medical essays-第6部分

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position；　whether　an　expressly　fraudulent　contrivance　or　not；　some　might　be　ready　to　question。　　Everything　historically　shown　to　have　happened　concerning　the　mode　of　promulgation；　the　wide　diffusion；　the　apparent　success　of　this　delusion；　the　respectability　and　enthusiasm　of　its　advocates；　is　of　great　interest　in　showing　to　what　extent　and　by　what　means　a　considerable　part　of　the　community　may　be　led　into　the　belief　of　that　which　is　to　be　eventually　considered'　as　an　idle　folly。　　If　there　is　any　existing　folly；　fraudulent　or　innocent　in　its　origin；　which　appeals　to　certain　arguments　for　its　support；　provided　that　the　very　same　arguments　can　be　shown　to　have　been　used　for　Perkinism　with　as　good　reason；　they　will　at　once　fall　to　the　ground。　　Still　more；　if　it　shall　appear　that　the　general　course　of　any　existing　delusion　bears　a　strong　resemblance　to　that　of　Perkinism；　that　the　former　is　most　frequently　advocated　by　the　same　class　of　persons　who　were　conspicuous　in　behalf　of　the　latter；　and　treated　with　contempt　or　opposed　by　the　same　kind　of　persons　who　thus　treated　Perkinism；　if　the　facts　in　favor　of　both　have　a　similar　aspect；　if　the　motives　of　their　originators　and　propagators　may　be　presumed　to　have　been　similar；　then　there　is　every　reason　to　suppose　that　the　existing　folly　will　follow　in　the　footsteps　of　the　past；　and　after　displaying　a　given　amount　of　cunning　and　credulity　in　those　deceiving　and　deceived；　will　drop　from　the　public　view　like　a　fruit　which　has　ripened　into　spontaneous　rottenness；　and　be　succeeded　by　the　fresh　bloom　of　some　other　delusion　required　by　the　same　excitable　portion　of　the　community。

Dr。　Elisha　Perkins　was　born　at　Norwich；　Connecticut；　in　the　year　1740。　　He　had　practised　his　profession　with　a　good　local　reputation　for　many　years；　when　he　fell　upon　a　course　of　experiments；　as　it　is　related；　which　led　to　his　great　discovery。　　He　conceived　the　idea　that　metallic　substances　might　have　the　effect　of　removing　diseases；　if　applied　in　a　certain　manner；　a　notion　probably　suggested　by　the　then　recent　experiments　of　Galvani；　in　which　muscular　contractions　were　found　to　be　produced　by　the　contact　of　two　metals　with　the　living　fibre。　　It　was　in　1796　that　his　discovery　was　promulgated　in　the　shape　of　the　Metallic　Tractors；　two　pieces　of　metal；　one　apparently　iron　and　the　other　brass；　about　three　inches　long；　blunt　at　one　end　and　pointed　at　the　other。　　These　instruments　were　applied　for　the　cure　of　different　complaints；　such　as　rheumatism；　local　pains；　inflammations；　and　even　tumors；　by　drawing　them　over　the　affected　part　very　lightly　for　about　twenty　minutes。　　Dr。　Perkins　took　out　a　patent　for　his　discovery；　and　travelled　about　the　country　to　diffuse　the　new　practice。　　He　soon　found　numerous　advocates　of　his　discovery；　many　of　them　of　high　standing　and　influence。　　In　the　year　1798　the　tractors　had　crossed　the　Atlantic；　and　were　publicly　employed　in　the　Royal　Hospital　at　Copenhagen。　　About　the　same　time　the　son　of　the　inventor；　Mr。　Benjamin　Douglass　Perkins；　carried　them　to　London；　where　they　soon　attracted　attention。　　The　Danish　physicians　published　an　account　of　their　cases；　containing　numerous　instances　of　alleged　success；　in　a　respectable　octavo　volume。　　In　the　year　1804　an　establishment；　honored　with　the　name　of　the　Perkinean　Institution；　was　founded　in　London。　　The　transactions　of　this　institution　were　published　in　pamphlets；　the　Perkinean　Society　had　public　dinners　at　the　Crown　and　Anchor；　and　a　poet　celebrated　their　medical　triumph　in　strains　like　these　：

　　　　〃See；　pointed　metals；　blest　with　power　t'　appease　　　　　　The　ruthless　rage　of　merciless　disease；　　　　　　O'er　the　frail　part　a　subtle　fluid　pour；　　　　　　Drenched　with　invisible　Galvanic　shower；　　　　　　Till　the　arthritic　staff　and　crutch　forego；　　　　　　And　leap　exulting　like　the　bounding　roe！〃

While　all　these　things　were　going　on；　Mr。　Benjamin　Douglass　Perkins　was　calmly　pocketing　money；　so　that　after　some　half　a　dozen　years　he　left　the　country　with　more　than　ten　thousand　pounds；　which　had　been　paid　him　by　the　believers　in　Great　Britain。　　But　in　spite　of　all　this　success；　and　the　number　of　those　interested　and　committed　in　its　behalf；　Perkinism　soon　began　to　decline；　and　in　1811　the　Tractors　are　spoken　of　by　an　intelligent　writer　as　being　almost　forgotten。　　Such　was　the　origin　and　duration　of　this　doctrine　and　practice；　into　the　history　of　which　we　will　now　look　a　little　more　narrowly。

