The Practice of Homoeopathy. At the introduction
of homoeopathy it was the general practice of medical men
who favored and adopted the new theory to give medicines
in the doses usually employed, but it was found that these
acted- too powerfully, and thus did injury, because patients
who exhibited the morbid symptoms of the disease to
counteract which the drugs were given, were all the more
disposed to yield to the medicinal effects of the drugs them-
selves, which, as experience soon showed, were not required
in such strong doses. Hence the quantities given were
gradually reduced until a minimum was attained, which was
possessed of power sufficient to counteract the morbid symp-
toms and effect a cure, without causing inconvenience, and
often suffering, by excess of medicinal action. Thus it is
that small doses have becon^e the rule in homoeopathic prac-
tice, not because large doses would fail to effect a cure, but
because when it was discovered that small doses would do
the work as well and even better, it was doing harm to the
patient and really wasting power to persevere in a course
which was found to be altogether unnecessary.
The Practice Supported. Following the course that
has been adopted in the consideration of the principle of
homoeopathy, let us now see what reasons can be adduced in
favor of small does versus large doses in addition to those
which have just been given. It is a well known fact that
children have sometimes got hold of a bottle of homoeopathic
globules or pilules and have swallowed the bottleful without
inconvenience or any palpable effect, and because no harm
The Family Doctor 347
has resulted from this wholesale consumption of medicine
that is represented to be possessed of great power to cure
certain ailments it has been argued that because it has done
no harm in the cases to which reference has been made, it is
equally impossible for it to do any good. But homoeopathic
medicine, be it remembered, will only act homoeopathically,
that is to say it will only produce the desired effect in
persons who are suffering from any disorder, which may be
counteracted by its use. The children in question were in
no way predisposed by morbid symptoms to yield to the
influence of the medicine, which, if taken even in single glob-
ules, was of sufficient strength to benefit any one who really
needed it, but was not sufficiently strong, even collectively,
to produce any effect on a healthy person, larger doses being
required to produce medicinal effects than are required to
counteract and cure morbid symptoms.
Page 196
Presented as published in 1894. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The Practice of Homoeopathy. At the introduction of homoeopathy it was the general practice of medical men who favored and adopted the new theory to give medicines in the doses usually employed, but it was found that these acted- too powerfully, and thus did injury, because patients who exhibited the morbid symptoms of the disease to counteract which the drugs were given, were all the more disposed to yield to the medicinal effects of the drugs themselves, which, as experience soon showed, were not required in such strong doses. Hence the quantities given were gradually reduced until a minimum was attained, which was possessed of power sufficient to counteract the morbid symptoms and effect a cure, without causing inconvenience, and often suffering, by excess of medicinal action. Thus it is that small doses have become the rule in homoeopathic practice, not because large doses would fail to effect a cure, but because when it was discovered that small doses would do the work as well and even better, it was doing harm to the patient and really wasting power to persevere in a course which was found to be altogether unnecessary.
The Practice Supported. Following the course that has been adopted in the consideration of the principle of homoeopathy, let us now see what reasons can be adduced in favor of small doses versus large doses in addition to those which have just been given. It is a well known fact that children have sometimes got hold of a bottle of homoeopathic globules or pilules and have swallowed the bottleful without inconvenience or any palpable effect, and because no harm
The Family Doctor 347
has resulted from this wholesale consumption of medicine that is represented to be possessed of great power to cure certain ailments it has been argued that because it has done no harm in the cases to which reference has been made, it is equally impossible for it to do any good. But homoeopathic medicine, be it remembered, will only act homoeopathically, that is to say it will only produce the desired effect in persons who are suffering from any disorder, which may be counteracted by its use. The children in question were in no way predisposed by morbid symptoms to yield to the influence of the medicine, which, if taken even in single globules, was of sufficient strength to benefit any one who really needed it, but was not sufficiently strong, even collectively, to produce any effect on a healthy person, larger doses being required to produce medicinal effects than are required to counteract and cure morbid symptoms.