Istherenoprogress，then，butdowereturntothesamebeliefsandpracticeswhichourforefathersworeoutandthrewaway？Itrustandbelievethatthereisarealprogress。Wemay，forinstance，returninameasuretotheBrunonianstimulatingsystem，butitmustbeinamodifiedway，forwecannotgobacktothesimpleBrunonianpathology，sincewehavelearnedtoomuchofdiseasedactiontoacceptitsconvenientdualism。Soofotherdoctrines，eachnewAvatarstripsthemofsomeoftheiroldpretensions，untiltheytaketheirfittingplaceatlast，iftheyhaveanytruthinthem，ordisappear，iftheyweremerephantasmsoftheimagination。
Inthemeantime，whilemedicaltheoriesarecominginandgoingout，thereisasetofsensiblemenwhoareneverrunawaywithbythem，butpractisetheirartsagaciouslyandfaithfullyinmuchthesamewayfromgenerationtogeneration。FromthetimeofHippocratestothatofourownmedicalpatriarch，therehasbeenanapostolicsuccessionofwiseandgoodpractitioners。IfyouwilllookatthefirstaphorismoftheancientMasteryouwillseethatbeforeallremediesheplacestheproperconductofthepatientandhisattendants，andthefitorderingofalltheconditionssurroundinghim。TheclassofpractitionersIhavereferredtohavealwaysbeenthemostfaithfulinattendingtothesepoints。Nodoubttheyhavesometimesprescribedunwisely，incompliancewiththeprejudicesoftheirtime，buttheyhavegrownwiserastheyhavegrownolder，andlearnedtotrustmoreinnatureandlessintheirplansofinterference。IbelievecommonopinionconfirmsSirJamesClark’sobservationtothiseffect。
Theexperienceoftheprofessionmust，Ithink，runparallelwiththatofthewisestofitsindividualmembers。Eachtimeaplanoftreatmentoraparticularremedycomesupfortrial，itissubmittedtoasharperscrutiny。WhenCullenwrotehisMateriaMedica，hehadseriouslytoassailthepracticeofgivingburnttoad，whichwasstillcountenancedbyatleastonemedicalauthorityofnote。Ihavereadrecentlyinsomemedicaljournal，thatanAmericanpractitioner，whosenameisknowntothecountry，isprescribingthehoofofahorseforepilepsy。Itwasdoubtlesssuggestedbythatoldfancyofwearingaportionofelk’shoofhungroundtheneckorinaring，forthisdisease。Butitishardtopersuadereasonablepeopletoswallowtheabominationsofaformerperiod。TheevidencewhichsatisfiedFerneliuswillnotserveoneofourhospitalphysicians。
InthiswaythosearticlesoftheMateriaMedicawhichhadnothingbutloathsomenesstorecommendthemhavebeengraduallydropped，andarenotliketoobtainanygeneralfavoragainwithcivilizedcommunities。Thenextculpritstobetriedarethepoisons。Ihaveneverbeenintheleastscepticalastotheutilityofsomeofthem，whenproperlyemployed。ThoughIbelievethatatpresent，takingtheworldatlarge，andleavingoutafewpowerfulagentsofsuchimmensevaluethattheyranknexttofoodinimportance，thepoisonsprescribedfordiseasedomorehurtthangood，Ihavenodoubt，andneverprofessedtohaveany，thattheydomuchgoodinprudentandinstructedhands。ButIamverywillingtoconfessagreatjealousyofmanyagents，andIcouldalmostwishtoseetheMateriaMedicasoclassedastocallsuspicionuponcertainonesamongthem。
Thusthealienelements，thosewhichdonotproperlyenterintothecompositionofanylivingtissue，arethemosttobesuspected，——