XIV

INTRODUCTION.

It may also be alleged, that laying Medicine more open to man-kind, would lessen their faith in it. This indeed would be the casewith regard to some ; but it would have a quite contrary effect upoziothers. I know many people who have the utmost dread and hor-ror of every thing prescribed by a physician, but who will never-theless readily take a medicine which they know, and whose qual-ities they are in some measure acquainted with. Hence it is evident,that the dread arises from the Doctor not from the drug. Noth-ing ever can or will inspire mankind with an absolute confidencein physicians, but an open, frank, and undisguised behaviour.Whilst the least shadow of mystery remains in the conduct of theFaculty, doubts, jealousies, and suspicions, will arise in the mindsof men.

No doubt cases will sometimes occur, where a prudent physi-cian may find it expedient to disguise a medicine. The whims andhumours of men must be regarded by those who mean to do themservice ; but this can never affect the general argument in favourof candour and openness. A man might as well allege, becausethere are knaves and fools in the world, that he ought to take everyone he meets for such, and to treat him accordingly. A sensiblephysician will always know where disguise is necessary ; but itought never to appear on the face of his general conduct.

The appearance of mystery in the conduct of physicians notonly renders their art suspicious, but lays the foundations of Quack-ery, which is the disgrace of Medicino. No two characters can bemore different than that of the honest physician una the quack ;yet they have generally been very much confounded. The linebetween them is not sufficiently apparent ; át least it is too fine forthe general eye. Few persons are able to distinguish sufficientlybetween the conduct of that man who administers a secret medi-cine, and him who writes a prescription in mystical characters andan unknown tongue. Thus the conduct of the honest physician,which needs no disguise, gives a sanction to that of the villain,whose sole consequence depends upon secrecy.

No laws will ever be able to prevent quackery, while people be-lieve that the quack is as honest aman, and as well qualified as thephysician. A very small degree of medical knowledge, however,will be sufficient to break this spell ; and nothing else can effectu-ally undeceive them. It is the ignorance and credulity of the mul-titude, with regard to Medicine, which renders them such an easyprey to every one who has the hardiness to attack them on thisquarter. Nor can the evil be remedied by any other means but bymaking them wiser.

The most effectual way to destroy quackery in any art or sci-ence, is to diffuse the knowledge of it among mankind. Did phy-sicians write their prescriptions in the common language of thecountry, and explain their intentions to the patient, as far as heeould understand them, it woidd enable him to know when themedicine had the desired effect ; would inspire him with absoluteconfidence in the physician ; and would make him dread and de-test every man who pretended to cram a secret medicine downhis throat.

Men in the different states of society, have very different views of