Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-02-04 00:00:00

HOMOEOPATHY V. ALLOPATHIC

Mr. Denton sail he wished to make a few observations,
if the Chairman would bear with him—it was with re-
gard to the suggestions that he (Hr. Denton) threw out,
at the last meeting, with reference to the employment of
homce Tathists in the workhouse. The Chairman had
intimated an opinion, which had gone the round of the
papers, to the effect that homoeopathists could not be
employed within the walls of the workhouse, without the
sanction of the Poor-laW Board. In refutation of that,
he would bring before that committee a case where a
person of the name of Smith was employed in the Shef-
field workhouse as. a medical officer. He (Smith)
altered his opinions, and became a homceopathist, and
the Poor-law officers were dissatisfied with the treatment
of the patients, and they wrote to the Poor-law Board to
ramove him from his office, and they' received the follow-
ing letter in reply :

TO JOSEPH SPENCER, ESQ., CLEEX TO THE SHEFFIELD

GUARDIANS

"Poor-Law Board, Whitehall, S. W.
"Sir,—l am, directed by the Poo:-Law Board to
acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 7th ult., in
which you enclose a copy of a letter which has been
addressed to the Guardians of the Sheffield Union, by
Mr. John Harmar Smith, one of the medical officers of
the Union, from which, it appears, he has adopted the
practice of honiceopathy in the treatment of the sick
poor ill his district, and your request to be furnished with
the -Board's direction on the matter. lam directed to
inform the Gimrdians that the Board have received a
letter from Mr. Smith on the subject, in which be states
as follows : If in any case homoeopathy, according to
my knowledge of its resources, did not yield a remedy
adequate 'to - the requirements of the case in hand, I
should undoubtedly resort to one which I had found
available in the practice of the old school.' Having
regard to this assurance, the Board do not feel that it is
necessary •to require Mr. Smith to resign his office of
medical officer, provided the Guardians are fully satisfied
with the manner in which he discharges the duties of the
office, and his general treatment of the sick poor under
his carc.—l am, sir, &c., '6 COURTENAY.
" Nov. 24, 1858."

In continuance, Mr. Denton said, though he knew and
felt that it was not a proper arena for a discussion,
whether Homoeopathy or Allopathy was the proper
treatment for the sick—(hear, hear) at the same time he
was wishful that the two systems should have a fair and
candid consideration. This homoeopathy was like all other
new- systems introduced before the public as trials of
skill -in the same way that the pre-Raphaelite shool had
been lately introduced into the school of the fine arts ;
and he thought, as well-jiidgin..men 'of some liberality,
they ought to countenance all improvements, whatever
.they might be. It was upon these grounds—for he was
neither one nor the other —that he was wishful
that the homce'opathists should have a fair
trial, and he knew many of them were honourable and
respectable men, and he was particularly sorry that his
friend, Mr. Critchley, should make an observation which
bore on the character of these gentlemen. He (Mr.
Denton) did say that they did not come under the
character of " humbug." (Laughter.) They were
neither humbugs nor disrespectable persons. They were
men of standing, and he thought they ought to show
some liberality towards any new system that might be
introduced, and as far as his knowledge had gone, homoeo-
pathy had been very successful.
The Chairman said they were very much obliged to
Mr. Denton for the expression of his opinion, but he did
not see that, without• a practical resolution could be put
to the Board, they could have one homoeopathic doctor.
If they had any, they must have two, because more than
one-half of the patients would refuse to be treated by
homoeopathists, and he would not like to oblige all the
patients to be treated by this system.
Mr. Denton said he merely wished to refute the state-
ment made on the last Board day, that homoeopathists
could not be employed without the sanction of the Poor-
law Board.

➢ir. Owen thought the chairman was right, as no officer
could be appointed without the sanction of the Poor-law
Board.

Mr. Peck said he was a homoeopathist, and he would
be very glad to see medical officers practising this system
admitted into the house.

The Chairman said he would also be glad to give it a
trial, but they must appoint two, as he said before.

Mr. Critchley thouirit he ought to say something-
The committee, however, said there was no occasion,
and-----

Mr. Qritchley resumed his seat, stating that he
remained of the same opinion still.
Mr. Denton subsequently gave a notice of motion,
that in all future advertisements of resident medical
officers of the Workhouse, Homceopiithists be not
excluded.

AN IRREVERENT SCHOOLMASTER

Mr. Hunt, the schoolmaster, was called in and repri-
manded by the chairman, for keeping his hat on in the
dining-hall on Sunday, when the Roman Catholic service
was about to commence.