The Science of Therapeutics - Classical Homeopathy Online

Full text of "The Science of Therapeutics: According to the Principles of Homeopath...Page 317 of 653tus in heart-disease. It is likewise recommended for chronic nervpalpitation. According to Dr. Hughes, the feeling as if the heartwere grasped and compressed as with an iron hand, is very characteristic of Cactus in these cases of nervous palpitations. If thiBO, it rivals Digitalis which causes this feeling in a most markemanner. See my Materia Medica. H.]If the three forms of cardiac inflammation occur together, ourchief attention should, in our opinion, be first devoted to pericditis, the presence of which always favors the progress of the ottwo forms of inflammation and retards their retrograde metamorphosis.Dietetic and hygienic measures are of the utmost importance incardiac inflammations, especially if the disease runs a rather lacourse, which might throw the patients off their guard and evenmake them believe that a little exercise will hasten their cure.chief attention should be directed to avoid every thing that mighhave a tendency to stimulate the heart's action ; hence mental aswell as bodily exertions are entirely out of place. This point munever be lost sight of, even if all signs of inflammation have dipeared, es{>ecially in a case of endocarditis. The stomach beinggenerally involved in the cardiac disturbance, the patients generreject all kinds of nourishing food ; but even if this should notthe case, the most rigid diet should be advised as a matter ofprecaution, at least at the beginning of the disease. This is allthe more advisable since cardiac inflammations do not of themselves exhaust the system. Coexisting affections, of course, may372 Diseases of the Heart.render dietetic modifications necessary. As soon as the febrilesymptoms have been subdued, a more invigorating diet may beadvised. However, if in the case of other inflammatory aflTectionwe have not hesitated to recommend a glass of wine or beer duringconvalescence, we would with equal emphasis advise against theuse of these stimulants in convalescence from cardiac inflammatioThe smallest quantity of such stimulants has a tendency to excitethe functional activity of the heart. This remark applies even tomalt-beer, which contains a suflftcient amount of carbonic acid gto excite the circulation in many persons. The fact that cardiacinflammation often runs a latent course, is undoubtedly the reasowhy, in such circumstances, stimulants often have an injuriouseffect upon convalescent persons, and so greatly predispose theminds of physicians against their use. The severe diet observedduring the period of convalescence should be pursued some timeafter, for the reason that the inflammation very often leaves remains that escape our observation and entail a tendency to relapsor to organic alterations, such as hypertrophies and valvular diseases, that can only be prevented by the utmost care from increasing to a fatal termination.8. Sypertfroplita Cordis.Hypertrophy of the Heart.By this name we designate a condition of the heart, where itsvolume is considerably enlarged by the increased thickness of itshttp://www.archive.org/stream/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog_djvu.txt