since photographs cannot lie, and give the exact representation of the improvement effected. Dr. Blake's comparison between the pathogenesy of Arsenicum and Kali bichromicum is clear and very definite. The good results of the Kali bichromicum were most evident, and it is a point of great interest to me, that not only is the choice of the right medicine very important, but that it is of almost equal importance to choose the right dilution, the 5th decimal dilution acting promptly where the 3rd decimal dilution had ceased to act curatively. Dr. Blake's steady confidence in the medicine founded on the exactitude of its homœopathicity was worthy of all praise. He (Dr. Bayes) would be glad to hear from Dr. Blake what part he considered the Carbolic acid lotion to have played in the cure of the case. Skin diseases, with their marked objective symptoms, were a good class of cases in which to demonstrate the positive action of remedies.

Dr. EDWARD BLAKE, in reply, begged to acknowledge the courteous reception of his paper. The worthy Chairman had raised the question as to how far the use of Carbolic acid had contributed to the cure. It was to be observed that the acid was only applied during fourteen days; on referring to the daily report, he saw this entry made, "The nose looks healthier"; but marked amelioration of the symptoms had set in before the use of the acid, and the fortnight of its employment did not exhibit the most striking progress.

653

REVIEW S.

Ueber die Incompetenz der Beweise für und wider die Homöopathie gegenüber der conditio sine quâ non ит die ganze Homöopathische Streitfrage zu lösen. Von VESPASIAN V. GRUZEWSKI: Riga, 1874.

On the Incompetence of the Proofs for and against Homœopathy, compared with the conditio sine quâ non for settling the whole Homœopathic Controversy. By VESPASIAN V. GRUZEWSKI: Riga, 1874.

In this brochure of 103 pages Mr. Gruzewski (we beg his pardon if he is Dr., but it is not so stated in his work, which, indeed, betrays the amateur) endeavours to point out the unsuitableness of the methods hitherto adopted to prove or disprove the truth of homœopathy, and proposes a method of his own, which, he thinks, will infallibly settle the whole question and result in the general acknowledgment of the truth of Hahnemann's doctrines and the curative power of infinitesimal doses.

He says, truly enough, that the course hitherto pursued by both adherents and adversaries of homœopathy has not resulted in convincing either that they are in the wrong. The records of cases which recovered under homoeopathic treatment are regarded by our opponents as instances of spontaneous recoveries, and those are said to be the victims of a delusion who imagine that cures which are actually due to the vis medicatrix naturæ are examples of the curative power of doses of medicine so small as to be powerless for good or evil.

So records of cases cured, and comparative statistics of homœopathic success produce no effect on our opponents,

unless to inspire them with a high estimation of the recuperative powers of nature, and to shake their belief in the necessity of active treatment. Their foregone conclusion that infinitesimal doses are powerless effectually prevents them seeing any proof of the truth of homoeopathy in the facts we offer them, even when they are so polite, as to accept our statements as trustworthy, which is by no means always the case.

Seeing the fruitlessness of the plans hitherto adopted for convincing our opponents, Mr. Gruzewski thinks that there is a mode, hitherto almost untried, by which the truth or falsity of the homeopathic method might be demonstrated. His plan is to take a case of disease, to give the appropriate medicine which produces amelioration, then to refrain giving any further dose until the action of the remedy has expired, when it will be seen that the powers of nature are not sufficient to complete the cure, the disease regains the mastery, and the amelioration again commences when a second dose is given, and thus we shall be able to prove to demonstration that it is the medicine and not the healing process of nature that causes recovery.

Mr. Gruzewski, says that as far as he knows, Dr. Horner is the only one who has carried out a similar demonstration of the truth of homœopathy. What Horner says we may quote from his pamphlet (Reasons for Adopting the Rational System of Medicine, p. 15): "I then selected some forms of disease where the symptoms were well marked and persistent, and gave homoeopathic medicines, and noted their favorable effects. Then, unknown to the patient, I administered a precisely similar-looking powder, but one that was unmedicated; when the patients, or, in cases of children, their parents, voluntarily observed that this last medicine had lost its effect and done no good.' Medicated doses were given, and again improvement began, and relief was expressed."

