11, 379-Puls 311-Opium 191-Aurum 3, p. 2300-Ignatia 11,379, 390. Chronic Disease Arsenic 1, 410-Aurum 1, 459, 460-Platina 111, 315- Alumina 1, 214+217 (47, 49, 49, 50)- Conium 11, 128+131 (37, 40)-Sulph 111, 502, 507 (61, 666, 70, 74)- Ammoniumc. 1, 300, 303 (34, 37, 38, 39)- Arsenic 1, 410 413 (56, 59, 60).
Psychic Properties of Medicine
Hahnemann knew admirable how to use the somatic properties of medicines prescribing them according to the law of similar but he has used only very incompletely the psychic properties of medicines.
In fact he considered all the somatic symptoms as essential and all psychic symptoms as accessories. For this reason he use to select the remedies first of all indicated by their somatic symptoms and did not care for selecting a remedy according to the symptoms of the mind except in cases when he hoped to act at the sametime against somatic and psychic symptoms. Thus for example, he says in the following way in his Materia Medica Pura (Vol. 3, p. 123 and 318) about the different indications of Nux and Pulsatilla Hahnemann considered the psychic symptoms as the main symptoms and indicated the remedy only when it appears during the treatment of a chronic disease. Thus for example in the V. 1, of the Treatment of Chronic Disease (P. 184) he advises:
Opium against fright when one is called for long time afterwards and when the freight is accompanied by sadness.
Ignatia against fright when it is followed by sadness.
When one considers the numerous symptoms that appeared during the proving of the remedies by Hahnemann himself, one is very much astonished to see that he advised to see that he advise to give up the treatment of chronic disease and to leave the patient to his fate when the latter has not enough philosophy, religion, of the control of his will power in order to bear patiently and with resignation the ills that are not caused by his own faults. He adds further that because will directed treatment with the most appropriate remedies to somatic suffering is completely useless in a man who is in prey of continual griefs and whose sources of life are constantly destroyed by the deep influence of the disease acquired (Loc. cit., p. 159).
Hahnemann was not well justified to give the above advice, because he could have, and it is really possible, to remedy the above mentioned psychic troubles and this by the help of medicines which he has so well experimented on himself and on his disciples. It is so true, that one of his disciples Jahr, his principal vulgarisers, cities, for example in his “Treatment of Psychic and Nervous Diseases (in-12, 1854, J. Baillere) two medicines indicated against want of irreligious sentiment (p. 352 and 25 remedies indicated against want of will power, and 24 remedies indicated against the too much sensitiveness to griefs (p.332).
Nevertheless, up-till-now none, has generally used the numerous psychic properties of medicines. And, on this point, they follow the example of Hahnemann and of his first disciples and of those of the second generation. I could have been able to find their clinical inexperience on this special point while discussing with Homeopathic doctors of these two generations during a stay of seven months in Germany, in 1853. I did not receive clinical informations on the psychic properties from the German homoeopaths whom I met. I mention the name of the few famous ones here.
Attomyr at Presbourg (Hungary): Fleischmann in Wurm 6, Caspar at Vienna (Austria); Altschal, Hirsch, Schaller at Prague (Bohemia); Reiz at Linz (Hte-Austria); Professor Joseph Buchner and Quaglio at Munich (Bayeria); Trinks, Hirschel, at Dresden (Saxony)).
I met also Staph but was not more fortunate not even after meeting Boenninghausen although he allowed me to assist in his chamber for sometime in the month of September 1855. I also discussed the matter with some Homoeopaths of the first generation in France; Des Guide, Rapou father, Cazal, Crepu, Leon Simon father, Perry, Proth at Paris, Gaschassi, Roux and Bonneval of Bordeaux.
However Dr. Jousset told me that the count of Bonneval, whom I visited in 856, has since then obtained some psychic cure with homoeopathic medicines.
