ORG ANON CT Suite %xi of Idling* SAMUEL HAHNEMANN. A U D E S A P E S E. FIFTH AMERICAN EDITION, TRANSLATED FROM THE FIFTH GERMAN EDITION, BY C. WESSELHOEFT, M.D. BOERICKE & TAFEL: NE W YORK: 145 GRAND STREET. P II I L A D E L P II I A : 6 35 ARCH STREET. 1 879. Km to Ac) • •' i lon^ress, in the year 1S7.">, Bi BOERK Ki: A I \i I I.. In the ariao of Congress, it Washington, D. CL PKIN , «III IDBI PHIA.. PKEFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION The following remarks are intended to illustrate the old school of medicine (allopathy) in general. In the treatment of diseases old-school physicians are in the habit of assuming the existence of excess of blood (plethora), or of morbific matter and acrid humors, which in reality do not exist. In order to remove them, the life-blood is wasted by venesections and various other devices for the expulsion of imaginary noxious matter, or for its derivation to. other parts. For these purposes physicians resort to emetics, cathartics, sialagogues, sudorifics, diuretics, blisters, fontanelles, setons, etc. All of these are applied under the delu- sion that the disease is thereby weakened, and materially de- stroyed, while in reality the suffering of the patient is increased under the use of opiates, together with the waste of substance, which seriously prevents the restoration of health. Again, it is customary to assail the organism by repeated and massive doses of powerful drugs, the protracted effects and violent properties of which, are too often unknown to the prescriber ; and these effects are frequently rendered still more incalculable by the de- plorable habit, adhered to by the old school, of compounding in one formula several or many unknown substances, by the pro- longed use of which, new and often incurable drug-diseases are added to those already present in the body. In order to beguile the patient* by temporary suppression and alleviation, the old school makes use of palliatives (contraria conlrariis) without regard to subsequent extension and aggravation of the disease. * For the same purpose the ready-witted allopathist generally makes free use of the Greek name of the disease, in order to convince the patient that the doctor is as familiar with the disease as with an old acquair tance with whom it is easy to deal. ( «i ) M361899 Km 1R7.5, üv BOERII Ki A l \; [ntheO Librarian of Congress, l* Washington, D. C BHKRMaS ■ FKI*. . PHILADKI PHI *. 06- PEEFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION. The following remarks are intended to illustrate the old school of medicine (allopathy) in general. In the treatment of diseases old-school physicians arc in the habit of assuming the existence of excess of blood (plethora), or of morbific matter and acrid humors, which in reality do not exist. In order to remove them, the life-blood is wasted by venesections and various other devices for the expulsion of imaginary noxious matter, or for its derivation to. other parts. For these purposes physicians resort to emetics, cathartics, sialagogues, sudorifics, diuretics, blisters, fontanelles, setons, etc. All of these are applied under the delu- sion that the disease is thereby weakened, and materially de- stroyed, while in reality the suffering of the patient is increased under the use of opiates, together with the waste of substance, which seriously prevents the restoration of health. Again, it is customary to assail the organism by repeated and massive doses of powerful drugs, the protracted effects and violent properties of which, are too often unknown to the prescriber; and these effects are frequently rendered still more incalculable by the de- plorable habit, adhered to by the old school, of compounding in one formula several or many unknown substances, by the pro- longed use of which, new and often incurable drug-diseases are added to those already present in the body. In order to beguile the patient* by temporary suppression and alleviation, the old school makes use of palliatives (contraria contrariis) without regard to subsequent extension and aggravation of the disease. * For the same purpose the ready-witted allopathist generally makes free use of the Greek name of the disease, in order to convince the patient that the doctor is as familiar with the disease as with an old acquair tance with whom it is easy to deal. ( i» ) M361899 IV PREFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION*. Affections appearing on external portions of the body are conve- niently declared to be only local diseases, having no connection with the rest of the organism; and these are said to have been cured, when they have only been removed iron) the surface by external applications, while the real inner disease is compelled to fasten upon other more vital organs. When the doctor is finally at a loss what to do with the ob- stinate and greatly increased disease, he boldly applies the max- ims of his school in blindly administering an alterative to pro- duce the desired change; and so life is often undermined by calomel, corrosive sublimate, and other mercurials in large. doses. The old or allopathic treatment of disease is often followed by the deplorable result that by far the greatest proportion of all diseases are made incurable, or hastened to a fiital termination, by means of prolonged debilitating treatment of patients already weakened by disease, and by complicating their complaints with new and destructive affections resulting from the use of imper- fectly known remedial agents. Such results are far too easily occasioned by a certain levity of conscience which soon leads to thoughtless routine. ]S*o doubt old-school physicians of the common kind are readv to defend these injurious modes of practice by arguments bor- rowed from prejudiced books and professors, or based on the au- thority of some other old-school physician. The mosi absurd and unreasonable methods of treatment have their defenders, notwithstanding the testimony of most painful results. Only the old physician who has at length quietly arrived at the con- viction of the injurionsness of such practice, wisely prescribes harmless plantain-leaf tea and raspberry syrup for the most serious dise;i~e<, and loses but very few cases. This most injurious system of practice has held absolute sway over Hie and death of (he sick for many centuries. Firmly rooted and fastened upon mankind, it has destroyed more lives than the most pernicious wars, and has increased the sickness of millions to actual misery. It is my purpose to prove and illus- trate the errors of that practice (allopathy) before I proceed to treat in detail of its direct counterpart, the newly discovered and truly rational art of healing. PREFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION. V The case is quite different with homoeopathy. It will easily convince every thinker that human diseases do not proceed from material humors or noxious matter, but that they are purely dynamic disturbances of the spirit-like vital force. It is known to homoeopathy that cures result only from the counteraction of the vital force against some medicine chosen according to cor- rect principles, and that curative effects are speedy and certain in proportion to the energy of the vital force of the patient. Homoeopathy, therefore, avoids every debilitating influence* as well as the infliction of pain in the treatment of diseases, because pain also produces debility; it allows the use only of such medi- cines whose (dynamic) effects upon health and whose manner of altering it are thoroughly known. According to the principles of homoeopathy, a medicine is selected which possesses the power (drug-disease) of extinguishing a natural disease by means of the similitude of its alterative qualities (similia similibus)', such a medicine is administered in simple form at long intervals, and in doses so fine as to be just sufficient, without causing pain or debility, to obliterate the natural disease through the reaction of vital energy. The result will prove that the natural disease may be cured without weakening and without additional suffering of the patient, who will rapidly gain strength when convalescence is once begun. The application of homoeopathic principles appears easy, but is in reality most difficult and irksome; it demands most careful thought and the utmost patience, but these find their reward in speedy and permanent recovery of the patient. Homoeopathy is a simple art of healing, unvarying in its principles, and in its methods of applying them. The principles upon which it is based, if thoroughly understood, will be found * Homoeopathy sheds not a drop of blocd, prescribes no emetics, purga- tives, laxatives, nor sudorific. It removes no external disease by local ap- plications; it orders no medicated baths nor enemas, and makes no use <>r blisters, sinapisms, scions, nor fontanelles ; it objects to salivation, and does not sear the flesh to the bone by moxa or heated iron. The homceopathist dispenses only self-made, simple medicines, whose effects he has accurately and carefully studied, and he avoids all mixtures, and needs no opium to soothe pain, etc. VI PREFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION. to be perfect and unassailable, so that the purity of principles also determines the purity of their application, and they arc not disobeyed without sacrificing the honest name of homoeopathy. These principles preclude every departure* to the deplorable routine of the old school, of which homoeopathy is the counter- part, and as distinct from it as day is from night. Some physicians who would like to be regarded as homoeop- athists, have erred so far as to endeavor to combine allopathic routine and homoeopathic practice. But such a course proceeds from complete want of appreciation of the principles of homoe- opathy, from indolence, conceit, and indifference to the claims of suffering fellow-beings. Besides unpardonable negligence in the selection of the most appropriate homoeopathic specific for each particular case, the mainspring of this mixed practice is fre- quently to he found in desire for gain, and other ignoble motives. As for the result, it is easy to see that such practice, unlike pure and conscientious homoeopathy, is unable to cure complicated and obstinate diseases, sending many a patient to that "country from whose bourne no traveller returns," while the doctor oilers the soothing consolation to the friends that everything had been done for the best of the patient, unconsciously including many irrepa- rable errors that always arise from allopathic practice. Samuel Hahnemann. Köthen, March 28th, 1833. * I regret, therefore, ever to have made the proposition savoring of allop- athy, t<> treat psoric diseases by means of a pitch-piaster placed upon the Lack for the purpose of producing gentle itching, and to apply inild electric shocks in cases of paralysis. Since neither of these recommendations prove, 1 to he very useful, ami have afforded imperfect homoeopathists an excuse to indulge their allopathic proclivities, I regrel ever to have made propositions of that kind, and herewith emphatically retract them. I do so, also, because our homoeopathic art of healing has since that time approached so much nearer to perfection that measures like the above are no longer needed. PREFACE BY THE TRANSLATOR. Hahnemann's Organon of the Art of Sealing still continues to be the foundation which bears the new and growing school of medicine, known as that of homoeopathy. There is a general want of a text-book embracing the fundamental principles of our practice, and yet but very few books of that kind have appeared, and none have outlived Hahnemann's original work, for which there lias been a constantly increasing demand, that rapidly exhausted the last American and all British editions, including the superior translation by Dr. R. E. Dudgeon, which, being likewise out of print, the present edition became an imperative necessity. So far as can be ascertained, this is the third original translation of the Organon into English. The earliest was made by Charles II. Devrient, Esq., with notes by Samuel Stratton, M.D. Dublin: W. F. Wakeman, 1833. This has had several (four?) editions. Dr. Dudgeon's original translation has already been mentioned. The four American editionsf are reprints of the original British translation, pre- ceding that of Dr. Dudgeon. * Organon of Medicine, by Samuel Hahnemann, translated from the fifth German edition, by E. E Dudgeon, M.D. London: W. Headland t Organon of Homoeopathy, by Samuel Hahnemann. Firsl American from the Briti.-h translation of the fourth German edition. Preface by Samuel Stratton, M.D , and another by C. Hering, MD.. - - ond American edition, exactly like the first, 1843. Tiiird American edition, entitled: Samuel Hahnemann's Organon of Ho- moeopathic Medicine. "With improvements and additions from the la*t I fifth i German edition, with an Introduction by S. Stratton, M.D., and C. Hering, M.D. New York : Badde, 1848. The last edition (fourth; of 18G9, is now also out of print. ( vii ) Vlll PREFACE BY THE TRANSLATOR. Although the American editions have served (heir purpose, a careful comparison with the original work .