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IfthereisanyStateorcitywhichmightclaimtobetheAmericanheadquartersofthenature-trustingheresy，provideditbeone，thatStateisMassachusetts，andthatcityisitscapital。Theeffectwhichthesedoctrineshaveupontheconfidencereposedintheprofessionisamatterofopinion。Formyself，Idonotbelievethisconfidencecanbeimpairedbyanyinvestigationswhichtendtolimittheapplicationoftroublesome，painful，uncertain，ordangerousremedies。Nay，Iwillventuretosaythis，thatifeveryspecificweretofailutterly，ifthecinchonatreesalldiedout，andthearsenicmineswereexhausted，andthesulphurregionswereburnedup，ifeverydrugfromthevegetable，animal，andmineralkingdomweretodisappearfromthemarket，abodyofenlightenedmen，organizedasadistinctprofession，wouldberequiredjustasmuchasnow，andrespectedandtrustedasnow，whoseprovinceshouldbetoguardagainstthecausesofdisease，toeliminatethemifpossiblewhenstillpresent，toorderalltheconditionsofthepatientsoastofavortheeffortsofthesystemtorightitself，andtogivethosepredictionsofthecourseofdiseasewhichonlyexperiencecanwarrant，andwhichinsomanycasesrelievetheexaggeratedfearsofsufferersandtheirfriends，orwarntheminseasonofimpendingdanger。Greatasthelosswouldbeifcertainactiveremediescouldnolongerbeobtained，itwouldleavethemedicalprofessionthemostessentialpartofit’sduties，andall，andmorethanall，itspresentshareofhonors；foritwouldbethedeath-blowtocharlatanism，whichdependsforitssuccessalmostentirelyondrugs，oratleastonanomenclaturethatsuggeststhem。
Thereisnooffence，then，ordangerinexpressingtheopinion，that，afterallwhichhasbeensaid，thecommunityisstilloverdosed：Thebestproofofitis，thatnofamiliestakesolittlemedicineasthoseofdoctors，exceptthoseofapothecaries，andthatoldpractitionersaremoresparingofactivemedicinesthanyoungerones。“[Dr。JamesJacksonhaskindlypermittedmetomakethefollowingextractfromaletterjustreceivedbyhimfromSirJamesClark，anddatedMay26，1860：“Asaphysicianadvancesinage，hegenerally，Ithink，placeslessconfidenceintheordinarymedicaltreatmentthanhedid，notonlyduringhisearly，butevenhismiddleperiodoflife。“]TheconclusionfromthesefactsisonewhichtheleastpromisingofDr。Howe’spupilsinthementaldepartmentcouldhardlyhelpdrawing。
Partoftheblameofover-medicationmust，Ifear，restwiththeprofession，foryieldingtothetendencytoself-delusion，whichseemsinseparablefromthepracticeoftheartofhealing。Ineedonlytouchonthecommonmodesofmisunderstandingormisapplyingtheevidenceofnature。
First，thereisthenaturalincapacityforsoundobservation，whichislikeafaultyearinmusic。Weseethisinmanypersonswhoknowagooddealaboutbooks，butwhoarenotsharp-sightedenoughtobuyahorseordealwithhumandiseases。
Secondly，thereisinsomepersonsasingularinabilitytoweighthevalueoftestimony；ofwhich，Ithink，fromaprettycarefulexaminationofhisbooks，HahnemannaffordsthebestspecimenoutsidethewallsofBedlam。
Theinveteratelogicalerrorstowhichphysicianshavealwaysbeensubjectarechieflythese：
Themodeofinferenceperenumerationemsimplicem，inscholasticphrase；thatis，countingonlytheirfavorablecases。ThisistheoldtrickillustratedinLordBacon’sstoryofthegiftsoftheshipwreckedpeople，hungupinthetemple——Behold！theyvowedthesegiftstothealtar，andthegodssavedthem。Ay，saidadoubtingbystander，buthowmanymadevowsofgiftsandwereshipwreckednotwithstanding？Thenumericalsystemisthebestcorrectiveofthisandsimilarerrors。Theargumentscommonlybroughtagainstitsapplicationtoallmattersofmedicalobservation，treatmentincluded，seemtoapplyrathertothetabulationoffactsillobserved，orimproperlyclassified，thantothemethoditself。
Theposthocergopropterhocerror：hegotwellaftertakingmymedicine；thereforeinconsequenceoftakingit。
Thefalseinductionfromgenuinefactsofobservation，leadingtotheconstructionoftheorieswhicharethendeductivelyappliedinthefaceoftheresultsofdirectobservation。TheschoolofBroussaishasfurnisheduswithagoodexampleofthiserror。
Andlastly，theerrorwhichSirThomasBrownecallsgiving“areasonofthegoldentooth；“thatis，assumingafalsehoodasafact，andgivingreasonsforit，commonlyfancifulones，asisconstantlydonebythatclassofincompetentobserverswhofindtheir“goldentooth“
inthefabulouseffectsofthehomoeopathiemateriamedica，——whichconsistsofsugarofmilkandanomenclature。
Anotherportionoftheblamerestswiththepublicitself，
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