substances, particularly those which are totally inert—such as platinum, gold, silex, and others which are perfectly insoluble in the animal fluids, and can have no action upon the organism except mechanical, and as foreign bodies. Silica or silex is of that class, and is one of the most abundant of the earthy matters which compose the globe; forming a large part of all the primitive rocks. It is seen almost pure in quartz, agate, flint and rock crystal, and much of the sand upon the sea-shore is composed of the same material. Nearly insoluble and unchangeable in its nature, and yet capable of being reduced to a very fine powder, it was a good material for Hahnemann to submit to his dynamizing process, and accordingly he made it one of his standing remedies. The following are some of the cases in which he directs its use, as given in Jahr's Manual, Vol. I., page 547.
"Allowing ourselves to be guided by the totality of symptoms, the cases in which this medicine may be used appear to be:—Bad effects from the abuse of mercury; Hysterical sufferings; Physical weakness in children, with difficulty in learning to walk; Paralysis; Epilepsy; Nervous
