New-York tribune., 1874-10-27
Ne,c Haren. Conn, Oct II. 1874.
AN EXPERIMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY

AN EXPERIMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY
TRUE AND MISTAKEN HUMANIrAmANIsM- AN AN
swER To Mr.. BERGH's ACCUSATION OF
"TIMTDuY."
TO the Editor OF Ths Tribune.
SIR beg leave to assure Mr.. Bergh that
am not only not ashamed Of my opinions about scieu.
tc experiments upon animals, but gladly draw his at
tention to another department OF them which is OF tho
greatest Importance to suffering humanity and 10 the
practical physician, which he has apparently entirely
overlooked. DR.. Dalton correctly states that box
on Physiology which is not based upon them Is compar
atively worthless scientific physicians now believe.
very sincerely that any treatise on maera medca
and therapeutics which does not contain them abund.
any is necessarily liable the criticism. II Mr.
b. will look DR.. III. c. Woods treatise Lippncott.
1870, or DIR. John Hareys Gulstoman lectures the
vegetable nemotics or Nothnagel's handbook Of the
Materia Medca tHuschwald Berlin). he will gain sons
faint idea immense amount Of careful work which
has been done direction both In Europe and this
country.
The old and long tried method Of treating disease
(stll too much In vogue, and which would be perpet
uated indefinitely II Mr. had his way, that Of
permenting on sick people. II the results favora
BILE the remedy would always he used In similar
But is seevdent that the peculiar ana whole action
of medicine never be learned by study OF It's
in disease only From 1850 TO I'LL Baron Storck phys
clan to the Empress Maria Theresa, distinguished him
healthy human beings with various remedies especially
aconite, belladonna, pusatella dulcamara. conium.
hyoscianus, and many Others and first began 10 use
them scientifically in the treatment OF the sick In 1873
Hahnemann commenced to repeat these experiments
by taking giving trivial doses OF them aud recording
every sensation and symptom which occurred for weeks
aud months afterwards For many years past really
scientific men have made experiments with medca-
ments upon the lower animals. and upon healthy human
beings. and regard the results Of these the only
rational and scientific groundwork In tue treatment Of
many diseases. In all the modern treatisss on ths
materia medca especially in those OF Harley. Moth
nagel and Wood earnest attempts have been made to
establish the real action OF drugs and medicines upon
healthy animals and human beings TO compare these
with the results obtained by 400 years OF experiments
upon sick and animals, aud TO establish laws by
which relief must result from the use Of them in certain
diseases.
iected especially to experiments animals. that drugs
do act upon lower creatures IN the same manner as
With the seeming truth OF the ofrepeated assertion
and with the difficulties which t appeared 70 put IN tho
sys ,hS IL rue ndeea he says he can assert strongly
"Its not true, but that In the vast majority OF eases
aae aae tno1Ss Seemingly Srent in reality very m1
ana that the knowledge acquire the fewer e1.
mat Mr. Bergh will believe that perfectly and unsl
teraDly In belief In the value OF experiments
both in health ana disease. Every pain unrelleyed
because of the absence OF previous sclentine
Every life lost for the same reason Is an.
just,fable homicide. oyerstrsned humanity TO anlmas
il often cruelty 10 human beings. Tue lives aud suner-
ngs of men. and children, are OF vastly greaer
Importance than those OF animals aud the latter esn
not only be made to and prevent the former put
absolutely necessary 70 tbs result, he Is no ts
hums snitarian that would FORBID them NOW instead .,
torturing sick people, taney aud stupidity allowing
them ~ suffer and die phJ scials max esieini Az
truly humane experiments OF anl,s % Ie h,. an
earnest desire 10 understand disease tnoroushy 80
the action OF remedies and truly 10 benent mahAAu:
lrlah hutna xsiei