ADDRESS 
BEFORE THE 
International patjqemanqiai] 
Association, 
AT ITS 
SEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 
HELD AT 
Long Branch, New Jersey, June 21st and 24th, 1887, 
BY 
PROF. J. T. KENT, A. M., M. D., President. 
REPRINTED FROM 
THE HOMCEOPATHIC PHYSICIAN. FOR JULY, 
1887. International Hahnemannian Association. 
ORGANIZED JUNE, 1880. 
1881. 
President, P. P. Wells, M. D. 
Vice-President, T. F. Pomeroy, M. I). 
President, C. Pearson, M. D. 
Vice-President, T. F. Pomeroy, M. D. 
1882. 
1883. 
President, C. Pearson, M. D. 
Vice-President, J. P. Mills, M. I). 
1884. 
President, George F. Foote, M, I). 
Vice-President, R. R. Gregg, M. D. 
1885. 
President, R. R. Gregg, M. D. 
Vice-President, J. A. Biegler, M. D. 
President, H. C. Allen. 
Vice-President, E. Kush mo re, M. I). 
1886. 
1887. 
President, J. T. Kent, M. I). 
Vice-President, Wm. P. Wesselhoeft, M. D. ADDRESS BEFORE THE INTERNATIONAL HAH- 
NEMANNIAN ASSOCIATION AT ITS SEVENTH 
ANNUAL MEETING, 
By Professor J. T. Kent, M. D., President. 
Fellow-members of the International Hahneman- 
nian Association : It is with pleasure that I welcome you to your 
Seventh annual meeting; to one which promises to exceed in 
interest and profit even our last session. 
In the past, this Association has accomplished some very use- 
ful work for the cause it espouses. Let us hope it will do even 
more in the future I And what is the cause we espouse ; or, in 
other terms, why this Association ? 
It was certainly for no idle purpose, nor for any senseless 
caprice, that our oldest and most respected members left the 
American Institute and formed this separate Association ; it is 
equally true that we of the junior profession did not join this 
Association for any selfish or useless purpose. Was not this 
Association formed solely for the purpose, as expressed, of per- 
petuating and developing true Homoeopathy? Was it not felt 
at the time of its organization that the hour had come for true 
men to arouse themselves and work for the science they loved ? 
Had they not heard all the principles which Hahnemann had 
taught, and which the experience of many had proven to be 
true, villified and abused; had not, in short, all true Homoeop- 
athy been driven from the Institute ? The homoeopathic school, 
then as now, was divided into two parties-the one represent- 
ing eclectic methods and practice, the other the principles and 
practice of Hahnemann, of Gross, of Boenninghausen, of Hering. 
The time had come when all practitioners had to decide which 
of the parties they should, assist. And let it be to the eternal 
glory of these men that they chose rather to be right than to be 
with the majority ! 
In the history of the American Institute, we may read a 
warning for us. In its first years the Institute was composed 
of able and true men, and its purpose was for truth and 
usefulness. But little by little eclectics were allowed to creep into 
its membership, and soon, behold I the whole body is eclectic. Let 
us then beware whom we elect members, let our censors be even 
over-scrupulous lest a wolf creep in in sheep's clothing. Let no 
member sign any application for membership unless he knows 
the physician personally and is very sure he is qualified to serve 
1 2 
with us. Too great caution cannot be observed in this matter. 
It is not great numbers that we want, but men of truth and 
purpose. 
While much caution may be judiciously exercised in this mat- 
ter of electing new members, let us not repel those who, though 
not yet with us, are in sympathy with our purpose, and whose 
presence would be welcome. Let us not therefore erect any 
Chinese wall of exclusion, but merely exercise all proper pre- 
caution to prevent evil. Let no good man be excluded by 
personal malice; nor any useless man elected to serve 
personal ambition. As well stated in the preface to our last 
volume of transactions: 
'' Personal interests or ambitions have no place here, but only what is truth." 
Without doubt all will assent to this assertion, but many will 
inquire, and most rightly, too, What is truth ? This question 
has been asked many, many times, and of all subjects. In this 
case, limiting our statement to what is true in therapeutics, we 
unhesitatingly assert the law of similars to be true; to be a 
proven fact. Has it not been found operative in all diseases and 
in all countries? can fuller demonstration be needed? 
