UNITED  STATES OF AMERICA
* .   ,
FOUNDED 1836
WASHINGTON, D. C.
GPO   16—67244-1 
 
 
REPLY TO A PAMPHLET
      PURPORTING TO BE AN










    ANSWER TO A LETTER











          ADDRESSED












   TO A REPUBLICAN MEMBER











          OF THE











HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ON THE SUBJECT OF A PETITION FOR A NEW INCORPORA-




  TION, TO BE ENTITLED A COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS.
BOSTON, FEBRUARY, 1812.
 
 
REPLY,  &e.
 To the three firincifial Jidvocates of the fietition for  a Col-
      lege of Physician's, authors of the said Answer.

   Sirs,
        THROUGH the great  care you employed to keep
 your pamphlet secret from all those capable of contradict-
 ing the numerous  falsehoods it contains, this .ingenious
 publication  has  but lately fallen into  my hands.   On the
 first perusal of  it I was so much  disgusted  with its vul-
 garity and so well convinced of the  notoriety of its misrep-
 resentations, that, in common with the physicians of this
 vicinity, I judged it unnecessary to raise it from  the con-
 tempt it merits.  Within a day or two however I have been
 informed that the statement of pretended facts  has had in-
 fluence on the minds of some  individuals, and  that it would
 be proper to set  them right.   I  must in the outset assure
 you that I shall not  descend to your level.  I shall not fol-
 low  you through the aspersions and the abuse which you
 have heaped up in your defence.   A good cause  requires
 nothing but a plain representation  of facts, and such you
 shall now see  laid before  those you have attempted  to de-
ceive.
   Your letter is  attempted to  be imposed on  the public as
 an answer  from  a  republican member of the  house of
 representatives.   No such answer  was ever written.   The
 original letter was addressed to the Hon. Joseph Story. He
 carefully read it in manuscript, and  recommended its  publi-
 cation.  A printed copy was afterwards sent him, which he
 read, together  with some additions.   Judge  Story  then
 wrote a brief answer, which has been published in the news-
 papers ; and which  contains sufficient evidence that he did
not confound the institution or Medical School, established 
4
in Boston, with the Medical Society.  He first read the let-
ter at a moment, when his mind was not peculiarly engaged
in business ;  and possessing a judgment unusually penetra-
ting and discriminating, it is to the last  degree absurd  to
suppose, that  he  could  make  such a ridiculous confusion.
You have  however most decidedly asserted in the newspa-
pers that he did not distinguish  the  Medical School for lec-
tures and the Massachusetts Medical Society from each oth-
er ;  and that his favorable remarks were  applied to one  of
those institutions  only; this  untruth you have not only as-
serted, but propagated with the  most studious industry.
   It is quite curious to remark with what singular  address
you have varied the objects of your attack.   One of you  in-
sinuated at a meeting of the Medical Society, that the  Med-
ical School alone was to be affected by your plans ; and that
he never would have  signed the  petition, had he thought it
would infringe the privileges of the Medical Society.   In a
very few  days after, as well as before, you published  news-
paper pieces, in which you totally denied the existence of a
wish to injure the Medical School.   It was the domineering
society, whose concerns were so much mismanaged, that you
would bring on its knees.
   So much for the introduction of your  pamphlet.  I shall
make no reply  to the scandalous insinuations thrown  out
against the President of the Medical Society, to whom you
deny at once discretion, consciousness of integrity, and  de-
sire to promote the public good.  That gentleman's character
is too well known to be affected by your malignity, desperate
as it is.   If there be  in the community a person whose  la-
bours deserve well of the public, it is that man.   Deserting
a lucrative business, he engaged in the service of his coun-
try at the  first moment of the revolution, and he only quitted
it when a glorious peace relieved  him from any further du-
ties. Since that time he has been occupied with professional
 labours, whose severity has scarcely been paralleled by those
 of any  other individual;  and as the  result has acquired a
 fortune, which none but you think immoderate, and a repu-
tation, which  none but you are capable of aspersing.
   The assertions of  a rancorous and hostile disposition on
 the part of this gentleman against the Medical Society, at any
 period, are absolutely false, They could only originate in the
breast of one of your triumvirate, who himself has always felt
 those dispositions towards the  Society from not being elec-
 ted to any office in that body.  While, on the other hand, the
 person you accuse of rancor toward the Medical Society,  has 
5
been  annually chosen oy the fellows  of that Society into its
various offices during the  whole  period  ycu  refer  to ;  a
measure that would hardly  have been  pursued, if there had
been reason to believe him  a malcontent.

