Homœopathy. Letter / of J. Silk Buckingham, Esq., to the "British Banner.".

  • Buckingham, James Silk, 1786-1855.
Date:
[1850?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Homœopathy. Letter / of J. Silk Buckingham, Esq., to the "British Banner.". Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    HOMEOPATHY. Letter of J. SILK BUCKINGHAM, Ksq., to the “ Br it ish Banner A Sir,—I have read with the deepest interest your able and impartial article' on Homoeopathy, in the last number of your widely-extended and deservedly influential Journal; and, seeing the manner in which the opponents of this system exert every nerve to destroy its credit, and thus to obstruct its progress among mankind, I feel it a solemn duty, as one of the many thousands who have derived unspeakable benefits from its use, to endeavour to neutralize these attempts of its enemies, by briefly describing the facts of which I have myself been the subject, as well as what I have witnessed in others ; in the hope that by so doing the cause of truth in science, and of humanity in the abatement of disease and suffering, may be in some degree promoted by such a course. rTn the year 1830 I happened to be with my family at Paris, and there met the late Dr. John Dorthwick Gilchrist, the well-known Oriental linguist, and Professor of Eastern Languages, for many years engaged in preparing pupils in Hindustannee for the East India Company’s service. He was then border¬ ing on seventy years of age; but, after a long and active life, remarkably free from illness, he had become the victim of some disease which rapidly exhausted his strength, reduced his size, and brought him to such a state of imbecility, that he was in his second childhood: his eyes protruding, his under lip fallen, his hands tremulous and paralyzed, and his memory and consciousness so obscured that he could recognise no one except his affectionate wife, whose attention was such that she scarcely ever left his presence. During all the period of his suffering, the best medical advice that money could procure, in London and in Paris, was had for him, but all without avail; and when, with some difficulty, he was removed to Brussels, we expected that the next intel¬ ligence v e should receive of him would be that of his death. About six months after this, in the spring of 1831, while walking in Picca¬ dilly, near the doctor’s usual residence in Clarges-street, I met, with as much astonishment as pleasure, the same Dr. Gilchrist, walking erect, with firm and healthy step, his person filled out to his former size, and his whole aspect more full of strength, activity, and vigour, than I had ever before seen in his best days,—for I had known him several years before his illness. In accosting him, I expressed my surprise and delight, and asked him to what cause was to be attributed his almost miraculous resurrection, from what appeared to us the brink of the grave, to his present happy condition? He replied, that when at Brussels he had been placed under the homoeopathic treatment by a physician there, and his recovery was as rapid as it was effectual, astonishing all his friends as well as himself. He asked me if I had ever read anything on the subject of this new system, to which I replied in the negative; when he told me that he felt so grateful for his cure that he had determined to write a pamphlet on his case, which he afterwards sent me, and which I read with deep interest; but I regret to say, that, in my frequent wanderings since then, this pamphlet has been lost; and I cannot, therefore, refer to it for any details. In 1837, on resigning my seat in parliament, I made a visit to the United States of America, for the double purpose of giving my Lectures on the Coun¬ tries of the Oriental World, and acquiring all the information I could respect¬ ing the institutions and condition of the Great Bepublic. We landed in Hew York in October; and, my public labours commencing immediately, they were followed up se incessantly, that the continued excitement of the throat j from