The Science of Therapeutics - Classical Homeopathy Online

Full text of "The Science of Therapeutics: According to the Principles of Homeopath...Page 311 of 653864 Diseases of the Heart.purely plastic pericarditis as well as incipient endocarditis. Buupon what basis are we to prescribe Spigelia in cases where thedisease is painless and has scarcely any symptoms ? This showsthat it is a great mistake to lay too much stress upon sensationspain, which is not by any means a constant companion of cardiacinflammation. "What invites more than all these theoretical statements to the use of Spigelia in heart-affections is the fact thathas been so often and so variously employed in practice with deciadvantage. According to practical experience, Spigelia is particularly adapted to rheumatic pericarditis, likewise to seropericarditis during its whole course, especially if the patient cplains of an intense local pain, and the affection is evidently cacterized by all the signs of cardiac inflammation ; and to rheumendocarditis in its incipient stage, or to endocarditis generallymarked valvular changes have taken place.Nitrum has so far commanded too little the attention of practitioners, nor are we in possession of any decided clinical testimoNevertheless we have every reason to recommend Nitre in cardiacinflammation, more particularly if it sets in in company with actpulmonary congestions, or as a symptom of Bright's disease, orassociated with acute rheumatism. A striking participation of thekidneys in the pathological process going on in the heart, pointsurgently to the employment of Nitre.Phosphorus is not usually numbered among the cardiac remedies,nor can it be denied that its relation to the heart is not by anymeans constant. But if the post-mortem examinations of individuals who had been poisoned by Phosphorus, so often reveallesions about the heart, especially where death did not take placimmediately after the ingestion of the poison, it seems as thoughwe could not deny the fact that Phosphorus exerts a direct actionupon the heart, and that the cardiac phenomena which Phosphorusoccasions, are not merely of a sympathetic or secondary nature.The main post-mortem appearances as far as the heart is concernedare : the muscular tissue is flabby and easily torn ; opaque appeance and interstitial distention of the endocardium; bloody infiltration which in certain circumscribed spots peneti'ates the wholthickness of the muscular tissue. If, in addition to this, we consider the very feeble, small and exceedingly frequent pulse ; thefrequent observation that the sounds of the h(ai*t either frequendisappear or are replaced by murmurs, it seems to us that Phosphorus has more claims to be regarded as a remedy for cardiacCarditis. 865inflammation than most other medicines, more especially in casesof secondary origin. We cannot deny, however, that the indications upon which its homoeopathic application has so far been basappear to us totally erroneous. In our opinion the following arethe true indications suggested by physiological experimentation :Phosphorus is exclusively suitable for inflammation of the endocardium and the muscular tissue, never for pericarditis. The constitutional symptoms would lead us to recommend Phosphorus inhttp://www.archive.org/stream/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog_djvu.txt