Hahnemann's mode of practice in the 'last times'./Sara
Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2002 6:55 pm
At 09:11 AM 6/8/2002 -0500, you wrote:
Dear Minimus and Sara,
In the 1832 Hahnemann did test "dual remedies" i.e. two remedies given
at the exact same time in combination, but he found that they were never
really needed and did not work very well. For this reason, he spoke out
against what he called this type of "hazardous experiments." in the 5th
Organon. Now there are those who are using polypharmacy terms like
so-called "dual remedies and combinations" to describe Hahnemann occasional
use alternations and a series of single remedies in which one follows
another. This is unfortunate dis-information that only confuses students
and those not well trained in homoeopathy.
What Hahnemann describes in these above two cases is NOT a "dual
remedy" i.e. two remedies give at the same time in combination. Also the
description of the case is not correct. The Belladonna helped for a while
but it prove to be a partial simillimum that did not hold and changed the
symptoms. The Hyos. was given on Sept 28 because the patient the patient
was "very much excited day and night", was making voluptuous gestures,
lifting her dress, wish to touch the parts of others, and was angry and
beating everyone. That was a severe change of symptoms that pointed
directly to Hyos which then was followed by placebo. This was NOT the
action of two remedies at once leading to cure. This was the replacement of
an partial simillimum that was not holding and changed the symptoms with a
correct remedy that cured!!!
This description of this case that ignores the fact that Hahnemann
gave single remedies by the presenting symptoms and a large amount of
placebo to this patient and waited and watched the action of his remedies.
This is not the use of "dual remedies" which is the homoeopathic term for
two remedies given in combination! Please use the correct terms!!!
The Baron comments on these two cases in the article, Warning: The
Smallness of the Dose, found on page 192 of his Lesser Writings.
Boenninghausen’s rendition has been compared with a review of the same case
from the Paris casebooks by Hanspeter Sailer of Zurich, Switzerland, which
can be found in his work, Di Entwicklung von Samuel Hahnemann’s
aertztlicher Praxis, Verlag, Haug, 1988. Unfortunately, Sailer does not
give the folio number or page but he gives the patient’s name as Varlet.
The following Paris case is dated January 14, 1843, just six months before
Samuel Hahnemann’s death.
O-t, an actor, 33 years old, unmarried. 14 January 1843. For several
years he has had a sore throat, so now for a month. The last time his sore
throat had lasted six weeks. When swallowing saliva, he feels a pricking
sensation of constriction and soreness.
When he is not afflicted with this sore throat, he suffers from a fissure
of the anus, with violent pain as from a chap; then the anus is inflamed,
swollen and constricted, he can then discharge his stool with great
exertions, while swollen hemorrhoidal veins extrude.
"January 15. He took early before breakfast a coffeespoonful of a
solution of one pellet of Belladonna in seven tablespoons of water, from
which solution one tablespoonful was put into a tumbler of water and stirred.
January 15. In the evening the throat was worse."
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 192.
On January 15th the patient took 1 pill of Belladonna (no potency
marked) in a 7 tablespoon medicinal solution that was succussed just prior
to administration. According to Sailer’s review this Belladonna was the LM
0/3 potency. Hahnemann did not specify if the Belladonna was the LM potency
as he did with the rest of the LM remedies in this case. Boenninghausen
thought the Belladonna was a 60C. One tablespoon was taken and stirred in a
glass of water. The exact number of succussions and the dosage given to the
patient is not noted. The aggravation brought the patient back to see the
doctor the following day. This case has two sets of symptoms that tend to
alternate with each other. When the anus is inflamed the throat is
palliated, and when the throat is inflamed the anus is palliated. The
alternation of two concomitant symptoms is often a sign of the chronic
miasmatic syndromes.
"January 16. The throatache is gone, but the ailment of the anus has
returned, as described, an open fissure with pain as from a chap, swelling,
beating pain and constricture. Nevertheless, he had a painful stool in the
evening. He acknowledged that eight years ago he had a chancre, which had
been as usual destroyed with a corrosive, after which all these ailments
had set in."
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 192.
