The Chronic
Diseases, their Peculiar Nature and their Homœopathic Cure.
by Dr Samuel Hahnemann
Presented By Médi-T
(Page 150 … 159)
The first solution cannot be
made in pure alcohol, because sugar of milk will not dissolve in
alcohol. The first solution is therefore made in a mixture of half
water and half alcohol.To one grain of the medicinal
powder triturated to the millionfold potency I, fifty drops of
distilled water are dropped in and by turning the vial a few times
round on its axis it is easily dissolved, when fifty drops of good
alcohol [*] are added,
and the vial, which ought only to be filled to two-thirds of its
capacity by the mixture, ought to be stoppered and shaken twice (i.e.
with two down-strokes of the arm). It is marked with the name of the
medicine and 1/100 I. [**]
One drop of this is added to ninety-nine or one hundred drops of pure
alcohol, the stoppered vial is then shaken with two strokes of the arm
and marked with the name of the medicine and designated 1/1000 I. One
drop of this is added to ninety-nine or one hundred drops of pure
alcohol, the corked vial is then shaken with two strokes of the arm
and marked with the name of the medicine and II. The preparation of
the higher potencies is then continued with two strokes of the arm [***]
every time to the 1/100 II, 1/10000 II, III, etc., but to attain a
simple uniformity in practice only the vials with the full numbers II,
III, IV, V, [****] etc.,
are used in practice, but the intermediate numbers are preserved in
boxes or cases with their labels. Thus they will be protected from the
effect of daylight.—–
[*]
For the fifty drops of water as well as for the fifty
drops of alcohol a vial containing just that quantity may be used,
so that we need not then count the drops, especially as drops of
water are not easily counted when it flows from a vial, the mouth of
which is not roughened by rubbing with sand.[**]
It will be well to mark on the label that it has been shaken twice,
together with the date.[***]
After many experiments and searching comparisons with the
patients I have for several years preferred from conviction to give
to the medicinal fluids which are to be elevated to higher potencies
and at the same time to be rendered milder, only two shakes (with
two strokes of the arm) instead of the ten shakes given by others,
because the potentizing in the latter case by the repeated shaking
passes far beyond the attenuation at every step (though this is one
hundred fold); while yet the end striven for is to develop the
medicinal powers only in the degree that the attenuation may reach
the end aimed for: to moderate in some degree the strength of the
medicine while its power of penetration is increased. The double
shake also increases the quantity of the medicinal forces developed,
like the tenfold shake, but not in as high a degree as the latter,
so that its strength may, nevertheless, be kept down by the one
hundred fold attenuation effected, and we thus obtain every time a
weaker though somewhat more highly potentized and more penetrating
medicine.[****]
Instead of the fractional numbers 1/1000000 (I/I), 1/1000000000000
(I/II), etc., these degrees of dynamization are frequently so
expressed that only the exponent showing how often one hundred has
been multiplied into itself is expressed, thus, instead of 1, 100 (3);
instead of I/II, 100 (6); instead of I, 100 (9);
instead of 1/100 III 100 (10); instead of 1/10000 IX, 100
(29) and instead of decillion I/X, 100 (3),
thus only the exponents as to the third, sixth, ninth, tenth,
twenty-ninth and thirtieth potency, etc.As the shaking is only
to take place through moderate
strokes of the arm, the hand of which holds the vial, it is best to
choose the vials just so large that they will be two-thirds filled
with 100 drops of the attenuated medicine.Vials that have contained a
remedy must never be used for the reception of any other medicine,
though they be rinsed ever so often, but new vials must be taken every
time.* * * * *
The pellets which are to be
moistened with the medicine should also be selected of the same size,
hardly as large as poppy-seeds, made by the confectioner, partly so
that the dose may be made small enough, and partly that homœopathic
physicians in the preparation of medicines, as also in the giving of
doses, may act alike, and thus be able to compare the result of their
practice with that of other Homœopaths in the most certain manner.The moistening of pellets is
best done with a quantity, so that a drachm or several drachms of
pellets are put into a little dish of stoneware, porcelain or glass;
this dish should be more deep than wide, in the form of a large
thimble; several drops of the spirituous medicinal fluid should be
dropped into it (rather a few drops too many), so that they may
penetrate to the bottom and will have moistened all the pellets within
a minute. Then the dish is turned over and emptied on a piece of clean
