medical essays-第11章

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able　drops。　　And　what　is　a　very　curious　illustration　of　Homoeopathy；　it　does　not　produce　its　most。　characteristic　effects　until　it　is　already　in　sufficient　quantity　not　merely　to　be　visible；　but　to　be　collected　for　further　use。　　The　thoughtlessness　which　can　allow　an　inference　to　be　extended　from　a　product　of　disease　possessing　this　susceptibility　of　multiplication　when　conveyed　into　the　living　body；　to　substances　of　inorganic　origin；　such　as　silex　or　sulphur；　would　be　capable　of　arguing　that　a　pebble　may　produce　a　mountain；　because　an　acorn　can　become　a　forest。

As　to　the　analogy　to　be　found　between　the　alleged　action　of　the　infinitely　attenuated　doses；　and　the　effects　of　some　odorous　substances　which　possess　the　extraordinary　power　of　diffusing　their　imponderable　emanations　through　a　very　wide　space；　however　it　may　be　abused　in　argument；　and　rapidly　as　it　evaporates　on　examination；　it　is　not　like　that　just　mentioned；　wholly　without　meaning。　　The　fact　of　the　vast　diffusion　of　some　odors；　as　that　of　musk　or　the　rose；　for　instance；　has　long　been　cited　as　the　most　remarkable　illustration　of　the　divisibility　of　matter；　and　the　nicety　of　the　senses。　　And　if　this　were　compared　with　the　effects　of　a　very　minute　dose　of　morphia　on　the　whole　system；　or　the　sudden　and　fatal　impression　of　a　single　drop　of　prussic　acid；　or；　with　what　comes　still　nearer；　the　poisonous　influence　of　an　atmosphere　impregnated　with　invisible　malaria；　we　should　find　in　each　of　these　examples　an　evidence　of　the　degree　to　which　nature；　in　some　few　instances；　concentrates　powerful　qualities　in　minute　or　subtile　forms　of　matter。　　But　if　a　man　comes　to　me　with　a　pestle　and　mortar　in　his　hand；　and　tells　me　that　he　will　take　a　little　speck　of　some　substance　which　nobody　ever　thought　to　have　any　smell　at　all；　as；　for　instance；　a　grain　of　chalk　or　of　charcoal；　and　that　he　will；　after　an　hour　or　two　of　rubbing　and　scraping；　develop　in　a　portion　of　it　an　odor　which；　if　the　whole　grain　were　used；　would　be　capable　of　pervading　an　apartment；　a　house；　a　village；　a　province；　an　empire；　nay；　the　entire　atmosphere　of　this　broad　planet　upon　which　we　tread；　and　that　from　each　of　fifty　or　sixty　substances　he　can　in　this　way　develop　a　distinct　and　hitherto　unknown　odor：　and　if　he　tries　to　show　that　all　this　is　rendered　quite　reasonable　by　the　analogy　of　musk　and　roses；　I　shall　certainly　be　justified　in　considering　him　incapable　of　reasoning；　and　beyond　the　reach　of　my　argument。　　What　if；　instead　of　this；　he　professes　to　develop　new　and　wonderful　medicinal　powers　from　the　same　speck　of　chalk　or　charcoal；　in　such　proportions　as　would　impregnate　every　pond；　lake；　river；　sea；　and　ocean　of　our　globe；　and　appeals　to　the　same　analogy　in　favor　of　the　probability　of　his　assertion。

All　this　may　be　true；　notwithstanding　these　considerations。　　But　so　extraordinary　would　be　the　fact；　that　a　single　atom　of　substances　which　a　child　might　swallow　without　harm　by　the　teaspoonful　could；　by　an　easy　mechanical　process；　be　made　to　develop　such　inconceivable　powers；　that　nothing　but　the　strictest　agreement　of　the　most　cautious　experimenters；　secured　by　every　guaranty　that　they　were　honest　and　faithful；　appealing　to　repeated　experiments　in　public；　with　every　precaution　to　guard　against　error；　and　with　the　most　plain　and　peremptory　results；　should　induce　us　to　lend　any　credence　to　such　pretensions。

