Have you ever noticed how rugged are the people who have really had an experience with the germ of Tuberculosis and won the fight? The same is observed in those who have had it in their family background. it is as though some lasting immunity had been bestowed upon them, and they are the better for having had such an experience.
I have noticed that a lot of the coryzas that go down into the bronchials occur in folks with tuberculous family tendencies. Phosphorus of course is the chief remedy here. It would seem that there must be a deficient Phosphorus metabolism present.
Now suppose one gives Phosphorus and nothing happens? Well, one could run in the nosode of Tuberculinum which, in many cases, I have seen work wonders. But here is another approach: consider Schussler tissue cell salts. It is as though they are able to replace a mineral deficiency and, when this is once accomplished, you will be amazed to see how well the Phosphorus will Ferrum phos., Calcarea phos., Natrum phos., Kali phos., Magnesium phos., and Silicea, such on their relative indications of course and they may be given right along with the seemingly indicated remedy. These people are too weak to react to such a deep remedy as Phosphorus. One has to start low with it and be careful. They have a low vital state for which Ferrum phos. kali phos., and Calcarea phos, are wonderful.
Finally, the thing that amazes me is that it does not always to be a chest condition. One such case had a low back pain with sciatica. Phosphorus would not touch it until I ran in a number of the Phosphate cell salts. She had all the symptoms of what I would consider a case of concealed tuberculosis. As Dr. Dorothy Sheperd once put it, they are the “tired Tims” of this world. Sallow, pale, emaciated, tired, low vitality, too weak to come up against Phosphorus. This is purely a point in clinical observation; take it for what it is worth! It works in a great many cases.
DISCUSSION.
DR. ROGER A. SCHMIDT [San Francisco, Calif.]: Mr. Chairman, tuberculosis is a vast subject, and I enjoyed the aspect that Dr. Bond presented.
I dont think that, as practitioners in office practice, we see many of the tuberculosis cases in a florid phase. This is usually more common in clinics. The advances in public health by screening those people very early rob us of seeing them because, also, they are immediately taken as contagious into particular and separate institutions where we cant handle them.
As a chronic factor of diseases, it is one of the most important, I dont think we have reached the end of the ramification of tuberculosis or what the French have called by a better term, “tuberculinism,” which is that phase in which we have all these shadows and other aspects of the chronic type or the inherited type.
In fact, in France they have done considerable work along this line and evolved a theory that tuberculinism is, in fact, another term for psora. There is some good ground there as it certainly is connected with cancer or cancerous tendency, as well as so many, many manifestation in system and organs of the body: tendency to colds, for example, chronic eruptions, before coming to the end products which are emaciation, cachexia, and so on.
The interesting part of the work, one of the fundamental characteristics of tuberculinism is demineralization, as mentioned by Dr. Bond. What is demineralization? It is a constitutional aspect of disease which is summarized more or less by the lack of calcium and other products, but calcium is the leader there, as far as the mineral involved.
It is interesting to know that the cure of tuberculosis is achieved by calcium, by calcification of the lesion itself, which is the natural process of recovery of tuberculosis, and the connection between those two things is very interesting to study.
In evaluating and examining your patients when they come to your for that particular aspect, in my experience, iridology has been valuable, as your have some iridological signs of demineralization. At one glance you can spot them right away, and by adequate questions find out, in the background, the existence of tuberculosis in the family, either direct or indirect.
This is exceedingly important because very often in those chronic cases the indicated remedy will not produce the cure that we expect until and unless we give either Bacillinum or Tuberculinum, which will open the case for a more precise indication and better response to the otherwise indicated remedy.
DR. A.H. GRIMMER [Chicago, Ill.].: Consistent with what Dr. Bond has observed and what Dr. Schmidt has so ably explained, I would like to put another little light on the subject, explaining some of the phenomena, and that is our experiments in the electromagnetic field.
Tuberculosis is, s Dr. Schmidt so ably said, undoubtedly, the real expression of psora at this time, in this day. You find in a chronic case the blood will show tuberculosis in a form, not necessarily with pathology, but I really believe it is virus, I have been looking for it for a long time, but it will come, because it is there.
This rate of vibration that is found consistently in the cases, as Dr. Schmidt has told us, is often interchangeable with that of cancer. It is often the preceding reaction before a malignancy actually settles down into the organs. After the curative remedy is given in the early malignancies, there is a reversal. The malignancy rate leaves and the tubercular rate reappears in a while, but in a modified form, and gradually recedes as the patient proceeds toward recovery.
Now, the polarity of remedies and the polarity of diseases play a big part in this chronic condition. Tuberculosis is one of the diseases that is neutral in its magnetic properties. Those remedies are best adapted to it that are natural, that come from the neutral class.
As we all know, by the observations of older men, Phosphorus while maybe needed by the patient, if given in a case at all advanced, is liable to produce serious haemorrhages, and we have been warned against at least giving Phosphorus too high.
So, Dr. Bonds very able observation, from a clinical observation alone, confirms the idea that kali phos. or Calcarea phos. or even Magnesium phos. are better adapted at first in these because they not only avert but avoid the danger of over- reaction. They belong to the neutral group; hence they are more valuable and come more nearly to the case from an electromagnetic point of view.
We dont stress that too much but it is so interesting. I could not help but show you that we do have something to guide us in our observations, and we have some sort of law of physics, or whatever you may call it. It is a big help. I think we will work these things our together.
DR. CARL H. ENSTAM [Los Angeles, Calif.]: I wonder if the essayist could tell us whether he believes mineral content impairment or its faulty usage in the body precedes or follows the infection in tuberculosis-cause or effect.
DR. MARION BELLE ROOD [Lapeer, Mich.]: I would like to ask Dr. Bond it he has any experience with the Alumina phosphate in peptic ulcer that he suspects of the bleeding type, associated with tubercular bowel.
DR. J.W. WAFFENSMITH [New Haven, Conn.]: Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the Doctor for this paper, and I also want to thank our new President for the cooperation that he, Dr. Bellokossy and each one of the chairmen of the different Bureaus have given me and last but by no means least, I want to thank our worthy Secretary and Treasurer for his help, and also each and every one of this Association who elected me and cooperated with me during my administration as President.
Now, in reference to this paper, the question of the intercurrent remedy. Take Phosphorus and some of these other remedies. When they come into our minds, as we sit face to face with the patient and study him not only objectively and subjectively but, it seems, almost spiritually, as it were, we are, of course face to face with the proposition of whether we have a curable or incurable case and there is no way that we know except by experience.
In remedies like Phosphorus, the question of potency comes in, if we do give a high potency and the allergy is extreme and we get in extended aggravation, very few of us would feel justified in letting that aggravation go on. I believe that is where the thought and clinical experience of the older men came in applying an intercurrent remedy.
Strangely, as the Doctor spoke, he gave the electromagnetic, scientific answer but the intercurrent remedy in the tissue group comes in.
In my experience, if you give it in the Schuesslerian potency, the sixth to the twelfth, in only one single dose, the single dose will often tide over this critical period and throw the patient on the curative side. Again you will see a rising up of the vital force. What is questionable in your mind, whether you have made an error in potency or an error in giving too deep acting remedy, will prove to work out to your satisfaction, and a very happy and contented patient will result.