" It is true; let it stand" we all exclaim. 
It may be well to remark that while our law is a fixed fact, 
we must never forget that our school is not to be stationary. 
The law is complete and perfect; our knowledge of the extent 
of its usefulness is very incomplete and imperfect. The law is 
fixed, the school is progressive. 
Eclectics, building upon the uncertain sands of theory, need to 
be continually rebuilding, as each new theory causes a shifting of 
their foundation. Homceopathists, building upon the unchange- 
able rock of law, need never rebuild. 
Our foundation then being firm, we need only develop and 
improve the superstructure. Our knowledge of the extent and 
usefulness of the law of similars has increased since Hahne- 
mann's day; let us see to it that we continue to improve, and 
always in the right way. 
The law, being of divine origin, is complete, perfect, and 
fixed; the school, being composed of erring humanity, is incom- 
plete, imperfect, and changeable. 
While many willingly concede this much to the homoeopathic 
law, they yet desire something more ; they would like to have 
liberty, license, " to use their best judgmentto be free to 
treat anomalous cases by non-homoeopathic measures if, in their 
judgment, such may at any time be neetled. 3 
There is growing up such a tendency to the so-called scientific 
that our young men stand in danger of being drawn into this 
vortex of confusion. This scientific vortex looks wonderful; it 
is so strong! What can there be in the science of medicine but 
a knowledge of how to cure the sick? The scientific physician, 
when asked what he knows, must say : I knoic how to cure the sick. 
If he really knows this he has knowledge and is scientific. If 
he has not this knowledge, which he pretends to possess, he is a 
pretender and a fraud. 
What is there of value in this word " scientific," when all the 
pretenders in medicine make use of it? These, most of all, cry 
" We are the scientific." " We teach science." The amount of 
science depends entirely on how much the instructor possesses, 
for " a stream cannot rise higher than its source." 
The " eclectics " claim to teach the most scientific (?) of all, be- 
cause they select the good from all schools of medicine. Who has 
guided them to this great wisdom? Do they pretend to have a 
law or a philosophy to enable them to select the wheat and leave 
the chaff? No. Such a thing does not belong to their pre- 
tensions. They even claim the greatest empiricism to be the 
highest order of science. The greater the chaos and confusion 
the greater the science. 
The cry of the unbelieving does not strengthen their scien- 
tific position when their only appeal is to the microscope and to 
common sense. Common sense is opposed at all times to cultivated 
intelligence. The man of lowest intelligence can prove that he 
must have a dose that can be seen and handled to cure him of 
his aches, by appealing to common sense. The mongrel makes 
use of the same reason and argument to condemn us that the 
allopathist resorts to to convict the mongrel-appeal to common 
sense and belief. 
Ten men may stand and affirm each, " I did not see," and one 
man states "I did see," and who of the eleven would the meanest 
court in the land accept as competent to give evidence? The one 
knows what the ten do not know. 
The ten declare they have tried the high potencies and have 
failed to secure curative results. What have they demonstrated ? 
Wooing their own ignorance of the manner of using these poten- 
cies. But they say they cure with the low. I do not believe they 
cure with the low, because of the best reasoning. It is logical to 
suppose or presume that a physician who can cure with the high, 
can cure with the low, but the demonstration is entirely wanting 
to show that the physician can cure with the low and cannot cure 
with the high. Men who know how to select a remedy have 4 
confidence in that remedy and go on gaining yearly in this 
knowledge; men who are ignorant of the powers of the selected 
remedy of course have not gained the confidence necessary to cure 
with it, and they mix other means and other medicines. 
It has been recently stated in a medical journal that there are 
logical reasons for deserting Homoeopathy for allopathy ; that 
is, for abandoning law for empiricism. The idea is fallacious, 
and no sensible reason has ever been adduced in its support. 
There can be only one excuse for this change-and that failure! 
And this failure has never yet been shown to be due to any in- 
sufficiency of the homoeopathic law, but is always easily traced to 
the incapacity of him who uses it. All are liable to err. Let him 
who thinks he cannot sin cast the first stone at our law. 
