The attending physician talked the case over with me about a week later, and said the patient was showing less reaction, the improvement slowing up considerably, and the delirium, if such it could be called, still continued somewhat, I suggested his plussing the remedy, which carried her along for some time longer. At that time he expected to call me in for another consultation because he had no idea (as he had had no idea in the first place) that improvement for any length of time would be possible. The consultation was not called for and at the last report the patient was still progressing. Considering the age of the patient, we did not expect a cure; but the fact that her condition was so palliated was a matter of pleasure to the family and to the physicians.
At my confreres insistence, I repertorized the diagnosis from Symptoms and Disease Applied: A Differential and Mathematical Diagnosis, by W. A. Kitchens, M.D. (reviewed in The Homoeopathic Recorder, May 31, 1931, page 380) and came to the conclusion that it was a case of chronic parenchymatous nephritis.
Upon mathematical analysis of the case, it was seen that Bryonia had failed to help the case because it lacked the type of pain described as boring, and the > from change of position, which was strongly marked. It also lacked the albuminous urine which I did not take into consideration to any degree. Lycopodium had a few of the symptoms very prominently, but did not cover enough of the symptoms to appear in the final analysis.
In other words, neither of these remedies were the similimum, and one of them was only partially similar. Pulsatilla did not occur to me from my first consideration of the case, for did not see the typical Pulsatilla symptom-picture, and had it not been for the mathematical procedure I question my reaching that conclusion, at least until I had seen the patient and studied the reflections more thoroughly.
The evaluation of a given symptom is sometimes a surprise to us. We associate certain symptoms instinctively with certain remedies, and regard them as classical indications for the remedy; yet upon investigation we often find the given symptom present in equal degree in remedies we had not considered. For instance, the symptom < on waking immediately brings to mind such remedies as Lachesis, Nux vomica and Pulsatilla. We often fail to realize however, that under this rubric Boenninghausen gives fifteen remedies as of the highest rank, as well as numerous remedies of lesser rank. Besides the remedies that immediately occurred to us in this connection, we find Ambr., Amm. mur., Ars., Calc. carb., Caust., Hep., Hyos., Nit. ac., Onos., Phos., Sep., Sulph. and Valer. in the same numerical evaluation.
Again, in the symptom > in open air we think of Pulsatilla and a few other remedies, forgetting for the time that there are eight other remedies in the repertory having equal numerical strength in this one symptom, and many remedies having this symptom in lesser degree.
Such comparisons might be carried on almost indefinitely; and it is only when we refer to the numerical evaluations that we can make a deep study of comparative symptomatology. The danger of key-note prescribing lies in the failure to evaluate symptoms and to compare remedies.
Another phase of the mathematical side of homoeopathic therapeutics is the attention which should be given to astrological and solar influences. Many of us have not evinced interest in these phenomena to any degree, yet we must all take into consideration the times of aggravation and amelioration, and upon analysis we find that these bear a strong relative value to the action of the solar system; the time of day; periodicity (daily, every seven, fourteen, twenty-one or twenty-eight days); seasonal influences; the waxing and waning of the moon; all these show themselves in our patients and in the remedies as well.
Almost every extensive proving in Herings Guiding Symptoms points the way in periodicity, some remedies showing marked relationship to the time of day, as Spigelia, increasing and decreasing in aggravation as the sun rises and declines. “Lunacy” was not an idle term for periodic mental aggravations, and the homoeopathic physician is particularly fitted to meet such conditions.
Hering gives in his Guiding Symptoms considerable attention to the aggravations in relation to the moon, to illustrate: Bufones, attacks appear with change of moon (epilepsy); Calcarea ostrearum, worse toward new moon (gangrene oris); worse during solstice (epilepsy); worse about new moon (crusta lacta); worse during full moon (epilepsy); Causticum, new moon (epileptic attacks). (It is to be remembered that two of these remedies were proven by Hahnemann, the master observer). These are but a few of the remedies mentioned as having lunar aggravations that have been recorded, as appertaining to definite miasmatic conditions.
The periodicity of aggravations as they pertain to the hours of the day are without number, and the seven, fourteen, twenty-one, twenty-eight day, etc., are also numerous.
Boenninghausens Repertory gives considerable space to the aggravations relative to phases of the moon, under the rubrics New Moon, Full Moon, Waning Moon, Moonlight, and lists twenty-one remedies. Kent neglects this classification almost entirely, giving but three remedies under the rubric Moonlight.
Again we find much consideration in homoeopathic literature devoted to the divisions of the seasons, spring, summer, autumn and winter, as having a direct action on the remedies. The metals are tremendously affected by the solar and lunar cycles; plants are hardly less so, and they respond particularly to the seasonal cycles. Therefore we find that the remedies obtained from these sources could hardly fail to reflect periodicity to a marked degree. In the animal kingdom it is not so easy to trace the influence of the astrological cycles; yet we find this reflected in the provings.
The most elaborate presentation of astrological influence is by Dr. M. Duz, a Hahnemannian physician and astrologer, in his Astrological Medicine and Therapeutics. You may find the reference to this work on page 771 of the October 1931 Recorder.
Thus we see how intimately the homoeopathic materia medica is related to the fundamental science of mathematics, which is the mother of all sciences. Therapeutics, the homoeopathic therapeutics, is an art; but the artistry has as a basis the science which is founded on mathematics.
DERBY, CONN.
DISCUSSION.
DR. IRVING LORD FARR: The doctor has given us a most excellent as well as a very unique paper. I have gotten much knowledge out of this paper relative to the use of the repertory, especially along the line of values, and since both repertories are based upon the plan of a valuation for each remedy, from one to five in Boenninghausen and from one to three in Kent, it strikes me that the doctors plan of adding valuations is one of the most unique things one can follow in distinguishing between a series of remedies.
I was very much interested in what the doctor said relative to astrology. Since Evangeline Adams went on the air to promulgate astrology, I am finding that the laity come to us and ask us about astrology: Does it mean anything or does it have any weight, etc.? The doctor has shown in his paper that the old masters certainly placed some value on astrology and worked it into the repertories and I think we homoeopathic physicians might heed this. I think there is value in it.
DR. C. M. BOGER: I wish to say something about these moon phases. As you remember, I published a paper, a couple of years ago, of observations along that line, and since then the observations have increased to over 1,500. I keep a record of tabulation of strongly marked results from remedies, when these results took place, when the remedy was given, and exactly at what phase of the moon it occurred.
This dose away with all kinds of theories and is based on the fact that these things happen just that way. There have been some very surprising things developed from that paper. The first table which was published showed that of all the remedies having aggravation at full moon, Phosphorus was by far in the lead. Continued observations, almost doubling the number of former observations, show that Phosphorus still maintains the same proportionate lead, not only in my own prescribing but in the prescribing of some others who are helping me fill up this table.
It is a strange thing that the time of the greatest aggravation of Arsenic just precedes the Phosphorus aggravation on the increase of the moon, and has about the same relative strength as Phosphorus does at the full moon.
In making this study I am trying to build upon a substantial foundation. It is a great deal too long to go into extemporaneously, especially as I do not have the exact figures in my hands at this minute, but I have noticed another thing, which is that often the very first observation in these remedies serves as a guide and maintains its lead through all the succeeding observations.
