The Science of Therapeutics - Classical Homeopathy Online

Full text of "The Science of Therapeutics: According to the Principles of Homeopath...Page 346 of 653generally it takes place after very short and altogether vague prliminary symptoms. The patients suddenly experience a peculiarpain in the praecordial region, which is sometimes extremely seveand at other times dull, yet of such a peculiar kind that the sufferer is scarcely ever able to describe it either according to itquality or extent. With the pain a sensation of prostration andfainting sets in ; all patients agree in describing this sensatiodeath were at hand. What is remarkable is that not a sound ofpain escapes the lips of the sufferers, probably however owing totheir dread of increasing the distress by the least exertion. Thecarry this precaution so far as to arrest the breathing which givthem the appearance of great dyspnoea, although they are perfectlable to take a long breath, if they choose. Generally the patientremain immovably erect or in a sitting posture, a recumbent posture suits them Yery seldom. The action of the heart is at timesnormal, at other times slower than usual, and again hurried andirregular, especially if the patient is afflicted with heartVery seldom the pain remains confitied to the prsecordial regionmost commonly the pain radiates to the left shoulder and arm, lesfrequently to the neck and nape of the neck, or to the lower extremities, or even the right side. The pain very seldom increasesgradually; it mostly sets in immediately in its greatest intensitA single paroxysm generally lasts only a minute or two, itscarcely ever exceeds one hour. As the paroxysm generally sets inin all its intensity, so it generally ends all at once. It is onlparoxysms are slight, that the patient's health is at once complerestored or at least very soon after the cessation of the paroxyswhereas in this as in most other paroxysmal nervous affectionsgreat lassitude and sleeplessness remain for some time.The course of this whole disorder varies greatly. Very seldom aparoxysm is succeeded by a complete feeling of health. It morecommonly happens that the paroxysms commence slightly andincrease in intensity with every succeeding attack. Except in casof heart-disease, the intervals are quite free from all morbid sytoms, the patients do not show a single trace of the insidious diease, they often have even a very florid appearance. The singleparoxysms, as well as the whole disease, are of an indeflnite durtion; a paroxysm seldom occurs more than once on the same day;Angina Pectoris. 407ordinarily they are separated by days, months and even years.Many doubt the possibility of curing this disease; we, however,believe in the absolute possibility of the contrary, although a vlent paroxysm may suddenly terminate in death. It is questionablewhether the disease ever changes to some other form of heartdisease, for the reason that the heart-disease most likely was alin existence when the angina first broke out.The prognosis is decidedly bad, if the angina is associated withorganic heart-disease, and likewise in the case of older individuwhereas the purely nervous form in the case of young persons verypossibly admits of a cure. We must always keep in mind that thisinsidious disease sometimes remains quiescent for a long time befit suddenly breaks out again in all its former, or with an increaviolence.http://www.archive.org/stream/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog_djvu.txt