HOMCEOPATHY—ITS STATUS IN PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF 
LEARNING. 
Reprinted from the March number of The Physician and Surgeon, Ann Arbor, Michigan. 
As a matter of medical intelligence, and for the purpose of 
answering many inquiries respecting the condition of the College 
of Homoeopathy in our State, and not for the purpose of awaken- 
ing controversy, of which, in this matter, the profession has had 
quite sufficient, we call attention to the subject stated in the head- 
ing of this article. 
Differences of opinion have long existed in our profession as 
to the most effectual means of ridding the community of what 
we regard as the delusions of this exclusive system of medical 
doctrine and practice, and different courses of conduct in relation 
to it have been pursued. Some have denounced and ridiculed 
without meeting it by exposure and argument; some have ignored 
it completely, while others would bring it to the light where its 
pretensions could be known, and would meet with argument and 
comparison its doctrines and practice. With us, in this coun- 
try, the two first named methods have generally prevailed, with 
results with which we are all familiar. 
In a few instances it has been forced by legislative enactments 
into proximity and comparison with regular, or what we regard 
as Scientific Medicine, and in the two principal instances that 
have occurred, sufficient results have followed to afford a basis of 
judgment as to the proper policy to be pursued. 
In the Michigan Medical News of January 25th, is a letter 
from W. R Birdsall, M. D., one of the associate editors of The 
Physician and Suhgkon, addressed to Professor E. S. Dunster, 
giving an account of the general decline of the system, especially 
on the Continent of Europe, and more particularly of the effect 
of the introduction of homoeopathic professors and their teach- 
ings into the University of Pesth, in Hungary. This is the only 
place in Europe, so far as we can learn, where it has a promi- 
nent position in a government institution established by law, 
holding any relation to the teaching of regular medicine. 
We have another letter before us, giving an account of the 
same affair, as related to the writer by Dr. Seligmann, Professor 
of the History of Medicine in the University of Vienna. Professor 
Seligmann inquired officially and fully into the matter for the 
purpose of presenting the facts to the Austrian Parliament, when 2 
the question of introducing homoeopathy into the great medical 
school of Vienna was proposed. He simply presented the facts to 
the Parliament without argument, as he and his colleagues in the 
university were indifferent as to the introduction of the professors 
and the teachings of the system into the school, feeling assured of 
their own high position, and not dreaming that the professional 
character or standing of their great Institution, or of its regular 
professors, would, in any way, he compromised by it, or that 
scientific medicine would in the least sutler from the comparison 
which would be instituted. 
The account given by Professor Seligmann, as related in the 
letter, states: “A few years ago a bill was passed by the Hun- 
garian Parliament establishing two professorships, and a hospital 
for the teaching of homoeopathy at the University of Pesth. It 
was carried into effect, and has been in operation ever since. 
The homoeopathic courses were made elective ; supplementary to 
the regular course, and no examination was required. Professor 
Seligmann found, on good authority, that the greatest number of 
students at any one lecture during the whole time, was six, and 
that often the only hearers of one professor were the other pro- 
fessor and the assistants of both. He said that the history of 
homoeopathy showed that it flourished while it was opposed and 
persecuted, but that since its introduction at the University of 
Pesth it had gradually lost ground in Hungary. It had proved, 
however, to be rather an expensive experiment to the government.” 
The Parliament of Austria did not, as was proposed, intro- 
duce it into the Vienna University. “The most decided opposi- 
tion,” Professor Seligmann said, “was from the Society of 
Homoeopathic Physicians of Vienna, who presented a petition 
objecting to the passage of the bill, saying that homoeopathy 
could stand upon its own ground, and did not need government 
aid ; from which it was inferred that they did not wish to have 
the ridiculous result which had occurred at Pesth repeated at 
Vienna.” 
The State action in recognition and aid of homoeopathy in 
Michigan was different in its details from that in Hungary. 
