rAWL **te LETTERS V ON HOMEOPATHY. FOR AND AGAINST. "Prove all things; -hold fast that which ia good." MONTREAL: . . •• ■••..'.•' ' . PRINTED BY J. C. BECkET, 38 GREAT §T. J AMIS-STREET. >\ ' . . ^ W3K iasuu EXPLANATORY. The following letters have appeared in the Montreal Transcript. The communi- cation was over an anonymous signature from a desire that the question of Homoeopathy should be divested of all personal relatione, and thus left to be dealt with on its own merits. Two letters over the signature of Jnt>Humbug having appeared, one of which professed to deal with facts, it appeared desirable that secresy should no longer exist. " Anti-Humbug" having also promised a third letter, " Homoeopathy" felt it would be bet- ter that the correspondence should henceforth be over the writer's real name. That promised third letter has not appeared, and it must therefore be inferred that "Anti- Humbug" feels himself silenced. Besting npon the solid base of Nature's law, that like cures like, the Homoeopath has not the slightest fear of discussion with the adherents of a practice of Medicine in which all is doubtful and uncertain, only so far as it accords with that law. The true Homoeopath has no desire to injure the practice of any regular pro* fessional medical man, but only urges upon the latter as a bounden duty to himself, to God and to suffering humanity, that he test fairly and honestly the great law npon which all curative action rests. There are now thousands of regularly educated Phy- sicians and Surgeons who have given up the uncertainties and injurious treatment of Al- lopathy for the safe and reliable practice of Homoeopathy. Under its treatment acuta cases yield and recover with a rapidity which amazes the most experienced practitioner, while many chronic cases are greatly relieved, or entirely cured, which resisted the skill and attention of Allopathic physicians for years. In some instances the same medical man, who found his efforts baffled while an Allopath, met with almost immediate success after adopting the true method of cure. The correspondence is now placed in a complete form before the public, and intelli- gent men are asked to give their serious attention to a matter which relates so closely to their own comfort, and tp the interests of Humanity. Montreal, August, 1864. GOLD MEDAL-FACULTY OF MEDICINE AND HOMOEOPATHY. To the Editor of the Montreal Transcript. Sir,— In looking over your report of the proceedings of the late Convocation of the McGill University, I noticed that the Medi- cal Faculty was desirous that some liberal arM generous hearted citizen should come forward with a Gold Medal, to be competed Tor by the Students at the Annual Medical Examinations of the University. The hope of obtaining a gold medal has been, and is considered, a good spur to men- tal exertion in all departments of know- ledge, but it seemed that there are other things well worthy of the attention of the liberal hearted citizen and the Medical Faculty of the University. One of these is well calculated to advance the ultimate aim and usefulness of the young graduates in medicine, who are about to put into prac- tice on suffering humanity the theories of their school, in that department of medi- cine commonly termed the "Theory and Practice of Physic" to which other branches of medical education are collateral. In this " Theory and Practice of Physic" one Piofessor is the teacher; and there is one peculiar method of practice taught in the University for the cure of diseases, which mainly consists of bleeding, leeching, the administration of purgatives, emetics, diur- etics, the use of cauteries, setons, moxas, and the raising of puetular eruptions on the healthy skin by the application of croton oil and tartar emetic ointment. In fact tor- turing the healthy parts of the body outside or inside for the cure of the diseased part, and interrupting the natural secretions of the healthy skin by periodically painting with Iodine, burning with turpentine, mus- tard, red or white hot irons, Spanish flies, &c, which conduct makes many patients believe that something energetic and heroic has been accomplished. According to the teachings of this class of Practitioners, diseases situated in one or- gan of the body are thought to be alleviat- ed by exciting a disease in anotber organ, and by administering substances in large quantities which cannot be made use of as elements of worn out tissue, and which are consequently rejected by the assimilative organs as worthless and injurious to the ge- neral economy. Those substances are varied occasionally as routine suggests, but in their administration, for tbo alleviation of disease there is no recognition of a curative lam in n$itiii"n If the Medical Faculty of McGill Univer- sity, or any liberal and progressive citizens of Montreal are anxious that the }oung gra. duatee emanating yearly from this Medical bchoo', should be in possession of a larger amount of knowledge to fit them for their arduous task, and the best known means of alleviating the distress of thtir fellow crea- tures throughout the Province of Canada, they should not rest satisfied with the mere presentation of a Gold M-dal to the mest diligent, «r perhaps the most talented stu- dent, but they should do iheir best to estab- lish a chair to teach the " Practice of Phy- sic," according to the " Doctrines and teach- ings of Homoeopathy." For the following reasons:— 1st. Because Homoeopathy possesses a universal law of cure, and therefore raises the practice of physic to a science. 2nd. Beeause the administration of me- dicines, according to the Homce jpathic law, does not injure any part of the healthy or- ganism. 3rd. Because the properly selected Ho- moeopathic remedy acts curatively on the disease itself, and removes it, (when cura- tive means are possible with m»n ) 4th. Because the practice of medicine according to the doctrines and teachings of Homoeopathy has been, and can be amply proved to be, attended with more recoveries in all kinds of acute and chronic diseases, when fairly tested, than the mothod of prac- tice called Allopathy, as taught by the Pro- fessor of the Practice of Physic in the Uni- versity at present. 5th. Because Homoeopathic medicine can almost always be administered easily and without repugnance to all classes of patients and under all circumstances. 6th. Because the sick room durirg the treatment of the patient may be kept always free from appearances of blood and other repulsive and filthy attendants of Allopathic treatment. 7th. Because the .study of the practice of H-OLM-S-Zj 1 phyBlc according to the doctrines and teach- ings of Homoeopathy can be demonstrated to be a philosophical study, which becomes more and more interesting at every stop of progress, and is worthy the profoundest scholar, the most capacious intellect, and the purest christian. 8th. Because the most Intellectual and experienced of the Allopathic school have in their honesty acknowledged that Allo- pathy is a delusion and a snare in the treat- ment of Dynamic diseases. 9ih. Because the best time to learn the different methods of practice is during youth, for it is a well known fact, that in the advanced years of life it is one of the most difficult tasks to unlearn that which was learned as truth—(although error)—in younger years. In 99 cases out of a 100, old men are found condemning that which they do not know, because they will not spend the time necessary in investigating the truth. 10th. Because Homoeopathy experiments only on healthy individuals and not on the sick. 11th. Because Homoeopathy doeB away with the absurd and heterogenous prescrip- tions of Phvsicians which often contain dozens of different and nauseous materials, calculated to disturb the processes of nature, and to fight against each other in the dark, and which too frequently leave their unex- celled detritus to injure the living machin- ery for life. 12th. Because Homoepathy does not pan-' der to the depraved tastes of people, who require for their money a quantity of colour- ing matter, and a taste of something that bite*, before they can believe a cure of their diseases possible. 13th. Because it ia well known that young medical students would attend Homoeopa- thic lectures on the Practice of Physic, in large numbers, if they were allowed to do so by the Faculty of Medicine. 14th. Because Homoeopathy will often cure diseases which are considered incur- able by ordinary practice. For these reasons I would earnestly re- commend the liberal and truth-loving citi- zens of Montreal and the Faculty of Medi- dicine of McGill College, to take into their most serious consideration the establish- ment of a Homoeopathic Chair in the McGill College—.