The Liverpool Standard, and General Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-12-19 00:00:00

HOMEOPATHY IN BARBADOES,

To oblige a correspondent, who takes great interest in
Homceopathy, we give the following extracts from a Bar-

badoes paper

" The first public meeting of the Barbadoes Homoeo-
pathic Association, held on Wednesday, September 27th,
at Cooper's Rooms, Broad-street, was very numerously
and respectably attended. Nearly two hundred influential
gentlemen were present. The Hon. Dr. Goding, president
of the association, took the chair, and delivered a most
able inaugural address, in which he demonstrated the
truth of the law of similitude, and the undeniable power
of infinitesimal doses in curing the rapid and violent
disease (cholera), which had so extensively prevailed
amongst them. He gives the per-centages of mortality
on both sides, allopathy ranging from 70 per cent., its
maximum, to 28 per cent., its minimum. Homoeopathy
ranges from 23 per cent. its maximum, to 104 its mini-
mum ; thus preserving in that island also its numerical
superiority in statistics. S. J. Prescod, Esq., the vice-
president, also addressed the assembly, in an eloquent and
animated speech. He said he had been requested to take
the opportunity afforded by this meeting to say a few
words on the object of the association. (It would require
too much space to follow this learned gentleman through
the whole of his lucid and interesting remarks.) At the
outset he would observe, that it had been suggested that
there might be some possible objection to such an associa-
tion. It was generally thought that for almost any other
object—for political reform, commercial enterprise, or
benevolent, charitable, or philanthropic purposes, in fact,
for any purpose that could be conceived of, or that men
could concern themselves about—persons like the great
majority of those connected with and originating this
institution—unprofessional men as they were—might be
fully justified in associating themselves together ; but in
a question concerning life and health they should not
interefere, but leave it altogether in the hands of the doc-
tors. Those holding this view would no doubt urge it
against the pretensions of the promoters of this enterprise,
that this was a matter which did not concern other than
medical men. What, for instance, had he, the editor of a
newspaper, to do with systems of medicine and a matter
of medical reform ? Now, if he were guaranteed against
the casualties of life, against sickness, disease, and death,
looking at the question from the mere utilitarian
point of view, from which human concerns were for
the most part regarded, the objection might be admitted
to be well founded; but as this could, obviously, not be,
he had the most intense interest in the success of homoeo-
pathy, and the consequent preservation of health and life.
He then drew a vivid sketch of the two prevailing systems,
between bleeding, and cupping, and leeching, and blister-
ing, with the hourly swallowing of the most disgusting
and nauseous drugs on the one hand, and on the other the
refined, elegant, and tasteless dose of homoeopathy. He
asked, was not that a boon to be desired ? Many people,
he knew, treated this as a capital delusion, and thought it
a proof of folly to take the trouble even to inquire about
it. But wherefore ? Was there anything in the proposi-
tion' itself unreasonable ? Look around, and behold all
creation governed by laws. Chance directed nothings
God, the Creator, was not the God of disorder, but the
God of order, and therefore the God of law ; and to law
he had made all things subject, from the dust beneath our
feet to the mighty orbs that roll on high in wondrous
splendour ; and was it at all conceivable, could we recon-
cile it with all we thus saw around us of God's creation,
to suppose that the cure of disease, the restoration of
health in sickness, and the preservation of life, was an
exception to this rule of divinely appointed law ? That
this, of all things, should be left to chance, with nothing
to guide us brit our own rude conjectures of the possible
right ? All reason was in favour of a law of healing, and
the accidental discovery of that law by Hahnemann
revolted nothing but the increasing prejudices of those
who preferred darkness to light, and discord to harmony
Magna est veritas, et prtevalebit ; but, as Bishop Borne
says, truth is a'guest that often brings those who enter-
tain her into trouble; and although the days of persecu-
tion are past, the rack at rest, and the fires of Smithfield
quenched for ever, the world has engines yet to persecute
the man who goes about to mend it.

" We are modest enough to assert that in the matter of
homoeopathy, much as it has hitherto been maligned, its
revilers may (as in the instances of previous discoveries)
possibly be mistaken. Time will show ; virulent diseases
successfully combated will show. The allopathic profes-
sion are not to arrogate to themselves the authority of
infallible justice in this case. The profession, the ortho-
dox men, are only the accusers ; homoeopathists the
defendants, the public the jury; and experience the judge,
will 'decide. After all, let success be the test. Homeo-
pathy has raised itself into a topic of the day ; let it be
investigated in a spirit and manner suited to the subject.
We cannot shut our eyes to the fact, that from a small
beginning it has steadily increased, and each year has
given to it additional strength and vigour. Its course has
been onward, in spite of all opposition; it has presented
an unbroken front, it has not made a compromise with
allopathy, and is fast becoming established throughout the
civilised world."
[The above appeared in a small portion of our impression
last week-]

Tun Wnsr INDIA MAIL.—In consequence of Govern-
ment requiring the steam•packet appointed to take out
the West India mail to carry out troops to the Crimea,
there will be no despatch of mails for the British and
foreign colonies in the West Indies, Mexico, Chili, Peru,
Venezuela, New Grenada, Greytown, Panama, and Cali-
tornia, until the 2nd of January.

BRUTAL OUTRAGE.—A-mosl audacious robbery, unri•
walled for brutality and impudence, took place on Alonday
evening, about half-past six o'clock, at Aldgate, London,
A young woman, named Louisa Harrison, a dressmaker,

anil the wife of a master carpenter, was sitting with her
two young children in her house, Yard, when she
heard a knock at the street door, and, on opening it, she

found it was a young man, who said lie

had brotig

some work from his sister.
H(

She asked him into die par.
had a bundle in a green hand

lief in his hand, and t

moment he came in he close

the door

id blew out the lamp which was bi
said, " Now, I want your money

silver, and a few coppers

id, throwing

to the'c

edly struck her witl