History of the rise, progress, and principles of the American eclectic practice of medicine / by W. Paine.

  • Paine, William, 1821-
Date:
[1862?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: History of the rise, progress, and principles of the American eclectic practice of medicine / by W. Paine. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    In 1825, Wooster Beach, M^ D., a graduate of the Univer- sity of New York, an Allopathic school, obtained from Dr. Jacob Tid, of New Jersey, a noted Botanic, a full knowledge of the vir- tues and curative powers of the native remedies, far as they were known at that time. The information thus obtained enabled him to cure many cases and diseases which hitherto had baffled the skill of the Allopathic profession. In 1827, Dr. Beach, in connexion with some friends, established a large Infirmary, for the purpose of more extensively testing the merits of the indigenous remedies of America in the cure of disease. In one year he treated about two thousand one hundred patients with such remarkable success, as to attract the. attention of many of the leading minds of that time; and the sub- ject of establishing schools in which the medical resources of our country might be studied in addition to the ordinary curriculum pur- sued in medical colleges, was contemplated. Accordingly, in 1829, initiatory steps were taken, and in 1830 a permanent organization was effected by an amendment to the char- ter incorporating the Worthington Literary College of Ohio, thus connecting with it a medical department. The first systematic course of lectures in this institution, was held in the winter and spring of 1830. The Faculty were composed of medical gentlemen of the first order of talent, all of them graduates of Allopathic colleges. The teachings embraced all the branches usually pursued in medical colleges; to wit, Anatomy, Physio- logy, Pathology, Surgery, Theory and Practice of Medicine, Ob- stetrics, and Diseases of Women and Children, Materia Medjcaty Pharmacy, and Chemistry. In addition to which a full knowledge, as far as was known, of the curative powers of indigenous remedies, together with the medical resources of Homoeopathy, Hydropathy, &c, was' taught with a view of appropriating all that science and experience proved to be valuable in the, treatment of disease. Hence they applied to their teachings and school the term Eclec- tic; which means, **to choose, to select. The prosperity of the school was almost unparalleled. The gra- duates met with great encouragement, and their practice with re- markable success; so much so, that other schools in different sec- tions of the country were subsequently organized. The.great prosperity of the school, and the success of its gradu- ates, excited the jealousy of the Allopathic profession to such an extent, that they were determined upon its destruction. Accord- ingly, they began by circulating reports among the people that dissections were carried on to'an unwarrantable degree, and depicted in the strongest language the direful results, should such proceed- ings not be arrested. Thus they eventually succeeded in arousing the prejudices of the community in such a manner, that in the spring of 1839 they headed a mob of nearly two thousand men, and de-