Wednesday, March 28, 2018

A case of Deafness - Dr. E. W. BERRIDGE

March 7th., 1879.

As the result of a cold, I had been deaf in the left ear for ten days ; the ear felt stopped up, with singing therein ; the watch applied to mastoid processes was heard equally well on both sides ; but when held before the ears there was a marked difference, both in the distance at which it was audible, and also in the degree of clearness with which it could be heard at the same distance from either ear. At first, the deafness was only in the morning, on and a little after waking, I took Silicea CM. (Fincke), but without result.

Then the deafness continued the same all day; I then took Arg. Nit., which only slightly relieved the singing for a time. For the last two days, when exposed to the noise of traffic in the street—the louder the traffic, the more marked was the symptom—I heard bells chiming, always with the left ear only. The bells were heard when riding in a tram car or train, or even when the car was still if the street happened to be noisy and also from walking where there was much noise from traffic. The other symptoms were worse. I now took Amm. Carb. 200 (one dose).

8th. After the first dose, taken at 8.30 p, m. I was a little better, the bells not quite so loud, and today I could hear watch at a greater distance than before.

13th. Continued the Amm. Carb. with improvement till the 10th, after which I took no more because an aggravation of the deafness had occurred, though on that day I heard no bells while on the train. 

The symptoms now increased again; the bells were more troublesome than before; for the last few days, deafness was momentarily relieved by the boring finger in left ear, or by pressing on it externally; at times slight deafness also in right ear, relieved by boring with the finger. As the symptoms were increasing, and even extending to the other ear, in spite of leaving off the Amm. Carb., which seemed to have first relieved and then aggravated, I concluded that the last remedy had now done all it could and that another must be selected.

The italicized symptoms, which were the latest, and so (caeteris paribus)** the most characteristic pointed to Phosph., of which I took one dose CM. (F. C, Skinner) at 9.40 a. m.

At 10.55 a. m. there was a remarkable change. I could hear the watch at a greater distance than since my deafness, and much more distinctly. At 5.15 p. m. heard the bells but less; ear felt more natural; less singing; hearing still improving. In evening bells nearly gone; hearing nearly natural.

14th. On waking and a little afterward, increased deafness and singing; this soon subsided and by 10.10 a. m. there was scarcely any singing, and the hearing was nearly natural; no bells all day.

15th. Deafness and singing on and a little after waking, as before; soon improved. In afternoon there great noise of traffic heard the bells once.

16th. No aggravation on waking left ear still a little deaf.

18th. The old symptoms on waking returned; at 10 a. m. rather more deafness of left ear; no more bells.

19th. No morning aggravation; hearing nearly natural. 22d. Watch sounds a little sharper when applied to right ear than when applied to left; no other symptom.

29th. Perfectly well.

June 26th., 1881. Have remained quite free from these symptoms to this day, and I am thankful that the fate of Irving's " Matthias " is no longer mine, thanks to Homœopathy.


Comments. 
(1) The earliest symptom, the deafness in the morning on and after waking, which was the first to appear was also the last to disappear, as Hahnemann teaches.
(2) . The aggravation in a noise is peculiar, and, as far as I know, is new to the Materia Medica; verifications are solicited.
(3) The first three prescriptions failed because a complete picture of the case had not been obtained ; in these cases where a partially homoeopathic remedy has been given, new symptoms often arise ; these are of the greatest importance in the selection of the simillimum ; they are the voice of Nature pointing out the physician's error, and how he may rectify it.
(4) The slight aggravation after the improvement which Hahnemann points out was manifest in this case; under such circumstances, the remedy should always be allowed to act without change or repetition.


**Ceteris paribus or caeteris paribus is a Latin phrase meaning "other things equal". English translations of the phrase include "all other things being equal" or "other things held constant" or "all else unchanged".

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

A case of pneumonia - Dr. E. A. Berridge

“March 8th, 1899, I visited a child 7 years old, at 3 p.m. The day before had been slightly languid, not so lively as usual, and did not care for her morning bath; also slight cough.
At 11 p.m. was seized with burning fever, rapid breathing, thirst, and occasional delirium. I found her lying on left side, breathing with mouth open. Pulse was 150; respiration, 80; temperature, 104.4˚F. No pain, though there had been head-ache. Thirsty for cold water often, drinking a moderate amount each time. No movement of nostrils, though her mother had noticed it once. Upper lobe of left lung consolidated, no air enters, no vocal resonance, and dullness on percussion. Pneumonic crepitation in the lower lobe of the left lung, Right lung normal.
Gave Phosphorus CM (Fincke) in water, a spoonful every 4 hours till relieved.

“March 9th, at 6 p.m., yesterday she could breathe with mouth closed, and the temperature had fallen to 104˚F. No return of delirium, and had a good night.
Today at 3 p.m. pulse was 110; temperature, 100.6˚F; respirations less frequent, but I could not count them satisfactorily. Air entering the whole of left lung freely. Cheerful and lively. Bowels have acted naturally. No thirst. A cough increased. The dose was taken at 7 a.m.

“March 10th, 5 p.m., she has had two more doses at 7 p.m. and again at 4 a.m. as a cough was troublesome. Now pulse is 104; temperature, 98.2˚F. Air enters still more freely, though there is still a little crepitation. Lively and wants more food.

Now stopped the Phosphorus, and she soon recovered fully.”

A wonderful case of Post-partum Melancholia - Dr. E. W. BERRIDGE, M. D.

—June 26th, 1878.
—Mrs. was delivered of her third child three months ago; was much worried, and had extra labor a month before the event, and felt worried afterward. After delivery had strange fancies, e. g., that the nurse's face was powdered; much excitement; milk ceased in fourteen days; was sleepless; felt that her Lead was enlarged and that she was too tall or too short; with intolerance of noise. She took from an allopath, Sal Volatile, Valeria, Lavender, Chloroform, and Bromide of Potash.
This treatment removed the intolerance of noise, but left the following symptoms, which the doctor says will disappear in the course of time; but with this comforting assurance, she is not satisfied.
Present state : feels indifferent to things, even to her children; indifferent to pleasant things, but alive to disagreeable ; sits without thinking or doing anything ; hopeless of recovery ; desire for solitude ; more cheerful after meals ; intense longing to get out of her mental state, of which she is quite conscious ; weeps at times, but it does not relieve her ; forgets the word she is going to use, and what she is about to do ; desire to die ; restlessness, only to the house as if she must walk about ; confusion of head if she thinks much about her household duties. Ever since confinement, feeling of want of faith in Providence; took the last dose of the Bromide and Chloroform tins morning. Diagnosis of Remedy.—Taking as the starting point the " more, striking, singular, uncommon and peculiar (characteristic) " symptom of the relief of the mental symptoms from food. I found that Sulph. has " weeping relieved by eating and as it corresponded well with the other symptoms, I gave one dose of Sulph., D. M. (Skinner s F. C).
28th. Reports not so well; increased restlessness, and greater aversion to doing any work, but has slept as well since leaving off the sedative as before. This latter feature convinced me that the increase of symptoms was an aggravation from the Sulph. and not the effect of stopping the allopathic treatment. No medicine.
July 5th. Reports that she feels much better; not so restless. No medicine.
July 10th. Has had more restlessness and despondency, but is much better today.
Sept, 30th. Her husband reports that she has remained well
ever since.

