A Letter to Sir B.C. Brodie; In Reply to His Letter in 'Fraser's Magazine' for September, 1861 (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: 10. But if the success of homoeopathy has been progressive, so also has been the prejudice of medical men against it. It may be of service to inquire into the origin of this dislike, and the reason of its continuance; and whether there may be any means of removing it. The German physician, Hahnemann, the originator of what he called homceopathia, first conceived the notion of it in 1790, and published the first paper on it in ' Hufeland's Journal/ in 17S6. This journal was well known as the leading medical periodical of Europe, at that time. There seems to have been no feeling one way or the other, on either side, at this commencement. The notion of similia similibus curantur was the result of an earnest endeavour, per- severingly followed out, to answer the question which, on engaging in practice as a physician, rose up with great power in his mind, ?" How is it possible, with conscientious fidelity, to discharge my trust ? Is there no great principle by which 1 can guide my course ?" His propositions were novel, and opposed to the bias of thought which the professional mind had yielded to for many ages. A difficulty in apprehending their meaning, and an unwillingness to give attention to them, were naturally the first results of their appearance; and neglect and delay were the consequences of these. In the irritable mind of the proposer, this neglect and delay gave rise to impatience; the conviction that he had discovered atruth of high value to mankind increased his self- esteem, and led him to press his reform with an unwise eagerness; and the two together tempted him to use words of disparagement towards his fellow- practitioners which they did not deserve, and which he was not justified in using. Halmemann did not remember how much opposition all new truth and al...