and therefore Homœopathy should have the preference, I answer that the number of competent judges who support the regular system of rational medicine, compared with those who support Homœopathy, is at least a thousand to one of the latter, and therefore by that rule Homœopathy must surely fall.
It may be well to consider the worth of popular testimony. In law and reason, a good witness is one who is both able and willing to testify correctly. To be competent, the witness must understand the subject upon which he is to give evidence. If the question to be decided regard the purity of a certain piece of metal, then the goldsmith, the chemist, or mineralogist, is the proper witness. If it regard the genuineness or value of certain bank notes, another set of witnesses will be required—the president and cashiers of banks, brokers, and other business men, may be the most competent. If it regard mechanics, a different class of witnesses will be necessary. But if it is a question of law, none of the foregoing witnesses are worth anything; they may all be very honest, but not
