AROUND THE CLOCK.
In golf, tennis or boxing, timing is most important. What about time in the use of remedies? Why in the world symptoms at certain hours, day or night, call for certain remedies is beyond me. for the answer you must inquire higher up. We homoeopaths have come to take this as a matter of course. The WHY is too much for our small brains.
A recent case, for six years greatly disturbed by a burning throat, brings up remedy timing. Through all these years, she was, every morning at three, awakened and plagued by this burning throat. Other symptoms were frequent colds and sore throats throughout her life. She is now aged sixty-five. She often has watery nasal discharge, never thick; severe burning over frontal sinuses extending to throat.
With burning pain, we are always reminded of Arsenicum; with stitching pain, Kali carb. Tightness over glabella at night. Pain in forehead above nose comes and goes suddenly. Pain in throat on swallowing. In the beginning of this burning throat, her outstanding complaint was that there had been swelling of the upper eyelids, which, added to the strange, rare, peculiar and persistent 3 A.M. timing called for, as you all guess, Kali carb. Cedron comes in strong with its 3 A.M. timing and its exact periodicity and may be needed later.
Going through the other symptoms shows little of Kali carb., but this remedy in the 2c (the proof of the pudding), gave relief all along the line and a very satisfied new patient. In a month the 1M was needed.
How about a brief review of the outstanding time-behavior of our remedies? For instance, who could miss Lycopodium, that great polychrest, with a 4 P.M. or a 4 8 P.M. aggravation; or Arsenicum after midnight, along about 1 A.M.? Arsenicum holds on past 2 and up to 3 A.M., when it runs into the Kali carb. territory; or our common table salt, which, potentized, is a miracle drug, demonstrating at 10 or 11 A.M. We almost passed by disturbances at 2 A.M., calling for the great catarrhal remedy. Kali bich.
Three A.M. also shows Cedron, Nux vom., Rhus tox., Selenium, Sulphur and Thuja. At 3 to 4 A.M., Kali carb. and Nux Alumina, Causticum, Cedron, conium, Ignatia, Lycopodium, Nux vom., Podophyllum, Pulsatilla and Sulphur, with Cedron and Nux vom. out in front. Four to 5 A.M. has, above all, Nux vom. with sulphur second.
At 5 A.M., our Kali carb. comes in strongly again with China and Natrum mur. bobbing up.
Six oclock a.m. brings out abdominal Veratrum alb. with its excessive evacuations up and down, collapse and coldness, a picture to keep in mind. alumina, Arnica, Ferrum and Hepar show up here and, of course, Nux vom. with its morning hangover from dissipation. Hepar continues strong at 7.
Eight A.M. has Eupatorium perf., old fashioned bone-set, with its malaria, violent, aching, bone-breaking pains and it continues to 9, which it shares with Verbascum and Verbascum goes through from 8 to 9 A.M. to 4 P.M.
At 10 A.M., we always, as has been said, think of Natrum mur., but Arsenicum, Eupatorium perf., Gelsemium, Phosphorus, Rhus tox., and Stannum also choose this hour. Ten to 11 A.M. is more of Natrum mur.
Sulphur is suddenly hungry and weak at 11 A.M., which time holds also Cactus, Chininum sulph., Gelsemium, Lachesis, Natrum mur., Nux vom., Rhus tox., Sepia and Stannum.
Noon has Argentum, Eupatorium perf., Nux vom., Silicea and Sulphur.
Then at 1 P.M., Arsenicum again comes up with Lachesis and Pulsatilla. Arsenicum is aggravated at 1 to 2 P.M., as well as at 1 to 2 A.M., while at 2 P.M., Arsenicum continues with Eupatorium perf., Lachesis and Pulsatilla.
Three P.M. has Antimonium tart., Apocyanum, Arsenicum, Chininum sulph., Staphysagria, and Thuja, but above all Belladonna.
Four oclock P.M., as everyone knows, and 4 to 8 P.M., as has been mentioned, belong to Lycopodium, whose 2c potency has harassed many by its severe aggravations and even, we are told, has caused some to abandon homoeopathy. Begin its use with the 30th; Royal E.S. Hayes, M.D., emphasized the usefulness of this potency. Thuja holds the 5 P.M. spot.
Around sundown Lycopodium, surely, but the great remedy Pulsatilla dominates the evening.
Sulphur has 8 P.M. about as markedly as 11 A.M. Night has many remedies but Mercurius, as every homoeopathy is aware, dominates, along with Syphilinum, suggesting Mercurius chief field of action.
Bryonia comes through for 9 P.M. and Chininum sulph. at 10 P.M., while 11 P.M. has Cactus above all.
And so we have progressed around the clock very briefly but hoping that this thumbnail sketch may be useful to someone.
American Homeopathy Doctor.
Rabe graduated from the New York Homeopathic Medical College and trained under Timothy Field Allen and William Tod Helmuth.
Rabe was President of the International Hahnemannian Association, editor in chief of the Homeopathic Recorder, and he wrote Medical Therapeutics for daily reference. Rabe was Dean and Professor of Homeopathic Therapeutics at the New York Homeopathic Medical College.