Lloyd Library and Museum Samuel Thomson and the Poetry of Botanic Medicine, Chapter 8

Samuel Thomson and the Poetry
of Botanic Medicine, 1810-1860

Chapter 8 Miscellaneous

The anonymous author of this poem captures the pride of the students and faculty of the Botanico-Medical College in Cincinnati . Alva Curtis -started his medical career as one of Thomson's more successful agents, but broke with him in 1838. Having acquired a following of his own, Curtis saw himself as a leader rather than a follower of the botanic movement. Thomson's anti-intellectualism and authoritarianism had become an embarrassment to the rising expectations of agents like Curtis. In 1836, Curtis began instructing students at his home under the name of the Botanico-Medical School of Columbus. On March 9, 1839 , Curtis obtained a charter for the Literary and Botanico-Medical Institute of Ohio as a means of encouraging a more liberal botanic medicine than found in Thomson's strict patented system. His efforts were in direct opposition to Thomson and led to a schism among the Thomsonians, with Curtis among the leaders of the so-called Independent Thomsonians.

OUR INSTITUTION

The Botanico-Medical College--
The centre of medical truth;
May it prosper, forever unsullied,
As now in its primitive youth.

The Botanico-Medical College--
The beacon of medical light,
Grows brighter, and brighter, with knowledge
Of medical truth, in its might.

May it prosper, and flourish forever,
And carry all truth in its wake.
Itself, it from error did sever:
And used up old doctor D. Drake cxxviii

May its students reflect, and remember,
The truth all their life long to cherish.
Contend for the right, now and ever;
And error (not truth) then shall perish.

Long live our much honored Professors;
Our thanks for what they have now done;
May they ever continue to foster
What they have so nobly begun.

And may a wise public still aid them,
Till truth, ever radiant and bright,
Dispel like the beams of the morning,
The darkness of medical night.

(Anonymous) cxxix

John P. Grantham of Mt. Pleasant , Iowa , was a long-time subscriber to the Thomsonian Recorder, and later the Botanico-Medical Recorder. Over time, however, he became disenchanted with Alva Curtis's eagerness to incorporate elements of the broader nineteenth century reform movement into the pages of the magazine. Grantham questioned the claims of phrenologists, Grahamites, Mesmerists and other faddists and chided Curtis for having given over his pages to these humbugs. To his credit, Curtis published Grantham's letters and poetry even though they were critical of his editorial policy. Curtis welcomed the debate, hoping it would stimulate readership as well as help define the relationship between and among the various health reform movements. Curtis made it clear that in the practice of botanic medicine, the eating habits of Americans and their lack of attention to diet were "great barriers" to recovery. "We therefore restricted our patients in this respect," wrote Curtis, "and taught our pupils in the school, and our readers abroad, the importance of regulating to some extent, and of restraining in all cases, the inordinate demands of the appetite."

Of all the writers on hygiene and diet, Curtis credited Sylvester Graham as demonstrating the soundest principles and practices. "We found more to approve and less to condemn, than in any other class of writings," observed the editor. Although Curtis did not support the bran bread and saw-dust puddings recommended by the Grahamites, he did recommend bread made from ground and unbolted wheat as more wholesome than the hot buttered lard cakes, fat meats, and gravies popular in the day. As for phrenology, or the new science of the brain, Curtis believed that its claims should be "severely tested." If it professed to teach error, then let it be rejected, but "not before, but after trial." Grantham wrote Alva Curtis that the following poem had been suggested to him by a "tramping lecturer on mesmerism."

UNTITLED

--Physicians' eyes are opened too,
And marvelous things are brought to view,
Since rosy health is realized
By simply being mesmerized.

The tailor's goose is laid aside,
He steps around in conscious pride,
Declares the fact with some surprise,
That he himself can mesmerize.

The Merchant too, is on tiptoe,
Since mesmerism's all the go,
From place to place he quickly flies,
Asserting he can mesmerize.

In short, you scarcely meet a man,
But what asserts and thinks he can,
And if you'll let him, quickly tries
To show you he can mesmerize.

