第9章

ThefollowinglistwastakenliterallyfromtheMateriaMedicaofHahnemann，bymyfriendM。Vernois，forwhoseaccuracyIamwillingtoberesponsible。Hehasgivensevenpagesofthesesymptoms，notselected，buttakenathazardfromtheFrenchtranslationofthework。Ishallbeverybriefinmycitations。

“Afterstoopingsometime，senseofpainfulweightabouttheheaduponresumingtheerectposture。“

“Anitching，ticklingsensationattheouteredgeofthepalmofthelefthand，whichobligesthepersontoscratch。“Themedicinewasacetateoflime，andastheactionoftheglobuletakenissaidtolasttwenty-eightdays，youmayjudgehowmanysuchsymptomsasthelastmightbesupposedtohappen。

Amongthesymptomsattributedtomuriaticacidarethese：acatarrh，sighing，pimples；“afterhavingwrittenalongtimewiththebackalittlebentover，violentpaininthebackandshoulder-blades，asiffromastrain，“——“dreamswhicharenotremembered，——dispositiontomentaldejection，——wakefulnessbeforeandaftermidnight。“

Imightextendthiscataloguealmostindefinitely。Ihavenotcitedthesespecimenswithanyviewtoexcitingasenseoftheridiculous，whichmanyothersofthosementionedwouldnotfailtodo，buttoshowthatthecommonaccidentsofsensation，thelittlebodilyinconveniencestowhichallofusaresubject，areseriouslyandsystematicallyascribedtowhatevermedicinemayhavebeenexhibited，evenintheminutedosesIhavementioned，wholedaysorweekspreviously。

Totheseareaddedallthesymptomseversaidbyanybody，whetherdeservingconfidenceornot，asIshallhereafterillustrate，tobeproducedbythesubstanceinquestion。

Theeffectsofsixty-fourmedicinalsubstances，ascertainedbyoneorbothofthesemethods，areenumeratedintheMateriaMedicaofHahnemann，whichmaybeconsideredasthebasisofpracticalHomoeopathy。IntheManualofJahr，whichisthecommonguide，sofarasIknow，ofthosewhopractiseHomoeopathyintheseregions，twohundredremediesareenumerated，manyofwhich，however，haveneverbeenemployedinpractice。Inatleastoneeditiontherewerenomeansofdistinguishingthosewhichhadbeentrieduponthesickfromtheothers。Itistruethatmarkshavebeenaddedintheeditionemployedhere，whichservetodistinguishthem；butwhatarewetothinkofastandardpracticalauthoronMateriaMedica，whoatonetimeomitstodesignatetheproperdosesofhisremedies，andatanothertoletushaveanymeansofknowingwhetheraremedyhaseverbeentriedornot，whileheisrecommendingitsemploymentinthemostcriticalandthreateningdiseases？

Ithinkthat，fromwhatIhaveshownofthecharacterofHahnemann’sexperiments，itwouldbeasatisfactiontoanycandidinquirertoknowwhetherotherpersons，towhoseassertionshecouldlookwithconfidence，confirmthesepretendedfacts。Nowtherearemanyindividuals，longandwellknowntothescientificworld，whohavetriedtheseexperimentsuponhealthysubjects，andutterlydenythattheireffectshaveatallcorrespondedtoHahnemann’sassertions。

Iwilltake，forinstance，thestatementsofAndral(andIamnotreferringtohiswell-knownpublicexperimentsinhishospitalastotheresultofhisowntrials。ThisdistinguishedphysicianisProfessorofMedicineintheSchoolofParis，andoneofthemostwidelyknownandvaluedauthorsuponpracticalandtheoreticalsubjectstheprofessioncanclaiminanycountry。Heisamanofgreatkindnessofcharacter，amostliberaleclecticbynatureandhabit，ofunquestionedintegrity，andiscalled，intheleadingarticleofthefirstnumberofthe“HomoepathicExaminer，““aneminentandveryenlightenedallopathist。“Assistedbyanumberofotherpersonsingoodhealth，heexperimentedontheeffectsofcinchona，aconite，sulphur，arnica，andtheothermosthighlyextolledremedies。Hisexperimentslastedayear，andhestatedpubliclytotheAcademyofMedicinethattheyneverproducedtheslightestappearanceofthesymptomsattributedtothem。Theresultsofamanlikethis，soextensivelyknownasoneofthemostphilosophicalandcandid，aswellasbrilliantofinstructors，andwhoseadmirableabilitiesandsignalliberalityaregenerallyconceded，oughttobeofgreatweightindecidingthequestion。

M。Double，awell-knownmedicalwriterandaphysicianofhighstandinginParis，hadoccasionsolongagoas1801，beforehehadheardofHomoeopathy，tomakeexperimentsuponCinchona，orPeruvianbark。Heandseveralotherstookthedrugineverykindofdoseforfourmonths，andthefeveritispretendedbyHahnemanntoexciteneverwasproduced。

