Examples of Homœopathic Cures from Hahnemann's Own Practice.

Exceedingly few of Hahnemann's own cases have been published. He refrained from publishing many, lest his disciples should fall into routine ways and give certain medicine to patients with the same diseases, and not because he had given the same medicine to patients with the same diseases, and not because the medicine corresponded to the cases to be treated. In the second volume of the Materia Medica Pura, however, Hahnemann gives at "the request of some friends halting half-way on the road," two cases which I will now quote just to show the way in which he went to work, and also to show that homœopathy is not, as some would make out, a mere affair of a little book and a box of pilules. Every genuine homœopathic prescription is made on the same plan as that followed in the two cases I am about to quote ; only, the working out of the problem is generally done mentally, and more rapidly than a reading of these cases might lead one to suppose.

The figures in brackets refer to the number of the symptom referred to in Hahnemann's Materia Medica Pura .

I. Sch---, a washerwoman, somewhere about forty years old, had been more than three weeks unable to earn her bread, when she consulted me on the 1st Sept.,1815.

In other respects her health is good.

Now, as regards symptom I, Belladonna, China, and Rhus toxicodendron cause shooting in the pit of stomach on making a false step, but none of them only on movement, as is the case here. Pulsatilla (see symptom 386) certainly causes shooting in the pit of the stomach on making a false step, but only as a rare alternating action, and has neither the same digestive derangements as occur here at 4 compared with 5 and 6, nor the same state of the disposition.

Bryonia alone has among its chief alternating actions, as the whole list of its symptoms demonstrates, pains from movement, and especially shooting pains, as also stitches beneath the sternum (in the pit of the stomach) on raising the arm (448), and on making a false step it causes shooting in other parts (520, 600).

The negative symptom 2 met with here answers especially to Bryonia (638) ; few medicines (with the exception, perhaps, of Nux vomica and Rhus toxicodendron in their alternating action - neither of which, how ever is suitable for the other symptoms) show a complete relief to pains during rest and when lying ; Bryonia does, however, in an especial manner (638 and many other Bryonia Symptoms).

Symptoms 3 is met with in several medicines, and also in Bryonia (694).

Symptoms 4 is certainly, as far as regards sickness after eating, met with in several other medicines (Ignatia, Nux vomica, Mercurius, ferrum, Belladonna, Pulsatilla, Cantharis), but neither so constantly and commonly, nor with relish for food, as in Bryonia (279).

As regards symptoms 5, several medicines certainly cause a flow of water like water brash, just as well as Bryonia (282) ; the others, however, do not produce symptoms similar to the remaining ones. Hence Bryonia is to be preferred to them in this particular. Empty eructation (of wind only) after eating (symptom 6) is found in few medicines, and in none so constantly, so commonly, and to such a degree, as in Bryonia (253 - 259).

To 7. One of the chief symptoms in diseases (see Organon, sec. 213) is the 'state of the disposition,' and as Bryonia (772) causes this symptom also in an exactly similar manner, Bryonia is for all these reasons to be preferred in this case to all other medicines as the homœopathic remedy.

Now as this woman was very robust, and the force of the disease must consequently have been very considerable to prevent her, on account of pain, doing any work ; and as her vital powers, as stated, were not impaired, I gave her one of the strongest homœopathic doses, a full drop of the undiluted juice of Bryonia root, to be taken immediately, and bade her come to me again in forty-eight hours. I told my friend E., who was present, that within that time the woman would assuredly be quite cured ; but he, going but half-converted to homœopathy, expressed his doubt about it. Five days afterwards he came again to learn the results, but the woman did not return then, and, in fact, never came back again. I could only allay the importance of my friend by telling him her name and that of the village where she lived, about a mile and a half off, and advising him to seek her out and ascertain for himself how she was. This he did, and her answer was' What was the use of my going back ? The very next day I was quite well, and could again go to my washing ; and the day following was quite well as I am still. I am extremely obliged to the doctor, but the like of us have no time to leave off our work ; and for three weeks previously my illness prevented me earning anything.

II. W---, a weakly, pale man of 42 years, who was kept constantly at his desk by business, consulted at his desk by business, consulted me on Dec. 27,1815 ; he had been already five days ill.

Here I may observe :-

The patient, therefore, could not be cured by anything more easily, certainly, and permanently than by Pulsatilla, which was homœopathic to the case. It was accordingly given to him immediately ; but, on account of his weakly and exhausted state, only in a very minute dose, i. e., half a drop of the quadrillionth [12th dil.] of a strong drop of Pulsatilla. This was done in the evening.

"The next day he was free from ailments, his digestion was restored ; and a week thereafter, as he informed me, he remained free from complaint and well."