CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN DR. C. J. B. WILLTAMS AND A HOMCEOPATHIC
PRACTITIONER.
The London Lancet of March 23d, contains the following corres-
pondence.
The Letter.
“----- Street, Friday, 22d February, 1850.
“ Dear Sir,—I am very desirous of having your opinion in a case
of suspected disease of the heart. The patient is the Hon. Mrs.---------,
at present residing with Lady-------,------Square. Will you have the
goodness to inform me at what hour on Monday it would be convenient
for you to see Mrs-------?
li I think it right to state that Mrs.--has been for many years a
convert to homceopathy, and that I, as you possibly may have heard,
practise that system of treatment. I mention this, because you may
have some objection to meet a homoeopathic physician in consultation,
and I should much regret if I were the means of inducing you to do
anything distasteful to you in ignorance of the above facts. I may
however, mention that it is as a matter of diagnosis rather than of treat-
ment that your opinion is desired, and that my friends, Sir-------------
and Dr.------, have seen the case with me on former occasions. I re-
main, dear Sir, your very obedient servant,	“--------
“To Charles L B. Williams, Esq. M. D. etc.”
The Reply.
“7 Holles^Street, Cavendish Square, 23d, 1850.
“ Dear Sir,—1 am obliged to you for your courtesy in wishing to
have my opinion on the diagnosis of the case of the Hon. Mrs.-----------,
and for your candor in apprising me that she is under homoeopathic
treatment; but under these circumstances I must beg you to excuse my
attendance.
“Believing, as I firmly do, that the so-called £ homoeopathic system’
is an entire fallacy, and therefore calculated to do much injury to those
on whom it is practised, I consider it to be my duty to do nothing that
can, directly or indirectly, countenance or aid it ; and it appears to me,
that to meet a homoeopathic physician in consultation, and to assist in
the diagnosis of a case professedly under homoeopathic treatment,
would have such an effect.
“I need scarcely add, that I have no personal feelings in the matter.
And hoping that you will soon return to the legitimate domain of
rational medicine, “ I remain, dear Sir, yours faithfully,
“To Dr.-------.	“ C. J. B. Williams.
Dr. Williams’ conduct in this case is most honorable and worthy of
imitation : but the adoption of any other course by a leading physician,
would have been a heavy blow and a great discouragement to the prac-
titioners of legitimate medicine. Minor men may, (with their guinea
bribes) be allowed to dally with ‘entire fallacies,’ but the consulting
physician, who meets a homeopath, a hydropath, a chrons-thermalist, or
any charlatan, must be carefully repudiated by the profession. We
wish this hint to be acted upon : a laxity prevails.