By Dr. Strohmeyer, Frankfurt A.M.
The following three cases, I think, I can claim as having been cured by means of high potencies, and I would go further and would claim that, basing my assertion on former experience, that they would not have been healed as promptly and safely by lower potencies, as by the high dilution which I used:
I. A Stye.
The first case was that of a lady, thirty-five years of age, who, hitherto, had always enjoyed an enviable state of good health, until a short time back, when her cheerful disposition was a little disturbed by the appearance of a stye on an upper eyelid. As the ailment in the days following increased and caused her lively trouble, an eye doctor was called in, who through a slight incision, put an end to this disturbance. In a few days all was right again, and our lady as merry as before. But what could describe properly her indignation, when a week later, a second stye made its appearance in the same place with the same symptoms, and the disturbance in the use of the eye through the swelling induced another visit to the specialist. Hot poultices matured the stye, a slight cut, and the lady was relieved the second time. In about the same time a third stye, the same procedure, and the same result. But when the trouble arose for the fourth time, the patient lost her patience, and endeavored to cure it in another manner. I must confess that there was little to be seen of the merry disposition, which, as the patient stated, had formerly been her usual mood, when she paid a visit to me. On the contrary, the lady showed an impatient and embittered spirit, and charged herself with crossness and perversity; and she rather made the impression of a little Xanthippe than of a gentle and cheerful dame. Every one knows what a great weight homoeopaths lay even in slight troubles on the mood and disposition and it would hardly do to say that any fair lady would be thus irritated by the appearance of four styes in succession. Now would you suppose that such a disposition would have been cured by Pulsatilla? As little as by Silicea. But Staphisagria 200. D., drops of the dilution, one to be taken every evening on three successive days, not only prevented every return of the ailment, but brought relief on the second day, while the stye was still at its height.
II. Furuncles.
The second case, no less interesting, was that of a young forester, who had been suffering for some time from furuncles, which kept recurring, and for which he in vain endeavored to find a cause. Treatment with Arsenic, by an allopath, had not the least effect upon it, or the use of yeast, taken for a lengthy period. An examination of the vigorous, blooming young man yielded absolutely no result, with the exception of a slight indolence of the stools, which, however, had existed for years. Nor could the patient remember having received either a greater or lesser bodily lesion. There had not been any sexual infection, the urine was free from albumen and sugar; the appetite, sleep, and all the other functions were normal – and yet one furuncle kept following the other; at the present time there were several in the neck, and one in the right axilla. The indolence of the stool then was the only etiological moment which could be brought in connection with this cutaneous disease. This was the more astonishing, as the diet of the patient was thoroughly rational, and he was compelled, by his calling, to take the most strenuous bodily exercise. There was, indeed, a daily stool, but, owing to the dry consistence of the faeces, this was in some degree, labored, and the patient had the sensation as if quantities of the faeces remained undischarged in the bowels. An examination of the rectum showed a slight predisposition to piles. I supposed that the furunculosis was supported by a certain process of self-intoxication, and this supposition was stained by the result of the medication. The patient received Sulphur 200. D., taken on four successive evenings, seven drops at a time, in a tablespoonful of water. I requested him to call again in two weeks, but I had to wait for three weeks, before I saw him again. He told me then that during the first eight days nothing unusual had taken place, but toward the end of the second week a large and extremely painful furuncle had formed on the back of the region of the last ribs. This had tied him to his bed for fully five days. His wife had made hot poultices of linseed, which softened the furuncle, after which a great mass of matter was discharged – but since that time there had been not more furuncles. Being questioned as to the stools, he merrily answered that he had been constipated for the first few days, but since that almost tirely normal.
III. Gonorrhoea.
The third case was that of an engineer, who was at the same time lieutenant of the reserve, and who had brought back as a memorial of the last manoeuvers, a case of gonorrhoea, which had been treated in the customary manner with injections, and had been dismissed as cured, after some weeks. The case was cured, or not cured, according to a man’s point of view. There was not, indeed any more discharge, in fact, according to his statement there had only been a urethritis anterior. But a queer result was, that since this cure he did not feel any more bright as before, and suffered from broken sleep, a certain dull headache, and light rheumatic pains, which kept changing their position. He felt, as we say, “under the weather” I made no further explanation, as these would not, probably, have been understood, but I prescribed three powders, moistened each with Thuja 200. D., six drops to be taken on three successive evenings. As I had expected, so it happened; on the third day there appeared a thin, watery discharge, with slight burning of the urethra and a slight weariness in all the limbs. In the nights following, there was a copious perspiration, with a gradual disappearance of all the symptoms. The discharge, which had slightly frightened the patient and had brought him, post-haste to see me, came to an end in two weeks. I think that anyone who has once seen such a prompt action of a medicine is not apt to forget all his life how great and brilliant is the action of the high potencies.
