(From vol. v, 2nd edit., 1826.)
(Acetate of Lime)
Experience, and experience alone, but not baseless conjecture, can and dare pronounce respecting the power of drugs to effect alterations in the health of human beings.
From the earliest times it has been firmly accepted as a maxim in ordinary medicine, that calcareous substances introduced and taken into the human body are useless and powerless. It was, no doubt, conceded that they absorbed and neutralised morbid acids present in the stomach, but even in such cases the calcareous neutral salt thence resulting was held to be unmedicinal.
In the ordinary condition of the stomach there is no free acid in the gastric juice, and likewise none in many of its morbid states, and hence pure calcareous earth, considering its nature, may perhaps not be a medicine capable of altering the health of human beings; but the inference from this as to its non-medicinal character in a state of solution, without an appeal to experience on the subject, is like all inferences a priori in medicine, which are not based on facts, to say the least, extremely permature and dogmatic, like most of those in ordinary medicine.
Some cases of great disturbance of the health following the ingestion of pure carbonate of lime in persons who were manifestly suffering from morbid acidity in the stomach induced me to institute experimentswith it in a dissolved state, and I found it possessed of great medicinal power, as the following symptoms show.
In order to obtain pure calcareous earth dissolved in pure acetic acid, I boiled crude, well washed oyster shells for an hour in a pure spring water, then broke them into fragments without using any metal instrument, and dissolved these fragments in distilled vinegar, which I heated up to the boiling point in a porcelain vessel until complete saturation was gradually effected. The filtered solution was evaporated to one fifth in a similar vessel, and with this fluid neutral salt, without the addition of alcohol, the following experiments were made.
It has a dark-yellow colour, and after a time precipitates a dark coloured glutinous substance, whereby the solution obtains a lighter yellow colour. The addition of some alcohol, about half as much by measure as the quantity of the solution, perserves the preparation from becoming mouldy, and makes it fit for medicinal use.
A drop of this is not seldom a too large homoeopathic dose. Ten to twelve globules the size of poppy seeds moistened with it are usually sufficient for a full dose.
Frequent very small doses of camphor allay the action of this medicine when it acts too violently in irritable subjects.
[HAHNEMANN was assisted in this proving by FRANZ, HARTMANN, LANGHAMMER, and WISLICENUS.
No symptoms are taken from old-school authorities.
The 1st edit has 255 symptoms, all “observations of others.” This 2ndedit has 270, 236 only being observations of others, while 34 are HAHNEMANN’S own. In the Chr. Krank the symptoms of calc. acet., reduced to 253, are incorporated with those of calc. carb., but distinguished by a sign.]
CALCAREA ACETICA
Vertigo, as if the body did not stand firm (aft. 6 h.). [Ws.]
Attack of stupefying vertigo, the head tended forwards to the left side when at rest and when moving (aft. ¾ h.). [Lr.]
Slight transient giddiness in the head (aft. ¼ h.). [Htn.]
When walking in the open air vertigo, he inclined to fall to the right side (aft. 2 h.). [Lr.]
5. Headache as from much rapid turning round – as if stupid in the head, from 3 a.m. till 4 p.m. (aft. 25 d.).
Every time he stopped sensation on the right side of the head, as if pains in the head commenced (aft. 6.1/2 h.). [Htn.]
Aching stupefying pain in the forehead, as in vertigo, when at rest and when at moving (aft. 1.1/4 h.). [Lr.]
In the left side of the occiput jerking pressing outwards, which extended to the nape (aft. 14 h.). [Htn.]
Aching pain in the forehead, especially over the left eye-brow, when walking in the open air (aft. 3 h.). [Lr.]
10. Violent pressing outwards in the whole of the left half of the brain (aft. 12 h.). [Htn.]
Aching pain darting through the occiput, which only goes off gradually (aft. 3.1/2 h.). [Htn.]
Pressive pain in the right temple, close to the eye, as if something hard pressed upon it (aft. 5.1/2 h.). [Htn.]
After stooping for some time, when standing, heavy headache, with perssure outwards in the whole forehead, but especially over the left eye (aft. 5.1/2 h.). [Htn.]
Aching pressing pain in the whole head, especially in both teples (aft. 9 h.). [Htn.]
15. Drawing aching headache in the left side of the occiput, with stiff sensation in the nape. [Fz.]
Drawing aching headache in the left palpebral region. [Fz.]
In the right side of the occiput an outward pressing pain (aft. ½ h.). [Htn.]
When reading obfuscation of the whole head, with aching stupefying pain in the forehead like a vertigo, which deprived him of his mental powers; he must stop reading, and knew not where he was (when sitting) (aft. 4.1/2 h.). [Lr.]
