Civil War Surgeon General was court-martialed for ordering end to mercury

[Guest guest]

Passing this along...

S S

Civil War Surgeon General was court-martialed for ordering end to mercury

Sometimes we must all pause and ask: Why do the pro-mercury dentists resist

change so vociferously? Why do these protectors of a primitive, polluting

product put quick-and-easy profits ahead of patient health, the environment, and

worker safety? It’s tempting to say such resistance is unprecedented.

Not so.

Last week, I toured the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick,

land. While at the museum, I bought its book about Civil War medicine:

Death in the Breeze by Bonnie Brice Dorwart, M.D. Mercury’s use was so

prevalent, and even then so controversial, that the author devotes two chapters

just to mercury -- prescribed by physicians in that era to treat soldiers for

dysentery, typhoid, malaria, pneumonia, and syphilis.

Some physicians opposed pushing mercury onto unsuspecting patients. In fact, an

early hero of the mercury-free movement was none other than the Surgeon General

of the United States himself, A. Hammond. Realizing that mercury should

have no role in medicine, Hammond courageously issued General Order #6 on May 4,

1863, banning its use by Army physicians. But by issuing an order to protect

soldiers from dying from mercury toxicity, Hammond signed his own political

death warrant. Immediately, the medical establishment started calling for his

ouster. The American Medical Association assigned delegates from every state to

work against Order #6. On August 18, 1864, the AMA’s smear campaign

succeeded: Surgeon General Hammond was court-martialed and cashiered out.

The American Medical Association defeated Hammond, but could not defeat the

truth. More dissident physicians sprung up to oppose mercury, including the

renowned Boston poet-physician Oliver Wendell Holmes (the father of the famous

judge). Surgeon General Hammond was ultimately vindicated. Today, the Civil

War use of mercury as a tonic is ridiculed. In the prologue to Dr. Dorwart’s

2009 book, Dr. H. Ralph Schumacher Jr., Professor of Medicine, University of

Pennsylvania, states: “Many therapies such as purging and mercury may have

hastened death.†Then he adds, prophetically: “What will our successors

think of our efforts 150 years from now?â€

Future generations not only will condemn the American Dental Association for

implanting a neurotoxin into the human body, but no doubt they will resent

cleaning up after the irresponsible dentists who polluted our planet with

mercury. However, like Surgeon General Hammond, we now have the opportunity to

stand up publicly against mercury abusers. Then it was the medical

establishment; today it is the dental establishment.

In preparation for the hearings on dental amalgam to be held in December, FDA is

accepting public comments online. Speak out for mercury-free dentistry by

clicking here to submit a comment. Tell FDA about:

your injuries caused by amalgam,

your children’s exposure to mercury,

how your mercury fillings were implanted without your informed consent,

how bad dental mercury is for the environment,

how deceptive FDA’s dental amalgam website is, or

any other concerns relating to mercury fillings.

You might want to tell FDA, too, that the American Medical Association did all

that it could to protect mercury in the 19th century, endangering countless

lives. Now the ADA is doing all it can to protect mercury in the 21st century.

Will FDA stand up to the American Dental Association like Surgeon General

Hammond stood up to the American Medical Association, or will FDA continue to

defend mercury implanted in children’s teeth?

-- Charlie

G. Brown

National Counsel, Consumers for Dental Choice

President, World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry

17 August 2010

[Guest guest]

It seems that in days of yore (if not so much today as well?) allowing mercury,

and the probable death of the individual/individuals, for the common (read

political/socialist/fascist/dictatorial/war?) good (games of such?) was the

thing, for why the Civil War Surgeon (true to medicine and justice but not the

politics of the mob/gang) was rejected of his not conforming in that respect

Today, with dentistry (and medicine) it has a lot to do with making money and a

conflict of interests, (no doubt? of also not wanting to pay for their mistakes,

of restitution if not penitence, of which profit they received of such

negligence or ignorance, that we should forgive of forgiving being the right

thing to be doing in that respect) but also in that respect, of professionals

having a very hard time of admitting they are wrong (of a certain attitude

and/or status?) as if that would do more harm to their credibility and/or

status, of as much?