(or shew cause why not, like rational men). By establishing and endorsing such a chair, and granting a gold medal yearly for the most proficient Student in Homoeopathy, the Faculty of Medicine, or any other, would confer npon themselves lasting honor, for being amongBt the first, to adopt a truth in practical science, which is fast revolutionis- ing the whole Medical World, and which is now only condemned by those who are un- acquainted with it; who are interested in its downfall, or prejudiced agalnBt it. Homoeopathy is'consonant with the known facts of Anatomy, Chemistry and other col- lateral branches, and partakes of the truths of these. Homoeopathy serves to make physiology more clear, and gives a more profound appreciation of the germs oi Pathological Anatomy, and should therefore have its disseminating power increased, by all legitimate means. Yours truly, . HOMOEOPATHY. (Anti-Humbug's Lrttir No. 1.) To the Editor of the Montreal Transcript. Sib,—My attention has been called to a letter contained in your issue of 12 th May last, under the signature " Homoeopathy," laudating that system of practical medicine, and denunciating in equally vigorous terms what the Homeeopath*tt$ are pleased to desig- nate the Allopathic mode of treatment. The writer of this letter brings to his assistance no less than fourteen reasons in support of his position, but, logically speaking, they are not reasons bnt rather postulates, which, if granted, the truly eclectic practice of the present day would tumble and totter to the ground. But there is little chance of that taking place, so long as one grain of sound common sense remains existent in the com- munity. It is true that every and any in- novation npon tried usages will find its sup- porters for the time being, the new fangled notion but to be discarded in its turn with those which preceded it. Despite, how- ever, of what Homoeopathy, Hydropathy, Sympopathy, and all other patby'a may do, and however much the Professor of these " pathy's" may delude the public, and ob- tain willing dupes, there cannot be the least doubt that nothing but the desire of acquiring the means of living, by preying upon the imagination of their dupes, lies at the foundation of all these different "pathys" When Hahnemann started Homoeopathy, he revelled in his infinitessimal doses, main- taining the doctrine, with " eimilia simili- bus curantur," that the energy of medicines increased with their dilution, and that a medicine attenuated to the decillionth de- gree was far more potent in its effect upon iiisease than an ordinary grain of the same medicine ; and in fact that the more it was attenuated, the more active and vigorous it really became. The supreme absurdity of this doctrine became soon transparent, and, 5 accordingly, the Homceopathists soon be- came split up into several sects—some cf which still employ medicines in their in- finitessimal doses, while others use them in the ordinary doses; thus sailing under false colours ; while a third class adopt the me- dium course, on the principle, we supposed, of " in medio tutissimus ibis." Hahne- manism may indeed be said to be truly extinct at the present day; and it is my sincere belief that nothing maintains its present nominal existence than a deficiency of earning a livelihood by more honest and legitimate means. The self glorified man- ner in which your Homcepathic practition- ers will reason with you, upon your extreme incapacity of perceiving what is so palpable to himself, viz., the value of medicines given in quantities so small that a drop of the St. Lawrence would prove energetic, may cap- tivate as it has undoubtedly done, many minds, but those capable of serious reflec- tion can certainly never become convinced by any such assertions. It requires a little more than the assertions of fi'ty years to do away with the accumulated experience of say two thousand—and yet the Homceo- pathist are not by any means too vain to proclaim that they are attempting it. To prevent this letter from extending to an nndue length, I will reserve a few facts for " Homoeopathy" to digest for my next, and in the meanwhile, will inform him that the text of it will be his fourth postulate, that the practice of Homoeopathy has been, and can be amply proved to be attended with more recoveries in all kinds of acute and chronic diseases, when fairly tested, than the method of practice called " Allopathy." I do not by any means propose to enter into an argument with " Homoeopathy," as the subject is unfitted for your columns ; all I desire is to narrate, in as succinct a manner as possible, the results of a few cases which were placed under Homcepathic treatment by the late Dr. Bosenstein, in the wards of the Montreal General Hospital, at that time under the service of Dr. Hall, of this city; and in which the fullest and freest sway was afforded the practitioner. I remember well the obloquy which was cast upon the physician for his supposed dereliction of duty; but when it is recollected that no- thing but the interests of humanity could have guided his course; and that nothing unfortunate issued ; that the treatment pur- sued was witnessed at that time daily by al- most all the leading physicians of the city; that the Homceopathist had the fairest pos- sible play, and that he expressed himself afterwards to that effect, as I am informed; what stronger proof could be adduced of the value of the two systems of practice. I have the honor to remain, Sir, Yours, truly, AtfTI-HUMBUG. Montreal Transcript, June 4, 1864. No. 2. To the Edjtor of the Montreal Transcript. Sir,—Some time has elapsed since my let- ter to you dated May 27th, in which I pro- mised to detail to you a few facts for " Ho- moeopathy" to digest, after doing which, I proposed to leave him to his meditations. The inflated, even arrogant style in which his letter is couched, merits a rebuke how- ever mild, and I trust that he will receive it in this letter in which I propose to op- pose facts to his assertions. About the year 1845, Dr. G D. Gibb, now of London, Eng., acted as House Surgeon to the Montreal General Hospital, which during the early summer months was under the professional charge of Dr. Hall; Dr. Bosenstein was the only jubilant Homoeo- path at that time in this city, and that he must have been a man of varied and deep learning, is proveable from the fact that he wrote a book on Homoeopathy, however much his enemies may have desired such a con- summation. We should suppose therefore, that that fact, if it proved anything, would be sufficient to demonstrate his competence. He was promised charge of the earliest im- portant cases which occurred in the Hospi- tal, and the opportunity was not long want- ing. The first case which presented itself, was one of pure Inflammation of the lungs in a young man, and as this was an easily de- tected disease, and its limits definable, it was adopted at once, as the first subject of experiment. Dr. Bosenstein was forthwith sent for, who after arriving at the Hospital, stipulated as necessary to success that the patient should be placed in a ward by him- self, and that he should not be tampered with in the least degree, and after the most perfect assurance on these points, the treat- ment was assumed at once. It is almost unnecessary to add that Dr. Bosenstein was informed by Dr. Hall, that if unfortunately the disease progressed, it would become the duty of the latter to take the case out of his hands. I have now to observe that the pro- gress of this patient was watched with con- siderable anxiety by the late Drs. Holmes, Crawford and Badgley, by Dr. Campbell, and other physicians of this city who were all glad of the opportunity of seeing Homoeo- pathy fairly tested. The result was that the disease, despite of the treatment pursu- ed, made a decided but steady advance, c until about the fourth or fifth day of treat- ment, from, a trifling space at the upper part of the right lung, it had invaded nearly the whole of it. Dr. Hall now took the case in his own hands, and by the adoption of ener- getic measure the px>r man's life was saved, but not b fjre serious fears of it were en- tertained. Shortly after this unfavourable result of Homeopathic treatment, there presented themselves for admission into the Hospital no les than three cises of fever and ague. The cases were all well marked ; one case by a liver complication, the second by a complication of disease of the liver and spleen, while the third was an uncompli- cated case. Dr. Bosenstein was again tent for, and was off-red the selection of the cases. Much to the astonishment of every one he chose the simplest case of the three, via: the uncomplicated case who was at once placed under his charge. The hospi- tal books will record the fact that in the course of about a fortnight the two compli- cated cases were discharged, while atter a protracted treatment of nearly six weeks the patient under homoeopathic manage- ment implored Dr. Hall to assume the treat- ment of bis case. I remember well that one day elapsed without that young man having had a shake (I forget the technical term), when Dr. B exclaimed, " now he is cured —the disease is checked, and will never re- turn, while your cases, addressing Dr. Hall, ma? nave the disease return at any minute." —But the following day witnessed another Bhak«, thus shaking to their foundations all the H imce >patb'a predictions. By way of exhibiting to the students then in atten- dance, of