medical essays-第15章

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perimented；　accompanied　by　a　little　book；　into　families；　whose　members　are　thought　competent　to　employ　them；　when　they　deny　any　such　capacity　to　a　man　whose　life　has　been　passed　at　the　bedside　of　patients；　the　most　prominent　teacher　in　the　first　Medical　Faculty　in　the　world；　the　consulting　physician　of　the　King　of　France；　and　one　of　the　most　renowned　practical　writers；　not　merely　of　his　nation；　but　of　his　age？　　I　leave　the　quibbles　by　which　such　persons　would　try　to　creep　out　from　under　the　crushing　weight　of　these　conclusions　to　the　unfortunates　who　suppose　that　a　reply　is　equivalent　to　an　answer。

Dr。　Baillie；　one　of　the　physicians　in　the　great　Hotel　Dieu　of　Paris；　invited　two　Homoeopathic　practitioners　to　experiment　in　his　wards。　One　of　these　was　Curie；　now　of　London；　whose　works　are　on　the　counters　of　some　of　our　bookstores；　and　probably　in　the　hands　of　some　of　my　audience。　　This　gentleman；　whom　Dr。　Baillie　declares　to　be　an　enlightened　man；　and　perfectly　sincere　in　his　convictions；　brought　his　own　medicines　from　the　pharmacy　which　furnished　Hahnemann　himself；　and　employed　them　for　four　or　five　months　upon　patients　in　his　ward；　and　with　results　equally　unsatisfactory；　as　appears　from　Dr。　Baillie's　statement　at　a　meeting　of　the　Academy　of　Medicine。　　And　a　similar　experiment　was　permitted　by　the　Clinical　Professor　of　the　Hotel　Dieu　of　Lyons；　with　the　same　complete　failure。

But　these　are　old　and　prejudiced　practitioners。　　Very　well；　then　take　the　statement　of　Dr。　Fleury；　a　most　intelligent　young　physician；　who　treated　homoeopathically　more　than　fifty　patients；　suffering　from　diseases　which　it　was　not　dangerous　to　treat　in　this　way；　taking　every　kind　of　precaution　as　to　regimen；　removal　of　disturbing　influences；　and　the　state　of　the　atmosphere；　insisted　upon　by　the　most　vigorous　partisans　of　the　doctrine；　and　found　not　the　slightest　effect　produced　by　the　medicines。　　And　more　than　this；　read　nine　of　these　cases；　which　he　has　published；　as　I　have　just　done；　and　observe　the　absolute　nullity　of　aconite；　belladonna；　and　bryonia；　against　the　symptoms　over　which　they　are　pretended　to　exert　such　palpable；　such　obvious；　such　astonishing　influences。　　In　the　view　of　these　statements；　it　is　impossible　not　to　realize　the　entire　futility　of　attempting　to　silence　this　asserted　science　by　the　flattest　and　most　peremptory　results　of　experiment。　　Were　all　the　hospital　physicians　of　Europe　and　America　to　devote　themselves；　for　the　requisite　period；　to　this　sole　pursuit；　and　were　their　results　to　be　unanimous　as　to　the　total　worthlessness　of　the　whole　system　in　practice；　this　slippery　delusion　would　slide　through　their　fingers　without　the　slightest　discomposure；　when；　as　they　supposed；　they　had　crushed　every　joint　in　its　tortuous　and　trailing　body。


3。　　I　have　said；　that　to　show　the　truth　of　the　Homoeopathic　doctrine；　as　announced　by　Hahnemann；　it　would　be　necessary　to　show；　in　the　third　place；　that　remedies　never　cure　diseases　when　they　are　not　capable　of　producing　similar　symptoms！　　The　burden　of　this　somewhat　comprehensive　demonstration　lying　entirely　upon　the　advocates　of　this　doctrine；　it　may　be　left　to　their　mature　reflections。


It　entered　into　my　original　plan　to　treat　of　the　doctrine　relating　to　Psora；　or　itch；an　almost　insane　conception；　which　I　am　glad　to　get　rid　of；　for　this　is　a　subject　one　does　not　care　to　handle　without　gloves。　　I　am　saved　this　trouble；　however；　by　finding　that　many　of　the　disciples　of　Hahnemann；　those　disciples　the　very　gospel　of　whose　faith　stands　upon　his　word；　make　very　light　of　his　authority　on　this　point；　although　he　himself　says；　〃It　has　cost　me　twelve　years　of　study　and　research　to　trace　out　the　source　of　this　incredible　number　of　chronic　affections；　to　discover　this　great　truth；　which　remained　concealed　from　all　my　predecessors　and　contemporaries；　to　establish　the　basis　of　its　demonstration；　and　find　out；　at　the　same　time；　the　curative　medicines　that　were　fit　to　combat　this　hydra　in　all　its　different　forms。〃

