eaceful advocates.

But a little inquiry will show that it has long assumed so hostile a
position with respect to the Medical Profession, that any trouble I, or
any other member of that profession, may choose to bestow upon it may be
considered merely as a matter of self-defence. It began with an attempt
to show the insignificance of all existing medical knowledge. It not
only laid claim to wonderful powers of its own, but it declared the
common practice to be attended with the most positively injurious
effects, that by it acute diseases are aggravated, and chronic diseases
rendered incurable. It has at various times brought forward collections
of figures having the air of statistical documents, pretending to show
a great proportional mortality among the patients of the Medical
Profession, as compared with those treated according to its own rules.
Not contented with choosing a name of classical origin for itself, it
invented one for the whole community of innocent physicians, assuring
them, to their great surprise, that they were all ALLOPATHISTS, whether
they knew it or not, and including all the illustrious masters of the
past, from Hippocrates down to Hunter, under the same gratuitous title.
The line, then, has been drawn by the champions of the new doctrine;
they have lifted the lance, they have sounded the charge, and are
responsible for any little skirmishing which may happen.

But, independently of any such grounds of active resistance, the subject
involves interests so disproportioned to its intrinsic claims, that it
is no more than an act of humanity to give it a public examination. If
the new doctrine is not truth, it is a dangerous, a deadly error. If it
is a mere illusion, and acquires the same degree of influence that we
have often seen obtained by other illusions, there is not one of my
audience who may not have occasion to deplore the fatal credulity which
listened to its promises.

I shall therefore undertake a sober examination of its principles, its
facts, and some points of its history. The limited time at my disposal
requires me to condense as much as possible what I have to say, but
I shall endeavor to be plain and direct in expressing it. Not one
statement shall be made which cannot be supported by unimpeachable
reference: not one word shall be uttered which I am not as willing to
print as to speak. I have no quibbles to utter, and I shall stoop
to answer none; but, with full faith in the suffici