INTRODUCTION. XXvii 



Many persons cannot conceive, how minute doses, 

 which are so small that they are supposed to be lost 

 before they can reach the stomach, can produce 

 any effect. They argue thus — As the stomach is 

 the medium through which we obtain everything 

 we require to preserve life, and by means of which 

 those substances are assimilated that serve to com- 

 pensate for the loss caused by the action of the 

 vital functions, it requires to be deluged with- 

 medicines, in order to produce any eflfect on the 

 system. But, experience teaches us, that this is 

 not necessary. Small particles of medicaments, dis- 

 solved on the tongue by the saliva, on entering, 

 the stomach, mix with the chyle ; and their effect 

 is then conveyed by the electric or magnetic action- 

 of the nerves, to the rem^ote parts on- which they 

 are destined specifically to operate. 



1 advise every medical man to extract from the 

 Materia Medica ( in the second volume ), a list 

 of such remedies as he can procure ; and to arrange 

 them alphabetically ( with the diseases and symptoms 

 to which they are applicable ), that he may be able 

 to refer to them readily. A pocket-book so arrang- 

 ed, would be useful to families as well as phy- 

 sicians. The remedies for different diseases (which 

 are suggested in the first part of the second volume ) 

 are intended for those physicians only, who, having 

 time and opportunity, desire to continue the train of 

 my experiments. I have arranged the various dis- 

 v«j eases or symptoms in groups, many of them being 

 closely allied. I have noticed in which cases the 

 remedies proved beneficial, and, in short, I have point- 

 ed out effects of any kind. I have also retained 

 several untried remedies, and have marked them as 



es 



