medical essays-第19章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ficacy of any common remedy administered by any common practitioner。 There are occasional exceptions to this remark； but the general truth of it is rendered probable by the fact that these cases are always； or almost always； written with the single object of showing the efficacy of the medicine used； or the skill of the practitioner； and it is recognized as a general rule that such cases deserve very little confidence。 Yet they may sound well enough； one at a time； to those who are not fully aware of the fallacies of medical evidence。 Let me state a case in illustration。 Nobody doubts that some patients recover under every form of practice。 Probably all are willing to allow that a large majority； for instance； ninety in a hundred； of such cases as a physician is called to in daily practice； would recover； sooner or later； with more or less difficulty； provided nothing were done to interfere seriously with the efforts of nature。
Suppose； then； a physician who has a hundred patients prescribes to each of them pills made of some entirely inert substance； as starch； for instance。 Ninety of them get well； or if he chooses to use such language； he cures ninety of them。 It is evident； according to the doctrine of chances； that there must be a considerable number of coincidences between the relief of the patient and the administration of the remedy。 It is altogether probable that there will happen two or three very striking coincidences out of the whole ninety cases； in which it would seem evident that the medicine produced the relief； though it had； as we assumed； nothing to do with it。 Now suppose that the physician publishes these cases； will they not have a plausible appearance of proving that which； as we granted at the outset； was entirely false？ Suppose that instead of pills of starch he employs microscopic sugarplums； with the five' million billion trillionth part of a suspicion of aconite or pulsatilla； and then publishes his successful cases； through the leaden lips of the press； or the living ones of his female acquaintances；does that make the impression a less erroneous one？ But so it is that in Homoeopathic works and journals and gossip one can never； or next to never； find anything but successful cases； which might do very well as a proof of superior skill； did it not prove as much for the swindling advertisers whose certificates disgrace so many of our newspapers。 How long will it take mankind to learn that while they listen to 〃the speaking hundreds and units； who make the world ring 〃with the pretended triumphs they have witnessed； the 〃dumb millions〃 of deluded and injured victims are paying the daily forfeit of their misplaced confidence！
I am sorry to see； also； that a degree of ignorance as to the natural course of diseases is often shown in these published cases； which； although it may not be detected by the unprofessional reader； conveys an unpleasant impression to those who are acquainted with the subject。 Thus a young woman affected with jaundice is mentioned in the German 〃Annals of Clinical Homoeopathy〃 as having been cured in twenty…nine days by pulsatilla and nux vomica。 Rummel； a well…known writer of the same school； speaks of curing a case of jaundice in thirty…four days by Homoeopathic doses of pulsatilla； aconite； and cinchona。 I happened to have a case in my own household； a few weeks since； which lasted about ten days； and this was longer than I have repeatedly seen it in hospital practice； so that it was nothing to boast of。
Dr。 Munneche of Lichtenburg in Saxony is called to a patient with sprained ankle who had been a fortnight under the common treatment。 The patient gets well by the use of arnica in a little more than a month longer； and this extraordinary fact is published in the French 〃Archives of Homoeopathic Medicine。〃
In the same Journal is recorded the case of a patient who with nothing more； so far as any proof goes； than inluenza； gets down to her shop upon the sixth day。
And again； the cool way in which everything favorable in a case is set down by these people entirely to their treatment； may be seen in a case of croup reported in the 〃Homoeopathic Gazette 〃 of Leipsic； in which leeches； blistering； inhalation of hot vapor； and powerful internal medicine had been employed； and yet the merit was all attributed to one drop of some Homoeopathic fluid。
I need not multiply these quotations； which illustrate the grounds of an opinion which the time does not allow me to justify more at length； other such cases are lying open before me； there is no end to them if more were wanted； for nothing is necessary but to look into any of the numerous broken…down Journals of Homoeopathy； the volumes of which may be found on the shelves of those curious in such matters。
A number of public trials of Homoeopathy have been made in different parts of the world。 Six of these are mentioned in the Manifesto of the 〃Homoeopathic Examiner。〃 Now to suppose that any trial can absolutely silence people； would be to forget the whole experience of the past。 Dr。 Haygarth and Dr。 Alderson could not stop the sale of the five…guinea Tractors； although they proved that they could work the same miracles with pieces of wood and tobacco…pipe。 It takes time for truth to operate as well as Homoeopathic globules。 Many persons thought the results of these trials were decisive enough of the nullity of the treatment； those who wish to see the kind of special pleading and evasion by which it is attempted to cover results which； stated by the 〃Homoeopathic Examiner〃 itself； look exceedingly like a miserable failure； may consult the opening flourish of that Journal。 I had not the intention to speak of these public trials at all； having abundant other evidence on the point。 But I think it best； on the whole； to mention two of them in a few words；that instituted at Naples and that of Andral。
There have been few names in the medical profession； for the last half century； so widely known throughout the world of science as that of M。 Esquirol； whose life was devoted to the treatment of insanity； and who was without a rival in that department of practical medicine。 It is from an analysis communicated by him to the 〃Gazette Medicale de Paris〃 that I derive my acquaintance with the account of the trial at Naples by Dr。 Panvini； physician to the Hospital della Pace。 This account seems to be entirely deserving of credit。 Ten patients were set apart； and not allowed to take any medicine at all；much against the wish of the Homoeopathic physician。 All of them got well； and of course all of them would have been claimed as triumphs if they had been submitted to the treatment。 Six other slight cases （each of which is specified） got well under the Homoeopathic treatment； none of its asserted specific effects being manifested。
All the rest were cases of grave disease； and so far as the trial； which was interrupted about the fortieth day； extended； the patients grew worse； or received no benefit。 A case is reported on the page before me of a soldier affected with acute inflammation in the chest； who took successively aconite； bryonia； nux vomica； and pulsatilla； and after thirty…eight days of treatment remained without any important change in his disease。 The Homoeopathic physician who treated these patients was M。 de Horatiis； who had the previous year been announcing his wonderful cures。 And M。 Esquirol asserted to the Academy of Medicine in 1835； that this M。 de Horatiis； who is one of the prominent personages in the 〃Examiner's〃 Manifesto published in 1840； had subsequently renounced Homoeopathy。 I may remark； by the way； that this same periodical； which is so very easy in explaining away the results of these trials； makes a mistake of only six years or a little more as to the time when this at Naples was instituted。
M。 Andral； the 〃eminent and very enlightened allopathist 〃 of the 〃Homoeopathic Examiner；〃 made the following statement in March； 1835； to the Academy of Medicine： 〃I have submitted this doctrine to experiment； I can reckon at this time from one hundred and thirty to one hundred and forty cases； recorded with perfect fairness； in a great hospital； under the eye of numerous witnesses； to a
