It　is　true　that　some　suppose；　and　our　scientific　and　thoughtful　associate；　Dr。　　Gould；　has　half　countenanced　the　opinion；　that　there　may　yet　be　discovered　a　specific　for　every　disease。　　Let　us　not　despair　of　the　future；　but　let　us　be　moderate　in　our　expectations。　When　an　oil　is　discovered　that　will　make　a　bad　watch　keep　good　time；　when　a　recipe　is　given　which　will　turn　an　acephalous　foetus　into　a　promising　child；　when　a　man　can　enter　the　second　time　into　his　mother's　womb　and　give　her　back　the　infirmities　which　twenty　generations　have　stirred　into　her　blood；　and　infused　into　his　own　through　hers；　we　may　be　prepared　to　enlarge　the　National　Pharmacopoeia　with　a　list　of　specifies　for　everything　but　old　age；　and　possibly　for　that　also。
  NOTE　C。
  The　term　specific　is　used　here　in　its　ordinary　sense；　without　raising　the　question　of　the　propriety　of　its　application　to　these　or　other　remedies。
  The　credit　of　introducing　Cinchona　rests　between　the　Jesuits；　the　Countess　of　Chinchon；　the　Cardinal　de　Lugo；　and　Sir　Robert　Talbor；　who　employed　it　as　a　secret　remedy。　　（Pereira。）　Mercury　as　an　internal　specific　remedy　was　brought　into　use　by　that　impudent　and　presumptuous　quack；　as　he　was　considered；　Paracelsus。　　（Encyc。　　Brit。　art。　　〃Paracelsus。〃）　Arsenic　was　introduced　into　England　as　a　remedy　for　intermittents　by　Dr。　Fowler；　in　consequence　of　the　success　of　a　patent　medicine；　the　Tasteless　Ague　Drops；　which　were　supposed；　〃probably　with　reason；〃　to　be　a　preparation　of　that　mineral。　　（Rees's　Cyc。　　art。　　〃Arsenic。〃）　　Colchicum　came　into　notice　in　a　similar　way；　from　the　success　of　the　Eau　Medicinale　of　M。　Husson；　a　French　military　officer。　　（Pereira。）　Iodine　was　discovered　by　a　saltpetre　manufacturer；　but　applied　by　a　physician　in　place　of　the　old　remedy；　burnt　sponge；　which　seems　to　owe　its　efficacy　to　it。　　（Dunglison；　New　Remedies。）　As　for　Sulphur；　〃the　common　people　have　long　used　it　as　an　ointment〃　for　scabies。　　（Rees's　Cyc。　　art。　　〃Scabies。〃）　The　modern　cantiscorbutic　regimen　is　credited　to　Captain　Cook。　　〃To　his　sagacity　we　are　indebted　for　the　first　impulse　to　those　regulations　by　which　scorbutus　is　so　successfully　prevented　in　our　navy。〃　　（Lond。　　Cyc。　Prac。　　Med。　　art。　　〃Scorbutus。〃）　Iron　and　various　salts　which　enter　into　the　normal　composition　of　the　human　body　do　not　belong　to　the　materia　medica　by　our　definition；　but　to　the　materia　alimentaria。
  For　the　first　introduction　of　iron　as　a　remedy；　see　Pereira；　who　gives　a　very　curious　old　story。
  The　statement　in　the　text　concerning　a　portion　of　the　materia　medica　stands　exactly　as　delivered；　and　is　meant　exactly　as　it　stands。　　No　denunciation　of　drugs；　as　sparingly　employed　by　a　wise　physician；　was　or　is　intended。　　If；　however；　as　Dr。　　Gould　stated　in　his　〃valuable　and　practical　discourse〃　to　which　the　Massachusetts　Medical　Society　〃listened　with　profit　as　well　as　interest；〃　　〃Drugs；　in　themselves　considered；　may　always　be　regarded　as　evils；〃any　one　who　chooses　may　question　whether　the　evils　from　their　abuse　are；　on　the　whole；　greater　or　less　than　the　undoubted　benefits　obtained　from　their　proper　use。　　The　large　exception　of　opium；　wine；　specifics；　and　anaesthetics；　made　in　the　text；　takes　off　enough　from　the　useful　side；　as　I　fully　believe；　to　turn　the　balance；　so　that　a　vessel　containing　none　of　these；　but　loaded　with　antimony；　strychnine；　acetate　of　lead；　aloes；　aconite；　lobelia；　lapis　infernalis；　stercus　diaboli；　tormentilla；　and　other　approved；　and；　in　skilful　hands；　really　useful　remedies；　brings；　on　the　whole；　more　harm　than　good　to　the　port　it　enters。
  It　is　a　very　narrow　and　unjust　view　of　the　practice　of　medicine；　to　suppose　it　to　consist　altogether　in　the　use　of　powerful　drugs；　or　of　drugs　of　any　kind。　　Far　from　it。　　〃The　physician　may　do　very　much　for　the　welfare　of　the　sick；　more　than　others　can　do；　although　he　does　not；　even　in　the　major　part　of　cases；　undertake　to　control　and　overcome　the　disease　by　art。　　It　was　with　these　views　that　I　never　reported　any　patient　cured　at　our　hospital。　　Those　who　recovered　their　health　were　reported　as　well；　not　implying　that　they　were　made　so　by　the　active　treatment　they　had　received　there。　　But　it　was　to　be　understood　that　all　patients　received　in　that　house　were　to　be　cured；　that　is；　taken　care　of。〃　　（Letters　to　a　Young　Physician；　by　James　Jackson；　M。　　D。；　Boston；　1855。）
  〃Hygienic　rules；　properly　enforced；　fresh　air；　change　of　air；　travel；　attention　to　diet；　good　and　appropriate　food　judiciously　regulated；　together　with　the　administration　of　our　tonics；　porter；　ale；　wine；　iron；　etc。；　supply　the　diseased　or　impoverished　system　with　what　Mr。　Gull；　of　St。　Bartholomew's　Hospital；　aptly　calls　the　'raw　material　of　the　blood；'　and　we　believe　that　if　any　real　improvement　has　taken　place　in　medical　practice；　independently　of　those　truly　valuable　contributions　we　have　before　described；　it　is　in　the　substitution　of　tonics；　stimulants；　and　general　management；　for　drastic　cathartics；　for　bleeding；　depressing　agents；　including　mercury；　tartar　emetics；　etc。；　so　much　in　vogue　during　the　early　part　even　of　this　century。〃　（F。　P。　Porcher；　in　Charleston　Med。　Journal　and　Review　for　January；　1860。）
  End