Now it is clear, that if it were an easy thing to decide what is successful practice and what is not, from an observation of results, then there would not be such diversity, nor such frequent change of opinion in the public mind, in regard to modes of treatment so directly opposed to each other, as those are which I have mentioned. The advocates of them would not so boldly urge their claims, knowing the facility with which these claims could be tested. But the difficulties which actually lie in the way of testing them are such, that the community are exceedingly liable to be deceived. Practice, which is really unsuccessful, is often made by its advocates to appear for a time at least, to be more successful than any other mode of treatment, and it is often only by long continued observation that this error is corrected. This error exists at this time among a large portion of the community in relation to Homœopathy, and it is to be removed by the same gradual process, by which all kindred errors have been removed hitherto. By observation it will be found by its advocates, one after another, that its reputation for success is founded upon mistake, and it will thus step by step lose its hold upon the public favor, to make way for some other system, which in its turn must go through with the same process. Those who embrace some form of quackery from mercenary views, are aware of the facility with which the multitude are deceived in regard to the comparative results of different modes of practice; and it is this which makes them so confidently anticipate at least a temporary success. Homœopathy furnishes many examples of this character. While there are a few in the medical profession, of a peculiar cast of mind, who are honest Homœopathists; there are others, of various degrees of intellectual merit, who have adopted this mode of practice, simply because they have failed to acquire business in the ordinary way, or because they saw in the adoption of a system, just now popular, a fair prospect of so increasing business, as to secure wealth instead of a mere competence; and others still, who have dubbed themselves physicians, have gone into the practice of Homœopathy, as mere adventurers, preferring very wisely to try their luck on the tide of a popular error, instead of trusting to knowledge and skill, of which they have little or none. These two last classes of Homœopathic physicians indulge the hope, that the community will be deceived, in regard to the success of their system of practice, a sufficient length of time to enable them to realize their golden expectations; and then, when this false system shall be supplanted by some other, they will be ready to adopt that other for the same _solid_ reasons for which they have adopted this.