In March, 1950, he was again brought to the out-patients department. His mother stated “Alan is still making steady progress, the most important being his great interest in figures and writing. We feel sure that with proper training he will soon be able to read and write properly. He can now get about on buses by himself. Speech has not improved much.” “The neuro- psychiatrist who had examined Alan when eight years of age re- examined him two months ago. He revised his own previous decision that the boy was uneducable. The County Council have agreed to pay for this boys education at Camphill, Aberdeenshire”.
In childhood ill health may date from an acute infection such as pneumonia, from vaccination or immunization against diphtheria. There seems to be more cases of ill health after immunization than after vaccination at present. In addition to the accurate selection of a drug from the totality of symptoms we may use the appropriate nosode, such as Pneumococcin, Morbillinum, Parotidinum or Diphtherinum, when the apparently indicated remedy fails. Sometimes the effect is magical, at other times little or no effect is obtained.
The reason for this is not clear. When Dr. Tyler began using these nosodes extensively she did so mainly on patients who had received the benefit of her own expert prescribing, and the results were often dramatic. It may be that these nosodes have a very limited sphere of action, or it may be that the nosode and patient are in different electro-physical groups. Whatever the reason for failure in some cases these nosodes are too valuable to discard on any theoretical grounds. The nosodes of acute infections are specially valuable when there is a history of severe or prolonged acute illness, and when this occurred in the first or second year of life.
A boy of 8 suffered from enuresis all his life. He had been helped greatly by Lycopodium 200 and later, Lycopodium 10m, but was not quite cured after treatment for ten months. At the age of two he had had diphtheria very badly, being ill for eight months. Diphtherinum 200 was given in January, 1949. He was discharged from the out-patients department as cured in August, 1949.
Drugs cause effects in sensitive patients in incredibly small doses as we are all aware. Anyone is liable to be affected by sufficiently large doses or when administration is prolonged. Apart from the absorption of drugs during gestation or labour, or from the mothers milk, the child may be subjected to drugging by mouth, or parenterally, or by absorption of medicaments applied to the skin.
The prolonged treatment of infantile eczema permits of poisoning in this way. To what extent is “suppression” the effects of drug absorption? If a harmless substance such as Calendula is used in ointments or lotions there is general agreement that there are no bad after-effects.
In cases where drug sensitivity or poisoning is suspected the same drug in potency may antidote the effects of its crude counterpart. Not only is there clinical evidence of this but experiments on fruit flies have demonstrated that Arsenic in potency can antidote the after-effects of arsenical poisoning. [10].
Through the works of Bach, Wheeler and Paterson, a new approach to remedy selection has opened up. There is a mass of experimental evidence to show that the intestinal flora is related to the health of an individual and that the bowel flora can be altered by potentized drugs. From stool analysis of non- lactose fermenting organisms guidance in selection of the remedy may be obtained.
From a study of the symptomatology associated with specific states of the intestinal flora drug pictures have been evolved. The bowel nosodes are specially valuable in childhood. Morgan co., and Morgan pure (Paterson) are the “skin nosodes” and are often required in infantile eczema. Dysentery co., has a specific action on the pylorus, and has a clinical record in pyloro-spasm and in congenital pyloric stenosis.
The association of remedies with pathological states is helpful in prescribing in childhood as in other fields of medicine. The use of Arnica for the infant (and the mother) after difficult labour, Alumina for constipation in breast-fed infants and Chamomilla in painful dentition are well-known examples.
For over forty years Lathyrus sativa has been widely used as an effective prophylactic in infantile paralysis. Dr. Taylor Smith has confirmed its value in a recent epidemic. Diphtherinum 200 has proved a successful safeguard against diphtheria in an epidemic or when given to contacts. Dr. Paterson has demonstrated that Diphtherinum in potency can alter the Schick reaction from negative to positive. The association of various remedies with the acute infections of childhood is well-known. Dr. Burnetts “specific” for mumps was Pilocarpine muriate (3X). Either the salt or Pilocarpine itself in 30th potency seems to have an almost specific effect in mumps. There is one skin condition of childhood which is definitely associated with a remedy. Impetigo contagiosa and Antimony. Dr. Tylers “specific” was Ant. tart.
Pneumonia, which strikes hardest at the extremes of life, is admirably studied from the viewpoint of associated remedies by Dr. Borland. His published lectures entitled Pneumonias is an invaluable guide. Dr. Borlands Childrens Types is also a worthy contribution to homoeopathic literature and is of great practical value in prescribing in chronic conditions.
Finally, there is one abnormal type of child — the Mongol — which tends to drift to the out-patients department. Nothing can, of course, be done to alter the Mongols characteristics, but almost invariably these children are helped physically and mentally by Medorrhinum.
He was the Dean of Faculty of Homeopathy London. D. M. Foubister was Assistant Physician, Diseases of Children, to the Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital. Circa 1950’s. He authored the following works:
The Carcinosin Drug Pictures.
Constitutional Effects of Anaesthesia.
Homeopathy and Pediatrics.
Lac caninum.
Paediatrics
Significance of Past History in Homoeopathy.
Therapeutic Hints For Students.
Tutorials On Homeopathy.