Although the delightful Mr Brian Inglis, in his book Fringe Medicine, classes psychiatry together with Homoeopathy and a varied gamut of healing methods, in the United States at least psychiatric treatment is the vogue. It is usually administered by MD’s who have specialized in psychiatry, yet there are also groups of registered lay analysts of different schools. More and more modern medicine realizes that it must fulfill the role that was once played by the clerical profession, spiritual advisers, the revered heads of families and elderly friends and relatives who used to be looked up to by the young. The recent science of psychology and the branches of sociology, including personal counselling, are more and more important in this day when the family and the clan are no longer of paramount influence.
Hahnemann, the great formulator of Homoeopathy, stressed the importance of the whole man, the totality of symptoms, from the farthest reach of the spirit to the most picayune physical detail. In outlining the values of symptoms, he gave first place to the mental and second place to those physical generals which are applicable to the whole human being, the “I”. The philosopher Rudolf Steiner said that in healing mental illnesses one should be guided by the physical symptoms, and in improving the condition of the body one should be led by the mental symptoms. In fact, his whole physiology was a contrapunctal one. The stress upon this may be new, but the practice of it is old, as when doctors relieved pains and congestions of the upper body by purging of the lower.
The most similar remedy, or similimum, as it is .called, can and does act as a psychiatrist, bringing patients into order from within outward, from above downward, from the more important to the less important, and in the reverse order of the appearance of symptoms. (These four guiding principles are known as Hering’s Laws of Cure.)
although he is mentally clear and bright. Can sing, but not articulate. Constant twitching and wringing of the hands, so marked that he cannot get food to his mouth. Had been given strong tranquilizers with little effect. These were stopped and Tarantula Hispanica 10M, one dose, given. On seeing him again in a month, he shook hands and conversed clearly with me, about the farm animals he was tending, and ate his meals neatly. (He had lived under the same pleasant conditions for over two years without marked improvement, until the dose. No other factors or treatment influences were changed, in an effort toward controlled experiment.)
strain nursing a relative. Complete exhaustion. Could not leave bed. Nausea and vertigo from the least motion. Blood count high normal; heart and blood pressure normal; urine perfect; no pathology in the G.I. tract. Only one key symptom: sensation of emptiness. Rx: Cocculue indicus 10M, one dose. This patient went to work next day and continued for two months with her old vigour, after which, at first sign of a recurrence of the emptiness and exhaustion, she received Cocculus CM, one dose, and is functioning well.
following skull fracture (shown by X-ray). Her ignorant stepfather had refused her recommended hospitalization and “epileptic” attacks ensued, more near the menses, eight or ten a day. Almost constant incredible headaches, not even yielding to strong sedatives, for the last two years. Arnica CM, one dose, reduced head pain, enabling omission of pain palliators. Electroencephalograph negative; eye grounds negative. Final diagnosis in the last of the many hospitals found to
be hysterical epilepsy. Complete amnesia followed her being told this verdict.Based on hysteria, convulsions worse before menses, disproportionate nausea in beautiful young blonde, I prescribed Cupum metallicum 10M, one dose, and placebo, which was followed by one more convulsion and then none for weeks. She has recovered her memory and resumed work. I sent her to a psychiatrist to teach her to deal with the problems behind her recurrent hysteria.
hold work; total indifference. Complains of violent left-sided headache, constant until her attention is distracted. Marked nausea. Varies from abnormal quietude to darting movements. Immense relief from violent motion. Rx: Sepia 10M. Since then has sent the rest of the family to Homoeopathy.
CASE 6: Young man of 21, diagnosed as mentally retarded from birth, has
been hospitalized most of his life and on large doses of thorazine recently. When spoken to he stares into space, repeats the question or remark and ultimately answers logically after long interval. Constant fidgeting of the foot, although otherwise physically abnormally still. All drugs were stopped, Rx: Zincum 10M, one dose, which gave noticeable improvement for three months. Upon relapse, Zincum 50M, one dose, was given, followed by an even longer amelioration. Now carries on normal conversation, works in a shop successfully, though still under supervision. (Care has been taken not to alter other factors of environment in these cases.)
Let no one say that the homeeopathic high dynamizations cannot spectacularly aid mental conditions!
Author: ELIZABETH WRIGHT HUBBARD, M.D., D-H.T.(NEW YORK)
