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The true Homoeopath may not merely be accurate with the most common
hundred or so remedies, but must enlarge his knowledge systematically
by daily study of the material medica in myriad books and magazines.
He must search into remedy relationships and let his mind play on
the free association principle: How revealing to realize that Opium,
Chelidonium and Sanguinaria are of the same family, or that Apis
is the animal counterpart of Natrum muriaticum!
It must be remembered that where medicine depends upon mechanical
aids, whose perfection is fallible in direct ratio to the fallibility
of the interpreter of the data, precision is impossible. The best
instrument of precision that I have ever encountered is true homoeopathy
in skilful and devoted hands.
As an example: Miss X., fifty-ish, with double pneumonia when first
seen, lying rigidly still, rusty sputum, temperature of 104, marked
herpes on the lips and below the nose, stitching pain in the chest
on breathing, hard cough, thrust for great quantities of ice water.
Bryonia 10 M., one dose and Sac. Lac. Temperature descended by lysis
on the third day, but the patient complained of a lumbo-sacral backache,
which bothered her much more than the pneumonia. No characteristic
symptoms were forthcoming. Aesculus and later Kali carb were tried
in succession with temporary but not lasting relief. Finally she
said how strange it was that the backache was much more severe after
urinating (urine negative). On repertorizing in Kent only one remedy
had this peculiar symptom: Syphilinum. In looking for corroborative
symptoms I noticed corneal scars and the patient said she had had
keratitis and iritis some years before. She had certain characteristics
of the syphilitic miasm and the backache was troubling here most
from dark to down. Syphilinum 1M, one dose, produced a two-hour
violent aggravation followed by swift and permanent relief.
Case II. Mrs. Y., also at the mid-century; history of mucous colitis
and liver trouble; complained of spasmodic abdominal colic or gripes,
< on the left side, preferred heat to cold, and liked pressure
though did not double up. Colocynth was of no avail. Magnesia Phos.
relieved temporarily but the attacks recurred. No diarrhoea, very
few symptoms. Finally she said," In these attacks I feel as though
my stomach hit my backbone" I asked her to try stretching during
the pain and she found it agreeable. Wassermann and blood count
negative. Stools tended to be in little black balls. Plumbum 1M.,
one dose, produced rapid improvement and the colics, which had been
coming every day or two for four months, have now been absent for
five weeks.
Case III. Mrs. Z., 78, senile dementia, healthy looking, rosy cheeks,
blonde, terribly restless and loquacious, singing, scolding, alternating
with laughing and hilarity, incontinence of urine and feces, destructiveness
marked, would tear up sheets and towels; family said she had been
a spoiled beauty all her life. Cuprum 50M., one dose, greatly improved
both the mental and excretory phases.
These are simple every day instances of the power of precision in
homoeopathy, but the results cold certainly not be achieved without
sedatives in regular medicine. Homoeopathy is arduous, but its rewards
can be reaped for both the patient and the physician, especially
if the doctor will remember the sentence in the book by the French
aviator St. Exupery: "Perfection in its finality is not when nothing
can be added, but when nothing can be taken away."
Courtesy--- The Homoeopathic Recorder, February 1940.
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