Concerning the oft-made plea for liberty of medical opinion 
and action, we would remark that no one is free from the obli- 
gations of law ; the greater your work, the higher you advance, 
just by so much do you rivet the chains of responsibility. Only 
the beggar in the gutter is free to do as he will. No one can 
grant a physician success in practice whose practice does not 
of itself secure success. 
If one practice Homoeopathy he will secure homoeopathic suc- 
cess ; if he practice allopathy, he will gain only the meagre re- 
sults of allopathy. No resolutions of learned bodies can change 
this rule. We are freemen; free to do and to practice as 
we please; but our success will be measured by our practice, 
and our title as homoeopaths or eclectics be given accordingly as 
we practice the one or the other, and we all know the 
greatest measure of success is attained by a strict adherence 
to the law of similars, the minimum dose, and the single 
remedy. The Homoeopathy of Hahnemann gives the 
greatest success, the greatest freedom, and the greatest 
honor. No man can practice empiricism and honestly 
claim to be a homoeopath; such are " living a lie," as an allo- 
path has asserted. The eclectic is a slave, bound by error; the 
homoeopath is free, emancipated by truth. A great poet de- 
clares, " He is a freeman whom truth makes free, and all are 
slaves beside." 
Let not this Association harbor or indorse in any way, even 
by absence of rebuke, any form of false teaching. Let it be dis- 
tinctly understood that we do fully and honestly believe, col- 
lectively and individually, the resolutions of this Association, as 
adopted. We have declared that these resolutions " completely 
and fully represent the therapeutic opinion and practice " of this 
Association. Let it be shown to the outside world that we mean 5 
what we have said. We do most assuredly believe Hahne- 
mann's Organon of the Healing Art to be the only true guide in 
therapeutics. Let us not, then, tolerate any teachi ng which seeks to 
pervert or abridge this master work in any way. We have as- 
serted, as our belief, that the only true guide for a prescription 
is the totality of the symptoms of a proven drug. Let us not, 
then, prescribe upon any other basis ; it cannot be homoeopathic 
nor wise to do so. We cannot allow to be true any teaching 
which seeks to controvert this fundamental principle of homoe- 
opathic practice. He who recommends the building of thera- 
peutics upon any new theory or upon any other basis than that 
prescribed by this law, is no homoeopath and has no fellowship 
in this Association. Successful practice cannot be based upon 
pathological theories. Whether these theories teach one to pre- 
scribe for a pathological condition or for a presumed dyscrasia, 
it matters not; both are un-homoeopathic and both are un- 
successful. 
The adoption of drug proving by Hahnemann, first intro- 
duced two great features into medicine, and these are certainty 
and prevision. We are sure a drug will cure in the sick such 
symptoms as it has produced upon the healthy; we are enabled 
by this certainty to predict, before the trial of a drug, what it 
will cure. For these grand features of its art, medicine is in- 
debted to Samuel Hahnemann-see to it that no fault of ours 
destroys his noble work. In short, it is to be remembered that 
the basis of a homoeopathic prescription is the symptom of the 
drug, the question of the dose is secondary. The size of the 
dose can never make the remedy homoeopathic to the case. 
In this matter of dose, some err upon one side and some 
upon the other. So we see that while some believe an imper- 
fectly selected drug may be made to do the work of the perfect 
simillimum if it be " pushed " or exhibited in crude doses ; on 
the other hand, we find some who are disposed to assent to al- 
most any prescription so it be given high enough. Both these 
parties are in error. While we cannot dogmatize upon this 
question of dose, all here will agree that the better the selection, 
i. e., the nearer we come to the perfect simillimum, the less 
medicine we need give. This proposition may be stated again 
in other words. It is the experience of our best prescribers that 
the simillimum will cure most cases best if given high and in 
one dose, or at least a few doses. Indeed, experience tells us that 
the high potenties are always the best; this is experience, how- 
ever, and not law. But the converse of this proposition is not 
true, that a badly selected drug may be made to do good work 6 
by giving much of it. This idea is the cause of most of the 
mongrelism of the day. 
In published reports of clinical cases, we find evidence of the 
necessity for careful examination of the patient. Hahnemann 
laid the greatest stress upon this examination, telling us how to 
do it, and saying, in effect, that a patient well examined was 
half cured. Unless this careful examination be made, one can- 
not get all those peculiar, characteristic symptoms which Hahne- 
mann has declared must be the deciding symptoms. All cases 
have many symptoms, which are to be found under many drugs, 
and are hence of little value in deciding our choice of a remedy. 
