Furthermore, these medicines used must be tested according to scientific principles: they must produce practically the same symptoms in all provers; they must be tested singly, on well human beings, on both sexes; and when administered, they must be fitted to the individual case.
NORTHAMPTON, MASS.
DISCUSSION.
DR. A. PULFORD: Dr. Stevens has selected a real title. The only thing that bothers me is the fact that while we all seem to know that homoeopathy is truly scientific, we seem to be at loggerheads as to just what nature.
The fact of the matter is that homoeopathy is founded on natural law. The provings are brought about by that same natural law. The sequence is that each remedy has a very limited pathogenesis, direct, and it is that direct pathogenesis that gives us the benefit of realizing and knowing that Homoeopathy is scientific.
How many cases would you cure with Aconite whose onset was slow, who was quiet, didnt want to be disturbed? None. Your direct pathogenesis fixed, and that pathogenesis would indicate Aconite in any disease that is curable where Aconite is indicated.
DR. GRIMMER: There is nothing to criticize in this paper. We all agree with it; and the object is to encourage us to go on with the work after those general lines of procedure.
DR. GRIMMER: There is nothing to criticize in this paper. We all agree with it; and the object is to encourage us to go on with the work after those general lines of procedure.
It is satisfying for us to know that we are working along the lines of natural law, along the lines of eternal truth, because we know then we cant go wrong. There are so many confirmations from the myriads of prescribers that have gone before and that are with us that it seems almost unnecessary to make the statement any more. Nevertheless, we are all happy at every confirmation, no matter how many cures we make. According to this fixed law, we still get the same thrill and kick out of everyone that comes when we make a good bulls eye prescription.
DR. FARRINGTON: The remarks from Dr. Pulford bring to mind the question which I think is important, and especially to the beginner, or the student in college.
What is in my mind is aptly illustrated by Aconite. Dr. Pulford rightly says that Aconite is especially indicated when there is anxiety and restlessness, but Aconite is also useful in chronic cases where apparently there is no particular restlessness and perhaps little fear or anxiety. We have to take this into consideration in prescribing. The lecturer or the teacher gives his student a full, well developed picture of the drug, and he has to include all of these things. He has to say that Aconite comes on like a storm, that Belladonna starts suddenly and all its symptoms are sudden and that its action is rapid.
Nevertheless, we may find cases where there is little of this, and only a few particular symptoms which lead us to the remedy. We all know that Aconite would cure an unnameable fear, perhaps in pregnant women. Sometimes the fear takes the form of crossing the street, although there wouldnt be a vehicle within half a block. Of course, in that there is the element of Aconite, because of the fear.
I have seen Belladonna in many cases act wonderfully when there was no fear, and not the bounding pulse and the intense throbbing that we usually associate with that drug.
Not long ago I had a case of a woman of fifty-two who suffered a stroke of apoplexy and the right side was affected. Several remedies helped her, but finally they developed a group of symptoms like this: she had a headache that was throbbing and she had pains in the affected side. She had a slight temperature; it ran up to about 100. Almost all of these symptoms were along toward three oclock in the afternoon. There is nothing very distinctive in that, but I gave her Belladonna and it had a very unusual effect in clearing up her symptoms and helping her in a general way, and she has been improving ever since.
The deciding feature was that she had to keep the room dark and was sensitive to noise; light and noise aggravated the headache.
I just mention this to show that we must not overlook the fact that a typical case such as is given in our lectures and such as we see in our textbooks is not always found, and the symptoms there put down are not always found in the patient.
DR. A. PULFORD: I think Dr. Kent expressed the whole thing under Digitalis when he said, “I dont care how rapid the pulse is now, what was it in the beginning?” It is in the beginning where you have to start from, not in the middle.
DR. MILLER: We all need to know more about the scientific aspect of homoeopathy. However, I arose mainly to ask a question with reference to patients that I sometimes get, chronic cases, for instance, who are users of tobacco and coffee. In the case of the users of coffee, I get hold of the canister, as all of you probably do, and with those who are constant users of tobacco, especially those who chew or those who smoke constantly, I have some difficulty in limiting them or getting them to agree to refrain from tobacco.
I sometimes think my results are not as satisfactory as they would be if I could lead them to abstain from some of these habits that they have. In some cases I succeed in getting them to give up tobacco or coffee or some food that has been suggestive. In other cases I do not get them to agree to that. What course should I pursue to get them to follow instructions?.
DR. STEVENS: In the first place, I can claim nothing for the paper, it was simply giving our foundation as we have it in the Organon and that which we must hold.
Dr. Pulfords suggestion regarding the pathogenesis is tremendously good, but we very often find that we cant get the absolute, the most marked symptoms for any remedy; we have to make a very careful study before we can individualize the case.
As regards Dr. Millers question about coffee and tobacco, it is a very serious thing. Often I feel that both tobacco and coffee interfere with the remedy as we want to prescribe it, but sometimes we have to do just the best we can, and I think that the potentized remedy not infrequently can override and crude drug, whatever it is. Sometimes even a patient will be under somebody elses care and it having digitalis in crude form; and a potentized remedy will help tremendously, I believe, even though the patient is having tobacco or coffee.
