juice, till it has been reduced to consistency of thin paste.— This process requires Irom two to four hours. Emerging from the stomach, the food enters the small intestines, where it is mixed wilh bile and the pancreatic juice, and converted into chyle. These small intestines are twen ty-four feet long, closely packed, ol course, and surrounded through their whole length with small tubes, which act like suckers, and drawing of the chyle, empty it into a larger tube, named the 'horacio duct, which runs up the back, and discharges its contente into the jugular vein, whence it passes into the heart, to assist in forming arterial blood. v The lungs are two bags, connected with the open air by the windpipe, which branches into innumerable small lubes, all overihe in side of the lungs, each tube terminating in a minute air-ccll. The other surface of these air-cells is full of capillaries, or infinitely small veins, a thin membrane only dividing the air from the blood. The impure portion of veinous blood is carbonic acid, which hav ing a-stronger affinity for air than for blood, passes through this thin membrane, in a gas eous state, combines with the air in the air cells, and is expelled, with the next expira tion. Meantime the oxygen of the air unites with the bipod and become purified, then passing into the heart, being mixed with chyle jt is forped through the body as life-giving and arterial blood. The skin serves an important purpose in carrying off impurities Irom the human sys tem. It ie traversed with capillaries, which contain more blood, in the aggregate, than all the other capillaries of the body. It ie also perforated with countless perspiration tubes, the united length of which amount to twen ty-eight mite*, and which drain away from three to four pounds of waste matter every twenty-four hours, or five eights of all that the body discharges. The nervee are another curious feature of the animal economy. Tbey are, however, but little understood. They act as feelers to tell the wants of the body and also as con- I doctors to will the muscles to act. They branch out from the brain and spine, over the whole Irarae, in infinitely fine fibres, like ihe branches and twigs of a tree.—Ledger. 17* Yon cannot fathom your mind. There ia a well there whioh has no bottom- The i more yeu draw from it, the more clear and beautiful it will be. Slankspcare's reason why a horrid Know Nothing oath is not Binding. K. Harry. For shame in duty bend thy knee. Salisbury. 1 have. K. Hairy. Canst thou dispense with heav en for such ait oath! Salisbury. It is a great sin to swear unto a sin. But a greater sin to keep a sinful oath. Who can be bound by any solemn vow To do a murderous deed, to rob a man, To force a spotless virgin's chastity, To reave the orphan of his patrimony, To wring the widow from her entom'd right - And have no other teason for this wrong But that he was bound by solemn vow 1 (Second part of King Henry VI ) Shakspoare never wrote a ttuer or better thing and every man that, in an evil or tho't less hour, takes a vow to do a wrong, is in duty bound to himself, his God and hisooun try, to correct it by disavowing it. Arrival of the Canada at Halifax. ONE WE¥K LATER FROM - EUROPE. HALIFAX, Aug. 29.—TtieCunrad steamship Canada, from Liverpool, with dates to Satur day, the 18th inst.. arrived here at 4 o'clock this morning. Her news Is one week later than our last previous advices. The news from the seat of war is highly important. The Russian army under Liprandi had at tacked the lines of the Allies at Tchernaya, on the morning of the 15th, and after a bat tle which lasted three hours, were repulsed by the French and Sardinians with a report ed loss of 5400 prisoners. The Canada also brings intelligence of the bombardment of Sweaborg continuously from the 9th to the 11th, by the Allied fleets, with immense destruction of property, but with trifling loss to the Allies. After the bombardment, the fleets return ed on the 13th to Norgen. The Russian fleet at Sweaborg was not touched. Denmark is reported to have sent a Com missioner to_ ask the advice of France wilh reference to the refusal of American vessels to pay Sound duties. Gen. Simpson telegraphs that the bombard ment of Sebastnpol would re-open on the morning of the 17th. ''Cattcrwisser" Opposition Line- One nf the Repotters of the Bulletin furnsih es the following : Going to Wilmington the other day in the cars, we saw a rather singular-looking indi vidual somewhat stout, rather carelessly dres sed and with a straw hat pressed down over his eyes: he was also distinguished by an imperturable and apparently taciturn sort of a look. A quiet, rather fat, inoflensive-look ing old gentleman who was sitting near him, happened to mention the Cattawissa Railroad) when our imperturable friend suddenly rais ing his straw hat, hanging it on the corner of his head, and looking the old gentleman straight in the eyes, thus spoke: " Catterwuser, Have ye ever travelled on the Cattcrwisser road!" "No sir I" said the old gentleman looking rather surprised.