Athothis : a satire on modern medicine / by Thomas C. Minor.

notice some two years since when Squire Cloverblossom, whom we are now on our way to visit, insisted on my sending to Utopia for two eminent physicians to meet me in consultation over his wife. These two M.D.'s, who likewise signed A.M.'s after their names, came at my summons, lured on by the prospect of a large fee, and we consulted. They shook their heads wisely, leaving the impression on the Cloverblossom family that I was ignorant of the nature of the malady, pronounced the case to be one of angina pectoris, when it was really pericarditis; prescribed a strong solution of nitro- glycerine ; charged a hundred dollars each for their science, more than I ever mulcted the Cloverblossoms for in a whole year's constant service; and then started with me to catch a home-bound train. On the road to the station, they discoursed gravely and learnedly on the physiological action of glonoin, and finally got into a controversy on the subject of homeopathy, in which Hahnemann was soundly abused as the first authority on the doctrine of similars. ' Gentlemen !' said I, in- terrupting the discussion, that had become violent. ' Gentlemen !' said I, unable to restrain my amazement, not only at their ignorance, but total want of logic. 4 Gentlemen!' said I, ' are you not aware that Hippo- crates first used the aphorism " vomitus vomitu curatur" which is simply equivalent to " similia similibus curantur" and is therefore neither recent or new.' Whereat the two young professors tried to look very solemn, and one of them remarked, ' Please express yourself in German, as that is the classical medical language. We do not un- derstand Greek.' And yet these two men attached the degree of A.M. to their names." The student laughed gently at the anecdote, as did