   Now, Sirs, it is with great regret I  take hold of that part
of your pamphlet, which is loaded with fulsome panegyrics
on your own  deeds.  You know that during a period  often or
eleven months  past  you  have been  constantly occupied in
the production  of a series of  false  and scandalous publica-
tions  in  the  newspapers,  reflecting  personal  abuse on  the
 officers of the  Medical Society,  particularly its  Presidenti
 and  on the officers of the   Medical School.  You know that
 those  publications have never drawn forth a reply except in
 one  single instance;  and  as that reply has by you been em-
 ployed as a sanction to the  most  disgraceful scurrility, I  will
 refresh your minds by inserting it below.    You and the pub-
 lic will then better judge how far it has justified your abuse.*

* MESSRS. EDITORS,
   In answer to the singular remarks in your last paper, respecting a proposed
 College of Physicians, it is only necessary to state two or three facts.
   1st. This  College, so far as its projects  are known, contemplates  nothing
 beyond, what i6 performed by institutions already existing in the  most active
 and flourishing state, and amply competent to all medical purposes.
   2d. The memorialists for this College, it is said, are distinguished by their
 age and rank in their profession.   Some of them are so; but this  respectable
 portion of the memorialists have arrived at that period, when men usually re-
 tire from associations of this nature.   These gentlemen have, accordingly,
 done so; and, it is well known, will take no active part in this new business.
 The active part of the memorialists are in  no way remarkable for their age*..
 or rank in their profession.
   3d.   As to the " hatreds," existing between " the young and ardent candi-
 dates for fame and practice," none have been known, before the projection of
 this College exposed them to public view.   On the contrary the medical pro-
 fession in this state has been distinguished, by their distant brethren, for their
 harmony and mutual exertions for the promotion of public objects.  If the
 demon of discord is to be let loose, he will  spring from the foundations of this
 extraordinary new school.
   4th.  It seems that the public are to be taught by  this College, that medi-
 cine is  not a " mere  money getting trade;" which is as much as to assert, that
 it is so considered by the medical profession at present.  The physicians of
 this state will, no doubt, feel obliged to those gentlemen for making the dis*
 covery ; and the public will duly appreciate it, when they consider the labours
 of the faculty during the yellow fever, whenever it has appeared ;  during the
 spotted fever; and the exertions they have made and the risques they have
 incurred in investigating these diseases, in  every way practicable ; their gra»
 tuitous attendance on Dispensaries and other public  charities ; their attempt
 to diffuse the Cow Pock among the poor in 1803 and  1811 ; and their various
 publications made for the promotion of medical  science, and the public good.
 All these things will be still more justly estimated when contrasted with the
 deeds of agents  for the new College, such as a liberal dispensation of Cow
 Pock matter----for a small fee ; generous inoculation of seamen,----when
 paid for by a merchant; and the   disinterested offer  to vaccinute a hundred
 individuals in two rich parishes-—'—at the expense of a benevolent unknown.
   Jpril26th, 1811.                                JY.Eng.  Palladium. 
6
You also know that in the letter you pretend to answer, the
greatest care has been taken to avoid all personal reflections.
Notwithstanding this forbearance, which I think must be ac-
knowledged to have been far extended, you now come forward
with one of the most abusive pamphlets that has been seen.
You seem at last to have supposed that those you have been
so long attempting to injure and destroy, are paralyzed by a
fear of your acuteness  and severity ; for you must be per-
fectly aware that the public mind contains a treasury of facts
which  ff arranged against you would overwhelm you with ir-
recoverable  confusion.  But though you have cut away the
scabbard, the sword  shall  not seek you.   Your ambitious
jealousy has so blinded  you, that you are hardly accountable
for your present misdeeds.   Your attacks shall be repelled,
but you shall not be pursued.
  You commence the blazon of your own importance with a de-
scription of the powers of the most respectable physician of
those whose names you have obtained.  The powers of that
gentleman I shall not dispute ; and as to his reputation I have
no desire to lessen it: But when you insinuate that he is deeply-
interested in your petition, or any of your concerns, you mis-
represent the truth.   You heard one of the committee of the
Society state, that this gentleman  avowed to  him  that he felt
no personal  interest in the success of your petition.  He  de-
clared  that he would not step over the threshold  of his door
to attain  it.  He declared moreover, that were the incorpora-
tion granted,  he  should not attend the meetings.  In ad-
dition  to this, let me now inform you, that since the meeting
of the  committee, the gentleman who made the statement has
called  on him and  requested to know, whether he had cor-
rectly  reported his sentiments, to which he was answered
entirely in the affirmative ;  and also that he was not acquain-
ted with your proceedings;  that he disapproved of them,
and especially of the attempt to effect your object under  the
cover of its  being a party affair.
  Let  me  ask why  you have passed over  the gentleman
whose  name is at the head of your petition ? Is it because he
has lately disproved you proceedings, and regretted that his
name had ever, been placed  to your petition  ?
  Of the gentleman whom you rank in the  second place, I
shall make  no remarks except this, that you  have endea-
voured to  excite  the animosity of that gentleman  against
the  President  of  the  Medical  Society,  by misrepresen-
tation.    It is certain that the latter did give a toast at a meet-
ing of  the Medical Society, something  like  what you have 
4
published, " the  suppression of quackery."   But it is 'also
eera.n that he  had not the  most distant idea of alluding to
Dr. S.  With this gentleman he had always been on the best
terms, and  had no induoement nor disposition to injure  his
character or feelings.  Besides, that Dr. S. was long a mem-
ber, and has been a censor of the Society, and the term quack,
Could  not be applied to him by any but  yourselves, for your
own purposes   The accidental coincidence of  a  story told
by  some person with the giving the toast in  question, is
