Under a title, such as this, the whole homoeopathic materia medica may be called into service, for if a cure may be made by the properly chosen remedy, no surgery will be necessary. On the other hand, if accident or pathology renders surgery imperative certain remedies aid in preparing the patient for operation. Finally, when the successful operation restores the patient to a condition for recovery, another list of remedies becomes available to remove whatever symptoms remain and the more gently to aid in restoring the individual to perfect health. With this knowledge as background, a review of the materia medica, from A to Z., furnishes the following outstanding remedies arranged in three groups.
GROUP I.
The remedies here listed are those which, prescribed early, according to the symptoms shown by the individual patient, will so well remove the symptoms that the probability of a surgical operation is also removed.
REMEDY LEADING SYMPTOM SURGICAL RELIEF,.
PROBABLE.
Abies nigra A sense of weight or A gastric ulcer.
Nux vomica load, with sore pain.
Pulsatilla
Aconitum nap. Early congestion in Beginning infection.
plethoric.
AEsculus hip. Pain dryness, pressure Beginning
Aloe sure or bleeding haemorrhoids.
Collinsonia in rectum.
Aletris farinosa Relaxation of female Curettage or
Cinnamon pelvic organs with hysterectomy.
Trillium pain and severe
Viburnum opulus haemorrhages.
Alumina Lack of proper Appendicitis,
ptosis.
Opium bowel action, due to.
sluggish sensations.
Argentum met. Irritation at muco- Ulcers.
Argentum nit. cutaneous outlets.
Allium cepa Acute coryzas, with Sinusitis,
Arsenicum iod. sneezing, stuffed inflammation of antrum.
Camphora nose and general
Gelsemium malaise.
Natrum mur.
Arum triphyllum.
Baryta carb. Hypertrophied tonsils Tonsillectomy.
Baryta iodide and adenoids.
Belladonna Acute to sub-acute Appendicitis,
pleuri-
Bryonia inflammations, local with effusion.
Phosphorus or deep.
Berberis vulg. Kidney colic, due to Abscess of Kidney
Lycopodium calculi. or nephrectomy.
Capsicum Acute inflammation Mastoiditis.
of nose, throat,.
Eustachian tube.
and mastoid bone.
Chimaphila Hypertrophy of the Prostatectomy.
Cerefolius prostate.
Bryonia Abdominal pain, Appendicitis.
Belladonna colic, with or with-
Colocynth out fever.
Dioscorea
Echinacea General septicaemia, Incisions,
drainage,
Hepar sulph. inflammations to exploratory
Hecla lava pus formations. operations.
Silica
Merc. sol. Throat infections, Lancing of
abscess.
Merc. viv. leading towards.
Merc. iod. flav quinsy.
Merc. iod. rub.
Psorinum Repeated tendency Tonsillectomy.
to quinsy.
Phytolacca Acute mastitis, early Lancing abscess.
chronic mastitis Removal of breast.
or lump.
Spigelia Left sided Resembles
sinusitis.
supraorbital pain.
In the case of an Italian woman, following an operation for probable tumor of the uterus, which resulted in a hysterectomy, she had a severe left sided pain, starting in the groin and going in waves to the left breast, several times in the day, and preventing sleep at night. She had been back to the hospital for observation with no relief. She was given one dose of Spigelia 30th upon the one symptom, “left sided pain”. When next seen she reported that the pain left with no return, thus preventing a secondary operation. This illustrates the strong affinity of Spigelia for left sided injury to nerves.
GROUP II.
Here are found remedies whose action is to prepare the patient to meet his necessary operation with the greatest fortitude and to put his system into the best possible condition to resist the shock of the anaesthetic and operation.
REMEDY ITS USE OR SYMPTOM
Aconitum nap. Plethoric, easily excited persons,
full of
Belladonna fears as to the approaching
operation.
Arsenicum alb. Weakness and exhaustion, with fear and
China off. trembling in dread of the ordeal;
thirsty and
perspiring.
