The Science of Therapeutics - Classical Homeopathy Online

Full text of "The Science of Therapeutics: According to the Principles of Homeopath...Page 163 of 653ing any relief, thick coating of the tongue, severe gastric catardiarrhoea. We add to these indications the following from ClotarMiiller's treatise on pneumonia: "During epidemic influenza a kinof pneumonia occurs which is easily overlooked, because its subjetive symptoms diflfer but little from the symptoms of the prevailinfluenza. This form of pneumonia ordinarily sets in without muchfever, its symptoms are not very violent and apparently of notmuch importance. Common symptoms are : a tearing and achingpain in the head, especially in the forehead, coryza, a slimy mouand tongue, and dry lips ; among other symptoms we distinguishthe following : Loss of appetite, bad taste in the mouth, dry stourine mixed with a white mucus, a racking and dry cough, painfulness of the whole thorax, afterwards expectoration of frothy mucutearing pains in the joints, disproportionate weakness, tremulousnervousness, aggravation of the symptoms at night, with heat,sleeplessness at night, constant exhalations from the skin, or elcopious and fetid sweat. On exploring the chest, wc generally discover a not very considerable exudation. If overlooked or neglectthe disease runs a very protracted course, sometimes occasions exhausting pulmonary blennorrhoeas, or, if the exudation remainsundissolved, phthisicky symptoms may be developed. These peculiarmorbid conditions are very much abbreviated by MercuriuSj so thata complete restoration of health takes place and, if the patientsotherwise keep comfortably warm, no other remedy is required."Bryonia alba is very closely related to Mercurius and it will befound difficult to discriminate very precisely between their resptive symptomatic indications. Some facts regarding this point havalready been stated in the preceding chapter; in this place we wiadd a few other details. The aftection in the respiratory organsconfined to the larynx, trachea, and bronchial tubes; the noseremains unaffected, whereas coryza is a significant indication foMercurius. The fever is less violent, but more continued ; if theis sweat, it is copious and constant; the tongue is white, but hano thick coating on it, the bowels are constipated. The symptomsexacerbate in the day-time, not at night. The disease has an adynamic character, with deficient reaction, whereas Mercurius has avery decided reaction. Thus Bryonia may be frequently suitableafter Mercurius, but Mercurius is never suitable after Bryonia. Tsupervention of pneumonic symptoms does not contra-indicateBryonia, a supervening aff^ection of the pleura indicates this drvery positively. If influenza attacks tubercular lungs, Bryonia iInfluenza. 187always appropriate, and is always preferable to Mercurius. Bryoniis one of those remedies that is calculated to become a specificepidemic influenza.Rhus toxicodendron is another important remedy in epidemic influenza which often corresponds to the whole character of the disease. Rhus is in its place if the local affection is so disguisedconstitutional disease that we rather seem to deal with typhus coplicated with a bronchial catarrh. The use of this remedy is suggested by great debility, a prostrate condition of the whole orgaism, symptoms of violent reaction, such as a rapid pulse, burningheat, dry skin and tongue, delirium, sopor. Among the local symphttp://www.archive.org/stream/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog_djvu.txt