Each case should have, and probably does have, some peculiar 
symptoms ; these we are to get. These we must get; and our 
examination of a patient is incomplete so long as we possess 
only a list of common and general symptoms. It should be our 
task to question and examine the patient until such peculiar 
symptoms are found. We hear much complaint of the insuf- 
ficiency of our Materia Medica, of the uselessness of our reper- 
tories, but most generally the failure to prescribe correctly and 
even easily is not due to the want of good books, but to this 
lack of careful and thoughtful examination of the patient. 
Forget not this, that the greatest cures the world has ever wit- 
nessed have been made by the earlier homoeopaths with a much 
less complete library than we now possess. After selecting the 
proper remedy, we must not forget that it is of prime importance 
to give it in proper dose, and not to change too soon nor to repeat 
too frequently. Neverchange a remedy unlessthe changed symp- 
toms call for another ; never repeat the dose (or change remedy) 
when the patient is improving. For a fuller and a better under- 
standing of the true healing art, you are to study and to restudy 
the Organon. Our purpose in these few remarks has not been to 
teach this art, but merely to call attention to a few salient points; 
to give admonition upon a few prominent features which cannot 
be too steadily kept in view. 
This Association, it has been said, was organized for an espe- 
cial purpose, and that purpose was to promulgate and develop 
Homoeopathy. In pursuance of this work, the purifying and com- 
pleting of the Materia Medica must be our chief concern. It is 
the foundation of our art. Our Materia Medica once corrupted 
and perverted, clinical success becomes impossible. We may 
again take warning by the fate of the American Institute, for it, 
too, started forty odd years ago, to do this same work; and for 
some years the Institute did good service in this study. But 
as it grew eclectic, the Institute became enamored of the false 7 
siren named progressive science, and all truth was abandoned. 
Let us beware lest a like fate overtake this Association. 
The Materia Medica is to be developed by careful and thorough 
provings of new drugs; we repeat, careful and thorough prov- 
ings, for most of the modern provings are worthless, having 
been carelessly and improperly made. One is afraid to prescribe 
upon them ; afraid to trust valuable lives to such careless work. 
How differently do we feel when we prescribe one of the old, re- 
liable remedies. Then security begets quiet reliance and success 
crowns our efforts. 
At our last meeting, a good beginning was made in this study 
of the Materia Medica, and your Bureau gives promise of great 
usefulness and interest for this meeting. In all of our work 
we must strive to emulate the energy and zeal of Hahnemann 
and of his early disciples ; they were indeed masters. Nowhere 
does one's knowledge of therapeutics and medical ability show 
forth to better advantage than in this of proving drugs and re- 
vising the Materia Medica. To do it well the best talent and the 
greatest zeal are required ; but this need not deter us from the 
work, for ability and zeal are easily to be found in our ranks. 
The Materia Medica is to be enriched by clinical observations, 
and here also we may again take pattern by Hahnemann's careful 
work. The admission of clinical symptoms into our Materia 
Medica must be done with the greatest caution. They can only 
be incorporated after the most searching inquiry, and then should 
always be so marked that we can tell the clinical from the pa- 
thogenetic. The hasty and inconsiderate adoption of clinical 
symptoms is certainly an evil; and if pursued to any great ex- 
tent will render the Materia Medica unreliable. Every prac- 
titioner is not a reliable judge of the value of a clinical confirma- 
tion. Even reliable clinical confirmations need only be noted 
when peculiar or characteristic; of common, general symptoms 
we have an abundance. 
The clinical symptom is only admissible to fill up the gaps 
left by imperfect provings, or in cases where provings cannot 
be obtained. Though some of the best symptoms now in use 
are of clinical origin, as a general rule they cannot be considered 
as certain and reliable as the pathogenetic. 
Besides the proving of drugs and the careful, conscientious 
noting of clinical symptoms, we can also do a useful work in 
marking clinical verifications of pathogenetic symptoms. A 
symptom produced upon a healthy person and cured in a sick 
person becomes doubly reliable. There can be no doubt about 
the value of such symptoms. 8 
The most dangerous manner of perpetuating homoeo- 
pathic truth is to mix it with uncertainty or mystery. There 
are some things about the art of healing that pertain to the sci- 
entific, of which not one is more important than the proven drug. 
