“The second great mistake is, the improper use of a remedy… owing to carelessness, laziness, and levity…by physicians who know nothing of the homoeopathic doctrine.
“The physician’s first duty is to inquire into the whole condition of the patient: the cause of the disease, his mode of life, the nature of his mind, the tone and character of his sentiments, his physical constitution, and especially the symptoms of his disease… according to the rules in the Organon.
“…..He then tries to discover the true homoeopathic remedy.” (Chr. Dis., p. 152.)
REPERTORIES
“He may avail himself of the existing repertories to become approximately acquainted with the true remedy. But as those repertories only contain general indication, it is necessary that the remedies found indicated in those works should be afterwards carefully studied out in the materia medica.” (Chr. Dis., p. 153.)
The quack: the homicidal dabbler
“A physician not willing to take this trouble… and who by means of these general indications dispatches one patient after the other, deserves not the name of a true homoeopathist. He is a mere quack, changing his remedies every moment till the poor patient loses his temper and is obliged to leave this homicidal dabbler. It is by such levity as this that true homoeopathy is injured.” (Chr. Dis., p. 153.)
Third great mistake.. too hasty repetition
“The third great mistake, which cannot be too carefully avoided in the treatment of chronic diseases, is the too hasty repetition of the dose.
“….superficial observers are apt to suppose that a remedy. after having favourably acted for eight or ten days, can act no more… It may take twenty-four or thirty days… To give another remedy before the lapse of this period would be the height of folly..
To hasten the cure
“The surest and safest way of hastening the cure is, to let the medicine act as long as the improvement of the patient continues, even were it far beyond the period which is set down as the probable period of the duration of that action. He who observes this rule with the greatest care will be the most successful homoeopathic practitioner.” (Chr. Dis., p. 153.) One of Hahnemann’s own cases
We have, I believe, very few cases that show Hahnemann’s actual work, but in a note he gives a sepia case of chronic headaches. After the first dose the attacks became less frequent and less violent. A second dose stopped the headaches for 100 days. Then for a slight attack a third dose was given. and the patient was still free of her headaches seven years later. (Chr. Dis.p. 154.)
Again, non-interference
“The physician must be on his guard against interrupting the action of the antipsoric remedy which he has given to the patient. Let him not exhibit an intermediate remedy, on account of a little headache which may perhaps come the day after the remedy was given; or another remedy for a sore throat, or diarrhoea, or a little pain. ”
“Let the remedy act”
“The rule is that the carefully selected homoeopathic remedy should act until it has completed its effect.” (Chr. Dis., p. 150.) MODES OF APPLICATION OF CURATIVE REMEDIES
Do not even repeat
“Perceptible and continued progress of improvement in an acute or chronic disease is a condition which, as long as it lasts, invariably counter indicates the repetition of any medicine whatever, because the beneficial effect which the medicine continues to exert is approaching its perfection. Under these circumstances every new dose of any medicine, even of the last one that proved beneficial, would disturb the process of recovery.” (Org., p. 171.)
Length of action of a dose
“A very fine dose of a well-selected homoeopathic remedy, if uninterrupted in its action, will gradually accomplish all of the curative effect it is capable of producing, in a period varying from 40 to 100 days.” (Org., p. 171.)
“No empirical repetition.” Must prescribe every time
“It is a practice with many homoeopathic physicians to furnish the patient with several doses of the same remedy, advising him to take them at certain intervals according to his discretion. This empiricism. The homoeopathic physician ought to examine the symptoms every time he prescribes; otherwise he cannot know whether the same remedy is indicated a second time; or whether a medicine is at all appropriate.” (Chr. Dis., p. 160.)
Repetition more often needed in acute disease.
“A second dose of the same remedy may be given immediately after the first, when the well-chosen remedy had produced a good effect, but had not acted long enough to cure the disease. This occurs seldom in chronic diseases; but it occurs frequently in acute diseases, and in those chronic that border upon the acute.” When to repeat
“The same remedy may be given a second time when the improvement which the first dose had produced… ceases to continue… when it becomes evident that the medicine has ceased to act, the condition of the mind being the same as before, and no new or troublesome symptoms having made their appearance. All this would show that the same remedy is again indicated.” (Chr. Dis., pp. 160-161.)