Let　us　see；　then；　by　whose　agency　this　delusion　was　established　and　kept　up；　whether　it　was　principally　by　those　who　were　accustomed　to　medical　pursuits；　or　those　whose　habits　and　modes　of　reasoning　were　different；　whether　it　was　with　the　approbation　of　those　learned　bodies　usually　supposed　to　take　an　interest　in　scientific　discoveries；　or　only　of　individuals　whose　claims　to　distinction　were　founded　upon　their　position　in　society；　or　political　station；　or　literary　eminence；　whether　the　judicious　or　excitable　classes　entered　most　deeply　into　it；　whether；　in　short；　the　scientific　men　of　that　time　were　deceived；　or　only　intruded　upon；　and　shouted　down　for　the　moment　by　persons　who　had　no　particular　call　to　invade　their　precincts。

Not　much；　perhaps；　was　to　be　expected　of　the　Medical　Profession　in　the　way　of　encouragement。　　One　Dr。　Fuller；　who　wrote　in　England；　himself　a　Perkinist；　thus　expressed　his　opinion：　〃It　must　be　an　extraordinary　exertion　of　virtue　and　humanity　for　a　medical　man；　whose　livelihood　depends　either　on　the　sale　of　drugs；　or　on　receiving　a　guinea　for　writing　a　prescription；　which　must　relate　to　those　drugs；　to　say　to　his　patient；　'You　had　better　purchase　a　set　of　Tractors　to　keep　in　your　family；　they　will　cure　you　without　the　expense　of　my　attendance；　or　the　danger　of　the　common　medical　practice。'　　For　very　obvious　reasons　medical　men　must　never　be　expected　to　recommend　the　use　of　Perkinism。　　The　Tractors　must　trust　for　their　patronage　to　the　enlightened　and　philanthropic　out　of　the　profession；　or　to　medical　men　retired　from　practice；　and　who　know　of　no　other　interest　than　the　luxury　of　relieving　the　distressed。　　And　I　do　not　despair　of　seeing　the　day　when　but　very　few　of　this　description　as　well　as　private　families　will　be　without　them。〃

Whether　the　motives　assigned　by　this　medical　man　to　his　professional　brethren　existed　or　not；　it　is　true　that　Dr。　Perkins　did　not　gain　a　great　deal　at　their　hands。　　The　Connecticut　Medical　Society　expelled　him　in　1797　for　violating　their　law　against　the　use　of　nostrums；　or　secret　remedies。　　The　leading　English　physicians　appear　to　have　looked　on　with　singular　apathy　or　contempt　at　the　miracles　which　it　was　pretended　were　enacting　in　the　hands　of　the　apostles　of　the　new　practice。　　In　looking　over　the　reviews　of　the　time；　I　have　found　little　beyond　brief　occasional　notices　of　their　pretensions；　the　columns　of　these　journals　being　occupied　with　subjects　of　more　permanent　interest。　　The　state　of　things　in　London　is　best　learned；　however；　from　the　satirical　poem　to　which　I　have　already　alluded　as　having　been　written　at　the　period　referred　to。　　This　was　entitled；　〃Terrible　Tractoration！！　　A　Poetical　Petition　against　Galvanizing　Trumpery　and　the　Perkinistic　Institution。　　Most　respectfully　addressed　to　the　Royal　College　of　Physicians；　by　Christopher　Caustic；　M。　D。；　LL。　D。；　A。　S。　S。；　Fellow　of　the　Royal　College　of　Physicians；　Aberdeen；　and　Honorary　Member　of　no　less　than　nineteen　very　learned　Societies。〃　　Two　editions　of　this　work　were　published　in　London　in　the　years　1803　and　1804；　and　one　or　two　have　been　published　in　this　country。

〃Terrible　Tractoration〃　is　supposed；　by　those　who　never　read　it；　to　be　a　satire　upon　the　follies　of　Perkins　and　his　followers。　　It　is；　on　the　contrary；　a　most　zealous　defence　of　Perkinism；　and　a　fierce　attack　upon　its　opponents；　most　especially　upon　such　of　the　medical　profession　as　treated　the　subject　with　neglect　or　ridicule。　　The　Royal　College　of　Physicians　was　the　more　peculiar　object　of　the　attack；　but　with　this　body；　the　editors　of　some　of　the　leading　periodicals；　and　several　physicians　distinguished　at　that　time；　and　even　now　remembered　for　their　services　to　science　and　humanity；　were　involved　in　unsparing　denunciations。　　The　work　is　by　no　means　of　the　simply　humorous　character　it　might　be　supposed；　but　is　overloaded　with　notes　of　the　most　seriously　polemical　nature。　　Much　of　the　history　of　the　subject；　indeed；　is　to　be　looked　for　in　this　volume。

It　appears　from　this　work　that　the　principal　members　of　the　medical　profession；　so　far　from　hailing　Mr。　Benjamin　Douglass　Perkins　as　another　Harvey　or　Jenner；　looked　very　coldly　upon　him　and　his　Tractors；　and　it　is　now　evident　that；　though　they　were　much　abused　for　so　doing；　they　knew　very　well　what　they　had　to　deal　with；　and　were　altogether　in　the　right。　　The　delusion　at　last　attracted　such　an　amount　of　attention　as　to　induce　Dr。　Haygarth　and　some　others　of　respectable　standing　to　institute　some　experiments　which　I　shall　mention　in　their　proper　place；　the　result　of　which　might　have　seemed　sufficient　to　show　the　emptiness　of　the　whole　contrivance。

The　Royal　Society；　that　learned　body　which　for　ages　has　constituted　the　best　tribunal　to　which　Britain　can　appeal　in　questions　of　science；　accepted　Mr。　Perkins's　Tractors　and　the　book　written　about　them；