ART. I.—CASE OF RADICAL CURE OF UMBILICAL HERNIA. BY W. B. DODSON, M. D., OF LOUISVILLE, KY. Louisville, April 4, 1840. By the advice of my very worthy friend Dr. Galt, I was called to see a small coloured boy, belonging to D. Strother, Esq., aged about two years and eight months, affected with congenital umbilical hernia, which was reduced without any particular difficulty, but reappeared, as soon as he assumed the erect position, to its full extent. He was healthy, and remarkably large and active for that age. The pain and distress about the umbilicus gradually augmented as the protrusion became larger. The sac or external tumour was three and a half inches in length and about three inches wide, or across from side to side, formed of the integuments around the umbilicus by the constant protrusion of the intestine, and propulsion of the abdominal viscera. The umbilical arteries were plainly and distinctly felt beating on each side of the neck of the sac, which was about one and a quarter inch in width (from side to side) and three quarters of an inch thick (vertically). Not having such an instrument as was desired, I applied a more common one, with the inferior third of the block cut away -supporting the sac with an appropriate bandage -8th, saw the patient and adjusted the instrument-16th, the sac contracted, thickened, and more firm-made some alteration in the instrument and re-applied it. From this time until the 21st of June, I saw him frequently, and he appeared to be doing as well as I could have expected with the kind of instrument then in use. At the last named date I applied a newly constructed truss which fitted well, the blocks were made to grasp the neck of the sac with considerable firmness, so as in part to arrest the circulation. On the 22d, I found a sufficient degree of irritation developed to require a less degree of pressure. July 1st, adjusted the instrument owing to a slight superficial ulcer-31d, doing wellabout this time the patient was sent into the country for four or five weeks, during which time the instrument became misplaced, and on his return to the city I found a slight protrusion of the hernia on the right and inferior edge of the thoroughly tested the strength of the parts. ART. II.-REPORT OF THE MINORITY OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, ON THOMSONIANISM. [In the following report-which we are grieved to say proceeded from a minority of a select committee of the Assembly of the State of New Yorkmade on May the 12th, 1840, there is Pickwickian humour, with much good sense and fair argument. Mr. Clarke, we understand, is a lawyer. How much it is to be regretted, that all his fellow members in the assembly, and the community in general, are not equally well informed. The report is interesting in another respect. It contains, within it, an exposition of the principles of the Thomsonians from the pen of one of their own oraeles.-ED.] Mr. C. E. Clarke, from the minority of the select committee to which were referred the numerous petitions asking a change of the law towards certain practitioners in medicine, known as Thomsonian practitioners, reports: That the petitions are very numerous, perhaps more so than on any other subject which has occupied the attention of the present legislature. The rolls of petitions, and the list of names, are amazing: amounting to more than 36,000. On examining them, however, it appears that they are not the growth, produce and manufacture of any one single year, but of ten long years-the same length of time that was occupied in the siege of Troy-the tithe of a century. On inspection of these antiquated rolls, some of which bear that smoky and venerable appearance which characterizes the manuscripts which are excavated from the ruins of Herculaneum, the committee discover the names of many who have long since departed-left the warm precincts of celestial day, and who, by the act of their departure, have given another melancholy proof that man is mortal; and that though his life may be sweetened and his days prolonged by that ministering angel, the physi cian, that to man there is an appointed time, even though he may have full faith and confidence in the infallibility of the doctor of his choice. The committee are the friends of petition in its most enlarged sense; but they think that there should be some limit even to this right; and that as all temporal rights and privileges close with life, it seems that a good stopping place should be the grave, the more especially, as in the grave there is neither knowledge nor device. In this enterprising, stirring, speculating, go-ahead country, changes of location and changes of opinion are of every day occurrence; and it is by no means to be inferred, that because an individual signed a petition ten years since, that he is in favour of the principles of that petition now. This fact is illustrated in the petitions now under consideration. In 1830, a law existed which imposed a fine of twenty-five dollars on every person who should, without being authorized by law, practise physic or surgery; and no person was authorized by law to practise physic or surgery, till he had arrived at the age of twenty-one years; and