The Science of Therapeutics - Classical Homeopathy Online

Full text of "The Science of Therapeutics: According to the Principles of Homeopath...Page 286 of 653S34 Diseases of the Pleura.ferred to at the outset of the attack as distinctive signs of plein coutra-distinction to pneumonia. Nor is pain a safe indicationof pleuritis ; not only is the pain often absent, but a violent lpain may sometimes be characteristic of pneumonia. What is mostdiflS^cult is a correct diagnosis of pleuro-pneumonia, since in taffection it is often very difficult to correctly determine the mof the pleuritic effusion. Cases of this kind have such varied sytomatic manifestations, according as pleuritis is a primary or cosecutive affection or a simple complication, that we do not deemexpedient to dwell upon them any further.To indicate the treatment of pleuritis is not very easy if we meato present it in a complete shape. Pleuritis being very seldom anidiopathic disease, we have to take into account so many accessorcausative and consecutive conditions, and the importance of pleuritis has withal to be placed in the foreground with so much carethat an exhaustive description of the treatment would become avery extensive task. For this reason we confine ourselves to themost important points in the following paragraphs, referring moreparticularly to pleuritis with copious exudation. The following athe leading remedies that may have to be resorted to in the treatment of this disease:Aconitum. Regarding this drug we cannot communicate anything better than Wurmb's statement in the twelfth volume of theHygea, which we transcribe from Riickert's Annals : " If the plaselements prevail in the pleuritic effusion, or if, as the phrasethe disease has a marked inflammatory character ; hence, if, as iusually the case, the disease sets in with violent febrile phenomno remedy deserves to be more frequently used at the outset of thdisease than Aconite. We have never known Aconite to act upon theeftusion itself; however, inasmuch as the curative process only cmences after the fever has ceased, and inasmuch as it is consequently of importance that the fever should be removed as speedilas possible, and Aconite surpasses in this respect all other remeit is quite natural that the treatment should be commencedthis agent. Having observed that Aconite helps speedily, if it dohelp, I do not wait long for the result, and at once resort to anremedy, if I do not soon perceive a favorable change showing adecrease or a cessation of the fever. It is difficult to say howafter giving Aconite, an improvement ought to be waited for ; asrule, however, we need not wait too long, since an improvement isoften perceived already in a few hours; the fever abates, the stiPleuritis, Pleurisy. 885ing pains and the dyspnoea abate or disappear entirely, etc Theexudation still remains the same, but the circumstances of thepatient now are such that ]^ature alone will be sufficient to complete the cure or will only require very little assistance for supurpose. On the other hand, if the fever still continues, althougin a slight degree, nothing further csin be expected from Aconiteand in order to prevent the disease from assuming a chronic form,http://www.archive.org/stream/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog_djvu.txt