CIII'JPICAL NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 145 



partiality with which he discusses the whole matter. He is bigotted 

 to no one master or theory, but reasons for himself; rejects that 

 which appears to him not founded on truth, and adopts whatever he 

 considers sound, whencesover it may proceed. He also makes an 

 admirable distinction between the grand principle on which the- 

 system rests, and the theories of even its most enlightened advocates 

 Thus, he observes — 



"As to the merits or demerits of the above speculations future observa- 

 tions must decide ; in the mean time let us not forget that, whether true or 

 false, the facts of Homoeopathy are altogether independent of them, being 

 the result of experiments, of the truth of which any candid inquirer may 

 convince himself." 



Dr. S. further admits that, in the present state of our knowledge, 

 antipathic remedies, and even bleeding, are still occasionally re- 

 quired ; and the volume does not contain a single observation tend- 

 ing to detract from the merits of the old school. 



"There is, however, a class of diseases in which the use of antipathic re- 

 medies is altogether indispensable, namely, where there is a prostration of 

 the vital powers ; here the susceptibility for homoeopathic medicines is often 

 altogether extinguished, and can only be restored by the use of such antipa- 

 thic remedies as are adapted to the peculiar nature of the case. Whilst, 

 therefore, we reject the exaggeration of Hahnemann, when he says that by 

 means of the above methods no radical cure was ever effected, we must ad- 

 mit their application to be of a very limited nature, and their injudicious 

 adoption to be frequently followed by very injurious effects. Still they are 

 both occasionally of essential service in the palliation of symptoms, both in 

 acute and chronic diseases, and at times are even alone sufficient to effect a 

 permanent cure." 



Confirmation of the Homoeopathic Doctrine by an Opponent. — " Professor 

 Jorg, of Leipsic, having undertaken a series of experiments with the view of 

 disproving that doctrine, ends by warning practitioners of the danger of 

 using nitre in infiammations, assafcetida in hysteria and hypochondriasis, and 

 prussic acid in inflammatory affections of the larynx and bronchia, because, 

 in his experiments upon healthy individuals, these substances had produced 

 very similar diseases. He further expresses his astonishment at findhig re- 

 sults so contrary to received opinions, and states that, as far as his exi)eri- 

 ments have yet gone, he has scarcely met with a remedy the real properties 

 of which are' known. The most remarkable point in these experiments, how- 

 ever, is that, though conducted in the most practical manner, the learned 

 professor cannot see that they all tend to confirm the very system they 

 were meant to destroy." 



Small Doses Many, both of the opponents and advocates of the system, 



" seem to dwell upon the incredible smallness of the dose as the essence of 

 the system, and the touchstone of its merit ; and exhaust their imagination 

 in the attack and defence of this unimportant point, which has, in reality, 

 nothing to do with the marrow of the question. The principle of Homoeo- 

 pathy had been promulgated, the system had been named from this princi- 

 ple, and had already approached maturity, before the discovery of the atomic 

 powers of medicine'not only spread terror and dismay among the adherents of 

 the old system, threatening the apothecaries especially with utter annihila- 

 tion, but laid the foundation for many of the errors and absurdities which 

 have since so seriously impeded its progress. And yet this discovery of 

 Hahnemann is not only absolutely certain, but in its results will, in all pro- 

 VOL. VI. NO. XIX. T 



