MR. J., a clergyman, 64 years old, living in Glamorgan, wrote to me on June 30th, 1934, that he had been suffering from diabetes for two-and-a-half years, that he had been continuously under Insulin, and that he was injecting 15 units of Insulin and a day, regulating the quantity by analysis of urine which he made himself several times a day. I replied that I did not care to undertake this case, as I had found that Insulin never cured diabetes but made the patients slaves to that dangerous drug.
He insisted upon having my advice, and, very much against my wish, visited me on July 13th, 1934 and gave me all the details of his case. The doctors and specialists who had treated him had carefully analysed his urine, blood, etc., had given him the usual diet and the usual Insulin, had treated the disease without investigating the needs of the individual patient, as is usually done.
I told Mr. J. that I was not at all interested in the analysis of his blood and urine, his diet etc., but that I wished to find out the cause of his trouble. He could not enlighten me, but careful enquiry elicited the fact that he had had a great sorrow which I considered the cause of his disease. I wrote in my directions:.
“The most striking fact which come out in your interrogation was that in 1906-7 you were deeply disappointed in love and have been terribly depressed ever since. There is evidently a deep psychical injury”.
Very frequently increase in sugar content of urine coincided with deep depression caused by thoughts of his old love and by the feeling that the lady of his choice was near him. Ignatia is a great medicine for grief and sorrow. I immediately gave him at my house, a dose of Ignatia 1,000th potency, told him to take 10 drops of diluted Phosphoric acid containing a little Ignatia after ever meal, and a single dose of Ignatia 200th potency now and then as needed.
Improvement was instantaneous, both in mind and in the mans illness. On July 16th he wrote: “My analysis of urine showed that this morning the urine was sugarfree although I injected Insulin only once yesterday, instead of twice as heretofore.” On July 20th he wrote: “My depression is certainly less severe than when you saw me. i feel considerably better. I am awfully glad I came to see you. Life has already taken a brighter and more gladsome aspect.”
On July 27th he wrote: “You will rejoice to learn that my reaction to your treatment continues to be most satisfactory. During the last five days there was not even a trace of sugar in my urine.” On July 30th he wrote: “Henceforth I shall test the urine only three times a week, and after a few weeks time only once a week”.
Mr. J. wrote one joyful letter after another. He ten went to Shrewsbury, sugar reappeared in the urine, I discovered that he had taken mushrooms, to which he was unaccustomed, I forbade mushrooms and urine became rapidly normal without Insulin. On August 25th he wrote: “My urine is still sugar-free, and depression is quite gone.” On September 15th he stated: “My general health has much improved since my visit to you. Your medicine has worked quite a miracle. I have put on weight.”
Then he complained about his eyesight. It is a well-known fact that diabetics are very liable to cataract. A few doses of Sulphur 6x led to improvement of eyesight. Mr. J. took doses of Ignatia 200 more and more rarely. On December 1st, 1934, he wrote: “Not since September 25th have I taken a pilule.” On December 4th he wrote: “The measure of my gratitude to you in inexpressible by the language at my command. There is no combination of words that can tell all I feel for what you have done for me”.
This case teaches the most important lesson, that there is no “specific” for any disease. A parrot can learn: “For heart disease give Digitalis, for rheumatism give Salicylates, for diabetes give Insulin.” Diabetes, like every other disease, can be treated by a medical automation with the textbook specific.
That saves trouble. But diabetes, and every other disease, is curable only if the prescriber enquires carefully into all the symptoms and into the causation of the disorder, and deals with these factors instead of prescribing mechanically Insulin for all diabetes cases. No two cases of diabetes are alike, and the same applies to every other disease known to medical science. Diseases can be cured only by conscientious and careful individual treatment.
James Ellis Barker wrote a very large number of books, both under the name James Ellis Barker and under his real German name Otto Julius Eltzbacher, The Truth about Homœopathy; Rough Notes on Remedies with William Murray; Chronic Constipation; The Story of My Eyes; Miracles Of Healing and How They are Done; Good Health and Happiness; New Lives for Old: How to Cure the Incurable; My Testament of Healing; Cancer, the Surgeon and the Researcher; Cancer, how it is Caused, how it Can be Prevented with a foreward by William Arbuthnot Lane; Cancer and the Black Man etc.