The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1861-04-04
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From the WatertowD RefOrmer


priests we're known as practitioners. the
IN ale or female head OF the family applied
those roots. herbs or other restorstises,
experience had sanctioned, for the relief
of such sickness as appeared among its
members. Then. for long succession Of
generations, the Offices of priest and ply
sicau we're united in the same person.
and be who offered prayers for the good
of the ,oul likewise administered for the
good of the body. 10 the farther division
of labor by the advance Of society, doc
tors at length became invested with the
business OF attendance upon the sick
Yet all this time the original and natural
protectors Of the sick, the heads of the
family, did not reliuquish thier claims nor
cease to provide for the restoration and
recovery of its disabled mem bers Time
out of niDd it has been the habit Of our
mothers aud grand mothers to provide
themselves with such herbs as tradition
or use have considered beneficial, aud to
ad minister them upon all supposed need
ful occasions. Most OF US will rene mber,
not without soue inward qualns. the fre-
quent taking of boneset and catnip, or
mint and comfrey, wherewitb, 10 days
long gone, our mothers corrected the
small Ills of childhood. and some of Us
nay taste to this day the castor oil then
on occasions so freely applied.
In later years varios devices have been
invented, with a view of eDablIng parents
more conveniently and successfully to ad-
minister for family. But none of these
became by any means popular until the
advent OF the comparatively new system
of Homeopathy. This system. discarding
at once the bleeding. clustering, aud en-
tire reVulsiVe means so long in vogue. and
administering all medicines in the form
of tasteless sugar pills or powders, rem
dered it easy to give medicines without
danger, It not With relief, and sooU its
boxes and books for domestic practice
were in very general use.
But, however plausible in theory, these
boxes and books were found to be not
without difficulty in practice. According
to the usual forms of Homeopathy, but a
single remedy could not be used at once,
and each for only liaited number of
symptoms occurring in each disease, so
that iu order to meet the apparent wants
of a family. some forty or sixty medicines
we're required; and to explain the u-e of
these volume of 600 or 500 pages was
necessary, and often twenty, and even as
high as forty remedies were mentioned
for the cure Of each disease, or even sim
pie Advent. The inquireF. consequently
found himself bewiIdered on the multipli-
city OF remedies and symptoms. and uti
mately either gave up in despair, or more
commonly took some one or more reme-
dies at hazard Yet some persons. having
taste for this kind of inVest alton have
long used, and with some considerable ad-
vantage, this form of medicine.
Some few years ago. DR. Humphreys,
then Professor Of theory and Practice at
the Homeopathic Medical College, of
Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia, instituted
series OF experiments with view of de-
vising a shorter and simpler way OF Gu
ring with Homeopathic medicines. Dis
carding the old bottoms of the school, be
sought, by combination OF the more tried
aud approved remedies. to form specific
for each particular disease or ailDent-
His experiments resulted in the discovery
OF Law o. Combination through which
he was enabled to prepare specifies for all
the simpler and more common forms OF
disease. Thus be has specifics for Fevers,
Hesdaches Dysentery. Dyspepsia, Piles,
Catarrh. Fever and Ague, and other SIM
liar daily occurring affections. These he
throws together into small chest, and ac-
accompanies the u with concise little man
ual Of directions for administering the
medicines, and a short sketch aud symp-
toms of the disease treated. Nothing can
be simpler than bis entire system; and if
we can believe even small part of the
testimony given in their iavor. by those
who use them. no medicines can be more
eficaeious. Indeed the Professor contends
with apparent sincerity and earnes,ness,
that bis combinations possesses curative
powers beyond those OF the simples. even
under the best possible sy ten of adGin-
i,tratioo. There is force in this, for we
know that combinations of old school
% edieines arc far more Efficient as cura-
tive agents than the simple remedie-; and
it is surprising that the HomeOpatbists
bad not ago long availed themselves Of the
apparently simple expedieDt adopted
by Professor Humphreys. Pro- h..
boweser. has peculiar faculties. from bis
extensive practice aud iDtim ate aequaiO-
tancc With every phase of Homeopathic
practice aud Literature for carrying out
; bis new system of specifies, aud be has
brought to bis aid mind we'll cultivated
ana intensely devoted to the success OF his
fsvorite sy.tem. 1t is impossible to ss J
what results nay follow the veil directed
and intensified efforts of single energet-
ic mind devoted to Que object. But. ven
in limited space Of time, HUI uphreJs'
Specifies have become alGost household
, words, and are fast shaping the views and
practice OF large numbers of our people,
} The practice of medicine seems thu likely
= totetuTnteits more primitive channels. and
7 the father or mother again to be iDsested q