THOUGHTS ON TREATMENT


Only in the latter period of the disease there appeared another form characterized by cold sweat on the forehead during vomiting, which called for Veratrum album. Such prescribing is the greatest stumbling block in the way of Homeopathic progress — so I believe.


SIR,– If I understand your statement on page 196 of the April number dealing with Kali carb., you say that this is the only remedy which has the symptom: Aggravation after eating. It is quite conceivable that I have mistaken your meaning, but hardly likely.

On looking up Boenninghausens Pocket Book, p. 278, I find the following list of remedies under “Aggravation after eating,” in large type: Aloe, Ars., Bry., Calc. c., Caust., Coloc., Con., K. Bi., K. carb., Lach., Lyc., Nat. m., Nux. v., Phos., Puls., Rumex., Sep., Sil., Sul., Zinc. (My remark referred to aggravation by pain in the legs by eating.– Ed., “HEAL THYSELF”.)

A very interesting note relating to unique, or possibly unique symptoms in K. carb. and in Veratrum album are given by the author in the following passage which should be carefully studied: It is by far more difficult for the inexperienced homoeopathist to cure patients even with a few symptoms without a repertory, because many remedies seem to correspond.

For example, at present there is in this region a pernicious whooping-cough among children, in the beginning, in only exceptional cases, presents the well-known indications of Drosera, never those of the other remedies usually indicated in whooping cough.

However, the sick children were characterized by a remarkable puffiness and swelling, not so much of the whole face as especially above the eyes, between the lids ad the brows, which was frequently like a thick little sac, a symptom which, hitherto, has been observed only in Kali carb., and in fact from the beginning of the epidemic, this has been their only quick and permanently curative medicine.

Only in the latter period of the disease there appeared another form characterized by cold sweat on the forehead during vomiting, which called for Veratrum album.

Such prescribing as this for what may be called Key Symptoms sticks in the gizzard of the orthodox theorist of the old school, who frankly condemns such procedure as childishly unscientific and independent of pathology.

Such prescribing is the greatest stumbling block in the way of Homoeopathic progress — so I believe.

Yet, any homoeopath of any experience can tell of lives definitely saved precisely on keynote indications. The present writer remembers being called upon, some fifty years ago, to prescribe for a woman who was said to be bleeding to death and been given up by the country medical who evidently thought that the resources of curative science were exhausted. Not a very hopeful case for a very green amateur prescriber with the eggshell still on his head. However, it was “do or die” for the moribund patient.

So the consultant (myself), boldly taking his courage in both hands, asked: — “Are there ANY striking or peculiar symptoms?” “Yes”, was the reply, “very marked jerks about the feet.” Heaven knows how under the circumstances I knew of Zinc. Fortunately, I happened to have a few pilules of Zincum 5, which promptly cured.

This was to the best of my knowledge and belief a bonafide cure and yet, I think that no orthodox medical man of the old school either would or could believe that such an apparent miracle was possible.

One day I was trying to convince an allopathic doctor that there was reliable evidence that Calc. carb. in the 30th potency promptly relieved the agonizing throes of gall-stone colic ( for which, “en passant,” Calc mur. 3x is now recommended), but all that I go out of my friend was :– “I cannot believe it”.

I often think that Homoeopathy, like Christianity, calls for the three cardinal virtues of Faith (by which one moves mountains of difficulty), Hope (without which who would care to be?) and Charity (which must include the crowning gift of sympathy, that prime essential for either nurse or doctor).

Yours with cordial regards,

R. H. BELLAIRS.

Ferlys House,

Overton Park, Cheltenham.

R H Bellairs