Even yet, the time-worn almanac governs human actions. While I was an intern, I came in contact with an intelligent patient who was successful gardener and flower grower. He confessed, or rather related, the fact that he did not put one single seed into the ground without the specific instructions from some reputable or venerable almanac. He never regretted it, for where other corn remained nubbins, his was excessively large; where there were pickles in some gardens he had cucumbers at the same harvest time.
Then there are still farmers who predict weather from the camphor bottle, believing, from many observations, that when the contents become cloudy there is stormy weather ahead and during unsettled weather, if the bottle starts to clear, we are all set for some clearer days.
No doubt each of you can expound upon other observations, reliable or no, regarding astrological, al-maniacal or old- fashioned “signs.” Using the two foregone illustrations as an introduction, progression will continue along a totally different line.
Ring around the moon-as many grandmothers used to say-a ring around the moon means storm. The ring made in a haze subtracts from the brilliance of the moon. Leaving weather out of the picture, apply this saying to homoeopathic medicine and the case- taking and therapeutic sides in particular.
There are many cases that have received more than their just attention in remedy selection and yet there are no results. Just stop and think about the case and undoubtedly you will wonder or even ask yourself-why? There has been an intelligent repertorization and adequate materia medica study for the totality covered, and yet one whit of response from the patient. Many times a nosode is then used empirically, or more for something to give the patient. Even this gives not the expected results nor does it bring to the front any clear-cut remedy picture. Then what?.
A close scrutiny of the history will often reveal an unimportant statement that “as a child I had poison ivy,” or “since Ive had my teeth filled,” or “since I have been wearing these false teeth”.
There you have the fourth miasm to add to Hahnemanns original three-the drug miasm. Many times a high potency, 50M. or CM., will unlock the picture or blow the ring away from around the moon and allow the clear-cut constitution to show itself. Rhus tox., silver amalgam or vulcanite, the constituent of many false teeth, may often save the patient for homoeopathy by their antidotal properties in the potencies.
There are so many insidious conditions that they make many a case like the mote and the beam-we see the mote but the beam is too evident and if seen, too heavy or too much bother to move.
This is not detracting in any way from the great and unsurpassable knowledge handed down from Hahnemanns time. It is merely stating an observation and expressing perhaps what Hahnemann himself postulated in another way. Hahnemann said that to cure a case, all causes must be removed where possible. I call this the drug miasm.
DERBY, CONN.
Address Pacific Coast Homoeopathic Bulletin, 119 North Central., Glendale 3, California.
