( J& Original Communications. 
give a full analysis of empiricism, to exhibit to you separately^ 
all the ignoble elements which enter into its composition, 
would be a task far beyond my analytic powers. 
The essential element in empiricism is the presenting of me- 
dicinal agents to popular attention as remedies in particular 
diseases, or classes of diseases. But it presents different cases, 
according to the circumstances under which the medicine 
may be brought before the public. The first case is where 
some well known medicine, or combination of medicines, is 
presented to public favour, with an artful introduction, setting 
forth that it possesses such and such remedial powers ; as, 
for instance, that it will purify the blood, allay irritation, 
strengthen the nerves &c. &c. The advertiser may not, in 
this case, reap all the profits which the sale of the medicine 
may produce; but the amount of harm which the popular 
appeal will cause, will not be lessened thereby ; for this will 
be precisely in proportion to the number of blunders which it 
may induce individuals to commit in applying the remedy to 
themselves. In the case here supposed, it matters not whether 
the medicine is popularly known under the name of some phy- 
sician, either living or deceased : it may even be a medicine 
prepared on correct pharmaceutical principles ; still the ob- 
jection remains, which is not to the medicine intrinsically, 
but to the craft of asking the public at large to become their 
own doctors. 
A second case of empiricism is where a combination is 
prepared by some physician or apothecary, and, though the 
receipt by which it is made is not exactly known, its ingre- 
dients are mentioned to both professions, or perhaps the 
proportions are communicated confidentially to a few physi- 
cians, to remove their scruples to its use. Now I am willing 
to suppose that such a combination may be made on correct 
pharmaceutical principles ; that it is active, without being 
dangerous from the minuteness of its dose. I am ready to 
admit, moreover, that in skilful hands it would prove a reme- 
dy. But in the hands of such unskilful practitioners as the 
public at large, it cannot fail to do much more harm than 
good. Here also, the objection does not lie intrinsically to 
