Is There
anything in Sulphur – DM ?
By Edward W. Berridge, M. D.
Presented by Sylvain Cazalet
Dr Richard Hughes
Probably Dr. Richard
Hughes and his seven co-workers would answer this question in the
negative, seeing that they arbitrarily exclude from their Cyclopedia of
Drug Pathogenesy all symptoms obtained from potencies above the 12th
decimal unless confirmed by low potencies’ provings. Indeed, to such a
length has their prejudice carried them that they have excluded Dr T. F.
Allen’s high potency provings of Lactic acid, even though the latter
declares (New York Journal of Homœopathy, p. 102), “The effects
were so positive and uniform in different persons, that even the most
skeptical of the class were convinced of the effect of tho 30th.”
Yet this caricature of a Materia Medica, this miserable abortion, has
received the endorsement and patronage of the two great professedly
homœopathic institutions of the English-speaking nation I Whether they
will continue to endorse it after reading my analysis of this work, now
appearing in the Homœopathic World, remains to be seen. Possibly they
will, for Quern Deus vult perdere,
prius dementat.
But all these
theoretical objections of pseudo-philosophers and self-glorified
agnostics (“Agnostic” is a good word ; it sounds so much
better than its Latin equivalent of “Ignoramus.”) are
completely overthrown by a few simple facts, and of these facts one of
the most convincing is, that patients, have detected the medicine given
them by its pathogenetic effects upon them. I propose, therefore, to
record a few cases in point.
Dr Joseph KiddMr. B—., æt. 60,
consulted me for chronic varicose ulcers on legs. His medical history is
peculiar and instructive Ten or twelve years before he saw male,
consulted Dr. P—., a mongrel, who treated him in vain for two
months ; this Dr. P—. sent him to Mr. Cooper Foster, a celebrated
allopathic surgeon who deservedly snubbed the mongrel by refusing to
meet him in consultation. Mr. Foster lanced the leg, evacuating pus and
blood. Afterward more allopathic treatment, but without benefit. About
eight months before I saw him he consulted a “wise woman,” who
professed to cure diseased legs ; she applied her ointment which
brought away pus, but he lost appetite, and has never been so well
since-a very common effect of the dangerous practice of external
medication, which pseudo homœopaths, as well as allopaths, are so fond
of. Still more recently a local allopath gave him Mercury and Conium,
but without benefit. He also consulted Dr. Joseph Kidd, the chief of the
pseudo homœopaths in Great Britain, but Kiddopathy, this time of the
form of Pyrophosphate of iron, did no good.On December 19th, 1882,
I gave him Sulphur dm. a dose twice a day for eight days.On December 30th, he
reported a general improvement, saying that “this medicine had
acted like magic, quite different to former treatment.” On December
19th, after the first dose, reaching with the right hand across body to
the left caused acute pain in cardiac region for about 15 minutes ;
has had this before, but never so severely ; had a similar symptom
on 22nd, and any sudden motion caused catching pains in loins and
stomach. On 20, blisters broke out on upper lip, lasting three
days ; says he thinks he is taking Sulphur, because years ago he
had a similar eruption when using the Mexican Hair Restorer.He continued to improve
considerably under this medicine and some other. Syphilinum dm. removed
the symptoms. “Cough < when lying on right side." Unfortunately, in March, 1884, he caught cold and had pneumonia and jaundice. Being then helpless, his wife who hated Homœopathy, sent for an allopath, who speedily sent him into another world scandium artem. Of course, the widow was consoled by the allopathic assurance that "everything had been done for the dear departed."August 29th, 1876 :
I gave Mr. M—., æt. 75, a dose of Sulphur 23 mm. twice a day. On
September 6th he reported improvement but asked if I had given him
Sulphur, because on the second day he felt an emptiness in stomach with
decreased appetite and did not enjoy his food. He said that he always
used to have these symptoms when he took brimstone and treacle, or milk
of sulphur. This 20 mm. potency was made by a continuous flow of water
into the diluting vial for 14 days.March 23rd, 1881 :
I gave one does of Sulphur mm to a lady suffering from piles end
prolapsus ani. Like the former patients she was not told what she was
taking. On March 30th she reported as follows : On 24th felt a
difficulty in swallowing solids, just as she had a year ago while taking
repeated doses of Sulphur cm. The food seemed to scrape over the
throat ; she has had it more or less every day since, but it is now
decreasing. On 25th, 26th, 27th drowsiness about eleven A M. (one of the
great characteristics of Sulphur), so that she lay down and had a full
sleep for an hour and a half, which refreshed her. With this there was
an improvement in the piles and prolapsus.On March 30th, I gave
her one dose of DM, and on April 7th she reported that the drowsiness
about 11 A. M. had recurred for two or three days, but less ; the
throat symptoms did not return.In “Homœopathic
Physician,” IV, 290, I published another voluntary proving of
Sulphur mm. in which 11 lines from top “when I came” read
“at 3 A. M.”If patients can detect
the medicine from the effects of high potencies thereof, what becomes of
the theoretical objections of pseudo-savants ? “Your
pseudo-philosopher, who will always think he has plumbed the ocean with
his silver topped cane, is a great bore sometimes.”
Source :
Hom. Physician, 1886.
Copyright © Sylvain
Cazalet 2001
