medical essays-第2章

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Some　of　these　papers　created　a　little　stir　when　they　first　fell　from　the　press　into　the　pool　of　public　consciousness。　　They　will　slide　in　very　quietly　now　in　this　new　edition；　and　find　out　for　themselves　whether　the　waters　are　those　of　Lethe；　or　whether　they　are　to　live　for　a　time　as　not　wholly　unvalued　reminiscences。

March　21；　1883。




PREFACE　TO　THE　NEW　EDITION。

These　Essays　are　old　enough　now　to　go　alone　without　staff　or　crutch　in　the　shape　of　Prefaces。　　A　very　few　words　may　be　a　convenience　to　the　reader　who　takes　up　the　book　and　wishes　to　know　what　he　is　likely　to　find　in　it。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　HOMOEOPATHY　AND　ITS　KINDRED　DELUSIONS。

Homoeopathy　has　proved　lucrative；　and　so　long　as　it　continues　to　be　so　will　surely　exist；as　surely　as　astrology；　palmistry；　and　other　methods　of　getting　a　living　out　of　the　weakness　and　credulity　of　mankind　and　womankind。　　Though　it　has　no　pretensions　to　be　considered　as　belonging　among　the　sciences；　it　may　be　looked　upon　by　a　scientific　man　as　a　curious　object　of　study　among　the　vagaries　of　the　human　mind。　　Its　influence　for　good　or　the　contrary　may　be　made　a　matter　of　calm　investigation。　　I　have　studied　it　in　the　Essay　before　the　reader；　under　the　aspect　of　an　extravagant　and　purely　imaginative　creation　of　its　founder。　　Since　that　first　essay　was　written；　nearly　half　a　century　ago；　we　have　all　had　a　chance　to　witness　its　practical　working。　　Two　opposite　inferences　may　be　drawn　from　its　doctrines　and　practice。　　The　first　is　that　which　is　accepted　by　its　disciples。　This　is　that　all　diseases　are　〃cured〃　by　drugs。　　The　opposite　conclusion　is　drawn　by　a　much　larger　number　of　persons。　　As　they　see　that　patients　are　very　commonly　getting　well　under　treatment　by　infinitesimal　drugging；　which　they　consider　equivalent　to　no　medication　at　all；　they　come　to　disbelieve　in　every　form　of　drugging　and　put　their　whole　trust　in　〃nature。〃　　Thus　experience；

　　　　　　　　　　〃From　seeming　evil　still　educing　good；〃

has　shown　that　the　dealers　in　this　preposterous　system　of　pseudo…　therapeutics　have　cooperated　with　the　wiser　class　of　practitioners　in　breaking　up　the　system　of　over…dosing　and　over…drugging　which　has　been　one　of　the　standing　reproaches　of　medical　practice。　　While。　keeping　up　the　miserable　delusion　that　diseases　were　all　to　be　〃cured〃　by　drugging；　Homoeopathy　has　been　unintentionally　showing　that　they　would　very　generally　get　well　without　any　drugging　at　all。　In　the　mean　time　the　newer　doctrines　of　the　〃mind　cure；〃　the　〃faith　cure；〃　and　the　rest　are　encroaching　on　the　territory　so　long　monopolized　by　that　most　ingenious　of　the　pseudo…sciences。　　It　would　not　be　surprising　if　its　whole　ground　should　be　taken　possession　of　by　these　new　claimants　with　their　flattering　appeals　to　the　imaginative　class　of　persons　open　to　such　attacks。　　Similia　similabus　may　prove　fatally　true　for　once；　if　Homoeopathy　is　killed　out　by　its　new…born　rivals。

It　takes　a　very　moderate　amount　of　erudition　to　unearth　a　charlatan　like　the　supposed　father　of　the　infinitesimal　dosing　system。　　The　real　inventor　of　that　specious　trickery　was　an　Irishman　by　the　name　of　Butler。　　The　whole　story　is　to　be　found　in　the　〃Ortus　Medicinm〃　of　Van　Helmont。　　I　have　given　some　account　of　his　chapter　〃Butler〃　in　different　articles；　but　I　would　refer　the　students　of　our　Homoeopathic　educational　institutions　to　the　original；　which　they　will　find　very　interesting　and　curious。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CURRENTS　AND　COUNTER…CURRENTS

