ACONITE AND SECALE


One objective symptom that impressed me most was the fact that thought it was a cold day he kept throwing off the bed clothes and pulling up his nightgown so his stomach and abdomen could be bare. This was the modality in his case. He was taking Arsenicum, but derived no benefit from it. He had the burning and vomiting of Arsenicum but he did not want the affected part to be covered.


(From The Homoeopathic Recorder).

Aconite has fear of death and predicts the day of his death. “Doctor, I shall die; I know I shall die; I shall die to-day.” Aconite is the only remedy curing these symptoms. Let me illustrate.

Twenty years ago a man came into my office for help, if there was any. “Doctor,” said he, “I am dying. I shall never see my family again.” He certainly looked worried and his hearts action was rapid and tumultuous. His pulse was 180. He had Essential Paroxysmal Tachycardia.

Reaching to my case I took out Aconitum 30, put a dose on his tongue, told him to draw a long breath, and sit down and I started to take a record of his heart and found it beating normally. I had him wait a few minutes in case he had another attack, gave him a small vial of Aconite 30 to take if he had a return, and dismissed him. Seven years afterwards I saw him, and reaching into his vest pocket he took out the vial I had given him and said: “I havent needed a dose of it yet, doctor”.

Fifteen years ago while I was attending to my clinic in the old hospital in Camden a woman rushed in with her daughter, a girl about fourteen years old, and said: “Doctor, she is dying.” I looked at the girl, felt her pulse; it was about 160; saw her frightened look and that she was speechless. I sat her down, went and got some Aconite, gave her a dose and told her to shut her eyes and rest.

Then I went on with my clinic. When it came her turn I examined her more particularly. She opened her eyes, talked to me, said she felt all right and wanted to go home. Next clinic day her mother brought her back for me to see and she said she was all right and her heart was beating normally.

Thirty-five years ago a young woman was in labour with her first child. The pains were slow in coming and she felt her strength giving away. “Doctor, I shall die, I shall never live through it,” she exclaimed. I did not laugh at her fears, nor make fun of her, but took Aconite 30 out of my case and gave her a dose. The next pain she shut her mouth and bore down nicely.

In ten minutes after the hot and dry condition of the vagina changed to a moist and normal condition. She bore down with each pain and in thirty-five minutes her child was born. One dose was all she needed. The fear and gloom changed in less than one hour to joy and cheerfulness because Aconite was the similimum.

In all these cases the mental condition was the keynote or guiding symptom that pointed unerringly to the remedy. The quantity of the drug was infinitesimal. In one dose of the thirtieth potency there is a decillionth of a drop of the mother tincture.

Now let us turn to another condition, where there are pathological lesions and to another remedy, Secale cor. I will admit that in my early practice I was prejudiced against Secale because I had seen and heard of so many cases where Ergot had been abused. I cannot recall a case where I had given Secale as a Homoeopathic remedy prior to this time.

About thirty-five years ago a colleague, one of the founders of this State Society, was very sick at home. From too high living his stomach got in a bad way, and he was confined to his bed. He could keep nothing down and belching and vomiting were persistent. An eminent professor from Hahnemann College had been called to see him and prescribe for his condition. But the prognosis was bad. Hearing how sick he was I went to see him. he told me, and his wife told me, his symptoms.

One objective symptom that impressed me most was the fact that thought it was a cold day he kept throwing off the bed clothes and pulling up his nightgown so his stomach and abdomen could be bare. This was the modality in his case. He was taking Arsenicum, but derived no benefit from it. He had the burning and vomiting of Arsenicum but he did not want the affected part to be covered.

That contra-indicated Arsenicum. In Allens Encyclopedia under Secale, symp. 695, we read: “Patients were afflicted with grievous internal pain, which was greatly increased by heat, whether of the bed or atmosphere, but abated somewhat when exposed to a cooler atmosphere.” This patient had the window open and he threw off the bed clothing too. Secale has amelioration from uncovering and Secale covered his other symptoms.

As I bade him good-bye his wife followed me to the door and asked me if I could not suggest something to relieve him. I was not his physician and ethically, I suppose, I should not suggest anything. But saving life is the duty of the true physician. I told her if she would bring in some water in a tumbler I would show her one of his medicines that would relieve him. She got the water, pulled out his drawer of medicines.

I took out Secale 6, and at her request put a few pellets in the tumbler and told her to give him a dose every hour till he was better, then less often. In a few hours he ceased vomiting and went to sleep. He woke up the better next morning, sat up a little while that afternoon; in four days he was well enough to see his patients and lived several years after.

If I had not seen him throw off the bed clothes so his abdomen could be bare I should not have thought of Secale. Observation is very helpful to us in treating our patients. In this case it pointed out the Homoeopathic remedy that restored this man to health.

Wallace Mcgeorge