Mr. Gruzewski presents us with two cases in which his "conditio sine quâ non," as he quaintly terms this mode of showing the efficacy of homoeopathic treatment, was carried out.

Incompetence of Proofs for and against Homœopathy. 655

The first case was originally published in the Journal de la Soc. Gallicane (2e série, t. iii, p. 529). It also appeared in vols. lix and lx of the Allg. Hom. Zeitg., and was introduced into a pamphlet published in Paris, in the French language, and illustrated with engravings representing the disease while under the action of the remedy and whilst the use of the remedy was suspended.

Silica

The case was one, as far as we can make out, of disease of one or more of the bones of the middle finger. 30 was the main remedy.

"When the cicatrization had advanced to such a degree of obviousness and regularity that ever less and less was to be seen of the exposed portions of the bones, I wished to find out what the efforts of nature would be if unaided by any kind of remedy. With this view I gave the patient a daily unmedicated dose, precisely resembling the doses he had been taking, which consisted of a dose of Silica 30, every seventy-two hours, and unmedicated powders on the intervening days.

"During the four first days after the use of Silica there was observed a constant growth of the small fleshy granulations, which formed anew each day on the edges of the wound and covered up the naked bone ever more and more. The first day this increased growth was considerable, on the fourth day it was less; on the morning of the fifth day it was at a stand-still, and in the evening the inner edges of the small granulations round the whole extent of the wound began to soften and secrete a watery fluid. On the sixth day this new suppuration had made such progress that by the afternoon the granulations which had been formed under the last administration of Silica, and more besides had changed into a dirty watery fetid matter. After giving a fresh dose of Silica in the evening I found the condition of the finger the next morning considerably improved; the fetid purulent secretion disappeared, and on the third day the cicatrization was making rapid progress.

"In order to convince myself still more thoroughly, I made a second similar experiment on the same patient at once; after the administration of the medicine purposely waiting a while, the results were the same.

"On now continuing to give the Silica every five days the cicatrization progressed in the manner described, and by means of

the homoeopathic treatment the patient escaped the amputation that had been proposed, though an ankylosis was inevitable."

The second case is thus related in the author's words:

"Vesicular erysipelas of lids of right eye, sphacelus of their surface, inflammation of ear, prodromata of meningitis, ascites, &c. Recovery took place by the administration and withholding of the remedy in the 200th potency procured from the pharmacy of Lappe. This observation was made in 1860.

"After the use of the remedies that showed themselves most useful, such as Aconite, Bryonia, Pulsatilla, Arsenic, Secale, and Sulphur, the general state of the disease was ameliorated. The eyelids of the affected eye were free from the scabs that had formed on the surface destroyed by the sphacelus. After the administration of Silica 30, and subsequently 200, repeated every forty-eight hours, the raw surfaces that remained cicatrised almost completely, and the dropsy got better everywhere, only the lids of the affected right eye were still swelled and fast shut.

"After a treatment of twenty-eight days the patient no longer complained of anything, the general state was perfect, and the pulse 72; but beneath this apparently satisfactory character of the patient's state there was doubtless a latent morbid evil. This seemed to be a fitting opportunity for leaving the patient without risk for a certain time to the sole efforts of nature; so after the administration of Silica I gave him from the 15th of November only an unmedicated powder each day.

"Nov. 17th.—The remainder of the ulcers cicatrised.

"18th. On rising in the morning weakness, which soon went off. In the evening the swelling of the affected eye increased afresh. In the night great heat of the whole eye; the œdema spread rapidly again over the forehead. I should say that during the previous progress of the disease the forehead, scalp, and thorax were involved in the dropsical effusion. Aconite, one dose. The heat alluded to diminished; the cedema continued to progress, but less quickly; sleeplessness.

"19th.-The whole of the right side of the forehead was again involved in the oedema, which extends to down between the eyebrows. On the surface of the upper lid renewed ulceration, with exudation. On raising the lid the sclerotic appeared much reddened, which was not the case before this experiment in