The Science of Therapeutics - Classical Homeopathy Online

Full text of "The Science of Therapeutics: According to the Principles of Homeopath...Page 208 of 653investigation, what objective or subjective symptom will we beenabled to diagnose a trifling emphysema, and to demonstrate thefact that the improvement we had aimed at, has been achieved?After an emphysema has become evident to the senses it must haveacquired an extent of development which renders a retrogrademetamorphosis an impossibility. In our opinion a radical cure ofemphysema of the lungs cannot be thought of, nor can any directtreatment be instituted ; in other words, we declare this disorgazation an incurable malady.In saying this, we do not mean to assert that every treatment ofemphjsGD^ '^ futile and useless; on the contrary, a physician can240 Diseases of the Lungs.benefit his patients very essentially in two different directionsthe first place, a certain prophylactic treatment can be institutwhich of course cannot aim at preventing the disease altogether,but staying its further spread. Let every intense chronic bronchicatarrh be treated with the utmost care, especially in the case opeople and individuals disposed to shortness of breath, and let econtrivance or circumstance that might interfere with the respiratory functions, be avoided, more particularly tight clothes, contstooping, violent bodily exertions. At the same time let the patiguard as much as possible against catarrh of the respiratory orgaThat this cannot be accomplished in the most efliicient manner byconfinement in the room, by warm clothing, or in general by excessive care, has been shown by us in a previous paragraph. Suitableclothing does not mean very warm clothing; on the contrary, thisis least appropriate. Strict attention to temperature, wind, raindryness of the atmosphere should be paid by every emphysematousindividual; no one ought to dress more in accordance with changesin the temperature and weather than persons sufltering from emphysema. Wearing flannel next to the skin, is undoubtedly beneficialfor the reason that extreme respiratory efforts easily excite a ptranspiration even during a slight bodily exercise such as walkinWearing flannel is indispensable, if the weather where the patienresides is habitually damp and cold. Much smoking is decidedlyprejudicial, although we do not mean to assert that tobacco causeemphysema. The circumstance that the blood of such patientsdoes not receive a suflicient quantity of oxygen, suggests the prpriety of advising them to avoid localities where the air is vitiby crowds.Secondly we are obligated to try to meet the affections whichinevitably accompany emphysema. At the list of these affectionswe place catarrh of the bronchial mucous membrane. Be it theprimary catarrh as an exciting cause, or only a secondary affectiwe should by all means endeavor to moderate or remove it, usingfor this purpose the remedies that have been recommended for acutand chronic bronchial catarrh. Some among these remedies aremore valuable because the catarrhal symptoms in their pathogenesiwith which emphysematous individuals are most usually afilicted,have been confirmed by abundant practical applications. For thechronic form of catarrh we select: Carbo vegetabUiSy Arsenicum^Tartarus stibiaius^ Baryta carbonica^ SUiceaj Ipecacuanha^ Lycopodium. The three first named again deserve the preference ; any onhttp://www.archive.org/stream/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog_djvu.txt