until he should have pursued the study of physic and surgery four years with some physician and surgeon authorized by law to practise as such, and had been duly examined by and received a diploma from the censors appointed by law to take such examination. At the instance and request of those styling themselves Thomsonian doctors, and those friendly to them, this law was so far modified, as not to prohibit any person from administering to the sick, any roots, barks, or herbs, the produce of the United States. There is still a further provision, that any person not authorized by law to practise physic and surgery, shall be incapable of recovering by suit, any debt arising for such practice. The essence of the law is this: any person, whether young or old, male or female, in short, any being who can be distinguished by the name of "person," may practise as a physician and administer to the sick, roots, barks, or herbs, the growth of the United States; but he shall not, unless authorized by law to practise as a physician and surgeon, be allowed to sue for and recover at law, for such services. But if any person, not an authorized physician, shall administer to the sick any roots or herbs, or barks not the growth of the United States, or any other medicines, he shall not be allowed to collect pay for the same, and shall be subject to a fine of twenty-five dollars. He who should as a physician administer a portion of sulphur, or salts, or magnesia, or Peruvian bark, aloes, gum arabic, or myrrh, or camphor, or opium, medicines of well known properties, and of most salutary effect, cannot collect pay for his services, and is subject to a fine of twenty-five dollars. While he who shall administer lobelia, or tobacco, or red pepper, or any other poisonous root, herb, or bark, is exempt from any such fine, provided the poison grew in the United States. It is not the object or intention of the minority of the committee to criticise this law, though they cannot discover any reason why it should not be as safe and proper, and lawful to administer salts and sulphur, or camphor, or gum arabic, or Peruvian bark, as the meats of the peach stone, red pepper, or lobelia. The committee only refer to the fact to show that so far from dealing harshly towards this class of physicians, the legislature has actually strained a point in their favour, and have treated the person who uses the medicines which have been in use a thousand years, as though he was a dangerous man, and his medicines exclusively to be guarded against. Of the 36,000 petitioners, whose names have been this winter presented to the legislature, 12,418 pray for the repeal of the law which subjected to a fine of twenty-five dollars, any person who should practise as a physician without being authorized by law. The committee take leave to say that so far as this class of physicians is concerned, this law has been repealed many years since. This class of physicians and their peculiar medicines, have been exempted from the operation of a law which they stigmatise as severe, against natural rights, inhuman and unconstitutional, while those who presume to practise as physicians without a license, with myrrh, aloes, salts, camphor, and Peruvian bark, are still subjected to this same "inhuman" and unconstitutional law, and submit without murmur or complaint. It appears to the minority of the committee, that the law thus far, so far from being partial against the Thomsonians, is very partial in their favour, and that if any persons have occasion to complain of "monopoly" and "severity" of law, it is those who have been prevented from using, as physicians, those medicines which have been known as salutary for thousands of years. The committee further report that it is idle, to say the least, to overwhelm the legislature with petitions for the redress of a grievance which has long since been redressed, to petition the legislature for the repeal of a law which has long since been repealed. Of the remaining petitions 6,476 pray for the repeal of that portion of the law which prohibits any person, practising as a physician or surgeon, without being licensed, from collecting pay for his services. This law is equal and impartial; it extends to all. The legal qualifications required in order to enable a physician to collect pay are the same to all; the Thomsonian may, if he chooses, become licensed just as easily as any other, and being thus licensed, has full liberty to practise in his own peculiar way and with his own peculiar medicines, and to recover by law for his services. It must always be borne in mind that this class of physicians are not prohibited from using their own peculiar medicines and practising in their own way, and that if they will study the prescribed length of time and in the manner prescribed by law, they have full liberty to receive whatever compensation the person administered to sees proper to pay; and that this is greater liberty than is granted to any other unlicensed physician. The question then is simply this: Shall the law give to any person, no matter who or what, the power of the law to enforce the payment of a claim for medical services? No fact is better established