My　attack　on　over…drugging　brought　out　some　hostile　comments　and　treatment。　　Thirty　years　ago　I　expressed　myself　with　more　vivacity　than　I　should　show　if　I　were　writing　on　the　same　subjects　today。　Some　of　my　more　lively　remarks　called　out　very　sharp　animadversion。　Thus　my　illustration　of　prevention　as　often　better　than　treatment　in　the　mother's　words　to　her　child　which　had　got　a　poisonous　berry　in　its　mouth；〃Spit　it　out！〃　gave　mortal　offence　to　a　well…known　New　York　practitioner　and　writer；　who　advised　the　Massachusetts　Medical　Society　to　spit　out　the　offending　speaker。　　Worse　than　this　was　my　statement　of　my　belief　that　if　a　ship…load　of　miscellaneous　drugs；　with　certain　very　important　exceptions；drugs；　many　of　which　were　then　often　given　needlessly　and　in　excess；　as　then　used　〃could　be　sunk　to　the　bottom　of　the　sea；　it　would　be　all　the　better　for　mankind　and　all　the　worse　for　the　fishes。〃　　This　was　too　bad。　　The　sentence　was　misquoted；　quoted　without　its　qualifying　conditions；　and　frightened　some　of　my　worthy　professional　brethren　as　much　as　if　I　had　told　them　to　throw　all　physic　to　the　dogs。　　But　for　the　epigrammatic　sting　the　sentiment　would　have　been　unnoticed　as　a　harmless　overstatement　at　the　very　worst。

Since　this　lecture　was　delivered　a　great　and；　as　I　think；　beneficial　change　has　taken　place　in　the　practice　of　medicine。　　The　habit　of　the　English　〃general　practitioner〃　of　making　his　profit　out　of　the　pills　and　potions　he　administered　was　ruinous　to　professional　advancement　and　the　dignity　of　the　physician。　　When　a　half…starving　medical　man　felt　that　he　must　give　his　patient　draught　and　boluses　for　which　he　could　charge　him；　he　was　in　a　pitiable　position　and　too　likely　to　persuade　himself　that　his　drugs　were　useful　to　his　patient　because　they　were　profitable　to　him。　　This　practice　has　prevailed　a　good　deal　in　America；　and　was　doubtless　the　source　in　some　measure　of　the　errors　I　combated。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　CONTAGIOUSNESS　OF　PUERPERAL　FEVER。

This　Essay　was　read　before　a　small　Association　called　〃The　Society　for　Medical　Improvement；〃　and　published　in　a　Medical　Journal　which　lasted　but　a　single　year。　　It　naturally　attracted　less　attention　than　it　would　have　done　if　published　in　such　a　periodical　as　the　〃American　Journal　of　Medical　Sciences。〃　　Still　it　had　its　effect；　as　I　have　every　reason　to　believe。　　I　cannot　doubt　that　it　has　saved　the　lives　of　many　young　mothers　by　calling　attention　to　the　existence　and　propagation　of　〃Puerperal　Fever　as　a　Private　Pestilence；〃　and　laying　down　rules　for　taking　the　necessary　precautions　against　it。　　The　case　has　long　been　decided　in　favor　of　the　views　I　advocated；　but；　at　the　time　when　I　wrote　two　of　the　most　celebrated　professors　of　Obstetrics　in　this　country　opposed　my　conclusions　with　all　the　weight　of　their　experience　and　position。

This　paper　was　written　in　a　great　heat　and　with　passionate　indignation。　　If　I　touched　it　at　all　I　might　trim　its　rhetorical　exuberance；　but　I　prefer　to　leave　it　all　its　original　strength　of　expression。　　I　could　not；　if　I　had　tried；　have　disguised　the　feelings　with　which　I　regarded　the　attempt　to　put　out　of　sight　the　frightful　facts　which　I　brought　forward　and　the　necessary　conclusions　to　which　they　led。　　Of　course　the　whole　matter　has　been　looked　at　in　a　new　point　of　view　since　the　microbe　as　a　vehicle　of　contagion　has　been　brought　into　light；　and　explained　the　mechanism　of　that　which　was　plain　enough　as　a　fact　to　all　who　were　not　blind　or　who　did　not　shut　their　eyes。

O。　　W。　　H。

BEVERLY　Farms；　Mass。；　August　3；　1891






HOMOEOPATHY　AND　ITS　KINDRED　DELUSIONS　＇Two　lectures　delivered　before　the　Boston　Society　for　the　Diffusion　of　Useful　Knowledge。　　1842。＇


