Although it is established that, in the majority of instances, illness results from the invasion of the body by micro-organisms, vegetable or animal, or by poisons of inorganic origin, and although such immense help has been got from the culture and study of such organisms and of their effects upon lower animals, and by the experimental study of the phenomena of immunity, we cannot learn in the laboratory all that we need to know about disease.
What we call disease is the response of the organism to the invasion of the gents of disease, and, seeing that no two individuals are exactly alike either in structure or in chemistry, sickness does not conform to any single model; each individual case calls for careful observation. Owing, as I believe, to their chemical individuality, different human beings differ widely in their liability to individual maladies, and to some extent in the signs and symptoms which they exhibit. Hence it will be found a useful maxim that there is no such word as never in medicine. Rules which appear to be immutable turn out to have their exceptions.
Many idiosyncrasies are obvious and notorious, such as the sensitivity of individuals to special drugs, or particular articles of diet, which have no ill-effects upon others. As examples may be quoted the manifestations of sensitivity to proteins, seen in the various forms of urticaria in hay fever, and in varieties of asthma. Light also is an agent which affects various individuals in very different ways. Usually beneficent, it produces unpleasant effects upon the skin of some individuals, and to a very few who are victims of congenital porphyrinuria it is a veritable poison.
Again, the minor injuries which are necessary accidents of the wear and tear of life vary greatly in their effects. In the bleeder a trifling knock may produce grave trouble in a joint; in victims of that strange anomaly fragilitas ossium it may cause a fracture; in a gouty subject it may induce an attack. So do our idiosyncrasies and our circumstances contribute to the moulding of our maladies. All this is the true basis of the doctrine of diatheses now unduly neglected”.
For followers of Hahnemann, these remarks, more particularly those italicized by us, have great interest and importance, verifying as they do, the old Hahnemannian contention that cases of disease must be individualized and that no two cases are ever exactly alike. Patients must be treated and prescribed for and not disease. The maxim, that in medicine there is no such word as “never,” is only too true and homoeopaths are especially cognizant of this truth. More and more does the dominant school recognize the patient as an entity and that the constitution of the patient must be carefully studied, for therapy to be successful. The vindication of Homoeopathy comes slowly – but it comes!.
Its A Good Trick. – A woman of 37 had been suffering for six weeks with tearing pains in the muscles of the dorsal region of the back, extending around both sides as well as upwards to her shoulders. Apparently a sudden change of the weather to cold, had caused her trouble, which the assiduous attentions of an O.S. physician had absolutely failed to abate. Analgesics had been employed lege artis and polyvalent vaccines were now to be brought to bear, when the long suffering daughter of Eve kicked over the traces and betook herself to a homoeopath.
Our analysis of her case revealed the following -.
Pains > lying on the back.
< before any change in the weather.
< mornings in bed and on rising.
< sneezing, coughing or yawning.
< jarring.
> heat.
> after being up and about.
The general health has heretofore been good; the bowels are inclined to constipation. History in general, negative.
And so it came to pass, that in our sublime faith and Hahnemannian innocence, we gave her Rhus tox. 30th, a dose four times each day, for six days, at the end of which she was decidedly better, though still suffering pain. In our natural, reckless mood, we now gave her Rhus tox. 200th, three times a day for another six days and then we noted on the case record -.
General state >; pains less severe; strength >. The days are >; at night she wakes about every two hours, changes her position and falls asleep again. Bowels still sluggish. Tuberculinum 10m F., one dose only, was now diplomatically placed upon her receptive tongue and saccharum lactis was given her to toy with. A very decided improvement followed, with a total disappearance of all pain within four weeks, when however, she now reported the following -.
Inability to fall asleep at night, is wide awake, mulling over past troubles, grief, etc. (she had a past). Her heart sometimes palpitates. Naturally we gave one dose of Natrum mur. 20m F. and more sugar for amusement. Five days later she began to bring up blood, evidently from “somewhere” in the chest. Careful physical examination proved to be negative and her Junoesque build and stature were not indicative of possible pulmonary complications. Placebo was continued, but about two weeks later we noted -.