however a  better  foundation than you  generally obtain  for
your representations.  The President of the Medical Society,
and some other of the subjects of your abuse, have often re-
presented this gentleman as a man of talents and experience.
His operation on the thorax, while it has been naturally op-
posed by some, has been held by others of  them, as an inge-
nious effort to do something for the cure of a disease, which
is usually hopeless.
   What you state of a third gentleman whose name you have
on your  petition, is absolutely and  nvholely false.  You know
it to be so, and  he knows it.  I could exhibit a letter to  one
of those persons you  represent as persecuting him, written
 no long  time since, in which Dr. J. employs the most ardent
professions of friendship : and I defy you to bring forward an
instance of  an attempt to  lessen the respect of the public
towards him, separated from your petition. If any such ex-
pression as " crush  the wretch," was ever applied to him, it
was not by those you have impudently attempted to fix it on,
but by  a republican  gentleman,  now  high in office, who>
together w ith another gentleman of the same politics, highly
respected, but now reposed in the grave,  was averse to your
fellow petitioner.   The  ground  of their opposition  was a
supposed ill-treatment of the American prisoners in Halifax
during the  revolution.  A  supposition, which  probably  was
 founded in misinformation.
   What you say of a fourth gentleman needs no reply, as
your remarks refer  to the Boylston Committee, a body en-
tirely distinct from the Medical Society and  Institution.  I
 will state, however, that this Physician  has received as many
marks of attention from the Medical Society, as he had any
right to  expect.   One paper he communicated was publish-
ed.  The only additional  one I know of, is now on that  file,
 which comes next in order for publication.  He is a  Coun-
sellor, and  was elected to  deliver the annual  discourse for
 1811, provided  another gentleman failed.  The  Counsellors
did not  reelect  him, probably because they discovered his
name was on. a  petition, whose object was to undermine the 
8
Society.   This neglect you have very cunningly imputed to
his being a republican, because you wish to rouse a party
spirit in your favour.
   Your fifth character  you  ought in conscience  to  have
placed first ;  because he  is  your prime  mover,  and  be-
cause  he   no  doubt  principally  inspired  your  pamphlet.
He is represented  as  a   good . anatomist,   which  may
be true.    Where did he   get  the  rudiments of his ana-
tomical knowledge ?  Of the  man whom  he abuses  and
would destroy.   He is bolstered up, as a great Surgeon  ; if
you mean  the public should  think  so, leave his merits
to speak  for  themselves.   His  great  operations on  the
saphena vein and tic  douleureux, may be performed with
ease by every student of anatomy.   The  operation of stran-
gulated hernia has been done by gentlemen in different parts
of the  country  with success.   Particularly by Dr. Bryant of
Cummington, and Dr. Thaxter of  Dorchester.  It has been
three times done with success by one of the persons whose
reputation  you are striving to destroy ; one operation of  in-
guinal  hernia like your hero's ; two of crural hernia, a more
difficult and delicate operation than the other.   The story of
the stiff elbow joint is perfectly ridiculous ; as is well known
to the junior practitioners of Boston.  The consequent per-
secution never existed except in your imagination.  In proof
of this, you are to know that a year or two after, when a  va-
cancy occurred in the counsellors of the Medical Society, he
was supported as being the senior candidate by the very per-
son you represent as trying to injure him ; and supported in
opposition  to the sentiment  of  many members,  and espe-
cially of one, who now pretends to be his  friend  At the iast
annual meeting he was dropped on  account of his enmity to
the Society.
   Would  you really  represent  this  man as  persecuted I
Who is it that has, at different times, disgusted nearly every
practitioner in  Boston by his conduct  in practice ? Who is
it that dragged a respectable and amiable physician before
the Boston association ; and at a subsequent period opposed
his return into that body with peculiar virulence ? Who is it
that thrust himself  into  a meeting of the  Censors of  the
Medical Society to  oppose and persecute a young  man  for
the most trifling offence ?
   In the midst of your commendation of yourselves, there is
one sentiment perpetually predominant ;  this is a  desire of
insinuating that  one  or  two  gentlemen have persecuted
every tnan who had pretensions to  a knowledge of anatomy
and surgery.  How does this accord with the facts, that one 
.9
 was ,fctte only teacher of anatomy and surgery for many years;
 that the other was the first person to establish the firm founda-
 tions  of anatomy and surgery  in Boston, by which  you had
 an opportunity of benefitting ;  that both have employed every
 occasion to advance the general knowledge of these branch-
 es, by allowing  others and even you to attend their opera-
 tions  whenever circumstances admitted, and to attend their
 lectures, where your agents have appeared within  three days
 of the time I write, no  doubt  with a view to glean for your
 advantage.
  The sixth of your  petitioners  mentioned, has certainly
 merit for his industry, if  he has put the work on Diseases
 pf the heart as you mention into the English  language  ; but
 as the publick  have not yet seen this translation, they can-
 not judge of its  execution.  You should at  least not put a
 translated book on the  same footing with the publications of
 the Medical Society, which,  consisting  principally of new
 cases, have some claims to originality.  You try to insinuate,
 that a communication on the diseases of the heart is found-
 ed on the one your colleague has translated.   That is, that a
 communication composed of a number of cases occurring in
 Boston before the eyes  of all the physicians there, is founded
 on a work composed in France.  The credit that  the author
 of the communication  gives  to the lectures  of Corvisart, a
 part of which he attended, for the  first hints on the subject,
 ought to have prevented such insinuations.   Such a constant
 effort to  depreciate the labours of others would injure a bet-
 ter cause than yours.  Let me ask you a question  on this
 subject.   If you believed the work of Corvisart to be the
 foundation of the  said communication, why did you so stu-
 diously conceal the copy you had obtained from  the author,
 and enjoin on one of your friends, particularly to avoid let-
 ting it fall into his hands.

