The Science of Therapeutics - Classical Homeopathy Online

Full text of "The Science of Therapeutics: According to the Principles of Homeopath...Page 222 of 653the normal course? Will the physician remain idle? We do notbelieve it. But if we take the expectant method in a less rigorousense of the term ; if we allow the use of some mild adjuvants, tstatistical tables of this method become at once vitiated. We admhowever, that this method of treatment leads to much more favorable results than tht. usual treatment with sanguineous depletionand a mass of powerful remedial agents.The medicinal treatment of pneumonia is effected by means of alegion of remedies, which every physician admits are not so muchgiven for the pneumonia, but for the inflammatory fever, or forsingle symptoms. The only remedy which years ago was used as aspecific for pneumonia, is Tartar emetic. The use of this remedyas a specific has, however, been abandoned, for the reason that iwas found impossible to determine the kind of pneumonia to whichit was specifically adapted instead of using it indiscriminatelyall kinds. Every homoeopath is able to explain how it happenedPneumonia. 2R7that Tartar emetic tftected a cure in some cases of pneumonia, anproved a specific remedy even in whole e^ idemics, and yet left tphysician in the lurch in so many other cases. The use of thisdrug in large doses has only yielded unfavorable results in respeto the whole duration of the disease. The other medicines in voguare almost exclusively given for single symptoms of the wholegroup. Such medicines are mostly used as are supposed to have adepressing influence over the fever, such as Digitalis, Quinine,trine, etc.. We do not mean to say one word against these remedies, for we are well aware that under certain circumstances eachone of them has its value as a remedy for pneumonia. But we cannot help giving utterance in a few words to our doubts regardingthe propriety of prescribing these remedies for the fever in pneunia. Fever in any disease is the manifestation of a reaction on tpart of the general organism against a disturbance set up in itsinterior. Hence, fever is no disease of itself, although it is asary attribute of many diseases. At all events, pneumonia remainswhat it is, even if no fever should supervene. Hence, even if itwere possible to combat the fever, in combating this fever we wounot combat the disease. We even go so far as to maintain that, ifthe fever could be removed without the disease being acted uponat the same time, the treatment is sometimes without effect, andusually hurtful and never of any use. For after the organic reaction has been depressed or even suspended, the morbid disturbanceis either prolonged or does not disappear at all. In suppressingfever, the natural curative agent would likewise become inoperative. It is different if Digitalis is given in prder to diminishimpulse of the heart and depress the heart's action, and by thismeans to lessen the pressure in the pulmonary vessels. But in suca case Digitalis should only be given at the beginning of pulmonahypenemia, or might at most still be continued at the commencement of hepatization, which, however, is not done. In order toobtain a normal process of reabsorption, an undiminished actionof the heart is indispensable ; its decrease may afford momentaryrelief to the patient, but cannot act favorably. Such an exhibitiof palliatives may not always be hurtful and may not interfere withe course of the disease: it is certain, however, that this kindtreatment cannot be made the foundation for a true system of therhttp://www.archive.org/stream/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog_djvu.txt