-«ion leads to the conviction that justice was not always done to it. The transla- tion, though tree in paraphrase, often obscures the sense by un- successful rendering of the quaintness of the author's style, and of his involved sentences. New translations are of advantage, inasmuch as each brings new and original rendering of expres- sions; but the following is an additional reason for retranslat- ing the work. In his Prefaeo (p. ii), Dr. Dudgeon says: "Con- vinced that what the English student of homoeopathy required was an exact reproduction of the founder's great work', I have conscientiously endeavored to render my translation as literal as possible, and as tar as the different genius of the two languages admitted, 1 have retained the same expressions, figures of speech, and even the somewhat cumbrous and tautological style of the original," etc. As the requirements of the American are not of the same character as those of the English student, Dr. Dudgeon's plan could not well be followed in a new American edition of the Organon. While endeavoring to produce a perfectly correct translation of the original, I have avoided too close an adher- ence to Hahnemann's construction, style, and punctuation. By more liberal use of periods, many a long and intricate sentence has been made to yield resting-places to the mind of the reader; §§ 3 and 230 may serve as fair illustrations of the style I have striven to adopt. As an example of inaccuracy of construction in the last Ameri- can edition, the reader is referred to a sentence in § 14: " There is no curable malady .... in the interior of man which admits of cure that is not made known," etc. In this, sentence, " in- terior of man" is made the subject of "admits," and "cure" is the subject of "made known," while both verbs should be gov- erned by the subject " curable malady." Errors of this kind are noticeable in §§ 15, 18, 1G4, which must have puzzled the reader. The last edition still retain- several paragraphs from the fourth German edition, which Hahnemann altered and improved in the fifth, with the text of which, those paragraphs have been PREFACE BY THE TRANSLATOR. ix made to correspond in the present translation. (Compare § 20, American edition, with § 24, fourth German edition.) Actual omission of clauses and parts of sentences occur in §§ 51, 54, 70, 163. Actual mistakes in the rendering of terms are not uncommon in the American edition, for instance, similitude is often trans- lated "analogy" (§§ 40, 43, 46, etc.). A serious error occurs in § 18, where Hülfe- Bediirfniss, which means need of relief, is translated by "nature of medicines." In § 23, "existing mor- bid symptoms," should read persistent, etc. In >§ 64, the word " morbid," should be morbific In § 115, "sufficient " should be insufficient. These are a few out of many inaccuracies which disturb and often entirely destroy the sense of the text. Another important instance is contained in § 129, where the words "still higher doses," should be translated in accordance with the text, to mean larger and stronger doses. The present translation, I hope, may be found to be an entirely new and independent one of the whole work. A careful com- parison with Dr. Dudgeon's, and with the American editions, has greatly facilitated the avoidance of old errors, as well as of new ones. Each paragraph of the Organon generally consists of a single uninterrupted sentence which, like a ponderous block of stone, hewn and sculptured by the skill of an artisan, seems to have been lifted with Titan power to fill its place and purpose in the structure. It was impossible always to reproduce these sentences in English. Plain English expressions, and simplicity of style, were needed to render the work accessible to the student. How far the translator has succeeded in this, he submits to the deci- sion of the generous reader. The Organon is divisible into two parts. ' The first is a vig- orous and masterly description and criticism, of the practice of medicine as it was during the end of the last, and the first quarter of the present, century. The second part teaches the prin- ciples and practice of homoeopathy, and thus frequent reference is made to the then existing methods of the old school. Things have changed since that time. If nearly half a century ago, the old school held the principles which Hahnemann censured, they X PREFACE BY THE TRANSLATOR. are now unanimously repudiated. The old school now has no principles in its application of drugs; it Deglects these in favor of numerous surgical specialties, in the midst of which, real medical practice is threatened with destruction, like a plant sur- rounded by exuberant word-. Those disavowed principles are now replaced by highly scientific experiment, such as vivisec- tions, curarization, galvanization, measurement of blood-pressure of moribund animals, etc., hut we see n<> favorable clinical results to prove the value of such one-sided investigation. In strong contrast with this scientific zealotism, we observe the most un- scientific empiricism in the use of medicines; this arises from the absence of a guiding rule, like that which inaugurated the emi- nently practical method of testing drugs upon the healthy living organism, which permits a direct inference as to the amount of benefit to be derived from the use of medicines in disease. To this state of things, Hahnemann's Organon needs readaptation. Although the Organon has been and is our principal text-hook for the present, it has not been republished under the impression that all it- doctrines and principles are to be accepted literally and unconditionally. As each one has a style of his own, the details in the application of the principles of the Off/anon must necessarily vary with different individuals. While admitting these, we should also allow a certain latitude in the interpretation of various dogmas advanced in the Organon. Indeed, our best authors, and among them Hahnemann's earliest disciples, have always exercised absolute liberty of personal judgment in these matters. We have not the space to dwell upon many details here, and therefore only allude briefly to some of the main points. The Organon still contains it< chapters on the psora-theory. Few beginners would comprehend this subject without explanation on the part of the instructor. Many ignore the psora-theory altogether; some still adhere to its literal meaning; most physi- cians, however, will not adopt it unconditionally, but will prob- ably agree to allow it to remain in its place as one of the monu- ments of a new era in science. The age of Cuvier, Lamarck, Oken, and St. Hilaire, culminated in simplifying the complicated classification of organic nature introduced by Linne. In the PREFACE BY THE TRANSLATOR. XI place of very numerous classes and orders, Cuvier established four grand types, embracing the entire animal world. Pathology was at that time struggling for deliverance from a similar chaotic state; and, though the history of medicine points to various vague attempts at classification of diseases, according to common characteristics of type or origin, no attempt bears the mark of genius in scientific generalization so clearly as the effort of Hahnemann to classify diseases, and to embrace chronic diseases in few typical forms. Although he may have erred in some of the details of his structure, the principle and funda- mental idea underlying the attempt, was as grand and portentious as that upon which Cuvier proceeded to construct his system of classification. As for the rule similia similibus curantur, physicians agree that it is the most practical guide to aid us in the selection of most, perhaps of all, medicines. We accept it as an empirical fact, not as a theory or hypothesis, as our opponents quite erroneously term it. The explanations of its workings are as numerous and varied as they are unsatisfactory, from Hahnemann to the latest expounder. Yet the rule is a good and safe one, and though imperfectly explained, we may continue to apply it in practice, till at some future time we may enjoy the privilege, not only of contemplating what we have cured, but also how it was done. Near these ancient landmarks, around whose rugged shores the ocean of strife has surged and rolled for nearly a century, there stands another, called "the question of the dose." Of all the problems involved in the development of the new method of curing by medicines, this has led to the greatest degree of partisan contention, rather than scientific investigation. Not only physicians of experience, but laymen, and especially be- ginners, whose judgment on medical matters is in its period of incubation, and whose experience is entirely a matter of the future, are divided by relentless partisan spirit upon the question of the dose into "high dilutionists" and "low dilutionists." Hahnemann suggested that the thirtieth potency is probably the limit of divisibility and effectiveness of drugs in general (§ 270); and, though he also held that medicines can scarcely be attenuated too far, in the same paragraph, and many other Xll PREFACE BY TUE TRANSLATOR. place-, lie is careful to add the condition: " Provided it is still capable of producing an aggravation which proves it tobe stronger than the natural disease." (§§ 160, 249, 279; etc.). S »me practitioners use only strong tinctures or crude drugs, or, at most, only low dilutions, and deny the advantages of greater attenuation ; others depend entirely on the so-called high poten- cies. There is a decided tendency to diverge into extremes; while a number follow a middle course, the advocates of high potencies transcend I Iahnemann's propositions regarding the dose, as far as the defenders of low dilutions fall short of it. These extremes have created a sectarian spirit among the public, and its drift is forcibly reflected in the views of the laity. This may, in future, cause us some difficulty, because people attach far more importance to divisions among the doctors than these do. Although the Organon was translated in a spirit of reverence for its author, the chief motive was to afford our students an opportunity to become acquainted with the sources and the prin- ciples of the new school of medicine. In proportion as thes< are actually mastered, and in proportion to their isolation, and abstraction from the adoration of the personality of their origi- nator, their general and thorough adoption will be rapid or slow. Finally, and in conformity with the purpose of the Organon as a text-book of the principles of homoeopathy, the translator has transferred the last paragraphs (293-4) and their foot-notes, treating of mesmerism, to an appendix. Whatever individuals may think of the subject of these paragraphs, it has no bearing on the principles of homoeopathy. Though mature minds arc in no danger of being disturbed by it, in these days abounding in displays of jugglery and superstition, mingled with natural, though unfathomed phenomena, beginners might he led astray, and to misjudge the book upon which they should repose con- fidence. C. Wesselhcept, M.D. Boston, August 21st, 1875. CONTENTS. PAGE Preface by the Author, 3-6 Preface by the Translator, 7-12 INTRODUCTION. Review of physic, allopathy, and palliative treatment of the old school — Laymen also found treatment by means of similitude of etfect to be most beneficial — Even ancient physicians had a presentiment of the superiority of that principle, ....... 17-46 Foot-notes to the Introduction, ........ 47-63 TEXT OF THE ORGANON. § 1-2. The only calling of the physician is to cure speedily, gently, and per- manently, .......... 65 Note. — It is not his calling to frame theoretical explanations, 187 § 3-4. The physician should discover what is to be cured in diseases, and what is curative in drugs, and to adapt the latter to the former — He should also know how to prevent sickness, .... 65-66 \ 5. Attention to incidental and primary causes, and to other circum- stances, ........... 66 \ 6. As it concerns the physician, the disease consists only of the totality of symptoms, .......... 66 Note. — It is impossible for the old school to discover the essence of disease [prima causa) , ....... 187 § 7. In obedience to these conditions ($ 5), the physician has only to remove the totality of symptoms in order to cure the disease, . . 67 Note. — Every self-evident cause of disease is to bo removed, 188 Objection to symptomatic treatment, directed only to one symp- tom, 188 \ 8. When all symptoms have been removed, the disease is essentially cured, ........... 07 Note. — This is denied by the old school, .... 188 \ 9. During health the organism is animated by a spiritlike force (auto- cratic vital force), which maintains the harmony of functions, 67 \ 10. The organism is dead without this spiritlike force, ... 67 ( «Ü ) XIV CONTENTS. \ 11. In disease the vital force is primarily affected, and expresses its suf- fering (inner change) by abnormal functions and feelings of the or- ganism, ........... 68 Note. — For the purpose of treatment, it is unnecessary to know hoiv the vital force produces symptoms, .... 189 \ 12. By removing the complex of symptoms by means of treatment, the suffering of the vital force, that is, the whole internal and external disease is cured, 68 \ 13. The old school was wrong in declaring non-surgical diseases to be owing to a peculiar substance pervading the system, . . 68 2 14. Every curable disease becomes apparent by means of symptom-;, 69 § 15. The disturbance of the vital force, and consequent symptoms are an inseparable unit, ......... 69 g 16. The dynamic vital force can only be morbidly affected and cured by dynamic (spiritlike) effects of morbific agencies, ... 69 2 17. The physician cures the whole disease, by removing the totality of symptoms, .......... 70 Note. — Illustrative examples, ...... 189 \ 18. The totality of symptoms constitutes the only indication for the selec- tion of a remedy, ......... 70 2 19. A change in health (symptoms of disease) is cured by medicines, only because these are also capable of producing a change of health, 70 \ 20. The power of medicines of changing health, is only to be observed in their effect upon healthy individuals, ..... 71 \ 21. Symptoms produced by medicines, are the only signs by which their curative power is recognizable, ...... 71 \ 22. If experience proves that diseases are effectually cured by medicines of similar effect, we should choose these — If experience proves medi- cines of opposite effect to be most effectual , we choose the latter, 72 Note. — The use of drugs which bear no pathical relation to the disease, hut which affect the system in another manner, is the allopathic, objectionable method of treatment, . . . 189 § 23. Protracted diseases are not cured by opposite drug-effects (anti- pathic), ; 72 \ 24-25. Only the homoeopathic method of treatment by means of similar symptom^, ]> proved by experience to be most effectual, . 73 \ 26. This is based upon the law of nature, that in the living organism a weaker dynamic affection is permanently extinguished by a stronger one, differing in kind, ........ 73 Notk. — This is the case in physical diseases, as well as in moral affections, 190 \ 27. The curative property of medicines, therefore, rests upon the similitude of their symptoms to those of the disease, . 74 §28-29. Attempt at an explanation of this law of cure, ... 74 Notk. — Illustration of the same, . ..... 191 ? 30-33. The human organism is more prone to the effects of medicine than to natural disease, ......... 75-76 CONTENTS. XV \ 34-35. The validity of the homoeopathic law of cure is demonstrated by the failure of unhomoeopathic treatment of protracted diseases, and also by the fact that two dissimilar morbid processes in the system do not cancel each other, ........ 