Physician Heal Thyself

A notice appeared, not long since, in the public prints, that PHINEAS CAMP, a Revolutionary Patriot, was dead, aged ninety-nine years and six months. The writer of this exit says: "Temperance in eating and drinking, and avoiding medicine &c., left him in the enjoyment of his faculties, in full energy, during a long life." He took no medicine until after he was eighty years old. From this fact alone, it is possible that if he had taken no medicine at all, he might have lived to be as old as Moses, one hundred and twenty years.

Another case: Elder Cole of this city, says his grand-father, Jacob Cole, now living in Lebanon, New York, is about one hundred and fourteen years of age; and he has never taken any medicine whatever, and he is in the full possession of his mental powers, as far as can be expected at so great an age. Such cases of longevity speak volumes against the common practice of medicine; and brings many to the conclusion, that medicine destroys as many lives, prematurely, as war.

The disciples of Jesus Christ, says Mark in the 6th chapter and 13th verse of his gospel, "anointed many that were sick, with oil, and healed them." And James says: "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick." What heavenly advice; and how consoling to any one that ever thought God knew best what is best for our infirmities!

What greater sign of death, and less of faith, can be supposed, than to see a physician's horse hitched before a sick one's door? Although the Savior did not apply the caption of this article, to the doctors or physicians, yet it is evident from his using it as a proverb, and his disciples anointing with oil in all cases of sickness, that the church, and the good shepherd, then, had no faith in doctors, nor lawyers, or hypocrites!

If, in any age, when the church of God had power and authority on the earth, a command had been received that the doctors had power over diseases, and they shall heal the sick, then the trade might have flourished under a sacred sanction; and all the world could have branded Jeremiah as a false prophet, for saying, "Thus saith the Lord: CURSED BE THE MAN THAT TRUSTETH IN MAN, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord." O saints, saints! the just shall live by faith! No doubt but cases may occur, where medical operations may be requisite; but generally speaking, "herbs and mild food," with good nursing, would be better for the patients person and pocket, than all the nostrums of materia medica.

P--S.

There is a good deal of sound common sense in the above remarks. We believe that if we only had faith, "all things are possible to them that believe" and we would not plead our want of faith. As christians, we ought to be ashamed of ourselves: as believers in the Bible, and as Latter Day Saint, our faith ought to be firm and unshaken. But if we have not faith to be healed, as many of us have not, then we think our course is clearly defined in the following words:

"And again it shall come to pass, that he that has faith in me to be healed, and is not appointed unto death, shall be healed: he who has faith to see, shall see: he who has faith to hear, shall hear: the lame who have faith to leap, shall leap: and those who have not faith to do these things, but believe in me, have power to become my sons; and inasmuch as they break not my laws, THOU SHALT BEAR THEIR INFIRMITIES."-And again: "And whosoever among you are sick, and have not faith to be healed, but believe, shall be nourished with all tenderness, with herbs and mild food, and that not by the hand of an enemy." "And the elders of the church, two or more, shall be called, and shall pray for, and lay their hands upon them in my name, and if they die, they shall die unto me, and if they live, they shall live unto me."-Doctrine and Covenants, Section XIII.

From these testimonies, it is very evident that the Lord expected that all men would not have faith to be healed; that if they had not faith to be healed, we must not condemn them; but "bear with their infirmities," inasmuch as they break not his laws. Again: if persons have not faith to be healed, but believe, they are to be "nourished with all tenderness, with herbs, and mild food."

The next question which necessarily arises, is, who is to administer those herbs? The book of Doctrine and Covenants says, they are not to be administered by the hands of an enemy. Who, then, is to administer? Are all heads of families? We should presume that all are not competent. We presume that nine-tenths of the human family, neither understand the physiology of the human system, the nature and effects of disease, nor the medicinal properties of herbs; and under such circumstances would not be competent to administer at all. Herbs are to be used, and mild food; but those herbs are to be used by skillful hands, if we are to judge by the following: "And again, tobacco is not for the body, neither for the belly; and is not good for man; but is an herb for bruises

and all sick cattle, to be used with judgment and skill." We would ask here, does God take care of cattle? Is it necessary that they should be administered unto with judgment and skill? and we would again ask, is not the health of man of more value than many cattle? or are we to be more reckless of human life, than we are commanded to be of the beasts of the field? The answer to these questions, is obvious to every reflecting mind.

We should judge, then, from the above, that a person who is acquainted with the physiology of the human system, and the nature and medicinal properties of herbs, is more competent to judge of those things, and to administer with judgment and skill, than the one who is ignorant, both of the organization of the human system, of the medicinal properties of herbs, and of the nature and effects of disease.

It is also evident that, if there is any danger, or wrong, in the administration of herbs, it is from their being in the hands of unskillful men, and particularly in the hands of an enemy.

On reviewing the whole subject, we cannot but regret that, as saints, we have not all faith, either to be healed, or to cast ourselves into the hands of God, and "whether we live, live unto God, or whether we die, die unto the Lord."-But inasmuch as all have not faith, those that are strong ought not to condemn the weak, inasmuch as they make a judicious means of those things which the Lord, in his mercy, has been pleased to provide, and appoint for the infirmities and diseases of human nature.

We are aware that this community have been a good deal imposed upon by quacks; that nostrums of all kinds have been administered by injudicious hands, producing the most deleterious effects; and that many have slept in the dust, who, if they had been let alone, would still have been in the land of the living; but that is no reason why those who have not faith should not be aided by herbs, administered with care and skill by judicious hands. If the heads of families are themselves acquainted with the nature of diseases, the medicinal properties of herbs, and the mode of compounding, preparing and applying them, so much the better. If they are not, the advice and counsel of those better informed, we think could not be injurious.

We have made these remarks, not so much with a view to instruct, or give counsel in those matters which we consider to be of a delicate nature, as to lay before our brethren and sisters the testimony of the word of the Lord on the subject, that they may read and judge for themselves.-ED.