Correspondence relative to the introduction of homœopathy into the hospital.

Date:
[1868]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Correspondence relative to the introduction of homœopathy into the hospital. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    To the Committee of Management of the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. Gentlemen My colleagues have intimated to me their inten- I tion of laying before you a correspondence which has just ] taken place between us relative to the treatment of disease ; recently adopted by me in the Infirmary. In their last letter, ■ dated 17th October, they state that they decline to receive further communications from me, and request me to address II to you any reply which I may see fit to make. My colleagues profess to have had but one object in | view in opening the correspondence,— namely, to apprise me 11of their intention to acquaint the Managers of the Infirmary that I have introduced Homoeopathy into that Institution. Had they adhered to this plan originally, there would ; probably have been an end of the matter. But tteir first letter to me took the form of a threefold protest—against Homoeopathy, against small doses of the authorised prepar¬ ations, and against my published Therapeutic opinions . generally. In their second letter, dated 9th October, they not only repeat this protest, but they abuse Homoeopathy, ! 1 and decline to adduce any reasons for the part they assumed, except that, as they allege, my opinions and practice were opposed to those of eminent authorities in the profession. My reply was simply this—1. That those very authori¬ ties to whom they appealed were all divided among themselves, and could not, therefore, over-ride personal judgment. 2. That, whatever treatment Homoeopathy has received from members of the profession, many eminent physicians have spoken of it in terms of respect, and advocated its toleration. 3. That the authors of the Pharmacopoeia have distinctly | declared the doses of officinal preparations to be an open j question, and entirely dependent on the opinions and judg-