The Art of Healing
§248 – Sixth Edition
For this purpose, we potentize anew the medicinal solution1 (with perhaps 8, 10, 12 succussions) from which we give the patient one or (increasingly) several teaspoonful doses, in long lasting diseases daily or every second day, in acute diseases every two to six hours and in very urgent cases every hour or oftener. Thus in chronic diseases, every correctly chosen homœopathic medicine, even those whose action is of long duration, may be repeated daily for months with ever increasing success. If the solution is used up (in seven to fifteen days) it is necessary to add to the next solution of the same medicine if still indicated one or (though rarely) several pellets of a higher potency with which we continue so long as the patient experiences continued improvement without encountering one or another complaint that he never had before in his life. For if this happens, if the balance of the disease appears in a group of altered symptoms thenanother, one more homœopathically related medicine must be chosen in place of the last and administered in the same repeated doses, mindful, however, of modifying the solution of every dose with thorough vigorous succussions, thus changing its degree of potency and increasing it somewhat. On the other hand, should there appear during almost daily repetition of the well indicated homœopathic remedy, towards the end of the treatment of a chronic disease, so called (§161) homœopathic aggravations by which the balance of the morbid symptoms seem to again increase somewhat (the medicinal disease, similar to the original, now alone persistently manifests itself). The doses in that case must then be reduced still further and repeated in longer intervals and possibly stopped several days, in order to see if the convalescence need no further medicinal aid. The apparent symptoms (Schein – Symptome) caused by the excess of the homœopathic medicine will soon disappear and leave undisturbed health in its wake. If only a small vial say a dram of dilute alcohol is used in the treatment, in which is contained and dissolved through succussion one globule of the medicine which is to be used by olfaction every two, three or four days, this also must be thoroughly succussed eight to ten times before each olfaction.
1 Made in 40, 30, 20, 15 or 8 tablespoons of water with the addition of some alcohol or a piece of charcoal in order to preserve it. If charcoal is used, it is suspended by means of a thread in the vial and is taken out when the vial is succussed. The solution of the medicinal globule (and it is rarely necessary to use more than one globule) of a thoroughly potentized medicine in a large quantity of water can be obviated by making a solution in only 7-8 tablespoons of water and after thorough succussion of the vial take from it one tablespoon and put it in a glass of water (containing about 7 to 8 spoonfuls), this stirred thoroughly and then given a dose to the patient. If he is unusually excited and sensitive, a teaspoon of this solution may be put in a second glass of water, thoroughly stirred and teaspoonful doses or more be given. There are patients of so great sensitiveness that a third or fourth glass, similarly prepared, may be necessary. Each such prepared glass must be made fresh daily. the globule of the high potency is best crushed in a few grains of sugar of milk which the patient can put in the vial and be dissolved in the requisite quantity of water.
We have to mix the medicine in water afresh in required potency in this manner and make the patient drink a few spoons. In prolonged diseases according to necessity, the doses have to be used every day or once in two days. In acute diseases, the spacing between doses can be from two to six hours. In most acute diseases, the dosage can be once in an hour or oftener. In chronic diseases, even if the drug works for a long time, a daily dose can be used in increasing potencies for months together. If the medicine is exhausted within one week to fifteen days the same medicine should be prepared next time in higher potency and used in water. When the doses are used in the same manner so long as recovery is noticed no new symptoms would appear. Thereafter based on the totality of the remaining symptoms, the drug is to be selected and used in the same manner. By doing so, the potency of each dose slightly increases. Before the treatment of the chronic disease is completed, the symptoms would aggravate. Immediately, the same medicine in increased potency should be used. The spacing between doses also should be increased. In this process, if all the symptoms vanish, the cure is complete. All the drug symptoms earlier aggravated would also disappear. At this stage when, the last dose should be kept in a dram of alcohol and shaked. The smell of the same should be given at an interval of three or four days. Each time it is smelt, the bottle should be shaked.
§249
Every medicine prescribed for a case of disease which, in the course of its action, produces new and troublesome symptoms not appertaining to the disease to be cured, is not capable of effecting real improvement1, and cannot be considered as homœopathically selected; it must, therefore, either, if the aggravation be considerable, be first partially neutralized as soon as possible by an antidote before giving the next remedy chosen more accurately according to similarity of action; or if the troublesome symptoms be not very violent, the next remedy must be given immediately, in order to take the place of the improperly selected one2.
1As all experience shows that the dose of the specially suited homœopathic medicine can scarcely be prepared too small to effect perceptible amelioration in the disease for which it is appropriate (§§ 275-278), we should act injudiciously and hurtfully were we when no improvement, or some, though it be even slight, aggravation ensues, to repeat or even increase the doseof the same medicine, as is done in the old system, under the delusion that it was not efficacious on account of its small quantity (its too small dose). Every aggravation by the production of new symptoms – when nothing untoward has occurred in the mental or physical regimen – invariably proves unsuitableness on the part of the medicine formerly given in the case of disease before us, but never indicates that the dose has been too weak.
2 The well informed and conscientiously careful physician will never be in a position to require an antidote in his practice if he will begin, as he should, to give the selected medicine in the smallest possible dose. Like minute doses of a better chosen remedy will re-establish order throughout.
When the medicine is in action, any new symptoms not connected with the disease in any way indicate that the drug given is not homoeopathic and it does not bring any real improvement to the patient. If at any time such a difficult situation arises and the aggravation is violent, the same should be anti-doted immediately. After the violent condition is reduced, another homoeopathic drug should be used or if the aggravated sufferings are not much violent, another homoeopathic remedy can be used without waiting.
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