VON GRAUVOGL shall now speak for himself:
“This much has become clear at any rate from the investigations which have been made, that there is a constitution of the body which in many cases is the product of gonorrhoeal contagion. But one would greatly err, as already said, in concluding therefrom that in this matter the question were only as to the consequences of a sycotic contagion. For the cause of those diseases which Hahnemann arranged under the head of Sycosis is not the only cause of the development of this state of the body which is distinguished by a too great proportion of water, or by hygroscopic blood.
“I always recognise this constitution of the body by the circumstances accompanying any disease whatever, and for which I always inquire as soon as the patient has told his complaints.
“If the patient states that he feels worse in cold, or damp weather, and in the rain, then I know that I have to choose among the remedies which are similar to his disease, such only as contain a greater percentage of a combination of O with C and H, consequently produce more heat and diminish the influence of the water. Hence the symptoms of a disease in this constitution of the body are aggravated by everything which in any way increases the atoms of water in the organism, by baths, for example, and that all the same whether thy are mineral baths or simple water baths; or whatever increases the attractions of the organic molecules for water, as, for example, the eating of animals which have lived in the water, as fishes, etc. All diseases in such constitutions are increased by cold, also by cold and cooling food and drinks, for example, sour milk, hard eggs, cucumbers and mushrooms, but chiefly by living near water, and especially standing water.
“This experience is to me of all the more inestimable worth since I have quite cured many, very many patients simply and solely on this ground, who have been sent for years by other physicians from one bath to another, where they never found any relief and often the most marked exacerbation of their sufferings.
“Another sign that a disease has occurred in such a bodily constitution I find in the periodicity of its phenomena, and chiefly in its irregular and paroxysmal course. For even the nervous system which, next to the brain in proportion to the other parts of the body, possesses by far the greatest percentage of water reacts on a plus of water with an energy commensurate with that with which it carries over its reflex influence e on the blood and other organic formations. The experiences of Rademacher and Hahnemann agree with this also, and these, naturally, should stand much higher in the regard of practising physicians than the researches of experimental physiology. I do not mean by this merely the one, two, three, four or eight day exacerbations and remissions, but even those periods during which for a still longer time no disease seems to exist, and this extends even over months.
“Hence for the sake of brevity I distinguish this constitution of the body, according to its causes and conditions, as the Hydrogenoid.”
“I wish also to call attention to the effect of the electricity of the earth, for those nervous affections which are exacerbated by electric disturbances appear under this bodily constitution.
“In case where there is a combination of the hydrogenoid and carbo-nitrogenoid constitutions the Hydrogenoid must be cured first and then the Carbo-nitrogenoid. This corresponds with Hahnemann’s directions regarding Sycosis and Psora-Sycosis was to be dealt with first. [The same applies to Vaccinosis. – J.H.C.]
“In regard to the Remedies for this constitution, those substances must be curative of it which prevent the influence of the water on the blood, and here above all others I reckon Glauber’s Salts -Natrum sulph. The correct indications escaped Rademacher’s adherents only because they will not use a “fool’s dose” as they name the Homoeopathic dilutions, whilst in their doses, that is the purgative doses, Glauber’s Salts cannot manifest that effect.”
“Since in this constitution in which Hydrogen frequently seems to have usurped the place of Nitrogen the problem is not only to diminish the influence of the Hydrogen but, where it is possible, to preserve at the same time tissues rich in nitrogen, Nat. sul. recommends itself all the more as Prof. Seegen has given experimental proof that by its action the exchange of the nitrogenous tissue-elements is considerably curtailed, the animal body becomes richer in nitrogenous atoms, gelatine and albuminous bodies, and that during the use of Nat. sul. the elements of the body free from nitrogen, and especially the fatty tissues, are more freely exchanged.
“If we know, further, that the alkalis essentially promote the operation of oxygen by means of the respiratory process, it is clear that if we compare the various localisations of the pathological processes in these constitutions and their specific forms with the Homoeopathic drug provings, then even Nat. nitric., Nat. carb., Nat. acet., and Sal ammoniac (Ammonia muriatica) especially belong here.”
“Moreover, in this series we may mention as nutrition remedies-[Grauvogl divides remedies into functional and nutritional]- Calcarea carb., Mag. carb., Mag., phos., and Silica.”
“Then for other reasons adduced, Iodine, Bromine, Chlorine, Nitr.ac., Borax, Antimony, Alumen, Thuja, Carb. veg., Arnica, Aranea diadema, Pulsatilla, Nux vomica in alternation with Ipecac., or with Arsen., Conium, Apis, Spigelia and animal food.” (308.)
In his comments on the last of the Hydrogenoid cases reported by him Grauvogl has some pertinent remarks on Alternations and some further remarks on Nat. sul. which I will quote (II.p.374):
“Hired is another practical proof that the dictum to give under no circumstances more than one remedy at a time is not always applicable.”
“Since our Materia Medica contains, as yet, nothing of this effect of Nat. sulph. (though as a remedy it is indispensable) I have at the same time given another example that we may greatly expand and complete the Materia Medica as well as the other doctrines of Homoeopathy by means of induction.”
“If, for instance, the provings of substances of the outer world on man produce symptoms of disease which are similar to those which arise from the unintentional introduction of morbid matter, then these establish the well-known indications according to the law of similars.
“But, by this law, however, we are not taught anything regarding these various molecular substances themselves and the relation of these molecular substances and their organism. The two are in entirely different domains of science – of mind and of matter. These relations can be investigated and explained only according to the chemico-physical laws within the organism.
“We can explore the chemico-physical motions and counter- motions which remedies produce in the organism only by induction, and when we have learned thereby that Nat. sulph. diminishes the influence of Hydrogen on the blood, we can only come to the conclusion that the symptoms of Nat. sulph. must be similar to those morbid symptoms which it can cure.” (II. 375.)
He goes on to say that the symptoms removed by Nat. sulph. should be added to the Materia Medica, which thus can be greatly enriched. This is a dictum which I can confirm from experience, and which justifies the incorporation of symptoms observed to disappear under a remedy – clinical symptoms or cured symptoms – as well as symptoms from direct provings.