76-77 § 36. I. The older affection, being of equal or superior intensity to the new one, will exclude the latter, . ..... 77 § 37. Under non-homoeopathic treatment of mild nature, chronic diseases remain unchanged, ......... 77 \ 38. II. A new and intenser disease may, while it lasts, suppress the older dissimilar disease ; but it will not remove it permanently, . 78-80 £ 39. Violent treatment with allopathic medicines cures no chronic disease, it will only suppress it during the action of the medicine, which pro- duces no symptoms similar to the disease — The chronic disease returns afterwards in aggravated form, ...... 80-81 \ 40. III. The new disease may finally join the older and dissimilar one, thus producing a double or complicated disease, neither of which is capable of cancelling the other, ...... 81-83 \ 41. More frequently than in the natural course of diseases, affections result- ing from improper and prolonged allopathic treatment, are made to complicate natural diseases, or to aggravate them, ... 83 § 42. Diseases thus complicated, being dissimilar, occupy different localities in the organism, ......... 83-84 \ 43-44. The result is very different, when an intenser disease joins a simi- la?- one pre-existing in the organism, the latter is cured by the for- mer, ............ 84 § 45. Explanation of this process, ....... 84-85 § 46. Examples of chronic diseases cured by the accidental addition of new similar and intenser disease, ....... 85-88 \ 47-49. Of two diseases meeting in the course of nature, only the similar one will cure the other; dissimilar ones do not. This indicates that we should use only similar remedies (homoeopathic) in the treatment of disease, 88-89 \ 50. There are but few natural diseases that will cure others homceopathic- a 1 1 3 T , and such effects are connected with many inconveniences, 89 g 51. The physician, on the other hand, possesses numerous remedies, far superior to the accidental cures of nature, .... 89-90 \ 52. From the process of nature we learn that diseases should be treated and cured only with homoeopathic remedies, while allopathic remedies are ineffectual and injurious, . ....... 90-91 \ 53-54. There are only three possible methods of applying medicines in disease, ........... 91-92 1. The homoeopathic method, which is the only efficacious one, 92 \ 55. 2. The allopathic or heteropathic method, .... 92 \ 56. 3. The antipathic (enantiopathic) palliative method, . . 92-93 Note. — The attempt called " isopathy," .... 194 § 57. The method of treatment, according to which a remedy of opposite effect (contraria contrariis) is employed against a single symptom of the disease, .......... 93 XVI CONTENTS. 2 58. The antipathic method is wrung, not only because it treats a single symptom of a disease, bul also because it is followed by aggravation after npparent relief in protracted diseases, .... 94 Note — Testimony of authors 104 $59. Injurious effect of certain antipathic treatment, *. . . 94-97 §60. [ncreased and repeated doses of a palliative, never cure chronic diseases, but tend to aggravate them, ....... 97 \ 61. These results should have led physicians to the recognition of the op- posite and only efficacious homoeopathic method, • • • 97—98 § 02. The reason of the injuriousness of the palliative, and of the efficacy of homoeopathic treatment, ........ 98 §63. This principle is founded on the difference of primary effect of each medicine upon the organism, and the counter or after-effect produced by the vital force, 98-99 §64. Illustration of primary and after-effect, 99 § 65. Examples of both, 99-100 § 6G. The after-effect of the vital force becomes apparent only through the restitution of the equilibrium of health, alter the minutest homoeo- pathic doses, .......... 100 § 67. These truths illustrate the efficacy of the homoeopathic, as well as the injuriousness of the antipathic (palliative) methods, . . 101 Note — Cases in which the antipathic method of treatment is alone efficacious, . . . . . . . . . 195 § 68. These truths establish the efficacy of the homoeopathic method of treatment, .......... 101 § 69. These truths prove the injuriousness of the antipathic method, 101-103 Note 1. — Sensations of opposite kind are not neutralized in the sensory system of the human body, thus differing from substances of opposite kind in chemistry, . ..... 19ü Notk 2. — Illustrative example, 196 §70. Short definition of the homoeopathic system, . . . 103-104 §71. The three necessary conditions for curing are: 1. The investigation of the disease. 2. The investigation of the effects of medicines. 3. Their appropriate application, 104-105 § 72. General view of diseases, acute and chronic, .... 105 §73. Acute diseases of single individuals; sporadic, epidemic, and acute miasms, .......... 10Ö-107 § 74. The most intractable form of chronic disease, is that produced by un- skilful allopathic treatment, ....... 107 § 75. These are most uncurable, ....... 107 § 76. Only when there remains sufficient vital force, the lesion may be re- pair« din time, while the original diseaseis treated homoe ipathically, 108 § 77. Diseases which arc improperly called chronic, .... L08 3 78. Genuine chronicdiseases, all of them originate in chronic miasms, 109 § 79. Syphilis and sycosis, . ........ 109 § 80-81. Psora, it is the source of all genuine chronic diseases, excepting the syphilitic and sycotic, ....... 109-110 Notk. — ■Nomenclature of common pathology, . . . 198 CONTENTS. XVÜ § 82. The more specific remedies for chronic miasms, especially for psora, should, in a given case, be selected with special care to effect a cure, \\\ \ 83. The conditions necessary for the perfection of a record (picture) of a case of disease, . . . . . . . . . . \\\ \ 84-99. Directions how to make inquiry into a case of disease, and how to record it, 112-11G $100-102. The investigation of epidemic diseases, . . . 117-118 § 103. The fundamental cause of unsyphilitic chronic diseases, as well as the great general outlines of psora, were discovered and recorded in the same manner, ......... 118-119 \ 104. Advantages of written records of cases, for the purpose of cure, and observation during treatment, ....... 119 Note. — How physicians of the old school proceed in examining a case of disease, ......... 202 § 105-114. Premonitions regarding the investigation of pure drug-effects upon the healthy — Primary and secondary effect, . . 119-123 §115. Alternating effects of drugs, 123-124 § 11G-117. Idiosyncrasies, 124 §118-119. Each medicine differs in effect from others, . . . 125 Note. — There are no surrogates, . ..... 201 \ 120. Each drug should be tested carefully with regard to its peculiar effects, 125 \ 121-140. How to proceed when testing drugs upon other persons, 125-133 § 141. Those tests of drugs are most reliable, which a healthy physician makes upon himself, ........ 133 § 142. The investigation of pure drug-effects in disease is difficult, . 134 § 143-145. It is only this testing of medicines upon persons in health, that leads to a true Materia Medica, ..... 134-135 § 146. The most appropriate method of applying medicines tested with re- gard to their pure effects, ....... 135 § 147. The most homceopathically adapted medicine is the most efficacious, and is the specific remedy, ....... 135 \ 148. Indications as to how the homoeopathic cure is effected, . 136 § 149. Homoeopathic cures of acute diseases are rapid, those of chronic dis- eases require proportionally more time, ..... 136 Note — Difference between pure homoeopathy and mixed prac- tice, 206 \ 150. Slight indispositions, ........ 137 \ 151. Strongly marked diseases have numerous symptoms, . . 137 § 152. It is less difficult to find the homoeopathic remedy for diseases pre- senting a number of symptoms, ...... 137 § 15S. What kind of symptoms are especially to be noticed, . 137-138 § 154. A very homoeopathic remedy cures without causing noticeable dis- comfort, ........... 138 \ 155. The reason why such cures are free from discomfort, . . 138 §156. The causes of slight exceptions to this rule, .... 139 B XV111 CONTEXTS. $ 157-100. The medicinal affection which is v ac- celerate and increase these efforts by means of evacuants and de- rivatives, supposing that by virtue of their pernicious measures they were acting under the guidance of'natnre (duae natura), and that they were entitled to the exalted name of servants of nature {ministri natura >. Having observed that in protracted diseases such evacuations, induced by the vitality of the patient, were frequently attended by brief remissions of severe pains, paralysis, convulsions, etc., the old school regarded these derivative actions as the true way to be followed, and therefore accelerated, maintained, and in- creased them in attempting to cure diseases. But they never dis- covered that all such evacuations and secretions (seemingly criti- cal), called forth by the spontaneous efforts of nature in chronic diseases, only procured palliative and brief alleviation, adding so little to an actual cure, that their influence amounted rather to an aggravation of the original internal malady, by wasting strength and substance. No patient suffering from a protracted malady, was ever known to have regained permanent health by those rude efforts of nature, nor any chronic disease to have been cured 1 by those evacuations, resulting from the action[22] of the organism. But on the contrary, after a brief respite, the original evil in such eases evidently increases; the duration of its remis- sions grow constantly shorter and shorter, while the painful periods of aggravation return with more frequency and violence, in spite of the continued evacuations. The same result may be observed when nature, abandoned to her own resources, in struggling with the dangers of an internal chronic affection, has no other way of safety than that of pro- ducing external local symptoms, for the purpose of diverting the danger from parts indispensable to life, and directing them to structures of less vital importance (metastasis). Hence, those A REVIEW OF PHYSIC. 31 procedures of the energetic vital force being devoid of reason, reflection, or precaution, will never lead to actual relief or to a real cure; they are mere brief, palliative respites in the danger- ous course of the inner disease, at the sacrifice of much strength and substance, without diminishing the primitive disease in the least degree. These measures, at most, are able to postpone dis- solution which, without the intervention of a genuine homoeo- pathic cure, would be the inevitable result. From the allopathic point of view held by the old school, those rude, automatic efforts of nature were not only greatly overestimated, but totally misinterpreted as genuine curative agencies; they were increased and accelerated under the vain hope of destroying and radically curing the entire evil. When- ever, in cases of chronic disease, one or another of the intolerable symptoms of the inner disease appeared to be relieved by efforts of vitality, producing, for example, a moist eruption on the skin, in that case the servant of rude nature [minister naturce) would place a plaster of cantharides, or an exutorium (spurge-laurel) upon the ichorous surface, in order to draw out more humor (moisture) from the skin (duce natura), for the purpose of assist- ing and supporting the purpose of nature (by removing the mor- bific matter from the body ?). But sometimes, if the effect of the remedy proved to be too intense, the moist eruption too inveter- ate, and the body too irritable, that servant of nature had only increased the external affection considerably, without benefit to the primitive disease. He aggravated the pains, which deprived the sufferer of sleep, and reduced his strength (or even brought on a febrile or malignant form of erysipelas). At other times, by gently acting upon the local disease (perhaps yet recent), by a kind of improper, superficial homceopathism, he would thus drive away from its site that local symptom, set up by nature on the skin for the relief of the inner more dangerous evil; but he thereby increased the latter, and induced the vital powers to institute a more serious metaschematism towards other and more vital parts. In place of those local symptoms, the patient then suffered from dangerous inflammation of the eyes, deafness, cramps of the stom- ach, epileptiform spasms, attacks of asthma, apoplexy, or men- tal disorders, etc. [-23] 32 INTRODUCTION. Acting under the same delusion of assisting the vital forees in their curative endeavors, that minister naturae applied numerous leeches, in case the diseased force of nature caused congestion of the rectum or anus (blind pile-), hoping to furnish an outlet for the blood in that place. The result would be a brief and scarcely noticeable improvement, but with loss of bodily strength, giv- ing rise to more violent congestion to those parts, without lessen- ing the original disease in the least degree. In nearly every case where the morbid vitality strove to evacu- ate a little blood by means of emesis or cough, etc., in order to allay a dangerous internal afiection, the old school physician has- tened to assist (duce natura) those supposed curative efforts of nature by copious abstraction of blood from a vein; but never without evil consequences in the future, or without evident de- bilitation of the body. In order to promote the intentions of nature, the old school physician was in the habit of treating cases of chronic nausea by causing profuse evacuations from the stomach, by administering powerful emetics — never with a beneficial, but often with evil result; not infrequently with dangerous and even fatal conse- quenees. To relieve an internal morbid condition, the vital force some- times produces violent swellings of external glands, in which event that pretended servant of nature entertains the hope of as- sisting her purposes by inflaming those swellings by all sorts of stimulating ointments and plasters, and then opening the ripe abscess by incision, to allow the escape of the offending morbific matter (?). Hut experience furnishes hundreds of proofs of the protracted mischief resulting uncxceptionally from such proceed- ings. Having frequently observed in chronic disorders slight allevia- tion of great distress, following spontaneous night-sweats, or loose alvine discharges, the old school practitioner considers himself bound to follow and promote these hints of nature (duee natura) by instituting and maintaining copious perspirations, or by sub- je ting his patient for years to a course of so-called gentle laxa- tives, in order to sustain and increase those efforts of nature (the ntal force of the unintelligent organism) leading, as he thinks, A REVIEW OF PHYSIC. 