than this, that diseases become less dangerous, far less deadly, as we become acquainted with their nature and cause. It would seem that to become acquainted with the nature and cause of disease, an intimate knowledge of anatomy and physiology was absolutely necessary; and that to administer successfully, to their age and experience, the knowledge of the nature and power of medicines was equally necessary; and this would imply a knowledge of materia medica and chemistry. The committee had progressed thus far in the investigation, and discovering that there was a great diversity of opinion amongst the petitioners, and that while about 6,000 prayed for unrestricted liberty, 17,000 prayed for restrictions, took some pains to ascertain what was the nature and extent of the restrictions for which the 17,000 petitioners prayed, and for that purpose they gave notice to Dr. John Thomson of this city, through whose means most of the petitions were presented to this house, and who is the son of the founder of this system of practice. It was ascertained that there is a medical society in this state known as the New York State Medical Thomsonian Botanical Society; that Dr. John Thomson, of the city of Albany, is its president. This gentleman furnished the committee with his views in writing upon this interesting subject, which cannot, perhaps, be better expressed than in his own words, which the committee take leave to present. It seems that the learned president of the N. Y. S. M. T. B. S., is himself of opinion that one year's study is necessary in order to qualify a physician; and that he should be of mature age, and should be examined by Thomsonian censors, and should have a diploma from the said society, as evidence of such qualification, before he was admitted to practise or collect pay. This he explains is the meaning of the 17,000 petitioners who have signed the following petition. "To the Honourable Legislature of the State of New York, in Senate and Assembly convened: "We whose names are hereunto subscribed, being citizens of the county of Orleans and state of New York, most respectfully beg leave to state to your honourable body, that there exists in this state a numerous and respectable class of medical men, called THOMSONIAN PHYSICIANS,' whose theory and system of medical practice differs so essentially from the legally established medical practice, that the existing medical laws of this state, instead of encouraging and protecting them in their efforts to improve and simplify the healing art, tend materially to embarrass and paralyze their exertions, by depriving them of legal aid in collecting their dues. "We therefore pray your honourable body, during your present session, to enact a law, which shall enable this class of physicians to collect pay for services rendered in attending the sick; especially those who are, or may hereafter, become members of the Thomsonian Medical Society of the state of New York, and have received, or may hereafter receive, diplomas therefrom." The committee at this point encountered a disagreement amongst doctors and the duty seemed to devolve upon them of solving a difficulty which was embalmed in an adage a thousand years ago-"when doctors disagree who shall decide.” According to modern political parlance, here are 6000 petitioners asking for the "largest liberty," and 17,000 with the learned Dr. Thomson at their head asking for restriction-monopoly. This great discrepancy of opinion strikingly illustrates a well known principle in human nature. Our good ancestors, the Puritans, took much merit to themselves, for crossing the wide ocean, bidding their native land good night, and taking up their abode in voluntary banishment, that they might enjoy religious liberty; but they had no sooner got here than they showed that though Puritans, they were still men, and thought that true genuine religious freedom consisted in every man being subjected to the same rules, belief, faith, and practice as the Puritans; and when a few plain Quakers appeared amongst them, they were banished by these lovers of religious freedom, for opinion's sake. Here are the same men who ten years ago, only wanted the liberty of administering to the sick without being subjected to a fine. Next, they want that the law should sanction their practice by enabling them to collect their debts by law. Now they say and pray that no one should be permitted to collect debts except they have studied a year and received a diploma from the N. Y. S. T. B. M. S. Behold-"the advocates of the largest liberty”—of inherent rights—of alleged constitutional liberty-have become the open and avowed advocates of restriction-of monopoly. With the intention of ascertaining whether it would be for the health of the people of this state to encourage by legal enactments a new system of medical practice, the committee took some pains to ascertain the principles upon which the Thomsonian theory was based, and were informed that a fundamental principle was this; that all disease consisted in obstruction, that obstruction produced irritation-irritation, suppuration, and suppuration, death. That the first object was to remove obstruction-the second to allay irri |