But；　in　the　face　of　all　this；　the　following　remarks　are　made　by　Wolff；　of　Dresden；　whose　essays；　according　to　the　editor　of　the　〃Homoeopathic　Examiner；〃　〃represent　the　opinions　of　a　large　majority　of　Homoeopathists　in　Europe。〃

〃It　cannot　be　unknown　to　any　one　at　all　familiar　with　Homoeopathic　literature；　that　Hahnemann's　idea　of　tracing　the　large　majority　of　chronic　diseases　to　actual　itch　has　met　with　the　greatest　opposition　from　Homoeopathic　physicians　themselves。〃　　And　again；　〃If　the　Psoric　theory　has　led　to　no　proper　schism；　the　reason　is　to　be　found　in　the　fact　that　it　is　almost　without　any　influence　in　practice。〃

We　are　told　by　Jahr；　that　Dr。　Griesselich；　〃Surgeon　to　the　Grand　Duke　of　Baden；〃　and　a　〃distinguished〃　Homoeopathist；　actually　asked　Hahnemann　for　the　proof　that　chronic　diseases；　such　as　dropsy；　for　instance；　never　arise　from　any　other　cause　than　itch；　and　that；　according　to　common　report；　the　venerable　sage　was　highly　incensed　（fort　courrouce）　with　Dr。　Hartmann；　of　Leipsic；　another　〃distinguished〃　Homoeopathist；　for　maintaining　that　they　certainly　did　arise　from　other　causes。

And　Dr。　Fielitz；　in　the　〃Homoeopathic　Gazette〃　of　Leipsic；　after　saying；　in　a　good…natured　way；　that　Psora　is　the　Devil　in　medicine；　and　that　physicians　are　divided　on　this　point　into　diabolists　and　exorcists；　declares　that；　according　to　a　remark　of　Hahnemann；　the　whole　civilized　world　is　affected　with　Psora。　　I　must　therefore　disappoint　any　advocate　of　Hahnemann　who　may　honor　me　with　his　presence；　by　not　attacking　a　doctrine　on　which　some　of　the　disciples　of　his　creed　would　be　very　happy　to　have　its　adversaries　waste　their　time　and　strength。　　I　will　not　meddle　with　this　excrescence；　which；　though　often　used　in　time　of　peace；　would　be　dropped；　like　the　limb　of　a　shell…fish；　the　moment　it　was　assailed；　time　is　too　precious；　and　the　harvest　of　living　extravagances　nods　too　heavily　to　my　sickle；　that　I　should　blunt　it　upon　straw　and　stubble。

I　will　close　the　subject　with　a　brief　examination　of　some　of　the　statements　made　in　Homoeopathic　works；　and　more　particularly　in　the　brilliant　Manifesto　of　the　〃Examiner；〃　before　referred　to。　　And　first；　it　is　there　stated　under　the　head　of　〃Homoeopathic　Literature；〃　that　〃SEVEN　HUNDRED　volumes　have　been　issued　from　the　press　developing　the　peculiarities　of　the　system；　and　many　of　them　possessed　of　a　scientific　character　that　savans　know　well　how　to　respect。〃　　If　my　assertion　were　proper　evidence　in　the　case；　I　should　declare；　that；　having　seen　a　good　many　of　these　publications；　from　the　year　1834；　when　I　bought　the　work　of　the　Rev。　Thomas　Everest；〃　＇Dr。　Curie　speaks　of　this　silly　pamphlet　as　having　been　published　in　1835。＇　to　within　a　few　weeks；　when　I　received　my　last　importation　of　Homaeopathic　literature；　I　have　found　that　all；　with　a　very　few　exceptions；　were　stitched　pamphlets　varying　from　twenty　or　thirty　pages　to　somewhat　less　than　a　hundred；　and　generally　resembling　each　other　as　much　as　so　many　spelling…books。

But　not　being　evidence　in　the　case；　I　will　give　you　the　testimony　of　Dr。　Trinks；　of　Dresden；　who　flourishes　on　the　fifteenth　page　of　the　same　Manifesto　as　one　of　the　most　distinguished　among　the　Homoeopathists　of　Europe。　　I　translate　the　sentence　literally　from　the　〃Archives　de　la　Medecine　Homoeopathique。〃

