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Istherenoprogress，then，butdowereturntothesamebeliefsandpracticeswhichourforefathersworeoutandthrewaway？Itrustandbelievethatthereisarealprogress。Wemay，forinstance，returninameasuretotheBrunonianstimulatingsystem，butitmustbeinamodifiedway，forwecannotgobacktothesimpleBrunonianpathology，sincewehavelearnedtoomuchofdiseasedactiontoacceptitsconvenientdualism。Soofotherdoctrines，eachnewAvatarstripsthemofsomeoftheiroldpretensions，untiltheytaketheirfittingplaceatlast，iftheyhaveanytruthinthem，ordisappear，iftheyweremerephantasmsoftheimagination。
Inthemeantime，whilemedicaltheoriesarecominginandgoingout，thereisasetofsensiblemenwhoareneverrunawaywithbythem，butpractisetheirartsagaciouslyandfaithfullyinmuchthesamewayfromgenerationtogeneration。FromthetimeofHippocratestothatofourownmedicalpatriarch，therehasbeenanapostolicsuccessionofwiseandgoodpractitioners。IfyouwilllookatthefirstaphorismoftheancientMasteryouwillseethatbeforeallremediesheplacestheproperconductofthepatientandhisattendants，andthefitorderingofalltheconditionssurroundinghim。TheclassofpractitionersIhavereferredtohavealwaysbeenthemostfaithfulinattendingtothesepoints。Nodoubttheyhavesometimesprescribedunwisely，incompliancewiththeprejudicesoftheirtime，buttheyhavegrownwiserastheyhavegrownolder，andlearnedtotrustmoreinnatureandlessintheirplansofinterference。IbelievecommonopinionconfirmsSirJamesClark’sobservationtothiseffect。
Theexperienceoftheprofessionmust，Ithink，runparallelwiththatofthewisestofitsindividualmembers。Eachtimeaplanoftreatmentoraparticularremedycomesupfortrial，itissubmittedtoasharperscrutiny。WhenCullenwrotehisMateriaMedica，hehadseriouslytoassailthepracticeofgivingburnttoad，whichwasstillcountenancedbyatleastonemedicalauthorityofnote。Ihavereadrecentlyinsomemedicaljournal，thatanAmericanpractitioner，whosenameisknowntothecountry，isprescribingthehoofofahorseforepilepsy。Itwasdoubtlesssuggestedbythatoldfancyofwearingaportionofelk’shoofhungroundtheneckorinaring，forthisdisease。Butitishardtopersuadereasonablepeopletoswallowtheabominationsofaformerperiod。TheevidencewhichsatisfiedFerneliuswillnotserveoneofourhospitalphysicians。
InthiswaythosearticlesoftheMateriaMedicawhichhadnothingbutloathsomenesstorecommendthemhavebeengraduallydropped，andarenotliketoobtainanygeneralfavoragainwithcivilizedcommunities。Thenextculpritstobetriedarethepoisons。Ihaveneverbeenintheleastscepticalastotheutilityofsomeofthem，whenproperlyemployed。ThoughIbelievethatatpresent，takingtheworldatlarge，andleavingoutafewpowerfulagentsofsuchimmensevaluethattheyranknexttofoodinimportance，thepoisonsprescribedfordiseasedomorehurtthangood，Ihavenodoubt，andneverprofessedtohaveany，thattheydomuchgoodinprudentandinstructedhands。ButIamverywillingtoconfessagreatjealousyofmanyagents，andIcouldalmostwishtoseetheMateriaMedicasoclassedastocallsuspicionuponcertainonesamongthem。
Thusthealienelements，thosewhichdonotproperlyenterintothecompositionofanylivingtissue，arethemosttobesuspected，——
mercury，lead，antimony，silver，andtherest，forthereasonsIhavebeforementioned。Eveniodine，which，asitisfoundincertainplants，seemslessremotefromtheanimaltissues，givesunequivocalproofsfromtimetotimethatitishostiletosomeportionsoftheglandularsystem。
Thereis，ofcourse，lessprimafacieobjectiontothoseagentswhichconsistofassimilableelements，suchasarefoundmakingapartofhealthytissues。Thesearedivisibleintothreeclasses，——foods，poisons，andinert，mostlybecauseinsoluble，substances。Thefoodofoneanimalorofonehumanbeingissometimespoisontoanother，andviceversa；inertsubstancesmayactmechanically，soastoproducetheeffectofpoisons；butthisdivisionholdsexactlyenoughforourpurpose。
Strictlyspeaking，everypoisonconsistingofassimilableelementsmaybeconsideredasunwholesome，food。Itisrejectedbythestomach，oritproducesdiarrhoea，oritcausesvertigoordisturbanceoftheheart’saction，orsomeothersymptomforwhichthesubjectofitwouldconsultthephysician，ifitcameonfromanyothercausethantakingitunderthenameofmedicine。Yetportionsofthisunwholesomefoodwhichwecallmedicine，wehavereasontobelieve，areassimilated；thus，castor-oilappearstobepartiallydigestedbyinfants，sothattheyrequirelargedosestoaffectthemmedicinally。Eventhatdeadliestofpoisons，hydrocyanicacid，isprobablyassimilated，andhelpstomakelivingtissue，ifitdonotkillthepatient，fortheassimilableelementswhichitcontains，givenintheseparateformsofamygdalinandemulsin，producenodis
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