33 to the cure of the entire chronic disorder, and to the more speedy liberation of the patient from his disease (the substance causing the disease?). But the result is always contrary to the intention: aggrava- tion of the original complaint. In accordance with his preconceived, though groundless opin- ions, the physician of the old school persists in his process of promoting[24] those endeavors of morbid vitality, and of in- creasing those ever ruinous and never salutary derivative and evacuant efforts of the patient's system. He does not perceive that all above-named local symptoms, evacuations, and apparent derivative actions (begun and supported by the unthinking, un- guided vital force in conquering the original chronic disease) are in fact the disease itself, and the signs of the entire disorder, for the cure of which, a homoeopathic medicine, selected in accord- ance with its similitude of effect, would have been the most suc- cessful and speedy remedy. Since the crude efforts of nature for attaining relief in acute, and more particularly in chronic diseases, are extremely imperfect and in themselves a disease, it was readily to be understood that the artificial furtherance of these efforts would only increase the difficulty ; to say the least, it would not be an improvement on the spontaneons efforts of nature in the case of acute affections. The vital power in producing its crises, moves in obscure ways which medical art was incompetent to follow; therefore the latter only undertakes to reach its object from without by violent remedies, much less beneficial, but on the contrary, far more aggravating and debilitating than the means employed by the instinctive, unguided vital force left to itself. Not even that imperfect kind of relief, induced by natural derivatives and crises, can be pro- duced by allopathy in a similar manner; that school will find itself greatly outdone, even by curative measures as imperfect as those of vitality left to itself. By the use of lacerating implements it was attempted to pro- duce nosebleed in imitation of the natural kind, for the purpose of relieving, for example, attacks of chronic headache. Although blood was made to flow abundantly from the nasal cavities, de- priving the patient of strength, yet the relief thus obtained 3 34 INTRODUCTION. amounted to nothing, or was, at least, far more insignificant than if, at other times, but a few drops were shed by the instinctive and spontaneous impulses of the vital force. So-called critical perspiration or diarrhoea, caused by the ever active vital force after sudden attacks of sickness, occasioned by mental agitation, fright, strains, or cold, will remove these acute affections, though temporarily, with far more efficacy than all the sudorifics or cathartics obtained from the apothecary-shop, which increase the trouble, as daily experience teaches. The vital force, capable of acting only in harmony with the physical arrangement of our organism, and without reason, in- sight, or reflection, was not given to us that we should regard it as the best guide in the cure of diseases (Krankheits-Heilerin), having the power of reducing those sad deviations from health to their normal standard ; and still less was that vital force given to us, that its imperfect and morbid efforts (to rescue itself from disease) might be imitated by servile physicians, adopting methods more inappropriate and depressing than those of the vital force itself; nor that indolent physicians might be enabled to spare themselves all intellectual effort, reflection, and consid- eration, necessary for the discovery and practice of the noblest of human arts, the true art of healing, instead of contenting them- selves with imperfect imitation of the crude curative efforts of unintelligent nature, and then proclaiming theirs as the " rational art of healing:." What man of sense would undertake to imitate nature in her endeavors of coming to the rescue? Those efforts are, in fact, the disease itself; and the morbidly affected vital force is the producer of disease becoming manifest. Necessarily, therefore, every artificial imitation as well as the suppression of these natu- ral efforts must either increase the evil, or render it dangerous by suppression ; the allopathist does both, and then extols this practice as healing art, as " rational" healing art! He is in the wrong. That noble innate power, desünedto govern life in the most perfect manner during health, equally present in all parts of the organism, in the sensitive as well as in the irri- table fibre; that untiring mainspring of all normal, natural, bodily functions, was never created for the purpose of aiding A EEVIEW OF PHYSIC. 35 itself in diseases, nor to exercise a healing art worthy of imitation. No ! The true healing art is that intellectual office incumbent on the higher human mind, and free powers of thought, discriminating and deciding according to causes ; a dirty of which office is, when- ever that instinctive, unconscious, and unreasoning, but automatic, energetic vital force has been thrown into discordant action by dis- ease, to harmonize those discordancies by means of a similar patho- genetic affection of higher degree, originated by a drug homoeopaihi- cally selected; after this, the natural morbid affection will no longer be able to act upon the vital force, which will get rid of the former, while the latter merely continues to be engaged with the similar, rather more powerful pathogenetic drug affection, against which it may now direct its entire energy; ere long the drug affection, will be overcome, leaving the vital power free and able to return to its normal condition of health, and to its destination: "to animate the organism and maintain its health," without having suffered painful or debilitating onslaughts during these transformations. How to reach this 7'esult is taught by the homoeopathic healing art. Not a few patients, however, treated according to the above- named methods of the old school, escaped from their diseases, not the chronic (unvenereal) kinds, but merely from the acute, less dangerous forms; and this was accomplished by means so painful, circuitous, and often so imperfect that such treatment could not properly be called a cure accomplished by gentle means. By abstracting blood, or by suppressing one of the main symptoms through the agency of an enantiopathie, palliative remedy (contraria contrariis), those less dangerous cases of acute disease were kept under, or suspended by means of counter- stimulants and derivatives (antagonistic and revellent remedies) directed to parts remote from the seat of disease, up to the time at which the brief illness would have terminated its natural course. These circuitous proceedings deprived the patient of strength and substance to such a degree, that the greater and better part of the work of completing the cure of the disease, of restoring the wasted strength and substance of the patient, was 36 INTRODUCTION. left to nature's supporting power of life ; this, besides conquering the natural acute disease, had now the superadded burden of overcoming the consequences of improper treatment. In less dangerous eases the power of nature succeeded by its own energy, however laboriously, imperfectly, and under great difficulties, gradually to re-tore the functions to their normal condition. It remains highly dubious whether the natural process of re- covery is really shortened or assisted in the least by the interfer- ence of the old practice in eases of acute disease; since neither physician nor nature could act otherwise than indirectly, except- ing that the derivative and antagonistic appliances of the former are much more severe and weakening than the processes of the latter. The old school possesses still another curative process, [ 2 Ö] called the stimulating and tonie method (by means of excitants, nervines, tonics', comfortants, roborants). It is surprising that they should boast of this mode of treatment. Has the old school, notwithstanding its frequent attempts, ever been aide to remedy the bodily weakness, caused, kept up, and increased by a chronic disease, by prescribing ethereal Rhenish wine or fiery Tokay? In such cases strength would only be more and more reduced (since the origin of debility, the chronic disease, had not been cured), in proportion to the quantity of wine which the patient had been ordered to consume; because, in the secondary action of the vital force, debility succeeds artificial excitement. Or was strength ever restored by Cinchona bark in any of numerous cases, or by those ill-understood, ambiguous substances known as bitters, so hurtful in many other respects? Have not these vegetable substances, together with the preparations of iron, declared under all circumstances to be tonic and strengthening, added new diseases to the older ones, by virtue of their peculiar pathogenetic properties, without mitigating the debility, depend- ent on inveterate and unknown disease of long standing? Was an incipient paralysis of an arm or a leg (commonly pro- duced by a chronic malady) ever diminished in tin least, or with A KEVIEW OF PHYSIC. 37 any degree of permanency by those so-called waguenta nervina, or any of the other ethereal or balsamic inventions, without the pre- vious eradication of the malady itself? Or have electric and voltaic shocks ever produced any other effects[26] upon such limbs beyond increasing, or even completing, the paralysis and extinction of muscular activity, or the sensitiveness of nerves? Have not those highly praised excitants and aphrodisiacs, such as amber, the smelt, tincture of cantharid.es, truffles, cardamom seeds, cinnamon, and vanilla, invariably produced complete im- potence (always based upon a chronic miasm), when the sexual power had been previously weakened. ? Why should an excitement or increase of strength, lasting a few hours, be looked upon as a success, when the subsequent re- sult proves to be the permanent counterpart; when the evil has been rendered incurable, in accordance with the laws governing the action of all palliatives? The slight benefit derived from excitants and roborants, dur- ing convalescence from acute diseases (treated in the old manner), was overbalanced a thousand times by the ill effects produced by these remedies in chronic diseases. Whenever old medicine is at loss what to do in a tedious dis- ease, it blindly blunders away with its so-called alterative reme- dies (aUerantia) ; in that case the dreadful mercurials (calomel, corrosive sublimate, and mercurial ointment) are used as its chief remedies, which (in non-venereal diseases) are perniciously per- mitted to act upon the body in quantities, and for a length of time sufficient to undermine the health entirely. Great changes are truly wrought in this manner, but always of an evil kind, and health is always completely ruined by this extremely hurt- ful metal when its use is out of place. Cinchona bark, specific as a homoeopathic fever remedy only in o-enuine swamp-ague (provided it is used in the absence of psora), is now prescribed in massive doses in all epidemic inter- mittent fevers, often spread over large countries; herein the old school evinces its palpable rashness, for these fevers assume a 38 INTRODUCTION'. different character every year, and therefore almost always de- mand for their removal another homoeopathic remedy, which, if administered in one, or some few very minute doses, cures them radically in a few days. Since these epidemic levers have regu- lar periods of occurrence (type), and since only the type of these intermittent fevers is recognized by the old school, knowing no other lever remedy than Peruvian hark, nor desirous of knowing any other, that school, I say, in its monotonous routine, imagines that it has cured these fevers as Jong as the type of these epi- demics can he suppressed by large doses of hark, or its expensive extract (quinia); (the irrational vital force^ proving wiser in this instance, often seeking to prevent this suppression lor months). But the duped patient grows constantly worse after such a sup- pression of the periodicity (type) of his fever than he was during the attack itself. With sallow countenance, difliculty of breath- ing, constriction in the hypochondriac regions, disturbed digestion, and loss of appetite, without refreshing sleep, weak and listless, often with tense swelling of the legs, abdomen, or even of the face and hands, that patient creeps out of the hospital, dismissed as cured, and not infrequently years of laborious homoeopathic treatment are required, perhaps not to heal and restore the health, but merely to continue the life of oue of those patients, radically mined (cured?), and made the victim of an artificial cachexia. The old school delights in its ability to convert the stupor peculiar to typhoid fevers into a kind of temporary exhilaration by means of valerian, possessing antipathic properties in such eases; hut since this exhilaration does not last, and another brief space of animation can only be gained by increased doses of va- lerian, the point is soon reached at which even the largest doses cease to act. This palliative, after having excited the patient by its primary action, paralyzes the entire vital force by its secondary effect, thus insuring the speedy dissolution of the sufferer by means of this rational mode of treatment peculiar to the old school; none will escape from it. And still the followers of this routine-prac- tice never learn to see how surely its treatment will [»rove fatal; because the fatal result is invariably ascribed to the malignancy t>f the disease. A REVIEW OF PHYSIC. 