Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The dynamic cure / by Laroy Sunderland. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.
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![Disease. When, therefore, we are told that disease is a malady, a morbid condition, a fever, a disorder, an affection, and the like, we do not find a solution of this problem, as to what disease is. And here is the definition of disease, given by the Founder of Homoeopathy : — This thousand-headed monster of disease does, after the complica- tion of the internal infection of the whole organism, announce by a peculiar cutaneous eruption — the monstrous internal chronic mias- ma, the Psora [itch], the fundamental cause cmdproduce}- of all the other numerous, I may say innumerable, forms of disease. A Theory of medical practice which finds the origin of all disease in the itch, may be supposed ready to ignore Nature's Self-Healing Forces, and, with optics keen, prepared to see the Power which performs the cure, always in the medicine; conditioned of course, that it be in Homoeopathic doses, — the shadow of a pigeon boiled down. A theory of treatment has recently attracted some attention in New York, under the name of Hygio-Therapeutic. It combines Hydropathy, Gymnastics, and what I denominate Nu- tritive means. So far so good. And, comprehending so much that is Hygienic, it is to be hoped that the friends of this move- ment may, by and by, amend the definition which their apostle has given of disease. It is in these words : — Disease I define to be remedial effort. Disease is just as much vital action as health is. But they differ in this. Health is vital action in relation to normal things ; to things useful to or usable by the or- ganism ; whereas, disease is vital action in relation to abnormal things, that is, things incompatible, injurious, non-usable, poisoning. Health is therefore physiological action, and disease is ])athological action. Health is the sum of all the ftmciio?ial actions in building up, nourishing, and sustaining the body. Disease is the sum of all the functional actions in the expulsion of impurities, extraneous matter, poisons, &c. Disease is therefore remedial, because the object is to get rid of things injurious, R. T. Tkall. The writer speaks of an Object, a Design, that is something which is above, and which controls the Vital Forces. And what is meant here by this object, unless it be what I have denominated the Economy of Life? He speaks, also, of functional action. Ai'e not all actions functional ? But I cannot see that Dr. Trail has really defined any thing in this paragraph ; and it seems marvellous that one in his posi- tion, and possessing his acquirements, could have risked his](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21079584_0017.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
