APHORISM 51. Healthy persons suddenly attacked by pain in head, loss of speech and stertorous breathing die within seven days unless fever sets in.
COMMENT: For apoplexy homoeopathy usually prescribes Aconitum in the beginning when the pulse is hard and fast, Opium has the slow and full pulse, Lachesis presents the weak but fast pulse. Aside from these remedies we also have: Belladonna, Camphora, Cocculus, Coffea, Hyoscyamus, Ipecacuanha, Lycopodium, Pulsatilla, Sepia, Silica, Stramonium and Thuja, to be selected according to anamnestic and associated symptoms. But the true homoeopathist has no favorite remedies, neither here nor in any other condition; he always selects those remedies which correspond most to the characteristic symptoms.
In this connection we cannot abstain from reporting a cure which converted an old allopathic physician to homoeopathy. Drs. Fuisting and Lutterbeck (the latter physician in ordinary to Prince Bluecher) usually spent their Saturday evenings with us to talk about homoeopathy. On one such evening our cook suffered an apoplectic stroke. The elder allopath insisted upon doing a phlebotomy quickly, but we prevented it and gave the here indicated Aconitum, a small dose. In a short time patient regained consciousness, but was totally paralyzed on the entire left side. My assertion that this paralysis would soon be overcome if no phlebotomy were done was doubted by Dr. L. Meanwhile patient was placed in bed and received a small dose of Cocculus. At seven the next morning Dr. L. called to see the result, and was astonished when the patient answered the door bell. During the night the paralysis had disappeared, and patient was feeling as well as ever. Dr. L. became a zealous and true homoeopathist.
APHORISM 52. One must also consider what can be seen of the eye in sleep; if with closed lids a part of the white is visible it is, should diarrhoea or purging not be responsible, a bad, if not an absolutely fatal, symptom.
COMMENT: Remedies presenting this symptom are: Antimonium tart., Arnica, Belladonna, Bryonia, Capsicum, Colocynthis, Ferrum met., Helleborus, Ignatia, Ipecacuanha, Laurocerasus, Opium, Phosphoric acid, Sambucus, Stramonium, Sulphur, Thuja, Veratrum and Zincum. But of these only Belladonna, Ipecacuanha, Opium, Stramonium and Thuja correspond to apoplexy. The experienced physicians knows that this symptom is also met in other conditions, e.g., worms in children, in certain attacks of hysteria, etc., that even apparently healthy persons sleep with half open eyes.
The physician will not lay much weight on this symptom; yet, only experience teaches which symptom must be considered in selecting the indicated remedy.
APHORISM 53. Delirium with laughter is less dangerous than if patient is very serious.
COMMENT: Aside from the risus sardonicus, which hardly belongs here, we find in a number of dangerous diseases delirium and mental aberrations with laughing, which points to: Apis, Belladonna, Cuprum, Hyoscyamus, Stramonium or Veratrum, and in this symptom they are a very important indication of the one or the other of these remedies. We believe that in this aphorism Hippocrates referred to hysterical convulsions with laughing. These find their medicine according to accompanying symptoms in: Alumina, Ammonium mur., Antimonium tart., Apis, Arnica, Aurum, Belladonna, Calcarea carb., Cannabis, Carbo animalis, Cocculus, Conium, Crocus, Cuprum, Hyoscyamus, Ignatia, Lycopodium, Natrum carb., Natrum mur., Nux moschata, Phosphorus, Platina, Secale, Selenium, Silicea, Stramonium, Sulphur, Valeriana, Zincum and a few others, which latter are not often indicated. Such conditions are, however, not dangerous.
APHORISM 54. In acute affections with fever, sighing respiration is a bad sign.
COMMENT: Also this aphorism cannot be considered as generally accepted, for the sighing respiration is often found in patients who are not dangerously ill. This is easily seen by a homoeopathist when he looks at the remedies which have this symptom in their proving. Here belong: Aconitum, Antimonium crudum, Argentum nitricum, Arsenicum, Belladonna, Bryonia, Caladium, Capsicum, Chamomilla, China, Cina, Cocculus, Cuprum, Euphorbium, Graphites, Ignatia, Ipecacuanha, Kali carbonicum, Lachesis, Laurocerasus, Mercurius, Muriatic acid, Nux, Opium, Pulsatilla, Ranunculus sceleratus, Secale, Selenium, Silica, Squilla and Stramonium. Even though several of these are indicated in serious conditions, that is not case in all, and it would be incorrect to make an unfavorable prognosis for that reason. Moreover, this symptom is so unimportant that the experienced homoeopathist seldom gives it much weight.
