It is self evident that logic and philosophy must be intimately related and complementary in scope. Philosophy has been defined by Webster as “the knowledge of the causes of all phenomena both of mind and matter”; also as a “particular philosophic system”. Other definitions such as “the love of wisdom as leading to the search for it; hence knowledge of general principles as explaining facts and existences”. “The general laws that furnish the rational explanation of anything; practical wisdom, reasoned science and metaphysics, a mental philosophy.”.
All these definitions convey some idea of the import and value of philosophic standards when applied to any science or system of procedure. And this should apply more forcefully in the practice of medicine than in any other human endeavor or enterprise.
Logic is defined as “the science of correct and accurate thinking or reasoning, especially by inference.”.
From the preceding observations we see how essential it is that a rational system or method of procedure obtains in the practice of the art and science of medicine.
Homoeopathy stands alone, as a medical system, involving and recognizing a philosophy of life, in its relation to inherited causes and its reaction to environmental influences, and to stimuli of all sorts. Life and the forces operating upon it produce certain observed changes and conditions in the physical, mental and emotional spheres of man. The observed facts, involving the laws and sequences of causes and effects, require logical deductions to explain the phenomena of health or disease co-existent with life; also that we may discover the means and measures of preventing disease and insuring health for the happiness and progress of the race.
Homoeopathy is distinctive in its study of man in his completeness; and in its recognition of mechanism more subtle and more complex than anything the physical body of man presents to the five senses. These subtle mechanisms are are prior to, and dominate, build and repair the physical body, and enable it to live and function on the physical plane of existence in matter.
Homoeopathy in the all important study of man does not exclude the use of the knowledge of anatomy, physiology, chemical biology and many other accepted and proven scientific procedures relating to the study of health and disease; together with these things, it employs forces and mechanisms that can only be perceived and used through the media of, and upon planes of, of super-physical.
Failure to comprehend and interpret the reactions of that animating spark or force called life to heredity and environment excludes us from the realm of causes and leaves us uncertain and confused in the whirlpool of effects.
The realm of causes exists beyond the ken of the five senses and only their effects are with us on the plane of matter.
The materialistic scientist views the physical body as a complex automatic mechanism, activated by electro-magnetic forces through the process of oxidation. (See Crilles bipolar theory of living processes.) Consciousness, with its mental and emotional manifestations, is regarded as but biochemical end results elaborated by this same automatic organism. The dynamistic philosopher sees the material body as the result of life forces, influencing growth and development dominated by the conscious mind as the highest manifestation of the ego, which has evolved from the great eternal First Cause, The Creator.
Traditional medicine regards disease as a material entity, or a toxemia or a pathologic change in the tissues of the body, and in their treatment employ mechanical or surgical measures or crude chemicals in an attempt to cure or correct the trouble.
Homoeopathy perceives disease as but an impediment to the harmonious flow of life forces, the dynamics of the body, thereby producing a series of changes first in the subtle nerve centers whose vibrant energies produce all the astounding complex chemical effects of the fluids and tissues ultimating in disease or pathology. When the mysterious messenger of life flows harmoniously and uninterruptedly health is blooming; when it is checked or disturbed disease prevails and death is at hand.
This dynamis or life force flowing from the source of creative energy vivifies and animates all nature; through mineral, plant and animal kingdoms, thus making all of us kin and more or less interdependent and related.
Given a relatively perfect mechanism activated by a dynamis flowing in harmony and attunement with its environment we may be assured of a state of health resulting. Such relatively perfect mechanisms are those bodies blessed by good inheritance for the dynamis has been orderly and strong from the time of conception, hence growth and development proceeds in a normal way to ultimate in the birth of a healthy being able to meet changing forces of environment successfully and thus escape sickness or retardation of growth and development.
The homoeopathic concept of illness involves equally subtle instruments and forces to restore harmony in the play of life energy when it has been disturbed by any morbific agent or cause. Homoeopathic remedies by reason of the process of potentization and because of the fact that each remedy has been proves or tested on relatively healthy human beings are each a specialized charge of polarized energy.
Electrolytes of a specific nature, selected to meet the needs of each individual case of disease whose activities are first manifested in the deep centers of the nervous system where the mystic currents of life forces concentrate at these power stations of the body to be distributed in an orderly event stream in accordance with the body needs along the course of the efferent system of nerves to the remotest parts of the organism.
Some illustrations and comparisons of methods will better describe two different concepts of the modus operandi of cure.
In the treatment of malaria the “old school” doctors give massive doses of quinine to kill the plasmodium of malaria in the blood stream and they actually succeed in doing it, but at a great cost in health and suffering which results from the combined effects of the disease and the drug together creating a new combination of symptoms and body changes; true there may be no more chills or fever, but in their place many forms of neuralgic pains of a chronic nature are frequently produced, or chronic liver, spleen and blood changes, all of a chronic baffling and resistant nature result.
These states are recognized by homoeopaths are but suppressions and not cures. The homoeopath administers his remedies in accordance with a proven law called the Law of Similars; every case of sickness is studied as an individual case regardless of its diagnostic name and though a large number of cases may be suffering from a malarial infection each one presents a symptom picture calling for its own specific remedy because each individual with symptoms, idiosyncrasies and reactions peculiar to himself reacts differently to the malarial poison and for that reason requires his own specific antidote or remedy.
Another illustration found in the treatment of syphilis will suffice. So-called “regular medicine” attacks lues by administering powerful drugs such as arsenicals, mercurials, bismuth preparations and iodides, all in drastic dosage injected directly into the blood stream with the object of destroying the spirochete claimed to be the specific cause of the disease, even though often certain nerve, brain and spinal conditions of a most serious nature may fail to show the presence of the spirochete in the blood or spinal fluid, negative Wassermann and Kahn tests. Such cases are especially apt to appear after a course of drastic “old school” antisyphilitic treatment.
Again we see suppression instead of cure. These are victims of the combined effects of syphilis and an artificial drug disease; paresis, locomotor ataxia and numerous other nerve and blood diseases continue to present a hideous train of evil subtilties for scientific medicine to ponder over as a result of its handiwork.
As a result of all this we witness periodical changes in treatment and the introduction of new experimental drugs without the guidance of law or philosophy, only a blind blundering haphazard empirical series of unending trials and errors to pile up suffering and disappointment and accumulated evils and weakness in the race.
“Old school” medicine is making a great noise about the control of syphilis, but aside from the educational phase of their program calling attention to the dangers and seriousness of the infection they are doing infinitely greater harm than they are good in the false assumption of the Wassermann blood test as the criterion of treatment for lues. Without a clinical history of the infection and the sequence of symptoms and body changes such as the chancre, sore throat and typical eruptions, loss of hair and a host of symptoms and signs, the diagnosis of syphilis is not justified on a Wassermann reaction alone. And the drastic nature of the treatment must produce great harm in many cases.
In his book The Collected Works of Arthur Hill Grimmer, Grimmer spoke out against the fluoridation of water and vaccinations. Grimmer wrote prodigeously, Gnaphalium, Homeopathic Prophylaxis and Homeopathic Medicine and Cancer: The Philosophy and Clinical Experiences of Dr. A.H. Grimmer, M.D.