BY AD. LIPPE, M.D., PHILADELPHIA.

In almost every work on Homœopathy directions are given as to how much is required for a dose.

In the early publications in the Materia Medica Pura, 1811, by Samuel Hahnemann, first volume, he gives the dose only under Cina, and recommends per dose for a child of two years old three grains, for a child four years old six grains. In the second edition of 1822 we find under all medicines much smaller but different doses. In the third edition of 1830, he gives the smallest part of a drop of the 30th (centesimal) dilution as the most appropriate, and for all cases, sufficient dose.

These directions are found in all modern works on the practice of Homœopathy, in the therapeutic pocket-book, in the published lectures of homoeopathic professors, in the various "Domestic Physicians," (except in the "Domestic Physician," by Dr. C. Hering) and in the Medical Journals.

All these recommendations are given with the assurance that they are the result of "Experience," and are based upon observed facts.

While the advices so given are at great variance with one another, and while the opinions of different practitioners of Homœopathy are not the same, it is undoubtedly time to endeavor to throw some light on this vexed question.

All parties who have given publicity to their opinions as regards the proper dose, are equally entitled to be heard, and their statements to be considered as the result of their honest individual investigation. The question of how much is required for a dose is no nearer solution now, than it was when first agitated. The reason why the various practitioners have arrived at so very different conclusions is simply this, that the solution of this question is the natural result of the adoption of previously established fundamental principles in the medical art. Why is it that Hahnemann, after an experience of twenty years, arrived at the conclusion that the 30th potency was sufficient in all cases, and that modern practitioners either reject the higher attenuations altogether, or admit that they will be occasionally serviceable? And how is it that Hahnemann, the older he grew, the less medicine he gave, while the modern young practitioners try really to excel one another in large doses and entirely deny the applicability of the higher dynamizations?

The reason for all this variety of opinion can only be found in the fact that the fundamental principles of Homœopathy have not been accepted by those who differ with Hahnemann's experience, or that they may be unknown to them altogether. Whoever has accepted the fundamental principles of Homœopathy must necessarily have attained similar, if not the same, results as did our great and good master, Samuel Hahnemann. In order that I may be better understood, I will give an historical development of the fundamental principles of Homœopathy, to show what will be the universal result of the proper investigation of the question of "Doses," and why different parties have arrived at different conclusions.

Hahnemann practically applied the principle "Similia Similibus Curantur" to the treatment of disease. The first

question was to ascertain the positive action of medicinal substances on the human organism, and since Hahnemann found nothing of the kind in the, so-called, Materia Medica of the then prevailing school of medicine, save a few incomplete cases of poisoning with large doses, and the Material Medica itself so faulty, so entirely arbitrary, based on speculative theory, not on experiment, that little benefit could be derived from or use made of it. He was the first physician who resorted to the simple but only possible course, i. e. to the proving of medicinal substances on the healthy. His friends, then a small but faithful number, began their investigations by first taking comparatively large doses of the crude substances; the very incomplete provings so obtained enabled Hahnemann to demonstrate the correctness of the law of cure; when the remedy, having similarity to the disease, was administered in comparatively large doses, there almost always followed a considerable aggravation of symptoms, which led Hahnemann first to give less medicine and to dilute the doses. The curative action of the medicines was not found to be diminished, but rather to be increased, and it was here that the light of potentization broke upon Hahnemann, and he discovered what modern men are pleased to call "the great mistake of a great man." To this discovery, they, the modern wise men, follow him, and from that point judge Homœopathy. Hahnemann did not rest content but prosecuted his researches, and discovered that some inert crude substances become curative agents, when their medicinal properties are developed by potentization, and that the provings on the healthy had to be made by potencies. His followers, who at first were bewildered when they beheld this theory of potentization, were compelled to be convinced by actual experiments of this great discovery of their master.

Hahnemann had called the attention of his pupils to the great medicinal powers of charcoal: charcoal was pulverized and taken in quantities, but no symptoms followed the increased doses, this was communicated to Hahnemann by Caspari who advised him to triturate one grain of charcoal

with ninety-nine grains of sugar of milk, for the space of one hour, and this preparation should be taken: as no symptoms were observed by the prover, he advised them to take a grain of this first trituration and again triturate this grain with ninety-nine grains of sugar of milk for one hour; but few symptoms were observed: he again advised them to take one grain of this, the second trituration, and triturate this one grain with ninety-nine grains of sugar of milk for one hour, and take it. The provers now obtained most of the known symptoms of charcoal from this preparation, and this experiment gave rise to the doctrine of potentization, and settled also the pending question of the chemical and dynamical action of medicines, upon which question, from want of space, I abstain from enlarging, for the present. When Alumina was proved, symptoms was not observed until the sixth potency was taken.

Medicines already proved in large doses were now subjected to new provings and new and more decided symptons were the result.

The curative virtues of substances, formerly considered inert, were disclosed as in Alum. Natrum muriaticum, Lycopodium, Carbo vegetablis and Silicea. The symptoms obtained from potentized doses, were the most reliable, as can easily be verified by comparing the first provings of Sulphur with the later. Invariably are the later symptoms only the result of provings with small doses, and these same symptoms are now the leading symptoms used by the practitioner every day. Nay even now is this assertion beautifully verified by the very valuable proving of Thuja, by Dr. Wolf—the result of high potencies only; this last Thuja proving not only confirms the former proving by Hahnemann, and later by the Vienna physicians, but more clearly defines the action of Thuja-defines the characteristic symptoms of this medicine. This is demonstrated more clearly by Arsenic: the symptoms produced by poisoning are but seldom of any use to the practitioner, they very much resemble the symptoms of disease when it approaches a fatal termination, and although Arsenic seems there often indicated, it is not able to cure.

Hahnemann found that the better he became acquainted with the action of drugs, the doses had to be diminished to avoid the frequent aggravation following the exhibition of the potentized medicine; he gave the medicine in smaller doses, and less often, in the same proportion as his knowledge of the action of medicines increased. No doubt in the eyes of the young or inexperienced "a great mistake of a great man.'

The three great fundamental principles consecutively developed by Hahnemann, were:

1. That the curative virtues of medicines can only be ascertained by provings on the healthy.

2. That the totality of symptoms constitute the disease. 3. That the curative virtues of medicines are developed by potentization.

On these three fundamental principles the structure of Homœopathy was raised, and is continuing to be built, developing itself out of them. While these fundamental principles were fully established and confirmed by the experiments, the question was agitated "what is the proper dose to be administered for the cure of diseases." Hahnemann himself, and such of his disciples who had fully mastered the Materia Medica, obtained more satisfactory results in the treatment of disease by diminishing the dose, while others contended that the smaller and smaller the doses became, they were not capable of removing the disease promptly, and preferred larger, and in many cases, very large doses of the crude drug, and so fell into the degradation of materialism.

It is further contended that although the most brilliant cures, and those too in persistent chronic diseases, when all systems and all doses had been uselessly tried, have resulted from the higher attenuations (200), they are objectionably high for practical use.

The followers of Hahnemann accepting the fundamental principles of Homœopathy have from time to time given publicity to the results of their experience. and have all found themselves constrained to state that the most brilliant