The common “cold” still remains the enigma of the medical profession and remedies for it are legion. Of late years especially, we hear more of sinus infection and our nose and throat specialists find a highly lucrative field in its exploitation; in keeping with alleged medical progress, the sulfanilamides have been used locally, in the nasal passages, in solution and with disastrous results in a number of cases. However, medical progress must go on, regardless of those who too frequently become its unfortunate victims. Homoeopathy has far better means to offer but their use demands knowledge of the materia medica and the ability and desire to employ it.
Differentiation of remedies is demanded and often is difficult, but such comparisons of our remedies lead to brilliant results. There are many homoeopathic remedies to be considered, most of them well known to the profession and many of them employed in an unholy alliance with others, when incorporated in the so-called combination tablet, a euphonious title and admittedly seductive in its connotations.
Among the many remedies of our materia medica, two are herewith to be presented in comparison; one of them, the iodide of potassium, is very commonly overlooked by prescribers to whom its sinister implications seem to act as a bar to its employment; in this mental and unjustifiable attitude they are likely to deprive themselves of a highly useful weapon, one whose indications are exact and very clear; they must of course be kept in mind when prescribing.
Arsenicum is demanded when we find the following symptoms : Hot, burning, watery discharge from the nose; frequent sneezing. Stoppage at bridge of nose and frontal headache. Chilliness and fatigue. Desire for and amelioration from heat in general. Restlessness, worse at night. Often temperature rise and thirst. Apprehension.
Kali iodatum : Violent sneezing, often ineffectual. Hot, burning, watery discharge from the nose; frequent sneezing with welling up of tears in the eyes; the latter are suffused with tear. Pain in the frontal region and at the root of the nose. Tearing pains in the extremities. Chilliness and fatigue. Temperature not raised and often subnormal. Hot applications over the nose and forehead relieve, but desire for and general amelioration in the cold open air.
The above are the essential indications to be borne in mind, and if followed, will bring very prompt and beneficial results. Potencies commonly used have been the thirtieth and two hundredth with relief within a few hours.
American Homeopathy Doctor.
Rabe graduated from the New York Homeopathic Medical College and trained under Timothy Field Allen and William Tod Helmuth.
Rabe was President of the International Hahnemannian Association, editor in chief of the Homeopathic Recorder, and he wrote Medical Therapeutics for daily reference. Rabe was Dean and Professor of Homeopathic Therapeutics at the New York Homeopathic Medical College.