medical essays-第11节

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ed　an　instant　and　rubbed　six　minutes；again　to　be　scraped　together　four　minutes　and　forcibly　rubbed　six；　once　more　scraped　together　for　four　minutes；　when　the　last　third　of　the　hundred　grains　of　sugar　of　milk　is　to　be　added　and　mingled　by　stirring　with　the　spatula；　six　minutes　of　forcible　rubbing；　four　of　scraping　together；　and　six　more　（positively　the　last　six）　of　rubbing；　finish　this　part　of　the　process。

Every　grain　of　this　powder　contains　the　hundredth　of　a　grain　of　the　medicinal　substance　mingled　with　the　sugar　of　milk。　　If；　therefore；　a　grain　of　the　powder　just　prepared　is　mingled　with　another　hundred　grains　of　sugar　of　milk；　and　the　process　just　described　repeated；　we　shall　have　a　powder　of　which　every　grain　contains　the　hundredth　of　the　hundredth；　or　the　ten　thousandth　part　of　a　grain　of　the　medicinal　substance。　　Repeat　the　same　process　with　the　same　quantity　of　fresh　sugar　of　milk；　and　every　grain　of　your　powder　will　contain　the　millionth　of　a　grain　of　the　medicinal　substance。　　When　the　powder　is　of　this　strength；　it　is　ready　to　employ　in　the　further　solutions　and　dilutions　to　be　made　use　of　in　practice。

A　grain　of　the　powder　is　to　be　taken；　a　hundred　drops　of　alcohol　are　to　be　poured　on　it；　the　vial　is　to　be　slowly　turned　for　a　few　minutes；　until　the　powder　is　dissolved；　and　two　shakes　are　to　be　given　to　it。　　On　this　point　I　will　quote　Hahnemann's　own　words。　〃A　long　experience　and　multiplied　observations　upon　the　sick　lead　me　within　the　last　few　years　to　prefer　giving　only　two　shakes　to　medicinal　liquids；　whereas　I　formerly　used　to　give　ten。〃　　The　process　of　dilution　is　carried　on　in　the　same　way　as　the　attenuation　of　the　powder　was　done；　each　successive　dilution　with　alcohol　reducing　the　medicine　to　a　hundredth　part　of　the　quantity　of　that　which　preceded　it。　　In　this　way　the　dilution　of　the　original　millionth　of　a　grain　of　medicine　contained　in　the　grain　of　powder　operated　on　is　carried　successively　to　the　billionth；　trillionth；　quadrillionth；　quintillionth；　and　very　often　much　higher　fractional　divisions。　　A　dose　of　any　of　these　medicines　is　a　minute　fraction　of　a　drop；　obtained　by　moistening　with　them　one　or　more　little　globules　of　sugar；　of　which　Hahnemann　says　it　takes　about　two　hundred　to　weigh　a　grain。

As　an　instance　of　the　strength　of　the　medicines　prescribed　by　Hahnemann；　I　will　mention　carbonate　of　lime。　　He　does　not　employ　common　chalk；　but　prefers　a　little　portion　of　the　friable　part　of　an　oystershell。　　Of　this　substance；　carried　to　the　sextillionth　degree；　so　much　as　one　or　two　globules　of　the　size　mentioned　can　convey　is　a　common　dose。　　But　for　persons　of　very　delicate　nerves　it　is　proper　that　the　dilution　should　be　carried　to　the　decillionth　degree。　　That　is；　an　important　medicinal　effect　is　to　be　expected　from　the　two　hundredth　or　hundredth　part　of　the　millionth　of　the　millionth　of　the　millionth　of　the　millionth　of　the　millionth　of　the　millionth　of　the　millionth　of　the　millionth　of　the　millionth　of　the　millionth　of　a　grain　of　oyster…shell。　　This　is　only　the　tenth　degree　of　potency；　but　some　of　his　disciples　profess　to　have　obtained　palpable　effects　from　much　higher　dilutions。〃

The　third　great　doctrine　of　Hahnemann　is　the　following。　　Seven　eighths　at　least　of　all　chronic　diseases　are　produced　by　the　existence　in　the　system　of　that　infectious　disorder　known　in　the　language　of　science　by　the　appellation　of　PSORA；　but　to　the　less　refined　portion　of　the　community　by　the　name　of　ITCH。　　In　the　words　of　Hahnemann's　〃Organon；〃　　〃This　Psora　is　the　sole　true　and　fundamental　cause　that　produces　all　the　other　countless　forms　of　disease；　which；　under　the　names　of　nervous　debility；　hysteria；　hypochondriasis；　insanity；　melancholy；　idiocy；　madness；　epilepsy；　and　spasms　of　all　kinds；　softening　of　the　bones；　or　rickets；　scoliosis　and　cyphosis；　caries；　cancer；　fungua　haematodes；　gout；yellow　jaundice　and　cyanosis；　dropsy；

＇〃The　degrees　of　DILUTION　must　not　be　confounded　with　those　of　POTENCY。　　Their　relations　may　be　seen　by　this　table：

lst　dilution；One　hundredth　of　a　drop　or　grain。

2d　　　　　　　〃　　　　　　One　ten　thousandth。

3d　　　　　　　〃　　　　　　One　millionth；　marked　I。

4th　　　　　　〃　　　　　　One　hundred　millionth。

5th　　　　　　〃　　　　　　One　ten　thousand　millionth。

6th　　　　　　〃　　　　　　One　million　millionth；　or　one　billionth；　marked　II。

7th　　　　　　〃　　　　　　One　hundred　billionth。

8th　　　　　　〃　　　　　　One　ten　thousand　billionth。

9th　　　　　　〃　　　　　　One　million　billionth；　or　one　trillionth；　marked　III。

10th　　　　　〃　　　　　　One　hundred　trillionth。

11th　　　　　〃　　　　　　One　ten　thousand　trillionth。

12th　　　　　〃　　　　　　One　million　trillionth；　or　one　quadrillionth；　marked　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　IV。；and　so　on　indefinitely。


