Nosodes


Nosodes-an introduction by j.H. clark in his book Whooping cough….


WHAT IS A NOSODE?

THE first of modern scientists, outside the ranks of Homoeopathy, to make of a disease-virus a remedy for the disease which gave it origin, was Pasteur. Pasteur devised a method of treating persons bitten by mad dogs with a preparation of hydrophobic virus, of which the virulence had been modified, and which he called- after an analogous method-a “vaccin.”

Leaving on one side the question of the success or failure of this method, it has given rise to a large number of imitations, including the Serum treatment of diphtheria, the Tuberculin treatment of Koch, the Tetanin treatment of tetanus, and the Doyen treatment of cancer. All this should be very flattering to homoeopaths. The method is peculiarly homoeopathic-it is treating like by like. It is also the sincerest form of flattery-imitation- homoeopathy having been half a century ahead of its modern imitators in using disease-viruses as remedies. Homoeopathy has its hydrophobic virus, Lyssin or Hydrophobin; it has its virus of tuberculosis, Tuberculin, or, as Dr. Burnett named the preparation he chiefly used, Bacillinum; it has it cancer viruses, Scirrhinum, Carcinosin, Epitheliomin, Sarcomatin, and others; its virus of measles, Morbillin, and its virus of whooping-cough, Coqueluchin. Moreover, Homoeopathy has a general term which includes all these remedies derived from disease- viruses, the term, “Nosode.” It is derived from the Greek word vooos, which means “disease.”

It is well that the public should become familiar with this term, because it means a source of help in many forms of disease, acute and chronic, free from the grave dangers associated with the use of “serums,” “vaccins,” and the crude preparations of Koch and others. The nosodes of Homoeopathy are prepared by graduated attenuation, just like the virulent poisons- vegetable, animal, and mineral-which constitute a large part of the homoeopathic materia medica. The knowledge of the curative powers of the nosodes should also draw attention to the fact that the homoeopath has this very great advantage over his orthodox brother, that he knows how to prepare remedies for safe use in all ages and conditions of life and disease without feat of injuring his patients. That is to say, he knows, the power of infinitesimal attenuations of substances. The revelations in connection with Radium and its emanation are opening the eyes of all intelligent lay persons to the fact that infinitesimal amounts may have enormous power over the human body; and in time the orthodox section of the medical profession may have its eyes opened also. But unhappily this section of the medical profession has fallen into such an inveterate habit of sneering at Homoeopathy because it recognises the power of the infinitesimal, that it will take a much longer time for it to take in the significance of the truth than it will for the unacademic and presumably unprejudiced public.

At any rate, homoeopaths have in their knowledge of the infinitesimals an enormous advantage over their orthodox rivals. It will be an unpardonable fault on their part if they do not make the most of it, and reap the reward of their success for the credit of Hahnemann and his school. I urge with all my power on homoeopathic practitioners everywhere to work this rich lode of the homoeopathic mine, and publish their results, that others may know what is being done. Nosode homoeopathy is the most fruitful of recent developments of this beautiful science and art of infinite possibilities.

John Henry Clarke
John Henry Clarke MD (1853 – November 24, 1931 was a prominent English classical homeopath. Dr. Clarke was a busy practitioner. As a physician he not only had his own clinic in Piccadilly, London, but he also was a consultant at the London Homeopathic Hospital and researched into new remedies — nosodes. For many years, he was the editor of The Homeopathic World. He wrote many books, his best known were Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica and Repertory of Materia Medica