History of the expulsion of Drs. R.S. Newton and Z. Freeman from the Eclectic Medical Institute : with the causes which rendered it necessary, and an exposition of the slanderous and factious course which has been pursued by the off-casts from the Institute / by W. Sherwood.

  • Sherwood, Wm. (William)
Date:
[1856?]
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: History of the expulsion of Drs. R.S. Newton and Z. Freeman from the Eclectic Medical Institute : with the causes which rendered it necessary, and an exposition of the slanderous and factious course which has been pursued by the off-casts from the Institute / by W. Sherwood. 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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    of magnesia, upon which a tincture had heen poured. The weight of carbonate of magnesia obtained from 25 grains was 21.25 grains. The other resinoids I have examined (he continues), and with the same comparative results ; the only difference being a slight variation in the amount of rarb. magnesia found. 1 have examined in all, eighteen specimens of the products of the American Chemical Institute, called resi- noids and alkaloids, and have found but four specimens to be as represented. Can the ethics of the medical profession be so far cor- rupted as to tolerate such frauds as the above—frauds which are utterly without defence ? if so, our profession is degenerate indeed, and we shall expect to see Brandreth, Holloway, and the host of minor quacks, affiliated with medical schools and medical journals. Is it any apology fur such impositions, if the parties, warned by an exposure, are induced to sell pure medicines in other cases, or to vigilant customers? By no means; those who engage in such a course, are never to be trusted The first exposition did not arrest the frauds, nor have we any evidence that they have yet been discontinued. A party arrested for manufacturing and passing counterfeit money, would not find it any mitigation of his offense if he should prove that he had a considerable amount of good money also. The expression concentrated swindles, was very prop- erly applied to these preparations by the Georgia Professor. Adulterated medicines are not to be regarded as mere com- mercial frauds, like sanded sugar and watered brandy. Nor are they of the same grade as counterfeit bank notes, which merely rob their victim of so much money ; for, in addition to robbing the purchaser of his money, they ren- der all prescriptions uncertain, and endanger life and health in patients, to an extent beyond pecuniary compu- tation. If the forger of bank notes is esteemed infamous, a double infamy attaches to the manufacturer of fraud- ulent, adulterated medicines, and to all who are accessary to his crime. In the present instance, the accessary not only fights the battles of his principal, but employs, for that purpose a periodical, called the Eclectic Medical Journal ; and, unless the Eclectic Physicians of the United States repu- diate that Journal, by withdrawing their patronage, it will do much to fasten upon the entire profession the charge of being friends and sympathisers with the vilest form of quackery that has ever dishonored human nature. VERACITY OF DR. NEWTON; AN EXHIBITION OF HIS HABITUAL VIOLATION OF TRUTH, AND A BRIEF NOTICE OF HIS CALUMNIES. To the numerous petty calumnies and misrepresenta- tions of Dr. Newton, so industriously and widely circu- lated, there is one general answer, viz: that Dr. Nkwton IS unwortiiv of uelikf, and consequently his calumnies, unless supported by some respectable testimony, are worthy only of contempt. That his assertions are worth- less, I propose to show by reference to some of the most marked examples of his disregard to truth, in matters of public notoriety. EXAMPLES OF HARD SWEARING. The very first step of Dr. Newton, in litigation with the Faculty—his petition for an injunction, opens with a start- ling falsehood in the first paragraph—an assertion which he knew to be false when he wrote it. The dividend which is guaranteed to stockholders upon the stock of the In- stitute is from six to ten per cent., according to the amount of the dividend fund. Dr. Newton, having been for several years a stockholder and Treasurer of the Institute, having given more attention than any other individual to its financial affairs, was perfectly familiar with the rate of the interest or dividend which he paid out as Treasurer and received as stockholder. Nevertheless, in petitioning for an injunction against the Officers of the Institute, and demanding money ($1,000) to be paid over to him, he swears in the first paragraph of his petition, that he is bound to collect and pay over to the stockholders of the Institute twenty PEB cent ox ail the capful stock of the Institute! which is double the largest amount that can ever he appropriated in that way. * * and as such Treasurer he is in duty bound to collect and receive from the students of said Institute, and other sources, an amount of money equal to twenty per cent, on all the capital stock subscribed to said Institute, and to disburse the same to all holders of said stock, ac- cording to their respective shares. Sworn to this 10th day of April, 1856, before me, Thomas Spooner, By Deputy, Thos. Winter. What does this mean? He could not have expected to impose upon any body or accomplish any purpose by such a flagrant falsehood. The only reasonable explanation of such swearing is. that having his mind zealously bent upon obtaining money from the Fhctdty to benefit himself he fcltdisi osed to intensify or exaggerate all his claims in that direction, and therefore wrote his claim at twenty per cent, instead of ten, without pausing to reflect whether it. was true or false. This instance shows, at least, that even his sworn statements are not to be received without great caution and skepticism. 2d and 3d. The oath of Dr. Newton that official meet- ings had been held by the Board of Trustees under in- junction, and that he had been totally excluded from the College is expressed as follows : ' and that Defendants have disregarded the said order of said Court, by holding meetings as Trustees, and giving orders, and by retaining exclusive possession of the prem- ises described in said petition, as Trustees, as described therein : and Defendants, as such Trustees, have not only assumed to act. but have really acted as Trustees as afore- said, and excluded plaintiff from all participation in said premises, all which is contrary to law, and in contempt of the said order of this court.'' Amendment added during trial, and on Monday, the 14th of April, actually locked the door and excluded Plaintiff from said Institute. t The first portion of the oath, that the Trustees had helb meetings and given orders, was based upon no fact, but was contrary to the fact. Having a suspicion that such might he the fact, and a strong desire that it should be, ht swore that it was. as he wished it to be. The fact was, that no meeting of the Board had been held at alt. Dr. Buc- hanan, supposing that the meeting would be held accord- ing to adjournment, notified him to he present, and in about an hour after, sent him a written notice, that the previous information was a mistake. He received and read these notices, and therefore, knew that he had no evidence of a meeting being held. How then could he have the audacity to swear to a meeting which was not held, and nf which he had no evidence at all? Just as he has the audacity to publish many statements which are equally groundless. It is the apparent improbability that any man of average intelligence will fabricate such baseless false- hoods that gives them currency. It is difficult to believe at first that such depravity and folly should be found in an educated physician; but I believe they never were found associated in any well-educated man. Dr. Newton's affidavit, that he had been excluded from all participation in the College edifice, was based solely upon the fact that the outer door of the College had once heen accidentally locked at the commencement of his lec- ture hour, as I hud gone to the College to unlock it, but forgotten to do so. The door was consequently locked until one of the students could find me and obtain the key, which was immediately returned with an apology ; and additional tinu was offend to Dr. N. to compensate his accidental loss, which he refused to accept. Yet, know- ing these circumstances, he amended his affidavit in court, by adding a specification of the time and place when he