“The duration of the action of antisporic remedies is generally proportionate to the chronic character of the disease… even such remedies as…which act for a considerable length of time in the healthy organism have the duration of their action diminished in proportion as the disease is acute and runs speedily through its course.” (Chr. Dis., p. 155.)
REPETITION OF REMEDIES
“Sulphur, hepar-s, and sepia excepted, the other antipsorics seldom admit of a favourable repetition of the same drug. This repetition is, moreover, unnecessary on account of the great number of antipsorics we possess.
“One antipsoric having fulfilled its object, the modified series of symptoms generally requires a different remedy.” (Chr. Dis., p. 162.)
“Several antipsorics are generally required for the cure of a chronic disease.” (Ibid.)
Here one may observe that Hahnemann had not, of course, our large range of potencies. With these it is often possible to carry a patient on to cure on the one remedy, raising the potency as each one in turn loses its effect.”
Some of us talk about “dilutions”… which we consider more or less delusions. For Hahnemann they were potencies; and here he is supported by the most modern science. Potentization
“To serve the purposes of homoeopathy, the spirit-like medicinal powers of crude substances are developed to an unparalleled degree by means of a process which was never attempted before, and which causes medicines to penetrate the organism, and thus to become more efficacious and remedial. It is applicable even to those substances which, in their crude state, do not evince the least medicinal effect upon the human body.” (Org., p. 178.)
“It also happens that by the succussion or trituration employed, a change is effected in the mixture, which is so incredibly great and so inconceivably curative that this development of the spiritual power of medicines to such a height by means of the multiplied and continued trituration and succussion of a small portion of medicinal substance with ever more and more dry or fluid unmedicinal substances, deserves incontestably to be reckoned among the greatest discoveries of this age.” (M.M.P., vol. ii., p. 43.)
“I was apparently the first who made this great, this extraordinary discovery, that the properties of crude medicinal substances gain, when they are fluid by repeated succussion with unmedicinal fluids, and when they are dry by frequent continued trituration with unmedicinal powders, such an increase of medicinal power, that when these processes are carried very far, even substances in which for centuries no medicinal power has been observed in their crude state, display under this manipulation a power of acting on the health of man that is quite astonishing.” (M.M.P., vol. ii, p.45.)
“Medicinal substances are not dead masses in the ordinary sense of the term, on the contrary, their true essential nature is only dynamically spiritual-is pure force, which may be increased in potency almost to an infinite degree, by that very remarkable process of trituration (and succussion) according to the homoeopathic method.” (M.M.P., vol. ii, p. 46.)
And he describes the process for soluble and insoluble substances. Among the latter we use daily flint, plumbago, Ponderables and imponderables
“If only ponderables were real, and imponderables unreal, then one of these seemingly insignificant doses would, at worst, be without any effect.” (Org., p. 222.)
The great forces entirely imponderable
“Physical sciences teach that there are great forces (potencies) which are entirely imponderable, like heat, light causing a bilious fever, or the weight of afflicting news that can kill an affectionate mother, when she hears of the death of an only son…” (Org., p. 222.)
X-Ray : Radium
(Were Hahnemann alive now, he would see his confirmation in the pathological and therapeutic effects of light, X-rays, radium,, “imponderables.”) Potentization
Weir received his medical education first at Glasgow University MB ChB 1907, and then on a sabbatical year in Chicago under the tutelage of Dr James Tyler Kent of Hering Medical College during 1908-9. Weir reputedly first learned of homeopathy through his contact with Dr Robert Gibson Miller.
John Weir wrote- Some of the Outstanding Homeopathic Remedies for Acute Conditions with Margaret Tyler, Homeopathy and its Importance in Treatment of Chronic Disease, The Trend of Modern Medicine, The Science and Art of Homeopathy, Brit Homeo Jnl, The Present Day Attitude of the Medical Profession Towards Homeopathy, Brit Homeo Jnl XVI, 1926, p.212ff, Homeopathy: a System of Therapeutics, The Hahnemann Convalescent Home, Bournemouth, Brit Homeo Jnl 20, 1931, 200-201, Homeopathy an Explanation of its Principles, British Homeopathy During the Last 100 Years, Brit Homeo Jnl 23, 1932: etc