March 12th. I took five drops at one time. During the day I felt a weight on the head, as if surcharged with blood. Other symptoms were salivation; cough caused by accumulated mucus in the larynx and in the trachea; pasty tongue, and a certain difficulty in the difficulty in the articulation of words. All these phenomena, salivation, accumulated mucus, cough, glossoplegia, seemed to me to be caused by the paresis of the muscles of deglutition, and the word articulation muscles, which, in view of the excess of pressure that seemed to be present in the brain, must have corresponded to some loss of energy of at least some cranial nerves.
In addition to the above there were also vesicles scattered over the body like small chicken-pox.
March 13th. I did not take the medicine, but still felt something of the phenomena of the day before. I understand that the observation was at a very interesting point, which justified its continuation, but the disturbances felt were sufficiently troublesome, so that I suspended the experiment until the 17th.
EXPERIMENT WITH THE 5TH POTENCY.
March 18th. Ten drops of the 5th potency in a glass of water, taken during the day. There was a weight on the head as if surcharged with blood.
March 19th. The same dose of medicine was taken. The symptoms felt were the same as those of the day before, with pronounced indisposition towards work.
March 20th. Interrupted.
March 21 st. I took ten drops of the 5th potency. Sensation of weight on the head.
March 22nd. Ten drops of the 5th potency. Unconquerable somnolency, but the sleep was disturbed by dreadful dreams which awakened.
March 23rd. Ten drops of the 5th potency. Head very heavy. Indisposition towards intellectual work. Pain in the corner of the right shoulder blade such as that of Chelidonium. At times this pain was felt on both sides. Great pains in the inter- scapular space. Pain in the lower thorax region, as if it were on the outside, spreading to the stomach. Pains in the fingers, especially in the outer edge of the left thumb.
March 24th. Fifteen drops in 5 doses of three drops. The same sternum pain, continued however, and aggravated at times of taking the medicament. Dormancy in the thumb of the left hand. Deadening of arms and legs.
EXPERIMENT WITH 1ST POTENCY.
March 25th. Three drops of the 1st potency in three doses. Great heat felt on the skin of the entire body. I, who avoid the currents of air, on the night of that day, felt a very agreeable sensation upon receiving them. Great heat on the feet and hands such as that given by Sulphur.
Experimenter: Dr. Galhardo.
Potency employed: mother tincture. Experiment from January 2 to 10, 1929.
January 2nd. On the twenty-third hour I took 5 drops of the tincture. I slept well, and experienced no abnormality.
January 3rd. At six oclock I took 5 drops of the tincture. At half past seven I was writing with great attention when I felt a small pain in the right orbitary region, aggravated by the attention given to the work I was doing. The pain, however, was weak and could be borne perfectly well.
On the twenty-third hour I took 10 drops. I slept well without any abnormal reactions.
January 4th. I awakened in perfect condition. At six oclock I took 10 drops of the tincture. I passed the day perfectly well. On the twenty-third hour I took 10 drops of the tincture.
January 5th. I awakened in the morning with a desire to stool, but the intestinal discharge was deficient and difficult.
After taking breakfast, the bowels again moved freely and well. I passed the day in perfect condition.
On the twenty-third hour I took 10 drops of the tincture.
January 6th. I awakened in the morning with a sore body and indisposed, having no desire to abandon my bed, which fact was in direct opposition to my habits. I felt the bed and a short time afterwards felt very well. Again in the morning I had a desire to stool, but the evacuation was deficient and difficult. After having had breakfast, I again evacuated freely and well. Once again during the morning the bowels moved.
On the twenty-third hour I took 10 drops of the tincture.
January 7th. I slept well, but awakened at 5 oclock in the morning with a pain in the stomach and a sensation of emptiness. I slept again at 7 oclock and when I again awakened I no longer felt the pain in the stomach. During the morning I had a desire to stool but the intestinal discharge was deficient and difficult. From 9 oclock on I felt a sensation of impatience, accompanied by weakness in the upper limbs. During the day this sensation of impatience and fear remained, as if I awaited a disagreeable event or notice.