whom 1 was one, the efficacy of mere diet in modifying the progress of dis- ease, Dr. Hall placed a case of the same disease, subsequently admitted, on plain milk and water, without a particle of medi- cine, and this man got on equally as well as did the case entrusted to the professional charge of Dr. Bosenstein. Now, Sir, the foregoing is a truthful nar- rative, or it is not. That it is the former, there is abundant evidence even now in thi* city for i»s substantiation. I have freely used Dr. Hall's name, a libertv for which I am sure he will forgive me, although I ques- tion much if I have a right to ask it, an, at the time he was a public officer, discharging an official duty, and whose acts were open to all kinds of criticism— Fairer cases for testing the value of Homes jpathic treatment ooald not by anv possibility have been Be- 1 cted, and yet that mode of treatment most •igoall? failed. Now, Sir, how far the foregoing facts can go to prove " that the doctrines and teach- " ings of Homceopathy have been and can " be amply proved to be, attended with " more recoveries in all kinds of acute and " chronic diseases when fairly tested than " the method of practice called Allopathy, " as taught by the Professor of the Practice '« of Physic in the University at present," is what I will leave for the consideration and digestion of " Homceopathy." That person will deubtless get out of the difficulty by the observation that Dr. Bosenstein did not know his profession ;—that his practice was not a true example of Homoeopathic prac- tice—in elnrt, that in comparison with others who dole out their phyBic in infinite- ismal doses, and yet upon the principle of " similia similibus," he was a nincompoop ; it must still not be forgotten that he wrote a book. I will probably trouble you with a third letter, and in the meanwhile beg to sub- scribe myself, yours truly, ANTI HUMBUG. June 8, 1854. —Transcript, Jane 27, 1864. To the Editor of the Montreal Transcript. Sir,—In your issue of the 12th of May last, you were kind enough to give me space in your valuable columns for the insertion of an article regarding the establishment of a Homoeopathic Chair in the Medical Fa- culty of McGill University. That article was replied to, by " Anti-Humbug," in two letters, with promise of a third one. My attention was directed to " Anti-Humbug's" rejoinder on the 27th of June last, and I have patiently waited a fortnight for " Anti- Humbug's" No. 3 epistle. As his No. 3 does not appear to be forthcoming, with your permission I will endeavour to reply now to his No. 1 and 2. I never have admired anonymous let- ters. It looks to me like a soldier firing at his enemy from behind a hedge: there- fore, however imperfectly and feebly I may use the pen, I acknowledge myself not at all ashamed of Homoeopathy as the only principle of cure, of which there ia abun- dant proof. It is to be hoped that " Anti- Humbug" will disclose himself. WHAT IS H01IC21PATHT ? In replying-to " Anti-Humbug," it will be necessary, first, to define what is meant by Homoeopathy, since "Anti-Humbug" has refused to define it. Homceopathy then is a principle established in nature for the cure of dynamic diseases, and, practically, it is as follows :— Medicinal substances have certain proper- ties which manifest themselves, on being administered to persons in health, by pro- 7 ducing certain symptoms. When the first scruple dose of Ipecacuanha, for instance, was given to a person in health, Bilious vomiting, with headache, vertigo, nausea, loss of appetite, severe pain in the stomach, &c , were induced. When Ipecacuanha is taken in large doses by a person in health, it may be looked upon as a general law, that the above symptoms will take place, as any one may soon satisfy himself about, if there are doubts existing in his mind. This property of Ipecac became known only by experiment. By the experiment of administering a small dose of Ipecacuanha to a person in disease attended with symptoms similar to those produced in a healthy person, by a large dose of Ipecacuanha, it will be found that all those symptoms will cease, and if all the symptoms have ceased, then the disease, the cause of the symptoms, has been removed. Whoever prescribes medi- cine for the cure of disease upon that prin- ciple is a Homceopathist. Ipecacuanha has been merely taken as an example. Ho- moeopathists have experimented on the healthy body with over two hundred reme- dies, recording the symptoms produced by each remedy, and they select an? one of these proved remedies and administer it to the diseased person upon the same princi- ple as the Ipecacuanha was selected and administered. Begarding the dose used by Hahnemann when he commenced to test the principle of Homoeopathy, it was a large one, but he gradually lessened it, an he found a smaller dose more useful, and, like a sensible man, he adopted that which he found to be the best. Now, as then, every Homceopathist is permitted to select the dose which he finds most successful, " without sailing under false colors." But a person can never be a Homcepathist who selects at random a nauseous bolus of Rhu- barb, Opium, Calomel, Hyosciamus, &c, without being guided by a curative rule, and in doses sufficient to sicken a healthy horse. A large dose of medicine, Homceopathically ■elected, will increase the disease; a dynamised dose, Homceopathically selected, will be powerfal only to cure, not to destroy the body; and this is what staggers many an Allopathist. He always looks for some derangement in the healthy parts before he will believe that the disease can be cured. " Anti-Humbug " would seem to imply that a man can not be a Homceopathist without confining himself to a drop of the St. Lawrence. This simply shews his utter ignorance of the subject. Does he think that because a medicine is reduced to a thousandth or a millionth part of a grain, by trituration, that it does not act on account of its smallness—per se ? How ridiculous and unreasonable it would be to shut our eyes so that we could not see, because we could not weigh a ray of light; or to deny the power of life over our muscular frame be- cause we could not weigh or chemically de- tect it. Life is a finer thing thaa even the bugbear of decillionth parts of grains of medicines, but would "Anti-Humbug" or any of his confreres deny their own exist- ence and strength on that account. The powers resulting from life are known by experiment; the powers resulting from the administration of a h;gh or low dilution of a Homoeopathic remedy are likewise known by experiment, and Homceopathisls are per- fectly willing to leave the matter to such a test. No man has the right to say that the world does not turn round upon its own axis, without proof; neither has anv man a right to say a priori that Homoeopathic remedies do not act, because the every day practice of Homoeopathists prove that they do act—just as demonstratively as that the "world still turns," and as clearly as life and light act. How illogically sometimes people reason upon such matters. A gen- tleman one day said to me :—" Doctor,if vou could only shew me that a plant could live as well upon a drop of water as it would upon a pint, I would believe in Homoeopa- thy." This gentleman put food and medi- cine upon a par. I replied that Homoeo- pathists did not feed their patients upon a grain of beef-steak to provide new materials for their worn out organs, neither did they feed their plants upon a drop of water. Homoeopathists give medicines in minute doses, selected to act according to the law of cure, because they find from experiment that diseases are subdued better by these means than by any other, but they do not find that healthy or diseased men can live upon drugs alone, whether in large or small doses. HOMCEOPATHY NOT A MODERN DISCOVERY. It would appear that " Anti-Humbug" is likewise very ignorant of the antiquity of Homceopathy for he says:—" It requires a little more than the assertions of fifty iears to do away with the assertions of say two thousand years, and yet the Homoeopa- thists are not by any means too vain to pro- claim that they are attempting it." Homceo- pathy is not a novelty. The novelties are with Allopathy, for empiricism must be always changing. In the time of Vikrama- dita, king of Ujain, fiftv-six years before the christian era there was a San-crit poem which said : "It has been heatd of old time in the world that poison is the remedy for poison." In the writings attributed to Hy- 8 tocratei there is the following, " By similar things disease is produced, and by similar things, administered to the sick, they are healed of their diseases. Thus the same thing which will produce stranguary, when it docs not exist will remove it when it does," that was a f*ct, at the time of Hypocrates. Tho Homoeopathic law of cure existed then, it does so now and ever will do, indepen- dent!) of the belief of "Anti-Humbug" or any other man. Shakespeare was not ignorant of the prin- ciple. He says : In poison there is physic ; and these news, having been well, that would have made me