Quackery Unmasked/Chapter VII
CHAPTER VII.
HOMŒOPATHY CONTINUED. DEVELOPMENT OF POWER BY ATTENUATION—"SMALL DOSE," BY WILLIAM SHARP, M.D., F.R.S., ETC.—CONSUMPTION CURED BY DR. NUNEZ WITH THE SIX THOUSANDTH ATTENUATION OF SULPHUR—THE EXACT REMEDY OF HOMŒOPATHY CONSIDERED—DANGER OF HOMŒOPATHISTS WHO DEPART FROM THE RULES LAID DOWN BY HAHNEMANN, ETC.
The homœopathic theory of the development of medicinal power by dilution and trituration, is laid down in Hull's Laurie, page 44, and is as follows: "We ought to have noticed that each medicinal dose contains a great number of atoms which are perfectly inactive, in consequence of their being shut up in the interior of the molecules, and not brought into contact with our organs; it therefore follows that every time we by any means whatever, come to divide these molecules into smaller corpuscles, and thus augment their whole surface, the energy of the dose will so increase that the smallest part will become capable of exercising an influence, if not superior, at any rate equal to that of the entire dose in its primitive condition."
According to this theory, each dilution and dynamization breaks down or lays open a new set of molecules, and allows their smaller corpuscles to escape from their confinement and become active; and reasoning abstractly upon the endless divisibility of matter, they arrive at the conclusion that the power of medicinal substances may be endlessly developed by these means. Now this absurd notion is contrary to all but homœopathic reasoning, is inconsistent with all experience and all analogy, and is positively contradicted by every day's observation in scientific and domestic operations. Every one knows that just in proportion as water is added to brine, alcohol, vinegar, or any other aqueous solution, its power is diminished, and that a hogshead of water in which one grain of common salt has been dissolved, has no perceptible saline properties; but if the grain of salt is dissolved in a single teaspoonful of water, it becomes sensibly strong—whereas, if the homœopathic theory be true, the water in the hogshead would be quite as strong, if not stronger, than that in the teaspoon. If this homœopathic theory were true, it might be applied with great advantage in domestic economy. If this were true, the aroma of the rose would act upon us with increasing force as we receded from it. If this doctrine were true, odoriferous molecules would be amplified and increased in intensity by attenuation. But that such is not the case, common observation demonstrates. For example, musk is one of the most subtle, penetrating, and diffusible of odors; and if Homœopathy were true, its power to stimulate the olfactories should certainly Continue to the thousandth attenuation. But what is the fact? William Sharp, M.D., F.R.S., a very ardent advocate for Homœopathy, in a little work of his, entitled "The small Dose of Homœopathy," page 6, says, "The sense of smell can detect musk to the fifth or sixth dilution. Every thing that we know forbids us to conclude that the division of matter stops here, but our senses cannot follow it further." Here, then, is a complete refutation of the homœopathic theory of dynamic developments, by their own showing. The power of the article, instead of being increased, is diminished at every attenuation, until it is entirely lost.
This is true of every other medicinal substance. And if the power of musk to operate upon the olfactories ceases entirely at the fifth or sixth attenuation, what shall be thought of the one hundredth or one thousandth? Hahnemann, in his last edition of his Organon, recommends the universal employment of the thirtieth attenuation, and directs his followers never to employ any of the lower potencies, but speaks highly of using sometimes the sixtieth, one hundred and fiftieth, or three hundredth; and Dr. Nunez, of Paris, in a paper read before a homœopathic meeting in that place, reported several cases, one of which was consumption, which he declared was cured by him, with the six thousandth dilution of sulphur!
Hahnemann, in his Organon, page 192, says, "All experience teaches us that scarcely any homœopathic medicine can be prepared in too minute a dose." And again, page 194, he says, "I must observe in this place, that it is a common fault of physicians, who go from the old school of medicine, to the homœopathic, to violate this most important rule. Blinded by prejudice, they avoid small doses of medicine attenuated to the highest degree, and thus deprive themselves of the great advantages which experience has a thousand times proved to result from them." So it seems that Hahnemann's experience confirmed him more and more in the superior efficacy of high attenuations; and during the last years of his life he became more scrupulously devoted to high potencies. Now let us compare this doctrine of the immortal Hahnemann, as his disciples call him, with the declarations of some conspicuous homœopathic leaders.
