Lincoln telegraph. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1836-1846, 1841-04-29
WHAT is HOMEOPATHY?

This is question 30 much more commonly and
easily asked than answered, that we hail any ready
and intelligent, reply, which may elucieate the sub
ject to the mind ofthe hurried and casual reader.-
Volume TX Of Specimens Of Foreign Standard Lit
erature,' recently published in Boston, contains u
view Of German Literature, from the pen Of Wolf
gang Menzel, a celebrated author, and writer Of
Germany, friend and biographer of Goethe. From
his view of the progress and present state of Medi-
cal Science extract the following paragraphs il
Illustrative of Homeopathy
The celebrated physician, Hahnemann returned
10 the system of Pa acesus, somewhat modified and
taught that must be effected, not by something
different opposite (alopathic } but by something
akin, similar (honaeopa,hic) that diseases must be
removed by remedy which in the sound state of
the body would have produced similar disease; and
that medicines should always be given simple, and
not in great quantities as by potentzaton, the orig-
nal external crude bulk, and the internal activity
were brought in inverse proportion to each other
He has brought about an astonishing revolution in
medicine.
The Hom9opalhsts take their stand as reformers
and declare to that physicians with their hitherto
prevailing allopathic method, have levied conrbu-
tions upon us ithout having helped US, just as the
priests did with the sale of mdulgences. They pro-
pose to US an extremely simple and universally intel
ig bic medical theory angry at and complain OF
the blind rage of the predominant medical caste,
proclaim them heretics, and turn to Us, the people,
for protection At the same time multitude Of
aymen come forward, who set themselves up for
champions of Homeopathy, in like manner as Hut
ten and Sickengen set themselves up for champions
of Lutheransm, because they consider themselves
happy in having been speedily healed by means Of
Homeopathic remedies of inveierate diseases and
hence hold it to be their most sacred duty TO make
all their suffering contemporaries par'cipaors OF the
like bliss These are The facts.
4 he whole Homeopathical system rests upon the
principle that the patient knows as well as the ply
sican that certain definite diseases may be pre- estab
lished in the infallibiliy Of the theory Of Hahne-
mann, may as well be known to the patient as TO
the physician lin word, instead of being depen-
dsnt upon blind chance, that there is an infallible
law, guided by which, the physician must select
proper remed'es)
For ages past, Homeopathy has played great
mart among the SO called domestic remed les; for ex
ample, frozen limbs were cured by snow, burnt
limbs by heat, Sc. AT an earlier period, the Ho-
maopa,hic method must have.been, most striking IN
vaccination, where a similar poison 10 that which
produces small pox is manifeslly used az remedy.
The condition however. on which the remedy which
produces disease in a healthy body, cures SINH
lar disease in body already eick are the following
first the sick person must coqfne hmSe'' 10 "@''"'
ous diet, so that the effects of njnrons substance
(condments may no, disturb that of the med'c'"e'
second. the medicine itself must be entirely SIMPLE,
or mixed with perfectly Indifferent substances only,
such as water, sugar Of milk, &C. third 1.-The medl-
cine must be active i: poientzed and this canno,
be effected by chemical process, else the medicine
would no longer be simple, but compound. hence
mechanical trituraion is The only means left, and !:
looked upon by the homeopathic, as more efficient