— " Don't then," said he, " if you believe in a hereafter don't do it unless your life's insured —if I was Agent of a Life Insurance Compa ny, I'd put into every policy, that every man who travelled on the Catterwiseer read should pay*five per cent, extra Did ye ever see the Cattcrwisser V' "No sir," said the old gentleman. " Well, I'll tell you how it is; they've gath ered up all the short curves, and long bridges and high trestle work, and steep grades on all the roads in the United Stales as an tll-us tra-tion of what a railroad km-be; but there's one advantug#about the Cattcrwisser, there's a saven of bell-rope, it winds 'round just like a snake, and when the Conductor wants to speak to the Engineer, he jest goes on to the hinder end of the hind car, apd that jes> brings him where he kin shake hands with the Engineer, always. Yes sir-ee, there nev er was anything like them curves—there's a place on the Calterwisser they call Ring town, because the road after describiu' a cir cle comes round to the same place. ... I was I was going on it the other day, when we came to tbat ar' place I seen an engine com ing smack into the hind oar. I thought it be longed to another train, but it turned out to be the locomotive of our train coming round like a cat after its own tail, and the difficulty was, that they'd put on so long a train that it went round the hull ring, and nothin' saved us but reverein' the engine There is one other advantage, stranger, in the Cattcr wisser Ye never need a Doctor, they bridge right up the mountains, usin' the little ones for 'butmeuts, and the only level place is right on the lop of the mountain, so if you do run off the track yer smashed up so that one man can't be told from another." He here paused a minute, and a gentleman who had been listening quietly remarked— Ain't you the Captain of the Northumberland boat!" " Well," said he, "stranger, maybe I am." Roars of Laughter greeted his answer, as the secret of his opposition to the "Catterwis ssr" thus came out. While on the subjeet, we may as well stste for the information of those who may have an inkling that the Captains story has some slight foundation in faot, that the point of the whole lies in its excessive unveracity. The Cattawissa may be confidently commended in the words of Mynheer Var. Genade as "a goot roat my lorls—a fery goot toat 1" in faot one of the very best roads in the poqntry. ~,,r * Beautiful extract—helping a young lady out of a mud- puddle. PARENTAL CONSTITUIION. It is a very prevalent opinion among the unprofessional that those persons who are most fresh and round in appearances, possess the best constitution. As these appearances very frequently depend upon plethora, we have the reason why so largo a proportion of fiue healthy looking persons die during the prevalence of severe epidemics. Women with such constitutions, though well and healthy looking, have usually but few chil dren, ar.d they are of an inferior quality. On the other hand very many feeble and infirm women have many fresh and rosy looking children, but their appearance is de ceptive—their condition is one ot obesity—a constitutional weakness of the vital forces which has been entailed upon them. The rich or those who live high, are too plethoric to be fruitful, and hence sach peo ple have usually few children. The poorer classes, or those who have enough, such as it is, consisting mostly of vegetables, are much.rr.oro prolific, and the children have the best promise of health and longevity.— Bui the most prolific* women, for the time being, are those who are laboting under some slow, chronic, but certainly false disease, as consumption. This appears to be a law ol the vegetable and animal kingdoms, that in proportion to the danger of the species be coming extinct, so far as the individuals are concerned, is the increase of fecundity— Fruit trees, so battered and bruised that they must die in a year or so, are certain to have a full crop of fruit before they die. Woinqn thus circumstanced should not marry, and if after marriage they should be come so, they should cease to become moth ers. The amount of disease and premature death that is entailed upon society by marriage ol unhealthy persons, is such as lo demand, on the part of society, the enactment of some protective ordinance. If the consequences were confined to Ihe parties themselves, or even to their children, the evil would be com paratively small; but the multiplication of it is so rapid, that in a few generations, a very large extent of country becomes similarly af flicted. Because a man or woman has ac quired a predisposition to consumption or some other form of disease, it does not follow that the privilege should e\jst :o email it on others. There is scarcely an individual in society who has not witnessed the deplorable conse quences of