About two years ago, a Dr. Preston, President of the Rhode Island Homœopathic Society, got up a public meeting in Taunton, Ms., to enable him to deliver a famous lecture of his upon Homœopathy. An extract from that lecture, published by his friends, reads as follows: "But really, the dose has nothing to do with the law of cure—it has come to be engrafted upon Homœopathy as a matter of expediency. I may give an ounce or a pound of a drug, just as strictly in accordance with the law of similars, as when I prescribe the millionth or decillionth of a grain. It is in the selection of the exact remedy, and not in the dose, where Homœopathy lies." Again, he says, "The dose has nothing to do with the homœopathic principle." Here, then, we see the very essence of Homœopathy abjured and set at nought by the highest officer of a homœopathic society, who, we have a right to conclude, uttered the sentiments of the body over which he presided. If in these days of spiritualism, the ghost of old Hahnemann should be permitted to revisit these pale glimmerings of the moon, he will have a fearful reckoning to make with many such disciples.
But as Homœopathy is always everywhere grossly absurd in all its tenets and practices, we need not be surprised at any inconsistencies or contradictions that it may exhibit. Some of its practitioners adhere to the high, some to the low potencies; and others, as I have shown, to no potencies at all.
From a circular, issued not long since, by a celebrated homœopathic apothecary at Brooklyn, N. Y., the following extract is taken.
"Sir:—Permit me to call your attention to a subject of great interest to every scientific homœopathist. Some twelve years have now passed since the first introduction into this country of the so-called high potencies. They were vouched for at the time by Boenninghausen, even then regarded as authority, in the following words:—
"'Several practical physicians of the highest order have ascertained, by a number of the most careful experiments, that the high dynamizations, such as 200, 400, 800, so far from being inefficacious, not only continue to act with sufficient power to cure every kind of disease, but that the power of the medicines generally, and the number of their characteristic symptoms, are developed in a more perfect manner by these medicines; and that very often a disease is cured with them, which had been attacked in vain with the lower potencies of the same remedy.
"'Convinced of the truth of this most important discovery, I have used these high potencies for two years past, and I am so entirely satisfied with the results, that during the last year I have scarcely used any other preparation. Since then, my practice, which has always been a successful one, has become still more so, and those who have taken my advice are enthusiastic in their approbation of this course.'—[Preface to Boenninghausen's Pocket Book.]
"It will be perceived by the following extract from a letter written by Dr. C. Dunham, of this city, dated 'Wildbad, September 6th, 1855' that Dr. Boenninghausen still continues to use these high potencies with astonishing success:—
"'* * * As to the dose, since 1843, Boenninghausen has given the 200th potency, prepared after Hahnemann's method. At first he gave this occasionally, then more frequently as experience gave him confidence, and for the last eight years he has given almost no other potency.' * * * 'During six weeks I spent the greater part of each day in his office, observing every patient, and noting every prescription and its effects. It has never been my fortune to see good results follow any treatment so quickly and so uniformly; and that, too, in diseases the most deeply rooted and the least amenable to ordinary treatment.'
"In another part of the letter, he says:—
"'His journals contain records of more than six hundred cases of epilepsy, of which nearly three fourths were cured.'
"Again he adds:—
"'Critics say, "these potencies may do in chronic diseases, but they will not act in acute ones." This is answered by the brilliant results of the practice of the younger Dr. Boenninghausen, who graduated with honor about three years ago at the University of Berlin, the very shrine of Allopathy. Versed in all the learning of the old school, this accomplished and able young man applied himself diligently, under his father's guidance, to the study of Homœopathy, and established himself a year ago about twenty miles from Munster. It was my good fortune to meet him and hear from his own lips an account of his success. He has given generally the 200th potency, treating all sorts of cases, acute and chronic, such as usually occur in a general country practice. He has had one hundred and forty-seven cases of Typhus, which in Westphalia is a grave form of typhus cerebralis, much like the British ship fever, and very fatal. The average duration of these cases was fourteen days. He gave only the 200th, and lost of the 147 only one case. He generally repeated the dose once in twelve hours. Of Intermittent fever, he has treated sixty cases, curing all but two by the first dose.'
