&c. He said to the patient, "How do you feel? Give me all your sensations." If he finds himself successful in eliciting symptoms which indicate in their totality a remedy, and which the pathogenesis of no other remedy contains, he feels certain that the true curative agent has been chosen, even though he has not placed a finger on the patient or applied his ear to the chest. If the subjective symptoms that cover the sensations of the patient are thoroughly investigated and obtained, and the similimum therefor discovered, a cure will follow its employment. This is the way that Hahnemann has taught us to investigate disease and treat patients. Dr. LIPPE said: The text-book that I prepared to facilitate the study of the Materia Medica, and which I use as a foundation for my lectures, has been severely criticised because it contains objective symptoms. But upon a closer examination my learned colleague will find that the objective symptoms and pathological names do not stand alone. For instance: he will find Gangrene under Arsenic and Secale cornutum, and looking over the Conditions he will further find that all the symptoms are relieved by heat under Arsenic, and aggravated by heat under Secale cornutum. In a case of gangrene, in which the patient is anxious to have the affected part, say the toes, well wrapped up, Secale will surely do no good, but Arsenic will; the pathological condition only calls the attention to some remedies, but the subjective symptoms decide the choice of the remedy. He called attention to the case of pneumonia cured by Podophyllum, and mentioned in his paper, having caused quite a stir in old England, because the pathological condition was not under the remedy, and although the patient lived, it was proclaimed that such cures would prove to be the grave of science. Dr. VON TAGEN asked of what value are the subjective symptoms as compared with the objective in cases of infants. They cannot speak, and can therefore furnish us with objective symptoms only. Dr. GUERNSEY said he would give an instance that would show what might be obtained from children who could not speak. He instanced a case of croup, a bad case, in which the child could not speak. The symptoms were peculiar, and the ordinary remedies did not seem to be indicated. Soon, however, he observed that one cheek was red and the other pale. Several remedies were indicated by this symptom, among them Chamomilla-but at last it came out that the child could not be pacified except by being walked rapidly up and down the room by the nurse, and that it breathed more freely while thus exercised. This decided, in connexion with the other symptom, that it was a case for Chamomilla. Who ever thinks of Chamomilla in Croup? This medicine was given, and the child was well in a very short time, whereas he had previously quite despaired of its life. Dr. GEORGE R. STARKEY remarked-We cannot all hit the same mark unless we all aim at it. It appears to be the case now that some of us are aiming wide. Some speak of discarding objective symptoms and being governed by the subjective alone. For himself he did not believe that any physician thus practices. The author of the paper just read is certainly not one of those who discard the objective phenomena. On the contrary he gives great heed to them. He would instance the case of Dr. Lippe's son, convalescent from the war, in whose case a remedy was prescribed by the Doctor mainly from a peculiar eruption on the elbow joint, and of which a single dose produced such satisfactory action that no other remedy was given for several weeks. He could recal another illustrative case, one of apoplexy, in which there was no subjective symptoms to be had. This is a very different matter from saying a patient has congestion of the liver and prescribing for that. To illustrate the necessity there is sometimes for objective symptoms, he cited a case from his own practice. The patient, a young lady, after every stool experienced a violent pain in the anus. He tried to cure the complaint by selecting a remedy by the subjective symptoms alone, but unsuccessfully. Finally he made an examination, and discovered a tumor near the anus that was evidently about to suppurate. He could not say that he discovered any symptoms of Hepar in the case, but he gave that medicine, and the patient was speedily relieved of the difficulty. In treating diseases of the eye we are mostly guided by the subjective symptoms. Dr. S. thinks that the reason why Homœopathic Physicians are in the main not very successful in the treatment of this class of diseases is because they are not sufficiently skilled in investigating the objective phenomena, and until some skilful oculist arises in our ranks this will probably obtain. Dr. FROST remarked: This discussion is like a pic-nic, to which each one brings his share of the entertainment, and the difference of opinion, more apparent than real, is just sufficient to give variety and interest to the