Diphtheria: Can Homoeopathy Cure?

Excerpted from: From The Medical Advance, July 1887

I want to remark that the law of Homoeopathy, is founded in experimental fact; a law of nature – as true as any proposition in Euclid – and that it has been demonstrated as many times. And I believe that it may be made still more certain, so that even this dread curse of the civilization of the 19th century, may be cured. Can it be possible that all the gentlemen who have reported cures were mistaken in their diagnosis, and simply cured a catarrhal sore throat? What is the cause of the discomfiture of these gentlemen? Probably it is this: to solve a problem in Euclid or algebra, you need all the terms, else you reason from false premises and arrive at false conclusions. That would not disprove the truths of mathematics. A million such blunders would only prove that they were blunders. So in treating disease the physician wants to get all the terms of the proposition,the totality of the symptoms, and give to each its proper weight, else he reasons from false premises and arrives at humiliating results, which is no fault of the law of the similars. A million such failures would only prove that they were blunders; so that it would appear a man is not necessarily a falsifier because he reports cures of diphtheria (Homeopathy for Diphtheria). Any disease should be treated vigorously when the doctor is consulted and the most vigorous thing he can do is to give the simillimum of the case in hand, regardless of its pathology.

I too, would prevent diphtheria, but would not do it by nosing about among people’s closets and ash pits, but by
curing the chronic miasms inherited in families that permitted me to practice for them.

These miasms classified by Hahnemann as psora, syphilis and sycosis, are the probable factors that make most of our bad cases and often make the doctor a ninny. It may be necessary to cure the miasm, before we can cure the acute disease. For instance: I was called to a lad, suffering from intermittent fever. Natrum mur. was clearly indicated, and was exhibited, but the fever was not arrested for some days. Looking critically at my patient, his tongue, enlarged tonsils and saw teeth, gave a suspicion of syphilitic taint. Mercurius iod. was used for 24 hours. When returning to Natrum mur. the fever was immediately cured.

A baby, bottle fed, suffered with constipation, vomiting and colic; worse nights. Various things palliated but nothing cured. When she went “to teeth”, Mercurius was indicated; receiving it she immediately grew strong and well.

Two of the older children had scarlatina with diphtheritic patches, vomiting, purging and cold sweats. Baryta carb.
seemed indicated but it took Mercurius iod. to cure. When the permanent teeth appeared in the older children syphilis was apparent A second baby was attacked just as the previous one. Very costive, pale, colicky at night A few doses of Mercurius cor. 200, removed the whole trouble,and the baby grew strong and well.

A lady came to me for nearly a year for some chronic troubles; remedies were clearly indicated, and the symptoms prescribed for disappeared, but something else would immediately appear. She said her parents were healthy.
Later the mother came for treatment for indigestion, constipation and hemorrhoids. A close examination discovered
an eruption of warts and that her hemorrhoids were sycotic excrescences. That solved the problem of her daughter. Such experiences, no doubt, occur to every physician, and should be remembered when these severe acute diseases present themselves for treatment.

My failure to cure the first baby was because I was trying to solve my problem without all the factors and not because the law of the similars is not true. If homoeopathic doctors would study the symptoms more and pathology less, and report all verifications, homoeopathic practice would be made a certitude, and the greatest benefit would be conferred on humanity.