I read this case before the Chicago Homoeopathic Medical Society. There was no discussion except one fellow from downstate got up and said, “I dont see why Farrington gave this man Natrum mur. Natrum mur. is not indicated for tuberculosis”.
That brings up the subject of favorite remedies and those that are prescribed on pathology. Silicea is good for mastoid. Silicea is good for pus. Pulsatilla is good for the same thing but also very good for measles. It has spoiled many a case and hindered its recovery because it was given when it was not indicated.
DR. REED: Remember, I did not give Natrum mur. for the tuberculosis; I gave Natrum mur. on the basis of the pathology.
DR. FARRINGTON: You did right; you were perfectly justified. If you want to take pathology into consideration, you had to overcome suppressed malaria by Natrum mur., might have brought it our perhaps to the benefit or maybe to the detriment of the patient because she did have a very serious case.
Many years ago, long before the “flu,” I was called to see a young Italian boy who had been ill with tuberculosis for sometime. When I got there, here lay a young fellow of eighteen, skin and bones, sunken cheeks, hectic flush on the cheeks; night sweats, cough, rales, all through the chest; dullness in various places, and bronchophony.
I dont remember what I gave him but I made, as far as I remember, only the one visit. About fifteen or eighteen years afterwards, during the “flu,” I went to see a woman ill with that disease, in one of the poor districts, and especially one of those with people of foreign extraction. You know how it is. Friends come in and sit around and talk. As I stood there looking at the patient, there was a heavy set fellow way over in the corner who called out, “Hey, Doc, dont you know me?”.
I said, “No, I dont know you”.
“My name Tony Rall. You cured me in the lungs”.
That was this same guy!.
DR. F. K. BELLOKOSSY [Denver, Colo.]: It is a mistake to think that the cure of a disease would cause another disease. The cure of your malaria case could not have caused any tuberculosis or aggravated it. The cure of malaria was a good and correct thing. But it is quite possible that that lady, after her malaria was cured, started to eat well again and she ate wrong, and that is what aggravated her tuberculosis, and she needed another dose of Natrum mur., either a lower potency or higher potency. You probably would have cured her with a lower potency or higher potency of Natrum mur., had you given a more correct diet.
DR. GRIMMER: This is very interesting. I believe Dr. Reed did the right thing. If the case occurred again I would do a little different, from his experience, in one way; but I believe he handled the case in a strictly homoeopathic way, and he waited in accordance to the rules. But I believe he was unfortunate enough to get a case that was just simply too far gone to be cured.
We have no recognize that we do get incurable cases, and plenty of them. When we are dealing with late tuberculosis and malignancies, we cant expect too much. About the best we can hope for is a painless or nearly painless death, and I think, perhaps, the Doctor accomplished that thing for this poor patient.
There is just one more thing in the light of what he has told me. I would have given another remedy after the Natrum mur. From recent studies and investigations, I would have followed Natrum mur., when I found she was going down, in spite of the fact that the malaria was better, I would have given her a dose of Malaria officinalis.
DR. WEAVER [closing]: I am very grateful for all the kind remarks you have all made and hope that I will mend my ways and not repeat.