〃The　literature　of　Homoeopathy；　if　that　honorable　name　must　be　applied　to　all　kinds　of　book…making；　has　been　degraded　to　the　condition　of　the　humblest　servitude。　　Productions　without　talent；　without　spirit；　without　discrimination；　flat　and　pitiful　eulogies；　exaggerations　surpassing　the　limits　of　the　most　robust　faith；　invectives　against　such　as　dared　to　doubt　the　dogmas　which　had　been　proclaimed；　or　catalogues　of　remedies；　of　such　materials　is　it　composed！　　From　distance　to　distance　only；　have　appeared　some　memoirs　useful　to　science　or　practice；　which　appear　as　so　many　green　oases　in　the　midst　of　this　literary　desert。〃

It　is　a　very　natural　as　well　as　a　curious　question　to　ask；　What　has　been　the　success　of　Homoeopathy　in　the　different　countries　of　Europe；　and　what　is　its　present　condition？

The　greatest　reliance　of　the　advocates　of　Homoeopathy　is　of　course　on　Germany。　　We　know　very　little　of　its　medical　schools；　its　medical　doctrines；　or　its　medical　men；　compared　with　those　of　England　and　France。　　And；　therefore；　when　an　intelligent　traveller　gives　a　direct　account　from　personal　inspection　of　the　miserable　condition　of　the　Homoeopathic　hospital　at　Leipsic；　the　first　established　in　Europe；　and　the　first　on　the　list　of　the　ever…memorable　Manifesto；　it　is　easy　enough　answer　or　elude　the　fact　by　citing　various　hard　names　of　〃distinguished　〃　practitioners；　which　sound　just　as　well　to　the　uninformed　public　as　if　they　were　Meckel；　or　Tiedemann；　or　Langenbeck。　　Dr。　Leo…Wolf；　who；　to　be　sure；　is　opposed　to　Homoeopathy；　but　who　is　a　scholar；　and　ought　to　know　something　of　his　own　countrymen；　assures　us　that　〃Dr。　Kopp　is　the　only　German　Homoeopathist；　if　we　can　call　him　so；　who　has　been　distinguished　as　an　author　and　practitioner　before　he　examined　this　method。〃　　And　Dr。　Lee；　the　same　gentleman　in　whose　travels　the　paragraph　relating　to　the　Leipsic　Hospital　is　to　be　found；　says　the　same　thing。　　And　I　will　cheerfully　expose　myself　to　any　impertinent　remark　which　it　might　suggest；　to　assure　my　audience　that　I　never　heard　or　saw　one　authentic　Homoeopathic　name　of　any　country　in　Europe；　which　I　had　ever　heard　mentioned　before　as　connected　with　medical　science　by　a　single　word　or　deed　sufficient　to　make　it　in　any　degree　familiar　to　my　ears；　unless　Arnold　of　Heidelberg　is　the　anatomist　who　discovered　a　little　nervous　centre；　called　the　otic　ganglion。　　But　you　need　ask　no　better　proof　of　who　and　what　the　German　adherents　of　this　doctrine　must　be；　than　the　testimony　of　a　German　Homoeopathist　as　to　the　wretched　character　of　the　works　they　manufacture　to　enforce　its　claims。

As　for　the　act　of　this　or　that　government　tolerating　or　encouraging　Homoeopathy；　every　person　of　common　intelligence　knows　that　it　is　a　mere　form　granted　or　denied　according　to　the　general　principles　of　policy　adopted　in　different　states；　or　the　degree　of　influence　which　some　few　persons　who　have　adopted　it　may　happen　to　have　at　court。　What　may　be　the　value　of　certain　pompous　titles　with　which　many　of　the　advocates　of　Homoeopathy　are　honored；　it　might　be　disrespectful　to　question。　　But　in　the　mean　time　the　judicious　inquirer　may　ponder　over　an　extract　which　I　translate　from　a　paper　relating　to　a　personage　well　known　to　the　community　as　Williams　the　Oculist；　with　whom　I　had　the　honor　of　crossing　the　Atlantic　some　years　since；　and　who　himself　handed　me　two　copies　of　the　paper　in　question。

〃To　say　that　he　was　oculist　of　Louis　XVIII。　　and　of　Charles　X。；　and　that　he　now　enjoys　the　same　title　with　respect　to　His　Majesty；　Louis　Philippe；　and　the　King　of　the　Belgians；　is　unquestionably　to　say　a　great　deal；　and　yet　it　is　one　of　the　least　of　his　titles　to　public　confidence。　　His　reputation　rests　upon　a　basis　more　substantial　even　than　the　numerous　diplomas　with　which　he　is　provided；　than　the　membership　of　the　different　medical　societies　which　have　chosen　him　as　their　associate；〃　etc。；　etc。

And　as　to　one　more　point；　it　is　time　that　the　public　should　fully　understand　that　the　common　method　of　suppo