＇When　a　physician　attempts　to　convince　a　person；　who　has　fallen　into　the　Homoeopathic　delusion；　of　the　emptiness　of　its　pretensions；　he　is　often　answered　by　a　statement　of　cases　in　which　its　practitioners　are　thought　to　have　effected　wonderful　cures。　　The　main　object　of　the　first　of　these　Lectures　is　to　show；　by　abundant　facts；　that　such　statements；　made　by　persons　unacquainted　with　the　fluctuations　of　disease　and　the　fallacies　of　observation；　are　to　be　considered　in　general　as　of　little　or　no　value　in　establishing　the　truth　of　a　medical　doctrine　or　the　utility　of　a　method　of　practice。

Those　kind　friends　who　suggest　to　a　person　suffering　from　a　tedious　complaint；　that　he　〃Had　better　try　Homoeopathy；〃　are　apt　to　enforce　their　suggestion　by　adding；　that　〃at　any　rate　it　can　do　no　harm。〃　This　may　or　may　not　be　true　as　regards　the　individual。　　But　it　always　does　very　great　harm　to　the　community　to　encourage　ignorance；　error；　or　deception　in　a　profession　which　deals　with　the　life　and　health　of　our　fellow…creatures。　　Whether　or　not　those　who　countenance　Homoeopathy　are　guilty　of　this　injustice　towards　others；　the　second　of　these　Lectures　may　afford　them　some　means　of　determining。

To　deny　that　good　effects　may　happen　from　the　observance　of　diet　and　regimen　when　prescribed　by　Homoeopathists　as　well　as　by　others；　would　be　very　unfair　to　them。　　But　to　suppose　that　men　with　minds　so　constituted　as　to　accept　such　statements　and　embrace　such　doctrines　as　make　up　the　so…called　science　of　Homoeopathy　are　more　competent　than　others　to　regulate　the　circumstances　which　influence　the　human　body　in　health　and　disease；　would　be　judging　very　harshly　the　average　capacity　of　ordinary　practitioners。

To　deny　that　some　patients　may　have　been　actually　benefited　through　the　influence　exerted　upon　their　imaginations；　would　be　to　refuse　to　Homoeopathy　what　all　are　willing　to　concede　to　every　one　of　those　numerous　modes　of　practice　known　to　all　intelligent　persons　by　an　opprobrious　title。

So　long　as　the　body　is　affected　through　the　mind；　no　audacious　device；　even　of　the　most　manifestly　dishonest　character；　can　fail　of　producing　occasional　good　to　those　who　yield　it　an　implicit　or　even　a　partial　faith。　　The　argument　founded　on　this　occasional　good　would　be　as　applicable　in　justifying　the　counterfeiter　and　giving　circulation　to　his　base　coin；　on　the　ground　that　a　spurious　dollar　had　often　relieved　a　poor　man's　necessities。

Homoeopathy　has　come　before　our　public　at　a　period　when　the　growing　spirit　of　eclecticism　has　prepared　many　ingenious　and　honest　minds　to　listen　to　all　new　doctrines　with　a　candor　liable　to　degenerate　into　weakness。　　It　is　not　impossible　that　the　pretended　evolution　of　great　and　mysterious　virtues　from　infinitely　attenuated　atoms　may　have　enticed　a　few　over…refining　philosophers；　who　have　slid　into　a　vague　belief　that　matter　subdivided　grows　less　material；　and　approaches　nearer　to　a　spiritual　nature　as　it　requires　a　more　powerful　microscope　for　its　detection。

However　this　may　be；　some　persons　seem　disposed　to　take　the　ground　of　Menzel　that　the　Laity　must　pass　formal　judgment　between　the　Physician　and　the　Homoeopathist；　as　it　once　did　between　Luther　and　the　Romanists。　　The　practitioner　and　the　scholar　must　not；　therefore；　smile　at　the　amount　of　time　and　labor　expended　in　these　Lectures　upon　this　shadowy　system；　which；　in　the　calm　and　serious　judgment　of　many　of　the　wisest　members　of　the　medical　profession；　is　not　entitled　by　anything　it　has　ever　said　or　done　to　the　notoriety　of　a　public　rebuke；　still　less　to　the　honors　of　critical　martyrdom。＇


I

I　have　selected　four　topics　for　this　lecture；　the　first　three　of　which　I　shall　touch　but　slightly；　the　last　more　fully。　　They　are

1。　　The　Royal　cure　of　the　King's　Evil；　or　Scrofula。

2。　　The　Weapon　Ointment；　and　its　twin　absurdity；　the　Sympathetic　Powder。

3。　　The　Tar…water　mania　of　Bishop　Berkeley。

4。　　The　History　of　the　Metallic　Tractors；　or　Perkinism。

The　first　two　illustrate　the　ease　with　which　numerous　facts　are　accumulated　to　prove　the　most　fanciful　and　senseless　extravagances。

The　third　exhibits　the