A member may state that he has cured somebody with an un- 
proved drug, and he may fail to demonstrate the homoeopathicity 
of the so-called cure, because of the lack of evidence that can 
only be obtained from the provings. There are many good 
things so involved in mystery that the time is not ripe to dis- 
cuss them. The relations of Homoeopathy to them must be 
first demonstrated or this organization cannot recognize them. 
The allopathist reports cures on unsupported opinion, and we 
reject these because he has no demonstration. If this same 
allopathist reports a cure of vomiting by Ipecac, the homceop- 
athist can accept it as a real cure, because it is what can be ex- 
pected. Experiment as you may on the healthy with new med- 
icines, the sick man demands a remedy for his sickness the 
likeness of which has been found in a pathogenesis. 
In no way can we perpetuate pure philosophy but by adheringto 
the proven drug in al l our discussions. Better rule out all the frag- 
mentary guesswork and make every report show its relation be- 
tween drug and disease in the manner designated in our philos- 
ophy. The Publication Committee should reject, without fear or 
favor, all papers with reports of cures where we have not had 
access to the record of provings. Of what value is the cure 
without the proving ? Save the cures until you have given us 
the proving. 
By thorough and careful work we will some day complete a 
Materia Medica whose every symptom will have been repeatedly 
verified. Then, indeed, will our art become the exact science 
predicted for it. Such is the end for which we labor. A great 
stride toward such an end will be made when we have in com- 
pleted form the Guiding Symptoms, by the late Dr. Hering. 
These are now promised, and if given us as that master mind 
left them (not as some lesser minds may think they should be 
given), our school will secure a treasure. A very opposite of 
this great work of Hering's is the so-called Encyclopaedia of 
Drug Pathogensy, which seems to be a confused mass of man- 
gled provings. We have more than once attempted to gather 
assistance from its garbled and condensed pages, but have always 
been baffled. That it has any value we are unable to see. It is 
to be hoped it has a purpose, as much labor seems to have been 
spent upon it, and much expected of it. 
There is another point to which your attention may be profit- 9 
ably directed, and that is to secure greater care in selecting our 
medicines and more care in manufacturing our potencies. It 
seems as though carelessness were also creeping into our phar- 
maceutics. The greatest discretion must be exercised in select- 
ing proper material for our pharmacopoeia and in their prepara- 
tion. The same preparation, especially in the use of our vegetable 
remedies, should be used in the prescribing as was used inthe prov- 
ing. We do not mean the same potency, but the same pharma- 
ceutical preparation. Impure or uncertain drugs will, of course, 
not correspond in their effects upon the sick to the action of a 
purer drug used in the proving. The physician and the prover 
should use the same preparation. Without doubt, many of our 
failures may be justly laid to some imperfection in our drug 
preparations. 
During the past year little worthy of note has occurred in 
the medical world. In the old school new theories have arisen 
and old ones have died. This is the old, old story with these 
scientists I Among ourselves the work seems to be steadily 
progressing for the better. The successful meeting held a year 
ago at Saratoga has been productive of much good, has shown 
the outside world that this is a working association of genuine 
homoeopaths. Such successful meetings cannot fail to have a 
beneficial effect upon the homoeopathic school. 
And now we meet for the seventh time to greet each other, and 
to work for the perpetuation of the art of healing known as 
Homoeopathy. We have come together from the remote quar- 
ters of the land to sharpen a common faith by another year of 
busy experience. This organization has been separated from the 
masses of all grades in medicine, a mere handful, that has been 
called a respectable minority, and it can even now see the gulf that 
yawns behind it. With independence we are to go on climbing 
the mountain of homoeopathic truth. Some say we are at the 
top. Be not so sure; we have but climbed a foothill; soon will 
we see a mountain beyond, with but the faintest trace of human 
footprints. We follow on, though the mountain side be 
steep and thorny, led by the light of truth. Soon the toilers 
grow weary and their number becomes smaller. In the distant 
past there is a multitude, while the valleys below still throng 
with conflicting millions. The few toil on up the steep and 
rocky mountain side, steeper, more rocky as they press onward. 