Monday, March 26, 2018

Clinical Cases - Dr. E. W. BERRIDGE

1. Sexual Weakness. — 1877, July 17th, Mr. has been married two months. For two years has had emissions, at first about every two months, but since marriage very often: they occur during sleep and are accompanied by amorous dreams. Does not feel any escape of semen during coition. Erection too short; sexual pleasure slight, and only experienced at the commencement of coition. The greater the desire for coition the greater is the emission some hours after the act. 

Diagnosis of Remedy.—
Emissions after coition: Baryt., Kali carb., Nat. Mur., Phos., Rhod.
Emissions with dreams: Baryta, Kali carb., Phos., Rhod., (with many others which have not the forgoing symptom.)
Emission without force: Con., Phos.

The list is thus reduced to Phos., and as this remedy produces depression as well as the exaltation of the sexual functions, I gave him one dose of M.M. (Fincke). 
Oct. 12th. Reports that emissions ceased in a week, and did not return until last night, then one occurred soon after coition without intervening sleep; on waking felt miserable; after coition feels exhausted. Phos. M.M. (Fincke) one dose.
Feb. 10th., 1878. Reports that emissions have ceased for three months: sexual power and pleasure normal. Depression of the sexual powers being the secondary action of Phos., this cure by a high potency not only shows that the secondary symptoms (to which Hahnemann at first attached no importance, though he altered his views later) possess diagnostic value, but that Dr. E. M. Hale's so-called "law of dose'' is inaccurate.

2. Piles.—1879, Mrs. had a pile on the left side of the anus, large, with the appearance of black veins; frequent ineffectual desire for stool, with nausea and loss of appetite. In the pile, there is a dull, aching pain, with occasional burning and shooting upward; relief from lying down, worse from sitting and standing.

Diagnosis of Remedy. — Piles better by lying down, Amm., Card., Arsen.
Piles worse sitting, Arse., (and many others.).

The Materia Medica shows that Arsen. had also the burning shooting in piles, and one dose of C. M. (Skinner's F. C.) was given in the evening. Next day she was very much better; bowels acted naturally and she was soon well. Some months afterward there was a return of the symptoms; one dose of Arsen., M.M. (Fincke) cured promptly. She has now had no return for many months.

Saturday, March 24, 2018

Treating incurable cases - Dr. Lippe

"Let us take up the most hopeless case of sickness, a case incurable by its nature: the patient suffers severe, very severe pains; there is no longer any hope of effecting a cure. It is precisely here that it would be a mercy to save him from the greater suffering which necessarily follows the administration of anodynes; it is then, as ever, our duty to hold fast to “our principles.”
The administration of an anodyne for excessive pain is followed by an apparent cessation of it, to return more severe, as soon as the effect of the dose administered is exhausted. We repeat, and the pains repeat, but that is not all,—the poison does its work besides: the digestive functions are disturbed, and, worse than all, the intellect, the consciousness, the only spiritual part of the sick individual,—let us call “mind,”—becomes seriously impaired.* Is that mercy? Are we in duty bound to destroy a person’s “mind”? The true “healer,” who not only makes professions of faith but who has really comprehended and accepted the teachings of Hahnemann, never stands in need of an anodyne.
In the course of time,' every physician will find himself in attendance on an incurable case; he will find himself so situated that it becomes his imperative duty to wait on the incurably sick to the end. Here it is that the great value of Hahnemann’s teachings is fully appreciated and that a strict adherence to our fundamental principle will be followed by most satisfactory results.
The “healer” knows from past experience that the most similar remedy is also the greatest palliative. Under ordinary circumstances that similar remedy would have “cured the sick,” but if such changes of tissues have taken place that a cure is no longer possible, the palliation may last for days, the same symptoms do not return again, the progressive or destructive process manifests itself now in a different manner, and a new selection of the similar remedy must be made—diligently to be sure; relief will follow again, and the sufferings of the sadly afflicted, incurable patient are in this manner wonderfully lessened, lessened to the last moment of the earth life.
To be sure, this is a very laborious practice, requiring more frequent changes in the prescriptions as the vitality of the sick decreases, and each prescription becomes more difficult. But what of that? What are we here for? Why, we are here that we may heal the sick, that is our duty, and if we cannot heal them (make them well), to relieve their suffering; and we must spare no pains to learn to accomplish it, and earn the only reward which awaits the true healer,—the thanks of the cured, the blessings of those to whom we administer true relief."

Friday, March 23, 2018

Case of Pleuropneumonia - Dr. Lippe

Mr. T., twenty-six years old, always well, having had but one attack of pneumonia three years ago (under allopathic treatment) was taken sick on Dec. 31st, 1880, and retired early. He passed a very bad night and requested advice early on the morning of Jan. 1st, 1881. He had tossed about his bed all night without sleep, slight stitches in his sides, no cough, much thirst, and felt very much distressed, pulse 96. , On auscultation and percussion nothing abnormal was observed, and it seemed to be a case of pleurisy. One dose of aconite CM. was given at 8 a. m. At 6 p. M. he complained of great dyspnoea. Violent stitches when taking a long inspiration, much aggravation on the motion. Has taken nothing but water all day. When moving he coughs very hard and suffers much pain in the lungs. Pulse 120 per minute, face flushed, head hot and painful. Received one dose of Bryonia CM. At 10 p. m. he began to perspire profusely and continued to do so for thirty-six hours. A cough became loose, his appetite returned, and on the 4th of January, he was well enough to leave his room and go to a friend's house. He has been perfectly well ever since.


Comments: Here we had a clear case of Pleuropneumonia, a "much-dreaded disease on account of the great mortality under allopathic treatment. As it often happens, so in this case, silly and ignorant friends looked despairingly at the simple and plain treatment. There was in their opinion, nothing was done for the sufferer; he surely ought to have a fly-blister clapped over his chest, or should be bled at once, or something energetic should be done to rescue him from certain destruction. Because absolutely nothing was done for him. even an auxiliary mustard plaster being rejected, and a supplementary mustard footbath not be tolerated at all. Despairing, but ill-informed friends left him for the night with regrets that so fine a fellow as he was should so stubbornly reject the means he had seen used before to no good purposes but only to be followed by evil and sad results. when on the second morning, these anxious friends came and were told how much better he felt; when, on the third morning they found him gobbling up a large and luxurious breakfast they were compelled either to own up to the great success of homoeopathy or do, as they often do, take the liberty of declaring that they were mistaken, that he really was not much sick after all, else he could not have so speedily recovered. Nevertheless, they would have blistered him, and now blistered are their tongues for violating common sense, and perverting ordinary logic in order that they may in future keep on plodding along in darkness, and see mankind tortured by unscientific boluses, blisters, and physics; and what will pretenders learn from such a case, pretenders who fly to aconite and Belladonna in alternation because, forsooth, there is fever! Just as much as the fly-blister-worshipers learned in this case—nothing. There are none so blind as those who do not wish to see.
x