double blotting paper, so that the superfluous fluid may be absorbed
by it, and when this is done, the pellets are spread on the paper so
as to dry quickly. When dry, the pellets are filled in a vial, marked
as to its contents, and well stoppered.All pellets moistened with
the spirituous liquid have when dry a dull appearance; the crude,
unmoistened pellets look whiter and more shining.To prepare the pellets to
give to patients, one or a couple of such little pellets are put into
the open end of a paper capsule containing two or three grains of
powdered sugar of milk; this is then stroked with a spatula or the
nail of the thumb with some degree of pressure until it is felt, that
the pellet or pellets are crushed and broken, then the pellets will
easily dissolve if put into water.Wherever I mention pellets in
giving medicine, I always mean the finest, of the size of poppy-seeds,
of which about 200 (more or less) weigh a grain.The antipsoric medicines
treated of in what follows contain no so-called idiopathic
medicines, since their pure effects, even those of the potentized
miasma of itch (Psorin) have not
been proved enough, by far, that a safe homœopathic use might be made
of it. I say homœopathic use, for
it does not remain idem (the
same); even if the prepared itch substance should be given to the same
patient from whom it was taken, it would not remain idem
(the same), as it could only be useful to him in a potentized state,
since crude itch substance which he has already in his body as an idem
is without effect on him. But the dynamization or potentizing changes
it and modifies it; just as gold leaf after potentizing is no more
crude gold leaf inert in the human body, but in every stage of
dynamization it is more and more modified and changed.Thus potentized and modified
also, the itch substance (Psorin)
when taken is no more an idem
(same) with the crude original itch substance, but only a simillimum
(thing most similar). For between IDEM
and SIMILLIMUM
There is no intermediate for any one that can
think; or in other words between idem
and simile only simillimum
can be intermediate. Isopathic and æquale
are equivocal expressions, which if they should signify anything
reliable can only signify simillimum,
because they are not idem (ταυτόν).SECOND
PART.——–
ANTIPSORIC
MEDICINES.
Dr
Samuel HAHNEMANN (1755-1843)
PREFACE
CONCERNING
THE TECHNICAL PART OF HOMŒOPATHY [1]Since I last [*]
addressed the public concerning our healing art, I have had among
other things also the opportunity to gain experience as to the best
possible mode of administering the doses of the medicines to the
patients, and I herewith communicate what I have found best in this
respect.A small pellet of one of the
highest dynamizations of a medicine laid dry upon the tongue, or the
moderate smelling of an opened vial wherein one or more such pellets
are contained, proves itself the smallest and weakest dose with the
shortest period of duration in its effects. Still there are numerous
patients of so excitable a nature, that they are sufficiently affected
by such a dose in slight acute ailments, to be cured by it if the
remedy is homœopathically selected. Nevertheless the incredible
variety among patients as to their irritability, their age, their
spiritual and bodily development, their vital power and especially as
to the nature of their disease, necessitates a great variety in their
treatment, and also in the administration to them of the doses of
medicines. For their diseases may be of various kinds: either a
natural and simple one but lately arisen, or it may be a natural and
simple one but an old case, or it may be a complicated one (a
combination of several miasmata), or again what is the most frequent
and worst case, it may have been spoiled by a perverse medical
treatment, and loaded down with medicinal diseases.I can here limit myself only
to this latter case, as the other cases cannot be arranged in tabular
form for the weak and negligent, but must be left to the accuracy, the
industry and the intelligence of able men, who are masters of their
art.Experience has shown me, as
it has no doubt also shown to most of my followers, that it is most
useful in diseases of any magnitude (not excepting even the most
acute, and still more so in the half- acute, in the tedious and most
tedious) to give to the patient the powerful homœopathic pellet or
pellets only in solution, and this solution in divided doses. In this
way we give the medicine, dissolved in seven to twenty tablespoonfuls
of water without any addition, in acute and very acute diseases every
six, four or two hours; where the danger is urgent, even every hour or
every half-hour, a tablespoonful at a time; with weak persons or
children, only a small part of a tablespoonful (one or two
teaspoonfuls or coffeespoonfuls) may be given as a dose.—–
[1]
This preface was prefixed to Vol. III, of
the “Chronic Diseases,” published in the year 1837.
