An inquiry into the homoeopathic practice of medicine / By William Henderson.

  • Henderson, William, 1810-1872
Date:
1846
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An inquiry into the homoeopathic practice of medicine / By William Henderson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    160/166 (page 154)
    151 SIMM All V. gard to many of the chronic cases, the previous history and duration of them should he considered. If, down to a particular date, they have, for months, or years, continued unmitigated, and have had a certain character, 1 do not see how it can be justly maintained, that the favourable changes witnessed in a few days, or a few weeks, after that date, and the commencement of homoeopathic treat- ment, can be considered accidental in so large a proportion of cases. If it were possible that such an average could be fortuitous, there would be an end, in my opinion, to everything like probability—not to mention certainty—in the practice of medicine. Doubtless, some of the cases may have improved inde- pendently of the means employed; but, for the reasons given, these cannot be supposed to form a very considera- ble proportion of tin* whole ; or, at least, so large a pro- portion as not to leave many in which the effects may be fairly claimed by the remedies which were used. Among * » the unsuccessful cases, seven were treated in the common way, either before or after the homoeopathic method was tried, yet without advantage. The failure, therefore, be- longs equally to both modes of treatment. In four, at least, of the rest, the common practice would, 1 doubt not, have been equally foiled. It may be worthy of consideration, that a very con- siderable number of the successful cases had been treated in the ordinary way. by respectable and intelligent prac- titioners for the most part, without having experienced relief. It is often said, that the benefits of Homoeopathy flow mainly from the omission of medicine altogether, of which the system is supposed by its opponents in reality to consist. This opinion had better be reconsidered, if it lead to the practical inference, as I think it does, that some SO or 00 per cent, of the patients who employ medical practitioners, would be better olf without them. Lastly, 1 would observe, that a very considerable num- ber of the successful cases were of a kind which the ex- perienced practitioner knows well to yield, when they do so at all, with difficulty, and only after a very long period of treatment, to the ordinary means; and that some of * them, though not of a fatal tendency, are rarely curable by tilt' latter. Area st. Is 15.