Aching pain in the right frontal protuberance, which extended to the right eye, and caused it to close involuntarily (aft. 1.1/2 h.). [Htn.]
20. In the morning after rising from bed, aching stupefying pains in the whole head, as if he had not yet slept enough, or had been revelling all night (aft. 14 h.). [Lr.]
Violent out-pressing, aching pain in the left temporal region (aft. 13.1/2 h.). [Htn.]
Whilst reading, when sitting, aching stupefying pain in the forehead, such as one gets in a violent wind (aft. 29 h.). [Lr.]
Sensation in the occiput as if it were pressed asunder from time to time (aft. 9.1/2h.). [Htn.]
Aching stupefying headache, which involves especially the whole forehead, when at rest and when moving. [Lr.]
25. Drawing headache in the right side of the forehead, over the eyeand in the occiput, on straining the thinking power (aft. 2 h.). [Fz.]
Obtuse pressive darts into both temples (aft. 24 h.). [Ws.]
When walking obtuse pressive darts, especially in the left side of the forehead, going off during the walk (aft. 27 h.). [Lr.]
The head is very heavy, in both temples he has strong jerks, and the whole head is painful when he stoops, but this goes off on rising up again (aft. 9.1/2 h.). [Htn.]
On the top of the head in the region of the crown strong throbbing, like that of an artery, with cutting blows outwards (aft. 10 h.). [Ws.]
30. Aching drawing, sometimes tearing headache, sometimes in the forehead, sometimesin the occiput, sometimes in the temples, which goes off by applying pressure, and disappears on straining the thoughts (aft. 3 d.). [Fz.]
When standing, regularly recurring out-boring knife thrusts in the left temporal region, which were only alleviated by touching, but which immediately disappeared on sitting down (aft. ¾ h.). [Lr.]
Violent stitches by jerks through the whole left half of the brain, which are often renewed, and then leave there an asunder-pressing sensation (aft. 3 h.). [Htn.]
Intermittent boring knife thrusts in the left temple, going off on touching (while sitting) (aft. 8 h.). [Lr.]
Pulsating stitches in the left side of the crown (aft. some m.). [Ws.]
35. When sitting boring stitch-like pain in the left side of the forehead, which goes off immediately on touching, walking, and standing (aft. 12.1/2 h.). [Lr.]
Intermittent needle pricks in the left side of the forehead in all positions (aft. 7, 27 h.). [Lr.]
In the open air he is quite well, but as soon as he enters a room the headache recurs with increased severity, and he is very cross and unwilling to speak. [Fz.]
Aching stupefying pain on the right side of the forehead above the eyebrow, which is particularly aggravated by stooping (aft. 50 h.). [Lr.]
Fine stitches on the crown, externally (aft. 7 h.). [Ws.]
40. Itching formication on the hairy scalp, not removed by rubbing (aft. 10 h.). [Ws.]
Tickling itching on the hairy scalp, which compels scratching, during which the roots of the hairs are painful when touched, for half a day (aft. 4.1/4 h.). [Lr.]
Boring stitches in the middle of the forehead, just as if it penetrated into the brain (aft.3 h.). [Ws.]
On touching the occiput sore pain on the left side, as if the part were gathering (aft. 32 h.). [Lr.]
The whole of the scalp is painfully sensitive, especially on moving the frontal muscles to and fro (aft. 1.1/2 h.). [Ws.]
45. Drawing and aching in the temporal bone. [Fz.]
Aching drawing headache in the right temporal muscles, and pressure on the upper row of teeth; both go off as long as he presses on the temple and instead thereof there occurs aching pain in the forehead (aft. 2 d.). [Fz.]
In the evening drawing aching pain in the temporal muscle. [Fz.]
Cramp-like pain in the right temple (aft. 6 h.). [Ws.]
Cramp-like pain in the left temporal region (aft. 8, 14 h.). [Lr.]
50. After a meal drawing aching pain about the temples (aft. 2 d.). [Fz.]
Pressive sensation in the left temporal bone as if it were perssed in, at once internally and externally (aft. 7.1/2 h.). [Htn.]
On moving the lower jaw digging stitches in the left temple, near the superciliary arch (aft. 5 h.). [Lr.]
Hahnemann's three major publications chart the development of homeopathy. In the Organon of Medicine, we see the fundamentals laid out. Materia Medica Pura records the exact symptoms of the remedy provings. In his book, The Chronic Diseases, Their Peculiar Nature and Their Homoeopathic Cure, he showed us how natural diseases become chronic in nature when suppressed by improper treatment.
Comments are closed.