The distance brings to view the heavens, dotted with nebulous 
sky and space beyond. There is to be seen another mountain 
far away, and much higher, which is yet to be climbed, upon 
which, through the clear sky, above the clouds, behold the im- 
mortal Hahnemann. TO 
THE HOMCEOPATHIC PHYSICIAN. 
The following books have been issued by The Homoeopathic Physi- 
cian as supplements, and are for sale. 
They are dist nctive and characteristic of the work this journal is doing 
toward the attainment of that great aim of all Homoeopathists, the making 
of true and successful homoeopathic prescriptions. 
I. Hemorrhoids, Therapeutics and Repertory. By Wm. Jefferson 
Guernsey, M. D. Twenty-five pages. Only about a dozen copies of 
this supplement are left. Price, 25 cents. 
III. Cough Repertory. By Dr. Edmund J. Lee and Dr. George H. 
Clark. This is a complete repertory to all the cough symptoms 
under the older remedies of the Materia Medica. It is arranged so 
that the symptom may be found under the most important word in the 
symptom. By its use the prescriber may quickly determine whether 
the symptom he is looking for may or may not be in the Jfatena 
Medica. Price, bound in cloth, $2.00. 
IV. Characteristic Conditions of Aggravation and Amelioration. 
This is a collection of the most valuable symptoms contained in Boen- 
ninghausen's celebrated Therapeutic Pocket Book, arranged by Edmund 
J. Lee, M. D. 16mo, paper cover. Price, 20 cents. 
V. Repertory of Characteristics of Diarrhoea and Dysentery, 
with Essays on their Treatment. The Essavs are by P. P, 
Wells, M. D., with a repertory arranged by Edmund J. Lee, M. D. 
16mo, paper cover. Price, 75 cents. 
VI. Cholera. By B. F. Joslin, M. D. With notes and additions by P. P. 
• Wells, M. D. Paper cover. Price, 75 cents. . 
VII. Rheumatism. Essay by P. P. Wells, M. D., and a repertory by 
Walter M. James, M. D. This long-delayed work is nearing com- 
pletion. Announcement when ready for issue will appear in the pages 
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To the above we have added Dr. Winan's Cough Time Table, reprinted 
from the February number. Six pages. Price, 10 cents. 
Any of the above will be sent, free of postage, on receipt of the price. 
Address 
THE HOMEOPATHIC PHYSICIAN, 
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Homeopathic Physician. 
A MONTHLY JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE. 
Terms, $2.50 Per Year, in Advance. 
The Homoeopathic Physician is acknowledged to be the leading 
Hahnemannian journal of the United States. It is the only homoeopathic 
journal that strictly maintains the principle of the similars and rigidly ex- 
cludes eclectic teachings from its pages. It is able and fearless. It is inde- 
pendent in everything; neutral in nothing. 
The one purpose of this journal is to teach the theory and practice of 
Hahnemannian Homoeopathy. In doing this it publishes lectures upon the 
materia medica by Drs. Gee, Kent, and McNeil; papers upon the philosophy 
and principles of Homoeopathy by Dr. Wells and others; clinical cases, veri- 
fications, etc., etc., by numerous physicians, many of them the leading pre- 
scribers of their day. This journal aims to give to the busy practitioner, in 
a brief and readily comprehended form, what may be called a post-graduate 
course in materia medica and practical medicine. 
The practitioner who will provide himself with a copy of Hahnemann's 
Organon, with a good, reliable Materia Medica, and with The Homoeopathic 
Physician, will be enabled to acquire a thorough knowledge of Homoeopathy. 
The journal will assist him to study the other two undei standingly. 
The usefulness and the success of The Homoeopathic Physician depend 
upon the support of the true homoepathicians and of those who are striving 
to become good homoeopathists. To the latter it lends a helping hand. It 
will never, for the sake of pecuniary gain, surrender the truth to secure pop- 
ular approval, nor betray those who put their trust in it. When it ceases to 
receive the continued support of Hahnemannians, its presses will stop and 
the journal cease to live. 
The reader's attention is called to the many valuable papers that have 
appeared in The Homoeopathic Physician in the past six* months. They 
constitute a guarantee for the future. The lectures of Drs. Kent and McNeil 
are alone worth the price of subscription. 
For subscriptions, sample copies, etc., address 
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