the marriage of those who have entailed upon them a predisposition to con sumption, to insanity, to apoplexy, etc.; then what should we think ol diose who, knowing themselves, by what iliuy know of their an cestors, to exist with such predispositions, place then,selves in such a situation as to visit the mischief upon unborn hundreds, perhaps thousands ! We must conclude that they have never seriously thought upon the subjeot, or else, that they are superlatively selfish or inexcusably dishonest. There has become broadcast in our coun try, a predisposition more mischievons than consumption, insanity,or any form of disease that now occurs to us, though not suddenly and speedily fatal—it ia intemperance in the use of ardent spirits. A drunkard is almost sure to be the grandfather of drunkards, through the female part of his children, and it is probable that he may be ihe father ol them. A practical phrenologist rarely fails*to de tect this predisposition. Indeed, it may be truly said, that ail predispositions to disease, as well as to crime or moral depravity, are advertised upon the outside of the head. All predispositions may be removed by appropriate physical and mental education, and by judicious marriage alliances ; but who is to direct these ! All that we can do is to announce their existence, and toadmon ish all young people against forming an alli ance with them. There is yet another predisposition, which has hitherto, so far as we know, entirely es caped the notice of physiologists, and yet it is one which should avoid, in a marriage al liance, and every one would avoid it who en tertains ambitious hopes ofhis children, if he knew it. We allude to those women who very closely resemble their mother, and in consequence of this entail upon them, they will entail their own likeness and constitu tion upon their daughters, and those of their husbands upon their sons. Such children never equal their parents respectively—the fact indicates thai the work of degeneracy is in progress, and if continued will result in physical infirmity and mental imbecility To this law there ia possibly an exception in the sanguine temperament. The Arabians seem to have understood this long since—they maintain that lite blood in any species of animals is transmitted through the female ; hence they will cheerfully sell \ their stallions lo foreigners, but not their mares. As a very general law with all classes and species of animals, man included, males in herit through their mother, and females through the father. Daughters, though in heriting the mental peculiarities of a father, may never manifest them, because of their more restrained position in sooiety, but her sons will. The charucter of the sons may be inferred from that of the maternal grand fathers. These rules are always applicable, except when the elements of both parents are blend ed in the children, whioh is frequently the ease.—W. BYRD I'OWEI.L. 17* Physical, mental and moral education is the livicg fountain whioh must water ev ery part of the social garden, or its boauty withers and fades. From the Medical Reformer. THEORIES IN MEDICINE, BY MARSHALL CALKINS, M. D. Theory not basod upon fact is the bane of Science; and the history of scientific in vestigation always shows its injurious re sults. The Ancients, reasoning from a pri ori hypotheses, sought by one powerful ef fort of genius, to discover the essence of life and of matter; and the primordial law by which to explain all the phenomena of the universe. The result was not salutary. It tended to prevent the ingress of actual sci ence into medicine in the interpretation of those physical phenomena which are the I indices of morbid changes. The proper function of scienco is to study phenomena and their relations, to deal only with mate tials furnished by the senses and conscious ness. Medicine, not having to a great ex tent used science in a proper manner, has not madeAhat progress which it otherwise would have made, had induction in reason ing been its directing agent in the path of improvement. But inductive science may be misused and its utility to a great extent lost to medi cal progress. Induction, though ascending from effect to cause, and looking to facts as its starting point, may nevertheless, too has tily draw general conclusions. And one great error which the novice in medical sci enco is prone to imbibe is that of drawing a general conclusion from a very few and ill selected facts. One phenomenon is not guf ficient. Their number must be many—and the evidence should be unmistakable. To prevent the ill effects of this error, especial ly among the enthusiastic lovers and devo tees of medical innovation, I would suggest the propriety of using a full share of caution in the pursuit of any new idea, or new plan of medical practice. Why is it that depletion has held, for so long a time, dominion over the opinions of medical men! Induction in reasoning has pretended to bo its