Clinical
confirmations of some of the lesser remedies.
By Harvey Farrington, M.D.
Presented by Sylvain Cazalet
(Read before I. H. A., Bureau of
Clinical Medicine, July 27, 1939.)
Dr H.
FarringtonThe polychrests and
well proven remedies of our Materia Medica are amply sufficient for the
cure of the majority of cases met with in general practice.
Nevertheless, the homœopath who prescribes consistently on the totality
of the symptoms must acquire some knowledge of the so-called lesser
remedies which may prove curative in the case whose simillimum
cannot be found among the old line medicines. For homœopathy admit of
no substitutes.The term
“lesser” is applied to those drugs of which only meagre
provings have been made, or whose indications are based solely on
clinical experience or cases of poisoning. Take Vipera
torva, for instance. Practically all we know about this drug
is derived from the records of its toxic effects. And yet it has been
used extensively and with remarkable success ii) condition involving the
veins in various parts of the body, especially of lower extremities, in
a variety of skin affections, varicose ulcers, erysipelatous
inflammations and other serious ailments.
Castor equi,
the “rudimentary thumb nail” of the horse, is another remedy
with a very limited pathogenesis. Yet it has healed about one-third of
my cases of sore nipples after parturition. It has an affinity for the
female nipples, the nails, the hair and the bones, especially the right
tibia and coccyx. The nipples are cracked, ragged and so sensitive that
the least touch of the clothing causes pain. The breasts may be swollen
and sensitive to touch, but this is not always the case. Whenever I get
a case of this affection with no definite indications for one of the
polychrests, I prescribe Castor equi,
usually with excellent results.
Dr John Henry
ClarkeThyroidin.
familiar to students of Materia Medica of four decades ago, has been
neglected of late. We are indebted for a knowledge of its uses to John
H. Clarke of London, who collected a large number of toxic symptoms and
published them in a schematic form, together with cured symptoms, in the
Homœopathic World. Volume XXIX.
Several years ago a mother wrote to me about her thirteen year old boy.
She stated that he was heavy, listless, averse
to any mental or physical effort and had lost his habitually good
appetite. He seemed to be growing mentally
dull and did not do well in school. There were no other
symptoms except a slight dyspnœa from every little exertion, and a
small soft swelling in the region of the thyroid gland. Thyroid.
30, nine powders were followed by a definite improvement of both the
mental and the physical states. The boy began to grow more rapidly and
his averages at school showed improvement. A repetition in the same
potency six months later completed the cure.Fred H—., aged 27,
furnishes a clinical picture which is characteristic of Rhus
venenata. Fine vesicular eruption between
the fingers of both hands ; itching so violent that he could
not refrain from scratching. This was followed by watery
discharge which caused burning.
Symptoms worse from the warmth of the bed and
washing. A single dose of Rhus ven. 10M
was given. Soon the itching began to subside, the serous oozing ceased,
and the eruption became scaly, and then cleared up.Another case
illustrating the action of Rhus ven.
is that of E. C. B—. 47 years of age. He was brought up on a farm,
milked the cows and did other chores about the place. One day he noticed
that a red burning itching eruption was forming about his mouth. In a
few days it spread upward over the face, and then to the hands and arms.
Salves, lotions and ointments relieved for a time but the trouble soon
returned. Then he happened to notice that when he sat on the milking
stool to milk a cow, his face immediately began to burn.He gave up farming and
secured a position as teacher of mathematics at Purdue University. His
affliction soon disappeared. He was allergic to cows. That he was not
cured is proved by the fact that the eruption returned in an aggravated
form twelve years after he left the farm. He was now in business in
Chicago and he had not even paid a visit to the Stock Yards ! I
bothered my head not at all about allergies and took the symptoms, which
were as follows :Red, rough, oozing
eruption on the backs of the hands, especially towards the inner aspect.
Burning worse from the touch of hot water and after scratching. Severe
itching, worse by the warmth of the bed.
Sulphur 1M.
relieved tho itching and burning for a few days, but the eruption became
more scurfy, began to spread between the fingers and a large bleb formed
on the palm of the right and. There were dryness and drawing sensation
in the lips but no eruption. He received one powder of Rhus
ven. 50M. After a sharp aggravation the symptoms began to
abate and gradually disappeared. The 50M was given again for a slight
recurrence about a year after the first dose, and the patient has been
free of his ailment now for a period of three years.I would like to remind
you of the efficacy of Vinca minor
in alopecia. Our information regarding this remedy is based on
Rosenberg’s proving (Archiv. hom. Heilk., V. 17, pt. 2 ; Alg. hom.
Zeit., V. 29), and clinical cases scattered through the literature.
Despite a rather meagre proving, there are a number of peculiar and
striking symptoms. Great weakness after stool, with passive uterine
hæmorrhages and other conditions. Lachrymose, quarrelsome, sadness with
fear of death. Whirling vertigo with flickering in the field of vision.
Badly smelling eruptions on the face, head and behind the ears. The hair
falls out and is replaced by gray hair. Bald spots covered with a fine
white woolly fuzz. Plica polonica. Empty feeling in the
stomach relieved by eating (Boger).
Sensation as of cold wind in the ears. The nose turns red if the patient
gets angry. My own experience, however, is limited to alopecia areata, a
few cases of which I shall relate here.M. McH—., aged 41,
came to me first for chronic sinusitis of long standing. This was cured
by Calcarea sulph. He “happened
in one day to report the excellent condition of his nasal passages, and
remarked casually about three bald pots on the back of his head. He said
that he had been “cured” of a very troublesome eczema by a
celebrated dermatologist, who, however, said he could not cure the
baldness by the usual ointments because “he was afraid that the
treatment might cause a return of the eruption. He would have to use the
X-ray.” The patient’s hair was jet black, so that the spots, about
the size of three five-cent pieces, were very conspicuous. They were
covered with a woolly down which contrasted sharply with the natural
hair. Vinca 30 followed by the
200th, grew black hair in three weeks.Mrs. H. S—., aged 60,
rather stout and plethoric, subject to weak spells.
Constipated ; stool hard. Two bald
spots, one about the size of half a dollar on the left
vertex, another smaller one on the occiput. Vinca 30 was given on April
24, the 200th on June 5. January 9 of the following year. May 31 and
again in July and December. This case was not a complete cure. Fluoric
acid had to be given after a reasonable wait on the last dose
of Vinca.L. M. W—., 35 years
old, had several spots of baldness on the scalp, which were cured with
the 30th and 200th of Vinca minor in
a couple of weeks. The recurrence of one spot eight months after quickly
responded to a single dose of the 200th.In closing I wish to
relate an incident which establishes a clinical indication for Aconitum
ferox. The late Dr. Tyrrell of Toronto was known throughout
the country as a master of homœopathic prescribing. It seemed at times
as though he were actually clairvoyant. His knowledge of the polychrests
was unequalled, and he also had at his command the indications for many
of the lesser or unusual remedies. He was in coma most of the time
during the last days of his final illness. One evening a physician
called up saying that he had a very serious case aid asked for the
doctor’s remedy for Cheyne-Stokes respiration. The attendant explained
that the doctor was unconscious, but that if there were a lucid moment,
she would see if she could obtain the necessary information. In a short
time Tyrrell opened his eyes. She asked what remedy he used, and he
murmured, “Aconitum ferox”, if
I am rightly informed, those were the last words he ever uttered.
Dr Harvey Farrington
Chicago, Ill.Source :
Homœopathic Recorder.
April, 1941.Copyright © Sylvain
Cazalet 1999