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Clinical Case with comments - Dr. LIPPE

Mr. C. aged forty-five years, enjoying always good health, living very regular and engaged in large business, complained on the 12th of November. 1880. He felt sick all over, better when at rest, the stiffness of the limbs, nausea with the headache and poor appetite: received one dose of Bryonia CM. (Fincke). Feeling better, he followed his usual occupation but was compelled to come home in the afternoon of the 18th of November and take to his bed with a chill which was followed by high fever, cold feet, very hot head, flushed face, and, contrary to his habit, wishing to lie with his head high. Pulsating headache, pulse 96 per minute urinary secretion almost suspended, some nausea, very little thirst but great weakness. One dose of Belladonna C. M. (Fincke) was administered 7 p.m. Had a much disturbed night, many dreams and visions, slight delirium, more thirst, with the scanty secretion of very dark urine, headache continues, tongue clean. On the evening of the 19th of Nov. his pulse was 106 per minute; he complained of feeling bruised all over, motion greatly increased this soreness; coughed at times, and then complained of stitches in both sides of the throat, did not feel inclined to sleep, headache was less severe, thirst increased, he wanted large quantities of water at a time, otherwise no change. At 7 p.m. he took one dose of Bryonia, CM. (Fincke). Nov. 20th. Had a very restless night, changing his position frequently. Slight delirium. The pain in the throat better; so was the bruised feeling; urinary secretion unchanged; skin very dry; Thirstless; this condition continued all day. When asked why he changed his position so frequently, he said that he did so in order to relieve pains which increased during continuation in one position; that he felt better after such a change of the painful position till he had occupied it for some time. Pulse 120 per minute. He received one dose of Rhus tox CM. (Fincke) at 6 p.m. to be repeated if he did not perspire by 9 p.m. Nov. 21st. At 7 p.m. of the 20th his skin became moist; by 8 p.m. he was in a profuse perspiration, and from that time he began to feel better. The urinary secretions gradually increased, leaving an increasing deposit of phosphates. The perspiration continued till the 23d. He showed no desire for food or drink but cold water or an occasional glass of milk. The pulse was less frequent and soft. As there was an apparent pause in the improvement on the 24th of Nov. (the 7th day of the disease) he received another dose of Rhus Tox. 50 M (Fincke) at 8 p.m. Nov. 25th. Perspired very freely all night and asked for some light food. Soft-boiled eggs and toast. This food tasted good; all his symptoms gradually improved day by day without further medication. Urine became profuse and clear. On the 30th he sat up and enjoyed a full dinner, asked for his favourite Burgundy wine and felt well. During these two weeks he had no movement of the bowels and his first evacuation—perfectly natural—came on the 1st December. On the 3d of December, he rode out in a carriage and returned for a short time to his country house. On the 10th of December, though otherwise very well, he complained of a slight return of itching haemorrhoids which he had had years ago. One dose of Sulphur 21 M (Skinner) relieved him at once: since then he has been perfectly well.


Comments: To all appearances, this was a grave case of disease, and might be called a case of typhoid fever. The patient fully recovered under strictly homoeopathic treatment without any resort to auxiliary and supplementary means, such as of late have been recommended in grave cases. The law of the similars and Hahnemann's advice how to apply that law was our only guide. The most difficult part of the treatment of this case was the finding of the cause of the distressing and increasing restlessness; had we not patiently and diligently examined the sick, had we hastily given him Arsenicum for this restlessness the much desired early crisis by perspiration would not have come to the rescue. After this important symptom — worse when lying for a time in the same position and relief when that position was changed, had been ascertained it was easy enough to see the remedy. Patients do not often give us the symptoms as we would wish them given, and we have then to apply our individual judgment to find by interrogation what the real. True, symptoms of the sick are. But we must never rest till we obtain a clear conception of the case before us. 
Hahnemann tells us in paragraph 4 of "The Organon of the Healing Art” that he. (The true healer) is also a health preserver if he learns to know what causes health disturbances, and what creates and supports diseases and when he learns how to remove these causes. In the above case, the question arose u why was he sick?'' A man who lived a prudent and regular life, who had not been exposed to the fever miasm of any malarial district could not well sicken without cause. His residence was a well-built house; there were no fixed washstands in it. it was well ventilated and scrupulously clean, even the cellars being very clean. After a painstaking examination it was found that back of his counting-room existed a faulty wall and on rainy days the odour from it compelled the occupants of the counting room and large store to close the windows. As soon as this discovery was made Mr. C. took much pains to ascertain the true condition of things, and at once applied the proper remedies for the removal of this disease-creating nuisance.

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

WHAT IS A LAW?

When it is stated by old-school physicians that a certain remedy cures in certain cases although the symptoms produced by the remedy upon the healthy human organism are similar to those of the disease, but that the cure does not result from anything homoeopathic in the relationship between the remedy and the disease, we are forced to think that the speakers have lost sight of the real meaning of the word law. For there was no denial of the facts. A law is merely the formulation, in strictly accurate language, of the occurrence of certain facts under certain conditions.

It is a positive statement that when the conditions are present such results will follow. But the explanation of the modus operandi is never included in a law, and to refuse to admit the existence of a law because of inability to understand the way in which the processes involved in the subject take place would if applied to science generally, soon send us back to barbaric ignorance. What, for instance, would be thought of the mental state of a student who would refuse to accept the well-known law of gravitation, because he cannot understand what is in the matter to cause two bodies to attract each other, etc? Or, what progress could a student make in chemistry if he scouted the law of precipitation because he cannot see why atoms should rearrange themselves so as always to produce a compound insoluble in the menstruum employed.

We might extend these illustrations indefinitely, and then we would only have succeeded in representing the status of the man who, in spite of the overwhelming evidence of the action of law in medicine, refuses to believe in the existence of such a law, simply because he does not see how it can be. In every department of science, the effort is made to bring all the observed facts into a relation which can be expressed by a law. This is even so in medicine excepting therapeutics, and it is most unfortunate for real progress in the healing art that such should be the case.

To bring the observations made in disease, and also in the investigation of drug action on the body, to a mathematical expression is not to be even hoped for, but much can be done in rendering the evidence in favor of the law of simillia so positive that it cannot be put aside. But old-school men are not going to do this; the work must be done by the upholders of the law and must be done in such manner as will compel the assent of all not wilfully blind. There has been a great deal written about unreliable symptoms—the law must not be judged by their failure, but whether the fixing of a positive guide to the application of the law is to be left to clinical tests, or to a reconstruction of our Materia Medica under conditions furnished by the advanced scientific knowledge of today, is a question worthy the consideration of the wisest minds.

A brief but instructive Q&A with Dr. Lippe from an interview published in 1879

Q.—If an aggravation indicates that the proper remedy has been selected, does the absence of an aggravation signify that the proper remedy has not been selected?
A.—If no aggravation appears, then an improvement, if ever so small, will show that the right remedy was administered.* 

Q.—Is there a greater liability of an aggravation from the low potencies than from the high?
A.—The liability to aggravation is not dependent on the potency, but on the constitution of the sick, and the character of the disorder.

