U6 
Origin al Communications. 
You perceive, gentlemen, that I make a distinction between 
improving the preparation of medicines on true pharmaceu- 
tical principles, and their investigation as curative agents. 
The former is the legitimate province of the pharmaceutist, 
the latter of the physician. It is impossible for the pharma- 
ceutist, the physician, or any one else, to prepare a remedy ; 
that is, a something, which shall be such intrinsically, or in 
its own nature. By a remedy, I understand a medicine, 
which administered at a fitting time, in a proper dose, and 
under fitting circumstances, restores health, or promotes its 
restoration. Under this definition, every medicinal preparation 
is a remedy or the contrary, according as it is judiciously or 
injudiciously employed. I defy, therefore, the pharmaceutist, 
though bringing to the task the greatest skill, to prepare a 
single remedy. He may prepare a medicine, containing its 
admitted activity, in a convenient, permament, and invariable 
form ; but after all, it may be an instrument for good or for ill, 
a remedy or the contrary, according to the use which may 
be made of it afterwards. Skill may make it the greatest of 
blessings ; ignorance and presumption, a curse worse than 
famine or the sword. 
Thus you perceive, gentlemen, that nothing but the skilful 
and appropriate application of medicinal agents constitutes 
them remedies. You may make scientific preparations; but 
you would require to be skilful physicians, and to apply these 
preparations skilfully, to make them remedies. 
A crude idea is entertained by the ignorant that every dis- 
tinct disease is an invariable something ; and hence if they 
imagine they have noticed a particular medicine to cure a 
particular case of disease, they make a sweeping conclusion, 
that every indisposition which is called by the same name, 
must necessarily be cured by the same medicine. Such peo- 
ple justify themselves on the plea that they go on the safe road 
of experience ; but, permit me to add, it is an irrational expe- 
rience, not founded on enlightened views of disease. They 
little imagine that two cases of sickness, though in common 
parlance called the same disease, may differ widely in their 
character, and may require remedies not only different, but 
