§ 18 Fifth Edition
From this indubitable truth, that besides the totality of the symptoms
nothing can by any means be discovered in disease wherewith they could express their need
of aid, it follows undeniably that the sum of all the symptoms in each individual case of
disease must be the sole indication, the sole guide to direct us in the choice of
a remedy.
§ 18 Sixth Edition
From this indubitable truth, that besides the totality of the symptoms with consideration of the accompanying modalities (§ 5) nothing can by any means be discovered in disease wherewith they could express their need of aid, it follows undeniably that the sum of all the symptoms and conditions in each individual case of disease must be the sole indication, the sole guide to direct us in the choice of a remedy.
Now, as diseases are nothing more than alterations in the
state of health of the healthy individual which express themselves by morbid signs,
and the cure is also only possible by a change to the healthy condition of
the state of health of the diseased individual, it is very evident that medicines
could never cure disease if they did not possess the power of altering man’s state of
health which depends on sensations and functions; indeed, that their curative power must
be owing solely to this power they possess of altering man’s state of
health.
This spirit-like power to alter man’s state of health (and hence
to cure diseases) which lies hidden in the inner nature of medicines can never be
discovered by us by a mere effort of reason; it is only by experience of the phenomena it
displays when acting on the state of health of man that we can become clearly cognizant of
it.
§ 20 Sixth edition
This spirit-like power to alter man’s state of health (and hence
to cure diseases) which lies hidden in the inner nature of medicines can in itself never
be discovered by us by a mere effort of reason; it is only by experience of the phenomena
it displays when acting on the state of health of man that we can become clearly cognizant
of it.
Now, as it is undeniable that the curative principle in medicines is not in itself perceptible, and as in pure experiments with medicines conducted by the most accurate observers, nothing can be observed that can constitute them medicines or remedies except that power of causing distinct alterations in the state of health of the human body, and particularly in that of the healthy individual, and of exciting in him various definite morbid symptoms; so it follows that when medicines act as remedies, they can only bring their curative property into play by means of this their power of altering man’s state of health by the production of peculiar symptoms; and that, therefore, we have only to rely on the morbid phenomena which the medicines produce in the healthy body as the sole possible revelation of their in-dwelling curative power, in order to learn what disease-producing power, and at the same time what disease-curing power, each individual medicine possesses.