debate. I wish to add but a single remark to what I have already said. While the Homeopathic law and the common consent of Homœopathic physicians require the careful consideration of all the symptoms, still I claim that the symptoms which are primary, purely sensational and absolutely subjective, are those which are of supreme importance. Such are those already referred to as determining the prescription even in infants; although objective to our apprehension they are essentially sensational and absolutely subjective in these little patients. Such are those truly subjective, sensational symptoms which determine the remedy in obscure forms of chronic disease, where pathology is entirely at fault. Such, finally, are all those supremely important, sensational and absolutely subjective conditions of time and circumstance. When we have collated all the objective symptoms of functional derangement and of structural disorganization, still the purely sensational, the absolutely subjective symptoms will be found to constitute the last appeal in the selection of the individual remedy for the individual case. This, which I believe to be in necessary accordance with the highest principles of Therapeutics, is confirmed by the experience, not only of the ablest and most successful Homeopathic physicians, but also by that of the great mass of the profession. Dr. GUERNSEY said: What is health, and what is disease? There is an influx of life (subjective) which, on the one side, received in an orderly manner, results in health; and which, on the other side, received in a disorderly manner, results in disease. So the influx of subjective light and heat from the sun develops on the earth the objective forms of animate creation. In like manner the subjective love and will of the father becomes efficient in the generative act, is embodied, becomes objective in the seminal embryo on the one side; so also in like manner the subjective affection of the mother inspires the ovules, becomes their soul, becomes objective in them. And so, finally, from the intimate vital union of these two objective forms there results the new creation, the new human being, whose subjective constitution corresponds throughout its whole subsequent life to the combined subjectivity of both its parents. And whose objective development in life, that is in forms of health or of disease, corresponds no less accurately to the objective development of both its parents, or of that one whose influence was predominant in conception. Thus if we interpret these things correctly, and make the proper application to the subject before us, we shall see that the sphere of the subjective symptoms and conditions corresponds to the sphere of causes, and that the sphere of objective symptoms corresponds to the sphere of results. These subjective symptoms, which are so closely allied to the cause of disease, are removed by Homœopathic treatment alone, and in this manner the objective or ultimate forms of disease are prevented. The proof of this is seen in the successful treatment of hereditary disease, in its prevention, its cure, and in its final eradication from the system. Homœopathy is as yet but fifty years old; so far we have done much; but let us have three thousand years of observation and experience in the treatment of disease, and we shall then no longer find any objective symptoms at all. The race will then have become purified from disease, and all that is disorderly in the system, indicated subjectively, will be rectified long before it can become objective. Dr. JACOB JEANES here made some remarks, principally in reference to the term characteristic symptoms, as used by Dr. Guernsey, and which he rather objected to. If a characteristic symptom is one that belongs to a remedy and that no other has, it is a very changeable thing, for as soon as another remedy is discovered that possesses that symptom, it ceases to be a characteristic. Dr. GUERNSEY, in reply to Dr. Jeanes, stated that by characteristic symptoms he meant those that are characteristic in the particular case. The hour of adjournment having arrived, the President made that announcement, when on motion the session was continued for fifteen minutes. A motion was made by Dr. FROST and seconded, that when the Society adjourns, it does so to meet in September, as provided by the By-Laws, unless called together sooner by the President and Secretary in the event of the coming of the Cholera, or for other sufficient reason. Dr. W. WILLIAMSON related two cases that he had had, and that occurred in the ironing-room of a large hotel, an over-heated, badly ventilated room. In the one there were writhing as from great pain, cramps, violent effort to vomit, great feeling of heat. This woman had eaten strawberrics and drank freely of ice-water. In the other the patient complained of pricking pains in the abdomen, an inability to see and of being in the dark. The Doctor regarded these cases as perhaps indicative of