sick, being sick, have in some measure made me well. Henry IV., Part 2, Act 1; See. 1. HOMOEOPATHY NOT QUACKERY. Neither is Homoeopathy quackery. Quack- ery pretends to the possession of some val- uable nostrum, some unexplained " energe- tic treatment"sold for private gain but which is not disclosed for the public good. Who- ever may have secrets in his "energetic treatments" Homoeopathy has none, no nos- trum, it courts enquiiy, and asks all to make a thorough investigation of its claims. It is a recognised law of healing and will be the means of driving away from the Profession all quacks to whatever class of medical practitioners they belong. HOMCEOPATHY MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN ALLO- PATHY. " Anti-Humbug" pays, in his first epistle " that the writer of this letter brings to bis assistance no less than fourteen reasons in support of his position; but.logically speak- ing, they are not reasons, but rather postu- lates, which, if granted, the truly eclectic practice of the present day would tumble and totter to the ground." I take "Anti- Humbug" at his word, and will endeavour to prove those "postulates," and as " Anti- Humbug" has only attempted a disproval of my 4th postulate, I will, 1st of all, attend to it. vie.:— "That the doctrines and teachings of Homceopathy have been and can be amply proved to be attended with more recoveries in all kinds of acnte and chronic diseases when fairly tested than the method of prac- tice called Allopathy as taught by the Pro- fessor of the Practice of Physic in the Uni- versity at present." Now, Mr. Editor, let us examine the mode by which " Anti- Humbug" disposes of this "postulate" of mine. [Re cites first, a most important case of Pneumonia, which occurred in the Montreal General Hospital, about the year 1815, which case was then under the care of Dr. Hall, and observed by Dr. Gibb and " Anti-Humbug" himBelf, while he was a Student of Medicine. To this important case of pneumonia, one Dr. Bosenstein, then resident in Montreal, was sent for. He it was who did battle for Homceopathy, tnt "Anti-Humbug" would seem himself to sneer at the powers of Dr. Bosenstein— (with whom 1 was unacquainted, and who I believe is now dead and not able to de- fend himself)—because he says in italics that Dr. Bosenstein "wrote a Book on Homceophathy." Now as to writing book*, T. have read many worthless allopathic Books, and even some which were consid- ered valuable in my younger days, and looked up to as the climax of proficiency twenty-five or thirty years ago when I was a student in Edinburgh, are now thrown aside as useless as far as the Practice they inculcate is concerned. Dr. Mcintosh's Book, for instance, which advises so valiant- ly •' Bleeding in the cold stages of Fever and Ague," and bleeding in almost «very thing else to syncope, is never opened, yet we Students admired Mcintosh, and looked upon him as the first Physician and the most acute, of the day—" Wrote a Book." I have never seen Dr. Bosenstein's book, it may be good. But Burns said "that some Books were lees frae end to end, and some greet lees were never penned; even Ministers they hae been kennd, a rous- ing whid at times to vend, and nailt we Scripture."—The writing or copying of a Book in itself may or may not be a measure of a man's ability or acquirement. So that th e mere matter of proclaiming ones'- self the author of a book does not argue in favor of a man's competence to conduct the treat- ment of a case of pneumonia or any other case. Begarding the length of time required before recovery takes place in cases of Pneumonia or Inflammation of the Lungs, Dr. Hughes Bennet, Professor of Clinical Medicine in the University of Edinburgh, an Allopathic author of acknowledged abili- ty says " The majority of cases of Pneu- monia of medium intensity recover between the seventh and fourteenth days," and he names the periods of recovery as between the 7th, 14th, and 21st days, and that " the real tests of successful practice are not to be sought for in the relief of symptoms, but in the removal of the disease when it has been established, and that treatment will be the best, which "ceterisparibus" causes fewest deaths and recovery in the shortest time." Now, it is remarkable that " Anti-Hum- bug" in his description of the progress and treatmentof his greatcase of pneumonia,does not give us the rational and physical signs which it must have presented, when at first it was "an important case of pure inflamma- tion of the lungs;" nor those signs, when it 9 was only a case involving "c trifling space at the upper lobe of the right lung," the signs are absent too, when the case " in- vaded nearly the whole of the lung," absent too, when progressing under Dr. Hall's " en- ergetic treatment." Well, in the absence of the rational and physical signs of the spreading of the inflammation from the " trifling space," we must presume that that part of the lung which was not affected with disease when Dr. Bosenstein commenced his treatment became affected with the inflammation in four or five days afterwards, which is a very common occurrence, for it will be found that one portion of the lung, during the progress of Pneumonia, will be manifesting the signs of the first stage of inflammation, viz.: of congestion, while another portion will manifest those of the second stage, or that of Hepatization, and another portion still that of the third stage, or that of Sup- puration. " Anti-Humbug" and Dr. Hall, mast surely have known that fact. If they did, they then took in their fair trial of Homceopathy, undue advantage of Dr. Bo- senstein's ignorance. If they did not know that fact then they were ignorant. But if they knew the fact, and would now make the public believe that it was an un- usual thing for one portion of an organ to be inflamed while another was becoming so, then " Anti-Humbug" attempts to make dupes of the people, it is therefore for " An- ti-Humbug" to be an " eclectic" here in se- lecting either horn of that dilemma upon Which to empale himself. Begarding the progress of disease, Dr. Bennet says: " There was a time when it was supposed that the progress of typhus fever, small pox, and many other diseases which are now always allowed to run their natural course, could be arrested by medical interference, but with regard to them there has been established the principle, 1st of prevention ; 2nd, when this fails, of simply conducting them to a favorable termination, and that every inflammation once formed runs through a definite course." How does this correspond with the snatching of the case from the hands of Dr. Bosenstein ? The question, according to Dr. Bonnet's principles, should have been, how did the " trifling space at the upper part of the right lung" progress ?" In what different state was that small spot of inflammation at the end of the four days treatment of Dr. Bosen- stein ? What were the changes of the ra- tional and physical signs belonging to it, when Dr. Hall plucked the brand from the burning? Why did not "Anti-Humbug" tell us about these things ? When fair play to Homceopathy is first shadowed forth, there is a case of lt pure in- flammation of the lungs." When Homceo- pathy is desired to be made to appear of no value, " this pure inflammation of the lungs" is easily converted into occupying " trifling space of upper lobe of one lung," when "the truly eclectic practice" requires its energetic treatment manifested ; words are ready again, " invasion of whole lung at- tended with serious fears." Such cooking of the case to serve a purpose, Mr. Editor, savors strongly of an •• Uncle Humbug" in the work of describing the most fair case the world has ever seen for that much loved trial of Homceopathy. In order to test fairly the Homoeopathic treatment, a multiplicity of cases are re- quired ; but of any given case, it must be persisted in to the end. It should have been so in that case of Pneumonia, as I shall presently prove. The report of the case of Pneumonia made use of by "Anti-Humbug" for the con- demnation of Homoeopathy, should have been attended with the record of every change of all the symptoms, rational and physical, as the disease progressed under both treatments, to make it of any benefit to us in a practical point of view. The remedies employed by Drs. Bosen- stein and Hall should have been recorded, too, in a case book kept for the purpose, and sanctioned by both parties at the time. Where is this case book ? Give us the record. Every Hospital worthy of the name, in any country, so records its cases, as a merchant records his transactions in his day book, and then every addition or subtraction from the record may be seen, always afterwards. Where, I ask, is the record of this, and other cases, in the Montreal General Hospital ? By the examination and study of such records, of interesting cases, students build for them- selves a basis for Diagnosis and Treatment in after life, and a desire for upholding only that which is true. Without such study and ex- amination, a babit of vague self-conceited as- sertion is engendered while