39 A palliative that deserves to be dreaded by patients even more than the last is Digitalis purpurea; this was hitherto the pride of the old school when the too rapid and excited pulse, in chronic diseases, was to be compelled (in true symptomatic fashion) to beat more slowly. Although it is truly astonishing how this powerful remedy, by its enantiopathic effect, quiets the rapid, ex- cited pulse, and how it diminishes the pulsation of the arteries in a marked degree, for a few hours after the first dose ; yet soon the pulse will become rapid again. Now the dose is increased, that it may once more reduce its velocity a little, and it is reduced accordingly, but only for a shorter period than before, and so on, until the last and highest palliative doses cease to have any effect, and the pulse, no longer able to resist the after-effects of the fox- glove, now becomes far more frequent than it was previous to the use of that herb; its beats can be counted no longer; sleep, appetite, and strength vanish, and — the patient pays the cost with his life; none will escape; death, or hopeless insanity[27] is the inevitable result. This was the treatment of the allopathic physician. But the patients were obliged to conform to this deplorable necessity, be- cause they fared no better at the hands of others of the same school, who had derived their knowledge from the same decep- tive books. The fundamental cause of chronic diseases (non- venereal), to- gether with their remedies, remained unknown to those practi- tioners, vainly boasting of causal cures, and their diagnosis founded on the investigation into the genesis of the disease. How dared they attempt the eradication of that long list of chronic diseases with their indirect measures, their pernicious imi- tations of the irrational vital force in its spontaneous struggles for relief, never intended as a model for the treatment of diseases ? Mistaking the imaginary character of the disease for the cause, they directed their radical curative measures against cramp, in- flammation (plethora), fever, general and partial debility, mucus, putrefaction, infarctions, etc., all of which they thought them- 40 INTRODUCTION". selves able to remove by means of their (superficially known; antagonistic remedies, such as antispasmodics, antiphlogistics, tonics, stimulants, antiseptics, solvents, percutients, derivatives, and evacuants.[28] Curative drugs, however, can never be found if searched for under the guidance of such general indications, especially in the common Materia Medica of the old school, based, as I have shown elsewhere, [2D] mostly upon conjectures and false conclu- sions, ab usu in morbis, and mingled with falsehood and deceit. With an equal degree of recklessness they waged war against still more hypothetical so-called indications, such as deficiency or surplus of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon or hydrogen in the juices; or against increased or diminished susceptibility of the sensitive sphere, or of reproduction ; against arterial, venous, and capillary engorgement, asthenia, etc., without due knowledge of the means of cure applicable to so fanciful an object. This was mere os- tentation; treatment to be sure, but not for the benefit of the patient. The last vestige of the apparent propriety of that kind of treatment was destroyed by the ancient custom, now even made obligatory, of compounding drugs inform of a recipe. The true action of these medicinal substances, ever and unexceptional ly varying from each other in effect, was almost entirely unknown. In preparing a recipe, some drug (unknown as to the scope of its pathogenetic effects) is placed at the head of the list, as principal remedy (basis), in order to conquer what the physician consider- as the principal character of the disease; then one or more remedies (equally unknown as to the scope of their effects) are added either for the purpose of removing certain accessory indications, or by way of assistance to the rest (adjuvantia) ; finally, a third suit- stance (the limits of whose action are equally unknown) is in- troduced, in order to correct the effect of the others (corrigt whereupon the whole is mixed (decocted, extracted! ; or, perhaps, put in shape, combined with a medicated syrup of different quality, or distilled medicated water; all this is done under the impression, that each of these component parts (ingredients) would fulfil in the body of the patient the duty assigned to it in the imagination of the prescribe!', without being disturbed or A REVIEW OF PHYSIC. 41 confused by the other things in the mixture, as should reasona- bly be expected. One of these ingredients must partially or wholly cancel the effect of the other, or impart to it or to the remainder a different, unexpected mode of action and direction, thus making it impossible to obtain the desired effect. The result was frequently of a kind which neither was nor could have been anticipated from one of these inexplicably enigmatic mixtures; it appeared in the form of a new modification of disease, fre- quently obscured by the tumult of morbid symptoms, but finally assuming a permanent form under the prolonged use of the recipe. The result, then, is an additional artificial disease, com- plicated with the original one, an aggravation of the original malady. Or, supposing the recipe had not been frequently re- peated, but to have been exchanged for one or more new pre- scriptions of other ingredients, in quick succession, a greater sinking of strength would, at least, have ensued ; because the prescribed remedies neither had, nor were intended to have, any direct pathological relation to the original disease; they only uselessly and perniciously attacked the parts least affected by the disease. To witness the unreasonable process of mixing in one formula several drugs, even if the effect of each upon the human body had been well known (the writer of a recipe frequently does not know even the thousandth part of this effect), to mix a variety of such ingredients, several of which are themselves of a mani- fold, composite kind, and whose individual and special effect is scarcely known, but always different from that of the rest, and then, to see such an incomprehensible mixture administered to the patient in large and frequent doses, all in the vain hope of establishing a certain designed curative effect — such, I sav, must arouse indignation in the mind of every thinking and un- biassed[30] observer. The result is, of course, contrary to any definite expectation. Although changes and effects do occur, they are badly adapted to the purpose, hurtful, and pernicious. Who would apply the name of cure to this blundering inter- ference with a diseased human body? A cure may be expected only through the aid of the remnant 42 INTRODUCTION. of vitality led into the right path of activity by an appropriate remedy, but never by an artificial, debilitating process, pushed to the verge of endurance. And yet, the old school knows no other way to manage inveterate disorders, than to 1 ».labor the patient with all sorts of tormenting, debilitating, and even fatal remedies. Can that school save while it destroys? Does this practice deserve any other name than that of a pernicious art (Unheilkunst)? It acts, lege artis, as contrary to this purpose as possible, and perforins (it almost seems as if by design) aXXola, that is, the opposite of what it should perform. Does this merit our praise? Shall we endure this longer? In modern times old physic finally has overstepped all bounds in its cruelty and impropriety of action towards suffering fellow- men, as every impartial observer must admit, and as physicians ofthat school itself (such as Krüger-Hansen), prompted by con- science, were obliged to acknowledge to the world. It was high time that the allwise Creator and Benefactor of mankind commanded these horrors to cease, set a limit to these tortures, and called into existence a healing art which, as the opposite of the former, should save the strength of the patient as much as possible, and restore his health directly, quickly, and permanently, by means of mild and few remedies which should have been previously well considered and thoroughly proved according to their effect, and administered in the finest doses, according to the only natural law of cure: similia similibus curantur; without wasting the vital force and substance by emetics, protracted sweeping out of the bowels, warm baths, sudorifics or salivation ; without shedding the heart's blood, and without weakening and torturing by painful revulsives ; without burdening the sufferer to the verge of incurability with new chronic drug diseases, by assiduously urging the use of wrong debilitating medicines of qualities unknown to the prescriber ; without the abuse of violent palliative-, according to the motto: contraria eontrariis, thus placing the horse behind the cart, after the fashion of merciless routine that leads the way to the grave instead of recovery. Jt was high time that Cod mercifully per- mitted homoeopathy to be discovered. A REVIEW OF PHYSIC. 43 Through observation, thought, and experience, I learned that contrary to old allopathy, the best way to cure is to be found by following the proposition : In order to cure gently, quickly, un- failingly, a)id permanently, select for every ease of disease a medi- cine, capable of calling forth by itself an affection similar (Spowv Tzdd'oq) to that which it is intended to cure ! Hitherto none taught this homoeopathic method of cure, no one put it in practice. But if the truth is contained alone in this process, as others will observe like myself, then we must ex- pect to discover[31] its actual traces in all past ages, although it was not acknowledged for thousands of years. And such is actually the case. In all ages those sufferers who were really cured rapidly, permanently, and visibly through medi- cines, were cured alone (though without the knowledge of the physician) by a (homoeopathic) remedy, possessing the power of producing by itself a similar morbid condition, provided these patients did not, perchance, recover through the agency of some other beneficial circumstance, or through spontaneous termination of the disease, or in the length of time by virtue of their physi- cal power of endurance, tried under allopathic, antagonistic treat- ment; for a direct cure differs widely from recovery gained by an indirect course. Even those actual cures produced, however rarely, by a variety of compounded drugs, will be found to result from the predominant remedy which was of homoeopathic nature. A still more striking proof may be seen in those instances where physicians had, contrary to custom (hitherto admitting only medicinal mixtures in the form of recipes), now and then effected a speedy cure by means of a simple drug. There we may see with astonishment that the result was always due to a medi- cine capable of producing by itself an affection similar to the dis- ease in which it was used, although the physicians themselves did not know what they did, laboring under a spell of forgetful- ness of the opposite doctrines of their school. They prescribed a remedy, the exact opposite of which they should have used according to the rules of their customary therapeutics; but in this manner oiüy were the patients cured quickly. [32] 44 INTRODUCTION. Without counting those cases where popular empiricism (not their own inveutiveness) had furnished physicians with specific remedies for diseases of unvarying character, enabling them to cure in a direct manner — for instance, venereal chancre-disease with quicksilver; disease resulting from contusions, by arnica; intermittent fevers of marshy districts, by Peruvian hark; recent cases of itch, by flowers of sulphur, etc. — without counting these instances, we find that all other modes of treatment used by old- school physicians in chronic diseases, are, without exception, merely pernicious and debilitating tortures, aggravating the sufferings of the patient. Such are the measures practiced with an air of superiority, and at a ruinous expense to the patient. Sometimes accidental experience would lead them to homoeo- pathic treatment, [33] but still they did not recognize the law of nature, according to which such cures were and must be brought about. It is, therefore, of extreme importance for the welfare of man- kind, to seek out the causes of these rare and hh/Jitji salutary cures. The disclosures made with regard to them are of the highest sig- nificance. Such cures never were effected by other means than by homoeopathic remedies, possessing the power of producing a disease similar to that which was to be cured. Such curative re- sults were speedily and permanently produced by medicines that fell, as by accident, into the hands of medical prescribers, who used them in violation of customary systems and therapeutics (often without really knowing what they did, and why), but who unintentionally established the actual existence of a natural law of cure, that is of homoeopathy, which had hitherto been left un- discovered in the past ages of medicine, blinded by prejudices, notwithstanding numerous facts and indications pointing in that direction. Even in the domestic practice of non-professional classes of people, gifted with sound sense and the faculty of observation, thi- mode of healing has been found by manifold experience to be the most safe, thorough, and reliable. Recently frozen limbs are covered with frozen sauerkraut or rubbed with snow.[34] An experienced cook holds his scalded hand at a small dis- A REVIEW OF PHYSIC. 45 tance from the fire, without heeding the primary aggravation of the pain, taught by experience that in a short time, often in a few minutes, he can restore the appearance of healthy, painless skin to the burnt spot.[35] Other sensible laymen, such as japanners, treat a burn with a remedy capable of exciting a similar burning sensation, e. g., strong and well-warmed alcohol, [36] or oil of turpentine,[37] thereby restoring the parts to health in the course of a few hours; well aware that cooling salves would not accomplish the same object in as many months, and that cold watcr[38] would in- crease the evil. The old and experienced reaper, without being addicted to the use of brandy, will never drink cold water (contraria contrariis) whenever he has become heated in the sun to a degree approach- ing high fever. Knowing the danger likely to follow such an at- tempt, he takes a small quantity of some heating fluid, a mouth- ful of brandy, for instance; experience, the teacher of truth, having convinced him of the advantage and efficacy of this homoeopathic measure by which heat, as well as fatigue, is speedily removed. [39] Indeed there have been physicians from time to time, who had 'presentiments that medicines, by their power of producing anal- ogous morbid symptoms, would cure analogous morbid condi- tions.