"Being desirous to add to my already large stock of medicines, a suite of the best European preparations, I requested Dr. Dunham to make for me the necessary inquiries, and in due time received from him a letter, from which the following is an extract:—
"'Bearing in mind your request to that effect, I have made inquiries in France and Germany respecting the Homœopathic pharmaceutists, and as to how far one may rely on their preparations. I am led to believe that a pharmaceutist named Lehrmann, who lives in Schoningen, in the Grand Duchy of Brunswick, is altogether the most reliable. He makes his preparations under the supervision of Dr. von Boenninghausen, who will answer for their excellence.'
"I immediately opened a correspondence with Mr. Lehrmann, and have received from him a full suite of the same medicines which he supplies to Boenninghausen. These are now offered to the Homœopathic Physicians of the United States, at rates so low, that it is only by an extensive sale of them that I can ever hope to be remunerated for the great cost of importation.
"A complete suite of two hundred and fourteen remedies, as per Catalogue on next page, put up in a neat mahogany case, with lock and key, will be carefully packed and delivered to the care of any merchant in the city of New York, or at any of the Express offices, as follows:"— [Here follow the prices, and a list of the medicines, all of the 200th potency.]
So it appears that this indefatigable pharmaceutist has imported from Germany two hundred and fourteen medicines (as he calls them), all of them being of the two hundredth attenuation; and it must be gratifying to the friends of humanity to know that common salt, charcoal, chalk, and silex, have not been omitted, and that through the herculean efforts of this homœopathic savan the apis mellifica has been obtained, and also a sufficient quantity of well attenuated vaccinin, all very nicely put up in half-drachm vials, in mahogany cases, with lock and key.
Now I wish to submit one or two questions to mathematicians, viz.: Suppose that only one of the above articles was brought in the same vessel, and that a ship of the capacity of a thousand tons was entirely laden with the two hundredth attenuation of zinc, what amount of that article was brought in the ship? How many such ships would it require to bring a single grain of zinc so attenuated? I shall not attempt to exhibit the calculation upon paper, because no volume of five hundred pages would afford room for the statement in figures. I shall therefore content myself by saying that one grain of zinc or other article, carried only to the 20th attenuation with sugar, would form a mass equal to six hundred and ten billions of globes of the size of our earth. And wonderful as this may appear, if any one should attempt to compute the whole amount of a single grain attenuated to the 200th potency, and the surface of the whole earth was one entire blackboard, there would not be room enough upon it for the figures to state the infinite amount; and yet Dr. Boenninghausen has had astonishing success with the 800th attenuation, and Dr. Nunez declares that he actually cured consumption with the 6000th attenuation of sulphur! The sting of a single honey-bee, called apis mellifica, so attenuated, would form material enough to medicate all the human race that might live on this planet for a thousand million of years, and then there would be enough left to form a thousand planets larger than Jupiter.
Now if the articles thus advertised by this Brooklyn homœopathist are what he declares them to be, and what the celebrated Boenninghausen certifies that they are, and if equal parts of sugar and starch have been employed in their preparation, as is now recommended, then if all he has, of all sorts, was thrown into a common receiver, it would not only make excellent provender for hogs, but dyspeptics and delicate children might with perfect safety be allowed to live exclusively upon it, and would probably fatten by its use. As to the poison—a single biscuit which forms a part of our daily food contains more than all the articles this man has ever had, or can have, that are so attenuated.