supporter, and yet after all modern physiological sci cnco condemns depletion as unscientific and worse than useless. When we take two gases— say oxygen and hydrogen,— and cause them to unite, the result is water. This is always the result when these gases unite in their usual mnimer, and there is no room for conjecture or ground for dispute coneorning it. But suppose a man is sick with an acute disease. Hero we have more than two or three or even four modifying conditions. How then can we, without knowing these conditions, predict the result of medication ! It is impossible to do this with mathematical certainty. All that can be done, with any hope of success, is to make all the conditions, so far as possible in different cases, identical, except the con dition caused by the medicine. Thus, let fifty patients uuder the the same circum stances, wilh similar constitutions, the same good care, the same puro atmosphere, and the same habits, take one kind of treatment and then watch the result. Let another fif ty take another kind of medicine, and so on.—By experimenting in this manner, on a large scale, —and by watching to see how much the disease is changed from its un biased course by the medicine prescribed, something definite may be obtained, and science may receive valuable accessions.— But the loose way in which many physi cians reason from experience, is of no avail. In natural science similar difficulties to those in medicine arise, and yet those are, to a considerable extent, overcome. The same plan of investigation should be adopted in medicine, in order that this profession may become not the "scienco of guessing," but a science in reality. It is not a little amusing to observe how different are the results of the observations of different men. A disciple of Hahnemann in the use of one drug sometimes perceives, as one would think, all the twiggles and twinges, all the burning head-aches, and epigastric pains, that have existed since the | days of Hippocrates; and all those are put ' down as symptoms produced by the medi cine prescribed. Teste recommends Lobe lia as particularly adapted to the removal of about sixty symptoms. He also found it good for the itch. The Botanic Physician would hardly find so many symptoms in the pathogenesis of Lobelia, because his at tention has not become so sensitive to the impression of infinitesimal symptoms upon his perception. We must, therefore, in reading the observations of others make great deductions from the tilings stated for natural and acquired bias of mind. The human eye, when trained, to seo little and near objects all the time, becomes less able to view the large and distant, —so the hu man mind, accustomed to notice for a long timo the minutest sensations, will create in the fanciful chamber of the cerebrum fan tastic shapes and forms that are indigenous to that locality and found there alone. How then can we select the truth! Where is it! Who tells it! Whom can we trust— and in them not be disappointed! These are questions which it will puzzle a philoso pher to answer. In regard to the second question, I will say that truth exists in na ture, and that science is but the revelation of nature's truth. Science, then, is a col lection of facts relative to matter and mind, systemised or having a certain relation to each other, as the limb to the body. Do we not know beyond a doubt that the blood moves through the heart! How do we know this! Because the observations of all who know how to observe, agree as to this point. Here then we have in this anatomical fact an accession to Science. This reveals a large number of minor and subordinate facts concerning the circulation of the blood in the capillaries. Dissections, the phenom ena of sound in moving liquids, amputa- NUMBER 33. lions, lire laws of Hydrostatics, Chemical affinity,—and in fact, all scientific physio logical science concurs in the existence of this motion in the blood. Who tells the truth? We have many falsehoods told in medical reasoning and in medical treatises, not intentional, but from a want of consideration. In the first place a man who is honest, other things be ing equal, is more prone to tell the truth.— One who is wedded to a theory is morn prone to be turned aside from truth. We can, therefore, with the most safety trust those men who have no antiquated creeds to support, no broken down systems to ad vocate, no self-interest at slake; those men who have sound common sense, an honest purpose, a generous philanthropy, and en tire freedom from the slavery of medical sectarianism ; those men who are independ ent, whose opinions are derived from a close scrutiny of nature's laws; who hava been trained to habits of scientific investi gation, and have ascended so high up the pathway of science, as to be able to behold the vastness of its field, and the richness of its treasures. Concerning the first question proposod,— how can we discover or select truth—much has