These doctors and their followers generally obtained accidentally and exceptionally some psychic cure, following the very restricted advices of Hahnemann on this point. In fact among the psychic effects, he noted specially the modifications caused on the mind by the medicines and very few effects produced by them on the intellect. Thus in his last work, where he summarised his last observations, the Treatment of Chronic Diseases in 3 v., in-8, before exposing in their pathogens regarding the psychic effect to each medicine on healthy man, he says summarily, that the modifications produced by the medicines on the mind of his clients and still more briefly the modifications caused on their intellect. As for example in the clinical indications in the pathogeneses of Alumina, Ammon, carb., Calc-c., Sulphur he only says that these medicines can ameliorate the difficulty of thinking. Nothing was mentioned as regards the properties of medicines which not only create, but also develop the intelligence in different manner. Thus Alumina develops the synthetic mind, Calcarea develops the analytical mind: Alumina and Ammon-c, ameliorate the narrowness of the mind which sees only a restricted view things.
Continuing from the point of view of their knowledge of psychic properties of medicines, the review of the homoeopathic doctors who are dead, I have already mentioned the singular perspicacity in this connection, that of the famous Hering of Philadelphia. He was, to be sure one of the most able Homoeopaths, when it was the question of experimenting the medicines of healthy persons, or to apply when them in ill persons. As regards the observations of the psychic symptoms produced and cured by the medicine, he describes exactly the fine differences better than habitually done by Hahnemann. One may be convinced of the fast while reading the pathogenesis or Lachesis. Not being satisfied with showing the utility of this medicine against discouragement, hopelessness, pessimism, jealousy, cross-grained character, wicked or traitor, quarrelsome, loquacious etc. he teacher us besides that this same remedy develops a critical mind, an inventive mind, may check to a certain extent the tendency to make mistakes of dates and times, or that of spelling, the tendency to scepticism etc. Among the numerous cures of defects which he related and which by their nature are the defects of intelligence and of the mind, I cite the following.
“Many young persons says he, not for any motive except for the reason of irresolution could not decide to marry, are married immediately after the favourable action of Lachesis on their mind.”
I will relate later on, that I could have been able to cure with this remedy a chronic case of scepticism in an old man.
In the pathogenesis of Fluoricum acidum, Hering says that this remedy is indicated to develop philosophical aptitude in persons who have already the aptitude for sciences of observations. It would be very often necessary to fulfil that indication in numerous learned men of second and third grade, who know very well how to collect date, but who for the want of a synthetic mind, cannot clarify them according to their hierarchic value and find out the law that govern at the basis of the fact.
It by some psychic cures realised as regards the function of thee intellect, one could have given a glimpse to Hering how one can successfully act on numerous modalities of the mind and intellect, it would have been very probable that his doctor investigator would have proceeded much further in the path of these special researches where, unfortunately, he went only a few steps. Comparing the little he has done in this regard with the result of observation and experimentation which I will begin to expose here, one would see how much more researches he could have done in this line.
Hahnemann could not use the very numerous psychic properties of remedies discovered by himself, for two motives: first, because he has not given the medicine is suitable doses and in the most favourable moment and secondly, because he ignored the importance of psychic symptoms-passions, vices, defects of character and intelligence-existing without any somatic symptom.
I am going to explain these tow motive that caused Hahnemann to err in the case of psychic treatment.
The founder of Homoeopathy did not use the important medicine above 30th. For this reason he could not obtain often some deep and lasting psychic effects. In fact, if for example, a medicine in 6, 12 or 30th dilution has caused a psychic amelioration it is necessary to make the cure better and prolonged, to give the same medicine in more and more high dilutions. Thus after having given the 12th dilution and if the amelioration does not continue, it is necessary to give successively and at delayed intervals, the 30th, 100th, 200th, 600th, 1000th, 2000th, 4000th, 6000th, 10,000. When the highest prepared dilution is reached, sometimes it becomes necessary to repeat the same dilution after each relapse of the psychic symptoms. These symptoms disappear completely and in a durable manner.
Gallavardin set up a homeopathic Dispensary for the cure of alcoholics, often working in conjunction with priests, and he wrote several books on this subject.
Jean Pierre Gallavardin wrote Psychism and Homeopathy, The Homoeopathic Treatment of Alcoholism, How to Cure Alcoholism the Non-toxic Homoeopathic Way, Repertory of Psychic Medicines with Materia Medica, Plastic Medicine, and articles for The British Journal of Homeopathy, On Phosphoric Paralysis, and he collated the statistics on pneumonia and other cases for the United States Journal of Homeopathy, and he contributed widely to homeopathic publications.