  Your remarks now require to be briefly remarked on.
  Remark 1.  In asserting that the President of  the Medi-
 cal Society and another member attempted to influence and
 intimidate the editors of two republican newspapers to stop
 the discussion of your petition in  their  papers, you entire-
ly violate the  truth, as these editors and  you  well know.
 These gentlemen called on the said editors to inquire  the
author of some  scurrilous production which  appeared the
 summer  before ; and for no other  purpose.
  Remark 2.  The petition for the College of Physicians
                 2 
10
\vas called up, <m the suggestion of a gentleman, perfectly
acquainted with parliamentary usages.
  Remark 3.   Too contemptible and  notoriously untrue to
require reply.
  Remaik 4.   In the first years of the Medical Society, the
country  was  poor and authorship was rare.   Lately that so-
ciety have made as many publications as their funds would ad-
mit.   We shall see, when the works of your College come
out, whether they will be greatly superior   As to the Phar-
macoepeia,  it  is indeed a  translation ; but with important
variations, founded on experiments, some of which required
much  labour.   You  probably will present the  publick  with
an  original pharmacoepeia,  an original Materia Medica, and
a new  set of diseases.  The report on vaccination comprises
important information regarding the cow pock,  drawn from
European sources, which  was what  the society  required.
It contains more good and useful matter than all the pom-
pous productions of your great writer.
  Remark  5.   The  assertion that the  Medical Society did
not encourage  vaccination  is completely counteracted by
the report subjoined, which was  drawn up by the honoura-
ble gentleman who is now Secretary at War, in whose hand
writing it is on the files of the society.*  It  was the  same
gentleman,  who  moved  that a  smoked  letter,  generally
thought to be formed for the purpose, should  be returned to
its  author.
   The publications  in the  Centinel, which are alluded to in
this remark, where drawn forth,  one after the other, by the
most abusive assertions on  the part of Dr. Waterhouse ; and
were entirely defensive of the society  and of Dr. Rand, to
whom every vile and unjust epithet had been  applied by this

