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60 relieved or cured by eruptions upon the skin, by boils, carbuncles or other local inflammations. Even the sore legs of old people may often be regarded as Nature's method of prolonging life by counter-irritation. These are some of Nature's resources; and when unaided she can spontaneously accomplish her purposes, we would not interfere with her operations; but if she is not able to do so without assistance, rational medicine takes the hint, and endeavors to carry out her designs. But if the spontaneous efforts of Nature are excessive or unnecessarily prolonged, we endeavor to moderate or restrain them.

Whilst Hahnemann was occupied by his lucubrations upon his similia similibus, he discovered, as he thought, that belladonna administered to a person in health produced symptoms similar to scarlatina. Elated with the discovery, he proceeded to administer it as a prophylactic, and found, to his great joy, that those to whom it had been given, escaped the disease. This ha trial confirmed him in his opinion that belladonna was a specific in scarlatina. Just because