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§ 221
If, however, insanity or mania (caused by fright, vexation, the
abuse of spirituous liquors, etc.) have suddenly broken out as an
acute disease in the patient’s ordinary calm state, although it
almost always arises from internal psora, like a flame bursting
forth from it, yet when it occurs in this acute manner it should
not be immediately treated with antipsoric, but in the first place
with remedies indicated for it out of the order class of proved
medicaments (e.g., aconite, belladonna, stramonium, hyoscyamus,
mercury, etc.) in highly potentized, minute, homoeopathic doses,
in order to subdue it so far that the psora shall for the time revert
to its former latent state, wherein the patient appears as if quite
well.
§ 222
But such a patient, who has recovered from an acute mental or emotional
disease by the use of these non-antipsoric medicines, should never
be regarded as cured; on the contrary, no time should be lost in
attempting to free him completely,1 by means of a prolonged
antipsoric treatment, from the chronic miasm of the psora, which,
it is true, has now become once more latent but is quite ready to
break out anew; if this be done, there is no fear of another similar
attack, if he attend faithfully to the diet and regimen prescribed
for him.
1 It very rarely happens that a mental or emotional
disease of long standing ceases spontaneously (for the internal
dyscrasia transfers itself again to the grosser corporeal organs);
such are the few cases met with now and then, where a former inmate
of a madhouse has been dismissed apparently recovered. Hitherto,
moreover, all madhouses have continued to be chokefull, so that
the multitude of other insane persons who seek for admission into
such institutions could scarcely find room in them unless some of
the insane in the house died. Not one is ever really and permanently
cured in them! A convincing proof, among many others, of the complete
nullity of the non-healing art hitherto practised, which has been
ridiculously honored by allopathic ostentation with the title of
rational medicine. How often, on the other hand, has not the true
healing art, genuine pure homoeopathy, been able to restore such
unfortunate beings to the possession of their mental and corporeal
health, and so give them back again to their delighted friends and
to the world!
§ 223
But if the antipsoric treatment be omitted, then we may almost
assuredly expect, from a much slighter cause than brought on the
first attack of the insanity, the speedy occurrence of a new and
more lasting the severe fit, during which the psora usually develops
itself completely, and passes into either a periodic or continued
mental derangement, which is then more difficult to be cured by
antipsorics.
§ 224
If the mental disease be not quite developed, and if it be still
somewhat doubtful whether it really arose from a corporeal affection,
or did not rather result from faults of education, bad practices,
corrupt morals, neglect of the mind, superstition or ignorance;
the mode of deciding this point will be, that if it proceed from
one or other of the latter causes it will diminish and be improved
by sensible friendly exhortations, consolatory arguments, serious
representations and sensible advice, whereas a real moral or mental
malady, depending on bodily disease, would be speedily aggravated
by such a course, the melancholic would become still more dejected,
querulous, inconsolable and reserved, the spiteful maniac would
thereby become still more exasperated, and the chattering fool would
become manifestly more foolish.1
1 It would seem as though the mind, in these cases,
felt with uneasiness and grief the truth of these rational representations
and acted upon the body as it wished to restore the lost harmony,
but that the body, by means of its disease, reacted upon the organs
of the mind and disposition and put them in still greater disorder
by a fresh transference of its sufferings on to them.
§ 225
There are, however, as has just been stated, certainly a few emotional
diseases which have not merely been developed into that form out
of corporeal diseases, but which, in an inverse manner, the body
being but slightly indisposed, originate and are kept up by emotional
causes, such as continued anxiety, worry, vexation, wrongs and the
frequent occurrence of great fear and fright. This kind of emotional
diseases in time destroys the corporeal health, often to a great
degree.
§ 226
It is only such emotional diseases as these, which were first engendered
and subsequently kept up by the mind itself, that, while they are
yet recent and before they have made very great inroads on the corporeal
state, may, by means of psychical remedies, such as a display of
confidence, friendly exhortations, sensible advice, and often by
a well-disguised deception, be rapidly changed into a healthy state
of the mind (and with appropriate diet and regimen, seemingly into
a healthy state of the body also.)
