The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-12-07
THE LECTURE.
DR.. Hall and His Discourse
Last Night.
His Views and Opinions on
q,
Homeopathy.

ifouiooPoutys
A fair audience assembled in the circuit
court room of the Court House last even
ing to hear the lecture of DIR. G. A Hall,
Professor of Surgery in the Hannemann
Medical College of Chicago. on the subject
of Homeopathy.
The lecturer was introduced by Mr.. P.
L. Gable, and after brief introduction
Immediately commenced an exposition of
the theory Of the homeopathic schools, its
objects and the objections urged against it.
He started out by showing the necessity of
some well developed law of cure, and con-
cluded that if there was such a known law
there must be necessity for it. In q very.
pointed, and at the same time interesting
manner, the lecturer defined health, disease,
and death, and by logical process estab-
hshed the theory Of the new school on
good and substantial reasons.
DIFFERENCE.
He stated that mans creation differs es-
sentially from that of all other inanimate
creatures, by the existence within him of
two entities-a spiritual and physical
entity or an immaterial and material entity.
He defined the natural physical entity as
the framework or body within which the
occult, unseen force was at work which is
recognized as life. He further stated that
life was that property which prevents the
change of the matter which it occupies,
and is still incpmprehensible even with all
the learning of the nineteenth century
He alluded to the dynamic force inherent
in mankind, so intimately connected with,
and yet so distinct from, life itself.
THE NEW SCHOOL.
Dr. Hall then stated that the new school
of medicine was based largely on the theory
that action and reaction were equal to one
to the other In illustrating this point, he
said when any morbiic influence invades
the organism, the dynamic force rebels
against the invasion by its powers of
restitution or reaction. When the har-
mony of the system is restored, when this
morbifc influence is thrown off, it is said
the patient RECEIVERS by his powers of
reaction, or that disease was thrown off by
the vital forces.
s,HEALTn
was defined as being that state
of existence when all the organs
of the body were in normal condition, all
the functions normally performed and the
physical forces, or being are up to the
normal standard. Disease was detailed as
condition Of being, when the organism is
disturbed by the introduction of morbific
influences the functions are disturbed; the
physical forces become impoverished, or
from whatever cause there Is the slightest
deviation from the normal standard. This
is diseased action, or as is generally known
disease.
was described as that condition when the
vital forces become overpowered, or when
the spring of life is weighed down by NOR
bific influences, or are carried to point SO
far removed as to preclude the possibility
of reaction, complete suspension Of all
vital forces takes place, and the mysterious
spirit takes its fight and leaves the mani
mate framew ork-dead. DR.. Hall then
briefly referred to the history of medicine
from its earliest stages up to and including
the practice of the seventeenth century.
He claimed that there was then no gener-
ally accepted theory, but that contradiction
and ignorance characterized the majority
of books on medical subjects He said
that medicine then could hardly be digni.
fed as science, for it was but a series of
experiments. He also referred to the sim
lila simtsibus cstrantur theory of Samuel
Hanneman who promulgated the same in
the seventeenth century. DR.. Hall claimed
that the theory was not original with Han
nemann, as glimpses of that well known
law were given in the writings of the early
historians of medicine. It remained for
theory and elaborate it, for which he de-
served everlasting praise.
The lecturer in explaining the basis OF
the new theory of medici ne, stated that all
the laws of nature recognized the existence
of a counterpart for every force, light,
darkness, heat, cold etc. And IN this
manner he explained that when physical
health deviated from the normal standard
there must of necessity be q counter
acting force to restore it; in short this was
the law Of restitution.
The materia medica of the two schools
of medicine were compared, and their dis
tinctive features pointed out. In the old
school the experiments of medicines were
made upon the diseased organism. while
the new school by administering medicine
on the normal conditioned patient OBJ
tanned symptoms which were recorded. A
drug image was thus secured, and when q
patient was discovered whose symptoms
resembled those of the drug image. the
r,ro,,or raruadv vaa kuoyvn and HAVING