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    bv a vis medicatrix , what are we to say to the phenomena of poisoning ? An exhalation from an uncovered drain , or from a stagnant pool , enters the hlood through the active agency of the lungs : what does Nature ? does she expel this poison ? does she resist this disturbing influence ? Not a bit ! She pumps away as if this poison were the most . beneficent of visitors , and distributes it throughout the organism with the same impartiality as she distributes the oxygen . What vis * axe we to name this ? The vis deletrix ? Physiologists explain to you the beautiful "

    intention " of the digestive apparatus ; but they forget to add that , if instead of mutton you take arsenic into your stomach , watchful Nature does not commence an antiperistaltic action , and throw out the deleterious substance ; on the contrary , the vis deletrix pounces upon the arsenic , the absorbents suck it up , and death ensues . An insect settles in some part of the body , takes up its abode there , and begins to make itself comfortable by feeding on the body . What does Nature ? Expel this

    terrible intruder ? Does a cheese expel a maggot ? No ; Nature cherishes this fungus , feeds it with the tenderest care , nourishes its vitality with the vitality of the man in whose body it is settled ; and so the - fungus grows and grows , till the man is destroyed ; and thus a Shakspeare , a Goethe , or a Newton , men of quite infinite value to Humanity , are sacrificed to the existence of a fungus ! In short , the whole catalogue of diseases is a refutation of the notion of a vis medicatrix . Nature acts

    according to irresistible laws ; she is neither Physician nor Assassin . What we see in the phenomena of reparation is precisely what we see in the phenomena of destruction , viz ., processes of Nature—the action of the properties of matter . Now , positive science , setting all " intentions " aside as not to be ascertained , directs us to the study of these processes of Nature ; and that study revealing to us the fact , that these processes , are as active in destruction as they are in preservation , or reparation , tells ushow fallacious isthepopular notion of " leaving Nature to herself . " Nature left to herself will inexorably destroy you if the means of destruction lie within her orbit !

    Dr . Balbirnie , therefore , will see how little disposed we are to accept without qualification the opinion he endorses , that "it is not physic , nor the physician , that cures ; but that the functions of the living organization , the unshackled play of its physiological actions ( the vis medicatrix natures ) , are the prime agents in the restoration as in the conservation of health ; " and we unequivocally dissent from his position : —•

    " It is neither pliysie , nor the physician , that heals ; neither drugs nor cold water can remove the proximate causes—the material conditions — of disease . The Inherent Conservative Powers of the Laving Organism are the onty agents in restoration . The niiu of all scientific treatment must be to give the fullest scope and highest activity to all the vital or vegetative processes—to second the eiforta of Nature to throw ofF diseased action—to counteract disturbing agents , or to eject them from the econoin ) ' . "

    Dr . Balbirnie will admit that , when a poison is taken into the stomach , Nature , so far from ejecting it , clutches it up in her active absorbents ; whereas , let the physician counteract Nature by administering an antidote , viz ., by introducing into the stomach , a substance with which the poi . son readily combines— here a simple case of chemical niiinity saves the life which Nature would have inexorably destroyed , lie will see , moreover , how the very " exaltation of vitality , " which it . is his boast that the Water ( Jure effects , instead of becoming curative , only hastens the destructive process in those cases where Nature herself is destructive .

    We point here to a defect in the Hydropathic Theory , as a Theory . In practice we feel too much confidence in Dr . Balbirnic ' H science , not to believe that lie would swerve from the theory . Indeed , from many passages we . see now much lie insists upon Hydropathy being practised only by experienced physicians—men conversant with Pathology and in the following we read an express indication of the point : - " 'I'll ,: diseases wherein the Water Cure achieves its

    !;> vatcst , triumphs , have ; neon hitherto tin : opprobrium <>( niedicineandof it . n professors . Tin . mo are the Protean chistt of nervous disorders ; the , so called steniueh and hilious complaints ( organs more sinned n ^ iiiiist than "inning ); I he ho ; -t of anomalous and nondescript lulments , lhe results of the excessive tear and wear of h" < ly and mind produced by the competitions oi nil :. ine . su , and the . collisions of modern society ; chionic . gout , nnd 1 hi uinatihm ; M-. rofula , syphilis , and mercurial disea . scH ; the causes and phynicul conditions of apoplexy , palsy , general vitiated habit , &o .