By the following day the sore throat was gone and the old rectal
affection resurfaced as an anal fissure. This set the Founder thinking
about suppressed venereal disease. Under questioning the actor confessed
that eight years earlier he had contracted syphilis that had been treated
with caustics. This confirmed active secondary syphilis. The English record
says that on January 10 Hahnemann administered LM 0/1 Mercurius Vivus but
this appears to be a typographical error because he first saw the patient
on January 14. Sailer gives the proper date as January 16.
"He received one pellet of Mercurius vivus I. of the lowest new
dynamization (which contains immensely less substance than the present)
prepared for being taken as before and taken as before (after shaking the
bottle every time), one spoonful in one tumblerful of water, as with the
Belladonna, well stirred."
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 193.
The Belladonna ameliorated the throat causing the return of the
“surrogate chancre” in the form of an anal fissure and its concomitants.
This caused the Founder to change his remedy from the apsoric plant remedy
to an anti-syphilitic mineral remedy The patient came to the doctor during
a crisis and received an acute remedy. On realizing that he was looking at
secondary syphilis he changed his treatment strategy. This is not using a
dual remedy! This is changing a non-curative acute remedy for a curative
chronic remedy. Hahnemann had the patient return in four days to assess his
condition.
"January 20. Almost all the toothache gone [he had one]. The anus is
better, but he still feels a soreness there after the stools; but there is
no more pulsations there, no swelling of the anus and no inflammation. Less
constricted. One pellet of the Mercurius viv, 2 dynamization, prepared and
taken in the same manner in the morning. I did not note down whether he
took the Mercurius (2) once or twice a day; usually only once early in the
morning before breakfast.
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 193.
The patient is improving yet the great experimenter decided to raise
the potency to LM 0/2 and gave the remedy daily. If the patient was taking
the LM 0/1 twice a day the bottle would have been finished. If he took it
once a day the bottle would still have three doses. The medicinal solution
was made in seven tablespoons of water and administered in the same fashion.
"January 25. The throat is almost altogether well, but in the anus
there is a pain as from a chap, and severe lancinations, severe pain in the
anus after stool, there is still some constriction and heat."
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 193.
There is no prescription attached to this entry in the letter. Sailer
says that Hahnemann gave him placebo for two days.
"January 30. In the afternoon he received the last dose (one
coffeespoonful). On the 28 the anus was better, the throatache had
returned; severe chaps in the throat. One pellet in sugar of milk for seven
days, prepared and taken as before."
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 193.
Hahnemann mentions one pill in milk sugar for seven days as a placebo.
Hahnemann is waiting and watching the action of his remedy for one week
before changing his remedy. This can not be called giving two remedies at
the same time. He watched the action of one before giving the other.
February 7th the patient returns.
"February 7. Severe pain as from ulceration in the throat. Colic, but
good stools, but several times in succession, with great thirst. But
everything is well at the anus. Sulphur 2-0 in seven tablespoons of water
as above.
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 193.
Hahnemann could see that the link between the secondary syphilis in
the throat and the surrogate chancre in the anus had not been broken. The
symptoms continued to improve to some degree but the alternating state
remained. Since the anus became ameliorated the throat is worse. The
Founder wrote in The Chronic Diseases that the suppression of syphilis
often causes the activation of the psora, which then obstructs the action
of anti-syphilitic remedies. For this reason, Hahnemann used Sulphur in the
0/2 potency as a chronic intercurrent remedy.
The next entry in the case is on February 13th. While taking the
Sulphur the client developed clear Mercury symptoms like ulcerative pains
in the throat and profuse saliva.
"February 13. He had ulcerative pains in his throat, especially when
swallowing saliva of which he now has a great quantity, especially much on
the 11th and 12th. Some constriction of the anus, especially since yesterday."
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 193.
The use of Sulphur as a chronic intercurrent removed the obstructive
layer of psora causing the syphilitic symptoms to surface, pointing to
Mercury. This is also not a dual remedy! He is following the change in
symptoms and returned to Mercury. Hahnemann wrote the following prescription.
"Now I let him smell of Mercurius and gave him Mercurius vivus 2-0, one
pellet, as always in seven tablespoons, one-half spoonful of brandy and to
be taken as before."
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 193.
It seems from Sailer’s notes that Hahnemann gave the patient a single
dose olfaction of Mercurius and then started the medicinal solution of 0/2
on the 14th. After the chronic intercurrent Hahnemann returned to Mercurius
at the same degree of potency he previously administered. By the 20th the
sore throat was completely gone and the anus once again became inflamed
with hemorrhoids.
