The Science of Therapeutics - Classical Homeopathy Online

Full text of "The Science of Therapeutics: According to the Principles of Homeopath...Page 384 of 653Erythema. 453shall stick to our text that it is impossible to treat cutaneouseases with certainty if we take the Materia Medica for our guide.We will now consider another expedient which might be resortedto in this case, as it is in other cases, for the purpose of suppor covering up the defects of our Materia Medica, we mean thepractical result, the experience gathered ex usu in morbis. But welse do we meet with in this direction but endless confusion ? Ifour literature exhibited the richest treasure of really useful prtical observations, it would either have to be left untouched, orthe use of it would involve a great deal of trouble or expose usnumerous mistakes. For the last fifty years, cutaneous diseaseshave constituted an arena for those who were anxious to subservethe purposes of Science by manufacturing names or making anostentatious display of their erudition. In this manner we haveobtained a brilliant nomenclature which, however, is unintelligibto those who have not devoted years to its study. This circumstance has reduced the value of clinical cases almost to zero.In the presence of so much uncertainty and want of clearness inour Materia Medica and of confusion in the department of cutaneous diseases in the literature of our School, a therapeutical arangement of cutaneous diseases is certainly a hazardous task.Many preliminary labors are required before. we can think of perfecting a tolerable system of therapeutics of the cutaneous diseaabove all, we recommend uniformity in our nomenclature, coupledwith a rigid precision in diagnosis.The febrile exanthemata which have been excluded from the following list, have been transferred among the constitutional diseafor the reason that their importance is determined by the accompanying derangements of functions rather than by the form of theexanthem. The series in which the special forms are successivelypresented, has been arranged in accordance with the pathologicoanatomical changes ; we have simply avoided the custom of distinguishing special sub-divisions in each form.!• Erythema.Erythema occupies a middle rank between hypersemia andinflammation of the skin ; it is easily confounded with a benignform of erysipelas.It« causes are : Mechanical injuries of the skin ; the influencea high temperature, of various medicinal agents ; continual moist454 Diseases of the Skin.euing of one part of the skin by lirine, liquid stool, perspiratitears and even the constant use of moist compresses ; constant irtation of the skin by rough clothes. In the case of children, erythema seems to be likewise caused by hearty and fat food. Erythemseldom occurs as a wide-spread affection, to which the designatioof "epidemic" might be applied. Chronic erythema breaks outchiefly in the face, and more especially on the nose; its causessometimes seem to be purely local, and at other times constihttp://www.archive.org/stream/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog_djvu.txt