Professional Documents
Culture Documents
P. Bender, M D.
Editiorial Comments : Personally I do not like long lectures and articles,
and last year I had requested the E d i t o r s of the Heritage
master-piece of D r . P. Bender is so f u l l
prune
only t w o pages.
During your
w r i t i n g " , and see how this can be done w i t h o u t spooling its tone or matter.
I hope D r . Jain w i l l feel like reprinting it in the f o r m of a booklet if
readers l i k e it.
And preserve your copies.
in some minor details, but the span of human life is the measure
of man's opportunity, and it is only a cause of wonder that he
could have accomplished so much in a single life-time. All the
principles of Homoeopathy are logically, systematically, and
indissolubly bound together. There is nothing contradictory in
any portion of it.
According to Hahnemann, life is bestowed upon the human
economy by a power sin generis appropriately named by him,
the vita! force. This agency starts with life itself, in the original
protoplasm, influencing the development of the living tissues,
governing and regulating all the physiological phenomena and
watching over the preservation of the individual till death. There
has been no better theory advanced of the influence governing the
human system. If this vital force be distributed in its harmonious
guidance of the functions of the body by some external impression, mental, miasmatic, climatic or other, the processes of nature
are modified and disease appears. The vital power is immaterial
dynamic in nature, like all natural forces, and can only be affected
by similar immaterical or dynamic agents. Aetiological factors,
consequently operate and influence this power through their
virtuality. These disturbances of the vital forces manifest themselves differently in different individuals, depending upon the
peculiarities or original weaknesses of the patient.
The vital force theory is one of the fundamental principles
of Homoeopathy, the second being the application of law of
similars and the third the dynamization of the drug.
Homoeopathy in other words is founded upon a physiological theory,
a system of pathology, a therapeutic law and a related Materia
Medica.
A more minute, a deeper knowledge of man, of the morbid
changes to which he is subject and the possibilities of remedial
medication under the law soon taught Hahnemann that the old
methods of examining patients would not suffice. From his rich
stores of human observation and thought, he formulated a
scheme expressed in the clearest and most concise language
(Vide, Organon, paragraph 83 et sequitum). Unless the physician master those directions as well as the principles and the
philosophy of Homoeopathy he cannot practice it with any
degree of success or satisfaction. The proper examination of the
patient is indeed the keynote to the arch of Homoeopathyno
certainty in prescribing being possible without it. The examiner
must be familiar with anatomy and pathology in order to understand the anatomical relationship of the organs of the body and
their deviations from the normal or pathological changes. He
must also know chemistry to be acquainted with the constituents
of the human machines, the physiology to understand the functions of the different organs, and hygiene to be able to remove
or guard against morbid influences ; also the laws of auxiliary
medical science with the use of all instruments and appliances
for the detection of diseases. Besides, the examiner must possess
the spirit of observation, analytical and synthetical and be able to
exercise this faculty with zeal and discrimination. There are many
precautions necessary in the investigation of the symptoms and
conclusions to be drawn from them. The life of the patient or his
comfort through life may depend upon the thoroughness of the
examination and, therefore, all that comes under the five senses
should be closely scrutinized and investigated. The examiner
must note points of resemblance as also of differences, estimating
the finest shades of variance between symptoms and their connection, to learn whether they follow or alternate, rapidly shift
about or change in character. In truth nothing can be overlooked,
the most trivial and most important alike, both objective and subjective should be noticed and considered for we may all be
sure the vital force does not throw out signals of distress without
the best of reasons. Each symptoms possesses a meaning and
must be considered and interpreted from a logical and associative
point of view. The physician must reason from generals to particulars and trace disease to its source. There is never room for
conjecture or hypothesis with the Homoeopath. Any surmise
from pathological indication is likely to lead us astray. It may
be well for our personnel gratification or that of the patient
to form a diagnosis, but we must be careful not to allow
the name of the disease to influence our conclusions, as Hahnemann so often cautions. The totality of the symptoms is the
exact record of phenomena present and must be collected and
viewed as an entity, !f the total of the symptoms can be found
under the effects of any drug their removal will follow its administration ; and hence the great importance of not omitting a
single symptom from the picture of the case.