  *  THE counsellors of the  Massachusetts Medical Society, to  whom was
referred a certain publication in the Columbian  Centinel of the 19th April,
1806, signed Benjami n  W atekhouse, have, in conformity to  the direc-
tion of the ■Society, proceeded toan examination of said publication, and
  First, They find that Dr. Waterhouse therein complains, that in prosecu-
ting the vaccine inoculation, he did not receive the countenance and assistance
of other physicians ; and more particularly, that "an illiberal construction
was put on his application to th- Medical Society," aud asserts, that he sent
to the Society vaccine virus, which had been transmitted to him from Eng-
land, and that "he offered to put himself under the advice and controul of the
Society, as he wished to push the  inoculation, as a. public  benefit and not for
personal profit or rebutation "
  Second,  That a committee of the Society appointed to repair to Marble-
head, to inquire into facts relating to the vaccine disc ase, and to the small pox,
" after making ever; arrangement with apparent eXudfiess  and sincerity,
never appeared on the ground, but left him to encouuter for ought  they knew
(he resentment of an enraged populace." 
11
 person, equally without  scruple, and without  truth.    The
 physicians   never  were  desirous  of  impeding  this man
 in  the  business  of  vaccination;  on  the  contrary,  some
 of  the  junior  part  of  them  had   conceived  a  plan   for
 making vaccination  a  separate business,  and  they   would
 probably have succeeded in  persuading the  more  elevated
 part of the profession to  agree to such a plan, as the conduct
 of vaccination  has  in general  been  considered onerous  by
 them.   Dr. Waterhouse  would undoubtedly have had the  of-
 fer of taking the management of this  business, had he not, at
 the very time the idea was originated, been guilty of a viola-
 tion of all the decencies that belong to a man and a physician.