The　large　figures　denote　the　degrees　of　POTENCY。＇



gastralgia；　epistaxis；　haemoptysis；asthma　and　suppuration　of　the　lungs；megrim；　deafness；　cataract　and　amaurosis；paralysis；　loss　of　sense；　pains　of　every　kind；　etc。；　appear　in　our　pathology　as　so　many　peculiar；　distinct；　and　independent　diseases。〃

For　the　last　three　centuries；　if　the　same　authority　may　be　trusted；　under　the　influence　of　the　more　refined　personal　habits　which　have　prevailed；　and　the　application　of　various　external　remedies　which　repel　the　affection　from　the　skin；　Psora　has　revealed　itself　in　these　numerous　forms　of　internal　disease；　instead　of　appearing；　as　in　former　periods；　under　the　aspect　of　an　external　malady。

These　are　the　three　cardinal　doctrines　of　Hahnemann；　as　laid　down　in　those　standard　works　of　Homoeopathy；　the　〃Organon〃　and　the　〃Treatise　on　Chronic　Diseases。〃

Several　other　principles　may　be　added；　upon　all　of　which　he　insists　with　great　force；　and　which　are　very　generally　received　by　his　disciples。

1。　　Very　little　power　is　allowed　to　the　curative　efforts　of　nature。　Hahnemann　goes　so　far　as　to　say　that　no　one　has　ever　seen　the　simple　efforts　of　nature　effect　the　durable　recovery　of　a　patient　from　a　chronic　disease。　　In　general；　the　Homoeopathist　calls　every　recovery　which　happens　under　his　treatment　a　cure。

2。　　Every　medicinal　substance　must　be　administered　in　a　state　of　the　most　perfect　purity；　and　uncombined　with　any　other。　　The　union　of　several　remedies　in　a　single　prescription　destroys　its　utility；　and；　according　to　the　〃Organon；〃　frequently　adds　a　new　disease。

3。　　A　large　number　of　substances　commonly　thought　to　be　inert　develop　great　medicinal　powers　when　prepared　in　the　manner　already　described；　and　a　great　proportion　of　them　are　ascertained　to　have　specific　antidotes　in　case　their　excessive　effects　require　to　be　neutralized。

4。　　Diseases　should　be　recognized；　as　far　as　possible；　not　by　any　of　the　common　names　imposed　upon　them；　as　fever　or　epilepsy；　but　as　individual　collections　of　symptoms；　each　of　which　differs　from　every　other　collection。

5。　　The　symptoms　of　any　complaint　must　be　described　with　the　most　minute　exactness；　and　so　far　as　possible　in　the　patient's　own　words。　To　illustrate　the　kind　of　circumstances　the　patient　is　expected　to　record；　I　will　mention　one　or　two　from　the　313th　page　of　the　〃Treatise　on　Chronic　Diseases；〃being　the　first　one　at　which　I　opened　accidentally。

〃After　dinner；　disposition　to　sleep；　the　patient　winks。〃

〃After　dinner；　prostration　and　feeling　of　weakness　（nine　days　after　taking　the　remedy）。〃

This　remedy　was　that　same　oyster…shell　which　is　to　be　prescribed　〃fractions　of　the　sextillionth　or　decillionth　degree。　　According　to　Hahnemann；　the　action　of　a　single　dose　of　the　size　mentioned　does　not　fully　display　itself　in　some　cases　until　twenty…four　or　even　thirty　days　after　it　is　taken；　and　in　such　instances　has　not　exhausted　its　good　effects　until　towards　the　fortieth　or　fiftieth　day；before　which　time　it　would　be　absurd　and　injurious　to　administer　a　new　remedy。

So　much　for　the　doctrines　of　Hahnemann；　which　have　been　stated　without　comment；　or　exaggeration　of　any　of　their　features；　very　much　as　any　adherent　of　his　opinions　might　have　stated　them；　if　obliged　to　compress　them　into　so　narrow　a　space。

Does　Hahnemann　himself　represent　Homoeopathy　as　it　now　exists？　　He　certainly　ought　to　be　its　best　representative；　after　having　created　it；　and　devoted　his　life　to　it　for　half　a　century。　　He　is　spoken　of　as　the　great　physician　of　the　time；　in　most；　if　not　all　Homoeopathic　works。　　If　he　is　not　authority　on　the　subject　of　his　own　doctrines；　who　is？　　So　far　as　I　am　aware；　not　one　tangible　discovery　in　the　so…called　science　has　ever　been　ascribed　to　any　other　observer；　at　least；　no　general　principle　or　law；　of　consequence　enough　to　claim　any　prominence　in　Homoeopathic　works；　has　ever　been　pretended　to　have　originated　with　any　of　his　illustrious　disciples。　　He　is　one　of　the　only　two　Homoeopathic　writers　with　whom；　as　I　shall　mention；　the　Paris　publisher　will　have　anything　to　do　upon　his　own　account。　　The　other　is　Jahr；　whose　Manual　is　little　more　than　a　catalogue　of　symptoms　and　remedies。　　If　any　persons　choose　to　reject　Hahnemann　as　not　in　the　main　representing　Homoeopathy；　if　they　strike　at　his　authority；　if　they　wink　out　of　sight　his　deliberate　and　formally　announced　results；　it　is　an　act　of　suicidal　rashness；　for　upon　his　sagacity　and　powers　of　observation；　and　experience；　as　embodied　in　his　works；　and　especially　in　his　Materia　Medica；　repose　the　foundations　of　Homoeopathy　as　a　practical　s