The age, sex, temperament, morbid diathesis, inherited or
acquired, the moral and psychological phenomena require to be
noted as well ail previous diseases, errors or insufficiency of
diet, climate or contagious exposures, excesses and privations,
with defective physical or moral education. The appearance of
the patient, his actions and manners, position while lying,
state of the skin, etc., may all be taken at a glance. But as
regards the functions of the body, abnormal sensations, morbid
desires and aversions, with other subjective symptoms they are
elicited from the patient. The seat of pain, its nature and extent,
modified by sleep, rest, motion, sating, waking, drinking, standing,
heat and cold, the influence of the time of the day, mental excitement, changes of season as also the effects of confined or open
air; no less than the effects of different foods and liquids all
have to be carefully attended to and considered. Suppressed
eruptions or discharges must also be recognized.
While each symptom is in reality but a part of the great
whole, and need to be noticed, some are of greater importance
when the therapeutical question arises as we shall see. Among
the most valuable, from that point of view, are the symptoms
with their modalities and conditions which precede the use of
remedies at the outset of the disease, those present when the
disease reached its height, those following the use of drugs
of special moment are the first and the last. We must be particular to discriminate between idiocyncracies, habitual infirmities
and physical deviation from health for what may be normal in
one would be morbid in another, and so forth. Some fixed plan
or method must be adopted in our examinations, and Hahnemann's cannot well be improved upon. He begins with the
s
moral and intellectual symptoms and then takes in topographical
order, the different regions of the body, starting with the head
and ending at the feet. In the main the above constitutes Hahnemann's directions and if faithfully carried out must inevitably
give the examiner a complete picture of the case which as we all
know, is the open sesame to the similimum.
After we have obtained a full and complete account of the
patient's symptoms and cleared away by painstaking investigation obscure or doubtful points we must next group and classify
symptoms in accordance with our estimate of their value, to
facilitate our subsequent task of selecting the required remedy.
, Symptoms originating from the mind are to be noted down
first and then those most uncommon and peculiar. To distinguish between these and the unessential and unimportant is
often very difficult and not seldom calls, as you are well aware,
for great skill and discernment. As a rule the less diagostic is a
symptom the more important it is as a guide to the needed
remedy. The most constant, the most recent or latent symptoms
developed must be consideredthey are the sinequa non. All
symptoms not founded upon reliable or positive premises must
be discarded ; the fleeting are generally of less value.
An invaluable piece of advice the master gives us concerning
the examination of patients, is to let the sufferer tell all of his
pains, sensations, and so forth without interruption for he cautions
us, if the patient is questioned before he was told his whole
story, he may, through confusion or timidity forget some essential symptoms. Another equally important suggestion is to note
down in writing all that falls from the lips of the patient, relating
to his symptoms, and these, he counsels us, to take down as
possible, in the patient's own words and in the order given.
Subsequently his statements may be corrected or corroborated
by the attendants or friends. The master also particularly warns
us not to put leading or suggestive questions or in other words,
we are to avoid making inquiries which may be answered simply
in the affirmative or in the negative. I may return to this later.
assumed during his sleep, lying on his elbows and knees with
face downward. Thus by the merest accident I obtained the clue
of the remedy. Shortly after the administration of Cina 200, the
boy slept on his side as formerly, grinding of the teeth ceased
and he began to gain flesh. He did not pass any worms ; if he
did they were not noticed by the mother. I saw this child a few
days ago and he seemed to be strong and healthy again.
Case 3. In a case of omodynia (rheumatic shoulder) of the
right side, after the failure of Rhus, which appeared well indicated, a symptom which in the eyes of a pathologist, would be
insignificant such as aggravation before and during rainy weather,
led me to give Si/. 200 and with perfectly satisfactory curative
results. The symptoms in question was reluctantly admitted by
the patient as he considered it too ridiculous to mention.