February 20. The throat is better since the 18th; he suffered much at
the anus; the stool pains him when discharged; less thirst.
"§-0 Sugar of milk in seven tablespoons."
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 193.
Hahnemann used the paragraph mark (§) in the Paris casebooks to stand
for a placebo. The above notation (§-0) stands for one pill of placebo in
medicinal solution. The next entry is March 3. *It seems the placebo was
given on alternate days over the 12 day period.* This certainly was waiting
on the action of the previous remedy.
March 3. No more throat ache. On going to stool a hemorrhoidal vein
but bloodless extrudes (formerly this caused burning and pains as from
chaps), now there is only itching in that spot. I let him smell of Ac. nitr.
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 194.
Hahnemann gave placebo for many days and then administered a single
dose of the anti-syphilitic remedy, Nitric Acid. How can this be called a
dual remedy? The throat was better while milder symptoms appear at the
anus. There was now no fissure, no burning, or pain as from chaps. There
was only a little itching in the old spot. The patient was given Nitric
Acid by olfaction rather than the oral dose. This was a single dose.
March 20. Hardly any more pain after the stool; yesterday some blood
was discharged with the stool (an old symptom). The throat is well, only
when drinking anything cold there is some sensation.
"Now he is allowed to smell of Ac. nitr. The smelling is directed after
opening a little vial containing half an ounce of low-grade alcohol or
brandy, in which one pellet with medicine is dissolved; he smells at it one
or two moments.
His health was permanently restored."
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 193.
Hahnemann ended his case with a single dose of Nitric Acid and noted
that the patient’s health was “permanently restored”. To use this
polypharmacy terms like "dual remedies" is describe the above cases is the
misuse of terms. Hahnemann rejected clearly dual remedies in his private
letters and the Organon. Please keep our homoeopathic terms straight.
Sincerely, David Little
---------------
"It is the life-force which cures diseases because a dead man needs no more
medicines."
Samuel Hahnemann
Visit our website on Hahnemannian Homoeopathy and Cyberspace Homoeopathic
Academy at
http://www.simillimum.com
David Little © 2000
Dear Minimus and Sara,
In the 1832 Hahnemann did test "dual remedies" i.e. two remedies given
at the exact same time in combination, but he found that they were never
really needed and did not work very well. For this reason, he spoke out
against what he called this type of "hazardous experiments." in the 5th
Organon. Now there are those who are using polypharmacy terms like
so-called "dual remedies and combinations" to describe Hahnemann occasional
use alternations and a series of single remedies in which one follows
another. This is unfortunate dis-information that only confuses students
and those not well trained in homoeopathy.
What Hahnemann describes in these above two cases is NOT a "dual
remedy" i.e. two remedies give at the same time in combination. Also the
description of the case is not correct. The Belladonna helped for a while
but it prove to be a partial simillimum that did not hold and changed the
symptoms. The Hyos. was given on Sept 28 because the patient the patient
was "very much excited day and night", was making voluptuous gestures,
lifting her dress, wish to touch the parts of others, and was angry and
beating everyone. That was a severe change of symptoms that pointed
directly to Hyos which then was followed by placebo. This was NOT the
action of two remedies at once leading to cure. This was the replacement of
an partial simillimum that was not holding and changed the symptoms with a
correct remedy that cured!!!
This description of this case that ignores the fact that Hahnemann
gave single remedies by the presenting symptoms and a large amount of
placebo to this patient and waited and watched the action of his remedies.
This is not the use of "dual remedies" which is the homoeopathic term for
two remedies given in combination! Please use the correct terms!!!
The Baron comments on these two cases in the article, Warning: The
Smallness of the Dose, found on page 192 of his Lesser Writings.
Boenninghausen’s rendition has been compared with a review of the same case
from the Paris casebooks by Hanspeter Sailer of Zurich, Switzerland, which
can be found in his work, Di Entwicklung von Samuel Hahnemann’s
aertztlicher Praxis, Verlag, Haug, 1988. Unfortunately, Sailer does not
give the folio number or page but he gives the patient’s name as Varlet.
The following Paris case is dated January 14, 1843, just six months before
Samuel Hahnemann’s death.
