iOMCGELOPATHY,
THE SCIENCE OP T HE-'dRAPPUT ICS:
ITS N-ATUR'AL LAW~
AND TIM
EISSENFT~I CON (iIONS Of' THAT LAW,


ANNUTLJX


A DI-hEES?


DPEFOE DTHE


16l CL  i X   T ~iZE iLATL           CLiETY
F ETH11E
A' --E OFP-'NSYLVAKWA,
AtIA-Rt1- nPZI SE-3TTIJ3G-,Ii -u iT A 1?  5 1h, 137l'3".
13 T-omAS I 001S9, LiD..
OF GEHO,ANTOVVN, PHILADEPI AA.
G ERMAlAN-KT OWN:
WALTER H. BONS ALL, PB INTEB, l50290 MAIN STREET.
ISM3



HO.Mc11oATHY,
THE SCIENCE OF THEIRAPEUTICS:
ITS NATURAL LAW
AND THE
ESSENTIAL CONDITIONS OF THAT LAW,
ANNUAL ADDRESS
BEFORE THE
6I6PA    HI     -[EDI6AL'SO6IE
OF THE
STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA,
AtA I-IýARRISI3URGý, FITT'I3UAIW-Y 5th, 1,973.
By TriOMAS MOORE, M.ID.,
OF GERIMANTOWAN, PHILADELPHIA.


Etc


'ITY


GER A N TOW N:
WALTER H1. IONSAIL, PRINTER, 5029 MAI~N STRZEET.
1873.



HOM CEOPATHY,


THE SCIENCE OF THERAPEUTICS:
ITS NATURAL LAW
AND THE ESSENTIAL CONDITIONS OF THAT LAW,
Among all the developments of science and practical applications of natural principles and laws to
the many purposes which add to the comfort, convenience and prosperity of man, there is no subject
of greater importance or that can more deeply interest
us, than that which has for its object the relief of
suffering, the restoration of dhealth and the preservation of life; but it is one which has been characterized by mystery, ever since the earliest ages of
the world.
If we refer to the "Mystical Period" of History,
when all medical as well as religious knowledge was
confined to heathen priests, who worshipped in temples dedicated to their gods, among whom was Esculapius the god of Medicine, we find there recorded
one of the ancient laws, which says:--"It is not permitted to reveal sacred things except to the elect, and
strangers must be admitted to this knowledge only
after having submitted to the tests of initiation."



natural law, or who had no more idea of scientific
certainty than was possessed by the Astrologist in
his prognostications of future events, or in his predictions in regard to the movements of the stars and
other celestial bodies.
Astrology and Alchemy, with their deep dark mysteries, their cabalistic signs, their incantations and
other fraudulent devices, have vanished, or are
now believed in, only by the superstitious and the
ignorant.
During the time, however, when Astrology and
Alchemy flourished, philosophers were advancing in
the right direction, and many observers were interrogating Nature and thereby gaining most valuable information. From the many and various facts
thus acquired, natural laws were gradually evolved
and scientific principles firmly established, which gave
the starting point to the development of true Science.
And, although the Alchemist failed to transform the
baser metals into gold, or to discover the " Elixir of
Life" and the " Philosopher's Stone," yet, from these
efforts, with the aid of men of broader thought, the
science of Chemistry was deduced: and, from  the
rude Astrology of ancient days, the grand science of
Astronomy of modern times was developed.
By discussion of and induction from the accumulated
facts at that time known, certain laws were discovered by Copernicus and Kepler which gave Astronomy its present scientific basis. With a knowledge
of these laws and a mass of other observations, Newton
was then enabled to announce to the world the law
of Universal Gravitation, showing that the force which



10


under this formula has therefore given rise to much
objection, discussion and misunderstanding as to its acceptation and definite meaning.
The Latin word similis, meaning like or resembling,
may not seem to come up to that standard ofpositiveness
which is demanded by modern science. By the word
similar we ordinarily understand a degree of likeness
that is not perfect; but in an exact science like Geometry it denotes a resemblance that is perfect and positive. It was in this sense, undoubtedly, that IHahnemann conceived the phrase "Similia similibus curantur"
when expressing the great law which underlies it.
In the sentence just quoted from his Organon hle says:
Sthat all medicines cure the diseases whose symptoms
cpproach nz'earest to their own.'  Again he observes:
t that we select from all others that medicine, whose
manner of acting upon persons is known and which has
the power of producing an artificial malady the nearest
inh resemblance to the natural disease before our eyes."
And he also remarks:-" Of all these medicines, that
one whose symptoms bear the greatest resemblance to
those which characterize any particular natural disease,
ought to be the most appropriate and certain homoeopathic remedy that can be employed."
There can be no doubt as to what Hahnemann considered the degree of similarity essential to the operation of the law:-and the successful experience of all
who have accurately tested its truth, proves that, the
more closely the phenomena produced by a drug upon
the healthy resemble those presented by the given
case of disease, the more certain will be the curative
result of the remedy and the more surely can such a



