The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1877-07-28
TIE PACIFIC
Y. JULY %.
HOMEOPATHY.

III. 1NlOudI0 COd3
Lancet -
In the course of the past 81 years ! have
sat down more times than L can remember 10
write some paper-leader, review or essay-for
the Lancet. I have felt always a pleasure
in these tasks, but never q sincerer pleasure
than | experience ct this moment in writing
the present communication and in sending
with it the letter to which and to the objects
of which 1 would specially ask the attention
of the profession.
yice-president of the society known as the
British Homeopathic Society. I have known
DR.. Vivid personally and by repute ever since
l have been in London, and although differences
of view on matters OF medical science ana art
have separated US from all professional in
tercourse, l have always considered him a
gentleman of extended knowledge, good taste,
and truthful nature.
The origin of this letter was in the follow
ing manner On the 18th of the present
month DIR. Wyld called on me to express a wish
that some steps might be devised to make up
the breach that has SO long existed between
the members of his school of physic and the
main body of the professors of medicine. l
told him 1 had once before been honoured by
a similar confidence, but feared that the division
of opinion and practice was too wide and deep
to allow Of success to any such important
effort as he suggested. l explained that we
who form the main body of physic were not
likely to change our view in the slightest
degree, and that l supposed there was among
p~rofessed hom@opathists no such notification
of view in respect to the term homeopathy
and the rigid doctrine conveyed by the term
as would lead to a healing action on their part.
l also expressed that on the subject Of inini-
tesimal doses and globules the difficulties Of
union between us seemed to be still insurmoun-
table.
"In reply, DR.. Wyld explained his views
with the most perfect candour and with so
much difference of expression from what l ex-
pected that [ asked him to be good enough
to commit his views to writing. This request
he has been 80 kind as to carry out in the
letter already referred to, and which is here
with, with his permission, subjoined.
"t12, Great Cumberland-place May 25, 1877.
"sDear DIR. Richardson,-With reference
to the conversation l recently had with you
concerning the advantages which might result
1t it were possible to abolish all sectarlanlsm
and its accompanying heart-burnings from the
profession, l now, at your request, submit my
views in writing, feeling convinced that you
will in a friendly spirit give the subject your
serious consideration.
"s In the first place l must state that Hahne-
mann in 1906 published in the pages of HUFF
lands Journal his essay entitled the The
Medicine Of Experience In this essay no
mention was made of homeopathy, and the
doses he recommended were tangible, not in
fnitescmal. The violent opposition this essay
met with from the profession induced Hufe-
1dhu ~ Will III lis
journal from Hahnemann and the effect of
this treatment was to drive Hahnemann deeper
and deeper into his peculiar views, until at
last in his old age he often expressed extreme
and intolerant opinions regarding the profession
generally, but especially in relation to the
question of the dose. Unfortunately many of
the converts to the new system initiated the
master more in his intolerance than in his
genius, and this naturally led to those re-
prisals on the part of orthodox medicine. which
in this country eliminated in 1851, when the
British Medical Association met at Brighton,
and passed a resolution that 1t was derogatory
to its members to hold any intercourse with
homeopathists. From that day we have been
ostracized by the profession, and branded as
aliens to whom no professional countenance
could be shown.
"'Since 1851, however, great changes have
occurred in this country on both sides of the
medical question. Many men have risen in
the ranks of medicine who have renowned all
the heroics of the past in the treatment of
acute disease, while the so-called hom@opathists
have, on their side, almost entirely abandoned
the use of globules, and have substituted doses
in a tangible form, their rule for the dose being,
in effect, to give a dose sufficiently large to
effect its purpose, but not so large as to discom-
fort or weaken the patient. Further, we find
that, whereas the early hom@opathists de-
nounced all auxiliaries in the treatmen Of
disease, it is now the practice to make frequent
. VI GA hS0 ~ - OAARAO NAA6 0oSh 90
occasional aperients, anodynes. opiates, anas-
thetics, tonics, galvanism, hydropathy, Turkish
baths, and mineral waters. In short, we
define our practice as rational medicine, in
Guiding the application of the law of contra
ries, but plus the application of the law of
similiars.
"sBeyond all question the abandonment of
heroics on the one side, and the adoption of
tangible remedies on the other side, has, to
common observation, brought the two schools
into a very close juxta-position, and the ques-
ton, therefore, presents itself, Can that os-
tracism which might by some be considered
justifable in 1851 hold good with any justice
under the altered circumstances which now
exist?'
8 To this question you may reply, "W We
do not ~ostracize you because you prescribe
medicines according to a specific rule, nor be-
but we deny you professional intercourse be-
cause you proclaim yourselves sectarians, and
by means of books, Journal, societies, and
hospitals, advertise yourselves homoopathists.
90 To this we answer, that We do not desire
so to publish ourselves we do not write
homoopatists on our door-plates many of our
best books eliminate the name homeopathy
from the title-page and, as a recent example,
q large number Of our body have objected, in
a memorial, to the title homeopathic School.
"We say, Admit US on equal terms to your
medical societies, and to the pages of your
journals, and all sectarianism will begin from
that day to decline and this L believe will
ultimately lead to the abandonment of all sec
tartan societies, journals, and hospitals. In a
word, we demand the same liberty of opinion
in medicine as in religion or politics, and an
amalgamation with the great body of the profession
on equal terms. If this were granted we can
see solid advantages to the profession on all
sides, an increase in the amenities and dignity
of medical life, and a higher professional status
for all in the estimation of the public.
"'To recapltulate. We admit, first, that
the views expressed by Hahnemann are often
extravaganza and incorrect. Secondly, that Hip
pocrates was right when he said & Some diseases
are best treated by similars, and some by
contraries,' and therefore it is unwise and
incorrect to assume the title homeopathic.
Thirdly, that although many believe that the
action of the infnitesimal in nature can be de-
monstrated, its use in medicine is practically,
by a large number in this country, all but
| abandoned.