The Science of Therapeutics - Classical Homeopathy Online

Full text of "The Science of Therapeutics: According to the Principles of Homeopath...Page 249 of 653cific power to excite an inflammatory action in the lungs. In anuncomplicated case of pneumonia we should therefore pever resortto Arsenic. On the other hand, cases occur where the accessorysymptoms indicate Arsenic so thoroughly that they entirely overshadow the fact of pneumonia ; in such a case it is not prescribeas a pneumonic remedy. Wurmb gives the following more specificindications : Rapid and disproportionate prostration ; tendency tcolliquation and dissolution ; marked periodicity of the more proinent symptoms; aggravation during rest and in a recumbentposture, with excessive restlessness and anxiety, and prevalencethe burning pain. It is at all events strange that Arsenicum shoube so seldom mentioned in our literature as a remedy for pneumonia, whence we infer with tolerable certainty that it has only befound useful as an intercurrent remedy and not even then in a verstriking manner. In our own opinion, Arsenic should be resortedto, if gangrene of the lungs develops itself with very marked sigof reaction ; in the pneumonia of emphysematous patients and whencomplicated with cardiac affections ; if oedema of the lungs setsall at once, with passive hypersemia of the lungs as not unfrequeoccasioned by defects of the right heart; and finally in hypostatpneumonia.Sepia and Silicea both by their local as well as general symptomsare important remedies in excessively slow, purulent, as well astrue chronic pneumonia. The large number of important symptomsdoes not permit us to detach the most prominent from the series.These drugs have to be studied throughout. We likewise call attention to Cuprum which certainly deserves more particular attentionin lentescent pneunomic conditions than has hitherto been devotedto it. We have the records of a case of poisoning by Copper wherean abscess in the lungs was found. An observation of this kindshould be treasured up with so much more care as our MateriaMedica oflTers few, if any, similia for such a disorganization.For the sake of cu i nplct c— >y w» wmmimm tk» naaM^cf a fewother remedies which, so far as present experience goes, are of sordinate value: Squilla^ Zincum metallicumy Acidum phosphoricuma^d nitricumj Kali nitricum and Kali carbonicunij Camphora^ lodiuPneumonia. 291Spngiaj Digitalis purpurea^ and others. We have often given it asour opinion that too large a number of medicines for one class ofdiseases produces confusion and complicates the selection of aremedy; we have perhaps given too large a number of remediesin the present instance; our excuse must be that we considerpneumonia more important than any other disease as affording thebest illustration of the efficacy of homoeopathic treatment.A condensed review of these remedies may not be superfluous inorder the better to enable the physician in a given case, to hitthe specifically adapted agent; we shall adhere as closely as possible to the definitions we have presented at the commencement ofthis chapter.In the first stage of pneumonia, Aconite is the chief remedyadapted to a vast majority of all the cases. If severe cerebral cgestions are present. Belladonna is indicated together with Aconihttp://www.archive.org/stream/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog_djvu.txt