§ 20 Fifth edition

This spirit-like power to alter man’s state of health (and hence to cure diseases) which lies hidden in the inner nature of medicines can never be discovered by us by a mere effort of reason; it is only by experience of the phenomena it displays when acting on the state of health of man that we can become clearly cognizant of it.

§ 20 Sixth edition

This spirit-like power to alter man’s state of health (and hence to cure diseases) which lies hidden in the inner nature of medicines can in itself never be discovered by us by a mere effort of reason; it is only by experience of the phenomena it displays when acting on the state of health of man that we can become clearly cognizant of it.

§ 21

Now, as it is undeniable that the curative principle in medicines is not in itself perceptible, and as in pure experiments with medicines conducted by the most accurate observers, nothing can be observed that can constitute them medicines or remedies except that power of causing distinct alterations in the state of health of the human body, and particularly in that of the healthy individual, and of exciting in him various definite morbid symptoms; so it follows that when medicines act as remedies, they can only bring their curative property into play by means of this their power of altering man’s state of health by the production of peculiar symptoms; and that, therefore, we have only to rely on the morbid phenomena which the medicines produce in the healthy body as the sole possible revelation of their in-dwelling curative power, in order to learn what disease-producing power, and at the same time what disease-curing power, each individual medicine possesses.

But as nothing is to be observed in diseases that must be removed in order to change them into health besides the totality of their signs and symptoms, and likewise medicines can show nothing curative besides their tendency to produce morbid symptoms in healthy persons and to remove them in diseased persons; it follows, on the one hand, that medicines only become remedies and capable of annihilating disease, because the medicinal substance, by exciting certain effects and symptoms, that is to say, by producing a certain artificial morbid state, removes and abrogates the symptoms already present, to wit, the natural morbid state we wish to cure. On the other hand, it follows that, for the totality of the symptoms of the disease to be cured, a medicine must be sought which (according as experience shall prove whether the morbid symptoms are most readily, certainly, and permanently removed and changed into health by similar or opposite medicinal symptoms¹) has a tendency to produce similar or opposite symptoms.

¹ The other possible mode of employing medicines for diseases besides these two is the allopathic method, in which medicines are given, whose symptoms have no direct pathological relation to the morbid state, neither similar nor opposite, but quite heterogeneous to the symptoms of the disease, is, as shown above, in the introduction (Review of the therapeutics, allopathy and palliative treatment that have hitherto been practiced in the old school of medicine), merely instinctive vital force, which, when made ill by noxious agents, strives to save itself at whatever sacrifice by the production and continuance of morbid irritation in the organism - an imitation, consequently, of the crude vital force which was implanted in our organism in order to preserve our life in health, in the most beautiful harmony; but when deranged by disease, was so constituted as to admit of being again changed to health (homœopathically) by the intelligent physician, but not to cure itself, for which the little power it possesses is so far from being a pattern to be copied, that all the changes and symptoms it produces in the (morbidly deranged) organism are just the disease itself. But this injudicious system of therapeutics of the old school of medicine can no more be passed by unnoticed that can history omit to record the thousands of years of opposition to which mankind has been subjected under the irrational, despotic Governments.

But as nothing is to be observed in diseases that must be removed in order to change them into health besides the totality of their signs and symptoms, and likewise medicines can show nothing curative besides their tendency to produce morbid symptoms in healthy persons and to remove them in diseased persons; it follows, on the one hand, that medicines only become remedies and capable of annihilating disease, because the medicinal substance, by exciting certain effects and symptoms, that is to say, by producing a certain artificial morbid state, removes and abrogates the symptoms already present, to wit, the natural morbid state we wish to cure. On the other hand, it follows that, for the totality of the symptoms of the disease to be cured, a medicine must be sought which (according as experience shall prove whether the morbid symptoms are most readily, certainly, and permanently removed and changed into health by similar or opposite medicinal symptoms¹) have the greatest tendency to produce similar or opposite symptoms.

¹ The other possible mode of employing medicines for diseases besides these two is the allopathic method, in which medicines are given, whose symptoms have no direct pathological relation to the morbid state, neither similar nor opposite, but quite heterogeneous to the symptoms of the disease. This procedure plays, as I have shown elsewhere, an irresponsible murderous game with the life of the patient by means of dangerous, violent medicines, whose action is unknown and which are chosen on mere conjectures and given in large and frequent doses. Again, by means of painful operations, intended to lead the disease to other regions and taking the strength and vital juices of the patient, through evacuations above and below, sweat or salivation, but especially through squandering the irreplaceable blood, as is done by the reigning routine practice, used blindly and relentlessly, usually with the pretext that the physician should imitate and further the sick nature in its efforts to help itself, without considering how irrational it is, to imitate and further these very imperfect, mostly inappropriate efforts of the instinctive unintelligent vital energy which is implanted in our organism, so long as it is healthy to carry on life in harmonious development, but not to heal itself in disease. For, were it possessed of such a model ability, it would never have allowed the organism to get sick. When made ill by noxious agents, our life principle cannot do anything else than express its depression caused by disturbance of the regularity of its life, by symptoms, by means of which the intelligent physician is ask for aid. If this is not given, it strives to save by increasing the ailment, especially through violent evacuations, no matter what this entails, often with the largest sacrifices or destruction of life itself.

