But as the dose of a homoeopathic remedy can scarcely ever be made
so small that it shall not be able to relieve, overpower, indeed completely cure and
annihilate the uncomplicated natural disease of not long standing that is analogous to it
(§ 249, note), we can understand why a does of an appropriate homoeopathic medicine, not
the very smallest possible, does always, during the first hour after its ingestion,
produce a perceptible homoeopathic aggravation of this kind.11 This exaltation of the medicinal symptoms over those disease
symptoms analogous to them, which looks like an aggravation, has been observed by other
physicians also, when by accident they employed a homoeopathic remedy. When a patient
suffering from itch complains of an increase of the eruption after sulphur, his physician
who knows not the cause of this, consoles him with the assurance that the itch must first
come out properly before it can be cured; he knows not, however, that this is a sulphur
eruption, that assumes the appearance of an increase of the itch.
The facial eruption which the viola tricolor cured was aggravated by it
at the commencement of its action, Leroy tells us (Heilk, fur Mutter, p.406), but he
knew not that the apparent aggravation was owing to the somewhat too large dose of the
remedy, which in this instance was to a certain extent homoeopathic. Lysons says (Med.
Transact., vol ii, London, 1772), The bark of the elm cures most certainly those skin
diseases which it increases at the beginning of its action. Had he not given the bark
in the monstrous doses usual in the allopathic system, but in the quite small doses
requisite when the medicine shows similarity of symptoms, that is to say, when it is used
homoeopathically, he would have effected a cure without, or almost without, seeing this
apparent increase of the disease (homoeopathic aggravation).
§ 161 Fifth Edition
When I here limit the so-called homoeopathic aggravation, or rather the
primary action of the homoeopathic medicine that seems to increase somewhat the symptoms
of the original disease, to the first or few hours, this is certainly true with respect to
diseases of a more acute character and of recent origin, but where medicines of long
action have to combat a malady of, considerable or of very long standing, where one dose,
consequently, must continue to act for many days, we then occasionally see, during the
first six, eight or ten days, the occurrence of some such primary actions, of the
medicine, some such apparent increase of the symptoms of the original disease (lasting for
one or several hours), while in the intervening hours amelioration of the whole malady is
perceptible. After the lapse of these few days the amelioration resulting from such
primary action of the medicine proceeds almost uninterruptedly for several days longer.
§ 161 Sixth Edition
When I here limit the so-called homoeopathic aggravation, or rather the
primary action of the homoeopathic medicine that seems to increase somewhat the symptoms
of the original disease, to the first or few hours, this is certainly true with respect to
diseases of a more acute character and of recent origin, but where medicines of long
action have to combat a malady of, considerable or of very long standing, where no such
apparent increase of the original disease ought to appear during treatment and it does not
so appear if the accurately chosen medicine was given in proper small, gradually higher
doses, each somewhat modified with renewed dynamization (§ 247). Such increase of the
original symptoms of a chronic disease can appear only at the end of treatment when the
cure is almost or quite finished.
Sometimes happens, owing to the moderate number of medicines yet known
with respect to their true, pure action, that but a portion of the symptoms of the disease
under treatment are to be met with in the list of symptoms of the most appropriate
medicine, consequently this imperfect medicinal morbific agent must be employed for lack
of a more perfect one.
In this case we cannot indeed expect from this medicine a complete,
untroubled cure; for during its use some symptoms appear which were not previously
observable in the disease, accessory symptoms of the not perfectly appropriate remedy.
This does by no means prevent a considerable part of the disease (the symptoms of the
disease that resemble those of the medicine) from being eradicated by this medicine,
thereby establishing a fair commencement of the cure, but still this does not take place
without those accessory symptoms, which are, however, always moderate when the dose of the
medicine is sufficiently minute.
The small number of homoeopathic symptoms present in the best selected
medicine is no obstacle to the cure in cases where these few medicinal symptoms are
chiefly of an uncommon kind and such as are peculiarly distinctive (characteristic) of the
disease; the cure takes place under such circumstances without any particular disturbance.
If, however, among the symptoms of the remedy selected, there be none
that accurately resemble the distinctive (characteristic), peculiar, uncommon symptoms of
the case of disease, and if the remedy correspond to the disease only in the general,
vaguely described, indefinite states (nausea, debility, headache, and so forth), and if
there be among the known medicines none more homoeopathically appropriate, in that case
the physician cannot promise himself any immediate favorable result from the employment of
this unhomoeopathic medicine.
Such a case is, however, very rare, owing to the increased number of
medicines whose pure effects are now known, and the bad effects resulting from it, when
they do occur, are diminished whenever a subsequent medicine, of more accurate
resemblance, can be selected.
Thus if there occur, during the use of this imperfectly homoeopathic
remedy first employed, accessory symptoms of some moment, then, in the case of acute
diseases, we do not allow this first dose to exhaust its action, nor leave the patient to
the full duration of the action of the remedy, but we investigate afresh the morbid state
in its now altered condition, and add the remainder of the original symptoms to those
newly developed in tracing a new picture of the disease.
