Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-10-05

made before you determine upon the adop-
tion of particular method of treatment; !;
what will happen in this case, if no remedies
whatever be employed, if the patient be
left altogether to nature or to the efforts
Of his own constitutional
The animal system is not like clock or
steam engine, which, being broken. you
must send to the clockmaker or engineer
to mend It; and which cannot be repaired
otherwise. The living machine, unlike the
works of human invention, has the power
of repairing itself; 1t contains within
itself its only engineer, who, for the most
part, requires no more than some very
slight assistance at our hands" This truth
admits, indeed, of very large application.
If the arts of medicine and surgery had
never been invented, by far the greater
number of those who suffer from bodily
illness would have recovered neVertheless.
An experienced and jhdirious medical
practitioner knows tbs very well; and
considers it TO be his duty, in the great
majority of cases, not 50 much. to interfere
by any active treatment, as to take care
that nothing should. obstruct the natural
process of recovery; and to watch lest, in
the progress of the case, any new circum
stances should arise which would make
his active interference necessary. If any
one were to engage in practice. giving his
patients nothing but a little distilled water,
and enjoining q careful diet, and q prudent
mode of life otherwise, a certain number
of his patients would perish from the want
of further help but more would recover;
and homeopathic globules, are l doubt
not, quite as good as distilled water.
Bat this does not accountfor all the sue
cess of Homeopathy, In this country
there is a large proportion of individuals
who have plenty of money, combined with
a great lackof employment; and it is as
tonishing to what an extent such persons
contrive to imagine diseases for them
selves. There is no animal machine so
perfect that there may not at times be some
creaking in it. Want of exercise, irrcgu-
larity as to diet, little worry of mind =
these, and thousand other causes. may
occasion uneasy feelings, to which con-
slant attention and thinking of them will
give areality which they would not have
had otherwise; and such feelings will
disappear us well under the use of globu-
les as they would under any other mode
of treatment, or under no treatment at all.
What l have now mentioned will 60 far
towards explaining the success of HOmG-
opathy. But other circumstances occur
every now and then, from which, when
they do occur, it profits to still greater
extent. Humdnunt est erTdre. From the
operation of this universal law medical
practitioners are not exempt, any more
than statesmen, divines, lawyers, engineers,
or any other profession. There are cases
in which there is n greater chance of too
much than too little being done for the
patient, and if a patient under such cir
cumstanees becomes the subject of Hom9o.
pathic treatment, this tIeing NO treatment
at all, he actually derives benefit from the
change.
Inadiscourse to which avealready allu-
ded, 1thoughtit it my duty to offerthefollow-
ing caution to my pupils:-"The first qaes-
tion which should present itselfto you in the
management of a particular caseis this. Is
the disease one of which the patient may
recover, or is it mott There are indeed
too many cases in which the patients con-
dition is SO manifestly hopeless, that tho
fact cannot be overlooked. Let me how
ever, caution you that you do not in any
instance arrive to hastily at this conclu-
sion. Our knowledge is not so absolute
and certain as to prevent even well-inform-
ed persons being occasionally mistaken on
this point. This is true, especially with
respect to the affection of internal organs.
individuals have been restored to health
who were supposed to be dying of disease
in the lungs or mesen:eric glands"
alt is good rule in the practice of our
art, rs in the common affairs of life, for US
to look on the favorable side of the ques-
tiOn, as far MS we can consistently with
reason do so." might have added that
hysterical affections are especially a source
of error to not very experienced pravti
tioners, by Stimulating more serious dis
ease; seeming to resist for time all the
efforts of art, and then all ut once subsid-
ing under any kind Of treatment, or, just
as well, under none at all. Now, if it
should so happen that q medical practi-
tioner, from want of knowledge, or from
natural defect of judgment, makes mis-
take in his diagnosis, and the patient whom
he had unsuccessfully treated aftewarIs
RECEIVERS under the care of another prati-
toner, it is simply said "Dr. A. was mis-
taken !" and it is not considered as any
thing very remarkable that the symptoms
should subside while under the caro- of DIR.
B. But if, on the other hand, the recov-
cry takes place under the care of a Ho-
mnopathist. or any other empiric, the cir
cumstance excites q much larger portion of
attention; and we,really. cannot very well
wonder that, with such knowledge aS they
possess of these matters, theempiric should
gain much credit with the public.
So far the practical result would seem to
be that Homeopathy can be productive of
no great harm; and indeed, considering it
to be no treatment at all, whenever it is
substitute for bad treatment, it must be the
better of the two. But there is great harm
nevertheless. There are numerous cases in
which spontaneous recovery is out of the
question; in which sometimes the life or
death of the patient, and at other times
the comfort or discomfort of his existence
fer long time to come, depends on the
prompt application of active and judicious
treatment. In such cases Homeopathy is
neither more or less than mischievous
absurdity; and do not hesitate to say
that very large number OF persons have
fallen victims 70 the faith they reposed in
it, and to the consequent delay in having
recourse to the use of the proper remedies.
It is true that it very rarely happens, when