| Generals Divided into Three Grades.
(A) Mentals; (B) Physical; (C) Things affecting the whole physical
body.
Group One: Mentals
The first general group of symptoms which are of the highest value
are the symptoms of the mind. These are
divided into three grades: The Will; Perversions of understanding;
Perversions of memory.
(A) The group of symptoms referred to the will are of first importance
in individualizing your case for
repertory study and are manifest through perversions of loves with
various fears.
In sickness, the patient’s nature often becomes changed;
the mental symptoms are manifest. They may be
quarrelsome, angry, irritable, tearful, they may hate their loved
ones, they may be fearful, intolerant of sympathy.
These are often the most difficult of all symptoms to obtain as
they are most often concealed from the world,
from friends and their physician. Among symptoms of this group,
you will find ailments from anger, bad news,
grief, love joy, reproach, sexual excesses, contrariness, cursing,
cowardice, hatred, irritability, jealousness,
loquacity, quarrelsomeness, indifference, sadness, etc.
(B) Perversions of understanding as manifest in delusions, hallucinations
and illusions, etc. These take
the second place in value for repertory work. Among symptoms of
this group, which are not self-explanatory of
the above, are found: absorbed, clairvoyance, confusion, dullness,
comprehension, both difficult and easy; ecstasy,
excitement, imbecility, mental activity, ailments from mental exertion,
etc.
(C) Those of the lowest value of the mental symptoms are the perversions
of memory. Such symptoms as absent
minded, errors in answers, mistakes in writing and speech, disorders
of speech, etc., are found in this group.
Note. - If mental symptoms are marked, especially if it is a change
from normal, they are of the utmost
importance to the case. Get these symptoms clear, then give them
the highest standing in your repertory analysis.
The remedy which includes them will be curative.
Group Two: Physical
The next symptoms of importance among the generals are grouped
as those which apply to the physical
generals that deal with physical loves and sensations of the body
as a whole. These may be sub-divided into
two groups:
(a) The highest rank should be given to perversions of the sexual
sphere, including menstrual generals.
Symptoms found under the group would be those with aggravations
before, during and after menses; effect of
coition, urination, etc.; character of discharges. (Taking the normal
as our guide any change, a decrease or
increase or perversion would constitute a symptom.)
(b) The next of importance would be those symptoms pertaining
to appetite, food desires and aversions
and thirst. (Eating and drinking as they affect the stomach are
particular, but as they affect the body as a whole are general (as
the craving for salt as found under Natrum
mur.).
Group Three: Physical Body
Things affecting the entire physical body. Weather and climatic
influences, foods that aggravate, extremes of temperature, positions,
motions, etc., as they affect the body as a whole (as worse from
standing under Sulphur and Valerian is a marked general of
those remedies), are all generals as found in this group.
The effect of weather, climate and extremes of temperature are of
great value, but are ofttimes difficult to get clearly.
We must use great care in bringing out these symptoms if we are
to rule out remedies thereby.
Many times we find patients stating, “I cannot stand heat,”
but on enquiry we find that they hate cold, but that
their aversion is to warm, close and stuffy rooms, or it may be
that they are worse in summer.
In many conditions, such as rheumatism, we would expect aggravation
from weather changes, the absence of these
modalities, or that they might be better in wet damp weather, would
transfer this system from a general to a peculiar,
particular or characteristic.
Such symptoms as refer to aggravation and amelioration from bathing,
wetting, pressure, touch, rubbing, jarring,
defecation, sleep, dreams, parts of day, time, month and seasons,
are all generals.
Sides of the body as left and right, semilateral, oblique (appearance
of symptoms as found in Agaricus and
Asclepias), alternate sides, changing about from side to side or
various parts of the body, congestions, contractions,
discoloration of parts, atrophy, chlorosis, etc., are all classed
in this group of Generals.
Special senses are often so closely related to the whole man that
a great many of their symptoms are general, as
various odors make sick, the smell of cooking nauseates, the sight
or smell of food sickens, oversensitiveness to
sounds, noise, light, etc., would all be classed in this group.
|