17


by such investigations he cannot ascertain the true
indications for selecting the homoeopathic remedy by
which this pathological state can be restored to its normal condition, or by which the morbid action producing it can be arrested. While believing in the existence of a natural therapeutical law, he cannot apply
it, and, therefore, cannot expect any greater certainty
or success in the cure of.his patients than they who
have no such law to guide them.
Even if the internal pathological condition could be
actually demonstrated-which is not always the case
during life-such a demonstration could never of itself suggest the medicine by which the disease might
be cured, with any more reliability than the inspection of a crude drug could suggest its use as a therapeutical agent.
Suppose we are perfectly certain that in a case of
typhoid fever the glands of Peyer are in an ulcerated condition, what indication for the selection of
the curative remedy is furnished in this pathological
fact, by which the ulcerative process may be arrested
or a perforation with its fatal consequences prevented?
But, if we are to depend upon morbid anatomy for our
indications in the medical treatment of disease, what
are we to do in those cases where the pathological state
is obscure or entirely unknown? Must we wait until
it is discovered and positively determined, before we
can apply the law of cure?
There may be disease without ascertainable pathological lesions, but disease without objective or subjective symptoms cannot be recognized. The synptoms, beginning with the inception of the disease



20


that THE SYMPTOMS ARE ALONE SUFFICIENT to indicate the
remedy, if the case be curable and a proper one for the
application of the homoeopathic law.
The next essential condition of the law similia similibus curantur to be noticed is INDIVIDUALIZATION, by
which we mean that, for each individual case of disease,
there must be a special application of the law.
The practice of Homoeopathy admits of no broad
generalization; for it would be impossible to apply
the law to the treatment of disease, in the general
sense in  which that term    is ordinarily used and
understood. And any attempt to cure individual cases
of disease upon the general principles of any of the
sciences related to medicine, is incompatible with the
true Science of Therapeutics and the natural law upon
which that science is founded.
This law is essentially and solely a law controlling
the power inherent in drugs, in its curative action upon
the diseased organism. To this end it is applicable
and to no other.   But, while it is universal in its
operation, under its required conditions, and so far
as its sphere of applicability extends, it must be
remembered that it is not a law appertaining either to
Physics, Chemistry or any other science. It is true
that the principles of several other sciences are frequently available for the treatment of special cases
depending upon chemical or mechanical causes, and
other derangements of the system irrelative to that
morbid state which may be recognized as disease.
The practitioner of Homoeopathy, without inconsistency or compromise of principle as a follower of
Hahnemann, applies all the necessary remedial means



26


the disease may be either mental or physical, objective or subjective, and their appearance may or may not
be due to some pre-existing indiocyncrasyorhereditary
tendency of the individual.   But, from  whatever
known or unknown cause they may arise, they present themselves as facts in every case; and taken in
connection with the peculiarities often found in the
general symptoms, just mentioned, they become distinguishing facts, by which must be established the
similarity with the facts obtained by the proving of
drugs upon the healthy. That these differences and
peculiarities exist, and are- observable in each individual case of every disease, must be admitted by all.
They are facts which we have no right to annul or
overlook, and which like all other facts of nature have
a meaning, and must be acknowledged and accepted
by all who would understand the true conditions of the
law of cure.
The experience of the most successful practitioners
of Homoeopathy shows, that those symptoms which
give a, special character to each individual case, are far
more significant in a therapeutical point of view, than
the general symptoms which are common to and alike
in all cases of the same disease
These peculiarities of the individual patient, no
matter what may be his disease, are in reality the true
characteristic symptoms; and they are the particular
ones to be considered in relation to the medical treatment, in the application of our law  of therapeutics.
By observing them, the difficulties which might be
otherwise experienced in selecting the proper remedy
by " the totality of' the symptoms," are very much
lessened.