AN EXTRAORDINARY PRESCRIPTION


Now then, there was another symptom which was so peculiar and striking, if not characteristic, that whenever present it would certainly demand the remedy whether the patient had the symptoms or not and I know by later even that she did not. But I thought that she ought to have it ( can even J. H. beat that ?) and prescribed the 10,000the accordingly.


While a certain Dr. J. H. is startling us with his homoeopathic handsprings and cartwheels I beg to relate an extraordinary feat of prescribing performed by this particular writer which should give me the lead in precocity, at least temporarily; one could not expect to keep up the pace, of course.

Miss H., a twin, suffered an auto accident and blow on the forehead. She was semiconscious two days, seeing everything but not comprehending or remembering anything, nor recognizing the persons about her.

Dizzy spells began a week afterward, aggravated by any turning, felt as if tipping out of bed, < bending head backward, not forward; with nausea.

Spells of anger at times, < at the menstrual turns.

Depressed spells since the accident, impelled to weep, < by sympathy. Much slowed down, slow at everything. Reticent.

Thoughts of an ailment or of anything unpleasant unduly persistent.

Sleepiness but not rested by sleep.

Dreaming of dangers, of talking about work, waking with fright and palpitation.

Aching of occiput and cervical spine > by pressure of hands.

Aversion to even looking at food in the morning; stomach faintness during the forenoon.

Fingertips numb and bluish.

Always cold, especially the feet, ankles and calves.

Was always susceptible to bites, rhus, etc.

Now then, there was another symptom which was so peculiar and striking, if not characteristic, that whenever present it would certainly demand the remedy whether the patient had the symptoms or not and I know by later even that she did not. But I thought that she ought to have it ( can even J. H. beat that ?) and prescribed the 10,000the accordingly.

Ten days later improvement was reported and a standing occupation had begun with success.

Seven months later; her boy friend tells me that she is “a ball of fire” since the treatment, so dynamic and full of ambition, carrying everything before her in a difficult position as teacher and manager.

Bibliography; Herings Guiding Symptoms, Vol. vii. p. 599, 26th- 27th line from the top.

WATERBURY, CONN.

DISCUSSION.

DR. SUGDEN: Evidently Dr. Hayes has absorbed the oft repeated adage that one enjoys most the thing one works for and is prescribing for our souls by practising it on us. But I was glad to learn something of the art of prescribing for the symptom a patient “ought to have;” and to find the remedy that would metamorphose a patient into a “ball of fire –” and was interested to remember that the remedy in its crude from is used to put out fire, also to melt ice; perhaps a trace of the latter attribute continues into the potency.

Pardon this wandering, but the truly Extraordinary Prescription speaks so loudly for itself that to try to express my admiration for its skillful artistry would seem superfluous.

DR. STEVENS: My admiration is due to the taking of his case, even if the patient did not have all the symptoms she “ought to have.”.

DR. A. PULFORD: It surely takes “an extraordinary prescription” to cover some extraordinary symptoms, especially the one referred to in Hering.

The French lady, in showing her modern home to an American lady, said proudly, “You see I have, like you American ladies, the central heat.” Wonder if she had been taking Natrum muriaticum? Furthermore, it must have been very annoying for Dr. Herings patient to have been constantly reminded that her “uterus was attached to some fellows scrotum by a string.” Dr. Hayes patient might be very thankful that that particular symptom was not present in her case.

DR. D. T. PULFORD: In watching all these unusual gymnastics of Dr. Hutchinson and Dr. Hayes I am much in the position of an onlooker in a theatre. All I can do is to applaud. The finer technique escapes the eye. Take care, gentlemen, lest you even see cases that are not there, let alone symptoms. I sincerely trust that the typographical error was not too much of the symptom the young lady, had, for her sake especially.

Dr. HUTCHINSON: An Extraordinary Prescription, by Dr. Hayes, worthy as it is, seems to me a gesture a good many paces ahead of handsprings and cart-wheels ! It is in the realm of pure genius. While gymnastics do very little for the vision per se there is no doubt that without them the vision performs many a surprise. The fact in the present case if Dr. Hayes told the whole truth is no doubt a well-rounded-out picture that no one outside of himself (Hayes) unless right on the job could even pretend to see. And yet, is it sos darned original after all ? Doesnt any and every homoeopathist after all get arrested by the extraordinary condition whether its symptoms are present or not ? Certainly yes; and then he perceives that all the others are there right under the remedy. Nothing to it.

And so, let us look upon the feat as either easy or hard, for it doesnt matter so long as the patient gets really good service. Approaches vary with human nature. Do we ever doubt the similimum as unique?.

DR. HAYES: Thanks ! No discussion. The moral state of this Council is dreadful !.

DR. A. PULFORD: Amen!.

Royal E S Hayes
Dr Royal Elmore Swift HAYES (1871-1952)
Born in Torrington, Litchfield, Connecticut, USA on 20 Oct 1871 to Royal Edmund Hayes and Harriet E Merriman. He had at least 4 sons and 1 daughter with Miriam Martha Phillips. He lived in Torrington, Litchfield, Connecticut, United States in 1880. He died on 20 July 1952, in Waterbury, New Haven, Connecticut, United States, at the age of 80, and was buried in Waterbury, New Haven, Connecticut, United States.