We shall then be able much more readily to discover, among the
known medicines, an analogue to the morbid state before us, a single dose of which, if it
do not entirely destroy the disease, will advance it considerably on the way to be cured.
And thus we go on, if even this medicine be not quite sufficient to effect the restoration
of health, examining again and again the morbid state that still remains, and selecting a
homoeopathic medicine as suitable as possible for it, until our object, namely, putting
the patient in the possession of perfect health, is accomplished.
§ 169 fifth Edition
If, on the first examination of a disease and the first selection of a
medicine, we should find that the totality of the symptoms of the disease would not be
effectually covered by the disease elements of a single medicine – owing to the
insufficient number of known medicines, – but that two medicines contend for the
preference in point of appropriateness, one of which is more homoeopathically suitable for
one part, the other for another part of the symptoms of the disease, it is not advisable,
after the employment of the more suitable of the two medicines, to administer the other
without fresh examination, for the medicine that seemed to be the next best would not,
under the change of circumstances that has in the meantime taken place, be suitable for
the rest of the symptoms that then remain; in which case, consequently, a more appropriate
homoeopathic remedy must be selected in place of the second medicine for the set of
symptoms as they appear on a new inspection.
§ 169 Sixth Edition
If, on the first examination of a disease and the first selection of a
medicine, we should find that the totality of the symptoms of the disease would not be
effectually covered by the disease elements of a single medicine – owing to the
insufficient number of known medicines, – but that two medicines contend for the
preference in point of appropriateness, one of which is more homoeopathically suitable for
one part, the other for another part of the symptoms of the disease, it is not advisable,
after the employment of the more suitable of the two medicines, to administer the other
without fresh examination, and much less to give both together (§ 272, note) for the
medicine that seemed to be the next best would not, under the change of circumstances that
has in the meantime taken place, be suitable for the rest of the symptoms that then
remain; in which case, consequently, a more appropriate homoeopathic remedy must be
selected in place of the second medicine for the set of symptoms as they appear on a new
inspection.
Hence in this as in every case where a change of the morbid state has
occurred, the remaining set of symptoms now present must be inquired into, and (without
paying any attention to the medicine which at first appeared to be the next in point of
suitableness) another homoeopathic medicine, as appropriate as possible to the new state
now before us, must be selected. If it should so happen, as is not often the case, that
the medicine which at first appeared to be the next best seems still to be well adapted
for the morbid state that remains, so much the more will it merit our confidence, and
deserve to be employed in preference to another.
§ 171 Fifth Edition
In non-venereal chronic disease, those, therefore, that arise from
psora, we often require, in order to effect a cure, to give several antipsoric remedies in
succession, every successive one being homoeopathically chosen in consonance with the
group of symptoms remaining after the expiry of the action of the previous remedy (which
may have been employed in a single dose or in several successive doses).
§ 171 Sixth Edition
In non-venereal chronic disease, those, therefore, that arise from
psora, we often require, in order to effect a cure, to give several antipsoric remedies in
succession, every successive one being homoeopathically chosen in consonance with the
group of symptoms remaining after completion of the action of the previous remedy.
A similar difficulty in the way of the cure occurs from the symptoms of
the disease being too few – a circumstances that deserves our careful attention, for by
its removal almost all the difficulties that can lie in the way of this most perfect of
all possible modes of treatment (except that its apparatus of known homoeopathic medicines
is still incomplete) are removed.
The only diseases that seem to have but few symptoms, and on that
account to be less amenable to cure, are those which may be termed one-sided, because they
display only one or two principal symptoms which obscure almost all the others. They
belong chiefly to the class of chronic diseases.
Their principal symptom may be either an internal complaint (e.g. a
headache of many years’ duration, a diarrhoea of long standing, an ancient cardialgia,
etc.), or it may be an affection more of an external kind. Diseases of the latter
character are generally distinguished by the name of local maladies.
In one-sided diseases of the first kind it is often to be attributed to
the medical observer’s want of discernment that he does not fully discover the symptoms
actually present which would enable him to complete the sketch of the portrait of the
disease.
There are, however, still a few diseases, which, after the most careful
initial examination (§§ 84-98), present but one or two severe, violent symptoms, while
all the others are but indistinctly perceptible.
In order to meet most successfully such a case as this, which is of
very rare occurrence, we are in the first place to select, guided by these few symptoms,
the medicine which in our judgment is the most homoeopathically indicated.
It will, no doubt, sometimes happen that this medicine, selected in
strict observance of the homoeopathic law, furnishes the similar artificial disease suited
for the annihilation of the malady present; and this is much more likely to happen when
these few morbid symptoms are very striking, decided, uncommon and peculiarly distinctive
(characteristic).
More frequently, however, the medicine first chosen in such a case will
be only partially, that is to say, not exactly suitable, as there was no considerable
number of symptoms to guide to an accurate selection.
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