From what has been said, some might be led to suppose that even the 30th attenuation could never be obtained; and it certainly could not, if the whole quantity used at each attenuation was preserved and carried forward to the end of the process. A moment's consideration will make this evident. At first, one grain of the article, if it is a powder, is to be dynamized, or rubbed in a porcelain mortar with one hundred grains of sugar. This is the first attenuation. Then if it is intended to preserve the whole and carry it through to the end, this hundred grains must be mixed and dynamized with one hundred times as much, which would be ten thousand grains, or about ten pounds in weight; and this would be the second attenuation. In order to make the third, all this ten pounds must be mixed and dynamized as before, with one hundred times that quantity, which would be one thousand pounds; and if we attempt to make the fourth attenuation from this, it would require no less than a hundred thousand pounds of sugar. So that it becomes evident that we cannot proceed in this way. But the high potencies may nevertheless be obtained in the following manner. After the first hundred grains have been sufficiently dynamized, one single grain is to be taken from this mass, and added to the second one hundred grains, and the whole dynamized as before; and one grain is to be taken from this, to make the third; and so on—so that ninety-nine grains of every attenuation is thrown away, and only a single grain is carried forward into the last attenuation, which, let it be the thirtieth or thousandth, consists only of one hundred grains.
Now let us reflect a moment upon this process, conducted strictly according to the rules laid down by Hahnemann. He orders a porcelain mortar to be used, and that each trituration shall be continued six minutes, and that four minutes more shall be occupied in scraping the mortar after each attenuation. Ten minutes would therefore be required for each attenuation. How long would it take, at this rate, to obtain the six thousandth attenuation, provided the pharmaceutist worked ten hours every day?
| 6 | in an hour. |
| 60 | in a day. |
| 6000 | in 600 days. |
This would certainly be a dear medicine—a precious morsel indeed! But, although Hahnemann supposed that he had carried all the minutiae of his system to full perfection, we find that his ingenious disciples have instituted a great number of changes, which they call improvements. The porcelain mortar is now set aside, or only used for low potencies, and the sugar, and starch, with the silex, lachesis, vaccinin, or whatever is required, are ground together in a mill by steam power, and with about as much care as feed is ground for horses.
But we are told the essence of Homœopathy consists in the selection of the exact remedy, and that in obedience to their law of similars, they cure diseases by using such articles as would produce the like symptoms if given to healthy persons; and that the preparations which they employ to cure the sick, would actually produce the same; or similar, effects in healthy persons, they aver has been abundantly proved by the experiments of Hahnemann and his followers. Let us see how this is. A man has inflammatory rheumatism—his homœopathic doctor gives him forty pellets of the thirtieth attenuation of aconite, and directs him to take two at a time twice a day, which would last ten days. His child gets them, and finding they are sweet, swallows them all at a dose. Now if there were any truth in Homœopathy, this child must have rheumatism, or a similar affection, severely, so that there would in that event be two cases of rheumatism instead of one in the same family. But the pellets are found to have no effect at all upon the child, thus proving the falsity of their doctrines and the inefficiency of their medicines at the same time. Instances of this kind are almost of daily occurrence in homœopathic practice; but when a case of the kind happens, and the mother of the child is greatly alarmed; the doctor quiets her fears by telling her that the medicine would have no effect upon a well child. This is true, and the only truth that Homœopathy was ever known to utter.
