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-Qualified Fuuctionaries.
S WVs perceive a letter in the Stduney Gazette,
signed by a Mr. S. G. Wilkes, MI. D. who
seems to deprecate any corporate Association
by the regular Surgeons of the Colony. It
would certainly be a most ticklish subject to
regulate who shall administer medicine, and
who shall not ; who shall set a leg or cut it off,
and who shall not; w'ho shall bleed, blister and
purge, and who shall not. Nevertheless. we
think it due to the public, and especially the
lower orders, not to let the people remain in
ignorance (Cs they are at present left,) as to
who is a real Doctor, and who is a self-consti
tuted one. ,We think it quite right, that both the
rich and the poor should le allowed to choose
self-conisituted Physicians and Surgeons, if
they like them. But we also think it equally
riekht a, d proper, that such information should
be laid before thenm, as witl enable tarsm to m?(m
a choice. At present, they cannot be said to have
a choice. Alnvy, no doubt would choose
the quack doctors, froms habit, love, or cheap
ness, even though it were shewn to theml in
the Alinanack, or any other published doett
iueut, tliat their names were not inserted it
the list of quali/fied surgeons and physiLians.
And why should ment not choose a quack it
medicine and surgery, as well as in religion ?
Mlen are allowed to learn theology from quacks
of all kinds; from the rnlighltened dissenter,
who excels your regular priest in piety and
scripture "eruliti,'n, down to the fanatical
jutmper; the smrnooth-faced hypocrite; and thI
vulgir presumptuous ranter. 'Therefore, why
should they not be allowed to silubmit their
stomachs to be po'isoned, and their limbs to be
slistroyed by quack surgeons if they think
proper ? We say, by 'all means, let every
mnan do what he likes with his own precious
limbs and ,members, 'as well as his precious
souL But then we also say, give the poor
fellows a choice. Publish somehow or other,
Saridsomewhere or other, and sometime or
* other, the names of the Orthodox. faculty, and
all will be well.
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