New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-03-13
searched for it, in the most abandoned pris-
oner under his charge.
SCHOOLS or PHYSIC.

SCHOOLS or PHfSlC.
BY the friends as well as the foes of Hah-
nemann's theory, the recent proceedings OF
the New-York County homeopathic Medical
Society will be accounted significant. A warm
debate among the assembled doctors OF that
school has revealed the fact that at least hal1
of them II this city do not desire to be con-
fined to the practice of pure homeopathy.
The circumstance will he coupled with the
admissions made some months ago by The vice.
president of the British Homeopathic Asso-
citation. From the statements made at that
time in English medical journals 1T Is
difficult to avoid the conclusion that the
number of doctors i'm Great Britain who
practice pure homeopathy is comparatively
small. The discussion there turned prnci-
pally upon the question of using intiniteslmal
doses. Many homeopathic physicians or re-
pute freely admitted that they employed doses
in urgent cases of strength quite equal to
any that are prescribed by doctors OF the ola
school. 0vertures for admission into the ranks
of the Irregular" practitioners were made al
that time by some English homGopathists OF
rcpute but they met chilling response, ana
the negotiations seem to have ended suddenly.
The discussion here takes somewhat differ
ent form. Pure homeopathy scSms to be un-
derstOod as simply practising on the principle
of sinilia Similibus cudntur. the strength or
the dose does not appear to be the point
at issue. Yet more strangely, there Is llttie
or no reference made to what used to be es-
teemcd another of the cardinal principles OF
Hahnemann's disciples, the rule of not mixing
remedies III a single dose. The assembled
doctors of tho new school in this city
adhered closely to the subject under
debate, which was resolution declaring their
liberty to experiment WITH and make use of,
other remedies than those which are recOg-
nized as homeopathic The moving cause of
debate and anxiety on the part OF the doctors
is undoubtedly recent legal decision that
compels them to practice according to the doc
trine they profess, of one or the other OF the
two schools of medicine. Failing in this, and
attempting halfway course the law neither
protects them in suits for malpractice, nor
enables them to collect their bills.
Ii might, perhaps, be a fortunate result for The
public if both schools of medicine could at pres
ent make concessions that would bring them
more nearly into harmony. The old school doc
tors cannot deny that they have received, how
ever unwillngly, substantial benefits from the
new Heroic practice III bleeding and IN the use
of calomel, anthony and the purgatives in gen
eral, has been almost wholly superseded The
experiments of the new school, in the endeayOr |
TO ascertain the effects of different remedies, |
have brought to light several drugs of ac- |
knowledgcd potency which the older profess !
sion has already adopted. If candid COM
parison of the methods of present practice !
by the more eminent disciples of both schools |
could be made, the actual difference would |
probably be found of less importance than |
either side has been led TO suppose. The new |
school has led the way, also, in n great i'm
provcment in the mode of administering medi
clnes by preparing them so that they are
acceptable instead of nauseous. Some "regu-
lar" practitioners would still do well to sit at
the feet of their opponents in that respect. and |
learn Of them how to prescribe for deli
cate women and children. The needs of
the suffering patient should be more important |
to the doctor than the dOgmas or the ethics
of his school. His business is to save lite, |
whether 10y the orthodox or the heterodox |
method. A remark attributed to Cardinal
Mazarin, in his last illness, might serve as
warning to the whole medical profession, |
since it expresses the natural feeling of man
kind Remember" he said to his medical
attendant, " that in my country. when a man
" is given up by the regular physicians, he
" sends for the quacks."