Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-03-28
sunbmy. northumberland Saturday.

produced by them during their application ).
sit is often said" adds Dr.. Henderson, "that
the benefits Of Homeopathy now mainly, from
the omission Of medicine altogether Of which
the system is supposed, by It's opponents, in re.
ality to consist. This opinion had better be re-,
considered ifit lead to the practical inference,
as think it does. that some 30 or 90 per cent.
Of The patients who employ medical prac,tion-
ers would be better off without them" (p. 227.)
DR.. Forbes proceeds 50, ,., .a .-,
- n"This (estimate) may orlmay not be accurate;
we will believe that it is exaggerated; but be
this as it may, ne concede to him at once the
TRUTH OF MS GENERAL PROPOSITION 4; % and
still adhere TO Al1orATHY" ~
Listen now to his reasons for bis belief and
unbelief
"ln doing so we consider that we are embra.
cling system extremely imperfect, &c, while
in rejecting Homeopathy, we consider that
we are discarding what is at once false and bad
useless to the sufferer, and degrading to the
physician"
Heavens! wha. deductions from the premi.
ses laid down by the reviewer himself He
rejects Homeopathy, because il is "false and
bad, useles. 10 the sufferer" before the ink is
well dry with which he records the successes
and triumphs of Homeopathy.
The reviewer next proceeds TO the examna-
ton of Allopethy, which, sooth TO say, meets
with no very delicate manipulaions at his hands
and concludes with few suggestions, 'tliings 10
be thought Of, and things TO be DONE from which
we make the following extracts:
mo. 9. To endeavor to substitute for the
monsfrous system Of Polpharmscy, now unver.
sally prevalent, one that is at least, vastly more
simple, more inteHigible. more agreeable, and
il may be hoped, one more rational, more scien.
tifc, more certain, and moro Jenefcidl."f 80
"No 8. To inculcate generally, a miider and
less energetic mode of practice, both in acute
and chronic diseases to encourage the Espec,
iant, preferably in the Heroic system, at leas,
where the indications are not manifest"
"No. 0. To diseounienance all aciire and
powerful medication in the acute exanlhemata
and diseases Of specific type, as small pox, mea.
sles, searlatina, typus, &c, until we obtain some
evidence that the cause of these diseases can be
benefcially modified by remedies" egas'
"Nc. 10 To discountenance, as much as pos.
sible. and eschew the habitua use, (without any
sufficient rcason,) ofcerioin po,cerjutremedies,
practice now generally prevalent, and fraugh
miih the most Janefui consequences" 81"
"This is one of the besettng sins Of English
practice, and originates partly in false theory,
and partly in the desire to see manifest and
strong effects resulting from the action Of meii
cines. Mercury, iodine co'chicum, antmony
also purgatires in general and blood-leiting,
areJrighUitily nisused in this manner"
mo, l2. To make every effort not merely te
destroy the prevalent system of giving vasl
quantity and variety Of unnecessary and ureles:
drugs. Ito say the least of ihem,) but to encour
age extreme simplicity in the prescription o.
medicines that seem to be requisite.".sr p
Well, here are admissions enough heaven
knows to satisfy the staunchest homoeonatb
What encourage milder and less energetic
mode of practice! Eschew powerful medicines
and larger doses! Take away mercury, blood
letting and pnrgatves. and what will you leave
poor Allopathyi The po,oer of it's drugs and
the size Of its doses, we thought, were it's grand
distinctive characteristics. But hear DR.. Forbes
once more:
mo l3. To endeayor TO break through the
routine habit, universally prevalent of prescri
bing certain determinate remedies ior certain
determinate diseases. merely because the pre-
scrber has been taught 10 do so, and on no bet
ter grounds than conventional tradition" .,.
ma Id. Also to teach students that no sys.
ismaiic or theoretical classification OF diseases
or of therapeutic agents ever yet promulgated
is true, or dnyihing Ike the truth. and that
none can be adopted as safe guide In piac-
tice." -. 1t-f0t tr
"No Is. To endeavor TO introduce 4 more
comprehensive and philosophical system Of No.
sology, at least in chronic diseases, whereby the
practitioner may he led less to consider the
name Of a disease or some one symptom or some
one local affection in disease, than the disease
i,self-t that is, he whoie Of the arrangement.
existing in the body, and which it is his object
to remove, if possible" .,f,,. .,.y, II,
Habnemann's selfcould not have spoken more
like ishnemann. What no classification Of dis
ease no classification of drugsl Are we to have
no more antispasmodics, no more diuretics, M
more emmensgogues, no more diapohretics-
Even 80 and Dr. Forbes brings us back to thu