their defenses are loose and wriggling through life. Where is the record, I ask, Mr. Editor ? As a resident of Montreal, upon enquiry, I am ashamed to say, that there has been no record, no case book kept hitherto in the Montreal General Hospital, for the record of symptoms and treatment of cases. There has been no record whatever kept of the cases cited by Anti-Humbug in the Montreal General Hospital. Anti-Humbug says : " It requires a little more than the assertions of fifty years to do away with the accumulated experience of, say two thousand years." " What would the experience of ten thousand years" of such 10 an Hospital practice amouut toT Simply a " rope of sand I" The next cases "Anti-Hum- bug refers to, are some cases of Fever and Ague." Well what was the treatment adopted, and upon what principle? The " apeciac principle." And what is that? " Anti-Humbug" cannot tell. What did Dr. Bosenstein give in this case of Fever and Ague, and how long did it remain in Dr. Hall's hands after Dr. Bosenstein failed? That would require to be known before we can see the superiority of Dr. Hall's treat- ment, perhaj s both methods failed, and any method will fail ultimately in every person's case, at death. " Anti-Humbug" mentions a case which got on as well on milk and water n* the pnient of Dr. Bosenstein. Did tne same case on milk and water not get on better than similar cases under Allopathic treatment? If we are to believe Sir Jjhn Forbes, one of the heads of " Anti- HumbugV style of practice, it ought to have got on better. " Fairer cases than these for testing the value of Homoeopathic treatment could not by any possibility have been selected, and yet that mode of treatment most signally failed," says " Anti-Humbug " I will, now give, to counterpoise these most absurd and unfair cases, some in favor of Homceopathy, and as Anti-Humbug brings forward some cases which occurred under his own cogniz- ance, I will give a few which came under mine. I have had under my treatment in the Homoeopathic Dispensary in this city, a •case of Broncho Pneumonia, and incipient Phthisis, which resisted the treatment of the Montreal General Hospital for nine months. This case recovered, by the 3rd of Bryonia and Phosphorus,—medicines Homceopha- thic to the disease. Another case had been dismissed with- out benefit from the Montreal General Hos- pital,after a long residence and much torture for Articular Rheumatism with metastasis to the Pericardium. vVhen he became my pa- tient in the Dispensary, it took him three hours and a half to walk a mile. He suf- fered excruciatingly over the region of the Heart. Had been burned, physicked, blis- tered, painted with Iodine, &c, Ac, with- out benefit, for a long time in the Montreal General Hospital. * He was cured by a few doses of Aeon and Bell. Another parson who had been for a long period in the Montreal General Hospital, burned, blistered and tortured as usual for disease of heart, complicated with Hydro thorax ascites and general dropsy, was brought to the Homoeopathic Dispensary and cured by a few doses of Aeon, and Digitalis. I had a case of scrofulous opthalmia with ulceration of the cornea,which a medi- cal gentleman of this city pronounced a very serious one. This ulcer was cured in ten days by CilcreaCarb. I had a case of a young woman who had been treated allopathically foramenorrbaji, with lung and liver complications. She had been unable to get out of bed for sev«»n months aDd had been shockingly tor- tured by tho "energetic treatment" ah that time. A few pellets of appropriate Homoeopathic remedios enabled her to come to my office in two weeks. I'have had numerous cases which long resisted allo- pathic or eclectic treatment yet recovered under the Homoeopathic. Let these suffice from my own cases, they will more than counterbalance "Anti-Humbug's" very un- fair cases. Regarding the cases of fever and ague referred to, we know not whether the treat- ment of Dr. Bosenstein was the same as that adopted by Dr. Hall or not. Bleed- ing in the cold stage is now given up, as the great " coup" for it, and specifics are administered by the eclectics orallopathists or empirics,either name will suit. And what are these specifics ? One of the best authors on allopathic materia medica, Nelligan, says of them that they are "agents with the rationale of the remediate modes of action, of which we are unacquainted." They are chosen by allopathists or eclectics, empiri- cally, but it will be found that these specifics act upon the Homoeopathic principle of " Similia Similibus Curentur." For the fair trial of Homoeopathy two cases were elaborately chosen. The inflam- matory case has already been disposed of, but what of the other case of fever and ague which resisted the treatment of Dr. Bosen- stein so long without benefit. " Anti- Humbug" naively neglects to tell us how long it resisted the energetic treatment of Dr. Hall, afterwards. For the fair trial of Homceopathy one case was snatched un- scientifically out of the hands of the experi- menter in its natural progress. In the other case of " fever and ague," the patient snatched himself out of the experimenters hands ; bnt both cases were taken from Dr. Bosenstein before the diseases terminated. It is wonderful to see patients bearing up bravoly under a continuance of torture, allopathically, for long periods, and yet they will become restive in a few days under Homoeopathy. Although non-believers in Homce opathy they expect to be relieved and cured at a moment's notice. Man is certain- ly inconsistent, but 0 how much even these most absurd trials of '< Aati-Uumbug" speak in favor of Homoeopathy, for in " Anti-Hum- bug's" emphatic language, " nothing unfor- 11 tunate issued" from the terrible dereliction of duty of Dr. Hall permitting a Homceo- path to be within the walls of the Hospital. Surely " Anti-Humbug" has mistaken a mole hill for a mountain. If the Medical Faculty connected with the Montreal Gen- eral Hospital, or the governors of the Mon- treal General Hospital have any desire to benefit humanity by giving patients the choice of the Homoeopathic treatment, I will most cheerfully assist them to accom- plish that object. I will shew them not by single cases, but by ample and reliable statistics, that the Homoeopathic method of practice is in accordance with my 4th pos- tulate. I will now give some information from other sources. Dr. Bennett, who from pre- judice or ignorance is opposed to Homceo- pathy, writes the following statement re- garding cases of Pneumonia, which were Been by Dr. George Balfour of Edinburgh. He says,—" very severe cases of Pneumonia were observed in the Homoeopathic Hospi- tal of Yienna, under treatment that no rea- sonable Medical man can suppose to beany- thing else than inert, yet most of these cases got well ?" 1 ask, if it is not reason- able that causes should be judged by the ef- fects produced ? If Homoeopathy is attend- ed with better results than allopathy, is it reasonable to adhere to allopathy for the cure of disease, because Dr. Bennett or " Anti-Humbug," say it is nothing ? Cer- tainly not. According to Dr. Bouth, (Al- lopathic Physician;, the statistics of dis- eases treated Homceopathically and Allo- pathically, are as follows :— Deaths under Homceopathy. Allopathy. Inflammation of the lungs........... 5 in 100 23 in 100 Dysentery........... 3 in 100 22 in 100 Pleurisy............. 3 in 100 13 in 100 Inflammation of the bowels.......... 3 in 100 13 in 100 ASIATIC CHOLERA. According to a document ordered to be printed on the 21st May, 1855, by the House of Commons, and which ought to be in the library of every homceopathist and every philanthropist in the world, the compara- tive death rate during the fearful epidemic of Asiatic Cholera in 1834—and surely it is no trifling disease, nor •' a disease of child- hood"—was under Homoeopathic treatment... 16.4 per 100 Allopathic treatment......59.2 per 100 Although the statistics relating to the treat- ment of Asiatic Cholera at the Homceo pathic Hospital were certified by Dr. Mac- loughlan, Allopathic Physician and Medical Inspector of the General Board of Health, they were suppressed by a joint resolution of Dr. Paris, the President of the Boyal Col- lege of Physicians and other members of the Medical Council. Lord B. Grosvenor (now Lord Ebury), aware that Dr. Macloughlan had inspected the Homoeopathic Hospital in Golden Square, and observing that the statistics of this Hospital were not included in the general returns made to Parliament, moved for copies of the returns that had been rejected by the Medical Council. Tho motion was agreed to by the House of Com- mons, when the above resolution, astound- ing to those who were not previously acquainted with Homoeopathy, was made. Dr. Horner pronounces this proceeding on the part of the Boyal College of Physicians, as a " conspiracy against the truth, and against humanity itself." What can be thought of a profession which suppresses such.facts because they condemn its prac- tice, while its adherents are too prejudiced to test Homoeopathy for themselves? The proceedings of the Medical profes- sion against Homoeopathy, says Dr. Bush, of Philadelphia, is an extraordinary picture of prefatory pamc, vulgar wonder, ignorance, obtrusive vanity, plans for profit and popu- larity, fatal "blunders, distracting contradic- tions, and egregious empiricisms." The mean duration of Disease particularly Inflammation of the lungs, has been stated by Dra. Tessier and Louis of Paris, Dr. Hen- derson, Professor of Pathology, University of Edinburgh, and Dr. Dietle, Allopathic Physician of Yienna, to be as follows :— Treated Homceopathically. Allopathically. Average duration of cases.......... 