Need of Pathology – A knowledge of pathology of the disease is necessary to interpret the symptomatology obtained and prescribe the true Homoeopathic remedy not merely the seemingly Homoeopathic one. In other words, our Homoeopathic relationship implies similarity in the mechanism as well as expression or description of a symptom. Isolated symptoms from drug provings and Materia Medica do not do this for us and, therefore, we must be on our guard.
Thus, “Jaundice” is a symptom but can be produced in several ways. In selecting a Homoeopathic drug, we want one which will produce jaundice in the way that the particular disease produced it.
The obstructive jaundice might call for a drug like Myrica or Hydrastis but a jaundice of blood origin would more probably correspond to China or Arsenic. Many drugs have dizziness but this symptom is produced in different ways. It may be aural, gastro-intestinal, metabolic, and each type should have a drug the produces vertigo in a similar manner. Here our choice might be Conium, Cyclamen, or Plumbum.
Constipation is produced in many ways. Whether due to spasm or atony, make a difference in the drug selected. We must match in mechanism as well as in name. Again, the fever, restlessness and so on, of typhoid fever, might call to mind Aconite-but a little thought will show this to be but a partial and apparent Homoeopathic relationship.
Pathology would interpret the fever, the restlessness of the typhoid patient and associate them with the coming prostration, the septic condition, the asthenia-conditions wholly foreign to Aconite which can deal only with Sthenic inflammation and healthy blood. In other words, the sequence of symptoms should correspond to the known pathogenic process of the drug selected.
Pathology which is present is not so helpful after an organic disease has become established. This is beyond the point when Homoeopathy or any other method is very successful. In such diseases, the beginning complaints-prodromal symptoms-are a better guide. Cases Without Characteristic Symptoms
There are cases where it is almost impossible to obtain any very characteristic symptoms and because of the fact all therapeutic results, by any method, are mediocre. Such cases come into our office and say succinctly, “I have high blood pressure, ” I suffer from gas,” ” I have a severe cough,” etc. In such cases, the only plan is to take this basic complaint and give a clinical remedy which has his symptom well marked and to proceed under one of the methods mentioned in a later paragraph.
Drug Relationships
This is another factor which is of practical importance in the application of our Materia Medica. The usual classification based on the main action of the drug in question is not satisfactory for Homoeopathic purposes though adequate enough to express the crude general effect.
If we accept the U.S.P. classification of such of our Homoeopathic drugs as appear there, we arrive at misleading conclusions regarding the drug’s real value and scope which are distorted and curtailed in the effort to harmonize with certain standards.
Thus, for Homoeopathic use, the face that Lycopodium is a protective, Nux vomica a bitter, Ipecac an expectorant, Aconite a depressant, and Arsenic an alternative-such generalizations convey nothing to help us in our method of drug therapeutics. Indeed, as we consider each drug and individual entity, it becomes increasingly difficult to classify and only broad generalizations can be indulged in without error. A few relationships, however, are academically important for purposes of study and they are also of some practical value.
Similarity of origin or family relation means that a group of drugs belongs to the same botanical family or chemical group. It is not difficult to note certain great features common to these drugs. Usually such features are caused by a common alkaloid or active principle.
Thus the Solanaceae family has certain alkaloids in common (Atropin, Hyoscine, and Hyoscyamine) and their toxic effects are much alike due to this fact. There are about twenty alkaloids in Opium and this family (Papaveraceae) also contains our drugs Sanguinaria and Chelidonium. Aconite, Pulsatilla, and Cimicifuga all belong to the Ranunculaceae family.
One would make a great error, however, to pick out the most important drug of one of these families and consider this knowledge sufficient for Homoeopathic application of the others. There is no short-cut to a drug’s individuality. For example, Sanguinaria, Chelidonium, and Opium though of the same family have vitally different symptomatic indications such as can only be obtained by proving. This is because though containing similar alkaloids they are different in amount and relationship.
Antidotal Relationship – We do not refer here to the well- known physiologic and chemical antidotes.
Homoeopathic antidotes destroy the existing action of a remedy in the body. Similarity of action is the basis of this antidotal phenomena. Thus, Anacardium antidotes Rhus, especially on the skin. Hepar to Mercury, Coffee to Nux vomica, Camphor is the most important general antidote nullifying most vegetable drugs, The proper antidote for each drug is listed in the Materia Medica.
An interesting and little-understood phase of antidotal relationship is the power of a higher potency to modify the action of the same drug in a lower potency. We make practical use of this with a few drugs, notably Rhus. Poison Ivy is best treated with a high potency of Rhus toxicodendron.
Concordant or Compatible Relationship – Hahnemann first made the practical observation that certain remedies act better if given in series. They are not of the same family but of the same family but of wholly dissimilar origin and if given following one another they accomplish more than either alone. The best example is the Lycopodium – Sulphur – Calcarea triad for many chronic cases. In acute patients it has been found that such drugs as Belladonna and Mercurius, Pulsatilla and Sepia, Kali phos. and Ignatia, follow each other well.
Complementary Relationship – Complementary relationship is somewhat similar inasmuch as they must be compatible, but here work done by one remedy is completed by another – complementary action.
This relationship is especially useful in organic diseases where the person is under medication a long time. For example, work begun by Apis is finished by Natrum muriaticum. Aconite is often best followed by Sulphur; Chamomilla by Magnesia phos; Belladonna by Calcarea, etc.
Though by no means a rule such practice is often suggestive and time-saving.
Inimical Relation – This is the very opposite of the above. There seems to be a lack of harmony between certain drugs. This may be so marked that, when following each other in the treatment of a case, disturbances that are hard to analyze make their appearance.
Such a relation seems to exist between Apis and Rhus, between Causticum and Phosphorus, Sepia and Lachesis, and others. Experience teaches that we should not use these remedies in series. It will be observed that all of the above drugs have a somewhat similar disease – producing power and hence this relationship, like antidotal relationship, depends on similarity.
We have no explanation for these phenomena but understanding that drugs are distinct entities with individual powers, we can readily see that certain forces can work advantageously side by side and others by mere contact upset the orderly progress of the case. Beside Practice
In the application of Homoeopathy, cases can usually be considered as either besides cases or repertory cases. If the former, our prescription is based on the symptoms present, but other factors attain importance. A man with a large general practice is apt to prescribe somewhat routinely for certain symptom groups-his results from such a method have been satisfactory and he sees no necessity for the detailed analysis of each case. Emphasis here is called to the use of symptom groups rather than disease.
For instance, there are certain symptom groups (symptoms which are found together) in Pneumonia which practically always call for either Phosphorus, Bryonia, or Veratrum viride. Experience rapidly teaches a physician to recognize such a group and, hence, his work is much simplified. He does not give every pneumonia case Phosphorus, but varies his prescription according to the particular symptom group present. At the same time, this same experience teaches him to consider only a few suitable drugs.
This general truth holds good for all methods of therapeutics. The more remedies there are for a disease, the less reliable those remedies are. The very fact that there are so many drugs recommended brings with it the thought that none of them can be effective. Theoretically any drug may be indicated (in Homoeopathy). But the fact remains that our choice is confined to a minimum, which experience has shown to be suitable to the symptom group under consideration.
Our rules for prescribing at the bedside then might be summed up as follows :
American homeopath - Ann Arbor - Michigan.
Son of William Boericke.
Books:
A Compend of the Principles of Homeopathy.
Homoeopathy