The　third　doctrine；　that　Psora；　the　other　name　of　which　you　remember；　is　the　cause　of　the　great　majority　of　chronic　diseases；　is　a　startling　one；　to　say　the　least。　　That　an　affection　always　recognized　as　a　very　unpleasant　personal　companion；　but　generally　regarded　as　a　mere　temporary　incommodity；　readily　yielding　to　treatment　in　those　unfortunate　enough　to　suffer　from　it；　and　hardly　known　among　the　better　classes　of　society；　should　be　all　at　once　found　out　by　a　German　physician　to　be　the　great　scourge　of　mankind；　the　cause　of　their　severest　bodily　and　mental　calamities；　cancer　and　consumption；　idiocy　and　madness；　must　excite　our　unqualified　surprise。　　And　when　the　originator　of　this　singular　truth　ascribes；　as　in　the　page　now　open　before　me；　the　declining　health　of　a　disgraced　courtier；　the　chronic　malady　of　a　bereaved　mother；　even　the　melancholy　of　the　love…　sick　and　slighted　maiden；　to　nothing　more　nor　less　than　the　insignificant；　unseemly；　and　almost　unmentionable　ITCH；　does　it　not　seem　as　if　the　very　soil　upon　which　we　stand　were　dissolving　into　chaos；　over　the　earthquake…heaving　of　discovery？

And　when　one　man　claims　to　have　established　these　three　independent　truths；　which　are　about　as　remote　from　each　other　as　the　discovery　of　the　law　of　gravitation；　the　invention　of　printing；　and　that　of　the　mariner's　compass；　unless　the　facts　in　their　favor　are　overwhelming　and　unanimous；　the　question　naturally　arises；　Is　not　this　man　deceiving　himself；　or　trying　to　deceive　others？

I　proceed　to　examine　the　proofs　of　the　leading　ideas　of　Hahnemann　and　his　school。


In　order　to　show　the　axiom；　similia　similibus　curantur　（or　like　is　cured　by　like）；　to　be　the　basis　of　the　healing　art；〃the　sole　law　of　nature　in　therapeutics；〃it　is　necessary；

1。　　That　the　symptoms　produced　by　drugs　in　healthy　persons　should　be　faithfully　studied　and　recorded。

2。　　That　drugs　should　be　shown　to　be　always　capable　of　curing　those　diseases　most　like　their　own　symptoms。

3。　　That　remedies　should　be　shown　not　to　cure　diseases　when　they　do　not　produce　symptoms　resembling　those　presented　in　these　diseases。


1。　　The　effects　of　drugs　upon　healthy　persons　have　been　studied　by　Hahnemann　and　his　associates。　　Their　results　were　made　known　in　his　Materia　Medica；　a　work　in　three　large　volumes　in　the　French　translation；　published　about　eight　years　ago。　　The　mode　of　experimentation　appears　to　have　been；　to　take　the　substance　on　trial；　either　in　common　or　minute　doses；　and　then　to　set　down　every　little　sensation；　every　little　movement　of　mind　or　body；　which　occurred　within　many　succeeding　hours　or　days；　as　being　produced　solely　by　the　substance　employed。　　When　I　have　enumerated　some　of　the　symptoms　attributed　to　the　power　of　the　drugs　taken；　you　will　be　able　to　judge　how　much　value　is　to　be　ascribed　to　the　assertions　of　such　observers。

The　following　list　was　taken　literally　from　the　Materia　Medica　of　Hahnemann；　by　my　friend　M。　　Vernois；　for　whose　accuracy　I　am　willing　to　be　responsible。　　He　has　given　seven　pages　of　these　symptoms；　not　selected；　but　taken　at　hazard　from　the　French　translation　of　the　work。　　I　shall　be　very　brief　in　my　citations。

〃After　stooping　some　time；　sense　of　painful　weight　about　the　head　upon　resuming　the　erect　posture。〃

〃An　itching；　tickling　sensation　at　the　outer　edge　of　the　palm　of　the　left　hand；　which　obliges　the　person　to　scratch。〃　　The　medicine　was　acetate　of　lime；　and　as　the　action　of　the　globule　taken　is　said　to　last　twenty…eight　days；　you　may　judge　how　many　such　symptoms　as　the　last　might　be　supposed　to　happen。

Among　the　symptoms　attributed　to　muriatic　acid　are　these：　a　catarrh；　sighing；　pimples；　〃after　having　written　a　long　time　with　the　back　a　little　bent　over；　violent　pain　in　the　back　and　shoulder…blades；　as　if　from　a　strain；〃〃dreams　which　are　not　remembered；disposition　to　mental　dejection；wakefulness　before　and　after　midnight。〃

I　might　extend　this　catalogue　almost　indefinitely。　　I　have　not　cited　these　specimens　with　any　view　to　exciting　a　sense　of　the　ridiculous；　which　many　others　of　those　mentioned　would　not　fail　to　do；　but　to　show　that　the　common　accidents　of　sensation；　the　little　bodily　inconveniences　to　which　all　of　us　are　subject；　are　seriously　and　systematically　ascribed　to　whatever　medicine　may　have　been　exhibited；　even　in　the　minute　doses　I　have　mentioned；　whole　days　or　weeks　previously。

