8. Flatulence in general, p. 83.
After these may be taken or not, as one likes:
9. Expectoration mucous (slimy), p. 118.
10. No thirst, p. 66.
The following is the working out in this way; the original study, with the first rubric taken in full, gaves the same result, but I give cut down to save time and space:
Only the two Other Cough Expect, Expect. Agg
highest styles remedies. with whitish. bloody. After
of type used expect. noon
here.
Aloe. 3 2
Apis. 4 3
Arg-n. 4
Bap. 3
Bell. 3 1
Bry. 3 3
Cact. 3
Calc-c. 3 4
Cannab-i. 3
Cimic. 3
Crotal. 3
Gel. 4
Glon. 3
K-bi. 3
Lit-t. 3
Lyc. 3 4 4 3 4
Merc. 3 2 2 3 3
Nux-v. 3 2
Pod. 3
Puls. 4 4
Sang. 3
Sep. 3 4 4 3 4
Sil. 3 3 1 2 4
Sul. 4 3 2 4 4
Verat-v. 3
Amel Respi. Flatulent Totals. Expect.
Lying on rapid mucous.
back general
Aloe.
Apis.
Arg-n.
Bap.
Bell.
Bry.
Cact.
Calc-c.
Cannab-i.
Cimic.
Crotal.
Gel.
Glon.
K-bi.
Lit-t.
Lyc. 3 4 4 29 4
Merc. 2 3 4 22 1
Nux-v.
Pod.
Puls.
Sang.
Sep. 1 4 3 26 2
Sil. 1 3 4 27 2
Sul. 2 4 4 27 2
Verat-v.
No thirst. Totals.
Aloe.
Apis.
Arg-n.
Bap.
Bell.
Bry.
Cact.
Calc-c.
Cannab-i.
Cimic.
Crotal.
Gel.
Glon.
K-bi.
Lit-t.
Lyc. 1 34
Merc. 1 23
Nux-v.
Pod.
Puls.
Sang.
Sep. 3 31
Sil.
Sul. 2 31
Verat-v.
Though Lycopodium, Sepia and Sulphur ran close together there was no difficulty, when their provings were consulted, in deciding between them.
Lycopodium cm. (S) was given in water, four doses at two hour intervals, beginning at 10 a.m., to develop as rapid action as possible. The cough was much less that afternoon and by the next morning was gone. Seven weeks later the baby was born; both mother and child are alive today.
Case VI. This is not an unusual one but an instance of harmonizing of what seem to be incongruous elements in a case so that one prescription will cover, also illustrating the proper order in which to use the different groups of symptoms, and the assistance and confirmation the second group may give.
Not long ago an old lady of 88 years sent for me and on questioning her I obtained the following story. She had felt weak ever since Christmas, this was in February, and had lately a painless though excoriating morning diarrhoea, coming after breakfast but sometimes also a stool following the midday meal. Much flatus in abdomen with colicky pain. No eructations. The principle thing, however, which troubled her and had preceded the bowel condition, was a pain in the left hypochondrium under the short ribs, a “sticking” seemingly deep in the side, of which there were no modalities except that she couldnt lie on that side though that had been her habit. Nothing could be felt on examination. Her general condition was good.
While she complained especially of the pain in the left side yet the bowel symptoms being “the latest to appear” were of highest rank and guiding.
I therefore took the symptoms in the following order, and looked them up in Boenninghausen:
1. Painless diarrhoea, p.86.
2. Acrid stool, p. 87.
3. Aggravation after eating, p. 278, as the stools occurred after the noon meal also.
4. Flatulent pain, p. 84.
Taking the first two rubrics together and working out the rest, gives twenty-seven remedies, with China, Phosphorus and Pulsatilla each fourteen; consequently to decide between them I had to take in addition the concomitant group relating to the pain in the side:
5. Left hypochondrium, p. 82.
6. Sticking pain, internally, p. 183.
7. Aggravation lying on painful side, p. 290.
And these gave the preference to China; this being a synthetic” prescription, the symptom group was not found entire in the materia medica, under that remedy, only a general confirmation.
She was given China 200th (Dunham), one dose, and the troubles which had persisted more than six weeks were at once set right. The full working out of the case is as follows:
Painless Agg. Flatulent Totals Left
diarrhoea. after pain hypochon
Acrid eating.
stool.
Acon 3 2 1 6 1
Ars. 8 4
Bry. 3 4 1 8 2
Calc-c 3 4 1 8 2
Canth. 3 1 2 6
Cham. 6 3 3 12 3
Chin. 7 3 4 14 3
Dulc. 5 1
Fer. 7 3 1 11 3
Graph. 5 3 3 11 2
Hell. 3 1 1 5
Ign. 6 1 3 10 4
Merc. 6 1
Nat-m. 3 4 2 9 2
Nux-m. 2 2 3 7
Nux-v. 4 4 4 12 2
Petrol. 2 3
Phos. 7 4 3 14 1
Ph-ac. 5 3
Pod. 6 3
Puls. 6 4 4 14 2
Sabi. 2 2 1 5
Sars. 2 2
Spo. 2 1 2 5
Staph. 4 1 4 9 2
Sul. 6 4 1 11 4
Verat-a. 5 3 4 12
Sticking Agg Totals.
into. Lying on
painful side.
Acon 3 3 13
Ars.
Bry. 4 3 17
Calc-c 3 2 15
Canth.
Cham. 2
Chin. 4 3 24
Dulc.
Fer. 3
Graph. 1 3 17
Hell.
Ign. 4 2 20
Merc.
Nat-m. 3 1 15
Nux-m.
Nux-v. 3 3 20
Petrol.
Phos. 4 3 22
Ph-ac.
Pod.
Puls. 4 2 22
Sabi.
Sars.
Spo.
Staph. 3 2 16
Sul. 3 1 19
Verat-a.
It should be understood that every case studied by the aid of the repertory does not work out as well as these six I have used for illustration- far from it; but most will if the symptoms be used in the correct way, and for those cases that do not work out well much may be learned from a fragmentary study.
What I have been able to give in the hour is but an outline of the subject; many important parts of it are only touched upon- a few of them are: The management of mental cases; the status of mental symptoms, i.e. their rank of value and the importance to be attached to their modifications; nervous and hysterical affections; details in chronic cases generally; contagious diseases; concordances (relationship).
Success with the repertory depends upon the ability of the physician “to take the case” properly and make correct deductions therefrom. The repertory should not be looked upon as necessarily a time saver at first, but rather as an aid to accuracy, the economy of time coming in the later management of the case, as a result of the complete primary study, and ultimately in its more rapid cure. Short cuts in repertorial work, and there are many, are only profitable to the expert, and should not be attempted by the tyro.
I can not help feeling that if the knowledge of how to use the repertory were more general there would be many stronger homoeopaths-stronger because of increased confidence in their ability to find the simillimum, and hence less likely to employ unhomoeopathic measures.