^] The author of one of the books ascribed to Hippocrates, nepl tokwv twv -/jit av$()witov } [4l~\ has these remarkable words: 8iä zä 8/j.aia voutroq /'(Wrote xal dta rä <>>j..v>a I/, voaiovriov uyiaivovrai, Sea to ifiisiv s'-btik; -6W£:ra!.[-p2] The truth of homoeopathy has also been felt and expressed by physicians of later times. Thus, e. g., Boulduc recognizes the fact that the purging quality of rhubarb is the cause of its power to allay diarrhoea. Detharding conjectures[43] that colic in adults is mitigated by the infusion of senna, by virtue of its analogous effect of pro- ducing colic in the healthy. Bertholon[44] confesses that electricity deadens and annuls, in disease, pain very similar in kind to that produced by electricity. 46 INTRODUCTION. Thiury testifies that positive electricity, though in itself it ac- celerates the pulse, nevertheless retards it when accelerated by disease.[ 15] Von Stoerck[46] expresses the idea: "If the thorn-apple de- ranges the mind, and produces insanity in the healthy, might it not, by changing the current of ideas, restore soundness of mind to the insane?"' Stahl, a Danish military physician, has expressed his convic- tion on this subjecl most distinctly. He says: "The rule accepted in medicine to cure by contraries is entirely wrong (contraria con- trariis); he is convinced, on the contrary, that diseases vanish and are cured by means of medicines capable of producing a similar affection (similia similibus)." Thus burns are cured by approaching the fire; frozen limbs by the application of snow or very cold water; inflammation and contusions, by distilled spirits. In this manner he is in the habit of curing habitual acidity of the stomach most successfully by means of a very small dose of sulphuric acid, in cases where quantities of absorbing powders have been used in vain. So near had the great truth sometimes been approached ! But only a hasty thought was here and there bestowed upon it, and hence the indispensable reformation of the ancient way of treat- ing disease, the conversion of the traditional defective manner of treatment, into a genuine, true, and certain art of healing, remain unaccomplished to the present day. REMARKS EXPLANATORY NOTES TO THE REVIEW OF "PHYSIO," ETC. [1] It would have been much more in accordance with sound com- mon sense and the nature of the inquiry, if, for the purpose of treating a disease, they had sought for its primary cause as the causa morbi. In that case the method of cure which had proved efficacious in diseases produced by the same cause could have been successfully applied in all those of like origin, as, for instance, the same mercurial which is effec- tual in all venereal chancres is effectual also in any ulcer occurring on the glans penis after an impure connection. Had they discovered the primary cause of all other chronic (non-venereal) diseases to be a re- mote or recent infection by the itch-miasm (psora), and found for all these a common method of cure, one having due regard for the thera- peutics of every individual case, according to which each and all of these chronic diseases could have been treated, then might they have boasted justly of having rightly apprehended and assumed as the basis of cure of chronic diseases, the only true and fruitful causa morborum chronicorum (non-venerorum), and that they could treat these diseases with the best success. But, ignorant, of their origin from itch-miasm (first discovered by homoeopathy, and subsequently provided with an effectual method of cure) they have, for many centuries, failed in curing- all the countless chronic diseases. And yet they have boasted of aiming at the prima caws«, and of following the only rational method in their treatment, although they had not the remotest idea of the only availa- ble knowledge, that of the psoric origin of chronic diseases, all of which they bunglingly aggravated. [2] Every physician who treats according to such generalities, how- ever boldly he may assume the name of a homoeopathist, remains neither more nor less than a generalizing allopathist, since homoeopathy is absolutely inconceivable without the most precise individualization. [3] Now called homoeopathic. [4] " Wherever experience had taught us the curative power of ( 47 ) 48 REMARKS AND EXPLANATORY NOTES homoeopatlii<: medicines, whose mode of action could not be explained, they were straightway declared ti - : an utterly meaningless term, by which all further inquiry was lulled to sleep. But the homo- geneous or specific I homoeopathic I stimulants have long been proscribed as most pernicious agents." Rau, On ilie Homoeopathic Method of Cure. Heidelberg, L824, pp. 101-2. [5] Dr. Rau (Ueber d. Werth d. homoeop. Heilverfahrens. Heidel- berg, 1824, p. IT''., et seq.), though not fully initiated into homoeopathy at that time, was so thoroughly convinced of the dynamic origin of even these fevers, that he treated them by one or two minute doses ofhomoe. opathic medicine without the least resort to evacuants. lie relates two remarkable cases. [6] In case of a sudden derangement of the stomach, marked by constant and offensive eructations tasting of tainted fond, and usu- ally accompanied by depression of spirits, cold hands and feet, the efforts of the ordinary practitioner have been directed altogether against the vitiated contents of the stomach, using active emetics to effect their complete expulsion. This end has been usually gained by tartar tin; tie with or without ipecac. But will the patieut be found well and cheerful immediately afterwards ? By no means. Commonly such gastric disturbances are of dynamic oriyin, and are called forth by disturbing emotions (grief, fright, vexation) immediately after even a moderate meal. These two drugs are neither suited to the purpose of subduing this dynamic derangement, nor the revulsive eniesis to which it gives rise. But, by producing their peculiar morbific symp- toms, they will have aggravated the patient's condition, and the secre- tion of bile will have been derang» d, so that he will find himself suffer- ing for several days from the effects of this pretended causal cure, not- withstanding the violent and complete emptying of the contents of the stomach. But, if in place of using such powerful and injurious evacu- ants. the patient will apply but cine, by olfaction, the highly diluted juice of Pulsatilla (smelling of a globule no larger than a mustard-seed, moistened with tin' same it will relieve the derangement of his condi- tion in general, and that of his stomach in particular, and restore him in two hours. Should eructations still occur subsequently they will be only of tast< l< ss and odorless gas ; the contents of the stomach will no longer be vitiated, his usual appetite will make its appearance with the return of the next meal, and he is well and cheerful. This is a real causal cure ; the other imaginary one is only a pernicious strain upon the patient's constitution. The stomach, even if surcharged with indigestible food, scarcely ever requires a medicinal emetic. Nature possesses the best means of throw- ing off any superfluities by means of nausea, loathing, and even vomit- TO THE REVIEW OF PHYSIC. 49 ing, perhaps with the assistance of mechanical measures, such as tick- ling the palate and fauces, thereby avoiding all the incidental effects of medicinal emetics ; any remaining particles in the stomach will be assisted in passing downwards by a little decoction of coffee. Supposing, however, that after overloading the stomach, its power of reaction were insufficient to produce vomiting, while, at the same time, the inclination to vomit had become extinct in consequence of ex- cessive pain in the epigastrium, such an emetic would be followed by ;i dangerous or even fatal inflammation of the bowels, if administered during this paralyzed condition of the stomach. While a small quan- tity of strong coffee, frequently repeated, would have been sufficient to elevate dynamically the depressed susceptibility of the stomach, and to have enabled it to discharge without other aid, its superabundant contents by the mouth or rectum. Here the so-called causal cure is out of place. In chronic diseases when accompanied by regurgitation of acrid gas- tric juice, the latter is forcibly and painfully removed by emetics, only to be replaced the next or the following days by gastric juice quite as acrid and even more abundant than the former. This would subside of its own accord, provided its dynamic cause were curatively annulled by a small dose of highly diluted sulphuric acid, or, if the acidity were of frequent occurrence, by the use of some other antipsoric remedy, corresponding to the rest of the symptoms. Of such pretended causal cures there are many in the old school, whose favorite occupation it is to clear out the material product of dynamic derangements by means of cumbersome and deleterious measures, without recognizing the dy- namic source of the disorder, and without curing it rationally and homceopathically together with its products. [7] Conditions which are dependent entirely upon psora, and easily cured by (dynamic) mild antipsoric remedies, without purging or vom- iting. [8] Notwithstanding that all hemorrhages depend upon a dynamic alteration of vital force of health, the old school takes superabun- dance of blood to be their cause, and cannot refrain from venesec- tions for the sake of getting rid of this supposed redundancy of vital juices. Afterwards the very evident and evil results, the depression of strength as well as the tendency or the actual transition into a typhoid state, is saddled upon the virulence of the disease, which that school too often finds itself unable to cope with. In fact, it persuades itself that it had performed a cure, according to the motto "causam tolle,'''' even if the patient does not recover, and in its way of speaking, all that was possible had been done for the patient whatever the result might be. 4 50 REMARKS AND EXPLANATORY NOTES [9] Regardless of the probability that the human body has never contained one drop of blood too much, the old school regards a so-called plethoric condition as the material and chief cause of all haemor- rhages and inflammations, to be counteracted and removed by ven- tions and leeches. That is called rational treatment and causal cure. In general inflammatory fevers, and in acute pleurisy, physi- cians of the old school go so far as to call the coagulable lymph of the blood, the so-called bully coat, the materia peecans, which they try to expel by repeated bloodlettings, notwithstanding its frequent reap- pearance with increased tenacity and firmness under renewed abstrac- tion of blood. Thus blood is often shed until death is close at hand, if the inflammatory fever will not subside, in order to remove this bully coat or supposed plethora. It never occurs to them that the inflamed blood is only the product of acute fever, i. e., of the morbid, immate- rial (dynamic) irritation, and that the latter is the sole cause of this great tumult in the arterial system, so easily subdued by the smallest dose of a homogeneous (homoeopathic) remedy, for instance, by one small globule moistened with the decillionth dilution of aconite, at the same time avoiding vegetable acids, so that the most vioh ret pU uritic fever, with all its threatening complications, is converted into health. andcured in twenty-four hours at most, without bloodletting or any cool- ing medicines. (A specimen of the patient's blood, taken from a vein, will no longer show a trace of buffiness.) While a patient afflicted with the same disease treated according to the " rational methods : ' of the old school, if, indeed, he escapes death for the present, after re- peated bloodletting and unspeakable misery, will have to linger for many a sickly month, before his emaciated frame gains strength enough to stand erect, having narrowly escaped death from typhoid lever, leucophlegmasia, or suppurative disease of the lungs, the fre- quent consequence of such maltreatment. lie who has ever felt the pulse of a man an hour before the onset of the chills which always precede an attack of acute pleurisy, will be surprised when, two hours later, after the onset of the hot stage, he is to be persuaded of the necessity of resisting the present enormous plethora by frequent bloodletting, and he wonders by what miracl many pounds of blood, now to lie poured out, may have entered the patient's bloodvessels, felt quietly pulsating only two hours ago. Xot one drachm more of blood can now roll through those than they contained in times of health, or two hours earlier. An allopathist, therefore, does not rid the fever-patient of a noxious superabundance of blood (which can never have existed), but robs him of his normal quantity of blood, necessary to life and recovery, and hence of strength — an enormous loss never to be repaired by medi- cal aid. Iu the face of all this, these practitioners persist in the delusion of having acted in harmony with this (ill-conceived) motto, causam TO THE REVIEW OF PHYSIC. 