The preceding facts have shown that the character of man may be modified, ameliorated by the influence of medicines. The following facts are going to show that his intelligence may also be modified and ameliorated in quantity under the same influence, and this, either in a person who is ill or in a man apparently healthy.
Case XXIV
Imbecility in nine soldiers. Cured by Belladonna 12.
During the War of 1870-71, I was serving in one of the three ambulances (homoeopathic) of Lyon, for the creation of which I could have had the help of an American philanropthis, A.T. Stuart. Among other patients, I had to treat in that ambulance 10 soldiers whose excessive fatigue and want of food, sleep and hygienic cares, more than their different diseases, had made them hebeted to such a point that they could not reply to the most simple questions relative to their health.
I administered Belladonna 12, to be taken every hour, at first to a young mobile, from whom I was unable to receive any answer to my question since 8 to 10 days; the dilatation of pupils indicated besides very well this remedy. From the next day this young man was replying with clearness to all my questions.
Ten times I administered thus Belladonna 12 in some soldiers, having with any other morbid affections, that state of hebetude, of imbecility. In nine of these diseases, I obtained similarly some very clear replied from the next day or later on.
Case XXV
Frequent fit of fright, ill confused ideas, no clear judgment in a man of 34 years. Cured by Cantharis 15.
About eight or ten years ago, I was consulted by M.X., aged 34 years, attacked by hemorrhoidal disease and by hypochondria. While a child he was given to a wet nurse, up to the age of 5 years in a village of Beaujolais, where full glasses of wine were given to him to drink under the pretext of fortifying him. That alcoholic drinks and some blennorrhagias later on were the two causes which determined the development of a hemorrhoidal affection of the bladder and of the prostate and perhaps also the development of the hypochondria.
Against the affection of the bladder, I prescribed Cantharis-12. One month later M.X., said to me: “Your medicine has made to disappears my pains of the bladder and it has produced besides, an effect which I did not expect. I am naturally timid, I have been throughout my life subject to the fit of fright. There are no more these fits. I had confused ideas and my judgment was never clear. To-day I have very clear ideas and very clear judgment.
Since then, I have many times seen M.X.. who informed me that his fit of fear has completely disappeared. But, when the troubles of the bladder and of the prostrate reappears my ideas become confused and my judgment less clear.
Case XXVI
A young girl of 22 years, self-centered, very much impressionable, becomes very much angry, having headaches by the least contrariety, no intelligent disobedient and idle. Cured by Calcarea carb. 6000 and 2000
To that young girl who had all the above symptoms, I prescribed to cure a large naevus, the following remedies:
The 21st September 1876: 6 to 7 globules of Calcarea carbonica 6000 to be taken once. The 21st November I learnt that the young girls becomes no more angry and that the contrarieties do not cause headache. She then takes some globules of Calcarea carbonica 2000 once.
Then on the 23rd January 1877: Some globules of Calcarea carbonica 6000 to be taken only once.
The 10th March 1877: Her mother informs me that the young girl, since the last remedy, has become intelligent, obeying and laborious.
In the same family, I have cured almost completely the tendency to become angry in the father by the help of Nux vomica 12: and completely by the help of Causticum 30 the tendency to wickedness or teasing in a child of seven years. He beat his mother when she dressed him which he has not done since then.
Case XXVII
In a lady. the impulse to throw herself out of the window, coquettishness, spending habit. Cured by Belladonna 300. Want of taste and intelligence. Cured by Ammonium carbonicum 30.
A young woman of 25, very fortunate, loving very much husband and her child, nevertheless experienced the frequent impulse and almost irresistible desire to throw herself out of a window with her child; and this, since 4 to 5 months after the birth of the child. Her husband after having given her different medicines (homoeopathic) came to consult me on the 2th June, 1876. I advised him to give his wife 6 to 7 globules of Belladonna 3000, to be taken once. Two days afterward, there is no more that impulse to throw herself out of the window, which again appeared completely, because that tendency never manifested since 5 years.
A month later, seeing again the husband, I explain him that Belladonna checks the disposition to the coquettishness and told him that if this remedy has not acted on his wife or not. Her husband replied, “Oh! in fact my wife was very coquettish and expensive for her toilet. When I used to go out with her I had to wait half an hour, she is so much occupied with her dress and toilet. To-day she is no more like that. I now remember that her coquettishness had disappeared and her taste for expenditure since six or seven days, after she took your remedy.”
The following 18th August, this husband-complained to me that his wife is less clean than she was before and above all no taste and not intelligent.
“I believe, he said to me, that I will never be able develop her intelligence.” I advised him to give to his wife 6 to 7 globules of Ammonium carbonicum 200, and not to be discouraged.
One month later, the husband was satisfied and said to me: “Since the day may wife has taken your medicine, she recovered her former cleanliness, she has acquired taste of dressing herself well; she has not become expensive and above all she has become intelligent much more than I expected.” All these results obtained were being maintained since 5 years. Case XXVIII
Beginning of the dementia in old man who was very intelligent, aged 78 years. Cured by Natrum muriaticum 25.
Some years ago, I was consulted by M.X. aged 78 years; I knew him formerly as having a fine spirit and capable to do if circumstances allowed him, the work of not an ordinary professor of literature, saw him enter my chamber with haggard eyes, his physiognomy was hebeted but reflected his former intelligence. He asked me to cure him. I diagnosed in that old man the beginning of a dementia and I searched for a remedy to stop the development and cure him if it is possible.. I cured him many times from different diseases specially from attacks of hemorrhage of the heat by the help Natrum muriaticum 25. This remedy seemed to me to act against the present psychic symptom. I therefore prescribed this remedy to be taken once a day for six days following. One month later, I saw this man having recovered completely his intelligence and spirit of the past which remained up till his death which happened after two years following an acute disease, pneumonia or endocarditis.
The preceding facts have proved to us that medicine may develop the intelligence in relation to the quantity. The following two facts will prove to you the medicines may also develop the intelligence of man in relation to the quality and modality.
Case XXIX and XXX
Taste and aptitude for mathematics developed by Calcarea carbonica 300 in two patients.
1. The first is an accountant of a big commercial firm came to me for Consultation. I gave him calcarea carbonica 300 to be taken once, a medicine which seemed to me indicated in his present morbid condition. One month later I saw him again and asked him in familiar terms if he has taste in figures: Oh! no sir, he replied lively and however since 15 days I pass my evenings to do again my additions, which I like now very much with pleasure.” I was not astonished, I told him, because the last medicine which you have taken develops the taste and aptitude for mathematics.
2. A few years ago, I treated a young man who was studying specially mathematics for being admitted in the polytechnique school. As he has many successive attacks of pulmonary tuberculosis I gave him every 3 to 6 weeks, 6 to 7 globules of Calcarea carb. 300. He remarked that each dose of this medicine by relieving him cerebral fatigue gave him some taste for mathematics.
This young man knew the utility of this medicine, while the subject of the preceding case did not know it; therefor one cannot invoke, for the latter, the influence of imagination for the end of explaining the development of his aptitude for mathematics.
We have already seen that, in order to use the medicines without the knowledge of the subject treated, I used to dissolve the whole in one third glass of water dose and instructed to put in one third glass of water which is to be poured in a vehicle which has no medicinal property such as different soups, chocolate, cocoa, milk, pure water or sweets and all this generally during a meal in which the person treated does not take either wine, or tea or any other food. However I have observed some cases where my clients, being not able to use the remedy in the above vehicles, used to pour down the solution in medicinal vehicles, however the medicine acted. As examples I will cite the following two cases.
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.