I tend to give more credibility to those who admit they can be wrong from having

been wrong and learning from as much by proving as much (of the scientific

method? that does include paying for your mistakes, I would think?) Maybe

professionals need to learn something about justice in that respect, that we all

don't need to, more than we already do I mean, to be considered " social " (in the

true sense? forgetting normal/social/political, [otherwise?] for the moment?) at

All, I mean

*I'm* also not especially trusting of those who criticize what I *say* before

they have anything good to say about it, (me?) of how such logic works.. I

welcome what professionals have to say in that respect, but not so much their

demanding that I have to pay them for as much (of Communication? of taking what

is professional too far in that respect?) other than by as much, of such

mission, no

Thanks for posting this. I'd say *justice* (for the Individual, all individuals,

of one and All) is especially the issue where there would be justice and any

issue so meaningful at All

I refuse to pay for justice otherwise (of universal justice-care?) and consider

what we have otherwise, a corrupt and vile situation worthy of acting upon.

Best wishes on your initiative, Thereof

Glavic

Post me wherever you will, Feel, so, Understanding

>

> Passing this along...

> S S

>

> Civil War Surgeon General was court-martialed for ordering end to mercury

>

> Sometimes we must all pause and ask: Why do the pro-mercury dentists resist

change so vociferously? Why do these protectors of a primitive, polluting

product put quick-and-easy profits ahead of patient health, the environment, and

worker safety? It’s tempting to say such resistance is unprecedented.

>

> Not so.

>

> Last week, I toured the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick,

land. While at the museum, I bought its book about Civil War medicine:

Death in the Breeze by Bonnie Brice Dorwart, M.D. Mercury’s use was so

prevalent, and even then so controversial, that the author devotes two chapters

just to mercury -- prescribed by physicians in that era to treat soldiers for

dysentery, typhoid, malaria, pneumonia, and syphilis.

>

> Some physicians opposed pushing mercury onto unsuspecting patients. In fact,

an early hero of the mercury-free movement was none other than the Surgeon

General of the United States himself, A. Hammond. Realizing that

mercury should have no role in medicine, Hammond courageously issued General

Order #6 on May 4, 1863, banning its use by Army physicians. But by issuing an

order to protect soldiers from dying from mercury toxicity, Hammond signed his

own political death warrant. Immediately, the medical establishment started

calling for his ouster. The American Medical Association assigned delegates

from every state to work against Order #6. On August 18, 1864, the AMA’s

smear campaign succeeded: Surgeon General Hammond was court-martialed and

cashiered out.

>

> The American Medical Association defeated Hammond, but could not defeat the

truth. More dissident physicians sprung up to oppose mercury, including the

renowned Boston poet-physician Oliver Wendell Holmes (the father of the famous

judge). Surgeon General Hammond was ultimately vindicated. Today, the Civil

War use of mercury as a tonic is ridiculed. In the prologue to Dr. Dorwart’s

2009 book, Dr. H. Ralph Schumacher Jr., Professor of Medicine, University of

Pennsylvania, states: “Many therapies such as purging and mercury may have

hastened death.†Then he adds, prophetically: “What will our successors

think of our efforts 150 years from now?â€

>

> Future generations not only will condemn the American Dental Association for

implanting a neurotoxin into the human body, but no doubt they will resent

cleaning up after the irresponsible dentists who polluted our planet with

mercury. However, like Surgeon General Hammond, we now have the opportunity to

stand up publicly against mercury abusers. Then it was the medical

establishment; today it is the dental establishment.

>

> In preparation for the hearings on dental amalgam to be held in December, FDA

is accepting public comments online. Speak out for mercury-free dentistry by

clicking here to submit a comment. Tell FDA about:

> your injuries caused by amalgam,

> your children’s exposure to mercury,

> how your mercury fillings were implanted without your informed consent,

> how bad dental mercury is for the environment,

> how deceptive FDA’s dental amalgam website is, or

> any other concerns relating to mercury fillings.

> You might want to tell FDA, too, that the American Medical Association did all

that it could to protect mercury in the 19th century, endangering countless

lives. Now the ADA is doing all it can to protect mercury in the 21st century.