    ' ' But the power claimed and possessed by the new treatment of exalting the energies of the living organism is no t to be applied indiscriminately , immoderately , or in a routine manner . The age , temperament , and constitution of the patient—the season of the year—climate—the nature , seat , and source of the complaint—are the guides of the mode of treatment and the measure of its extent . It is also to be distinctly remembered that the Water Cure is chiefly applicable to functional disorder ^ , and not to organic disease . And it is a consolatory fact to know that in cases of confirmed indigestion , bilious and liver complaints , nervousness , and hypochondriasis , organic disease is of comparatively rare occurrence . " The alleged danger of the crisis is a mere chimera

    a phantom conjured up to terrify the weak , or to stagger the strong . Properly to apply , however , the processes of the Water Cure—to insure at once the safety of the patient , and the success of the remedy —it must be in the hands of a practical physician , intimately versed in the sound and morbid structure of man , and possessing habits of careful observation of disease , accurate diagnosis , and profound reflection . The amount and kind of treatment necessary in a given case , is determined by the existing bodily condition ,, as deduced from a strict investigation of all the functions , and a faithful interrogation of the previous history of the disease . In . this way alone can the precise nature , seat , and extent of the internal derangement be known , and the amount of constitutional stamina , wherewith to throw off morbid action ,

    be determined . Nevertheless , in these cases wherein the processes of Nature are destructive , i . e . when the normal action of the various functions is itself the danger , we do not see how Hydropathy can avail . We understand its influence in functional disorder , but in some cases of poison , i . e . the introduction of deleterious substances into the system , we do not

    see how the Water Cure can counteract the destructive tendencies . Dr . Balbirnie and the Hydropathists will probably pull us up here , and declare that they get rid of the poison by sweating . In many cases there is no doubt that poison may be excreted by a rapid exaltation of the functions . But our position remains unaffected by this admission . There are cases of virulent poison wlien no increase of the excretions will suffice to arrest the

    progress of destruction : the action is too rapid for the counteraction . And , moreover , our objection is to the Theory of Hydropathy , in as far as it rests upon the false conception of a vis-inedicatrix . We must close this first article here , our limits warning us not to open any other questions till next week . Meanwhile we may sum up the inquiry as far as it has yet been conducted into these positions : — The notion of a vis medicatrix or inherent conservative power in the living organism , is a metaphysical notion rejected by science , and shown to he absurd by the opposition ( on grounds equally valid ) of a destructive power inherent in the organism .

    To leave Nature to herself , therefore , would constantly be to leave the organism to destruction . The processes which would lead to destruction can in many cases be counteracted ; but this counteraction cannot always be accomplished by the Water Cure , because that system produces an exaltation of the vital - processes , i . e . a hastening of the destruction . We have not yet touched upon the merits of the Water (' lire . We shall do so , however ; and attempt to establish the necessity of a ( scientific combination of the Chemical and Hydropathic systems—corresponding with the two main divisions of the vast subject of Hygiene .

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    Oct . 4 , 1851 . J tR ^ t VLtMtX * 947

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    MIONHT ' S MARY STUAKT . The History of Mary Quvc . n of Scu / x . liy I ' . A . Minuet . In 2 voIh . lJciitlcy . Our contemporaries seem unanimous in their praise of this work . The standard we set up must be higher . We do not , deny its merits to he considerable -we are anxious to express an emphatic tribute to the elaborate carefulness , copious erudition , and a certain high judicial impartiality which

    pervade it ; hut , although incomparably the best work on this subject , it . seems to us very much below what it , might have been—what it ought to have been . Our objections nay be classed under three heads : — -I . As a work of Art there is no due sense of proportion in its composition . ' 2 . As a Biography the character of Mary Sluart is hut indifferently painted . : * . As a History the lnwlesH , reckless , brutal Hpirit of the times is not brought into view . Proof would be easy , but our limits will not encompass , it ; we therefore content ourselves [ with