On the twenty-third hour I took 10 drops.
January 8th. It was customary for me to get up during the night several times to urinate, which manifestation is perfectly pathologic, but I had not yet regarded it as important; after however, starting the experiment of the Cyrtopodium punctatum this manifestation ceased, thus confirming the principle of similarity in the experiment of Dr. Licinio Cardoso.
During the morning there was again the desire for the bowels to move but it was deficient and difficult. I took 10 drops of the tincture during the morning, and after having left my residence, I felt a slight dizzy sensation in the street. From 10 oclock I started to feel a disagreeable rheumatic sensation in the right elbow with a tired feeling when I extended the arm. At half past ten I had a sensation of emptiness and slight indisposition. I experimented a lack of coordination of ideas. Disturbed ideas. Cerebral laziness.
January 9th. I took 10 drops of the tincture at the twenty- third hour, having passed a perfectly good day.
January 10th. In the morning, at 9 oclock, I felt strong prickings on the back of the right foot, quick prickings that rapidly ceased. At 10 oclock I felt rheumatic pains in the right forearm and in the left shoulder blade. PATHOGENESIS.
MENTALITY. Indisposition towards intellectual work. Impatience. Sensation of fatigue. Fear, as if one awaited disagreeable news or as if an accident were impending. Indisposition towards material work. Lack of coordination of ideas. Difficulty in the articulation of words. Disturbed ideas. Cerebral laziness. Agreeable feeling in currents of air.
PAINS. Pain in the lower angle of the scapula, felt, at times, on both sides. Strong pains in the inter-scapular space. Pain in the lower region of the thorax, spreading to the sternum and stomach. Pains in the fingers, principally in the outside edge of the left thumb. Pain in the sternum aggravated by the taking of food. Muscular pains over the whole body, principally in the thorax and legs, as if they were bruised. Right orbital pain, aggravated by mental attention.
HEAD. Cerebral excitement. Sensation of weight in the head, aggravated when lowering it. Sensation of weight in the head, as if it were surcharged with blood. Sensation of large quantity of blood in the cerebral cells. Dizziness.
EYES. Dilatation of the pupils.
EARS. Loud noises in the ears.
EXTREMITIES. Dead feeling in the sole of the feet. Rheumatic pains in the right forearm. Heat in the feet and hands. Prickings on the back of the right foot. Deadness of the left thumb. Rheumatic pain in the right elbow, with tired feeling when extending the arm. Deadening of arms and legs. Weakness of the upper members. Rheumatic pains in the left scapula. Sore body in the morning.
GASTRO-INTESTINAL SYSTEM. Salivation. Pasty tongue. Pain in the stomach with feeling of emptiness. Intestinal colic. Desire to stool in the morning, but deficient and difficult. Normal bowel movement after breakfast. Rumblings in the bowels.
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM. Cough caused by accumulated mucus in the larynx and trachea.
URINARY SYSTEM. Increase of urination during the night, obliged to get up several times to urinate. Abundant diuresis. Paresis of the bladder.
SKIN. Vesicles like pock marks scattered over the body. Great heat felt on the skin of the entire body.
SLEEP. Sleeping during the day. Unconquerable drowsiness, but sleep interrupted by dreadful dreams.
CONCLUSIONS.
1. Cyrtopodium punctatum, by the results shown, should arouse the attention of homoeopathists.
2. Experiments should be made internationally, the tincture being prepared with the entire plant, gathered at the time of inflorescence, which, in Brazil, is in the month of October.
3. The rudiments of pathogenesis now presented reveals its important action on the renal and intestinal apparatus.
A cardinal principle has been so much overlooked, at least so little literature written about, it and yet notwithstanding without it our art of healing would be a most imperfect one. This is the bright and morning star that enables the true Hahnemannian not only to cure the most obstinate chronic diseases, but also to make certain prognosis when discharging a case, whether the patient will remain cured or whether the disease will return like a half-paid creditor at the first opportunity. viz.: Symptoms recently developed are first to disappear; other symptoms disappear last. Here we have one of Hahnemanns general observations, a plain, practical rule of immense importance.
