MY first knowledge of Homoeopathy was gained in my kindergarten days. Our then old, capable, sincere, and overworked Homoeopathic family physician, Dr. Thomas Hayle (Lancashire), was so much “overworked” that he selected for my mother a “home medicine case”. [My mother was a fighting Homoeopath, as her life had been saved by a few Homoeopathic pills, when given up to die by Orthodoxy, in an attack of true Asiatic Cholera in the 1860s). That “home medicine case” was a beauty, mahogany, brass bound and strongly locked, and it contained some seventy remedies, and a book, of course.
The doctors recommendation was that my mother should try out her remedies the moment any untoward symptoms showed themselves, and if matters were not soon relieved, he would make time, very early or very late, to visit the patient, generally a child. She succeeded so remarkably well that she soon converted most of the family circle and many friends, who, in turn, became Dr. Hayles patients. In family conclaves these cures became a subject of general conversation, when there were further conversions.
Up to a certain point there is a great simplicity in Homoeopathy. When I suggest any of your readers prescribing on “keynotes” (or main symptoms) it should be understood that you are to obtain as many striking personal symptoms as possible, then such must be “matched” with the drug-symptoms to be turned up in your books of reference.
The more “keynotes” you have of any case, which must be also found in your books, the more certain will be your cures. Many cases have been cured on a single “keynote symptom”, but this is not a wise procedure, especially for the beginner. If you can obtain many symptoms by your painstaking and detailed work, it will take you out of the so-called “dabbling class,” the result being precision and satisfaction.
When I went to New Zealand as a boy of 16 1/2 years, I, in turn, was outfitted with a case of about the same number of remedies, and my use of many of those drugs, selected on a few main symptoms (keynotes), and very often without knowing the name of the patient. My “Pulsatilla drops” became noted, for reasons well understood by those who know their Homoeopathy. I did a lot of good and as I grew to manhood I determined to become a homoeopathic doctor.
When my children grew up and went to school, or out into the world, they were likewise given medicine cases, and a book each, of course. I have had many interesting reports of their youthful work, and I am perfectly sure that they never damaged a single heart or kidney during such work. Our minute doses could not have done any damage. Had such “lay dabbling” been allopathic in choice of drug and size of dose, things might have been very dangerous.
One son, who in his generation, also found himself in New Zealand, cured at once and permanently a long lasting and serious case of “Trench mouth and throat” (diagnosed by the military service, as it was a war result) which case had terribly hard, sore and very swollen cervical (neck) glands, and which attacks had occurred almost monthly, lasting for a full week at a time, putting the man to bed for that period at each attack. This my son cured, “according-to-Law” (Similia) with a few drops of Phytolacca decandra (read this drug up for yourselves).
This drug was chosen on a few “keynotes”, and that man did not have even to go to bed on that occasion, as on every former attack. That man worked all day and felt much better by bed time of the first day. Men work hard in the Colonies. That man remained free from subsequent attacks. This and many other cases gave him courage and a sense of “power for good”, though, strictly speaking, he was but just “dabbling with keynotes,” as others do and have done.
I gave another child (daughter) who has some “medical sense,” which is always a sine qua non, a case of medicines when she went to boarding school, I telling the authorities she must be allowed to use same on herself, as there was no homoeopathic doctor within possible call (England), and I guaranteed that all her medicines were so diluted (potentized either in the 3x, 6x or the 12x) as to be absolutely harmless, even if she made a wrong selection.
This girl made good use of the medicines for incipient coryzas, coughs, headaches, puberty aches and pains, etc. nipping her attacks, or modifying their intensity, whilst the other girls were handicapped for the average period of such ailments.
So these family and hundreds of other happenings make me bold to state that for ordinary departures from normal health, if tackled at once, a “family case of homoeopathic remedies” is of vital importance and general family benefit, even if classed as “dabbling in homoeopathic keynotes”. It is certain that, if our homoeopathic remedies are not employed at home, some other and dangerous drugs will be used instead, because nobody rushes for a doctor for the 101 primary indications of slight departures from normal health.
I have seen inside too many home “medicine cabinets”, actually built in bath rooms by knowing architects, which were stuffed full with really dangerous drugs, ever to believe that any allopathically-minded family, will at once call in their allopathic doctor, without first testing some truly awful and strong dope, most of which allopathic drugs have a “Secondary” action, as their works on Toxicology bear witness, and which strong drugs have some bad effect on heart, kidney, stomach or gut.
I admit that when one becomes very ill, nobody, not even a doctor, is capable of selecting his (her) own remedy. Thus the prescribing at once falls on some member of the house- hold, who has some “medical sense”. Failing this it must pass to someone outside, alas, too often, at present, this has to be an allopathic doctor.
I hope that Homoeopathy will soon be so general that this “home treatment” may become unnecessary, and this will be when many allopathic doctors see that it is their duty to study Homoeopathy, so as to meet this long felt want.
When the British General Medical Council proclaim that Homoeopathy MUST BE TAUGHT, STUDIED AND PRACTISED, this lay work will cease to a very great degree, but until that day arrives. The German Government has commanded (1928) that Homoeopathy be taught at two of their National Universities, Berlin and Frankfurt, pro bono publico. How can Great Britain afford to lag behind this example of public welfare? It is a question to be asked in Parliament, surely!.
Allopathic journals will not print may article advocating or explaining Homoeopathy. This boycott is ignoble, but here the blame rests entirely on the leaders of that school. I know for a fact that many allopathic doctors send their families (in secret) to homoeopathic doctors. Why?.
If the leaders in allopathic “politics” were to openly advocate a frank and earnest trial of Homoeopathy, I know that many of the rank and file would welcome such permission.
You, the laity, are the ones who suffer from this “boycott”. Hahnemann said, 140 years ago, “When life is at stake, ignorance is a crime.”.
Until the orthodox professionals openly and seriously study and use Homoeopathy, let this good work of lay propaganda proceed with increasing vigour. Every other method to interest the allopathic profession has been tried by us, with absolute failure.
Now by instructing the laity where their safety lies, the allopaths may come to see that we are in earnest, and that it is worth their while to “get busy” and study Homoeopathy. Hundreds of thousands of the laity are waiting for it. This Journal HEAL THYSELF, is fighting your cause.
