Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1861-02-07
From the WatertOWn Ref0rmer.

The oldest medical practice is that OF
the family. Long before doctors or oven
priests we're known as practitioners, the
malo or female head of the family appli-
O. those roots, herbs or other rcstora-
tivcs. which experience has sanctioned
for the roliof of such sickness as appear
ed among its members. Then. for a 10 u ?
succession Of generations. the Offices of
prizes. and physician we're united in the
samo person, and he who offered pray
crs for the good OF the soul likewise ID d.
mnistered for the good of tho body. -
In the farthe. division of labor by the
advance Of society, doctors at longtl be-
came invested with the business of at
tendance upon the sick. Yet all this
time tho original and natural protectors
of the sick. the heads of the family, did
not rslinquish their claims nor eoass TO
provide Cor the restoration and recovery
of its disabled members. limo out OF
mind it has boen the habit OF our moth
ors and grandmothers to provide them
solve. with such herbs as tradition or use
have considered beneficial. and to ad-
minister them upon all supposed noedful
occasions. Most Of Us vii! remomb or i.
not without sona inward qualms. the
frequent takin, of bouesct and ca.nip. Or
u.int AID comfrey. wherewith. in days
long gene. our mothers corrected the
small ills of childhood, and sonlo Of Us
may taste to this day tho castor oil then
on occasions so freely applied.
In later yeara various devices have
been invented with view of enabling
parents moro conveniently aud success
fully to administer for . family. But
none of these became by any means pop
ular until the advent of tee comparative
y new system of Homeopathy. This
system. discarding at once the bleeding
blistoring, and entire reyulsive means
so long in vogue. and administering all
medicines in the form of tasteless sugar
pills or powders. rendered it easy to Civ,
medicines without danger. if not with
relief, and soon its boxes and books for
domestic PRACTICE wero in very geuoral
use.
But, however plau ible in theory these
boxes and bucks were found to bs not
without difficulty in practice. Accor-
ding to tho usual forms Of Homeopathy y.
5nt single remedy could DO used at
onoe, and each for only limited num-
Der of symptoms occurring in each dis
ease, 80 that in order to meet the appar-
ent wants Of a family, some forty or six
ty medicines were required; and to OK.
plain the use Of these volume of 600 or
800 pages was necessary. and often TWEEN
ty, and oven as high as forty. remedies
were mentioned for tie cure Of each dis
ease. or even simple ailment. The in
quirer consequently found himself bewii-
dered in the multiplicity Of remedies and
symptoms. and ultimately either gave
up in despair, or more commonly took
some one or more remedies at haz1rd.-
Yet some persons. having taste for
this kind of investigation. have long US
ed, and with some considerable advaI-
tage, 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. institu-
ted q series If experiments with q view
of devising shorter and simpler way of
curing with Homeopathic medicines -
Describing the old notions Of the school.
he sought, by = combination of the more
tried and approved remedies, to form
specific for each particular disease or ail-
ment. His experiments resulted in the
discovery Of Law Of Combination
through which be was enable to prepare
specifics for all the simpler and more
common forms Of disease. Thus he has
specifics for Fevers. Headaches. Dyson
tory. Dyspepsia. Piles. Cstarrh. Fever
and Agoe. and other similar daily occur
ring affections. These he throws togeth-
or in small chest. and accompanies them
With Q concise Ettie manuel Of directions