In fact, you've but to look o'er town,
To think the world's turned up side down,
Since every split and jar and schism,
Is fully merged in mesmerism.

(John P. Grantham) cxxx

This next poem, written by Reverend Ralph Erskine, of the Church of Scotland in Glasgow, was also printed in Washington Irving's Analectic Magazine and in the European Magazine in 1812.

SMOKING SPIRITUALIZED

Part I.

This Indian weed, now withered quite,
Though green at noon , cut down at night,
Shows thy decay;
All flesh is hay,
Thus think and smoke tobacco.

The pipe, so lilly-like and weak,
Does thus thy mortal state bespeak,
Thou art e'en such,
Gone with a touch.
Thus think, and spoke tobacco.

And when the smoke ascends on high,
Then thou behold'st the vanity
Of worldly stuff,
Gone with a puff.
Thus think, and smoke tobacco.

And when the pipe grows foul within,
Think on thy soul defiled with sin,
For then the fire
It does require,
Thus think, and smoke tobacco.

And sees the ashes cast away--
Then to thyself thou mayest say,
That to the dust
Return thou must.
Thus think, and smoke tobacco.

Part II.

Was this small plant for thee cut down?
So was the plant of Great Renown, cxxxi
Which mercy sends
For nobler ends.
Thus think, and smoke tobacco.

Doth juice medicinal proceed
From such a naughty foreign weed,
Then what's the power
Of Jesse's flower?
Thus think, and smoke tobacco.

In vain the unlighted pipe you blow;
Your pains in outward means are so;
Till heavenly fire
Your hearts inspire.
Thus think, and smoke tobacco.

The smoke, like burning incense towers,
So should a praying heart of yours,
With ardent cries,
Surmount the skies.
Thus think, and smoke tobacco.

(Rev. Ralph Erskine) cxxxii

This final poem, published in the Poughkeepsie Thomsonian in 1841, captures the feelings of the botanics against tobacco, alcohol, and other poisons, including the regular doctor's mineral drugs.

TEETOTALERS'S SONG
(sung to 'Auld Lang Sine')

The man who doth Tobacco use
Sends out a horrid breath,
His constitution, thus abused,
Will sink ere long in death.

Is he the man who also drinks
Strong Tea, and Coffee too?
To him I'd say, 'Oh, stop and think,
What good are these to you?'

That they're injurious to health,
Experience clearly shows,
They also clog the way to wealth,
As any one well knows.

While all agree that Rum is bad,
And hath its thousands slain,
Ten thousands by it have run mad--
Millions been fill'd with pain.

Yet tens of millions more have fell
By mineral doctors' skill;
A sacrifice to Calomel,
Their Lancet and their Pills.

Let us reject all poisons, then,
In any shape they come,
Whether in food or medicine,
Tobacco or in Rum.

At the same time, invite those men
Who've dealt them out so long,
To come with us, our cause sustain,
And help us sing our song.

(Dr. J. Gates) cxxxiii

cxxvii. J.B.S., "Acrostic," Botanico-Medical Recorder, XV (September 11, 1847), 295.

cxxviii. Dr. Daniel Drake (1785-1852) practiced medicine in Cincinnati and was founder and editor of Western Journal of the Medical and Physical Sciences.

cxxix. Anonymous, "Our Institution," Botanico-Medical Recorder, XV (September 11, 1847), 292.

cxxx. John P. Grantham, "Untitled," Botanico-Medical Recorder, XIII (January 4, 1845), 58.

cxxxi. Refers to Lobelia which Elias Smith called his "plant of great renown."

cxxxii. Rev. Ralph Erskine, "Smoking Spiritualized," Poughkeepsie Thomsonian, VIII (November 15, 1845), 87.

cxxxiii. Dr. J. Gates, "Teetotalers' Song," Poughkeepsie Thomsonian, IV (December 1, 1841), 168. Republished from the Rochester Democrat .

Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7

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Lloyd Library and Museum

Bringing Science, Art, and History to Life

Samuel Thomson and the Poetry of Botanic Medicine, 1810-1860

Chapter 8

Miscellaneous

Samuel Thomson and the Poetry
of Botanic Medicine, 1810-1860