An answer to the homoeopathic delusions of Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes / by Charles Neidhard.

  • Neidhard, C. (Charles), 1809-1895.
Date:
1842
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An answer to the homoeopathic delusions of Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes / by Charles Neidhard. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    EXAMINATION OF DR. OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES' DELUSIONS. After Professor Wood of Philadelphia had with a warn- ing voice admonished his students not to give way to the hallucinations of Homoeopathy, Professor Payne of New York had aimed a direct blow at the science ; Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes of Boston has now also lifted his lance against that popular delusion Homoeopathy, considering it no more than an act of humanity to give it an examina- tion. His book consists of two lectures, the first of which com- prises four subjects, viz : 1. The Royal cure of the King's Evil, or Scrofula. 2. The weapon ointment and its twin absurdity, the sym- pathetic powder. 3. The Tarwater mania of Bishop Berkeley. 4. The history of the Metallic Tractors, or Perkinism. We do not feel ourselves called upon to dwell here on these delusions, or to decipher whatever of truth or falsehood may be found in them, but must confine ourselves to the second lecture, where he treats of Homoeopathy exclusively. Homoeopathy was first practiced in America, some ten or fifteen years ago, but excited no general attention until within the last five or six years. At that time many Ameri- can physicians in New York, Philadelphia, and other places, investigated the subject and became converts. The great majority of American physicians, however, merely treated the whole subject as eminently ridiculous, and not worthy of serious investigation. When this mode of action had become t{0L378