I shall give you, in this essay, the names of each school of medicine, and define briefly the names of the different classifications of medicine.

Antipathy

This is a school of medicine that believes in treating diseases by giving medicine or using means that produce effects of a character that are directly opposed to the symptoms of the disease itself. They, therefore, are termed believers in what is expressed by the Latin term, "Contraria contrariis opponenda." To illustrate the idea to your minds clearly, I will say this: They claim that the first effect of opium is to constipate the bowels, or make the bowels costive, and that the second effect is diarrhoea, which I know is a fact by actual experience, and by trying it on my own body. If any doctor doubts it let him try it at the peril of his life.

Homeopathy

This school was founded by Dr. Hahnemann upon the theory expressed in Latin, "Similia similibus curantur," or, in English words, medicines that will produce effects like the disease in existence should be used for the cure of it. To illustrate the idea clearly I will say this: Take and turn an old dogday sore on the boy's leg that will not heal, with lunar caustic, and immediately a healthy action will set in and the sore will heal. I will say this as a substitute for the Latin term given above: The hair of the dog is good for the bite.

Allopathy

Their method is based on the fact that their medicine will cure in a phenomenal manner, which is, I think, very near the truth. A dose of calomel will do so and so. We have an idea how it does it, or a theory fixed in our own minds, but the fact is, we are not positively certain how it does it, or what is the modus operandi. If we have an aching tooth and apply a mustard poultice on the cheek, the pain will soon stop. Now is this Homoeopathy or Allopathy? Does it cure it by producing an effect on the nerves causing greater pain than the toothache, or does it call the excess of circulation of blood away to the surface that is going on in the nerve of the tooth, by attracting nervous attention, or is it simply an excess of nervous attention to the pain on the outside from the mustard plaster over the pain produced by the tooth? Now, who knows certain what the modus operandi is? An epileptic fit can be warded off by slapping the patient in the face, or by throwing cold water in the face when it first begins to come on. Often have I seen men, when they have been drinking hard, the next morning try to take a drink of whiskey, and upon swallowing it become sick, but by pinching their ears and chewing lemon or cloves, or slapping themselves in the face, would manage, by so doing, to keep it down.