Q.—What should govern the prescriber in the selection of the potency?
A.—His own experience! The more correct his application of the science of the healing art for practical purposes (in therapeutics) is, the smaller will be the dose he may find himself compelled to choose.

Q.—How often should a dose be repeated in an acute disease?
A.—The dose should never be repeated till the action of the last dose has been exhausted. In very acute cases the dose may act but half-an-hour and at times a week, and longer. One dose may be all the medicine required to cure the case.

Thoughts on finding the correct remedy for your patient - Dr. Adolph Lippe

"In each and every case of sickness, the observing physician detects symptoms which are extraordinary, and, as such, peculiar to the sick individual. The observing physician also learns that no two cases of sickness are perfectly alike.

Pathology teaches us only such symptoms as must by necessity always be present in a given form of disease, are characteristic of the disease only, but do not include, and, of necessity, cannot include the peculiar, extraordinary symptoms of every individual.

For the sake of illustration we may take a well known form of disease like scarlet fever. In all cases of scarlet fever we find a peculiar eruption with fever, and, finally, desquamation. Each epidemic and every individual have their own characteristic, peculiar, and extraordinary symptoms. The symptoms generally present and constituting scarlet fever, we find under very many remedies, and we also know from clinical experience and from clinical reports, that scarlet fever has been cured by a great many remedies at certain periods, during certain epidemics, in certain localities.

A priori we can draw no correct deductions from the facts on record; a priori we cannot determine what remedy will be indicated in the next case we are called upon to cure. We must be guided, in the choice of a remedy, by the peculiar, extraordinary symptoms we observe in the individual; by symptoms not by necessity belonging to or constituting scarlet fever.

These symptoms may be, first, the mental condition of the sick. We find one patient in a deep stupor, unconscious, but perfectly quiet. This condition will call our attention to a similarity of Belladonna, which we would find still more indicated if the patient is momentarily awakened by a violent start of the body.

Another patient may, perhaps, be very restless; tumble over the bed in great distress; is also unconscious. This will draw our attention to Apis mellifica and Arum triphyllum.

If at the same time diphtheritic symptoms have appeared and the urinary secretion is suppressed, each of these remedies may still be considered; but if, in addition to all the above symptoms, the patient has a very sore, inflamed tongue and mouth, if, furthermore, the patient picks his finger ends and the peeling lips till both bleed, Arum triphyllum will be the remedy.

We might go on in this way and point out the characteristic symptoms, both of the sick and of the remedy, ad infinitum, and still there will appear in some cases new characteristic symptoms never before observed, which, on that very account, and because they are so peculiar and extraordinary, will be an unerring guide in our search for the true homœopathic remedy."

Another instructive case - Dr. Lippe

"On the morning of the 2d of November, I was summoned to see Mrs. C., aet. fifty years. In early life this lady resided on the banks of the Delaware, and with the other residents in that locality, suffered very severely from intermittent fever, and still more from enormous doses of Quinine, administered year after year for the suppression of that disease.

For more than twenty years she has been under homoeopathic treatment, and the admonitory symptoms of chills and fever returned gradually with less severity every spring and autumn.

For the last ten years they were very light, only occasionally reminding her of her previous sufferings; her brain and spleen which had been injured severely from former overdoses were now in an almost normal condition. Early in October, while on a visit to West Point, on the Hudson river, she was exposed to the then prevailing malarial influences, and began to feel badly. Returning to Philadelphia, she suffered, first, from diminished appetite, followed by frequently returning watery, but painless diarrhoea, for which she took no remedy, hoping that the disease would be carried off in that way.

On the night of the 1st of November, she felt very cold on retiring to bed, and was awakened about 2 A. M., by a very heavy chill which made her teeth chatter; she had to rise, feeling nausea and a desire to have a stool, and went to the water-closet back of the back chamber. After a very profuse watery evacuation, she tried to walk to the front chamber, but on reaching the door, was overcome by weakness and fell to the floor. She chattered and shook all over from the chill, became stiff and icy cold to the touch, and, in an unconscious state, was carried to bed. Heat was applied and when consciousness returned she was totally blind, not being able to see the strongest gaslight. About 4 A. M., fever set in and she fell into a dose, her breathing very much oppressed.

When I saw her at 9 A. M., she was suffering from extreme prostration; was not aware of her unconsciousness at night but remembered the blindness. She complained that the external and icy coldness was not to be compared with the icy coldness she had felt about the heart, that even then she felt cold and pain about the heart, that she had slight headache and backache, and no perspiration after the slight fever heat. The pulse was very weak, irregular, small and less than fifty beats in a minute. She had a dry mouth but no thirst, aversion to food, and her position in bed clearly showed her intense debility, of which she complained bitterly.

She received one dose of Natrum mur. CM (Fk.) dry on the tongue. When I saw her at 7 P. M., November 2d, she had perspired slightly during the day, the tongue and mouth felt less dry, no thirst, pulse over sixty beats in a minute and more regular.

November 3d, she was feeling better, and her condition continued to improve without further medication. On the 6th of November, I dined with her at 6 P. M., the lady occupying her usual place at the head of the table. She required no further treatment.

Comments (from Dr. Lippe). There were present three characteristic symptoms of Natr. mur.: Coldness about the heart, blindness and unconsciousness during the chill; and great prostration. Adding to these characteristic symptoms, the irregularity of the pulse, and her exposure to malaria, the choice was very easy; while Camphor and Gelseminum had some of her symptoms, the totality of them could be found only under Natr. mur. Then came to be considered the possibility of a return of the chill in twelve, twenty-four or forty-eight hours, and the great danger to her life from such a recurrence; for she expressed herself as not able to endure such another chill, which surpassed anything she had ever experienced.
Just in such very grave cases does our true healing-art show itself to the greatest advantage, and it never becomes necessary to fly to other means than those offered us inside of our exclusive school of therapeutics."

An instructive case - E. B. Nash MD

"Aug. 14th, 1879. M. D., young lady aged twenty-five, single, dark hair and eyes, rather tall and thin. Symptoms: constipation of many years' standing, can hardly remember when she was not so. Has taken much cathartic medicine; can not have stool without cathartic medicine or an enema. This enema now fails to procure a passage and causes a sick headache. Appetite good except when she takes her cathartic pills (Herricks), of which she has to take as many as four at once. Then she loses her appetite and has a weak, gone feeling in stomach, with soreness.

When she tried to have a passage without her cathartics (as she is inclined to do) "it comes to the verge of the anus and then recedes as though she had not the strength to expel it. The constipation is always worse the week before her menses and she is cold, particularly hands and feet, during that time. Cold sweat of feet sometimes offensive. Chills run up her legs. Constipation temporarily improved during menses.

Has had, for a long time, attacks of sick headache, not at menses. Headaches generally come on between 10-11 A. M., pain beginning in back and nape of neck and extends over to forehead, where it is very severe, is accompanied with nausea, sour and bitter vomiting. Enemas bring this on her. Menses, regular, painful and scanty, which is growing worse. Patient is reduced in flesh, feels discouraged; says she will never be well again. Has tried cathartic medicines, also dieting, and no medicine, but all these failed her and she continues to get worse.