Anacardium When the fear produces an anger, with
swearing.
Aurum mur. nat. Weak and fearful, no nerve, with
tendency to run away.
Coffea cruda The highly sensitive intellectual
patient who.
cannot sleep from too acute hearing.
Gelsemium or For the nervous patient who is unable
to
Ignatia prevent too frequent bowel or bladder
evacuations.
Glonoin An unusually high blood pressure, due
to nervousness at the approaching
operation, will be lessened.
Phosphorus Given 6 to 12 hours before operation
removes tendency to nausea and
vomiting from the anaesthetic.
Pulsatilla This restores the weak, weeping
female to.
equilibrium.
Zinc met. Helps the patient whose nervousness
shows.
itself by restless feet.
GROUP III.
As surgery is accomplished only by cutting, bruising and tearing living tissues, much pain and suffering naturally results. to the patient, so for his relief there will be found in this grouping those remedies whose symptomatology points to a relief of this discomfort to the patient. Also here will be found those remedies whose function is to remove the various after symptoms, such as gas pains, nausea, cough and nerve pains, etc., which follow major operations.
REMEDY ITS INDICATIONS OR SYMPTOMS.
Ammonium carb. For the wheezy, loose, rattling cough
which
Antimonium tart. or often follows an ether
anaesthesia.
Aralia racemosa
Apis mellifica Is of great aid, if there is an
inability to urinate.
Arnica mont. These remedies come well into use for
the
Bellis perennis bruising and injury to soft tissues:
Arn.
Bryonia or and Bry. for the more superficial
muscle
Rhus tox. tissues; Bellis or Rhus for the
deeper and more fibrous tissues.
Cimicifuga This list helps in the restoration of
dam-
Hypericum aged nerve tissues: Cimic. for
intercostal
Spigelia or nerves and muscle; Hyper. for
injuries to
Symphytum nerves in the extremities; Spig. for
injured left side
nerves; Symph. for the pain of nerves in fractures and stumps.
Arsenicum alb. After the operation a general
weakness and
China off. or lack of reaction results and any of
these
Causticum remedies, as per the type of patient,
will.
turn the scale for the better.
Natrum mur. Again a weakness and prostration but
these
Pulsatilla or remedies are prescribed more on the
men-
Sepia. tal type of patient than upon his
weakness, e.g., Nat.
mur. for the retiring patient; Puls. for the mild blonde;.
Sepia for the sullen brunettes.
Phosphorus Some one of these follow, as soon as
the
Ipecac or patient recovers consciousness, to
relieve the
Nux vomica nausea and vomiting incident to the
anaesthetic.
Phos. if water is returned as soon.
as down; Ip. if constant nausea; Nux
if bilious vomiting.
Colocynthis For the gas pains these drugs save
much
Dioscorea or suffering: Coloc. if pains are
relieved by
Lycopodium pressure on abdomen; Dios. if pains
are.
better by living on stomach; Lyc. if
there.
is much gas felt rolling in abdomen.
Berberis vulg. Often, due to toxicity or scanty
fluids, the
Cantharis or patients urine burns or scalds.
Berb. will
Triticum repens. relieve if sediment is present; if
there is. much burning with urinations, Canth.
will.
soothe; Trit. has an irresistible
desire with only a few drops passing.
Without doubt any or all of these remedies may fail in certain cases but no harm will follow a trial and ordinarily the result in excellent. To the surgeon of the old school, ignorant of the homoeopathic law, morphine seems to offer the only sure relief from pain, but to those who have the advantage of such homoeopathic knowledge the chosen remedy is a boon in allaying the suffering of his patient.
MONTCLAIR, N.J.
Every complete symptom consists of three parts or factors: 1. Locality, the part, organ or tissue involved in the disease process. 2. Sensation, pain, indicating the functional or organic change characterizing the morbid process. 3. Conditions of aggravation or amelioration, exciting causes or circumstances, conditions increasing or modifying the manifestations.-H.A. ROBERTS.
