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Concerning the Duration of Action -- C. Von. Boenninghausen |
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In science as well in social and political life there are occasionally questions, whose consideration and answer are most appropriately left to every individual, because objections and contradictions do not, at the time, admit of unanimity. Among these seem the question of Dose and Repetition, the complete solution to which must be left to some later time. In the mean time it seems permissible to consider other questions, which in a certain way are connected therewith, and when these questions, which are less subject to opposing opinions, are satisfactorily answered, this will constitute a considerable contribution towards the determination of the former questions. I think the present question is one of these. The duration of the action of the medicines used by us is very varied. While with some medicines it may extend this may merely extend to some minutes and hours, with others it must be counted by weeks and months. Still greater will this variety be, even in the same remedies, as is well known, when used in various diseases in which they may be homeopathically indicated. For it is not infrequently the case that we must select in acute diseases medicines which act a long time, and in chronic diseases remedies whose action is a short one, because according to the principles of Homeopathy, they correspond to the disease. But in chronic diseases the medicines of short duration will show curative powers much longer than in acute diseases and vice versa. In view of these facts, which have never as yet been disputed by any homeopath who observes carefully, the question presses on us: What overpowering reasons and experiences are there, why, as is done frequently of late, even the medicines of long continued action are repeated so often and in such brief intervals? A question with which another is closely conjoined: whether the teachings concerning the first effects and the after-effects as we see it developed in the Organon (§63x sy.), and on which our provings and our curative methods essentially rest, are false or rest upon the nature of things and are therefore true? But I cannot follow out these consequences any further, because they would only lead to polemics which are at present as yet useless, and it will be enough for me to have brought up into memory what everyone knows, but what seems to have been forgotten in the part. Mat what is said from the subject-matter of some unprejudiced after-thoughts! In now turning to the proper subject of my present dissertation, I must premise, that according to what has been already said, the duration of action of no one remedy remains altogether the same under all circumstances; so that when it is spoken of only a relatively longer or shorter period can be understood, which is still subject to great modifications. Nevertheless, it is of considerable importance for the practice and treatment of acute and chronic diseases, to know this duration of action of concurrent remedies even, though it be merely not in order that we may, in cases of threatened danger, bring the quickest possible assistance, but also that we may not in inveterate cases, by doing too much, aggravate the evil and finally make it even incurable. This last name result of medicines given too frequently or changed too often is not so rare as some may think, and vary many homeopaths have probably found, as I have, and as Hahnemann himself found, that the most difficult and thankless treatments of chronic invalidism are found in those cases which have been trusted for a longer period with an excess of medicines more or less homeopathically suitable, whether by homeopaths or allopaths. If we would make too many divisions in dividing medicines as to the duration of their action, not only the general oversight would be rendered more difficult, but the difficulties would be aggravated. I, therefore believe, that we can do with five classes, though we shall every time meet some remedies which might be included in the preceding class or in the one following. But we can thus gain an easy oversight and the mistakes cannot be very great. |
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