In this connection we think we are permitted to emphasize that a complete knowledge of their proving in the healthy enables a homoeopathist to truly evaluate such single phenomenon and symptom in the sick. Some single symptoms however are important both for prognosis and remedy selection. In other instances, if not in most, this applies less to the single symptom as to its connection with others. Therefore, homoeopathy, in this regard, has the advantage here over allopathy, which in its generalizing tendency regards more the generality, and misses the indications taken from the totality.
Any unprejudiced physician will therefore consider it justified that we lay so much stress upon the peculiar actions of our remedies, which are unchangeable, and which we evaluate much higher than all pathologic and therapeutic theories which change so often, and which have not caused much progress in the cure of sickness from that of the previous century. The constantly changing treatment, e.g., of cholera, typhoid conditions, dysentery and croup, etc., and nowhere pleasing results nor certainty!.
APHORISM 57: Apoplexy occurs chiefly between the ages of forty and sixty.
COMMENT: In addition to the Aphorism 42 of Book II we have the following remedies: Antimonium crudum, Antimonium tart., Arsenicum, Aurum, Belladonna, Calcarea carb., Coffea, Ferrum met., Hyoscyamus, Ipecacuanha, Nux vom., Phosphoric acid, Pulsatilla, Rhus, Sambucus, Sepia, Stramonium, Thuja and Veratrum.
APHORISM 58. If the omentum protrudes, it must surely become gangrenous and suppurate.
COMMENT: Hippocrates here evidently refers to epiploceles, which are more difficult of reposition than intestinal herniae, and which become gangrenous more quickly than entero-epiploceles.
Homoeopathy cures all kinds of herniae like any other disease by internal use of remedies indicated by the symptom totality, and in only a few cases does taxis become necessary, made superfluous by proper recumbent position of the body. We have for this condition a large number of remedies, and it is practically impossible not to find among them the similimum for the essential symptoms of the patient.
The most frequently indicated hernia remedies are: Aconitum, Alumina, Asarum, Aurum, Belladonna, Bryonia, Calcarea carb., Capsicum, Chamomilla, Cocculus, Colocynthis, Guaiacum, Lachesis, Lycopodium, Magnesia carbonica, Nitric acid, Nux vomica, Opium, Phosphorus, Plumbum, Pulsatilla, Rhus, Sepia, Silica, Staphisagria, Sulphur, Sulphuric acid, Thuja, Veratrum, and Zincum. Of these the choice of remedy for incarcerated hernia fluctuates between: Aconitum, Alumina, Aurum, Belladonna, Calcarea carb., Capsicum, Chamomilla, Colocynthis, Lachesis, Lycopodium, Nitric acid, Nux, Opium, Plumbum, Silica, Sulphur, Sulphuric acid or Veratrum.
The decision for the one or the other depends partly on the location of the hernia, but much more on the sensations, the external appearance, and most important are the associated symptoms. A hernia is not an isolated local disease, or at least not for long, but almost always, often severely, involves the entire organism; the nature and therapeutic indications are soon clearly discernible.
It is self- evident that we do not favor operation when we are called early enough, and if gangrene and suppuration have set in we can only reluctantly consent to operative means. If however, allopathic treatment has preceded the debacle, double action is imperative, and whenever possible it is best to refuse taking the case. This last advice is especially aimed at the younger homoeopathists who have not yet an established reputation, for it is in this late stage of the disease the often unavoidable death of the patient will be laid to the physicians door and to homoeopathy.
APHORISM 60. In cases of chronic hip-joint disease with protruding head of the femur, the leg wastes and the patient becomes lame, unless the part be cauterized.
COMMENT: The recommended cauterization is also today the allopathic treatment of coxalgia, if not the alpha, at least the omega, and it cannot be denied that in this frequently seen malady, as in so many other conditions allopathic treatment leaves much to be desired.
If the case is of long duration, then even the homoeopathic cure is difficult and uncertain, when “everything had been done,” including the use of the moxa, and adhesions have formed; but it is easily accomplished and certain in the beginning, and if it has not yet been treated, neither by internal nor external means.