   " This gentleman" you  say  " was the constant theme of
 their abuse  and object of  their persecution."   Afterwards
 you say, " your treatment of the only republican professor in
 your medical  school  for several years  is of  itself sufficient
 proof," &c.

   In answer to the first charge or complaint, the counsellors beg leave to re-
 mark, that they find in  the records of the society no  evidence, either that
 matter was sent by Dr. VV. or that he offered to put himself under the con-
 troul of the  society.  That he may havfe furnished  individual members of the
 society with vaccine matter after a certaun period, is probable ,  that he has
 also been supplied by them is unquestionably true  If Dr.  W. did propose to
 any members to place himself under the direction of the society, which how-
 ever does not appear,  the society have taken no measure or order thereon,
 and cannot therefore be charged with want of liberality.
   The assertion  of Dr. W. that he  was pursuing vaccination  as a public bene-
 fit, and not for personal profit, does not accord with a notorious fact, viz that
 until the virus had been received from Europe through  other channels, he
 kept the matter in his own hands, excepting that  it  was imparted to those,
 who were ready to give him bonds for a pecuniary  remuneration, proportion-
 able to the profits of the business  When Dr. W.  intimates that other  phy-
 sicians doubted the success of the inoculation, ought he not in candour to state,
 at the same time, his own embarrassments,  arising from many spurious cases
 among his own patients ?   That the Society was not indifferent as to the dif-
 fusion of vaccination, appears by their sending  to England, in January, 1801.,
 for vaccine matter, which was received, and did not fail, as Dr. W  insinu-
 ates, for he himself saw  a case produced  by it  Nor  is there better  founda-
 tion for his attempt to propagate the opinion, that physicians here were averse
 to the introduction of the vaccine  disease ;  for no where  has it been better
 received by medical men.
   With respect to the second article, it appears from  the  records that  the
 counsellors did appoint a respectable committee, of  which Dr. W. was  a mem-
 ber, to repair to Marblehead   A  time  was appointed  for making the visit-
 Two of the gentlemen, residing in Boston, were prevented from going by calls
 in their profession, which were imperious and irresistible ; and Dr. W  had in-
 formation of the reasons which detained them, as soon as was practicable.  As
 he was  possessed of this information  long before he made the  publication in
question, the counsellors  are at  a loss to conceive what motives could sug-
gest, and what excuse can palliate, the intimation of insincerity  on the part of
the committee.
  Ordered, That the above report be printed in the newspaper in which the
publication aJuded to appeared.
                                                   Centinel, 1S06. 
12
  Now in proof of his republicanism, let me give you a little
extract of a letter he  wrote while physician to the Marine
Hospital, to which he was appointed by Mr. Jefferson, "  Ev-
ery thing I should have said  on this subject would have been
Construed as referring to the rash and wicked conduct of one
or the other of these men ;  and the Democrats would prob-
ably have quoted  my sentiments  in the  Chronicle \o serve
their vile, party purposes."  The  whole letter  is  at your
service.  I can also assure you, that within a few weeks he
has expressed nearly the same sentiments to a federal gen-
tleman ;   and  added  some  remarks  on  Mr.  Austin,  tho
imprudence of which would  surprize you.
  He has so long and so often repeated the cry of persecu-
tion and with such excellent effect, that I cannot avoid be-
stowing a little attention on  it.   The first time that we hear
of his being persecuted was in the year 1789,  when an anon-
ymous letter was written to Dr. Lettsom of  London to in-
duce him to  fix  a donation, he was supposed to be about
making  the university, on the professor of theory and prac-
tice of physic, who  was  represented to Dr. Lettsom to  be
persecuted by the physician* of Boston, partly from the pre-
ference  given  to  him as a professor, and partly because  he
was a Quaker !  Dr.  Lettsom being  himself a Quaker, it
was supposed this insinuation would influence him in favour
of his persecuted  brother.  Next to this religious persecu-
Hon, we  find that of the late Dr. Howard, who dared to vac-
