The Science of Therapeutics - Classical Homeopathy Online

Full text of "The Science of Therapeutics: According to the Principles of Homeopath...Page 360 of 653the least misstep causes a horrid pain. No constitutional disturbances are experienced unless they are occasioned by the excessivepain. If the affection is left to itself, it lasts at least threebut may continue for several weeks, after which the pain leavesgradually, mostly with great tendency to relapses.We do not see upon what ground Hartmann proposes so manyremedies for a strictly local affection. In all cases the symptomare alike and differ only in degrees of intensity. On this accountwo or three remedies have always sufficed in our hands for a curTartar emetic^ second or third trituration, a dose every three orhours, helps more rapidly than any other remedy. In twentyhours the pains generally disappear, except a little stiffness. Bis preferable if the lumbago originates in a sudden cold and thepain, so far from being mitigated by rest, is, on the contrary,aggravated. Arnica is indicated if the attack is caused by a seveexertion. Beside these three remedies we have never been obligedto employ any other; it is only in order to be complete that we a424 Diseases of the Bones, Muscles, and Articulations,the medicines mentioned by Hartmann : Bryonia^ Nux vomica^ Sulphury Ledum^ Pulsatilla^ Rhododendron^ Colchicum^ China.Kneading and pounding the affected locality is of undoubteduse, so is the application of humid warmth* This application ismade by dipping a towel in cold water, wringing it well, foldingfour to six times and then applying it to the painful locality, awhich a dry cloth folded together several times, has to be laid othe wet compress, and a hot flat-iron pressed upon the whole, sothat the heat penetrates through the whole and imparts to the skian intense sensation of warmth. These applications only palliate,but never remove the pain entirely. [We have cured numbers ofcases of lumbago by rubbing a moderately strong liniment of thetincture of Aconite-root upon the back, and at the same time giving the first or second decimal attenuation of Aconite-root internally. H.]O. Progressiye Muscular Paraly«is«The origin of this very peculiar affection is involved in greatobscurity. We are not acquainted with any really constant causeof this disorder, and such causes as have been assigned to it, aexcessive exertions, hereditary descent, are at all events doubtfWhat is certain is, that men are more particularly liable to thisdisease.An essential characteristic of this disease consists in a gradualatrophy of one or more muscles attended with fatty degenerationof the affected part. It first invades the muscles of one hand,especially the right, less frequently those of the arm, shoulderface, and never those of the lower extremities; and even wheninvading the muscles of the hand, it almost always first affectslimited portion of them, after which it gradually spreads furtherGenerally it sets in without pain, seldom with an intensely acutepain, and almost imperceptibly, the affected muscles losing moreand more their functional power and at the same time becomingatrophied. Not till the atrophy is complete, does the palsy reachhttp://www.archive.org/stream/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog_djvu.txt