COLLOQUIA DE OMNIBUS REBUS. 649 
ratives, and servants, with a remarkable predominance of 
the feminine gender, and especially a large assortment of 
housekeepers, cooks, and chambermaids. On this occasion 
there is neither lord, nor admiral, nor general, nor church¬ 
man. 
Obstetricus . Is not the Archbishop of Dublin among 
them ? 
Editor . No. But they quote him in the body of their 
petition as one of their backers. 
Chirurgus, Then let us leave the matter with the Arch¬ 
bishop and the chambermaids. It is in very safe keeping in 
their hands. 
Chemicus . Reverting to the pestilence of new remedies 
with which medicine has for some time past been assailed, is 
there no short-hand way of bringing them to trial and con¬ 
demnation? No lifetime is long enough to test them in the 
ordinary w r ay. 
Medicus . Test them, in the first place, by the principles 
of therapeutics, and most of them will be at once disposed 
of. We have only to look to the classification of known 
remedies, according to external characters and composition, 
in order to see that very many modern novelties in the ma¬ 
teria medica are mere delusions. For remedies so classified 
possess generic actions, proper to each group, with which 
the actions of unknown individuals of the same group must 
in general coincide. 
Chemicus . But anomalies in action exist among known 
individuals of the same natural group. Why not among the 
unknown ? 
Medicus. In a more advanced state of therapeutic science 
these anomalies will disappear one after another. They will 
be found to be parts of subordinate and intercurrent laws, 
which may direct the choice of remedies as much as the fun¬ 
damental laws of the action of natural groups. For even 
already the existence of these fundamental laws is so well 
established, and many of the exceptions are so well accounted 
for, that a strong presumption of the value of a supposed new 
remedy may be formed by one w ho has made this interesting- 
subject his study. 
Editor. And what is to be done when this test fails, or is 
inapplicable in the present state of our knowledge ? 
Medicus. Make trial of such remedies, by all means, and 
dispassionately; but wfith jealousy, if their alleged virtues 
violate the general rule of agreement in family properties; 
and above all, if they are put forth as specifics,—a term which 
appears to be used in the present day whenever no reason 