Prescribed silicea 200, a powder dry on tongue, two nights in succession, then omit two, etc. Latter, part of August she wrote me, "am much better in every way, have a natural stool every day now, and believe you will cure me. Stomach seems sore, food hurts me as it passes though the oesophagus." Continued silicea at longer intervals.

Sept. 17th, has had only one headache since beginning the treatment; natural stools every day except the first few days. Has now been out of medicine some time; for the last week has had a slight return of the constipation, yet stomach is better and food causes no more pain, menses are freer and easier: hands and feet warmer; back improved since first prescription; gained in weight. Prescribed the silicea 50 M. (Swan).

This patient remained well up to Feb. 1880, when she came to office on account of a slight gastric trouble.

Comments: I do not know how to classify this disease, pathologically. I treated the patient's symptoms. It was a chronic case, in which allopathic medicine, dieting, etc. were tried and failed; I gave nothing below silicea 200th, yet my patient recovered, notwithstanding the microscope, the spectroscope, chemistry, etc. can detect nothing therein."

Why is cancer incurable?

 In other words: What must be discovered, to lead to the cure of cancer? When a case has been cured, why was it possible when other cases, and most cases, have resulted in failure? 
 It is true that in some cases there are hold-over symptoms enough to lead to the remedy, but in most cases there is nothing discoverable but the malignant growth and its associated features of hardness, stinging pains, ulceration, enlarged glands and the tendency to involve the surrounding parts in its own development. A neophyte could say that such a growth is malignant, without the aid of a microscope. Then, in most cases, the paucity of symptoms is the present state of the situation. If the child's mental symptoms could be fully ascertained, and the symptoms from the childhood to adult age, something might be done. Cancer generally comes on in after life, when childhood actions have been forgotten. The patient does not know her own childhood mental state, the parents may be dead, sisters and brothers may describe the antics of the child. 
 Many of our patients come to us with a history of old-school drugging from childhood; every childhood morbid condition has been suppressed; eruptions have been suppressed; symptoms have been changed by crude drugs; no clear-cut representation of the constitution has been permitted to evolve. We do not know whether the child was obstinate, hateful, ungovernable, hysterical, violent, slow in school work, or the opposite; we can learn only the commonest features of puberty, which is a most important time to investigate in all women. If the symptoms that have appeared from birth to the present date are undiscovered, it is no wonder that cancer is incurable. 

 To cure any condition we must base the prescription on the totality of the signs and symptoms and not on the pathology. The cancer is the ultimate. The symptoms from the first are the outward image of the patient. If they have been suppressed or changed by drugs that are not homoeopathic, there is nothing left for the homoeopath to do, and the surgeon can do no better. Palliation and prolonging life are not curing. 
 "All curable diseases make themselves known to the intelligent physician in signs and symptoms." (Hahnemann.) Pathological conditions, as also the patient, are incurable when there are no signs and symptoms, and so long as there are no signs and symptoms these remain incurable. In proportion as the pathology progresses the signs and symptoms decrease. This is marked in cancer, in tuberculosis, in diabetes, in Bright's disease, and in all of the organic conditions of the body. In some instances, the remedy that was once indicated by mental and physical symptoms will cure even in moderately advanced pathological conditions; again, such a remedy will soon reveal that the patient has been sick too long and the pathology has progressed too far, and the reaction is so feeble that he sinks rapidly and the remedy must be antidoted.

A case of malaria - Dr. Lippe

"Miss W., aged 50, corpulent, a resident of New York, had been very sick since last April. Till she came here she had suffered from attacks of intermittent fever and scientific treatment. Chininum Sulph., Ferrum, and even "blue mass" had been liberally administered by the most prominent Allopathists in New York.

The attacks of chills and fever had been suppressed at times, but always returned sooner or later, always with additions of new sufferings. The debility and nightly restlessness was so great when she arrived here that Dr. S. had to give her Arsenicum (high), which very much relieved her, and brought out the old suppressed attacks of chills and fever.

The cold stage came on in the forenoon every alternate day, and every time at an earlier hour; it never amounted to a chill; she had to drink before and during this cold stage, which lasted three hours; vomited after drinking, vomited much bile (bitter vomiting); the muscles of the upper part of the body pained her much, worse during the cold stage; this was followed by intense heat, with profuse perspiration; the hot stage continued from six to eight hours, the thirst continued.

During the attack, she would be warmly covered, and then the profuse perspiration, without the heat, continued during sleep all night. The debility was very great, even when free from fever. The liver was very much enlarged and very tender to the touch. The urinary secretions were extremely scanty, and the small quantity passed was turbid and of an offensive odor. Appetite she had not had for some time.

She received Eupatorium perfoliatum 50 M (Fincke), dissolved in half a tumbler of water, every two hours one teaspoonful during the apyrexia for twelve hours. The next attack was more severe than the previous one; all the symptoms were more severe, but she had passed a large quantity of limpid urine. No medicine. The next attack was very mild, and lasted but a short time; the urinary secretions continued profuse. No more attacks of fever and perspiration, with improving appetite and increasing strength, till she had another very slight attack fourteen days after the last one. One single dose of Eupatorium perfoliatum was administered at the end of it. Since then, up to this time, she has not had another attack of chills or fever; her general health is now good; the liver shows no more signs of hypertrophy."

Comments from Dr. Lippe: 
"The ordinary treatment employed for the cure of this case of Intermittent Fever, had, as usual, failed to cure, and only undermined a previously good constitution. Arsenicum, which was clearly indicated, had so far not only removed the symptoms then present, but had also assisted the vital powers to again develop the original disorder.

We had now before us a clear case of Intermittent Fever, and were to seek the similar remedy. There were present, not as usual three distinct stages of the fever, first chill then heat followed by perspiration, but only two stages, an undeveloped chill, merely shivering, followed by intense heat, with perspiration. There was no remedy marked in the Fever or other Repertories with shivering followed by heat and perspiration.

Chill followed by heat with perspiration is to be found under a large number of medicines, but none of them had the characteristic symptoms of the patient, viz., thirst before the chill and continuing during the paroxysm, and the distressing vomiting, not only of the water which she drank, but also bitter vomiting (vomiting of bile).

The only known remedy corresponding with these characteristic symptoms, as well as with the profuse perspiration and suppressed urinary secretions, was Eupatorium perfoliatum. By consulting the translation of the most excellent Essay on Intermittent Fever by Boenninghausen, we did not find there under the symptoms of Eupatorium, added by the translator, these characteristic symptoms, save the thirst before the chill. Consulting the first provings of Eupatorium, published in 1846, in the "Transactions of the American Institute," we did find the symptoms which first guided us in the cure of Intermittent Fever by Eupatorium-vomiting of bile-vomiting after each draught of water. The translator of Boenninghausen's work gives the vague symptoms-"During the chill, a number of gastric or so-called bilious symptoms." This vague symptom may imply the "bitter vomiting," but does not clearly express it. In all other works on Materia Medica we found this "bitter vomiting"-vomiting of bile-a very characteristic symptom, just as characteristic as is sour vomiting (during the fever) under Lycopodium.