    indicating where the defects lie . For the present we can afford only to touch upon the character of Mary Stuart , and Mignet ' s treatment thereof . Like almost all the world , Mignet has suffered the beauty , the grace , the charm , and the tragic history of this woman to dazzle and fascinate him . So indestructible is the sentiment of romance , that we suffer it to overrule' the plainest dictates of reason . Beauty , grace , misfortune—who can be harsh to these ? A lovely woman and an unhappy Queen—who can believe her dissolute , vicious , deceitful ? Take the plain facts of Mary Stuart ' s

    history , narrate them of a schoolmistress , neither beautiful nor young , and moral indignation rises against the hypocritical adulteress , murderess . She stands a vulgar criminal at the bar . She is not even heroic in crime ! But youth , beauty , rank , misfortune , invest the criminal with a romance which even judicial historians cannot resist . Mignet tries to be impartial ; and in one sense he is so , for he conceals no fact , extenuates no crime , admits of no sophistication . But , while he sums up for the jury all the points , he cannot help showing- his

    partiality for the criminal ; he is so dazzled by her loveliness that he cannot realize in his own mind the hideousness which lies beneath . Strange contradiction : he proves her guilt , and yet scarcely believes her guilty ! He sets before us the details of a career defaced by untruth , frivolity , lust , hypocrisy , and murder—and loves the woman , because her career was adorned by so many charms , rendered touching by so many sufferings , purified by so long an expiation , and terminated with so much dignity !

    We believe in no monsters virtuous or vicious ; we believe that Mary Stuart had qualities in her nature corresponding with the graceful gaiety of her manner—a something which gave such beauty to her not very handsome features that , as Dante says of his mistress , all men turned to behold her and he whom she saluted felt a tremor in his heart" Ove ella passa ogni uom ver lei si gira , E cui saluta , fa tremar lo core . "

    .-. ,-. V . i-i . mit-irr imnnkivpnpi : ' ! n nfPnprflllS fl iSrC . 'Tft re ] —a charming impulsiveness , a generous disregard of conventionalities—in a word " the qualities of her defects , " as the French say . She was a careless , pleasure-loving woman : fascinating , but weak and unprincipled . A mixture of good and evil , of the agreeable and contemptible , to delight an artist , because all his cunning would be demanded to portray it skilfully ; a mixture to call forth all the analytic power of the moralist .

    In pronouncing severely on her guilt , therefore , let it not be supposed that we are insensible to the lights which mingle with the shadows ; we arc only desirous of remedying the oversight which Miguel ; ¦—as most other writers—is guilty of in judgirtf her . As the story of a , gay , pleasure-loving , reckless , wanton woman , hurried into errors , and limn errors into crime , the life of Mary Stuart might , be deeply impressive . M . Mignefc has furnished

    the materials ; he has not written the story . ' 1 hat she was a had , wicked woman , unworthy of our sympathy , except such sympathy as we extend ( o criminals , is a conclusion , to our eyes so inevitable from the facts of her history , that we feel almost ashamed to have to adduce any proof of it . ; hut ; the romantic reader has doubtless already luen so outraged by our severity that something must he said . We take the murder of Darnley as the culminating point . That she should hale her brutal and half imbecile husband is intelligible enough ; the more so because she had loved him recklessly before" Ifcuvoii lia . s no rage like love to hatred luru'd . " and the drunken husband was rendered more odious by the incllaccahle stains of Ri / . / , io's blood upon his poui'poini ; . She hated him , and . 'he loved the violent Hothwell ; loved him and lived in adult ; iy with him . That she should be wrought by

    thwarted love and growing hate lo I be wi .-. h for Darnley ' s death—and even io lend her aid to his murder—is also intelligible ; our police courts are familiar with this course of pus ; . ion . lint there was sonic thing more than murder in her case ; something more ; than lhe leekless abandonment , ol I he . "oul ' <> jmi . shkmi . There was that which in all . 'igc .-i k-. s ! liu ; uled

    sympathy with crime- --that which . seems to lake from pjission iln i-xru .-e , viz ., deliberation , liyj . ocrisy , cruelly . We have it «> " M' « trsliniony » l her own letters that she cajoled Darnley lo Ins doom — that she pretended a return ol : ; hcHiun lor litiu at the very lime that ISolliwell was making pi equations for the murder—by her c ; uv :-: ; - . c . s . she lulled

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 4, 1851, page 947, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1903/page/15/