O-t, an actor, 33 years old, unmarried. 14 January 1843. For several
years he has had a sore throat, so now for a month. The last time his sore
throat had lasted six weeks. When swallowing saliva, he feels a pricking
sensation of constriction and soreness.
When he is not afflicted with this sore throat, he suffers from a fissure
of the anus, with violent pain as from a chap; then the anus is inflamed,
swollen and constricted, he can then discharge his stool with great
exertions, while swollen hemorrhoidal veins extrude.
"January 15. He took early before breakfast a coffeespoonful of a
solution of one pellet of Belladonna in seven tablespoons of water, from
which solution one tablespoonful was put into a tumbler of water and stirred.
January 15. In the evening the throat was worse."
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 192.
On January 15th the patient took 1 pill of Belladonna (no potency
marked) in a 7 tablespoon medicinal solution that was succussed just prior
to administration. According to Sailer’s review this Belladonna was the LM
0/3 potency. Hahnemann did not specify if the Belladonna was the LM potency
as he did with the rest of the LM remedies in this case. Boenninghausen
thought the Belladonna was a 60C. One tablespoon was taken and stirred in a
glass of water. The exact number of succussions and the dosage given to the
patient is not noted. The aggravation brought the patient back to see the
doctor the following day. This case has two sets of symptoms that tend to
alternate with each other. When the anus is inflamed the throat is
palliated, and when the throat is inflamed the anus is palliated. The
alternation of two concomitant symptoms is often a sign of the chronic
miasmatic syndromes.
"January 16. The throatache is gone, but the ailment of the anus has
returned, as described, an open fissure with pain as from a chap, swelling,
beating pain and constricture. Nevertheless, he had a painful stool in the
evening. He acknowledged that eight years ago he had a chancre, which had
been as usual destroyed with a corrosive, after which all these ailments
had set in."
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 192.
By the following day the sore throat was gone and the old rectal
affection resurfaced as an anal fissure. This set the Founder thinking
about suppressed venereal disease. Under questioning the actor confessed
that eight years earlier he had contracted syphilis that had been treated
with caustics. This confirmed active secondary syphilis. The English record
says that on January 10 Hahnemann administered LM 0/1 Mercurius Vivus but
this appears to be a typographical error because he first saw the patient
on January 14. Sailer gives the proper date as January 16.
"He received one pellet of Mercurius vivus I. of the lowest new
dynamization (which contains immensely less substance than the present)
prepared for being taken as before and taken as before (after shaking the
bottle every time), one spoonful in one tumblerful of water, as with the
Belladonna, well stirred."
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 193.
The Belladonna ameliorated the throat causing the return of the
“surrogate chancre” in the form of an anal fissure and its concomitants.
This caused the Founder to change his remedy from the apsoric plant remedy
to an anti-syphilitic mineral remedy The patient came to the doctor during
a crisis and received an acute remedy. On realizing that he was looking at
secondary syphilis he changed his treatment strategy. This is not using a
dual remedy! This is changing a non-curative acute remedy for a curative
chronic remedy. Hahnemann had the patient return in four days to assess his
condition.
"January 20. Almost all the toothache gone [he had one]. The anus is
better, but he still feels a soreness there after the stools; but there is
no more pulsations there, no swelling of the anus and no inflammation. Less
constricted. One pellet of the Mercurius viv, 2 dynamization, prepared and
taken in the same manner in the morning. I did not note down whether he
took the Mercurius (2) once or twice a day; usually only once early in the
morning before breakfast.
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 193.
The patient is improving yet the great experimenter decided to raise
the potency to LM 0/2 and gave the remedy daily. If the patient was taking
the LM 0/1 twice a day the bottle would have been finished. If he took it
once a day the bottle would still have three doses. The medicinal solution
was made in seven tablespoons of water and administered in the same fashion.
"January 25. The throat is almost altogether well, but in the anus
there is a pain as from a chap, and severe lancinations, severe pain in the
anus after stool, there is still some constriction and heat."
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 193.
There is no prescription attached to this entry in the letter. Sailer
says that Hahnemann gave him placebo for two days.
"January 30. In the afternoon he received the last dose (one
coffeespoonful). On the 28 the anus was better, the throatache had
returned; severe chaps in the throat. One pellet in sugar of milk for seven
days, prepared and taken as before."
