Homœopathy, allopathy, and "young physic" / By John Forbes.

  • Forbes, John, Sir, 1787-1861.
Date:
1846
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Homœopathy, allopathy, and "young physic" / By John Forbes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    the arm (mit 10 Arm-Schlagen.*) One grain of the powder of the third or millionth attenuation being placed in a phial, a hundred drops (or one-half) of the diluted alcohol is poured upon it, the stoppered phial is then turned slowly round on its axis (urn seine Axe langsam gedrehet) for some minutes, until the powder is dissolved, and then twice shaken. The next dilution or attenuation is formed, by adding one drop of the preceding to ninety-nine drops of pure alcohol, and giving the phial containing these, two shakes. The next attenuation is formed precisely in the same manner, by add- ing one drop of the preceding solution to ninety-nine drops of alcohol, and consummating the union by the same double arm-shaking. And all the higher dilutions are obtained ex- actly in the same way, one drop of the immediate predeces- sor constituting the hundredth part of its successor. The shakings must be of moderate force, and in order that they may be uniform, the phials must be of such a size as to be exactly two-thirds filled by the liquid. Finally, in order to fit the medicines for actual administra- tion, fine globules of sugar of milk are prepared, (as near as possible of the same size, and about that of a poppy seed,) two hundred of which weigh one grain or thereabouts. These globules are all moistened with the proper attenuation, by be- ing touched by the moistened stopper of the phial containing it, and are themselves preserved dry in stoppered phials, ready for being swallowed in such numbers as are pre- scribed.! We cannot find in Hahnemann’s writings any explanation of or reason for the precise and peculiar mode and amount of the manipulations prescribed. He, however, gives in many places reasons why, or, at least, analogical illustrations how, it may result, that the rubbings and shakings, added to the infinitesimal subdivision, may confer on the substances oper- ated on, the new properties ascribed to them, the acquisition of which he admits to be almost miraculous, and conferring on homoeopathy, and especially on himself, for having made the discovery, no slight honour and glory.± In proof of this he instances the solubility of substances in * This is the direction in the text, but in a note the author says, that, for seve- ral years past he has employed only two shakings instead of ten (ein zweirnaliges Schiitteln mit zwei Arm-Schlagen statt des Zehnmaligen,) having been con- vinced by many comparative trials on the sick that the lesser number is not only sufficient but preferable. He adds though not very intelligibly, that two shakes develop as great an amount (Menge) of medicinal power, though in a lower de- gree (nicht in so hohem Grade.) (Band ii., s. 10 ) t Kronischen Krankheiten, b. ii., pp. 5-11. $ Ibid., b. ii., s. 1, 2.