Tightness, soreness and oppression of the chest, with sensation of inability to draw a full breath. Hawks up blood and bloody mucus. One dose of Phosphorus 200th was now given, with gradual improvement and the total disappearance of all bloody sputa. Fifteen days later the record showed -.
Still cough some.
< laughing.
< going from warm to cold air.
< from smoke (cigar or cigarette).
Has raised no blood; in wet weather an occasional slight pain in the back, is felt. In general she is better than for months, having more energy and vitality. Phosphorus 35m. F. was repeated, one dose only.
So here endeth the little journey to Wellville, punctuated by a few ridiculous doses of still more ridiculous potencies. Ah gentle reader, as we in these wild United States are wont to say, “It is the bunk!” Faith cure, or Christian Science no doubt, or what you will! But the homely daughter of EVe, at all events is eminently satisfied. We refrain from commenting upon the possible late reaction from Tuberculinum, even though Natrum mur. had followed and was given before the bloody sputum appeared. To theorize is likely to prove futile; the facts speak for themselves and facts are stubborn things to explain away.
Herpes Zoster with Unusual Symptoms. – “Weiss relates the case of a woman, aged 57, who complained of pain and burning sensation on the left side from the midback radiating down to the groin; also a burning sensation on voiding urine. Three months after the onset of the pain the eruption of herpes occurred. When the patient was first seen, the diagnosis was suggestive of intercostal neuralgia, nephrolithiasis or hypochondriasis. Urinary data were suggestive of kidney disease.” – J.A.M.A.
Cantharis, Mezereum and Arsenicum suggest themselves from the standpoint of homoeopathy. Cantharis, when the eruption is vesicular and the contents of the vesicles an excoriating, water fluid, together with burning pain on voiding urine.
Mezereum, when the eruption has about or altogether disappeared, but burning pains and numbness persist.
Arsenicum album, when burning pains in the eruption or along the course of the nerve trunk are severe, relieved to some extent by hot applications, in a patient who is weak, restless, apprehensive, thirsty for small amounts of water at a time, and whose sufferings in general are worse after midnight.
Of course these three are not the only remedies of use in herpes zoster by any means; let us not forget the little buttercup, Ranunculus bulbosus, whose eruption is vesicular and bluish and whose pains are bruised and sore and are aggravated by lying upon the affected side or part, as well as by motion or deep inspirations. Rhus tox. of course, should not be omitted from consideration; its indications are classic and familiar to all prescribers.
The Power of Radium to Induce Malignancy. – The London Lancet of September 25, 1926 contains a special article, with illustrations, entitled, “A note on the different kinds of malignant tumours experimentally obtained by means of Radium.” The article is by Prof. Dr. Frans Daels and Dr. G. Bacten, from the Cancer Research Centre, Ghent, and cites a number of instances in which sarcomas and epitheliomas were produced in mice by the insertion of glass tubes containing varying amount of radium bromide, into the subcutaneous tissues. Thus, to select on example, we read, “A spindle celled sarcoma, with marked lymphocytic infiltration, appeared in a mouse, in which the tube with 1 to 10,000 radium bromide solution remained in the subcutaneous connective tissue during eight months”.
Of course, this power of Radium to cause malignancy, is not new to homoeopathic physicians, but the latter are making no use of the knowledge, either in their practical therapeutic efforts at cure, or to advance the interests and ultimate universal adoption of their own principles. What this marvellous power of Radium means to the cause of homoeopathy is almost beyond comprehension; its significance is tremendous and the opportunities for real homoeopathic research almost boundless. Here is a solution of 1 to 10,000 actually causing a malignant growth; 1 to 10,000 means, when translated into terms of Hahnemannian posology, the fourth decimal potency (4x).
American Homeopathy Doctor.
Rabe graduated from the New York Homeopathic Medical College and trained under Timothy Field Allen and William Tod Helmuth.
Rabe was President of the International Hahnemannian Association, editor in chief of the Homeopathic Recorder, and he wrote Medical Therapeutics for daily reference. Rabe was Dean and Professor of Homeopathic Therapeutics at the New York Homeopathic Medical College.