Question: Many parents are literally shocked by grief when their sons leave home to enter military training. WHAT ABOUT THE HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDY AS A PROPHYLAXIS AGAINST SUCH SHOCK?.
Answer: Unless the physician is familiar with type of constitution and knows the patients chronic remedy. It is generally impossible to forecast the direction or pattern the symptoms will follow after a severe emotional shock. But even if the remedy were known with certainty in advance it will act better and hold longer if given after the shock is received.
The same rule holds in the case of the traumatic remedies. Dont give a fellow Ledum and then punch him in the eye. Punch him first and then give him Ledum. Similarly Rhus tox. will act more favourably following rather than preceding a severe sprain or strain.
Neither do we approve of “homoeopathic vaccination” in the sense of giving Thuja, Malandrinum or Variolinum as a prophylaxis against small-pox, when all the prophylaxis anyone needs is good sanitary surroundings and the liberal use of soap and water. We do, however, approve the prescription of Thuja or whatever remedy may be indicated after ordinary vaccination in order to overcome untoward effects of the vaccine poison.
Question: WHAT REMEDIES DO YOU FIND MOST FREQUENTLY INDICATED FOLLOWING WHAT MIGHT BE TERMED “GRIEF SHOCK”?.
Answer: In our experience three remedies are outstanding. These are Ignatia, Natrum mur. and Phosphoric acid. Kents Repertory, 4th ed., p. 51, lists thirty remedies and of these Aurum, Causticum, Cocculus, Ignatia, Lachesis, Natrum mur., Phosphoric acid and Staphisagria are all in bold face type. Nor does this list of thirty drugs really cover the entire field. Other remedies in the Natrum group are often indicated following grief. Kali carb. is also often indicated in these cases.
Question: DO YOU THINK IT POSSIBLE THAT GRIEF OR OTHER SEVERE EMOTIONAL SHOCK COULD BE THE SOLE CAUSE OF A PATHOLOGIC CONDITION IN CERTAIN CASES?.
Answer: Apparently so, although this is probably taking too superficial a view of the problem. The probabilities are that some prior disorder as yet unobserved by the patient or his family has conditioned him, or in World War II parlance has softened him so the emotional shock would be absorbed rather than thrown off by the constitution.
Eugene passed away at his country home on Spring Hill, Tuscarora Township, Bradford County, PA. He had been in ill health for several months. His wife, the former Caroline Davis, whom he had married in Philadelphia in 1910, had passed away in 1961. They spent most of their marriage lives in Swarthmore, PA.
Dr. Underhill was a member of the United Lodge of Theosophy, a member of the Philadelphia County Medical Society, and the Pennsylvania Medical Society. He was also the editor of the Homœopathic Recorder.