The American Medical Association in their annual meetings represented a highly controversial institution, and many times the scepter of authority passed from one group to another. In 1890, there were fourteen homoeopathic and eight eclectic medical colleges in the United States, while in 1900 there were twenty- two homoeopathic and ten eclectic schools. At the beginning of the 20th century, the influence of homoeopathy began a very rapid stride. Medical schools throughout the nation began to adopt the scientific method of investigation and research.
The influence of the works of Hahnemann was seen in the teachings of the so-called regular schools. The multiple drug prescription began to loose in favour for use of the single remedy. The theory of immunity was translated into a law, and the great work of the United States Public Health Service, and in the great field of preventive medicine itself to be a permanent and positive fact,
For the past fifty years scientific medicine has been sweeping onward with a steady and sure progress, based almost entirely upon the premise of Hahnemann. Until today, American medicine stands at the highest pinnacle of achievement in world medicine, largely because of the influence of homoeopathy upon the field of research and the practice of medicine.
During the early years of the 20th century when prejudice and ill-feeling existed, caused by a high degree of misunderstanding among medical men, it was necessary to maintain homoeopathic medical colleges. Today that is no longer necessary, homoeopathy being only a part of medical education which deals with a special training for skill in the application of the law of “similia similibus curantur”.
Further because of the general acceptance of the basic principles of homoeopathy, it is no longer necessary or expedient to maintain separate homoeopathic schools. The field of medicine, which includes everything pertaining to the healing art, has discarded in good measure, many of the old prejudices of the past, the superstitions that came down from the ancients, and the magic of the savage, and have substituted in its place the true scientific approach to research and practice.
Yet, withal, homoeopathy being what it is, we find it necessary to establish a system of careful choosing among the students of medicine, in order to give them the advantage of the wonder and values of homoeopathy.
The student who embarks on the road to efficiency in homoeopathic practice must be endowed with the very highest achievement in general as well as medical education. He then must spend extra years of time in study to become proficient in prescribing according to the homoeopathic law. It is not an easy road to success. The homoeopathic physician cannot simply make a physical examination together with such laboratory investigations as are indicated, make a diagnosis, and prescribe a remedy or write a prescription for a multiple drug formula or an antibiotic, then expect a cure.
The homoeopathic physician knows that he must treat his patient as an individual, he must study his patient, must know his personality, he must note and carefully consider every symptom that his patient presents; in other words, the homoeopathic physician must go beyond the simple physical examination and laboratory diagnosis of an ordinary disease, and treat his patient according to the law of “similia similibus curantur.”
All this takes a most profound devotion and dedication on the part of the physician, because he knows he is dealing with a God- created individual, who is suffering from a disease. Therefore, he must know all there is to know about disease, and in addition he must know all there is to know about the individual. The practice of homoeopathy is real labour. It is devoted and indicated work, it requires all the ingenuity, all the mental capacity, and all of the ability of the physician to make a success of his practice.
Homoeopathy today is outstanding in the fact that it has had the privilege and honor of leading the medical profession throughout the world in its most marvelous advance of the past century, and still maintains its proud position in the vanguard of scientific medicine in the world today.
The public need have no fear in the employment of a homoeopathic physician, because his service is equal to the best in scientific medicine. He has had the training, the educational background, and aptitude that places him among the leaders of his profession.
“A homoeopathic physician is one who adds to his knowledge of medicine, a special knowledge of homoeopathic therapeutics, and observes the law of similia. All that pertains to the great field of medical learning is his, by his training and by tradition, inheritance and by right.
