Chapter VIII: Good and Bad Practice, 172

Not easy to distinguish between good and bad practice by results. If
it were, would not be such differences of opinion among physicians
and in the community. Examples of these differences. Stimulating and
depleting measures. Homœopathy, Hydropathy, Thompsonism. Quacks aware
of the difficulty in estimating comparative results—act accordingly.
No mode of practice wholly good—none wholly bad. Some good points
in all modes. Exclusive systems. Distinctions between good and bad
practice pointed out. Cases in which the question of life and death
immediately affected by practice. Failure of unskilfulness in such
cases. Interesting case. Seldom is the influence of bad practice so
manifest as in this case. Difficulty of culling out from the mass
cases which are dangerous from the first. Various causes of this.
Difficulty inherent. Cases misrepresented by mistake or wilfully.
Some said to be _very sick_ when not so. Light cases made bad by
treatment—though appear grave, apt to recover. Illustrations.
Comparisons between rival physicians as to results. Public often
mistake in such comparisons. Notice some less direct effects of bad
practice. Unnecessary complications of disease. State of system after
recovery. General state of health in families. Length of sickness.
Summing up of differences in results between good and bad practice.
Two requisites for observing these correctly. 1. Sufficient amount
of evidence. 2. Skill in observation. Community deficient in these.
Confident appeals of quacks to alleged results. Show what the
physician should say in regard to results.