The recital of the above cases serves to show in what great
measure the success of the Homoeopath depends upon his knowledge of the phenomena of diseases and drugs. Familiarity with
the latter enables one to understand a patient who expresses himself vaguely or who lacks the power of expressing the feelings
through the medium of words. One single word, a look may
illumine one who knows the Materia Medica. Not seldom after
I had failed to grasp what a patient meant I would later come
across the very symptom he had attempted to describe. In the
treatment of patients suffering from chronic miasms especially
when two or more are present, the symptoms will manifest themselves in such manifold and mysterious guises, physical, psychical and mental, that the sufferer is puzzled to explain and the
physician to understand.
On examining a patient there is not only the difficulty of
estimating symptoms on the part of the physician, but he must
bear in mind the possibility of the patient misleading him through a
variety of reasonsunintentionally, through ignorance, or through
a desire to conceal the nature of the disease or again from fear
that he may hear that he is actually suffering from a malady the
existence of which he could prefer to ignore. The examiner must
be on the alert against all such contingencies. And yet in spite
and the next day I would be shown a full crop of shingles on the
loins which required no other remedy for its cure.
There are many types of invalids whom it takes no little
knowledge of human nature to properly understand and successfully treat. For example, the hysterical and hypochondriscal
generally represent their symptoms in the most exaggerated terms.
Perhaps they do feel their pains more keenly than more vigorous
patients ; but many paint rather over-coloured pictures in order to
make sure of the physicians prompt and careful attention. On the
other hand some will take little of their symptoms lest they be
considered boyish, which others are actually indifferent as to the
issue of their disease. These facts impress upon us the importance
of bearing in mind the different remedies adapted to different
classes of sufferers, in the hypersansitive, ign., Coff. and Aeon.
often afford much relief, while the indifferent are benefited by
Sep., Acid phos., Phos., etc.
Some physicians are gifted with a medicinal acumen enabling them to discover at a glance the nervous, the physical as well
as the gouty, the miasmatic and other species of affections To
such judges, the attitude, carriage, gait or physiognomy
often convey a plain and true story from which they readily
deduce sound conclusions as to the suitable remedies for the
different classes of sufferes, also the kind of environment, the
soil, food and climate, suited to the various invalids under notice.
And although all practioners cannot lay claim to an equal share
of this valuable faculty, there is pleasure in the reflection that
it may be acquired or cultivated to a considerable extent by
study and observation. In view of its great importance to mankind, it behoves us all to train the eye, ear and other facilities in
every way calculated to assist us most in the worthy as well as
useful work of the quick and correct discernment of disease.
Now I must strive to conclude, out of respect, for your
patience at least. As had been truly said by one interested most
and cures in the healing art, the most learned practitioner is he
who cures best. In this useful mission the Homoeopath possesses
a great advantage over the other schools, as under the law guiding
him, he can overcome or remove any disease not beyond human
skill. Without however an assiduous study of the Materia Medica
and the thorough analysis of every case coming before him for
treatment he must fail as signally as his opponents of the other
school. It may be that the practice of medicine is, as Dr. Johnson
remarks, "a melancholy attendance upon misery, a mean submission
to peevishness, and a continued interruption to rest and pleasure."
But the study of life and death, of health and disease as well,
appeals to be better part of man's nature, elevating his aims while
extending and deepening his sympathies. How gratifying, is
it not, to be able with a word or look to overcome, at times, all
the sufferer's anxieties, and dispel all his doubts and fears, or at
any rate, smooth the poor patients path to the grave ! There is
indeed no nobler, no more philanthropic mission appealing to the
sympathies of mankind than that of resisting and overcoming the
many treacherous influences and agencies arranged against
health, from the first throb of the heart to the last beat of the
pulse.