There, two professors of the system were introduced into the 
schools as colleagues of the professors of regular medicine. In 
Michigan, a separate college has been established, with no pro- 
fessional relations or communications existing between the two 
faculties. We find in the general calendar of the University of 
Michigan the following statement: “It is proper to remark that 
the two medical schools in this university are distinct organiza- 
tions, and that, under the regulations established by the regents, 
the professors in one school are not called to take any part in 3 
conducting the final examinations of students in the other, or in 
recommending them for graduation, or in signing their diplo- 
mas.” It is true, that under the action of the regents, the 
students of the homoeopathic college are permitted to attend 
a part of the lectures, those on anatomy, chemistry, physi- 
ology, and obstetrics, in the regular school, just as students 
in homoeopathic colleges are allowed by the hospital regula- 
tions to take hospital tickets, and attend the clinical teaching of 
regular professors in Bellevue. Chicago, and other hospitals ; but 
they are not here entered upon the faculty books, or specially 
recognized as members of the class; and no certificates or evi- 
dences of attendance are given them by the regular professors. 
The results in Michigan have not been of the exact character of 
those in Hungary, but, as shown in what follows, they are far 
from being satisfactory to, at least, a portion of the homoeopaths. 
In a “Memorial of the Homoeopathic Physicians to the Hon- 
orable Legislature of Michigan” now before us, printed and 
being circulated for signatures, [since presented to the Legisla- 
ture], asking for the removal of the Homoeopathic College from 
its connection with the University, the following statements among 
others are made: 
“Notwithstanding the large sums of money the people of this 
State have so generously expended on that school, and the best 
talent from the east and west which could be procured has been 
called to its professorships, yet it has not fulfilled the expectations 
of its friends, and we are reluctantly compelled to believe that it 
cannot in a generation to come, if ever. 
“Some of our reasons for this belief are as follows: 
“ In Ann Arbor the allopathic department is old and well 
established. It monopolizes all the influence and best sentiment 
of the place. It is always hostile to the homoeopathic college. 
* * * Although “ an ample hospital is now under 
the complete control of the faculty ” (see the last announcement 
of the homoeopathic department,) yet they have had less than 
half a dozen patients, and the prospects for the future are most 
unpromising. 
“The location of the college four years ago in Ann Arbor 
was contrary to the desire of nine-tenths of the homoe >pathic 
physicians of the State, and was then considered a doubtful 
experiment, except by a few who were hopeful by this means to 
break up the old department. 
“The experiment is a failure and can only be continued at a 
great and unnecessary cost to the people of this State. 4 
“We respectfully petition your honorable body to so amend 
the Act of 1875, that the homoeopathic college can be located 
elsewhere than Ann Arbor, and continue the appropriation as 
heretofore made.” 
The petition asks to have the college placed under a board of 
trustees distinct from the regents of the university. 
It will be noticed that the statement is here made, that the object 
in establishing the college at the university was to break up the 
old or regular department. In this work, they of course, counted 
upon the aid of a portion of the regular profession, and upon the 
disgust or cowardice of the professors of the regular school induc- 
ing them to resign. The aid of numbers of the regular profes- 
sion, (some acting from honorable, but we think mistaken 
professional motives, and some, it is thought, from lower feelings 
of rivalry and envy) they have had ; but in this, as in other 
respects, the scheme, with all its abetting, has proven a failure. 
During the past year the regular department has materially 
increased in numbers, while the homoeopathic has diminished— 
the former having, according to the catalogue just published, 
three hundred and twenty-nine students, and the latter sixty-three : 
and several since entering the homoeopathic college have trans- 
ferred themselves to the college of medicine and surgery. 
Altogether the present out-look seems to justify the gloomy prog- 
nostication of the authors of the memorial. 
It has long been the opinion of many of the wisest men of 
our fraternity that a great mistake has been made in the treat- 
ment of homoeopathy. It has been much less violently assailed, 
and its adherents less denounced and shunned on the Continent of 
Europe than in Great Britain, and especially than in this coun- 
try ; and the result has been that while it is so nearly extinct on 
the Continent where it had its origin, as to justify the saying of 
Dr. Holmes, that like the ervsipelas it lades out and disappears 
where it first commences, it has spread over this whole country, 
feeding upon what it claims as persecution and bigotry, and is 
far more prevalent here than anywhere else. It thrives when 
covered over and kept in darkness by simple denunciation or 
ridicule, but withers when brought to the light and exposed 
to the rays of fair discussion. This is true of all delusions and 
deceptions, and however, much aversion was excited by the 
introduction of this system into the University of Michigan, 
the effect has been and will be, here as in Hungary, to cause 
it to lose ground in proportion to its exposure. The lesson for 
the future from all this is too obvious to require, on this occasion, 
further statements. A. B. P.