Acute Diseases


GUSTAVUS A. ALMFELT, answer the question, Is potentized medicine dependable and effective in the treatment of acute diseases? and What are the advantages of using potentized medicines in the treatment of acute diseases?…


Is potentized medicine dependable and effective in the treatment of acute diseases?

Yes, absolutely, when prescribed according to the laws governing the actions of such medicine is disease; but it is of utmost importance that the remedy be similar to the symptoms presented by the patient, and that potency is similar to the individual disease energy reaction of the sick person. If these principles are not complied with there would be no reaction at all, and the medicinal treatment a failure; in such a case the medium itself should not me blamed but the physician who failed to prescribe correctly.

Is it more difficult to prescribe potentized medicine according to the homoeopathic principles than that of prescribing crude drugs for their chemical or psychological action?

Yes, infinitely more so, because if the potentized medicine is not absolutely similar to the symptoms of the patient there will be no curative reaction and no improvement in the patient. The Homoeopathic physician must be well trained, not only in diagnosis of the diseases and in the homoeopathic materia medica, but he must understand the basic principles which govern the action of potentized medicine and the finer forces in nature; and he must also have a keen insight into the individual idiosyncrasies and emotional condition of his patients.

What are the most important symptoms from the standpoint of correct prescribing?

The homoeopathic physician prescribes on the totality of the symptoms present; but the most important ones from the standpoint of finding the correct remedy are the rare, peculiar and unusual symptoms. At times a small modality will quite often differentiate one remedy from another and determine the choice of the remedy.

Does the homoeopathic physician treat the disease or the patient?

A good homoeopathic physician treats the patient and not the disease per se. Of course, he must recognize and diagnose thee disease present and consider the nature of the disease in selecting the curative remedy; but he prescribes for the sick patient. According to the homoeopathic system of treatment, the whole is always greater than a part; and of the whole the symptoms representing disturbances in the emotional realm or the general reactions to heat and cold and other modalities are of greater importance than the symptoms representing local disturbances.

In what cases and diseases should the lower dilutions be used and in what condition the higher and still higher potencies?

In is difficult to make a definite statement in this matter, because so far no one seems to have a correct conception of the law governing this matter. However, it may be safe to suggest that if the disease is of a low, smoldering, weakly active energy, a low dilution or one of the lower potencies may be similar to the active energy in the disease; but as we at the present do not possess satisfactory means by which we can measure the disease energy activity, it is safer to start with a lower potency, and if no satisfactory result is obtained the potency should be raised until the curative effect has been acquired. Of course, it is essential that the medicine used, whether high or low, must have produced similar symptoms in its provings to those of the patient; otherwise no result will be obtained, no matter what dilution or potency is used. If the dilution should be so low that it would produce physiological nerve reaction, some results would be obtained, but the result would not be accordance with the principle of similia, hence not homoeopathic to the case.

In what acute diseases are potentized medicines dependable and effective?

It is dependable and effective in all acute medical cases.

First, in all children’s diseases, such as measles, scarlet fever, whooping cough, colds, bronchitis, pneumonias and infections of the throat etc.

Second, in adults, it is effective in all kinds of infections and contagious disease, such as typhoid, measles, la grippe, influenza, bronchitis, pneumonias, in colds, and numerous infections of nose and throat, ears and eyes and elsewhere in the body. It is splendid and effective in various forms of acute heart diseases, in digestive disturbances, in constipation, diarrhoea, and other forms of colitis.

What are the advantages of using potentized medicines in the treatment of acute diseases?

There are many but we will only mention a few.

First, potentized medicines eliminate or cure diseases gently and permanently without any severe reaction from crude drugs or the accumulation of a drug residue in the system.

Second, it does not leave the patient half cured with lingering after effects and serious sequels.

Third, if the constitutional miasmatic remedy is administered at the conclusions of the acute attack, the patient will be better and stronger than before he was ill.

Fourth, if the remedies have been well selected the duration of the acute attack will be cut short-almost in half.

Fifth, these medicines are cheaper in price, hence cost the patient less money.

What is understood by the term “constitutional” miasmatic remedy?

A constitutional miasmatic remedy is a medicine that covers one or more of the chronic miasms of which the patient may show symptoms.

Gustavus A. Almfelt
Gustavus A. Almfelt, MD