[Read before the Massachusetts Homoeopathic Society, Nov. 11, 1931.].
The study of these one hundred cases of pneumonia from the Massachusetts Memorial Hospitals includes all kinds of cases clinically, broncho-pneumonia, lobar pneumonia, secondary, primary, terminal, epidemic and influenzal pneumonia, ranging from the year 1876 to 1928. Our method of taking up these records has been to take at random about 10 cases in each year, skip ahead five years, then take up another set of ten cases, and so on.
The records, while presenting such necessary data and facts as were available from the patients, are not always complete. They lack the typing of pneumococci after the present day method, but otherwise they have been more or less complete, giving the age, sex, clinical diagnosis with complications, duration at date of entry, predisposing factors, laboratory study of blood, urine, sputum, and x-ray diagnosis, as well as surgical procedures as they were needful.
ETIOLOGICAL FACTORS. Pneumonia attacked all ages. Children and old people were specially liable to infection. Males suffered more than females. Social conditions such as hardships were some of the exciting causes. Alcoholic history was not found in many cases, but debility was an important factor. Exposure to cold or storm, respiratory complaints such as in diphtheria, whooping- cough, measles, chicken-pox and heredity were also predisposing factors. Of climate and seasons, sudden change of weather and the winter and spring seasons are to be taken into account. In the influenza epidemic it was one of the antecedents of pneumonia. Apart from these there were terminal cases, and pneumonia complicated with pyelitis, appendicitis, pleurisy, empyema and meningitis.
The thoroughness and efficacy of the homoeopathic treatment of pneumonia cannot really be judged by the study of these records except in those cases treated purely with homoeopathic remedies. Nevertheless the study throws some light on what homoeopathy can do in pneumonia with such serious complications as pyelitis, appendicitis, etc. Some of these cases, which were given homoeopathic remedies, even in very low potencies, had frequent repetition rather than otherwise; and cases which had fatal termination may be attributed to unconscious homoeopathic drug- proving on the part of the prescriber, until the remedy produced a total collapse of the lung-power; but there were other cases in which we find a wiser and less frequent administration of the drug with a greater percentage of cure.
The idea is that homoeopathic medicines were repeated in many cases without the precaution of discontinuing after the reaction had started. Alternate prescriptions, and mixed prescriptions were many, and, though the number of cases cured or lost cannot take away from or add to homoeopathy, strange to say, in both pure, mixed and alternate treatment the remedies that came out most often were Bryonia, Phosphorus, Antimonium tart., Aconite, Belladonna and Veratrum viride. Of these Bry., Ant. tart. and Phos. ranked highest in total count. In the cases with mixed treatment it is difficult to determine whether it is the codeine sulphate or the Bryonia plus the vitality of the patient which carried him through.
But in all probably these remedies would not have been prescribed if there had not been a fairly homoeopathic simile of Bryonia or the other remedies used. In some cases there was plain hydrotherapy, in some cases when the patients condition grew worse the usual routine procedure of Digitalis, Atropine sulph. and Strychnine was carried through; but most of these cases made a fatal end. The true homoeopath wonders whether a dose of Ant. tart., Carb. veg., Causticum, Lycopodium, Chelidonium, or Terebinth would not have met such conditions better. Is it possible that this mixing of treatment brought an end to these innocent patients? Surgical assistance was taken in all cases where it was needed, but it was also observed that some of these cases improved under Hepar sulph., Ignatia, and like remedies.
If I were to speak from my personal experience in pneumonia under the tutelage of my preceptor, Dr. Chowdhuri, in his wide practice, I would say that all pneumonia cases treated early should have no complications and prompter cure should be expected. We have noticed that the pathological development of pneumonia in its different stages does not take place after timely administration of the proper homoeopathic remedy, even when the pulse and respiration ratio has begun to change very badly. A dose of Phosphorus if homoeopathic to the case, will prevent further development of the disease. Those massive broncho -pneumonia cases seldom require any remedy other than a few doses of Antimonium tart.
In fine, proper elimination of the toxins with plenty of fluids, hygienic care, rest and a true homoeopathic remedy, will meet all conditions of pneumonia.
In the different forms of structural or organic disease, some of which have no direct counterpart as yet in the pathogenesis of our remedies, we are compelled to look for the great characteristic, constitutional symptoms, the most prominent and peculiar features of the case, even apart, if necessary, from functional derangements and from structural disorganization. Such symptoms, which are purely constitutional, just the reverse of local, since they may appear in connection with any form of disease, become the peculiar characteristics, the key-notes of their respective cases. Such symptoms must be prominently contained in whatever remedy is suited to the case.
And we believe that each case, especially each chronic case, has its head symptom which leads all the rest its key-note, from which all the others take their cue. And we believe also that the remedy which contains this head-symptom with equal prominence that is, in which it constitutes a key-note will invariably be found to cover and contain all the other symptoms; and that this clue will thus afford us the means of extending the curative action and sphere of the medicine, far beyond what it had reached, or could be expected to reach, by direct pathogenesis. H.N. GUERNSEY, M.D., 1866.