DIRECTION OF CURE

Was ever a law on the direction of cure formulated? If so, by whom? As there has been no opinion or argument posted, I am ending the discussion by presenting my understanding of this subject. A. Direction of cure in Chronic Diseases by Dr.Hahnemann (page no. 230) The latest symptoms that have been added to a chronic disease which has been left to itself (and thus has not been aggravated by medicinal mismanagement) are always the first to yield in an antipsoric treatment; but the oldest ailments and those which have been most constant and unchanged, among which are the constant local ailments, are the last to give way; and this is only effected, when all the remaining disorders have disappeared and health has been in all other respects almost totally restored. B. Ideal cure according to Dr.Hering- in The conversation, Talks, Life & Times of Hering by Calvin B.Knerr (page no. 143) An ideal homoeopathic cure, made according to rule, should exhibit the following characteristics: 1. Limitation of the usual course of the disease to a shorter space of time. 2. Perceptible moderation, or total prevention of pathological products, without arriving at what is usually understood by a crisis. 3. Rapid recuperation of strength and bodily vigor; marked shortening of the period of convalescence. 4. Removal of a tendency to recurrence of the disease. Prophylaxis against relapse even where exiting cause is unavoidable. 5. Improvement in mental condition of the patient, apparent to the skilled observer from the moment he enters the sick room, by attitude and demeanor of his patient. C. Dr. Kents view (In his second lecture on homeopathic philosophy given in 1900 in the Post-Graduate School of Homopathics) "The cure must proceed from centre to circumference. From centre to circumference is from above downward, from within outwards, from more important to less important organs, from the head to the hands and feet."

"Every homeopathic practitioner who understands the art of healing knows that the symptoms which go off in these directions remain away permanently. Moreover, he knows that symptoms which disappear in the reverse order of their coming are removed permanently. It is thus he knows that the patient did not merely get well in spite of the treatment, but that he was cured by the action of the remedy. If a homeopathic physician goes to the bedside of a patient and, upon observing the onset of the symptoms and the course of the disease, sees that the symptoms do not follow this order after his remedy, he knows that he has had but little to do with the course of things." D. In the preface of American edition of Samuel Hahnemanns, The Chronic Disease, their Specific Nature and Homoeopathic Treatment, Volume 1Theoretical Part, Dr. Herings wrote: I will nevertheless communicate a short extract from my essay Guide, to Progressive Development of Homoeopathy. As acute disease terminate in an eruption upon skin, which divides, dries up, and then passes off, so it is with many chronic disease, all disease diminish in intensity ,improve and are cured by internal organism freeing itself from them little by little; the internal disease approaches more and more to external tissues, until it finally arrives at the skin. Every homoeopathic physician must have observed that the improvement in pain takes place from above downwards; and in disease from within out ward. This is the reason why chronic diseases, if they are thoroughly cured, always terminate in some cutaneous eruption, which differs according to different constitution of patients. The cutaneous eruption may be even perceived when a cure is impossible, and even when the remedies have been improperly chosen. The skin being the outermost surface of the body, it receives upon itself the extreme termination of the disease. This cutaneous eruption is not mere morbid secretion having been chemically separated from the internal organism in the form of a gas, a liquid, or a solid; it is the whole of the morbid action which is pressed from within outward, and it is characteristic of a thorough and really curative treatment. The morbid action of the internal organism may continue either entirely or more or less in spite of this cutaneous eruption. Nevertheless, this eruption always is a favourable symptom; it alleviates the sufferings of the patient, and generally prevents a more dangerous affection. The thorough cure for a widely ramified chronic disease in the organism is indicated by the most important organ being first relived, the affection passes off in the order in which the organs had been affected, the more important being relived first, the less important next, and the skin last.

Even the superficial observer will not fail in recognising this law of order. An improvement which takes place in a different order can never be relied upon. A fit of hysteria may terminate in a flow of urine; other fits say either terminates in the same way, or in haemorrhage; the next succeeding fit shows how little the affection had been cured. The disease may take a different turn, it may change its form and in this new form, it may be less troublesome, but the general state of the organism, will suffer in consequence, of this transformation.

Hence it is that Hahnemann inculcates with so such care the important rule to attend to the moral symptoms, and to judge of the degree of homoeopathic adaption, existing between the remedy and the disease, by the improvement which takes place in the moral condition, and the general well-being of the patient. The law of order which we have pointed out above accounts for the numerous cutaneous eruption consequent upon homoeopathic treatment, even where they never had been before; it accounts for the obstinacy with which many kinds of herpes and ulcers remain upon the skin ,where as others are dissipated like snow. Those which remain do remain because the internal disease yet exists. This law of order also accounts for the insufficiency of violent sweats, when the internal disease is not yet disposed to leave its hiding place. It lastly accounts for one cutaneous affection being substituted for another.

But alas the rules which the experienced founder of homoeopathy lays down in the subsequent work with so much emphasis are not always practised, and there for cannot be appreciated. Many oppose them. Cures which otherwise might be speedy and certain are delayed; much injury being done by the wiseacres, who intrude themselves into our literature and mix with it as chaff with wheat. In all this we may console ourselves with the expectation that also in the history of science there will be those great days of harvest, when the tares shall be gathered in bundles and thrown into fire. I hope this will convince an inquisitive mind that there indeed is a law on direction of cure in homoeopathy which is erroneously named Hering. It was first stated by Dr. Hahnemann himself. Others have explained it. The direction of cure was and is observed by any physician prescribing according to Homoeopathic doctrines. Dr. Amar Bodhi.R, Lecturer, Department of Pharmacy, B.R.Sur Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital Share your views at :discussionhomoeo@gmail.com