f our profession in America have
published cases of the use of my treatment. It has also been thoroughly
discussed by the medical section of the British Medical Association, and
warmly endorsed by William Playfair, of London, Ross of Manchester,
Coghill, and others; while a translation of my book into French by Dr.
Oscar Jennings, with an introduction by Professor Ball, and a
reproduction in German, with a preface by Professor von Leyden, have
placed it satisfactorily before the profession in France and Germany.

As regards the question of originality I did not and do not now much
concern myself. This alone I care to know, that by the method in
question cases are cured which once were not; and as to the novelty of
the matter it would be needless to say more, were it not that the charge
of lack of that quality is sometimes taken as an imputation on a man's
good faith.

But to sustain so grave an implication the author must have somewhere
laid claim to originality and said in what respect he considered himself
to have done a totally new thing. The following passage from the first
edition of this book explains what was my own position:

"I do not wish," I wrote, "to be thought of as putting forth anything
very remarkable or original in my treatment by rest, systematic feeding,
and passive exercise. All of these have been used by physicians; but, as
a rule, one or more are used without the others, and the plan which I
have found so valuable, of combining these means, does not seem to be
generally understood. As it involves some novelty, and as I do not find
it described elsewhere, I shall, I think, be doing a service to my
profession by relating my experience."

The following quotation from Dr. William Playfair's essay[1] says all
that I would care to add:

"The claims of Dr. Weir Mitchell to originality in the introduction
of this system of treatment, which I have recently heard contested
in more than one quarter, it is not my province to defend. I feel
bound, however, to say that, having carefully studied what has been
written on the subject, I can nowhere find anything in the least
approaching to the regular, systematic, and thorough attack on the
disease here discussed.

"Certain parts of the treatment have been separately advised, and
more or less successfully practised, as, for example, massage and
electricity, without isolation; or isolation and judicious moral