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 193.
Hahnemann mentions one pill in milk sugar for seven days as a placebo.
Hahnemann is waiting and watching the action of his remedy for one week
before changing his remedy. This can not be called giving two remedies at
the same time. He watched the action of one before giving the other.
February 7th the patient returns.
"February 7. Severe pain as from ulceration in the throat. Colic, but
good stools, but several times in succession, with great thirst. But
everything is well at the anus. Sulphur 2-0 in seven tablespoons of water
as above.
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 193.
Hahnemann could see that the link between the secondary syphilis in
the throat and the surrogate chancre in the anus had not been broken. The
symptoms continued to improve to some degree but the alternating state
remained. Since the anus became ameliorated the throat is worse. The
Founder wrote in The Chronic Diseases that the suppression of syphilis
often causes the activation of the psora, which then obstructs the action
of anti-syphilitic remedies. For this reason, Hahnemann used Sulphur in the
0/2 potency as a chronic intercurrent remedy.
The next entry in the case is on February 13th. While taking the
Sulphur the client developed clear Mercury symptoms like ulcerative pains
in the throat and profuse saliva.
"February 13. He had ulcerative pains in his throat, especially when
swallowing saliva of which he now has a great quantity, especially much on
the 11th and 12th. Some constriction of the anus, especially since yesterday."
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 193.
The use of Sulphur as a chronic intercurrent removed the obstructive
layer of psora causing the syphilitic symptoms to surface, pointing to
Mercury. This is also not a dual remedy! He is following the change in
symptoms and returned to Mercury. Hahnemann wrote the following prescription.
"Now I let him smell of Mercurius and gave him Mercurius vivus 2-0, one
pellet, as always in seven tablespoons, one-half spoonful of brandy and to
be taken as before."
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 193.
It seems from Sailer’s notes that Hahnemann gave the patient a single
dose olfaction of Mercurius and then started the medicinal solution of 0/2
on the 14th. After the chronic intercurrent Hahnemann returned to Mercurius
at the same degree of potency he previously administered. By the 20th the
sore throat was completely gone and the anus once again became inflamed
with hemorrhoids.
February 20. The throat is better since the 18th; he suffered much at
the anus; the stool pains him when discharged; less thirst.
"§-0 Sugar of milk in seven tablespoons."
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 193.
Hahnemann used the paragraph mark (§) in the Paris casebooks to stand
for a placebo. The above notation (§-0) stands for one pill of placebo in
medicinal solution. The next entry is March 3. *It seems the placebo was
given on alternate days over the 12 day period.* This certainly was waiting
on the action of the previous remedy.
March 3. No more throat ache. On going to stool a hemorrhoidal vein
but bloodless extrudes (formerly this caused burning and pains as from
chaps), now there is only itching in that spot. I let him smell of Ac. nitr.
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 194.
Hahnemann gave placebo for many days and then administered a single
dose of the anti-syphilitic remedy, Nitric Acid. How can this be called a
dual remedy? The throat was better while milder symptoms appear at the
anus. There was now no fissure, no burning, or pain as from chaps. There
was only a little itching in the old spot. The patient was given Nitric
Acid by olfaction rather than the oral dose. This was a single dose.
March 20. Hardly any more pain after the stool; yesterday some blood
was discharged with the stool (an old symptom). The throat is well, only
when drinking anything cold there is some sensation.
"Now he is allowed to smell of Ac. nitr. The smelling is directed after
opening a little vial containing half an ounce of low-grade alcohol or
brandy, in which one pellet with medicine is dissolved; he smells at it one
or two moments.
His health was permanently restored."
The Lesser Writings, Boenninghausen, The Smallness of the Dose, page 193.
Hahnemann ended his case with a single dose of Nitric Acid and noted
that the patient’s health was “permanently restored”. To use this
polypharmacy terms like "dual remedies" is describe the above cases is the
misuse of terms. Hahnemann rejected clearly dual remedies in his private
letters and the Organon. Please keep our homoeopathic terms straight.
Sincerely, David Little
---------------
"It is the life-force which cures diseases because a dead man needs no more
medicines."
Samuel Hahnemann
Visit our website on Hahnemannian Homoeopathy and Cyberspace Homoeopathic
Academy at
http://www.simillimum.com
David Little © 2000