The next paroxysm after administering Eupatorium was much more severe than any she ever had before; but there was an unerring sign apparent that Eupatorium had taken effect, and was assisting the recuperative powers to rid the organism from disease and restore the patient to health, and this was the increased secretion of limpid urine.

The aggravation of the paroxysm was therefore not to be considered as an indication of a progress of the disease, and therefore calling for another more similar remedy. The question remains still an open question, whether these only apparent aggravations are really the results of an overdose of medicine, or whether they are not necessary in many instances, and an indication that an improvement must follow immediately after such an aggravation has appeared. Whenever other symptoms connected with the disorder become favourably changed, if, as in this instance, the kidneys resume their function after having been suspended for some time, no doubt to the detriment, of the whole organism;-when such an important function has been restored, it is surely safe confidently to expect a further improvement of the condition of the sick. This happened, as was fully anticipated, in this case, and it did not become necessary to give another dose, even of the same remedy, till the dose already administered had exhausted itself, and till this event became evident from the fact that the improvement had not only ceased, but that a renewal of the shivering and slight fever commenced. The full recovery of the patient was the very best evidence of a correct application of the homoeopathic principles."

A case of sciatica - Dr. Lippe

Mr. D., aged 64 years, had suffered from herpes, especially on his lower extremities, which had disappeared after taking various tinctures, and after using some external applications. He had suffered for some weeks from pains in his liver, and violent pains in the right sciatic nerve. He had taken two remedies, Colocynth and Carbo-veg. in alternation. They had formerly relieved his sciatica, but this time this faulty, pretending-to-be homoeopathic treatment had done no good.

I visited him for the first time on the 2nd of August, and found him very much prostrated; he was lying in a recumbent position, and every effort to move, or to sit up, but more than all, the least effort to stand or to walk, made the pain in the right sciatic nerve more violent. The liver pained him more on motion. The constipation had continued for some days, the eyes and skin had a yellowish tint, urine scanty and very dark, fever worse in the afternoon, and total sleeplessness for some nights added to his sufferings; the tongue was coated yellowish, and thirst was not present.

He received one single dose of Lachesis 15M at 1 p.m. The improvement began that night, when he perspired freely, and slept several hours; all his symptoms disappeared gradually in the inverse order to that in which they had developed themselves; the symptoms appearing last disappearing first. On the 9th of August he was able to walk about without any pain, his appetite had returned, and all functions were regularly performed. He has been well ever since, with the exception of the herpes; this reappeared again, and was improving under a dose of Petroleum when I last saw him.

A bit more - E.B. Nash MD

"During the run of typhoid fever, a young lady was attacked with profuse epistaxis. One attack followed another, once, sometimes twice in twenty-four hours, until I became alarmed on account of the great loss of blood.

The attacks occurred mostly at night. She had been subject to frequent attacks of nose-bleed since childhood, from the time she was injured in the nasal passage by a button she pushed up her nose, and which a "regular" claimed, after much violence, to have pushed down her throat, but which in reality remained in her nose a long time-several months when it was finally ejected in a sneezing or coughing fit.

Two years before the fever I carried her through a very severe attack of diphtheria, which was also attended by severe nose-bleed, also occurring at night the blood hanging in clots from the nose, like icicles. Mercurius sol. 30 then stopped it very nicely. Now the blood clotted some but not so readily. Mercurius did no good.

Every attack was preceded by the most intense redness and flushing of the face and throbbing of carotids I ever saw. The nose-bleed would invariably follow, within a few hours, this apparent rush of blood to head and race. Belladonna would not help, nor Erigeron, which in Hering's Condensed has "congestion of the head, red face, nose-bleed and febrile action."

Melilotus 30 relieved the nose-bleed and the attacks of rush of blood to the head promptly and beautifully, and the case progressed without further trouble, or an untoward symptom to perfect recovery."

Instructive case - E.B. Nash MD

"Mrs. B-, aged 40, spare, dark complexion, dark hair and blue eyes, wry neck, seven months pregnant, was taken with pains in the finger joints, with some swelling (but not marked). She had been broken of her nights rest for a long time, taking almost the whole care of a daughter, afterwards a son, the first with typhoid fever, and the last with typhoid pneumonia. There were pains in other parts, especially chest, apparently in the intercostal muscles; also in the shoulders, but the worst in the finger joints.

The only way she could get any relief so as to sleep when she could lie down was to envelope the painful fingers in mustard. I finally, after trying Actea spicata 30th without avail, put her upon Caulophyllum 3x in solution, once in three hours. This relieved the pains in the fingers, but brought on bearing down uterine pains so severe that she stopped the medicine for fear she would miscarry.

The bearing down pains subsided and the finger pains returned in full force and continued until she was delivered, when they ceased for two or three days. Then the lochial discharges, instead of gradually decreasing, increased until they amounted to a real metrorrhagia, much aggravated by the least movement. The flow was of a passive nature, dark and liquid, with some clots. There was great weakness and sense of trembling from weakness, although there was no visible trembling, and now, to crown her sufferings, the finger pains began to return with great severity.

Cinchona, Arnica, Sabina, Secale and Sulphur did no good. I was afraid of Caulophyllum for the reason that it brought on the bearing down pains before she was confined. But I now concluded to try it high. Gave it in the 200 potency and cured the whole case without any more trouble."

Acquiring knowledge of our remedies - Constantine Hering MD

"We would remind him who has had no experience of the comparative method, either on himself or others, that acquiring knowledge of the symptoms of remedies is exactly similar to the mode in which the chemist, the mineralogist, the botanist, and the zoologist acquire knowledge of the objects connected with their respective sciences. We should, therefore, set about it in a similar manner. Let it be considered what a multitude of signs are so perfectly at the command of the zoologist, that he can easily recall them to his recollection. Although no one is capable of giving a complete description of all animals, a repetition of all their characteristics “off the book,” as the saying is, yet the zoologist can at once tell a new animal when he sees it; can instantly determine to what class it belongs, and point out its particular characteristics. By merely looking at each animal, he already knows its characteristic peculiarities, or at least has no difficulty in discovering them.

The homeopathic physician must do just the same with his remedies. Let it not be alleged that zoology and the other branches of natural sciences are things quite different from our science. It must be regarded and dealt with in exactly the same manner as the natural sciences. Let it not be said that those sciences are so far advanced, and the system so perfect, that every thing connected with them is much easier: suppose that our materia medica were at present as little advanced as a natural science—as zoology in the time of Aristotle—this should not deter us from regarding it as such, working it out as such, and studying it as such; by this means we should make as much progress in it as was then made in zoology; and that is a good deal, in comparison with knowing nothing at all, or wandering in benighted ignorance amidst a profusion of every thing."