To　these　are　added　all　the　symptoms　ever　said　by　anybody；　whether　deserving　confidence　or　not；　as　I　shall　hereafter　illustrate；　to　be　produced　by　the　substance　in　question。

The　effects　of　sixty…four　medicinal　substances；　ascertained　by　one　or　both　of　these　methods；　are　enumerated　in　the　Materia　Medica　of　Hahnemann；　which　may　be　considered　as　the　basis　of　practical　Homoeopathy。　　In　the　Manual　of　Jahr；　which　is　the　common　guide；　so　far　as　I　know；　of　those　who　practise　Homoeopathy　in　these　regions；　two　hundred　remedies　are　enumerated；　many　of　which；　however；　have　never　been　employed　in　practice。　　In　at　least　one　edition　there　were　no　means　of　distinguishing　those　which　had　been　tried　upon　the　sick　from　the　others。　　It　is　true　that　marks　have　been　added　in　the　edition　employed　here；　which　serve　to　distinguish　them；　but　what　are　we　to　think　of　a　standard　practical　author　on　Materia　Medica；　who　at　one　time　omits　to　designate　the　proper　doses　of　his　remedies；　and　at　another　to　let　us　have　any　means　of　knowing　whether　a　remedy　has　ever　been　tried　or　not；　while　he　is　recommending　its　employment　in　the　most　critical　and　threatening　diseases？

I　think　that；　from　what　I　have　shown　of　the　character　of　Hahnemann's　experiments；　it　would　be　a　satisfaction　to　any　candid　inquirer　to　know　whether　other　persons；　to　whose　assertions　he　could　look　with　confidence；　confirm　these　pretended　facts。　　Now　there　are　many　individuals；　long　and　well　known　to　the　scientific　world；　who　have　tried　these　experiments　upon　healthy　subjects；　and　utterly　deny　that　their　effects　have　at　all　corresponded　to　Hahnemann's　assertions。

I　will　take；　for　instance；　the　statements　of　Andral　（and　I　am　not　referring　to　his　well…known　public　experiments　in　his　hospital　as　to　the　result　of　his　own　trials。　　This　distinguished　physician　is　Professor　of　Medicine　in　the　School　of　Paris；　and　one　of　the　most　widely　known　and　valued　authors　upon　practical　and　theoretical　subjects　the　profession　can　claim　in　any　country。　　He　is　a　man　of　great　kindness　of　character；　a　most　liberal　eclectic　by　nature　and　habit；　of　unquestioned　integrity；　and　is　called；　in　the　leading　article　of　the　first　number　of　the　〃Homoepathic　Examiner；〃　　〃an　eminent　and　very　enlightened　allopathist。〃　　Assisted　by　a　number　of　other　persons　in　good　health；　he　experimented　on　the　effects　of　cinchona；　aconite；　sulphur；　arnica；　and　the　other　most　highly　extolled　remedies。　　His　experiments　lasted　a　year；　and　he　stated　publicly　to　the　Academy　of　Medicine　that　they　never　produced　the　slightest　appearance　of　the　symptoms　attributed　to　them。　　The　results　of　a　man　like　this；　so　extensively　known　as　one　of　the　most　philosophical　and　candid；　as　well　as　brilliant　of　instructors；　and　whose　admirable　abilities　and　signal　liberality　are　generally　conceded；　ought　to　be　of　great　weight　in　deciding　the　question。

M。　Double；　a　well…known　medical　writer　and　a　physician　of　high　standing　in　Paris；　had　occasion　so　long　ago　as　1801；　before　he　had　heard　of　Homoeopathy；　to　make　experiments　upon　Cinchona；　or　Peruvian　bark。　　He　and　several　others　took　the　drug　in　every　kind　of　dose　for　four　months；　and　the　fever　it　is　pretended　by　Hahnemann　to　excite　never　was　produced。

M。　Bonnet；　President　of　the　Royal　Society　of　Medicine　of　Bordeaux；　had　occasion　to　observe　many　soldiers　during　the　Peninsular　War；　who　made　use　of　Cinchona　as　a　preservative　against　different　diseases；　but　he　never　found　it　to　produce　the　pretended　paroxysms。

If　any　objection　were　made　to　evidence　of　this　kind；　I　would　refer　to　the　express　experimen