Year: 1861

From the New York Albion


Dear Sir:-You desire me to give you
my opinion of what is called Homeopathy
! can do so without any great labor to my
self, and without making any exorbitant
demand on your patience, as the question
really lies in very small compass, and
what l have TO say on it'may be expressed
in very few words.


The subject may be, viewed Under differ
ent aspects. We'mny inquire, first, wheth-
er Homeopathy be, of itself, of any value,
or of no value at all. Secondly, in what
manner does itaffect general society and,
thirdly, in what relation does it stand to
the medical profession2


must first request of you to observe
that, whatever ! may think at present, 1
had originally no prejudice either for or
against this new system: nor do l believe
that the members of the medical profession
generally were in the first instance influ-
enced by any feelings of this kind. The
fact is that the fault of the profession for
the most part lies in an opposite direction.
They are too much inclined to adopt any
new theory or any new mode of treatment
that may have been proposed; the younger
aud more inexperienced among them es.
peciRlly erring in this respect, and too
frequently indulgiug themselves in the trial
of novelties, disregardiDg old and estab-
lished remedies. For myself, assure you
that whatever opinion l may now hold, it
has not been hastily formed. ] have
made myself sufficiently acquainted with
several works which pretend to disclose
the mysteries OF Homeopathy, especially
that of Hahnemann, the founder of the
Homeopathic sect, and those of DR.. Cnrie
and Mr.. Sharpe. The result is that, with
Al. Iau nh TO tab
have been unable to form any very distinct
notion of the system which they profess to
teach. They all indeed begin with laying
down, as the foundation oft, the rule that
similid simili6us eurGntuT; or, in plain Eng
lish, that one disease is to be driven out of
the body by artificially creating another
disease similar to it. But there the resem-
blance ends Hahnemann treats the subject
in one way, DR.. Curle 10 another, and Mr..
Sharpe in another way still. General
principles are asserted on the evidence of
the most doubtful and scanty facts; and
the reasoning on them for the most part
purile and illogical. l do not ask ynu to
take this for granted, but would rather
refer you to the books themselves; being
satisfied that any one, though he may not
be yersed in the science of medicine, who
possesses good sense, and who has any
Knowledge of the caution with which all
scientific Investigations should beconduct-
ed, will arrive at the same conclusions as
myself But, subordinate to the rule to
which have just referred, there is anoth-
er, which by some of the Homeopathic
writer's, is held to be of great Importance,
and which is the more remarkable of the
two. The doses of medicine administer cd
by ordinary practitioners is represented to
be much too large. 1t is unsafe to have
recourse to them unless reduced to au all
most infinitesimal point; not only to the
millioneth, but sometimes even to the bill
lioueth of n grain. Now observe what this
means. Suppose one drop OF liquid medi-
cine to be equivalent to one grain, then, in
order to maintain the millionth part of
that dose, you must dissolve that drop in
thirteen gallons of water, aud administer
only one drop Of that solution; while, in
order to obtain the billionth of grain,
YOU must dissolve the aforesaid drop in
III, ,Ol4 hogsheads of water. OF course, it
is plain that this couldn't be practically ac-
complished, except by successive dilutions;
and this would be troublesome process.
Whether it be At all probable that any one
ever undertook 70 carry 1t out, leave you
TO Judge. At any rate, conceive that
there is no reasonable person who would
not regard the exhibition of medicine in SO
diInted form as being equivalent to no
treatment at all.


But however this may be, may be met
by the assertion that there is undodbted
evidence that great number Of persons
recover from their complaints under HON.
eopathic treatment, and do not pretend
in the least degree to deny it. In a dis
course addressed by myself to the students
of st. Georges Hospital, in the year 1888,
/ find the following remarks:-'TThere is
.-ntL,nr innmirn which shnnld he alunra