M。Bonnet，PresidentoftheRoyalSocietyofMedicineofBordeaux，hadoccasiontoobservemanysoldiersduringthePeninsularWar，whomadeuseofCinchonaasapreservativeagainstdifferentdiseases，butheneverfoundittoproducethepretendedparoxysms。

Ifanyobjectionweremadetoevidenceofthiskind，IwouldrefertotheexpressexperimentsonmanyoftheHomoeopathicsubstances，whichweregiventohealthypersonswitheveryprecautionastodietandregimen，byM。LouisFleury，withoutbeingfollowedbytheslightestofthepretendedconsequences。Andletmementionasacuriousfact，thatthesamequantityofarsenicgiventooneanimalinthecommonformoftheunpreparedpowder，andtoanotherafterhavingbeenrubbedupintosixhundredglobules，offerednoparticulardifferenceofactivityinthetwocases。

Thisisastrangecontradictiontothedoctrineofthedevelopmentofwhattheycalldynamicpower，bymeansoffrictionandsubdivision。

In1835apublicchallengewasofferedtothebestknownHomoeopathicphysicianinParistoselectanytensubstancesassertedtoproducethemoststrikingeffects；topreparethemhimself；tochooseonebylotwithoutknowingwhichofthemhehadtaken，andtryituponhimselforanyintelligentanddevotedHomoeopatbist，and，waitinghisowntime，tocomeforwardandtellwhatsubstancehadbeenemployed。Thechallengewasatfirstaccepted，buttheacceptanceretractedbeforethetimeoftrialarrived。

>FromallthisIthinkitfairtoconcludethatthecataloguesofsymptomsattributedinHomoeopathicworkstotheinfluenceofvariousdrugsuponhealthypersonsarenotentitledtoanyconfidence。

2。Itisnecessarytoshow，inthenextplace，thatmedicinalsubstancesarealwayscapableofcuringdiseasesmostliketheirownsymptoms。Forfactsrelatingtothisquestionwemustlooktotwosources；therecordedexperienceofthemedicalprofessioningeneral，andtheresultsoftrialsmadeaccordingtoHomoeopathicprinciples，andcapableoftestingthetruthofthedoctrine。

Noperson，thatIamawareof，haseverdeniedthatinsomecasesthereexistsaresemblancebetweentheeffectsofaremedyandthesymptomsofdiseasesinwhichitisbeneficial。Thishasbeenrecognized，asHahnemannhimselfhasshown，fromthetimeofHippocrates。Butaccordingtotherecordsofthemedicalprofession，astheyhavebeenhithertointerpreted，thisistrueofonlyaverysmallproportionofusefulremedies。Norhasiteverbeenconsideredasanestablishedtruththattheefficacyofeventhesefewremedieswasinanydefiniteratiototheirpowerofproducingsymptomsmoreorlesslikethosetheycured。

SuchwasthestateofopinionwhenHahnemanncameforwardwiththepropositionthatallthecasesofsuccessfultreatmentfoundintheworksofallprecedingmedicalwritersweretobeascribedsolelytotheoperationoftheHomoeopathicprinciple，whichhadeffectedthecure，althoughwithoutthephysician’sknowledgethatthiswastherealsecret。Andstrangeasitmayseem，hewasenabledtogivesuchadegreeofplausibilitytothisassertion，thatanypersonnotacquaintedsomewhatwithmedicalliterature，notquitefamiliar，I

shouldrathersay，withtherelativevalueofmedicalevidence，accordingtothesourceswhenceitisderived，wouldbealmostfrightenedintothebelief，atseeingthepagesuponpagesofLatinnameshehassummonedashiswitnesses。

Ithashithertobeencustomary，whenexaminingthewritingsofauthorsofprecedingages，uponsubjectsastowhichtheywerelessenlightenedthanourselves，andwhichtheywereveryliabletomisrepresent，toexercisesomelittlediscretion；todiscriminate，insomemeasure，betweenwritersdeservingconfidenceandthosenotentitledtoit。ButthereisnottheleastappearanceofanysuchdelicacyonthepartofHahnemann。Alargemajorityofthenamesofoldauthorshecitesarewhollyunknowntoscience。WithsomeofthemIhavebeenlongacquainted，andIknowthattheiraccountsofdiseasesarenomoretobetrustedthantheircontemporaryAmbroisePare’sstoriesofmermen，andsimilarabsurdities。Butifmyjudgmentisrejected，asbeingaprejudicedone，IcanrefertoCullen，whomentionedthreeofHahnemann’sauthorsinonesentence，asbeing“notnecessarilybadauthorities；butcertainlysuchwhentheydeliveredveryimprobableevents；“andasthiswassaidmorethanhalfacenturyago，itcouldnothavehadanyreferencetoHahnemann。Butalthoughnottheslightestsignofdiscriminationisvisibleinhisquotations，——althoughforhimahandfulofchafffromSchenckisallthesamethingasameasureofwheatfromMorgagni，——

