First let us consider its usefulness.
We have learned the disastrous results that follow a suppressed eruption and accept them as an axiom in homoeopathic philosophy. This is just as true in the case of an ulcer on the leg, or a catarrhal discharge from the nose, or a suppressed foot sweat, or a leucorrhoea. As long as these psoric patients have a “vent” they get on with a fair amount of health and are only embarrassed or annoyed by their spot of eczema, or sweaty feet, or discharging ear or leg ulcer, etc.
It is when some ignorant doctor gets hold of them and shuts off this “vent” that the patient really gets sick. Of course it may be a meddlesome old grandmother that supplies the salve that has been suppressing eczema in her family and neighborhood for the present and past three or four generations, that has done the dirty work. It is just as apt to be something like that as the plausible M.D. who works his female patients for a local treatment (always of a suppressive nature) once or twice a week at about three dollars per.
You see how quickly I run out of its uses and into its abuses? But let that point register-that it is better for the patient to keep her “vent” active than to have it suppressed by local measures. Local measures are always harmful and expensive.
Leucorrhoea is only a symptom. Examine your patient carefully, especially the past history, not only hers but her parents and grandparents; may be you will find a sycotic or syphilitic taint there, combined with the psora. All three are possible.
DOCTOR YOUR PATIENT.
It pays to repertorize these case; it will eliminate many failures.
In taking the histories of new patients it is surprising to me how many times I find a leucorrhoea in women who apparently take it as a matter of course, and not worthy of mention to the doctor; and in questioning them about it I find that they are opposed to the local treatments, either because of the expense involved, or because they are convinced that there is nothing than can be done to relieve the condition.
The surgically-minded doctor will find scar tissue in the cervix from an old laceration and operate, and thereby may suppress the leucorrhoea. The laboratory man will have to make tests as to whether the discharges are acid or alkaline, or what have we? But the thoroughgoing homoeopath will repertorize his carefully taken case history and arrive at most satisfactory results.
I am not going to talk to you about a list of remedies for leucorrhoea. What I want to impress upon you is that you should not select your remedy just because it fits the type of discharge present in this given case alone. You should doctor the patient that has, for one of her symptoms, a leucorrhoea.
Now for a few general rules that I give my patients: The most important one of all is the stopping all local measures. This may include the removal of a pessary worn to support a misplaced uterus, or another kind of pessary used to prevent conception; or the stooping of a dangerously strong antiseptic solution that they may be using as a douche after intercourse.
The only local measure I will allow is tepid warm water as a matter of cleanliness. Or your patient may be using strong cathartics for a constipation. Stop all drugs; clear the track. That is the only way you will be sure that failure is due to a poorly selected remedy.
Again: Caution your patient that there has to be order-LAW- in the disappearance of the symptoms, and that her leucorrhoea, unless it is a very recent symptom, will not be the first to disappear; and if it is the oldest symptom it will be the last to clear up.
Most patients are intelligent enough to follow you when you talk your homoeopathic philosophy If you take pains to teach them; and once you get them interested in the real homoeopathic philosophy and practice they make fine patients and real boosters for homoeopathy.
