APHORISM 27. When an empyema or ascites are treated by knife or cautery, if the fluid be totally removed in one sitting, the result is fatal.
COMMENT: Experience has often verified this aphorism, and one is surprised that so many old school physicians neglect to pay attention to this warning of their patriarch.
If an internal suppuration is present, it must, of course, be drained. But that does not cure the condition of which pus formation is only a symptom, and its emptying leaves an enfeebled condition which favors the further spread of the real sickness totality. Just as little can the mechanical drainage of water be considered a real cure of dropsy, but only a doubtful palliative for a short time, followed usually by exhaustion. Homoeopathy employs such means seldom and only in dire necessity, and shuns excess for fear of inducing the danger mentioned, and because of the absolute conviction that only the well selected homoeopathic remedy can bring about a real cure.
For the same reason we avoid all the other palliatives with which especially in dropsies such damage has been done, for if they cause symptomatically increased flow of urine in their primary action, which is worse, they leave the real disease unaffected. These palliative medicines often used by old school physicians, which in the primary action produce increased flow of urine, but have decreased flow in the secondary action, are, according to our remedy proving in the healthy, as well in ascites as in anasarca: Antimonium crudum, Baryta, Belladonna, Chelidonium, Colocynthis, Guaiacum, Juniperus, Kali carb, Mercurius, Natrum muriaticum, Phosphoric acid, Sabina, Sambucus, Squilla, Senega and Sulphur.
Increase in urine as secondary action we find in: Colchicum, Digitalis, Helleborus and Veratrum. Allopathy does neither know nor use our grand remedies indicated here: Apis, Arsenicum, Bryonia, China, Dulcamara, Ledum, Lycopodium, Phosphorus, Pulsatilla, Rhus, Sepia and Strontium. They shun them because in the large doses they employ, the primary action is diminished urine, and only the secondary action shows their great curative power. An even greater power for the cure of dropsy they possess by being real polychrests, and through their extensive and manifold power they correspond to most of the diseases accompanying in various forms dropsical conditions, and they yield total and lasting cures in so many cases.
APHORISM 33. Patients with sour eructations seldom do get pleurisy.
COMMENT: This aphorism also belongs to those about which not much can be said because it founds only on one isolated observation, and it is difficult to show immediate connection.
But it is strange that just this sour eructation is totally absent in the remedy which has small empty or perhaps foul eructations, but never sour, more ineffectual or incomplete eructations. But this eructation is the more vigorous after Aconitum has overcome the inflammation and the rest of the sickness has been cured by Bryonia, Kali carb, or Phosphorus, which have this sour eructation in a high degree. This remark illustrates clearly that the pathological symptoms of our present remedy proving on the healthy correspond to the experiences which Hippocrates collected 2000 years ago. While such symptom combinations, as we admit, do not serve to prove the inner truth of homoeopathy, which is based on much more solid ground, yet they show a remarkable corroboration to our theoretic opponents.
APHORISM 34. Bald people are not subject to large varicose veins, but if they get them, their hair will grow again.
COMMENT: From the days of Galenus till now this aphorism has been doubted, but the second proposition suggests that Hippocrates speaks from real experience. Though we do not consider his explanations of much weight, yet we value his veracity and sharp observations.
For us homoeopathists this aphorism has a special interest when we realize that both troubles are found in the symptomatology of many of our remedies, but that one or the other is especially prominent like: Ambra, Graphites, Lycopodium, Natrum muriaticum, Silica, Sulphur and Zincum. But is it in the power of any physician to produce varices in order to cure bald headedness?.
APHORISM 35. Cough in dropsical patients is a bad symptom.
COMMENT: This unfavorable symptom is caused when the dropsy also affects the chest, which certainly increases the danger. If a quick selection of a suitable remedy (Ammonium carbonicum, Apis, Arsenicum, Colchicum, Helleborus and Nitric acid) does not influence the general condition favorably, then the patient usually is hopelessly lost.
APHORISM 37. It is beneficial when a swelling on the external throat occurs in cases of angina, for then the sickness gets into the open.
COMMENT: According to Valesius and Foesius, Hippocrates here refers to any kind of internal throat disease with difficult breathing.
Those are not only the simple anginas, but also the angina gangrenosa, Whether or not the lately (allegedly from America) imported murderous throat disease, which has been named “angina diphtheria,” is here included, we do not know, because it has not yet been fully reported. But from what little we have learned about it, Phosphorus suggests itself for the height of the disease on account of the apathetic, somnolent, associated symptoms, and especially on account of the red, velvet-like spots found under the white coverings when these latter are removed. In the first stage Apis is reported to have brought quick aid. the angina membranacea and the angina parotides (mumps); only the angina pectoris must be excepted. Of these the first two are the most dangerous, and it seems that Hippocrates has meant these especially, since in mumps the swelling is present from the start.
As to the homoeopathic treatment of the true angina membranacea, it belongs undoubtedly to those where the result is fully satisfactory if the physician, patient and environment will do their share. The physician must give the remedy in such high potency that the curative action can quickly develop, and no second dose should be given till improvement stops.
These remedies are well known from Hahnemann to every homoeopathic physician, and the reason why I do not mention them here is to prevent that insufficiently instructed persons might administer them wrongly and in low potency, as is now done by many; then they will not give the sure results of the correct remedy in highest potency, and we do not wish to endanger the lives of the children in such a critical period. Only this much we will add, that through timely and correct employment of those remedies, all the others also recommended (Antimonium tartaricum, Apis, Bromium, Bryonia, Chamomilla, Cuprum, Drosera, Iodum, Ipecacuanha, Lachesis, Phosphorus, Sambucus and Senega) never are suitable in the beginning, but may be indicated in some neglected cases.
APHORISM 38. It is better not to treat hidden cancers; such patients die sooner when treated, but live longer untreated.
COMMENT: If we may suppose that Hippocrates refers to scirrhous carcinoma and by treating meant cutting or burning, then we must admit he was right, and that homoeopathy is absolutely on his side. At the same time it must be conceded that a real cure of mammary cancer, especially in the open stage, is extremely difficult and success is not always obtained.
Apis, Belladonna, Bryonia, Carbo animalis, Chamomilla, Clematis, Conium, Graphites, Pulsatilla, Rhus, Sabina, Silica or Sulphur, properly selected, will cure most scirrhous conditions. But in open cancers these remedies must be consulted: Apis, Arsenicum, Belladonna, Chamomilla, Conium, Hepar, Kreosotum, Lachesis, Phosphorus, Phosphoric acid, Rhus, Silica, Sulphur or Thuja. Yet all cancer cases demand the most painstaking and circumspect attention of the physician with scrupulous observation of the directions on the part of the patient.
It must not be supposed that these remedy lists are complete, for here, as always, the genius of the remedy must correspond completely to that of the symptom totality, expressed through the characteristic symptoms. We have, e.g., cured a mammary scirrhous in a lady of 37 (sister- in-law of a very prominent old school physician, and her sister died from the same condition under allopathic treatment; the early symptoms were the same in both sisters) in six weeks with three doses of Sepia 200 (on account of vomiting one dose of Pulsatilla was interposed). To this day, after seven years, the lady is still in the best of health. None of the above named remedies was indicated.
Here is the reason for most unsuccessful homoeopathic treatments: that especially the neophytes (converted allopathic physicians) slavishly cling to the published cures by certain remedies for certain disease forms, instead of studying the remedy provings according to our homoeopathic tenets.