51 tolle, while in this case the cause of disease could never have consisted in a superabundance of blood, a thing without existence ; here, on the contrary, the only true cause of disease was a morbid, dynamic inflam- matory irritation of the vascular system, as has been and will be proved in every case of the kind, by the rapid and permanent cure effected as above related, by one or two incredibly fine and minute doses of aconite, possessing the power of homceopathically allaying such an irri- tation. In a similar manner the old school misses its mark in its treatment of local inflammations by local depletion, particularly by the applica- tion of countless leeches, after the rash manner now inaugurated by Broussais. The palliative relief, primarily observed, is by no means crowned by a rapid and complete cure, because the ever remaining weakness and frailty of the part (often also the entire body) so treated, bears sufficient evidence that local inflammation was erroneously at- tributed to local plethora, and that the results of such local depletion are deplorable ; for this virtually dynamic but apparently local inflam- matory agency can be cancelled and cured by an equally fine dose of aconite, or the entire disorder may, if circumstances point that way, be permanently relieved by belladonna, without this wanton shedding of blood. [10] Life was endangered when some pure water was injected into a vein (see Mullen, in Birch, History of Eoyal Society, vol. iv). Atmospheric air injected into the bloodvessels proved fatal (see J. H. Voigt, Magazine für den neuesten Zustand der Naturkunde, I, III, p. 25). [11] A girl, eight years of age, in Glasgow, bitten by a rabid dog, had the in, mid immediately and thoroughly excised by the surgeon, but nevertheless had hydrophobia thirty-six days afterwards, and died in two days. (Med. Comment, on Edin'o., Dec. ii, vol. ii, 1793.) [12] In order to explain the origin of the large quantity of pu- trid matter and offensive ichor of sores, often observed in diseases, and in order to declare these appearances to be the exciting and maintaining matters of disease (notwithstanding the invisibility of miasms, or the impossible penetration of material substance into the body during infection), it was hypothetically asserted that the conta- gious matter, even if extremely fine, acted in the body like a ferment ; that it vitiated the juices, changing them into a morbid fermenl of its own kind, and maintaining the disease by virtue of its rank growth during the morbid process. What potent and ingeniously concocted purifying draughts could effect the elimination and separation from the human body of this incoustant process of reproduction, this mass of 52 REMARKS AND EXPLANATORY NOTES so-called morbific matter, without leaving a vestige behind that might not, according to thai hypothesis, again and again deteriorate and transform the juices into new morbific matters? lu that case il were impossible to cure these diseases according to your method. Il becomes evident that every hypothesis, no matter how skilfully worded, will lead to tie.' most palpable inconsistencies, when it is not founded on truth. Syphilis of the most inveterate kind, if liberated from its fre- queiu complication with psora, will be cured by means of one or two very minute doses of the d ;cillionth dilution mid potency of dissolvi d metallic quicksilver, after which the general syphilitic deterioration of the juices will be found to have been forever (dynamically.) annihilated and dispelled. [13] In that case every cold in the head, even the most protract d, must be invariably and speedily cured by careful blowing and cleans- ing of the nose. [14] The expulsion of worms in so-called worm diseases has an ap- pearance of necessity. But this appearance also is deceptive. Some lumbrical worms are perhaps to be found in many children, while t'.ie threadworm may be said to infest many others. But all of tin se, as well as a superabundance of one kind or another, invariably lit from a general state of unhealthfness (psoric), combined with an improper mode of living. By improving the latter, and curing the psoric disease homeeopathically, which is most easily accomplished during the period of childhood, no more worms will remain, and c dren cured in this manner will no longer be tormented by them, while they are rapidly reproduced in great numbers after the use of mere purgatives, even if these are compounded with wormseed (semen cina3). "But what of the tapeworm ?" I hear them say; "must not this monstrous plague of mankind he expelled with all available force ?" Indeed, it is sometimes driven out, but not without much subsequent pain and danger to life. I would not burden my conscience with the death of so many hundreds of fellow-men, whose lives have been sacri- ficed by tin' use of the most debilitating, dreadful purgatives intended for the tapeworm ; neither would I be guilty of the protracted illm ss of those who escaped death by purgation. Though continued for years, how seldom this purgative treatment, so destructive to health and life, attains its object, or if it succeed, does not the tapeworm as frequently reproduce itself ? What, if this forcible and often cruel and fatal method of expelling or killing tins,' parasites were unnecessary V The various species of tapeworm are only found in cases of psoric disease, and always disappear wheu that is cured. But before such TO THE REVIEW OF PIIYSIC. 53 euro can be accomplished, and during a period of comparative health, they do not inhabit the intestines proper, but rather the remnants of food and fecal matter contained therein, living quietly as in a world of their own, without causing the least inconvenience, finding their sus- tenance in the contents of the bowels. During this state they do not come in contact with the intestinal walls and remain harmless. But when from any cause a person is attacked by an acute disease, the con- tents of the bowels become offensive to the parasite, which, in its writh- ing and distress, touches and irritates the sensitive intestinal lining, thus increasing the complaints of the patient considerably by a par- ticular kind of cramplike colic. (In a similar manner the foetus in the womb becomes restless, twists its body, and moves whenever the mother is sick, but floats quietly in the liquor amnii, without distressing the mother, while she is well.) It should be remarked, that the symptoms of a patient suffering from the above symptoms, are mostly of a kind that may be speedily (homoeopathic-ally) quieted by the most minute dose of the tincture of the root of the male fern, since the morbid condition of the patient, causing the disquietude of the parasite, is temporarily arrested by the. remedy ; the tapeworm is then quieted, and continues to live in the in- testinal contents, without seriously disturbing the patient or his intes- tines, until the anfipsoric cure has reached a stage, at which the psora has been so far extinguished that the fecal contents of the bowels ce ise to meet the wants of the worm, which now spontaneously departs from the convalescent patient forever, and without the least resort to pur- gatives. [15] Instead of directly extinguishing the evil, quickly and without loss of strength and digression, by aiming homogeneous dynamic me- dicinal potencies at the diseased points of the organism, according to the usage of homoeopathy. [16] As if anything non-material could be eliminated by derivatives, directed against a material morbific substance, however subtile it is thought to be. [17] Only moderately acute diseases ai*e in the habit, so to say. of becoming neutralized (indifferenziren), and to terminate quietly with and without the application of the milder allopathic remedies. The vital power having rallied its strength, once more begins its normal sway where health has been disturbed by the storm of disease. But in the highly acute and in by far the most numerous affections of man, the chronic diseases, untutored nature, and the old school will be un- successful. There neither the vital force with its healing power, nor allopathy will effect a resolution ; a truce perhaps may be the result, 54 REMARKS AND EXPLANATORY NOTES giving the enemy time to rally his forces, and sooner or later to renew the assault with increased vigor. [18] An expression betraying the presupposition and intention of expelling and dissolving Borne morbific substance. [19] In ordinary practice it was customary to regard the cure of diseases by the spontaneous efforts of the nature of the organism, where no medicine was used, as model eures, worthy of imitation, lint it teas a great error. The lamentable and very imperfect attempts of vitality at self-redress in acute dis< ases, presents a spectacle calling for the exercise of compassion as well as of all the powers of our in- telligent mind, in order to put an end to this sell-torture by an actual, real eure. When a disease already present in theorganism cannot be cured homoeopathically by the power of nature applying another new, similar disease (§43-46), an opportunity rarely afforded (§50), and when the organism is lei! to its resources to conquer disease by its own strength and without external aid, its resistance being impotent in chronic miasms, we observe that these painful and often dangerous efforts of nature, instituted for the sake of relief at any price, fre- quently terminate by death this earthly existence. As Utile as we mortals understand the economy of healthy life, ami as surely as it must ever remain hidden from us, though plain to the all-seeing eye of the Creator and susta'mer of his creatures, so impos- sible it will ever be for us to understand the internal processes of dis- turbed lite in diseases. The internal process of diseases is only mani- fested by those observable changes, complaints, and symptoms, through which alone life expresses its inner disturbances ; so that in every given case we uiibl remain unable to determine which of the morbid symp- toms are primary effects of the morbific agency (Schädlichkeit), or winch are to be considered as the reaction of vital force in its sponta- neous curative efforts. Both are seen to coalesce, and merely represent an outwardly reflected image of the totality of the inward disease, since the fruitless efforts of life, left to its own resources in terminating the disease, are themselves the disease of the entire organism. Conse- quently, more suffering than beneficent relief, often follows those evacu- ations called crises, commonly occurring toward the end of acute dis- eases. Whatever the vital force produces in these crises, and how it is produced, will remain obscure, like all other inner processes of the or- ganic economy of life. It is certain, however, that in all its exertions, the vital force sacrifices and destroys a greater or less proportion oj affected parts, in order to save the rest. This power of self-limitation possessed by the vital force, proceeding in accordance with the organic arrangemenl of the body, and not with deliberation of reason in over- coming an acute disease, is mostly a kind of allopathy. In order to TO THE REVIEW OF PHYSIC. 55 relieve the primarily «affected parts by a crisis, it frequently creates an increased and even tempestuous activity in the organs of secretion, for the purpose of transferring the disease from the former to the latter ; the sequel is seen in the appearance of emesis, diarrhoea, flow of urine, perspiration, abscesses, etc., by which excitation of remote structures it is intended to establish a kind of derivation from originally morbid parts, because, under such circumstances, the nervous force dynamically excited, apparently strives to relieve its tension by the formation of material products. It is only by the destruction and sacrifice of the system, that nature unassisted is enabled to rally from acute diseases, or slowly and imper- fectly to re-esiablish health and harmony of life if death does not fore- stall her efforts. After spontaneous recoveries, all this is pointed out by the great weakness and emaciation of the entire body, or of the parts having been affected by disease. In a word, the whole process set up by the organism, in its self-limi- tation of diseases, exhibits to the observer nothing but suffering, and nothing that he could or should imitate if he truly exercises the art of healing. [20] Daily experience shows the deplorable result obtained by this manoeuvre in chronic diseases. A cure is most rarely the result. But who would call it a victory, when instead of attacking the enemy face to face, weapon to weapon, in order to destroy him and end with one blow his hostile incursions, he finds his cities sacked, his supplies cut off, his sustenance consumed, and everything devastated by fire and sword around him ; by such measures the enemy may be obliged to give up in despair, but the object is not gained, the enemy is not crushed ; he is still in the field, and when he has again obtained forage and supplies, he will lift his head with fiercer threats of vengeance ; the enemy, I say, is by no means crushed, but the poor innocent country is so far ruined, that even time will scarcely restore its former condition. Such is allopathy in chronic diseases when it destroys the organism, without curing the disease, by its indirect attacks upon in- nocent parts, remote from the seat of disease. Such are its non-benefi- cent artifices ! [•21] What good result was obtained by the frequent use of those artificial and offensive ulcers called fontanels ? During the first few weeks, they really may have seemed slightly to check a chronic dis- order by means of their antagonism, and as long as they continued to be painful, but as soon as the body had learned to bear them, they have never failed to weaken the patient, thereby increasing the range of the active chronic evil. It seems incredible that in the nineteenth cen- 56 REMARKS AND EXPLANATORY XOTES tury it is thought possible that an opening could be made by such means for the escape of the matt ria ■ "cans. [22] Neither was a cure ever achieved by artificial evacuations. [23] Such were the natural consequences of suppressing those local symptoms, consequences often represented by the allopathic physician as new and different disea [24] Quite contrary to this method, the old school frequently ven- tures upon a directly opposite course, thus, by its repercussions and repellants, it would suppress at pleasure the efforts of vitality to relieve an inner disease, or troublesome local symptoms appearing on the sur- face of the body, by evacuants; it did not hesitate to treat chronic (tains, sleeplessness, and inveterate diarrhoea with the most reckless doses of opium ; or to suppress vomiting with effervescent saline mix- tures, offensive perspiration of the feet by cold foot-baths, or prepara- tions of lead or zinc ; to counteract uterine haemorrhage by injections of vinegar; colliquative sweats by alum whey; nocturnal seminal emissions by excessive use of camphor ; frequent flushes of heat over the face or body by saltpetre, vegetable or sulphuric acid : to arrest nosebleed by closing the nares with plugs saturated with alcohol or astringent fluids, and to dry up with oxide of lead or zinc ichorous ulcers of the extremities, called forth by vital reaction to mitigate grave internal disease, etc. ; but manifold experiences prove the lamentable consequences of such treatment. By word and pen the old school practitioner boasts of being a ra- tional physician, seeking for the cause of disease in order always to perforin radical cures; but it is plain that his treatment is directed against a single symptom, always to the injury of the patient. [25] A process termed enantiopathic with much propriety, to which allusion will be made in the text of the Organon (}. 