Two instructive cases from IHA - Dr. J. G. Schmitt, M. D

Women in labor:
Case #1: "September 11, 1882, at 1 A. M. Mrs. J. J. K-multipara, thin, nervous and excitable has had labor pains for two hours. Found her crying, and in a very anxious state; she thought something would happen to her during labor. Os uteri dilated as large as a fifty-cent piece; vagina hot, dry, and tender; labor pains unusually severe. Aconite cm. 1 dose dry. After twenty minutes, restlessness gone; pains less severe and at regular intervals; vagina moist and cooler, with less tenderness; os dilating. Labor now progressed for an hour, without any further disturbance, when she commenced to complain of her back. "Oh, my back! Oh, my back!" The os uteri was then almost dilated and bag of water protruding. The pains, however, became irregular, spasmodic, and instead of bearing down she would cry aloud, "My back!" Causticum cm., one dose dry.

Five minutes after receiving the the medicine she fell into a sound sleep, pains stopped altogether, and nurse remarked: "I guess we are going to have no baby to-night." I answered her that I thought we should have, in a very short time, pretty good pains and the child; and so it was. After a rest of about ten minutes she awoke with a grand bearing down pain, without the backache; the amniotic fluid was discharged, and the next pain brought a well-proportioned male child. I was at home in bed at 3 A. M., thanks to Guernsey and Homoeopathy."

Case II. "September 5, 1884. I saw the the same lady in labor at 8 P. M. Pains had come on gradually during the afternoon. The same symptoms, as in the previous acouchement, called for a dose of Aconite cm., which relieved them, and, an hour later, when the bag of water was ready to rupture, the backache came up, and Causticum cm. made short work, and I was home at 10 P. M. This labor was followed by severe after-pains, with cramps in the toes, which were speedily relieved by a few doses of Cuprum met. cm. in water."

Case - Dr. Lippe

"Master S., 18 months old, came under our care on the 19th of July, 1879. Had been very sick all night; had very frequently vomited; his bowels had been moved every hour; stools thin green mucus; at times he would cry very loudly and violently for five or ten minutes, but was lying most of the time in heavy stupor, out of which he started with a face very much flushed and red; pulse full, hard, 120 in a minute; had not passed any urine since the previous evening; had no appetite, and refused his usual food, but drank as much water as was offered him. Gave him one dose of Belladonna C M, at noon.

The starting from his sleep and the crying ceased before morning, when I found him paler, sleeping better, had not vomitted any more, stools less frequent, pulse 96. The improvement continued for five days, when he had more pain in the abdomen, stools not frequent, but consisted of very deep green mucus; his thirst had entirely ceased. A few doses of Pulsatilla fully restored him.

Now, I learned that this boy had fallen out of his little carriage about nine months ago; had injured his tibia, and was almost entirely deprived of the use of his leg; he walked seldom, and then only with apparently great pain; the upper part of the tibia was very much inflamed, and pus was discharged from two openings.

The Allopathic family physician had done nothing for the child, and the mother, in her anxiety, had asked a Homoeopathic surgeon (so he calls himself) to see the child. As this surgeon was out of town, I gave the mother three doses of Silicea C M, for the child, to be given morning, noon and night. When the surgeon came about five days later the boy was running about lively, and did not complain of any pain. The surgeon gave it as his opinion that the bone must be laid open and "scraped." The parents finding that the child improved so rapidly under the applied internal treatment, did not consent to the "scraping." The boy has been running about lively ever since (now October 20th), the discharge has almost ceased, and the healing process is rapidly progressing without "local treatment."

Comments from Dr. Lippe:
"Here was a plain case of Cholera-infantum in its worst form. The mental and brain symptoms clearly indicated Belladonna, which also corresponded with all the other symptoms. The effect of a single dose of Belladonna continued for five days; there was no necessity to repeat the dose, and had it been erroneously repeated, the effect of this homoeopathically curative drug, selected on account of its similarity with the symptoms of the sick (acting promptly in this one small dose), would have been to aggravate the case; and when its effects were exhausted, and other symptoms appeared, the next indicated homoeopathic remedy cured the case. The neglected bone, which was injured nine months previously, now came to be treated homoeopathically, and the quick action of the similar remedy (Silicea) saved the boy from unnecessary and unhomoeopathic local treatment."

A wonderful pleurisy case - Dr. Lippe


"On the 13th of October, 1878, I was summoned early in the morning to see Miss T., aged 36. Had been ill all night with violent pains in right side of chest and abdomen, very acute pains, with, first, nausea and sour vomiting, later, vomiting of bile; violent throbbing headache; pulse full and hard, 120 a minute; urine diminished, dark and clear; moderate thirst; skin dry. Aggravation of the pain on motion and when she lies on the painful right side; amelioration when she sits up and leans forward. One dose of Belladonna C M (Fincke) was administered at 9 a.m. The pain diminished soon, the vomiting ceased; the fever was rather more intense from 4 p.m. till 6 p.m. , when perspiration commenced, she was able to lie down, slept well, and was able to sit up next morning without much pain; she took no more medicine, and was well on the 15th of October."

Comments by Dr. Lippe:
"The choice of the remedy was evidently between Bryonia and Belladonna; although the fever was high and the skin dry, Aconite was entirely out of the question, as the characteristic mental symptoms of Aconite were absent. There was evidently present an inflammatory condition of the liver, but the Hepatitis did not indicate a remedy. The Bryonia pains are invariably increased on motion, but are also relieved by lying on the painful side; Belladonna pains are very often increased by motion, but are not relieved, but rather increased, when lying on the painful side; all the other symptoms were to be found under both these remedies, only that Belladonna has a relief from pains in the abdomen when leaning against something hard, and from sitting in a position bending forward (similar to Colocynth). The choice of the remedy was therefore a very easy task, and it required but one dose of the truly homoeopathic remedy to cure the patient."

A case - Dr. Lippe

"Mrs. B......, aet. 45, had for many years suffered from a very delicate and irritable stomach, from cancrous sore mouth (cured by Phytolacca), all in consequence of what is mis-termed scientific treatment; she also had suffered from hay-fever, regularly returning every year on the 16th of September.

Mrs. B. returned from Europe, after an absence of several years, on the 26th July last; the voyage had been a very unpleasant one; she had been very sea-sick all the time. From the time she left Liverpool till she was visited by me, on the 27th July, she had taken literally no nourishment; broken ice was the only thing that had passed her lips.

I found her sitting up, occasionally straining to vomit, very weak, pulse 110 per minute; she complained of a violent pain in the occiput, with great heat, which she had tried to relieve by applications of broken ice; urinary secretions suppressed; mouth dry and hot; she had not slept for a fortnight, and could not lie down on account of a great nervousness, as she expressed it, which compelled her to change her position and her chair so very often; she wandered about all night from chair to chair; taste very disagreeable; perfect loathing of food, and for a few days had a watery, very offensive, and black-looking diarrhoea.

The choice of the remedy was easy enough; I gave her one dose of Arsenicum album 50m (Fincke) on her tongue. (July 27th, 10 a.m. ) July 28th, had slept in her bed from 10 p.m. till 1 a.m. , then became nervous and restless, but says that she feels better. No medicine. July 29th. Has been in bed all night, slept, and no return of the diarrhoea; urinary secretions re-established; the hot water applications to her head have very much relieved the pain; has taken some milk-toast, and relished it; pulse below 90; is cheerful and hopeful.