cinate a number of persons  at Dorchester without  his per-
mission.   A torrent of abuse was poured upon Dr.  Howard
through  the newspapers, and was hardly suspended by his
death.  Next, the doctor was persecuted by Dr. Rand, be-
cause the latter did not find  it convenient to  go to  Marble-
head with him.   What was said to him is recent in the re-
collection of  every one.  Then  followed the persecution of
the  Medical Society ; lately the persecution of the President
of said society, and the persecution of his colleague profes-
sors.  This poor  man has been forever persecuted, and yet
forever  deluging  the public with abuse in  every possible
form.
  Remark 6.  " Why is not a word said of the labours of the
professor of the  theory and  practice of physic," &c. ? No-
body can answer  this  question  better than you yourselves.
You know perfectly well that the one of you who has most pre-
tension to talent, and who has attended his lectures of late
years, always spoke of them  in the most contemptuous man- 
13
ner, till you became joint petitioners for the College of Phy-
sicians.  You know that one of you has said within a fort-
night, that you were embarrassed as to the method of trust-
ing him after you had served yourselves through his agency>
or words to that effect.  You know that one of the  most re-
spectable of you unguardedly spoke of him some time sn.ce,
in the  most  contemptuous  manner, but agreed that it was
necessary to coalesce  with  him at present.   In short, Sirs,
you know that you  will consider him a burden to your insti-
tution,  the moment you have effected its  establishment;
and should you  succeed, we shall indubitably see  you en-
gaged  in plans to get  rid of him, with as much zeal as you
now court his assistance.*
   Remark 7.   The reply to this is contained  on  page 5 ;
where  " that scandalous and abusive communication" is  in-
serted, which is the only one that a series of 20, 30, or per-
haps 40 of your  publications have drawn forth.
   Remark 8. You deny the  accuracy of the statement of dis-
putes in Philadelphia ; and have artfully imputed them to an
animosity between  Dr. Rush and Cobbet.  Although your
assertion  is  made  with  unblushing effrontery  you adduce
no facts in support  of  it.   Had you been cautious of your
reputation you would not have passed over the notes in the
letter you were  answering ; and there you would have found,
that the disputes in Philadelphia took place prior to the year
17 91,  that is, prior  to the time when Cobbet appeared  in
 Philadelphia.   Dr. Rush  is the very  worst authority you
 could  have quoted  for your purpose; for in the first page of
 his recent publication, you  will find that he is congratulating
his students on  the annihilation of an antagonist institution,
or rather their union in one.
   Remark 9.  This is equally barefaced.  I defy you in the
face of the world  to controvert  a  sentence of  what  is put
down in the letter relative to the disturbances in New-York.
The whole of what is said in the letter is  supported by-
authentic  documents now in Boston; the principal facts are
supported by the notes to the letter.
   Remark 10.  Abusive declamation against the Medical
Society.
   Remark II.  "Childish,"  "dishonest," "stupidly  igno-
rant"  are  terms  becoming your mouths and your cause
* This professor gets 500 dollars salary from Harvard College 
14
 alone.  I will not retort them on  you ; but plainly remark,
 that the  Royal  College of Physicians in  London, and  the
 London  Medical  Society  are  institutions  totally  different
 in their character, as one of you well knows.  The College
 of Physicians is the body  which governs the profession in
 London.  The London (not Royal) Medical Society is an as-
 sociation  for literary improvement.  It  has no more  to do
 with the admission of candidates to practice, or the regula-
 tion of  the profession, than you  have.   If you will venture
 to come forward  in any way, and appoint proper persons to
 be the judges, I will at a public hearing adduce the evidence
 of this, and the other facts of a similar nature,  and confute
 your assertions so plainly as to cover you with shame.
  Remarks 12, 13, 14, 15,  16, are not worth noticing.   They
 contain no appearance of facts.
  Remark 17. You adduce the opinion of Governor Gerry in
 your favour. You best know by what presentations he was in-
 duced to favour you.  It is fair to state that his  opinion was
 promulgated before  he  had any  opportunity of  hearing the