59). [26] Deafness was relieved only for a few hours by moderate shocks of the voltaic battery in the hands of the apothecary in fevers, but these soon ceased to be effective. In order to obtain other results, he was obliged to increase the power of the shocks until these too were unavailing. The strongest shocks at first improved the patient's hear- in-- for a short time, hut finally resulted in complete deaf. [■27] Notwithstanding all this. Hufeland, the representative of the old school, exultingl} 1 praises these effects of digitalis (.v. Homoeopathie, TO THE REVIEW OF PHYSIC. 57 p. 22), in the following words, u ~No one can deny that violent excite- ment of circulation may be reduced by means of digitalis." An asser- tion entirely unsupported by experience. [28] Supported in vain by Hufeland, in his pamphlet (Die Homoeo- pathic, p. 20), for the sake of his inefficient practice (Unkunst). Since allopathy, during twenty-five hundred years of its existence, remained ignorant of the source of most chronic diseases (psora), before the appearance of my book (The Chronic Diseases), it became necessary to invent a false explanation of the origin (genesis) of chronic disorders. [29] Quellen der Bisherigen»Materia Medica. Sources of the old Ma- teria Medica preceding the third part of the " Pure Materia Medica." [30] The absurdity of these drug mixtures has been recognized even by men of the prevailing school, although they followed this change- less routine in their own practice, and contrary to their own con- viction. Thus Marcus Herz (in lluf eland's Journ. der Pract., Arzt. ii, p. 33), expresses his conscientious scruples in the following words : "When we wish to relieve an inflammation, we do not use saltpetre, ammonia, or vegetable acids alone, but we often mix several, and fre- quently too many so-called antiphlogistic remedies together, or allow them to be used in rapid succession. When it becomes necessary to counteract putrefaction, we are not satisfied with the use of one well- known antiseptic, such as cinchona bark, mineral acids, arnica, or snake-root administered in large quantity, and to await the result ; but we prefer to compound several of these drugs, and to count upon their united action ; or from ignorance of the efficacy of any single drug in a given case, we huddle a variety of things together, and trust that by chance one of them may have the desired etfect . Thus one remedy seldom is used to promote perspiration, to improve the blood ('?), to liquefy ac- cumulations (?), to produce expectoration or evacuation of the intes- tines ; for. such purposes our prescriptions are always complicated, never simple and pure, and consequently we arrive at no definite or pre- cise experiences regarding the effects of the individual ingredients of these prescriptions. We have, nevertheless, arranged our remedies methodi- cally according to their rank, and call that drug to which we ascribe the main action basis; we designate the rest as adjuvants, corrigents, etc. This classification is obviously an arbitrary one. Adjuvants take part in the total effect as well as the principal ingredient, although we have no means of determining the degree of their action ; nor is the influence exercised by the corrigens upon the other drugs, a matter of indifference, since it must increase or decrease their action or give it another direction. We are therefore always bound to regard a cura- 58 REMARKS AND EXPLANATORY NOTES tive (?) effect wrought by such a formula as the collective result of all Its ingredients ; nor can we obtain a clear idea of tin separate action of each individual ingredient. Infact, our insight into thai condition which determines an essential knowledgi of all our remedies, as well as our 1cnowledg< of tin manifold relationships into which they enter when mixed together, isfar too imperfectto allow us to determine tin magnitudi and variety of tin effects of a drug, however insignificant it may appear if in- troduced into tin human body combined with other substances. [31] For truth is of the same eternal origin as the omniscient and beneficent Divinity. Men may leave it long unheeded until its rays of light penetrate with irresistible force the mist of prejudices, likvthe dawn of approaching day. that shall shine brightly and forever for the welfare of mankind. [32] Examples of this kind may be found in the preceding editions of the Organon ofthi Healing Art. [33] It was I he usual practice to attempt to promote arrested cuta- neous excretions, by prescribing an infusion of eider flowers, to be drank during the chills of a fever occasioned by exposure. This in- fusion by virtue of its similarity of action (homoeopathic), may cure the fever, and restore the patient quickly, and much more successfully without perspiration if taken by itself. Hard and acute swellings, the excessive and painful inflammation of which prevents transition into suppuration, were usually covered by repeated hot poultices, and lie- hold, inflammation and pain were speedily diminished by the forma- tion of the abscess, indicated by a yellowish shining prominence and fluctuation. The hardness was then supposed to have been softened b) the moisture of the poult ire. while actually the higher temperature of the latter had relieved homoeopathic-ally the excess of inflammation, thus facilitating the formation of the abscess. Why is the red oxide of mercury, which is known to produce inflammation of the eyes, em- ployed with benefit in some kinds of ophthalmia, in the form of St. Yves salve V Is it so difficult to recognize the homoeopathic nature of this process V Or. why should a little juice of parsley bring instantaneous relief in cases of si rangury, common among young children, or in cases of clap, chiefly marked by frequent and ineffectual efforts to urinate. if this freshly prepared juice did not produce by itself, in healthy per- sons, that painful and ineffectual straining, which proves the homoeo- pathic nature of its curative effect. Pimpernel root, increasing the mucous secretion of the air-passages and fauces, was effectually used in curing the so-called mucous cramp (bronchial catarrh). The leaves of the Sabina, themselves capable of producing uterine TO THE REVIEW OF PHYSIC. 59 haemorrhage, were used successfully in such cases, without, however, leading to the recognition of the homoeopathic law of cure. In cases of strangulated hernia and ileus, many physicians found a superior and reliable remedy in small doses of opium, which has the property of checking intestinal evacuations; notwithstanding this circumstance, they did not perceive the operation of the homoeopathic law in such cases. They cured non-venereal ulcers of the throat with small doses of mercury, homoeopathic to these cases ; they frequently checked diar- rhoea with small doses of cathartic rhubarb ; they cured hydrophobia with Belladonna, capable of producing a similar affection, and removed as if by magic the dangerous comatose condition of inflammatory fevers with a small dose of opium, known to be heating and stupefying. And yet they vituperate homoeopathy, and persecute it with a degree of wrath that can only be excited in an incorrigible heart by the ad- monitions of an evil conscience. [34] From these examples, derived from domestic practice, Mr. M. Lux has constructed his so-called curative method according to equals and Idem, called by him Isopathy, which some eccentric minds have already declared as the non plus ultra of curative methods, without knowing how it could be realized. If these examples are carefully considered, the matter will appear in a very different light. The purely physical forces are of different nature from dynamic me- dicinal powers in their effect upon the living organism. The degree of warmth or cold of the surrounding atmosphere, of water, or of food and drink, do not (considered as warmth or cold) per se, condition an absolute hurtfulness for the healthy body ; warmth and cold in their changes are necessary for the maintenance of health, consequently they are not medicines per se ; warmth and cold there- fore applied to bodily affections do not act as remedial agents by virtue of their nature (not as warmth and cold considered as hurtful things, p>er se, in the manner of drugs, like rhubarb, bark, etc., even if re- duced to the finest doses), but only by virtue of their greater or smaller quantity, i. e., according to the degree of their temperature ; thus (to use an example of mere physical forces), a large leaden weight would press the hand painfully, not by virtue of its being lead, but by means of its quantity and heaviness in a mass, while a thin leaden plate would cause no suffering. If warmth and cold therefore are beneficial in burns and freezing, they are so on account of their degree of temperature, in the same manner as their extremes of temperature are obnoxious to the healthy body. Accordingly we find that, in these examples of domestic practice. the frozen limb is not restored by the continued degree of cold applied 60 REMARKS AND EXPLANATORY NOTES to it (because that would have benumbed and killed it)j bui itisbya degree of cold (homoeopatby) which is gradually reduced to a comfort- able temperature approaching that of the limb. Thus, frozen cabbage applied to the frozen hand in the temperature of the room will soon melt, and by gradually rising (Vom a temperature of + 1 to 2, and so on to thai of the mi im, say ; It» , becoming gradually wanner, will thus re- store the limb homceopathically. Neither is a hand scalded by boiling water, restored according to the principle o\' isopathy by the application of boiling water, hut only by a lower degree of heat. For instance, if the hand is held in a vessel containing a fluid heated to 60 . this will grow cooler every minute, gradually assuming the temperature of the room; thus the burned part will have been cured homceopathically. The first cannot be drawn isopathically from potatoes or apples means of water, which is rapidly becoming ice, but only by water re- maining near the freezing-point. Thus, to use another illustration of physical effects: the suffering occasioned by a blow upon the forehead by some hard body (of a severe bruisei. is soon lessened by pressing the thumb hard upon the place for a while, gradually diminishing the pressure : this is homoeopathic relief; while an equally severe blow upon the sore place, with an equally hard body, would he isopathy ; but it would increase the evil. The same book contains further examples of isopathic (aires, such as muscular contractions in the human body and spinal paralysis in a dog, both caused by cold, and rapidly cured by cold bathing. This circumstance is erroneously explained as being the result of isopathy. Disorders resulting from cold have merely the name of colds, but are frequently occasioned in a predisposed person by a breath of wind which was not even cold. Neither can the various effects "fa cold bath upon the living body of well or sick persons, be embraced so com- pletely in one principle, that a system could so boldly be ai once built upon it. That snake-bites, as there stated, are positively cured by parts of snakes, would lie counted among the fables of bygone ages, until such improbable assertions have been established by undoubted observations and experiences, an event scarcely to he looked tor. Finally, it is said that the saliva of a rabid dog, given to a man (in Russia), raving with hydrophobia, cured him. It is tobe hoped that such assertions, founded on hearsay, will mislead no conscientious physician to imitate so dangerous an experiment, or to build upon it a so-called system of isopathy. as dangerous as ii is absurd in its ex- tended sense, notwithstanding the praises of eccentric enthusiasts (though not of the modest author of the pamphlet entitled, Isoj of Contagions, Leipsic, published by Kollmann), particularly Dr. (iross (Allr\ Horn. /.. ii. p. 72), who proclaims this isopathy [cequalia cequal- ibus) as the only true principle, while he considers similia similibus TO THE REVIEW OF PHYSK. 61 merely as makeshift. This is truly ungrateful, since he is indebted to sirnilia similibus for reputation and fortune. [35] Feruelius already (Therap., lib. vi, cap. 20) considered the ap- proximation of a burnt part to the fire as the appropriate remedy for the relief of pain. John Hunter (On the Blood, Inflammation, etc., p. 218) alludes to the great disadvantage of treating burns with cold water, and gives decided preference to the approximation of lire, not according to transmitted medical doctrines, demanding (contraria con- tra nis) cooling applications for inflammations, but in harmony with the experience, that a similar application of heat is more beneficial (sind I i>t ex- ji< i-'n need far great* r pain, requiring far more time for relief Hunt tin arm treated with turpi ntint . John Anderson Kentish. ]<,<-. cit. p. 43) treated a woman who had burned her face and arm with boiling fat. "The face, which was much burned and red. and very painful, was covered in a few minutes with oil of turpentine, hut she had voluntarily placed her arm in cold water, desiring to treat it in that way for a few hours. In seven hours her Tare already looked much better, and was relieved. She had often re- peated the applications of cold water to the arm, but when she omitted them she complained of much pain; in fact the inflammation was found to have increased. On the following morning I found that she had suffered much pain in the arm during the night : the inflammation extended above the elbow; various large blisters had opened, and thick crusts had formed upon the arm and hand, to which a warm poultice was now applied. But the face was completely painless ; the arm, on the contrary, had to be dressed for a fortnight with emollients, before it healed.' 1 Who would not recognize in these cases the great superiority of the (no- mceopathic) treatment, by remedies of similar . An unbiassed observer, though of unequalled sagacity, impressed with the futility of transcendental speculation unsupported by experience, observes in each individual disease only what is outwardly discernible through the senses, viz.. changes in the sensorial condi- tion (health) of body and soul — morbid signs <>r .