July 31st. Had a still better night, is better in every respect, but complains of severe pains in a bunion on the left foot; it is much inflamed and stings (1). I gave her now one dose of Nitr-ac. C m. (Fincke). August 1st. The bunion is less painful, otherwise there is not much change perceptible. August 2nd. Bunion still improving, and on August 3rd no more pain or inflammation in it.

On the evening of August 3rd, I was again summoned to see her; found her (7 p.m. ) quite ill; the diarrhoea and vomiting had returned with great violence; pulse over 110; the same headache as on the 27th had also returned, also the great restlessness (2). Gave her one dose of Arsenicum alb. C m (Fincke) dry on her tongue. Found her better next day, and the improvement continued; on the 6th of August (3) her bunion began to pain her again as on July 31st.

Gave no medicine (4). The improvement continued satisfactorily; when the 16th of September came, she had that night, about 1 a.m. , some oppression of breathing, which reminded her of the terrible asthmatic attacks she had had years ago; she had to sit up for half-an-hour. No medicine. She fully recovered, and travelled for some weeks; had no hay-fever; really has had nothing to complain of since; enjoys better health than she had for years."

Comments from Dr. Lippe:
"When the bunion appeared, no medicine should have been given, because all the other symptoms for which Arsenic was clearly indicated improved under its salutary action, clearly showing that the effects of the dose administered was not yet exhausted, and because this new symptom appearing on a less vital part of the body; also showing a moving downward of the disease did not indicate a progress, but a descending diminution of the disorder.

Here were two important rules violated. The remedy must be allowed to exhaust its effects before another dose of the same remedy, or a new remedy, shall be administered. If the appearance of the painful bunion had demonstrated a progress of the disorder, a new remedy indicated by this last appearing symptom would have been in order; and, above all, do we know that if a less vital organ becomes affected, and if the symptoms move from the centres to the extremities, or from above downwards, such symptoms do not indicate a progress of the disorder, and therefore no new remedy should be given, and especially not if the general or previous more serious condition of the patient improves."

Keynote system - A bit more - Henry Guernsey MD

"A few examples, by way of illustration, may not at this juncture be misplaced.

Being called in consultation recently, in a case of dysmenorrhoea, where a great variety of symptoms presented themselves, I was much struck with the devout, beseeching, earnest and ceaseless talking of the patient, and at once suggested to the attending physician the exhibition of Stramonium.

Upon comparing symptoms, he replied that all her symptoms were not under the head of that remedy, but agreed to the use of Stram., as he could suggest nothing else, adding that if it cured her, "he would cease to believe in the doctrine of totality."

I replied that Stram. was undoubtedly the remedy, and if it were properly proven, and on every variety of temperament and condition, all of her symptoms would be found in the record of its pathogenesis.

Stramonium 200 was given, and it quieted her at once, and all her other symptoms speedily vanished, inversely as they had appeared. Her peculiar talking was the last symptom to manifest itself and the first to disappear, and when present in disease in either sex is a key-note to Stramonium.

In cases of haemorrhage, where the blood forms itself into a resemblance to long black strings hanging from the bleeding orifice, Crocus will be the remedy; not for the haemorrhage alone, but for the whole chain of symptoms presented by the patient. The haemorrhage being last to appear, will be the first to be removed, and by not now interfering with the curative action in progress, giving no other medicine, and allowing a sufficient time for the action of the dose, the remaining symptoms, constituting the whole condition that has led up to the haemorrhage, with its characteristic peculiarity, will be dissipated, inversely as they have appeared.

When, in colicky children, an appearance of red sand is discerned in the diaper, we know that Lycopodium is indicated. By the action of that remedy the whole disordered condition of the little one will be removed; the whole chain of disordered action that culminated in this phenomena of the urine. The urine indicates Lycopodium, is the key-note in the case for that remedy, and the balance of the little patient's symptoms will be found under it and be removed by it.

I am permitted to refer to the following case, extracted from one of the numerous letters sent me on this subject. In a case of typhoid fever, the last and worst of a malignant epidemic, where the disease had resisted the action of all the medicines given, and the attending and consulting physicians despaired of saving the boy,-a previously healthy, robust lad of sixteen years,-he was restored to his former rugged condition through the action of a remedy suggested solely by a "key-note" symptom.

My friend writes:-"As I went to his bedside one evening, I noticed a peculiar convulsive movement of the head, such as I had not before noticed in this or any other case, viz., the head jerked itself clear of the pillow, and then fell immediately back; this being constantly repeated. I at once recalled your key-note, for Stramonium.

I went to my office, and on comparing the symptoms of the case with the symptomatology of that remedy, I was struck with the wonderful correspondence. I then gave repeated doses of the 3d dilution, acting on my colleague's advice, but in twenty-four hours saw no improvement. The 30th was then given with no favourable result. I then gave a single dose of Stram. 200, at night, and was delighted to see a smile on the face of the anxious mother when I called next morning. 'Henry became quiet,' she said, 'very soon after taking the medicine, and has, for the first time, slept quietly.' His convalescence was steady from this period. I gave no other medicine for ten or twelve days. Stramonium saved him, and your 'key-note' given me in the class was my only guide to it."

Case of pneumonia - William P Wesselhoeft MD

William P Wesselhoeft MD was another exceptional homeopathic physician and colleague of Dr. Lippe's. Here he presents a wonderful case of pneumonia...

"G. W., a girl six years old, has fever, with dry heat, and quick pulse, cough, and dyspnoea. This was for a time relieved by Aconite; but in two days afterwards the following symptoms appeared : Feverish heat and fast pulse; pain in the lumbar region; short, swift breathing; loose cough; much thirst. Auscultation shows faint bronchial breathing in left lower lobe; husky, respiration in left upper lobe; indistinct respiration in right lower lobe; strong resonant respiration in upper right lobe; percussion rather tympanitic on both sides (Pneumonia).

Prescription : Bryonia, three doses, one every six hours.

March 7th. Tongue coated brown; paleness; no appetite; costiveness; urine with strong odor, and sediment reddish, cloudy; quick, dry respiration; auscultation shows respiration less dry on left, and more vesicular and full on the right side, notwithstanding which apparent improvement of chest symptoms the fever has assumed the typhoidal character; patient lies on her back; fever less in the morning; dry heat at night; sleep soporific and restless, with delirium; drinks often and eagerly, but only mouthful satisfies her; pulse small, frequent, and weak; rapid loss of strength.

Prescription : Arsenicum, three doses, one every six hours.
March 8th. Child slept quite comfortably in the night; very little thirst; movement of bowels after enema; pulse much more quiet; moist skin; febrile periods much shorter during the day.
March 9th. Much better; slept quietly and naturally all night; pulse soft; skin and tongue moist; some loose cough; looks quite bright; chest-symptoms are rapidly improving.

From this time the improvement progressed gradually without another prescription. The patient was quite well at the end of a week."