The national Republican., 1862-01-27
tt.om the American Medical Times, Of Jan 1871
Homeopathy I'm Military aosul tals

tF.om the American Medical Times, Of Jan 1871
homeopathy I'm Ailitary aospitals.
The Z. 8. Senate is engaged in these momen.
% .nas nmes IN the consideration Of n subject in
snllste1 the tkouxhts Of rational ore, creature.
but which may prove the most Important aci
oi tne eess'on. SeMAtor Grimes, of Iowa, has
nosD,ss :, ~ g.sos some Of ,ss n,sl
Aomeot q, ,hiats. We DO not know why this ~
Of medical practitioner are honored with suoh
distinction, and We think other systems hsve
just cause Of complaint in being overlooked by
and which all are anxious to serve. X t,oy.
eminent is about to institute experiments in IL
military hospitals, with a view to test medical
theories, II does not appear why II should pass
p BossniGs, aydrops,h' Ecsc,o: hs.psr
epathic system Of practice from \ rational,
scientific standpoint, II must DO regarded ns
the least worthy attention of any now popular
In this country. Indeed, We know Of no system
attention OF our honorable Senator'S. with no
desire, however, to prejudge 4 question of 10
much Importance, but earnestly seeking the
Welfare OF our sick soldiers, We deem Il our
S% .G ss g our legislators such in
nope OF aiding them In the formation of correct
| opinions Ss to the merits of the medical regime
which % they are urged to establish 10 our mill.
/ S8Ey uVoUltAlbs
ih,s IS not The hrst time that a xovernmen,
has been petilioned TO recognise homts opsihy,
and grant II special privileges. Many Europe.
an STATES have not only been thus petitioned
oat nave nav Granted ihe prayers of the petition.
suits Of those trials will appear in the course
Of this article. Similar efforts 10 have pubiic
hospitals placed under their medical charge
have also besn made in this country by the
partisans OF Hahnemanism. On The ocoxsion
which we shall now notice, The whole subject
was SO thoroughly sited. and the false preien-
stons Ot this system 50 completely exposed
that \ quietus was put upon their aspirations.
In ths year 1851, u resolution was introduced
mo tl,e Board OF GOvernOrs OF the Almshouse
Department, New York, providing "that one
half of Bellevue Hospital should 6s set apar,
for the practice of homeopathy" A select
com%,''ee ssn @ was was appointed I. report upon The
one of the most intelligent civilians of The city
| was chairman. The able Report, which this
gentleman produced, bears evidence, on every
page. OF an unPrejudiced review OF the merits
OF ,he system, when thoroughly tested in hos
piial practice; We earnestly commend 10 The
| serious consideration Of our Honorable Sena-
tors the following extracts from This repori.
| Aluding to the alleged claims OF homnopa
thy on The ground OF its popularity. the com
opinions: ''''
| - That this system Is wide spread, and tha,
has adberenis among the intelligent portions
Of NE community. Is IA ~ sumsnt that applies
with equal t'rce to every system of medical
| empirlcism. Tho opinion oi II man of simply
general intelligence has properly no weight 10
| regard to any new theory and its application
to practice ~ any department Of the arts or
sciences. We should naturally look for a reli-
| able opinion of the merits of such theory TO the
scientific cultiyStors of the art in which It's ap.
| pliCslion IL proposed. Thus tested, the homn,.
| opsthic system must utterly fail to receive our
sanction. We appeal in vain 10 its adherents
ntnkt. "A
v,Gates in this city whose scientific attainme nts
In his own profession would entiijs his Opin.
ion 10 our confidence. In no department OF
science is there more activity in the investiga.
ton OF The principles upon which II is based.
more scuteness In observation, or better logic
in the deduction Of practical preCepts from
such principles and observations, than In msd.
iCine. And yet, the records of science show
that all those who truly advance the several
departments Of medicine, all, without exCep.
tion. both in this and foreign countries, belong
10 the ranks Of the 50 called regular sys,e m, !"
But the Board was urged 10 grant the request
because 30 many pstitions wore presented 10
gestien the Report replies:
"But whence do these petitions emanste :
DO they come H. us from The inmates of the hos.
piial who are 10 be the subjects Of the expsri.
ment! Do the sick who crowd the wards com.
plain of the incomps,ency Of the medical Oifi.
| GERS, and Of the ineficency of their treatment,
and petition us to change their medical attend.
| ants, and introduce 4 new system of practice ?
Do those petitions even emanate from the hon.
| est labOriDg classes OF our city, whom the
| vicissitudes OF life and the mistOrtunes of uoy.
Of Bellevue for relief 10 their bodily Ills? These
are questions which This Board would do well
| 10 ponder before IL acts"
The body Of the Report consists Of a careful
| COLLATION. Of evidence bearing on the propriety
OF introducing this system Of practice into pub.
| lie hospitals.
But we are not left 10 simple conjecture a.
To the actual success Of homeopathy as u sys.
tenn Of medical practice. IL Is our duty, how
| ever, to inquire simply AS TO it's success in
hospitals; and on this head statistics are suIji
ciently numerous 10 prove its entire inehiciency
and utter failure wherever It has been tried.
Tho following statistiCs have been collected
with care from authentic sources:
"ln 1929. By order Of the King of Naples, \
COmmi ssion was appointed 10 test hOmG II opat hic
remedies, under the following restriGtiOns:-
|. The Commission shall consist OF two prores
sors of the University Of the Faculty OF Medi
cine, two members OF the MGdicO.C .Chirurgica al
| Academy, two members Of public instruction
and The heads OF the hospital. .. The Com
mission. after having proved the attenuation OF
the o,nUOpathc remedies, shall place the said
| remedies In 4 strong box, firmly closed, with
two different locks, the keys OF which shall be
returned, one to the Director of the Clinique
and the other 10 the commissioners charged
| with following the treatment .. The clinical
ward shall have but y single door, guarded by
4 sentinel; its internal arrangements shall be
adapted TO health IL shall not contain more
than fifteen TO twenty beds, and two assistant
ply hysic,Ans, one chosen by the attending ply.
sician, the other by the commissioners, who
shall keep an exact rsgiater of all that hap.
pens TO the patients, the change. in their dis.
eases, their regimen, cures. and deaths, If any
die. 4. The admission of patients affected
with acute or chronic diseases, shall be left tO
the choice of the attending ply sician and
omnissiunors, with this condition, that the vt
tending physician shall not be obliged 10 take
patients known 10 be inCurablc; nor shall dis
4 eases euuivocal be considered proper for posi-
tive departments. j. Tho commissioners hav.
ing selertcd tho class of diseases, the attending
physician shall make known the symptoms
| administer the remedies, and prescribe the
, regimen. .; Each Gay the conditlon ol each
5 physicjan and commission. The result of this
, trial of forty days Of homeopathic treatment
under the observation Of The commission named
I ..t-. H. ..l.. Il.