been said by medical men; maxims are given, among which we have ; "Seise upon truth wherever found," as if a maxim would tell what troth is, and where it may be found. The great difficul ty is to ascertain the precise locality of truth, to separate it from error, so that it Bhall stand out before the conscience in all its native purity. Now, as in the days of Galen, we hear the word "Eclectic" often used, a word proper enough and good enough, in case we get, by common con-' sent, some limit to its boundary, and know its precise significance. Eclecticism an ticipates that there is truth in all systems, though more or less partial distorted and ob scured. Its object is to sift the truth from the error, to throw away the chaff, and to gather the wheat into gamers. This object is indeed a commendable one. But how go on with this sifting process and detect all the little items of truth scattered among the rubbish of theories? Are these items of truth spread out, bright as diamonds, glis tening upon the surface of the earth; or are they, like the diamond beneath iffcumbent rocks, whose light and beauty must be re vealed by long labor and hard, deep digging through intervening obstructions. If, by eclecticism wo mean taking a little here, and a little there, a little pepper and a little mercury,—a little belladonna—and a little lobelia, now a little bleeding, a little leeching—and now a slight touch of the ec lectric finger of Jove, without having any guiding principle by which to make the se lection, never excluding anything, but im bibing everything, then surely eclecticism must resemble a garment made wlioly of patches of all colors, and of all materials.— But if, on the contrary, we mean by the term eclectic, a selecting of those remedies which, while acting in such a manner upon the secretions and excretions, as to eliminate wasto and poisonous matter from the sys tem faster than nature could do, unaided by remedies, do not injure the tissues of the body, nor leave any ill* effect after that ac tion lias ceased; —and also using as our guides in making our selection of remedies, the principles of physiology, and the idea that inflammation is not an exalted condi tion of vital action, but rather a depressed one, then there cannot, as the matter ap pears to my mind, be any objection to the use of the word Eclectic. It is necossary ; then, —in order to make a judicious selection of remedies,—for Re formers to take "a stand point upon some principle sufficiently comprehensive to em brace within itself the truth of all well se lected experience, aud sound medical rea soning;—upon a principle which vindicates its own right to existence by embodying the truth of all, and whicli by taking away the valuable material of other systems, demol ishes them, and rears on their ruins, its own majestic temple. Eclecticism, then, should show its comprehensive law,—or its gener al idea which shall vindicate its title to what it takes. Until this is effected, its most valuable acquisitions must be shrowded in , the smoke of contention, and its voice be more than equaled by the loud rattle of I faction and strife. Physiology and Pathol ogy are already working out this compre hensive law, and the consumation of the work must bo effected—if effected at ail by directing the keen perception of cultiva ted intellect along the pathway which na ture pursues in the cure of diseasp. Already, from the highest authority, we are told that diseased action "is but a perversion, by ex cess—by diminution, or by deprivation, of some natural function." The true medical Philosopher should use this idea as a guide, pointing out the direction in which he may look for safe and efficient remedies;—as a guide, showing him how to avoid that fool ish dabbling with harsh and dangerous means which tends to antagonize the efforts of nature, and open for the exit of the soul the gate of deatti. With such -objects and aims in view a judicious Eclecticism, if its adherents are faithful, must succeed. It stUl needs, however, within its ranks, and work ing side by side, more practical, educated practitioners, and more logical and scien tific investigators. The one is as necessary as the other. The man of Science must push his en auiries far back of the mere phenomena of isease, accurately examine those changes which it causes in the ultimate cell of ani mal fife. He must " All the subtle, nice affinities Of matter trace; its virtues, motions, laws," and bring to light those general principles which by his practical associate may be successfully applied in the cure of disease. This union and harmony of effort muot pro duce the most favorable result When this shall be effected, the light of a medical sci ence unbiassed by sectarianism, shall break forth as the morning, and the healing art no longer hissed at ana reproached, shall again have its representatives at the feast of the Gods.
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