 arguments on the  other side.   Besides this, his opinion goes
no further than to show, that two literary  institutions for self
improvement have  a good  effect  on each other.  This may
be true ; but that two  institutions for regulating  the  same
 body of men can have a good effect on each other is not said
by his Excellency, nor is it true.
  Your  loose remarks contain little  which is worthy of no-
 tice.  If you  can  by them convince the republican party that
 the persons  concerned in opposing  your unjust and unrea-
 sonable  demands, have  attempted to influence any  of  them
 by other means than good, sound arguments, you  may con-
 vince them that their senses  betray them.   Who   has ever
 conferred  with Governor Gerry or any member of the Coun-
 cil on this subject ?  I have heard of nobody.   One or two
 members  of the Senate were  addressed, when it was under-
 stood that they  were willing  or wished  to  hear both sides,
 and two or three members  of the House  of Representatives.
 While you know  that there is not  a  boarding-house in  town
 where any member of the  dominant party live,  which you
 have not  visited repeatedly.   You know too, that some ridi-
 culous instances have occurred of your unfolding your bud-
 get of scandal and misrepresentation in  these places in the
 presence of individuals, whom you  afterwards  could  have
 wished elsewhere. . 
15
   You pretend to claim the influence of republicanism to
help you to your wishes.  One of you has made  himself an
excellent republican for this very purpose, and would prob-
ably be as strong a federalist  tomorrow, to  answer  his ob-
ject.   But what right have you  to the aid of any man who
pretends to be a republican.  Where  were you in the revo-
lutionary war ? Where were the officers of the Medical Society
at that time ? They were engaged in the service of their coun-
try.   They have grown old in the pursuit of honorable em-
ployments, and are they now to be insulted by the worthless
and unprincipled ? Do you consider the state of society here so
debased, that you can at freedom  let out the most unfounded
slanders, the most loose and profligate reports against men,
whom the public esteem, without exciting a reaction in their
favour ? Do you imagine that the Medical Society, which
contains nearly all  the regular  practitioners  in the state,
will always see the men they respect covered  with abuse by
you,  and  not feel any indignation?  It is impossible.
   One word  more, Sirs, before  we part.  You have said
something and insinuated more about " deficiency of integri-
ty," and other matters, which are intended as  reflections on
the morality of the individuals you envy and would destroy.
Beware of ever more touching the private character of those
you abuse.   Remember the Marine  Hospital, remember
there are other affairs of a deep dye, which you must trem-
ble to think of answering before the world.
   Let me assure you  that I  have no expectation of gaining
one of your friends by these observations.  I have no object
in view but to re-establish the truth  among those you have
deceived.
   I  am, with that  degree of respect you merit, Sirs, your
                              humble servant. 
  F. S. YOU say that  " the  representation in page 6 is a
misrepresentation.*'  Why do you not prove  it so ?  I defy
you to controvert a syllable  of it.   You threaten the public
with a statement of facts.   The public are accustomed to
such threats;  for thty have  been long  threatened  with a
statement respecting vaccination,  respecting the  Marine
Hospital, and  various  other statements which never have
been made.  I should rejoice to see such statements ; for as
you have at  last goaded us out of silence, we will amuse
ourselves with examining them.
  *
  At the moment of concluding this reply, I learn that two
of the most respectable  of your petitioners have in writing
expressed their  unqualified disapprobation of your proceed-
ings in this  business, and  vindicated the character of the
President of the Medical Society from your aspersions ;  and
others have done the same verbally.  It must now appear ev-
ident that  your whole  transactions arise from a desire to
make a little bustle and raise  yourselves out of the obscur-
ity, from which you cannot be rescued by your own merits.
You have succeeded in some measure by putting on a cloak
of republicanism. Will the predominating party then suffer
themselves to be gulled by such green republicans ? 
 
 
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