One publication should present-
The Journals of the provers, their records of symptoms, as daily submitted to, and revised by, the skilled observers; together with a statement of the age, temperament, etc., of each prover. And before the record of the drug symptoms, should be given a record of symptoms noted in the case of each prover for five days before the commencement of the drug-proving, and while under the influence of certain doses of a non-medical substance.
Another publication should present-
A Digest of all the symptoms in the daily records except such as occured during the non-medicinal proving, or, again (the same) during the medicinal proving in the same person, and all such as occurred in the records of but one prover.
The symptoms appearing should be arranged according to the topographical chart in use by all the provers, and in the order of their occurrence, each one having a numeral attached, like the powers in algebra, to denote in the records of how many provers it had appeared.
And still another publication is required as an index to symptoms:
A Repertory, presenting together, under regional and qualitative headings, the several agents yielding pertinent symptoms.
And yet a fourth form of publication is required:
A Nosological Index, presenting together, under nosological headings, indicative of various affections, the several agents found to produce their characteristic symptoms.
These publications furnish an intelligible view of a reliable materia medica, such as required under the Homoeopathic law in the practice of special therapeutics. PATHOGENETIC POSOLOGY.
Before leaving the subject of materia medica, I must mention the leading principles relating to the size of dose in drug-proving.
1. In experimenting upon the healthy human body, so much of the medicinal matter must be capable of influencing and changing the action of some tissue.
2. No change of tissue action occurs without a previous change of tissue condition.
3. The kind or quality of change in tissue condition and action is governed by the quality of pathogenetic force employed.
4. The degree or extent of change in tissue condition and action is proportioned to the amount of medicinal force employed.
5. The potential medicinal force of a given drugmass is in proportion to the number of medicinal atoms is contains.
6. The actual medicinal force of the same is in proportion to the number of medicinal atoms made superficial, or free, for contact or absorption. And, looking a little further, we recognize some other principles of importance.
1. In experimenting upon the healthy human organism, so little of the medical matter must be used as will act medicinally, and not mechanically, chemically or toxically.
2. All drug matters changing the condition of living animal tissues by virtue of their bulk, weight or form, do so under the laws of Mechanics.
3. All drug matters affecting those tissues by virtue of certain decomposing or combining molecular forces, do so under the laws of Chemistry.
4. All drug matters affecting tissues in the lower animals, nearly related anatomically to man, so as to induce death or functional incapacity, do so under the laws of Toxicology; and information thus elicited, though comparative, is often of value in the extension and confirmation of drug pathogenesy in man.
It is well known that, often, the same substance, under different tests or circumstances, displays different forces or properties.
Iron, for example, is at once a mechanical, a chemical, a toxical and a medicinal agent. It is the province of experimental inquiry to determine when, and how, the one kind of force may be developed and employed to the exclusion of the others.
To tell where pathogenetic or medicinal action ends, and toxical, or chemical, or mechanical begins, in the case of a single substance, requires much experimental research and care.
Every philosopher, as well as every earnest doer in life, dealing with forces, whatever his views of their theoretical origin, or unity, or correlation, must practically recognize each in its own field, study it in its own phenomena, and employ it in obedience to its own laws.
THERAPEUTIC POSOLOGY.
Advancing a step, we find some principles relating to the size of dose in therapeutics.
1. In the employment of medicinal matter, under the Homoeopathic law, much smaller doses must be used then in experimentation on the healthy.
2. A medicinal force, similar in nature to the morbific, in a given case, acting upon tissues of impaired powers of resistance, may be operative, when incapable of influencing them at all, in a state of health.
3. A severe, even fatal aggravation of disease may occur, when the medicinal agent employed is such, and used in such quality, as to induce a similar affection in the healthy organism.
4. Idiosyncrasies may exist, in the sick, increasing the sensitiveness of tissues to medical medicinal influence tenfold.
Considering the increased susceptibility to the homoeopathic remedy, and the possibility of an unknown idiosyncrasy in the patient, it becomes the therapeutist to see that, the medicinal forces he employs are well developed, and brought under ready control, so that they may be efficient in the generality of cases, and safe in all.
There are yet many principles in the domain of Special Therapeutics, of scientific and practical importance, which the space allotted to the present writing will not permit me to notice. Many of them are shadowed forth in what I have already presented.
It is my propose, at a day not far distant, to expand and fill up these outlines, so as to explain and enforce the system here presented.
CONCLUSION.
It is natural for the question to arise in the mind of one reading the outlines of the broad therapeutic system, which I have sketched-What is the practical teaching or end of it all?
I will answer:- The therapeutist is taught that, in the care of human health, he is to consider all the possible causes, as well as the actual phenomena or symptoms of the affection, in each case presented; and then all the methods and means, suggested by the probable causes and discernible symptoms of the affection, to be removed.
The consideration of such causes and symptoms will lead him to determine:-
I. If the affection be within the domain of General Therapeutics, or of Special?
II. If in the domain of General Therapeutics, in which of its departments?
1. If in the Hygienic department, in which of its divisions- that relating to the air breathed; the food eaten; the fluids drank; the clothing worn; the dwelling occupied; business followed; the habits formed; or the district inhabited?
2. If in the Chemical department, in which division-that relating to elements requisite, or to agents hurtful; elements wanting, or elements in excess; agents calling for antidotes, or agents requiring disinfectants?
3. If in the Mechanical department, in which division-that relating to locomotion; to massage; to gymnastics; or to surgery?
4. If in the Antiparasitic department, in which division- that relating to animal or to vegetable parasites; to the epizoa, or the entozoa; to the fungi, external, or internal?
If the affection is found to belong properly to one of these departments or divisions the curative means employed must be governed by the principles of such department or division.
Pathogenetic or medicinal forces, addressed to the organism of the patient, to induce a new pathological condition that small prove curative, are not to be employed. They are not called for, and the therapeutist discharges his whole duty without them.
III. Again, if the causes and symptoms of the affection presented lead to the conclusion that it does not come entirely within the domain of General Therapeutics, that something more is required than its measures may accomplish, the therapeutist must determine-
1. If the case be one in which there is a sufficient reactive and recuperative power to which pathogenetic forces may be addressed.
If it be such, curative means must be sought in the department of Special Therapeutics, under the Homoeopathic law and its subordinates.
2. If the case is one in which there is no such reactive power remaining, or in which that power is permanently impaired by disorganization of tissues, or temporarily held in check by causes which time alone can remove,then palliative means may be employed under the Antipathic law of Special Therapeutics, for temporary or partial relief.
In fine, the teachings and end of the system submitted is that, no therapeutist can be true to science, and therefore faithful to his clients, who employs the means of one division or department of Therapeutics, when the case in hand calls only for those of another; or, who makes use of pathogenetic agents, when the agencies of physiology alone would be sufficient.
A proper understanding of the great therapeutic field, as mapped by these outlines, will clearly indicate to the practitioner when he is within the pale of one principle, or another, or of none at all; and may serve to keep him from vexatious questions, upon which societies of medical men are “rent and torn,” and from the performance of some hurtful and many useless acts, in behalf of the sick.
