The Science of Therapeutics - Classical Homeopathy Online

Full text of "The Science of Therapeutics: According to the Principles of Homeopath...Page 439 of 653donna. We prefer the latter if the fever is purely catarrhal, theskin is hot but moist, the tongue thickly coated, the pulse hurribut neither hard nor full. These symptoms were uniformly presentin the preliminary stage of our last epidemic. We prefer Aconiteif the skin is hot and dry, the catarrhal secretion scanty, the tis red and the pulse full and hard. We have never seen the muchvaunted Pulsatilla do the least good at this stage of the diseaseand we are at a loss to perceive upon what grounds the exhibitionof this drug could be justified. The croupy cough is a good indication for Belladonna; at any rate, we have never seen it last lothan twenty-four hours after this remedy had been given. Othersrecommend Spongia or Hepar sulphuris calc,^ either of which maybe a suitable remedy according to circumstances. Aconite renders520 Acute and Chronic Contagious Diseases.excellent service for this croupy, catarrhal cough. If the exanthhad begun to come out, the best course then is to continue the reedy that had been given last, for beside the spots no other symptoms - generally make their appearance: the increased, but shortlasting intensity of the existing symptoms does not justify a chaof remedies, for the reason that such an increase of the symptomsinheres in the normal course of the disease. As soon as the eruption begins to pale oif, we advise the discontinuance of all medicine. If the spots have entirely disappeared, yet the cough continues, the treatment will have to be resumed; if the cough isattended with rattling and wheezing, and the expectoration is notvery difficult, He-par sulphuris calc. is to be given ; if the coparticularly troublesome at night, and is otherwise loose, not vehard, Pulsatilla may be required; for a dry, nocturnal, titillaticough we give Hyoscyamus^ and if the cough torments the patientthe whole day: Nux vomica. The general management of thepatient is of great importance, for it is a certain fact that anular course of the eruption is sometimes attributable to hygienicneglect or to the enforcement of improper rules and measures. Weforbear showing in this place how the poor measle-patients wereformerly abused, and still are very frequently abused by insanenurses and practitioners. We pursue the following course fromwhich we have never seen any bad consequences result. If themeasles prevail, we have the children who complain of a febrilecatarrh, kept at home, but do not confine them to their beds unlethey themselves insist upon it. A measle-patient should never becovered too warmly, nor should he ever remain in a temperatureabove 50° Fahr. The room should be carefully and cautiously ventilated ; pure air is of immense benefit to the patient. The roomshould never be obscured more than is desired by the patientsthemselves. The best beverage is fresh water in small quantities;if this should increase the cough, the water may be drank with thchill taken oft*, sweetened with a little white sugar. There is ndanger involved in daily ablutions of the patient's face and handwith tepid water. Owing to the impaired appetite there is dangerof the patients being treated to improper food. We never refusestewed fruit ; and we allow meat and broth if the patient cravesAfter the spots have disappeared and the cough has ceased, ornearly so, we have the patient transferred every morning from thebed into a lukewarm bath, where he is thoroughly washed withsoap and afterwards well rubbed dry in a woollen blanket. Nexthttp://www.archive.org/stream/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog_djvu.txt