–Tr.[*]
In the beginning of the year 1834 I wrote
the first two parts of this work and although they together contain
only thirty-six sheets, my former publisher, Mr. Arnold, in Dresden,
took two years to publish these thirty-six sheets. By whom was he
thus delayed? My acquaintances can guess that.In chronic diseases I have
found it best to give a dose (e.g.,
a spoonful) of a solution of the suitable medicine at least every two
days, more usually every day.But since water (even
distilled water) commences after a few days to be spoil, whereby the
power of the small quantity of medicine contained is destroyed, the
addition of a little alcohol is necessary, or where this is not
practicable, or if the patient cannot bear it, I add a few small
pieces of hard charcoal to the watery solution. This answers the
purpose, except that in the latter case the fluid in a few days
receives a blackish tint. This is caused by shaking the liquid, as is
necessary every time before giving a dose of medicine, as may be seen
below.Before proceeding, it is
important to observe, that our vital principle cannot well bear that
the same unchanged dose of medicine be given even twice in succession,
much less more frequently to a patient. For by this the good effect of
the former dose of medicine is either neutralized in part, or new
symptoms proper to the medicine, symptoms which have not before been
present in the disease, appear, impeding the cure. Thus even a well
selected homœopathic medicine produces ill effects and attains its
purpose imperfectly or not at all. Thence come the many contradictions
of homœopathic physicians with respect to the repetition of doses.But in taking one and the
same medicine repeatedly (which is indispensable
to secure the cure of a serious, chronic disease), if the dose is in
every case varied and modified only a little in its degree of
dynamization, then the vital force of the patient will calmly, and as
it were willingly receive the same
medicine even at brief intervals very many times in succession with
the best results, every time increasing the well-being of the patient.This slight change in the
degree of dynamization is even effected, if the bottle which contains
the solution of one or more pellets is merely well shaken five or six
times, every time before taking it.Now when the physician has in
this way used up the solution of the medicine that had been prepared,
if the medicine continues useful, he will take one or two pellets of
the same medicine in a lower potency (e.g.
if before he had used the thirtieth dilution, he will now take one or
two pellets of the twenty-fourth), and will make a solution in about
as many spoonfuls of water, shaking up the bottle, and adding a little
alcohol or a few pieces of charcoal. This last solution may then be
taken in the same manner, or at longer intervals, perhaps also less of
the solution at a time; but every time the solution must be shaken up
five or six times. This will be continued so long as the remedy still
produces improvement and until new ailments (such as have never yet
occurred with other patients in this disease), appear; for in such a
case a new remedy will have to be used. On any day when the remedy has
produced too strong an action, the dose should be omitted for a day.
If the symptoms of the disease alone appear, but are considerably
aggravated even during the more moderate use of the medicine, then the
time has come to break off in the use of the medicine for one or two
weeks, and to await a considerable improvement. [*]When the medicine has been
consumed and it is found necessary to continue the same remedy, if the
physician should desire to prepare a new portion of medicine from the
same degree of potency, it will be necessary to give to the new
solution as many shakes, as the number of shakes given to the last
portion amount to when summed up together, and then a few more, before
the patient is given the first dose; but after that, with the
subsequent doses, the solution is to be shaken up only five or six
times.—–
[*]
In treating acute cases of disease the homœopathic physician
will proceed in a similar manner. He will dissolve one (two) pellet
of the highly potentized, well selected medicine in seven, ten or
fifteen tablespoonfuls of water (without addition) by shaking the
bottle. He will then, according as the disease is more or less
acute, and more or less dangerous, give the patient every half hour,
or every hour, every two, three, four, six hours (after again well
shaking the bottle) a whole or a half tablespoonful of the solution,
or, in the case of a child, even less. If the physician sees no new
symptoms develop, he will continue at these intervals, until the
symptoms present at first begin to be aggravated; then he will give
it at longer intervals and less at a time.
As is well known, in cholera the suitable medicine has often to be
given at far shorter intervals.
Children are always given these solutions from their usual drinking
vessels; a teaspoon for drinking is to them unusual and suspicious,
and they will refuse the tasteless liquid at once on that account. A
little sugar may be added for their sake.In this manner the
homœopathic physician will derive all the benefit from a well
selected remedy, which can be obtained in any special case of chronic
disease by doses given through the mouth.But if the diseased organism
is affected by the physician through this same appropriate remedy at
the same time in sensitive spots other than the nerves of the mouth
and the alimentary canal, i.e. if
this same remedy that has been found useful is at the same time in its
watery solution rubbed in (even in small quantities) into one or more
parts of the body which are most free from the morbid ailments (e.g.
