Frequently the doctor has to be satisfied with the second best, a somewhat similar remedy, or even a combination of closely related and similar remedies and some of our healers and doctors, both in England and on the continent make excellent cures with alternating drugs. People do present such problems these days, they have had so many different inoculations and vaccinations and serums; such a mixture of chronic diseases handed down to them through their ancestors, and on top of this most have a variety of badly treated acute infectious diseases on their score sheets, which have to be taken into account. Therefore one has to consider all the chronic infections in each case.
But the homoeopath is better equipped than the rest of orthodox and unorthodox practitioners. He has a law of cure, that like cures like, remedies which have been tried out by the acid test of experiment on the healthy prover, not in the laboratory, not in test-tubes, but on a living, breathing, thinking, healthy person. And if he finds the right remedy, the changes is evident to everybody there is no doubt about it. It is better than bottles of tonic, better than many tons of pain-killing dopes.
I saw another case of psychological trouble; a case of nerves. She was a woman in the middle forties, a nurse who had nursed and helped to cure a chronic case of mine some twenty odd years ago. She had been abroad in the interval and after many vicissitudes had drifted back to London. In 1929 she had an ovarian cyst and the appendix removed; ever since had never got rid of a pain on the left side of the abdomen. This pain was the typical “Mittelschmerz” of the German gynaecologist.
It came on right in the middle between the periods, not during or before or after periods; but for a definite time between the periods, about six to eight days after the periods and lasted until eight days before the next period. It was said to be nerves; it was always better on holidays and when she was resting. Unfortunately it was necessary for her to earn her living as a nurse and she had to lift and carry patients, which did not improve matters. The only advice she had been given was to grin and bear the pain or go back to the surgeon for him to find out what the pain was due to.
It might be adhesions after the previous operation ! This did not appeal to her as the last operation had cost her a great deal of money, she had been unable to work for nearly a year; and as she was in a comfortable job at the moment, she did not wish to give it up. And yet there was this constantly recurring pain, which undermined her health and her nerves.
She looked dragged and old, very thin and emaciated and had an unhealthy greyish colour. I hardly recognized her after twenty years, she used to be a bonny, lively happy-go-lucky Irish colleen, and now this miserable middle-aged woman. She got so tired when walking; and there was also pressure on the bladder, she had frequency of micturition with the pains, so that she was afraid to venture far.
The pain was worse during micturition, across abdomen from hip to hip, and was worse also when the urge to pass water came on; she had been vaccinated twice; and there was the history of an ovarian cyst. Three definite symptoms pointing to Thuja; and Thuja 30 was prescribed.
Seen a month later, the period was a fortnight late, she was sleeping better and feeling better, much less tired and looked less dragged already. She walked the previous day and had no pains in abdomen. Repeat Thuja 30 to be followed by Pulsatilla 12 three times a day.
Seen three weeks later, had overlifted herself by trying to balance by herself, a very heavy patient. Pain and tenderness in sacrum. I manipulated the back and advised exercises for strengthening gluteal and sacral muscles there was no frequency of micturition now, the uterus which was retroverted at the first visit, had corrected itself.
Arnica 30 prescribed for the effects of the strain and the overlifting. Seen two weeks later, back quite recovered; to continue Pulsatilla 12 three times a day. Pulsatilla was given, as she liked sympathy, could not eat fat, got easily depressed and wept quietly, the tears were very near the surface, pain in the abdomen gone; in less than two months and she had had this pain for nine years, ever since her operation !!.
Seen again four weeks later; feels different altogether, has been going out to dances over the Christmas and enjoyed herself, which she has not been able to do for ten years ! She is still very thin and lanky, 5 ft. 10 in. in height and only weights 9 st. 4 lbs. To put on more weight, drink one pint of milk daily, eat two to three eggs, she cannot take cream; but she is to take bran for tendency to constipation and for piles. Hamamelis ointment for piles.
Did not see her for nearly two months, she felt so much better; she feels so well, as if walking on air, goes out on every possible occasion, goes to parties and dances. No frequency of micturition, no backache, no pain in the abdomen,.
The Mittelschmerz is a thing of the past. She used to suffer from terrible depression, this was the first time she mentioned this, she felt like murdering people , she felt so ill, that she could almost do away with herself, as she saw no way out of it; the constant drag, the constant pain; no doctor could help her before. She was told to go to the psychologist, as she was suffering from nerves and repression of sex etc.
Her face is not nearly so livid, her eyes look bright and clear, Sulphur 30 given for haemorrhoids, as these irritate during the period.
A week later she rang up in great consternation, as the pain in the ovary and the discomfort had returned, also the pain in the bladder and the frequency, she is also more tired,. She got a great shock when all these old symptoms from which she had been free for nearly five months returned again. I reassured her, said it was due to the stirring up from Sulphur 30 and antidoted it by returning again to Pulsatilla 12 which evidently was still her remedy.
Since then I have learned that she is extremely well, she has no further symptoms, no further pain, no more discomfort, she is putting on weight. She also went to her ophthalmic surgeon who was extremely astonished to find that her eyesight had improved so much, she could read better and her vision was back again to what it was some four or five years ago. 50 per cent. improvement, he said.
This woman was suffering from nerves due to retroversion of the uterus and a chronic internal pain which preyed on her mind and for which no other treatment was suggested except a problematic operation. Nine years anxiety, fear of losing her job owing to ill-health. A case of nerves. She had not been near a doctor for herself for years as nobody had suggested anything constructive until she remembered homoeopathy. And then a rapid cure. She came prepared to be helped, prepared to be honest and open about her ailments and symptoms.
The result was peace and comfort, another patient saved from the operating table, saved from a futile operation, and the case of nerves was cured, not by suggestion, not by faith; but by the indicated remedies. The pain went, the retroverted uterus cleared up and the vision improved; and the homoeopathic remedy built up the health and strength of one of the worlds workers, who depended on her own efforts to keep going. Find out the psychologic make-up of a person, or as Hahnemann puts it, get the mental symptoms clearly differentiated and you will get a cure.