As we have said before, there is never any possible danger from any genuine homœopathic preparation in any quantity; but as the most virulent poisons may be, and sometimes are, disguised in that way, there is sometimes great danger from such apparently harmless doses when it is least suspected. Many instances have occurred in which dishonest practitioners have used globules, and powders, impregnated with powerful poisons. Death has repeatedly followed the use of such poisonous doses, both in Europe and this country. Not long ago, Count St. Antonio fell a victim to this fraud in London. Having occasion to take homœopathic globules at intervals for some slight ailment, in order to save trouble he took three doses at once, and died in two hours afterwards. The remaining globules being examined by a toxicologist, were found to be highly charged with strychnine, which was the undoubted cause of his death. Half a grain of this article has been known to produce almost instant death. We might cite several instances nearer home, in which death has been occasioned by pretended homœopathic preparations. The truth is, every man who knows what genuine Homœopathy is, and has a single grain of common sense left, knows that that practice is an absolute nullity, and he must either content himself with doing nothing at all, or resort to such a clandestine and reprehensible method. Dr. Simpson thus alludes to this matter:
"The author of the 'Confessions of an Homœopathist' in referring to the due and adequate drugging of the Hahnemannic doses, amusingly remarks:—'Patients who are skeptical of the truths of Homœopathy, from a love of variety, or a hundred other reasons, will consult you. As these persons are inclined to ridicule infinitesimal doses, it is sometimes highly useful to give them powerful doses of various highly concentrated medicines, in globules similar in appearance to all the rest, but consisting of morphia, strychnine, arsenic, corrosive sublimate, and such like: a few of these mingled with your sugar and starch globules, will cause effects to be felt by the skeptic, which will quickly overcome his disbelief: he generally makes an excellent patient, and often a good decoy-duck. Never scruple in paralytic cases to give strychnine largely, but never allow it to be supposed that you are giving more at a dose than the one-hundred-thousandth of a grain. This rule may be followed in other complaints with other very active drugs, such as croton oil; but this is one of our profoundest secrets, and must be kept so. Were it known, our wonder-working powers would be reduced in the estimation of the public and the regulars.'"
As we have said before, the principles laid down by Hahnemann and imperiously enjoined upon his followers, are not at all regarded by a large portion of the homœopathic practitioners of the present time. If they claim that they have improved upon his system, the claim is false; instead of improving upon his scheme, they repudiate, one by one, every principle which he laid down, and have found it expedient to resort to various subterfuges, in order to save the entire homœopathic fraternity from immediate and utter extinction. A very few may endeavor to conform their practice strictly to homœopathic rules, but a much larger class are such as Hahnemann denounced as mongrels, who sometimes employ infinitesimals, and sometimes dangerous doses of the most powerful poisons; and in this respect each individual practitioner follows the dictates of his own fancy, without any true principles or knowledge for his guide—because the study of Homœopathy will no more qualify a man for the practice of rational medicine, than the study of necromancy will qualify one for practical navigation. But whatever is done in the name and under the cloak of Homœopathy, is allowed by its advocates to be right.
We have seen that Hahnemann positively forbids the employment of more than one article at or near the same time, in the same disease, and that that single medicine should not be repeated oftener than once in six, eight, twelve, or twenty-four hours, and sometimes only once in three, six, or eight days. Now let us see how these positive rules compare with the homœopathic practice of the present time. If you look into a sick room now under such management, you will see two or three kinds of powders, or perhaps, more frequently, two glass tumblers, each apparently about half full of water. These tumblers, the homœopathist tells you, contain two kinds of medicine, to be given to the patient alternately, every half hour, or perhaps once in one, two, or three hours. If Hahnemann in his lifetime had been made acquainted with such gross violations of his most positive directions, he would have entirely disowned all such disciples, and pronounced his severest anathemas upon them. At the present time, one who is nominally a homœopathist gives emetics, another cathartics, another bleeds, another uses counter-irritants; and thus by degrees these practitioners are stepping into the domain of what they call, by way of reproach, Allopathy. This change may perhaps slightly contribute to prolong the existence of Homœopathy, but it is very unfortunate for those who patronize that class of practitioners. When homœopathists dealt exclusively in sugar mites, and high attenuations, their practice was nugatory and harmless; but when they resort to the use of the most powerful drugs concealed under the cloak of Homœopathy, they become dangerous men.
Soon after the death of Hahnemann, his friends erected a statue to his memory at Leipsic, his native place. This was done in order to glorify themselves, and shed a lustre upon Homœopathy; but the pretended veneration for Hahnemann is entirely hollow and hypocritical, since they set at naught and practically deny all his principles. So we see that the disciples of Hahnemann, like the followers of Mahomet, have consecrated their Mecca, and deified their Prophet. But whilst the Mahometans are in all respects faithful to the principles and teachings of their great master, homœopathists are false to every principle laid down by Hahnemannn. Nothing but the empty name is preserved, and this is used to cover ignorance and fraud.