The Science of Therapeutics - Classical Homeopathy Online

Full text of "The Science of Therapeutics: According to the Principles of Homeopath...Page 177 of 653Tussis Convulsiva Pertussis. 208oommencement of the disease may not aggravate the symptoms ofthe spasmodic stage, which camiot be asserted of any other treatment.Ab soon as the peculiar paroxysms of cough show that the convulsive stage has set in, an entirely difterent series of drugs hto be selected. We feel some embarrassment in giving a descriptioof the treatment of this stage inasmuch as we are conscious of amarked diflerence in this respect between our own views and thoseof most of our colleagues. Hartmann gives a number of remediesthat may be useful in whooping-cough but are suggested by groupsof symptoms that render a differential diagnosis between one drugand another impossible and nugatory. His symptomatic arrangements are supposed to be in accord with the law of similarity, buthe practical efficiency of the treatment is sadly impaired by sua course. However in order to avoid even the appearance ofpartiality, we shall afterwards mention single remedies and theirmost essential indications.What are, in a case of whooping-cough, the characteristic indications which point most directly and positively to the correctremedy? This is an important inquiry. Is it the particular circumstances which, if the statement of the relatives may be believed, have caused the attack? We cannot accept a theory ofthis kind, notwithstanding that this chapter has been exhaustedby the coarse symptom-coverers among us to the dregs. The samechild has on the same day an attack of cough from laughing,crying, eating and drinking; this alone would require four differremedies. Shall we select a remedy in accordance with the specifisymptoms of each particular paroxysm? In this respect we discover indeed symptomatic differences that ought not to be overlooked ; but in ninety cases out of every hundred the paroxysmsare mostly alike, and only differ from each other slightly in intensity. Hence it is only in exceptional cases that the nature ofthe fiaroxysm will prove a sufficient guide for the selection ofdrug. Can we depend upon the symptoms between the paroxysmsfor light in selecting a remedy ? Here too we shall be disappointed, for where no complications exist, the apyrexia is geneally free from symptoms ; one child may at most feel the immediatconsequences of an attack a little longer than another.In our opinion the simple, uncomplicated whooping-cough ofhealthy children does not present any salient points upon whichthe selection of a remedy could be based. Hence it will always be204 Diseases of the Lungs.exceedingly difficult to select the right remedy from among a larnumber. "We are supported by experience in believing that thenumber of remedies which are adapted to whooping-cough, is verysmall, for the reason that the characteristic effects of the whoocough miasm manifest themselves in almost every case in the sameuniform manner: Excessive irritability of the respiratory mucoushttp://www.archive.org/stream/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog_djvu.txt