disease is produced by influx from the hells, either through man's active evils into his body, or into conditions therein existing from hereditary or imparted disorder; that certain drugs introduced into the human system do produce morbid states similar in their symptoms with those of disease, because evil spirits corresponding to them have in them a plane of influx through which they can operate.
Then it follows, that given any state of disease which is a correspondent and plane of influx for certain evil spirits, the introduction of a drug which carries with it opposite symptoms furnishes a plane of influx for spirits of an opposite nature; and in their conflict and opposition, equilibrium is restored. This is what the Doctor calls casting out evils by Beelzebub; and is described by Swedenborg as a common phenomenon of the hells, and a fundamental principle of government there.
If, on the other hand, in any given set of symptoms a drug be introduced which carries with it similar symptoms, it furnishes in the bodily organism a lower plane of influx for like spirits; and by the law of the life of the evil that they are congenially attracted