For the purpose of cure, the morbidly depressed vital energy possesses so little ability worthy of imitation since all changes and symptoms produced by it in the organism are the disease itself. What intelligent physician would want to imitate it with the intention to heal if he did not thereby sacrifice his patient?

Now, however, in all careful trials, pure experience,¹ the sole and infallible oracle of the healing art, teaches us that actually that medicine which, in its action on the healthy human body, has demonstrated its power of producing the greatest number of symptoms similar to those observable in the case of disease under treatment, does also, in doses of suitable potency and attenuation, rapidly, radically and permanently remove the totality of the symptoms of this morbid state, that is to say (§ 6 - 16), the whole disease present, and change it into health; and that all medicines cure, without exception, those diseases whose symptoms most nearly resemble their own, and leave none of them uncured.

¹   I do not mean that sort of experience of which the ordinary practitioners of the old school boast, after they have for years worked away with a lot of complex prescriptions on a number of diseases which they never carefully investigate, but which, faithful to their school, they consider as already described in works of systematic pathology, and dreamed that they could detect in them some imaginary morbific matter, or ascribe to them some other hypothetical internal abnormality. They always saw something in them, but knew not what it was they saw, and they got results, from the complex forces acting on an unknown object, that no human being but only a God could have unravelled - results from which nothing can be learned, no experience gained. Fifty years’ experience of this sort is like fifty years of looking into a kaleidoscope filled with unknown colored objects, and perpetually turning round; thousands of ever changing figures and no accounting for them!

Commentary:

This spirit-like power to alter man’s state of health (and hence to cure diseases) which lies hidden in the inner nature of medicines can in itself never be discovered by us by a mere effort of reason:

Allopathy

kent says "The old school Materia Medica is made up of the results of medicine upon sickness, an unscientific guide, a fluctuating scale."

 First part say that curative power cannot be known by reason. you can select many people suffering from  particular disease. Give them medicine that you believe or as said in aphorism by mere effort of reason that was supposed to cure such diseases in majority of rats or guinea pig or any other dumb animal. And if it further cured majority of the person from illness, then that becomes their remedy. After many years when they find better medicine by mere effort of reasoning by testing in animal first and then  in humans they find that the new remedy was better than old and by that reason alone they the reject older one. Such is allopathy. Allopathy do not have laws and principles. They depend on mere reasoning. They are not aware that the drug which they believe has "cured" many is capable of producing changes in the body as whole. They only know some of the symptoms  produced by the drug which are so severe enough to become terrific and they  call it "side effect" of that medicine and not aware that all drug produce symptoms as a whole and not merely side effect alone. So throw away the reasons. Mere efforts of reason cannot be applied in disease. 

Allopathic drugs of all types have damaging effect on our health. These may include antibiotics, transquilizers, hormone, steroids, anesthesia, vaccination etc. Most of the medicines are based on testing them on diseased animals first and then application of the same in  "similar" diseased  humans. Some of the recent researches show that medicine has affect all over body but they do not know how they can apply it in curing the disease. They are only aware of symptoms which are most severe and call it side effect. So allopathy is defined as the use of drug substances, surgery, and treatments specifically targeted against the disease and intended to create a different effect  than produced by the disease.  This term is generally used to describe the conventional approach to medicine or "Western" medicine.

ANTIBIOTICS

Antibiotics are drugs derived wholly or partially from certain microorganisms and are used to treat bacterial or fungal infections. They are ineffective against viruses. Antibiotics either kill microorganisms or stop them from multiplying, allowing the body's natural defenses (VITAL FORCE) to eliminate them. 

Each antibiotic is effective only against certain bacteria. In selecting an antibiotic to treat a person with an infection, a doctor makes a best guess as to which bacterium is responsible. For some infections, doctors know that only certain types of bacteria may be responsible. If there is one antibiotic that is predictably effective against all of these bacteria, further testing is not needed. For infections that may be caused by many different types of bacteria or by bacteria whose susceptibility to antibiotics is not predictable, a laboratory will be asked to identify the infecting bacterium from samples of blood, urine, or tissue taken from the person.

Criticism of Antibiotics

	Antibiotics does not seem to have relationship with body as it brings new symptoms to the already diseased individual. It produces different symptoms (side affects) from that of symptoms of  the diseased individual which is general principle of allopathy.
	Common side effects of antibiotics include upset of stomach, diarrhea, and, in women, vaginal yeast infections.
	Some side effects are more severe and, depending on on the antibiotic, may interrupt the function of the kidneys, liver, or other organs.
	Some people who receive antibiotics develop colitis, an inflammation of the large intestine.
	Antibiotics also kills bacteria useful to our body. The colitis results from a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium difficile, which grows unchecked when other antibacteria are killed by the antibiotics.
	Antibiotics can also cause allergic reactions.

           Mild allergic reactions consist of an itchy rash or slight wheezing. 

           Severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis can be life threatening and usually include swelling of the throat, inability to breathe, and low blood pressure.

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