thereisaformidabledisplayofauthorities，andanabundantproofofingeniousresearchestobefoundineachofthegreatworksofHahnemannwithwhichIamfamiliar。“[SomepainfulsurmisesmightariseastotheeruditionofHahnemann’sEnglishTranslator，whomakestwoindividualsof“Zacutus，Lucitanus，“aswellasrespectingthatoftheconductorsofanAmericanHomoeopathicperiodical，whosufferthenameoftheworld-renownedCardanustobespeltCardamusinatleastthreeplaces，werenotthisgrossignoranceofcourseattributableonlytotheprinter。]

ItisstatedbyDr。Leo-Wolf，thatProfessorJoerg，ofLeipsic，hasprovedmanyofHahnemann’squotationsfromoldauthorstobeadulterateandfalse。WhatparticularinstanceshehaspointedoutI

havenomeansoflearning。AnditisprobablywhollyimpossibleonthissideoftheAtlantic，andeveninmostofthepubliclibrariesofEurope，tofindanythingmorethanasmallfractionoftheinnumerableobscurepublicationswhichtheneglectofgrocersandtrunkmakershassparedtoberansackedbytheall-devouringgeniusofHomoeopathy。Ihaveendeavoredtoverifysuchpassagesasmyownlibraryaffordedmethemeansofdoing。ForsomeIhavelookedinvain，forwant，asIamwillingtobelieve，ofmoreexactreferences。

ButthisIamabletoaffirm，that，outoftheverysmallnumberwhichIhavebeenable，totracebacktotheiroriginalauthors，I

havefoundtwotobewronglyquoted，oneofthembeingagrossmisrepresentation。

ThefirstisfromtheancientRomanauthor，CaeliusAurelianus；thesecondfromthevenerablefolioofForestus。Hahnemannusesthefollowingexpressions，——ifheisnotmisrepresentedintheEnglishTranslationofthe“Organon“：“Asclepiadesononeoccasioncuredaninflammationofthebrainbyadministeringasmallquantityofwine。“

AftercorrectingtheerroneousreferenceoftheTranslator，Icanfindnosuchcasealludedtointhechapter。ButCaeliusAurelianusmentionstwomodesoftreatmentemployedbyAsclepiades，intobothofwhichtheuseofwineentered，asbeinginthehighestdegreeirrationalanddangerous。“[CaeliusAurel。DeMorb。Acut。etChron。lib。I。cap。xv。notxvi。Amsterdam。Wetstein，1755。]

Inspeakingoftheoilofanise-seed，HahnemannsaysthatForestusobservedviolentcoliccausedbyitsadministration。But，astheauthortellsthestory，ayoungmantook，bythecounselofasurgeon，anacridandvirulentmedicine，thenameofwhichisnotgiven，whichbroughtonamostcruelfitofthegripesandcolic。

Afterthisanothersurgeonwascalled，whogavehimoilofanise-seedandwine，whichincreasedhissuffering。“[Observ。etCurat。Med。

lib。XXZobs。xiii。Frankfort，1614。]NowifthiswastheHomoeopathicremedy，asHahnemannpretends，itmightbeafairquestionwhytheyoungmanwasnotcuredbyit。Butitisamuchgraverquestionwhyamanwhohasshrewdnessandlearningenoughtogosofarafterhisfacts，shouldthinkitrighttotreatthemwithsuchastonishingnegligenceorsuchartfulunfairness。

Evenifeverywordhehadpretendedtotakefromhisoldauthoritiesweretobefoundinthem，eveniftheauthorityofeveryoneoftheseauthorswerebeyondquestion，theloosenesswithwhichtheyareusedtoprovewhateverHahnemannchoosesisbeyondtheboundsofcredibility。Letmegiveoneinstancetoillustratethecharacterofthisman’smind。Hahnemannasserts，inanoteannexedtothe110thparagraphofthe“Organon，“thatthesmelloftherosewillcausecertainpersonstofaint。Andhesaysinthetextthatsubstanceswhichproducepeculiareffectsofthisnatureonparticularconstitutionscurethesamesymptomsinpeopleingeneral。Theninanothernotetothesameparagraphhequotesthefollowingfactfromoneofthelastsourcesonewouldhavelookedtoformedicalinformation，theByzantineHistorians。

“Itwasbythesemeans“(i。e。Homoeopathically)thatthePrincessEudosiawithrose-waterrestoredapersonwhohadfainted！“