11J days. 29 days. Expectant system," Anti-Humbug's" milk and water system, 28 days. ALLOPATHY BXPENSiVE. St. Bartholomew's Hospital spends £2,- 600 sterling per annum, in drugs ; 10,816 pints of black draught were administered, and 29,700 leeches applied in one year. To this catalogue must of course be added the gallons of life-blood let out by the lan- cet and the fearful amount of suffering in- flicted by blisters and other external appli- cations—all, it will be observed^nnecessary, nay, far worse than unnecessary. The death rate under Homoeopathy is much less than under Allopathy for the duration of cases curable by both systems, is as 11J for Homceopathy against 29 days for Allopathy. Were the Montreal General Hospital con- verted into a Homoeopathic Hospital, it would be capable of relieving hundreds of patients per annum more than at present- just in the proportion that 11$ days bear to 29 days. The immense amount of real 12 good which would result, if Homoeopathy were adopted instead of Allopathy through- out the world, is almost incalculable. It is in the nature of such a power as Homoeo- pathy to be encroaching, and it surely can- not be called "arrogance" to proclaim boldly what one can defend as being true. " Arrogance? I think, belongs to the procla- mation of error, and " inflation" to the wind bag, which can be easily collapsed. I have To the Editor of the Montreal Transcript. Sir,—With your permission I now pro- ceed to prove, what " Anti-Humbug" has pronounced to be rather " postulates" than reasons. In my last communication the 4th postulate was disposed of, the others will be taken up seriatim. The 1st reason given in fwor of the es- tablishment of a Homoeopathic chair in the Medical Faculty of McGill University was " because Homoeopathy possesses a univer- sal law of cure, and therefore raises the practice of physic to a science." It is a well known circumstance that the medicines chosen by Homoeopathists are chosen for the cure of diseases, because the same medicine when given in a large dose to a healthy indi- vidual will produce symptoms similar to the symptoms of the disease which is to be treated The legal way of proving that Homoeopath- ists select their remedies upon this law of cure, would be to swear a few Homoeopath- ists and obtain their evidence from the wit- ness box; " Anti-Humbug" need not put me to this trouble, I presume. Instead of performing this feat, however, I will give him a few more instances which prove that medicines do act curatively and ac- cording to this law. Hippocrates said : " give a draught from the root of mandrake, in a smaller dose than will induce mania, and it will act curatively on mania." The symptoms which will follow the ad- ministration of a large dose of corrosive sublimate to a healthy person—(says Tay- lor in his Medical Jurisprudence)—will be like those of dysentery, viz : tenesmus and mucous discharges mixed with blood, 4c. In fact inflammation of the stomach and bowels. " Anti-Humbug" does not think of doubting that these symptoms recorded against corrosive sublimate by Taylor are correct. Homoeopathists are all just as well assurad that the same kind of symptoms in disease will cease upon the administration of dynamised doses of corrosive sublimate. The way to prove either is to try. I have abundantly tried it, and have found it trne. Why won't "Anti-Humbug" study the mat- ter, or allow others the privilege of being taught the doctrine of Homceopathy.' ' • thus disposed of postulate No. 4. I hope I have sustained it to "Anti-Humbug's" satis- faction. I shall endeavour in my future communication to sustain the remaining postulates, seriatim, and then draw my deduc- tions. Yours truly, JOHN WANLESS, M.D. Montreal, July 14, 1864. Dr. Groenevelt in 1703 published a little work full of interesting cases of Stranguary —which were cnred by Spanish flies, a medicine which is well known to produce Stranguary In a healthy individual when given in large doses. For the publication of this book, the Boyal College of Physicians of London committed Dr. Groenevelt to Newgate, by the warrant of their own Pre- sident. " Anti-Humbug" assumes a certain form of academical persecution too.—■ As there is a good deal of space to be occupied in proving the other postu- lates, let me be as brief as possible with each. These instances of the law of cure will be sufficient to prove that there is one, and if there can be one case proved that medicines which produce a complaint, if not there, will cure a similar complaint if it be there, then that is sufficient, for nature has never two laws for the accom- plishment of the same object; all her laws are simple and of universal application for accomplishing the end in view. " It therefore raises the practice of physic to a science" is the remaining portion of the " postulate." What is a science ? " Science is knowledge built on principles." The practice of Homoeo- pathy is based and built on the principle here enunciated, that medicines producing similar symptoms in health will cure simi- lar symptoms in disease, the latin formula of which is " similia similibus curentur.'J "Let likes be treated by likes." The 1st postulate is thus established. The 2nd postulate is " Because the ad- ministration of medicines, according to the Homoeopathic law, does not injure any part of the healthy organism." I have proof from " Anti-Humbug" him- self to sustain this postulate, for he saya "that nothing unfortunate issued" fr,om the administration of the homdSepathic treat- ment of his great hospital cases, and the public will know that " one drop of the St. Lawrence" will not injure anyone. No, Anti-Humbug, "nothing unfortunate'eve"r issues" from the homceqpathic treatment to the living organs, their homcepathic powers do not lie in the direction of injuring organs, ^r»^LTH"K-. 13 they are only powerful to cure. But I know myself the difficulty of understand- ing this tact, rnd I can sympathise with Anti-Humbug when he looks at the power of medicines from an allopathic point oi view, from which we can never see a cur- ative means established but through the telescope of a purgative, diaphoretic, an iodine painting, a moxa, &c. This estab- lishes the second postulate. The 3rd postulate " Because the properly seleoted homoeopathic remedy acts curative- ly on the disease itself and removes it (when curative means are possible with men)." Every material in nature is known by its properties. The Ipecac, the Cantharides, Mercurius Corrosivus,—are known by their properties, and the effects resulting from the administration of these properties, are likewise known. The proof that disease exists, is that the symptoms of the disease are present. Headache attended with Bilious Yomiting, &c.,&c, are symptoms of a dynamic disease of the Stomach or Head. Ipecac will produce a similar disease of the Stomach or Head. How is that known ? Because Ipecac will produce Headache, at tended with Bilious Yomiting, &c, &c, when given in a large dose to a healthy in- dividual. A dynamised dose of Ipecac will cure, " Headache attended with Bilious Yomiting, &c." How do we know that? In the same way that we know any other fact. When a person who is suffering from " Headache attended with Bilious Yomiting, Ac," receives a dynamised dose of Ipecca, immediately after he will have no more Headache, Vomiting, Ac. This is the proof that the Ipecac acts on the disease it- self, and removes it. I have been convinc- ed of the test hundreds of times, and so may any one who will try, as Homoeo- pathists do. There have been no signs of any other organs becoming affected in an abnormal way by the administration of the dynamised dose of Ipecac. We therefore conclude that Ipecac has only acted on the disease of " Headache attended with Bilious Vomiting, &c , Ac," and has removed it. And as with Ipecac so with all the other Homoeopathic remedies. Facts again there- fore sustain postulate 3rd. Postulate 4 was sustained in my last letter. 