The prairie news. [volume] (Okolona, Miss.) 1851-1875, 1858-04-29
For the News.
HOMEOPATHY.
by DIR. JOHN FEE.

vi thls SYSTEM we commence now our TASK
though we have somewhat enlarged our orgina
plan. We have concluded not only to prescn
these principles, but to comment ON them AZ thel
are introduced, and to make practical remarks
about them AS we are very partial to Hom9o
patty, we trust the disciples of other schools vii
pardon us for any language they may construe AZ
rejecting on, or disparaging their methods o.
practice. We merely wish to present the merit,
of Homeopathy as compared with the other So
called systems of practice, and we shall not hest
tate to point out places in these rivaling schools
wherein we think they are vulnerable. The dis
tingushing features of this system are as follows
| A. 1t Is Il SYSTEM of medical practice, recog
nizes Il law of cure adapted to every symptom
OF disease.
b. employs no medicine which has not been
proved on the healthy person.
C.. Does not compound medicines gives but
one remedy at time
| d. Employs no more medicine than is indis
pensably necessary to affect cure hence homeo
pathic doses are small and perfectly palatable
f. Recognizing a general principle of cure
discards asa rule, bleeding, clustering, violen,
cathartic and emetics, and all the so-caed ." he
roic agents" generally.
F. EIons vigorous diotetic regimen during
the treatment Of disease. In our former article
we noticed particularly the first and cardinal
principle, and gave few illustrations of it, The
first feature we have submitted is the most i'm
portant, as well as very evident Apart from
Homeopathy there is no such thing as system in
the practice of medicine; indeed the adher-
ents of other schools do not claim that there is.
Most of them think that there never will be a
time when the practice of medicine will be re-
duced to a science, while others look forward to
some distant day when their accumulated wisdom
will be so generazed and Systematically amang-
ed as to deduce from it rules for the exhibition
of remedical agents xFortunatey for mankind,
this period dawned more than n half century ago,
so that the macontent with his routine practice,
has only to divest himself of prejudice and to be-
come a candid investigator of Homeopathy to
realize his philanthr0pic wishes. 1t is true, there
are numerous medical schools, Eclcctro Allo-
patho, &c, yet, so far as general principles are
concerned, there is no difference These are all
wanting. The one employs more indigenous rene
dies and excludes from its materia medca IA few
remedies which the other employs. They are
both eclectroc, both without the principle and
amalgam that would enable them to obtain the
scattered and golden particles Of truth out of the
antiquated rubbish which has been accommodating
since the days of Hippocrates All of them are
ON the broad and dangerous seas ofexpcrience and
experiment, The next principle of this practice
is nearly as important as the first; i'll fact the
The Homeopdth, if true to his avowed theory of
" like cure like" cannot employ remedy unless
he knows its physiological action on the healthy
person, consequently all his medicinal agents are
of various ages, to attain this knowledge. The
benefits occurring in practice from this method
are very obvious. The physician can always dis
criminate between those symptoms which belong
to the natural course of the disease and those
which might be occasioned by the drug exhibited
so that if the remedy is badly chosen, he can
withdraw it and antidote its injurious consequent
ces. Other schools do not teach the physiology
cal effects of medicine ON healthy persons to be
n criterion for their exhibition in disease, hence
the meagre knowledge of drug symptomatology.
They know only few of the most palpabe eff
fects of drugs, and these the most transtory,
while their more permanent and constitutional
action is lost sight Of Their knowledge of ma
terra medica is not obtained by methodical and
scientific research but mostly from experiments
on inferior animals, and from accidental cases of
poisoning and aggravated cases of disease 1t is
owing to this cause that persons sometimes fall
victims to medical treatment. The physician
gives massive doses of medicine which occasion
their own toxical symptoms, which are suppos-
I'd to be the natural phenomena of the disease
Instead of antidotng these complications of the
nalady the physician, ignorant of the physiology
,al action of the drug already given, renews the
same treatment for what he supposes to be natu-
AL and obstinate exacerbati0n of the affection
intl the patient dies, when the doctor and friends
console themselves that the patients departure |
vas one of those inscrutable and mysterious dis
,ensatlons of gracious Providence We have
nothing to say with reference to the third prin-
,iple of Homeopathy. The propriety of it is OBJ
1ious to all, and the contrary method of other
schools cannot fail to appear injudicous to every
me who will carefully consider it.
The next feature of Homeopathy that claims
ur attention, is that which relates to its small and
pleasant doses of medicine. These doses are of.
en- the subject of ridicue. Professional men
Who oppose this practice, never have much to
ay about the great law of cure; but controvert
Mostly these so-called infntesimal portions of
ledicine. 1t is very true that these doses are
lfnitesmal when compared with massive drugg-
lgs of other classes of physicians. We claim
hat when remedy is really adapted to dis
ase very little medicine is required to effect it
lvoraby. Why should it be thought necessary
give man in disease to cure him, as much
ledicine as would nearly kill him in health In
lie first case the medicine assists nature in the
Their, subdues her. Homgopaths resort TO
nall doses from necessity. They have learned
J observation that when the remedy was prop