Some Acts of the Materia Medica

-- H.C. Morrow, M.D. & A. Quackenbush, M.D.
(Read before I.H.A., Bureau of Clinical Medicine, June 7, 1940)

DISCUSSION

Dr. Hubbard: I want to add a word of clarification of Dr. Quackenbush's remarks on his pessimism when he gets a four-day reaction from phosphorus. Kent said that if we get our aggravation after an amelioration, it is a bad sign.
I think that is what the doctor probably had in mind, and I agree that amelioration first and then aggravation means you are going to have a tough time curing that patient, but in my experience at least, phosphorus patients who have four or five-day aggravation are not necessarily hard to cure. It seems to be natural with that remedy to have that delayed aggravation. I think we should have that distinct in our minds.

I was amazed to hear him say that Kali-bi.would not do good work in potency. I have used it in 10 M. with beautiful results. I would be interested to hear the rest of you say whether it should be confined to 30 or below. I would like to hear the doctor say what he means by Lachesis repeating its primary action every fourteen days. Does he mean the remedy goes in the cycle and you have aggravation every fourteen days? Certainly he does not mean that we should repeat it every fourteen days. I was not clear as to what he meant on the fourteen-days rhythm of Lachesis.

Dr. Quackenbush: On the question of the aggravation of Phosphorus, from my limited experience, I still have to reiterate, and to quite definitely, that in the latitude where I come from if we get an aggravation from Phosphorus later than, we shall say, thirty-six or forty-eight hours, that case is difficult and that case generally requires another remedy after Phosphorus in order to clear it up. In regard to Kali.bi, I do not mean to say that the high potencies are not effective. What I did mean to infer there is just this, that at certain times when some cases fail to respond to Kali bi. in high potencies it will give results in the lower. That is not a rule. It is probably the exception, as the doctor has inferred. In regard to the repetition each fourteen-days of Lachesis, you will find that one or two, or possibly three, ways. Let us take a characteristic. Lachesis case and leave it alone, and if you follow that case through—it has to be a chronic case naturally---for fourteen days and see it again you will again see the indication for Lachesis stricking out. Or again, if you give Lachesis and give it in the wrong potency---and Lachesis is one of the remedies that can very easily be given in the wrong potency---you will find perhaps not the whole series of symptoms indicated, but you will find sufficient Lachesis cropping out on the fourteenth day so that any one can recognize it. Again it is possible that you apparently have given Lachesis in the right potency and the diseased condition seems to subside, but in about two weeks, look out. You will need a higher potency of Lachesis or another intercurrent in order to take care of the disease.

Dr. Grimmer: I think I can help the doctor out on that fourteen-day aggravation. That especially is true of periodic headaches that come every fourteen days. In that event, if your Lachesis remedy has a strong indication for Lachesis , if you have it alone your headaches will not come back the next fourteen days.

Courtesy--- The Homeopathic Recorder, October, 1940