5th Postulate. " Because Homoeopathic Medicine can almost always be administer- ed easily and without repugnance to all classes of Patients and under all conditions." If a person has had his brain concussed, or is in a state of Epilepsy, Apoplexy, &c, his mouth may be rigidly closed, yet a few pellets of the homoeopathic remedies may be always introduced between the lips, and ab- sorption will take place as well from the moistened mucous surface as if the pa- tient had swallowed the medicine. How re- pugnant are the nauseous doses of allopathy to all, especially to children. Often have I seen the noses of little children held tight, so that tbey would have to breathe through the mouth, while forced to swallow the horrid stuff which the stom- ach will likewise do its best to cast out, by its own instinctive action. In fact every organ struggles to rid itself of these nau- seous, often destructive materials, and it is this casting forth of the medicine, by these violent efforts, that is actually looked upon by many as a curative process. But this, my, fifth postulate surely no one would think of disputing. 6th postulate, " Because the sick room during the treatment of the patient may be always kept free from appearances of blood and other repulsive and filthy results of Al- lopathic treatment." Surely this does not require to be established. Just visit a pa- tient under Homoeopathic treatment, suffer- ing from a similar disease, treated by Allo- pathy, and all this will be apparent. The haggard countenance under Allopathy from the narcotic, the uncomfortable result of leeches, the writhings from the dressings of blistered surfaces and other methods of torture, the prostration, &c, from purgation and diuresis, salivation, &c, &c, all these fire absent with Homoeopathic treatment ; the patient is calm and collected, free from torture, recovers rapidly, and looks cheer- ful ; and even should death terminate the scene occasionally that last act of life may even taste of its pleasures. 7th. "Because the study of the practice of physic according to the doctrines and teachings of Homoeopathy can be demon- stated to be a philosophical study which becomes more and more interesting at every step of progress, and is worthy the profound- est scholar, the most capacious intellect, and the purest christian." Lord Brougham defines philosophy as follows : " He who in whatever situation his lot may be cast, prefers the refined and elevating pleasures of knowledge to the low gratifications of the senses, richly de- serves the name of philosopher or lover of wisdom." Galileo, Hervey, and others, although persecuted, and set down as fools, must have felt a higher gratification in prosecut- ing the truth than their enemies did in per- secuting it, while the latter would not in- vestigate for themselves. Homoeopathists, especially those who have been Allopaths, as I have been myself, feel that it is an ex- tension of their wisdom to know the powers of the Homoeopathic remedies, which they had spurned and contemned before. And certainly it causes any man to become more 14 and more a lover of wisdom, when there is revealed at every step of research, powers in nature hitherto unknown to him. All that Homceopatbists wish is, that Allopathists would study the system and try it, and set aside their notion of the incredibility of it. We have nothing to do with incredibility in progress, for much of our knowledge was incred ble a priori, we never would have had any improvement in any science if we bad stopped our progress by tbe stupid cry of •incredibility. Such cries are almost always made in ig- norance, for those who make them have bestowed no study upon the subject Again, "Anti-Humbug's" " grain of common sense," which is to be sufficient to resist the belief of a fact, is just as wiBe as the Academicians, who when applied to by tbe 1st Napoleon to ascertain if concen- trated steam, according to Fulton's process, could propel a vessel, it is said that "they replied by a burst of Olympic laughter, and kept back the clock of civili- zation for a quarter of a century " It must certainly be a philosophical study to dis- cover that there a^e powers in nature, even in tbe minute divisability of matter, which will cure diseases, according to a law, bet- ter than by other methods, as, see statis- tical tables. Surely the study of such powers, multiplying at every step of our in- vestigation, will bo interesting, just in the ratio of our advancement. Homoeopathy has to do with the gernu of disease,—the first vital departure from health in any tissue. These vital, local or general, in- B'incts, whether normal or abnormal, must be profound, and can only be reached by a profound curative agent, which will induce these instincts, when abnormal, to return to their normal condition. And what remedyis so likelyto affect these instincts as one which is known to act on them exclusively ; for, as we have shown, the Homoeopathic Drug in large doses will produce similar symptoms to the disease which it is chosen to remedy. Consequent- ly these remedies (when the diseased symp- toms abate after their use)must have induced the cause of these symptoms, or abnormal vital processes, to return again to their nor- mal condition. Disease is looked upon as a vital thing by Homoejpathists : not a crude entity, or t-imour, or inflammation ; these are only the effects of the abnormal vital cause : and what more worthy a profound Scholar and intelligent Christian than to trace out life in its action through organ- ism. Let this suffice f r the 7th postulate 8 h. " Because *.be most intellectual and experienced of the Allopathic school have in their honesty acknowledged that Allo- pathy is a delusion and a snare in the treat- ment of Dynamic Diseases." To prove this Postulate, I will simply quote from a few of the eminent Physicians of the Allopathic school. Sir John Forbes, Physician to our beloved Queen, regarding the " energetic treatment of Allopathists," Bays,__"That evidence shows not bimply the power of nature to overcome disease, but to overcome this and the artificial dis- ease superadded by the energetic ignorance of tbe practitioner" Again be says—" 1 have indeed no doubt that a portion of the deaths which supervene to disease treated by art, are the direct produce of that art." Sir Astley Cooper said, " that the science of medicine was founded in conjecture and improved by murder." Dr. Beid 6ays, "more infantile subjects are perhaps destroyed by the pestle and mortar, than in ancient Bethlehem fell vic- tims to the Herodian Massacre." Dr. Dickson says, " So far as my experi- ence goes, few people are permitted to die of disease, the orthodox fashion is to die of the Doctor." Keiper said " in most cases the proverb is true, that the remedy is worse than the disease, and the Doctor more dangerous than the disorder. Huff- land said, " my opinion is that more harm than good is done by physicians." Boerhoeve said "that it would have been infinitely better if medical men had never existed." Dr. Lane said, " allopathic treatment is unquestionably an evil pregnant with re- Bults inferior only to the original complaint, in its damaging effects on tbe constitution." Surely that is enough to prove my 8th postulate. 9th postulate will be generally acknow- ledged as a fact; I will simply state it: " Because tbe most proper time to learn the different methods of practice is during youth, for it is a well-known fact that in the advanced years of life it is one of the most difficult duties of even a rational man to unlearn that which he learned as truth (although error) in his younger years, and that in 99 cases out of a 100, old men are found condemning that which they do not know, rather than spend the necessary time in investigating the truth. 10th postulate is a well known fact, " be- cause Homceopathy experiments only on healthy persons, and not on the sick." However, I may mention, that the Materia Medica of Homoeopathists Is simply a re- cord of the symptoms produced by the crude medicine in healthy persons,and the facts re- corded by Medical Jurists are very valuable to the Homoeopathists, when they show the direction of the actions of the various poi- sons in the healthy organism. When the symptoms of a disease are similar to those 15 >roduced on an healthy individual by a •oison, we may be sure that that poison lynamised bo as not to do harm, will act :uratively in a small dose on the scources of be symptoms. The symptoms of tne lisease are similar to the symptoms >f the poison, we say therefore the scources >f these symptoms are similar. The cause >f the abnormal tissue is a vital disturbance, t is the disease, and is a subtle thing. The antidote must necessarily be a subtle ;hing too. The criterion lor the selection }f the remedy, was proved on the healthy individual in the Homoeopathic practice, but in Allopathy the experiment to prove :he effect of the medicine is on the sick, and we have already seen what the results of these experiments are. 11th postulate. " B» cause Homoeopathy does away with the absurd, and heterogene- ous prescriptions of Physicians which oiten contain dozens of different and nauseous materials, calculated to disturb tbe princi- ples of nature, and to fight against each other in the dark—and which leave too fre- quently their unexpelled detritus to injure tbe living machinery for life." When it is true that every medicinal substance if tested on the living machinery, produces ^its own peculiar set of actions there, it will be found that one medicinal substance will act on one part of tissue, another