on an arm, or on the thigh or leg, which have neither
cutaneous eruptions, nor pains, nor cramps) -then the curative effects
are much in creased. The limbs
which are thus rubbed with the solution may also be varied, first one,
then another. Thus the physician will receive a greater action from
the medicine homœopathically suitable to the chronic patient, and can
cure him more quickly, than by merely internally administering the
remedy.This mode of procedure has
been frequently proved by myself and found extraordinarily curative;
yea, attended by the most startling good effects; the medicine taken
internally being at the same time rubbed on the skin externally. This
procedure will also explain the wonderful cures, of rare occurrence
indeed, where chronic crippled patients with
sound skin recovered quickly and permanently by a few baths
in a mineral water, the medicinal constituents of which were to a
great degree homœopathic to their chronic disease. [*]The limb, therefore, on which
the solution is to be rubbed in, must be free
from cutaneous ailments. In order to introduce also here
change and variation, when several of the limbs are free from
cutaneous ailments, one limb after the other should be used, in
alternation, on different days, (best on days when the medicine is not
taken internally). A small quantity of the solution should be rubbed
in with the hand, until the limb is dry. Also for this purpose, the
bottle should be shaken five or six times.Convenient as the mode of
administering the medicine above described may be, and much as it
surely advances the cure of chronic diseases, nevertheless, the
greater quantity of alcohol or whisky or the several lumps of charcoal
which have to be added in warmer weather to preserve the watery
solution were still objectionable to me with many patients.—–
[*]
On the other hand such baths have also inflicted a proportionally
greater injury with patients who suffered from ulcers and cutaneous
eruptions; for these were driven by them from the skin, as may be
done by other external means, when after a short period of health,
the vital force of the patient transferred the internal uncured
disease to another part of the body, and one much more important to
life and health. Thus e.g. may
be produced the, obscuration of the crystalline lens, the paralysis
of the optic nerve, the destruction of the sense of hearing; pains
also of innumerable kinds in consequence torture the patient, his
mental organs suffer, his mind becomes obscured, spasmodic asthma
threatens to suffocate him, or an apoplectic stroke carries him off,
or some other dangerous or unbearable disease takes the place of the
former ailment. Therefore the homœopathic remedy given internally
must never be rubbed in on parts which suffer from external
ailments.I have, therefore, lately
found the following mode of administration preferable with careful
patients. From a mixture of about five tablespoonfuls of pure water
and five tablespoonfuls of French brandy -which is kept on hand in a
bottle, 200, 300 or 400 drops (according as the solution is to be
weaker or stronger) are dropped into a little vial, which may be
half-filled with it, and in which the medicinal powder or the pellet
or pellets of the medicine have been placed. This vial is stoppered
and shaken until the medicine is dissolved. From this solution one,
two, three or several drops, according to the irritability and the
vital force of the patient, are dropped into a cup, containing a
spoonful of water; this is then well stirred and given to the patient,
and where more especial care is necessary, only the half of it may be
given; half a spoonful of this mixture may also well be used for the
above mentioned external rubbing.On days, when only the latter
is administered, as also when it is taken internally, the little vial
containing the drops must every time be briskly shaken five or six
times; so also the drop or drops of medicine with the tablespoonful of
water must be well stirred in the cup.It would be still better if
instead of the cup a vial should be used, into which a tablespoonful
of water is put, which can then be shaken five or six times and their
wholly or half emptied for a dose.Frequently it is useful in
treating chronic diseases to take the medicine, or to rub it in in the
evening, shortly before going to sleep, because we have then less
disturbance to fear from without, than when it is done earlier.When I was still giving the
medicines in undivided portions, each with some water at a time, I
often found that the potentizing in the attenuating glasses effected
by ten shakes was too strong (i.e., the
medicinal action too strongly developed) and I, therefore, advised
only two succussions. But during the last years, since I have been
giving every dose of medicine in an incorruptible solution, divided
over fifteen, twenty or thirty days and even more, no potentizing in
an attenuating vial is found too strong, and I again use ten strokes
with each. So I herewith take back what I wrote on this subject three
years ago in the first volume of this book on page 149.In cases where a great
irritability of the patient is combined with extreme debility, and the
medicine can only be administered by allowing the patient to smell a
few small pellets contained in a vial, when the medicine is to be used
for several days, I allow the patient to smell daily of a different
vial, containing the same medicine, indeed, but every time of a lower
potency, once or twice with each nostril according as I wish him to be
affected more or less.
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2006