Will FDA stand up to the American Dental Association like Surgeon General

Hammond stood up to the American Medical Association, or will FDA continue to

defend mercury implanted in children’s teeth?

>

> -- Charlie

> G. Brown

> National Counsel, Consumers for Dental Choice

> President, World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry

> 17 August 2010

>

[Guest guest]

The link to submit a comment to FDA disappeared in this repost. Here is

the link:

http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#submitComment?R=0900006480b04c4\

f

On 8/17/10 4:49 PM, Shepard Salzer wrote:

>

> Passing this along...

> S S

>

> Civil War Surgeon General was court-martialed for ordering end to mercury

>

> Sometimes we must all pause and ask: Why do the pro-mercury dentists

> resist change so vociferously? Why do these protectors of a primitive,

> polluting product put quick-and-easy profits ahead of patient health,

> the environment, and worker safety? It’s tempting to say such

> resistance is unprecedented.

>

> Not so.

>

> Last week, I toured the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in

> Frederick, land. While at the museum, I bought its book about

> Civil War medicine: Death in the Breeze by Bonnie Brice Dorwart, M.D.

> Mercury’s use was so prevalent, and even then so controversial, that

> the author devotes two chapters just to mercury -- prescribed by

> physicians in that era to treat soldiers for dysentery, typhoid,

> malaria, pneumonia, and syphilis.

>

> Some physicians opposed pushing mercury onto unsuspecting patients. In

> fact, an early hero of the mercury-free movement was none other than

> the Surgeon General of the United States himself, A. Hammond.

> Realizing that mercury should have no role in medicine, Hammond

> courageously issued General Order #6 on May 4, 1863, banning its use

> by Army physicians. But by issuing an order to protect soldiers from

> dying from mercury toxicity, Hammond signed his own political death

> warrant. Immediately, the medical establishment started calling for

> his ouster. The American Medical Association assigned delegates from

> every state to work against Order #6. On August 18, 1864, the AMA’s

> smear campaign succeeded: Surgeon General Hammond was court-martialed

> and cashiered out.

>

> The American Medical Association defeated Hammond, but could not

> defeat the truth. More dissident physicians sprung up to oppose

> mercury, including the renowned Boston poet-physician Oliver Wendell

> Holmes (the father of the famous judge). Surgeon General Hammond was

> ultimately vindicated. Today, the Civil War use of mercury as a tonic

> is ridiculed. In the prologue to Dr. Dorwart’s 2009 book, Dr. H. Ralph

> Schumacher Jr., Professor of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania,

> states: “Many therapies such as purging and mercury may have hastened

> death.†Then he adds, prophetically: “What will our successors think

> of our efforts 150 years from now?â€

>

> Future generations not only will condemn the American Dental

> Association for implanting a neurotoxin into the human body, but no

> doubt they will resent cleaning up after the irresponsible dentists

> who polluted our planet with mercury. However, like Surgeon General

> Hammond, we now have the opportunity to stand up publicly against

> mercury abusers. Then it was the medical establishment; today it is

> the dental establishment.

>

> In preparation for the hearings on dental amalgam to be held in

> December, FDA is accepting public comments online. Speak out for

> mercury-free dentistry by clicking here to submit a comment. Tell FDA

> about:

> your injuries caused by amalgam,

> your children’s exposure to mercury,

> how your mercury fillings were implanted without your informed consent,

> how bad dental mercury is for the environment,

> how deceptive FDA’s dental amalgam website is, or

> any other concerns relating to mercury fillings.

> You might want to tell FDA, too, that the American Medical Association

> did all that it could to protect mercury in the 19th century,

> endangering countless lives. Now the ADA is doing all it can to

> protect mercury in the 21st century. Will FDA stand up to the American

> Dental Association like Surgeon General Hammond stood up to the

> American Medical Association, or will FDA continue to defend mercury

> implanted in children’s teeth?

>

> -- Charlie

> G. Brown

> National Counsel, Consumers for Dental Choice

> President, World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry

> 17 August 2010

>

>