§ 227
But the fundamental cause in these cases also is a psoric miasm,
which was only not yet quite near its full development, and for
security’s sake, the seemingly cured patient should be subjected
to a radical, antipsoric treatment, in order that he may not again,
as might easily occur, fall into a similar state of mental disease.
§ 228
In mental and emotional diseases resulting from corporeal maladies,
which can only be cured by homoeopathic antipsoric medicine conjoined
with carefully regulated mode of life, an appropriate psychical
behavior towards the patient on the part of those about him and
of the physician must be scrupulously observed, by way of an auxiliary
mental regimen. To furious mania we must oppose clam intrepidity
and cool, firm resolution - to doleful, querulous lamentation, a
mute display of commiseration in looks and gestures - to senseless
chattering, a silence not wholly inattentive - to disgusting and
abominable conduct and to conversation of a similar character, total
inattention. We must merely endeavor to prevent the destruction
and injury of surrounding objects, without reproaching the patient
for his acts, and everything must be arranged in such a way that
the necessity for any corporeal punishments and tortures1
whatever may be avoided. This is so much the more easily effected,
because in the administration of the medicine - the only circumstance
in which the employment of coercion could be justified - in the
homoeopathic system the small doses of the appropriate medicine
never offend the taste, and may consequently be given to the patient
without his knowledge in his drink, so that all compulsion is unnecessary.
1 It is impossible to marvel at the hard-heartedness
and indiscretion of the medical men in many establishments for patients
of this kind, who, without attempting to discover the true and only
efficacious mode of curing such disease, which is by homoeopathic
medicinal (antipsoric) means, content themselves with torturing
these most pitiable of all human beings with the most violent blows
and other painful torments. By this unconscientious and revolting
procedure they debase themselves beneath the level of the turnkeys
in a house of correction, for the latter inflict such chastisement
as the duty devolving on their office, and on criminals only, whilst
the former appear, from a humiliating consciousness of their uselessness
as physicians, only to vent their spite at the supposed incurability
of mental diseases in harshness towards the pitiable, innocent sufferers,
for they are too ignorant to be of any use and too indolent to adopt
a judicious mode of treatment.
§ 229
On the other hand, contradiction, eager explanations, rude corrections
and invectives, as also weak, timorous yielding, are quite out of
place with such patients; they are equally pernicious modes of treating
mental and emotional maladies. But such patients are most of all
exasperated and their complaint aggravated by contumely, fraud,
and deceptions that they can detect. The physician and keeper must
always pretend to believe them to be possessed of reason.
All kinds of external disturbing influences on their senses and
disposition should be if possible removed; there are no amusements
for their clouded spirit, no salutary distractions, no means of
instruction, no soothing effects from conversation, books or other
things for the soul that pines or frets in the chains of the diseased
body, no invigoration for it, but the care; it is only when the
bodily health is changed for the better that tranquillity and comfort
again beam upon their mind.1
1 Foot-note in Sixth Edition only.
The treatment of the violent insane manic and melancholic can take
place only in an institution specially arranged for their treatment
but not within the family circle of the patient.
§ 230
If the antipsoric remedies selected for each particular case of
mental or emotional disease (there are incredibly numerous varieties
of them) be quite homoeopathically suited for the faithfully traced
picture of the morbid state, which, if there be a sufficient number
of this kind of medicines known in respect of their pure effects,
is ascertained by an indefatigable search for the most appropriate
homoeopathic remedy all the more easily, as the emotional and mental
state, constituting the principal symptom of such a patient, is
so unmistakably perceptible, - then the most striking improvement
in no very long time, which could not be brought about by physicking
the patient to death with the largest oft - repeated doses of all
other unsuitable (allopathic) medicines. Indeed, I can confidently
assert, from great experience, that the vast superiority of the
homoeopathic system over all other conceivable methods of the treatment
is nowhere displayed in a more triumphant light than in mental and
emotional diseases of long standing, which originally sprang from
corporeal maladies or were developed simultaneously with them.
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