The prairie news. [volume] (Okolona, Miss.) 1851-1875, 1858-04-22
For the News.
HOMEOPATHY.
by DIR. JOHN FEE.

niESshS' suultCt VI
is one of such moment to all, that have though
to prepare few articles on this interesting topi
for the readers of your columns A system Q
J medical practice has recently appeared anon
you, about which most persons in this communit
have very little knowledge, Although it is no
really new, yet it seems that it has been intro
duced almost everywhere throughout out grea
) commonwealth excepting this vicinity. 1t is
system which claims a great deal. The practi
TONERS of Homeopathy assert that it will eur
disease more simply, quicker, and more pleasant
y than any other treatment, without entailin,
any disease, which too frequently have been til,
unfortunate seguels of the medical practice here
toforc mostly in vogue. They are far from claim
ing, however, that they can restore the dying, O
that persons will not die in spite of their treat
ment, and that their medicine can atone for
shattered constitution and is equally potent al
nature in overcoming disease. They believe, OF
the contrary, that cart is the handmade of ma
ture," and that all her efforts must be consonanI
with the struggles of nature in subvcrting dis
ease, and that it is equally important to know
how to avoid interfering with those efforts AZ ia
afford assistance itself They claim that HON.
eopathy is real scientific system of medical
practice founded On an immutable law of nature,
and supported by all those auxiliary sciences
which ennobe and dignity the science of medi-
cine.
| This system is of German origin, and was first
discovered by DR. Samuel Hahnemann in the
year 1870 The word Homeopathy was carried
by him from the Greek "Omois" like path
os," an affection or disease-to convey the idea
that diseases are cured with medicines which
can induce similar affections in healthy persons
or Similia similibus curantur" like cures like
In other words, remedies only remove symptoms
similar to those they could occasion in healthy
individuals
Here we insist on our definition being proper
" understood; for, strange as it may appear pro-
iessional men who are bitter in their opposition
to Homeopathy, accuse us sometimes of teach
ing the doctrine that we give the same medicine
to cure the disease as causes the affection itself,
notwithstanding our language to the contrary
They can not comprehend the difference between
similarity and identity. Perhaps few ilustra-
tons may serve more definitely to explain this
law of cure. Sulphur will produce in healthy
person symptoms analogous to the itch, and every
one knows that it is used as domestic remedy
for this disease
Quinine can occasion in healthy individual
symptoms like those which frequently character
ize Fever and Ague and in some forms of this
disease there is no better remedy for it, Lobclia
Tartar Emetc, Ipecac and Creasote cause naus-
ca and vomiting, yet in homeopathic doses re-
move these symptoms. Sarsaparla is used in
cutaneous diseases as a panacea and for u bad
condition of the blood, yet in the healthy person
it can produce an eruption and condition quite
like that which it is used for medical purposes
Moderate heat applied near to burn is the best
remedy for it, so snow and ice-water for frozen
limb These few examples we think sufficiently
exemplify natures law of cure, and although we
might add almost any number more of them, yet
we forbear doing so, us they could only interest
the professional reader
The discOverer Of this cardinal law of the time
healing art and great benelactor of his fellow
men, was celebrated Alopathc physician who
had become Disguised with the uncertainty of the
rotlne practice of his day, and was engaged in
medical literary pursuits, and while translating
Cullens Materia Medica into the German langu-
age, became dissatisfied with the authors article
on Peruvian bark and determined to try it on
himself and was surprised to find that its effects on
him was similar to the state for which it was |
used as medicine. The idea came into his mind
that possibly it might be law of nature that
medicines could cure diseases like those they
could produce in the healthy person. .sIIeaccord-
ngy made numerous experiments Which invari-
ably confirmed his hypothesis and led him to es-
tablish the SYSTEM of Homeopathy
After accommodating abundant facts to substan-
tate his grand discovery, he communicated it to
the world first through Hollands Journal, and |
lfterward by his master work Organon of the |
Specific Healing Art, and other works and mis-
,ellaneous writings which have immortazed his |
name and endeared him to every friend of science
md reformation. His discoveries occasioned
great revolution in the medical world, and, like
very other reformer that had preceded him,
vas prosecuted and ostracised by the regular pro-
ession After having made few noble disciples
n his own country to battle for medical truth,
lie quit his native land for France, and, in the
LIBERAL city of Paris, the centre of medical science,
homeopathic practice and continued
treat and to try to perfect his science until the
ear ls43, when he died. having lived to see his
anne immortaized, his books aud writings trans
lted into every modern language to count the
Importers of his doctrine by thousands, among
whom were some of the most eminent medical
len of Europe, to hear of the banner of Hompo- |.
athy uniurled in every cline, and to realize the
llfilment of his prophetic language in the dark
ours of his conflict with error that truth, like
ne infinitely wise and gracious God, is eternal.
len NAV disregard If for fine until tho ,ar;od