will pro- duce disturbance in another special part of tissue, a third, fourth and so on up to doz- ens, all acting in different directions ; and these selected and administered empirically are found to disturb the vital processes in- stead of inducing them to return to their normal condition. Begarding the unex- pelled detritus of those crude Allopathic aoses referred to in this postulate I may re- mark that when so much Gamboge, Aloes, Calomel, et hoc genus omne has been and is given to individuals in disease, the in- stincts of the stomach and bowels may be, as it were, seduced into permitting iheir absorption into the circulating system by which, they are carried to all parts of the body. Those crude medicinal substances not being possessed of any element calculated to build up. wasted tissue, can never be made to assume the form of living cells ; they are therefore always driven on through the organs unassimllated, causing function- al disturbance, and tbe further such detritus is carried the more is the difficulty of ex- pulsion ; hence the reason why so much Mercury, Gamboge, Ac, Ac, have been found in the very bones many years after they have, been administered, thereby in- juring the living machinery for life. There is no doubt that the instincts of the stomach and bowels have better per- ceptions as to what is good for the body than the physician who administers such trash, but these instincts may be considered to be often somewhat off their guard by the effects of disease in tbe general system, and in consequence the evil things are allowed to pass muster when they should have been at once expelled as intruders having dam- aging properties. When Spanish flies are applied In large quantities to a raw surface of the skin, the bladder and other internal organs will be selected as its sphere of poisonous action. When we have bags of serum thrown out beneath the Epidermis upon the application of a fly blister, it is just an exemplification of the instincts of a part (when forced to self-defence) acting conservatively, so ab to have the least injury dune to the whole machinery. In the administration of the great majority of the Allopathic drugs, the thing accomplished is simply a teasing and torturing of the instincts ot tissues, which might be better employed in the endeavour to remove the disease from the system, in accordance with natures laws. It is said that Homoeopathic patients re- quire much faith to believe in the powers of Homoeopathic drugs,—to my mind now, it requires a greater amount of faith on the part of Allopathic patients to believe in the curative powers of materials which are so well proven to make one sick, and to be at- tended with such undesirable effects as have been alluded to in these communications. 12th postulate. "Because Homoeopathy does not pander to the depraved tastes of many people who require for their money, bulk of colouring matter, and a taste of something that bites, before they can be- lieve a cure of their diseases possible." How often do medical men see indivi- duals who would pay cheerfully for a big bottleful of nauseous substances which when taken will really sicken them, and the more it sickens them, the more will their faith be increased as to its powers of healing, and the more they are hurt by the drugs, the more skilful the Dr. is thought to be who prescribes them: and this is called "common sense." It will be apparent to all that this postulate will be granted. 13th postulate. "Because it is well known that young medical students would attend Homoeopathic lectures on the prac- tice of physic in large numbers, if they were allowed to do so by the faculty of medicine, before whom at present they might be afraid at their examination for their degree." It is a well known fact that various Uni- versities and Colleges have denounced Homoeopathists, and rejected Students and applicants for their degrees and diplomas, and have passed resolutions forbiddisg their 16 members to hold any professional inter- course with those who adopt this system of Practising Medicine, and this act of authority is exercised against all Homcoopa- thiFts,without ever having studied the sub- ject as a branch of natural knowledge found- ed upon observed facts. By this means,many young men of an enquiring disposition are prevented from acknowledging their desire to become acquainted with Homoeopathy, not a few of whom are Medical Students of McGill College. The Boyal College of Surgeons of Eng- land, however, fiods that " it is not expedi- ent to interfere in this matter," and it is to be hoped that McGill College will not only follow that example, but go beyond it in e^Hishing a chair for the teaching of H^Pf >pathy, as I have endeavoured to prove they should do. 14th Postulate. " Because Homceopathy will often cure diseased states which are considered incurable by ordinary practice." I have already given evidence in this correspondence that this is a fact, and it would be useless to multiply cases. "Anti-Humbug" in his first letter states that "Homceopathy" brings to his assistance 14 reasons in support of his position, but logically speaking they are not reasons but rather postulates, which, if granted, the truly eclectic practice of the present day would tumble and totter to the ground. But there is little chance of that taking place, so long as one grain of common sense remains existant in the community. It is true that every and any innovation upon tried usages will find its supporters for the time being, the new fangled notion but to be discarded in Its turn with those which preceed it." It will be necessary for me to state to the public what this. " electic practice of the present day" is of which " Anti-Humbug " seems to be a disciple. The celebrated Broussais said with his biting irony, "tbe eclectics are always men of superior merit; theyare never mistaken in the choice they make among the different sects, and to be on theh list is to be infal- lible. This 1b, I hope, a fine dose of presump- tion. What do you think of it, gentlemen of the eclectic school ? Could you succeed bet- ter if you wished, to prove that medicine is only a map of traditions, both true and false, of precepts both 'good and bad, -of practioes.both useful-and dangerous and consequently not wortny of a place in the rank of sciences ? It appears, to me. that to Bay we are eclectics, is to decla/e there" is no sound doctrine, that all the Professors have erred in a great many particulars, and that <> we" are the only ones among all physicians past and present who are never mistaken." Can "Anti-Humbug" be an eclectic after that? Does eclecticism begin to "totter V Not yet, says "Anti-Humbug ;w «n$t while one grain of common sense remains existant in the comm unity." I will admit that com- mon sense is plentiful and powerful, but I deny that there is as much as "a grain" of it in the whole community. This is only a postulate given by "Anti-Humbug" to prevent his edifice from tumbling* I assert that there is not the millionth partof a grain in weight, or anything like it, in all the com- munity. •' Anti-Humbug" may be so fond of big doses, that he would prescribe a bigger dose than there is existing. If there is not a whole grain of common sense existant in the community, eclecticism must fall. Did -" Anti-Humbug" ever see weighed in a pair of apothecaries' scales the 20th part of a scruple of " common sense." He never did, and never will, for however powerful com- mon sense may be, it is an infi nitismal Ho- moeopathic remedy which, according to "Anti-Humbug," should have no power, and could not therefore prevent his eclecticism from falling. " Anti-Humbug's agreement was " that if my postulates were granted the truly eclec- tic system of the present day would tumble and totter to the ground." There being no proof that there is a grain of common sense in the community, and I apprehend there will be no difficulty in granting that my postulates have been sustained, I therefore call upon "Anti-Humbug" to permit his truly eclectic system, after its tottering, to tumble to the ground. And, moreover, it is the part of infinitismal Homoeopathic and powerful common sense to allow the thing to tumble. This fully proven Homoeopathic scientific system of practising physic should be hail- ed by McGill College and the Governors of the Montreal General Hospital as a great boon to tbe community, and a harbinger of better times to suffering hu- manity all over the world. Like all other systems built upon truth, and which have made their way against dominant interests,. Homceopathy has outlived and will continue to outlive the sneer of the Ignorant.— Homoeopathy has its basis upon a roof, and can well afford to withstand the raging bil- lows of persecution, enmity and insult, with . which it has to contend. Homceopathy does not -wish to find fault with the men who still cling to a worn out and dangetous .sys- tem, it is merely desirous that the be'tter system should be studied, and the worse one left behind. , I am, Sir," yours truly, JOHN WANLESS, M.D. . Montreal, July 29, 1864. I •