Thomas, Dr., on arnica, calendula, etc.... 149 Western bi-monthly journal of homœop. (America.) 484 Worcester homœop. dispensary, report 117 York homœop. dispensary, report 463* We look upon the law which is the foundation of homcopathic therapeutics as an incontrovertible truth. We moreover consider it to be a truth which, in its application to the healing of disease, has been productive of incstimable benefits to mankind. Hence we feel that it is our duty, as well as that of all those who are convinced of its truth, to use every means in our power to cause it to be fully and rightly known to all men. But while we acknowledge the value of the law; while we feel deeply convinced of its excellence when applied in medical practice, we are not unmindful that all human knowledge is necessarily imperfect, and that it follows in its development a progressive course; that, in fact, time and study are required to bring every branch of science or art to that degree of completeness and certainty of which it will admit. To say thus much is to admit the necessity of serious and incessant labour on the part of all true homœopathists. To bring homœopathy up to our standard of the requisites of medical art we shall do all that lies in our power. We shall spare neither time, nor labour, nor expense; convinced as we are, that being-together with all homœopathists-the depositaries of a great truth, we are bound to work it out to the best of our ability if we will not be guilty of a breach of trust towards our fellow-men and towards future generations. No. 1, VOL. 1. Such is the duty of all homœopathists. But we conceive that we, the founders of this Review, have other and special duties to perform. We believe we have discovered certain tendencies in the homœopathic body which require to be checked, others which require to be encouraged. We are conscious of many desiderata which ought to be supplied, of much work which requires to be performed in various directions-in fact we believe that to rest at present upon the labours of Hahnemann and his immediate disciples would be not only coming to a stand-still, but would be actually retrograding. We must advance. It is our bounden duty to do so. A properly conducted periodical is a powerful agent in stimulating and directing scientific research. Its influence can be doubted by no one. But if any should doubt it as regards homcopathy, we need only draw their attention to the good achieved by the British Journal of Homœopathy. That journal, now in the fourteenth year of its existence, was started when there were hardly ten medical practitioners in the United Kingdom, and when the non-professional adherents of homœopathy amounted in number to, at most, a few thousands. Now the number of practitioners in these kingdoms, who have openly adopted the homœopathic law as their guiding rule, amounts to more than two hundred and fifty, and it is computed that the non-professional believers in homœopathy amount to about one million. We look upon this computation as tolerably correct, and as a fair expression of what has been done in the course of the last fifteen years. To the British Journal of Homœopathy, as a medium of communication of homœopathic truths and of facts and observations, bearing upon practical points, and to the spirit manifested throughout by its editors, we feel disposed to ascribe a large share in this rapid advance. This statement is made, as will be apparent to our readers, in no spirit of rivalry. Honour to whom honour is due, is our motto. The British Journal has done much, not only for this hemisphere, but also for the new world-for the North American States especially, in which it has always |