the presence of the Cholera influence. Dr. RICHARD GARDINER related a case that occurred in his practice about three weeks ago, and in which all the evidences of Cholera were well marked. The patient was taken violently early in the morning. Great pain and anguish in bowels; vomiting and purging of the socalled rice-water discharge; violent cramps, particularly in the lower extremities; skin cold; pinched appearance of the countenance, and suppression of urine, continuing for twenty-four hours. Veratrum 200 was given, and subsequently a higher potency. The symptoms gradually abated, and the patient finally got well. The Doctor called at the Health Office, and by the advice of the Registrar reported the case as one of Cholera. A visitor from the Board of Health, probably an Allopathic M. D., subsequently called at the house of the patient and made inquiries concerning the case, and returning to the Health Office made a note opposite to the record that it was a case of Cholera Morbus, that the people were too clean to have Cholera. The This patient had eaten freely the night before of fish-roe. Doctor regarded it as a case of true Cholera. If it was not he would have none to report. He had never kown a case of Cholera Morbus with such a suppression of urine. The motion of Dr. FROST was hereupon withdrawn, and on motion the Society adjourned to meet on the third Thursday in July. CENTRAL NEW YORK HOMEOPATHIC MEDICAL SOCIETY. The second annual meeting of this Society was held at the office of Dr. WM. HENRY HOYT, in Syracuse, June 13th, 1867. After the organization, calling of the roll, and reading of the minutes, the Committee on Credentials reported the names of Drs. P. O. C. BENSON, of Skaneateles, G. D. MCMANUS, of Oswego, S. SPOONER, of Oneida, A. E. WALLACE, of Oneida, A. J. BREWSTER, of Cato, A. A. LEWIS, of De Ruyter, H. F. ADAMS, of Canostota, and H. MERA, of Plainville, who were elected members of the Society. Dr. LEWIS noticed the death of Dr. HENRY C. HUBBARD, of Scott. Drs. LEWIS, POTTER, and HOYT were appointed a Committee to report resolutions appropriate to the occasion. Their report was adopted, and a copy ordered to be engrossed in the minutes of the Society, and another sent to the family of the deceased. The President, Dr. CLARY, read part of an historical address on the Rise and Progress of Homœopathy in Onondaga county, in which he gave the history of its introduction and the struggle it had in getting a foothold in the county, himself being one of the formost in condemning it. Dr. CLARY is the oldest resident Homœopathician in Onondaga county. The pioneers have all gone elsewhere. Dr. BOYCE read a paper on Lachesis, in which he gave two cases which were cured by that remedy in a remarkably short time, and asking that the members should report all cases cured in their practice by Lachesis to him for publication. Dr. BOYCE desires to collect all the clinical results from Lachesis possible, in order to review it and collate all reported cures for use in practice, and publish it eventually. Dr. POTTER related a case of croup which had made such progress, in spite of the remedies used, that the family had collected to see the patient die, when he gave Lachesis, and was surprised, in the course of one-half hour, to see the patient go to sleep instead. The peculiarities were great dryness of the throat and aggravation after a short sleep. Dr. POTTER considers the great characteristics of Lachesis in throat diseases to be, "dry spots in the throat, and worse after sleep." Dr. ADAMS related a case of hemorrhoids, where there was a tumor as large as a robin's egg, for which he gave Lachesis, and cured the disease permanently. The tumor disappeared after a time and never returned. This tumor had been present for years. The Society holds sessions quarterly, and includes members from all the central counties of New York. The object of the Society is purely practical, having as little business as possible of a parliamentary nature, devoting itself to reading papers, discussion, and reporting cases of cures. The next meeting will be held at Syracuse, on the second Thursday of September, 1867, when we will be happy to see any good Homœopathic physician in the vicinity, or elsewhere. C. W. BOYCE, Secretary. INDEX TO THE HAHNEMANNIAN MONTHLY. SECOND VOLUME, 1866-67.* .......373, 479 403 Abortion, By E. M. Hale, M. D. Circular......... 167 186 American Institute, Remarks on. By J. H. P. Frost, M. D......... 509 66 By G. E. Gramm, M. D.. Badiaga, Proving of. By Lyman Bedford, M. D.......... 23 459 Bedford Lyman, M. D., Proving of Badiaga. Bell, James B., On Potencies....... Belladonna, Poisoning by, Opium an Antidote. R. Koch, M. D... 105 108 320 369 162 45 108 495 238 ....... Camphor and Cuprum Metallicum, Proving and Observations on. 12 Characteristics. By C. Hering, M. D.......... 281 Cholera. Joslin, Lippe....... 42 *For the preparation of this full and accurate Index, we are under particular obliga- |