Time fails me to give you the homoeopathic bibliography on this question, but I am persuaded to cite three cases which seem to me interesting from among the cures I have been able to make of hay fever.
CASE I. A young man of twenty-seven comes to consult me at the end of april, 1923, because he is subject every year since infancy to hay fever. He had been to specialists, who ordered him inhalations without the least result.
He is a hypersensitive, fearful on every occasion and reacting by means of an intestinal upset whenever any responsibility comes to him, or he had to go on a journey, or if he is subject to worry or emotion. Before every examination he is seized with such an attack or enteritis that, quite worn out, he can only work in a reclining position.
An interview, a visit, everything is a cause fro emotion.
He feels the heat very much, and only feels at ease after having passed urine or perspired copiously.
To dispel his fatigue and rally his strength he resorts to the drinking of spirits.
His symptoms of hay fever are classical-running of eyes, irritation of nose, intolerable tickling of the nasopharynx, frequent sneezing, abundant watery running.
No particular modality, save aggravation from warmth.
Following the counsel of my master, I did not take into consideration these oculo-naso-pharyngeal symptoms, but took stock exclusively of the symptoms showing the patient himself, aggravation from emotions, the intestinal reaction following emotional shock, amelioration from sweat and urination, aggravation from warmth.
In Kents Repertory, we find (p.40).
(1) Acet.ac., Arg.n., Arn., Aster, Aur., Calc., Calc.ars., Calc.p., CAPS., Caust., Cist., Cob., Cocc., Coch., COFF., Con., GELS., Glon., Ign., Kali br., Kali.p., Kreos., Lyc., Lyss., Nat.c., Nat.m., Nit.ac., Nux m., Nux v., Pall., PH.AC., Phos., Psor., PULS., Sep., STAPH., Vert., Zinc.
(2) Diarrhoea from excitement (p. 612):.
ARG. N., Cina., Gels., Hyos., Kali p., Lyc., Petr.; as before theatre: Ph.ac., Thuj., ARG.N.
One could also take the rubric, “Diarrhoea from Anticipation” (p.611): Arg. n., Gels., Ph.ac.
(3) General amelioration after perspiration (p. 1391): Acon., Aesc., Ambr., Am.m., Ant.t., Ars., Bar.c., Bell., Bov., Bry., Calad., Canth., Hell., Hep., Hyos., Ip., Kali n., Led., Lyc., Mag.m., NAT.M., Nit.ac., Nux v., Ilud., Op., PSOR., Puls., Rhod., RHUS T., Sabad., Sabin., Samb., Sel., Spong., Stram., Stront., Sulph., Sul.ac., Tarax., Thuj., Valer., Verat.
The Symptoms ameliorated from urination are not found in the chapter on Nose, but ban be found in the Materia Medica.
The only remedy that presents all these characteristics is GELSEMIUM, and on reading up this remedy in Herings Guiding Symptoms we remark that this remedy produces hay fever and that several of the symptoms provoked by it are ameliorated by urination.
We give, then, Gelsemium 200, one dose, on May 1st, 1923. The hay fever shows itself as usual, but the sneezing seems less frequent. On June 12th, we repeat the dose, and the young man leaves us.
It is only recently that we see him again; he comes to thank us for his brilliant cure. I fact, for six years he has not suffered at all from hay fever.
CASE II. A gentleman of thirty-eight years comes on March 5th, 1927, to consult me about a hay coryza which has been recurring for five years.
He has seen three specialists and cannot remember the number of different smelling applications which have been prescribed for him, or the number of insufflations and inhalations he has tired in order to get cured. Of course, the naso-pharyngeal region as well as the nasal cartilages have been cauterised with a free hand in several places-heroic treatment from which the patient has suffered much.
At the end of these five years of intensive treatment, regularly persevered in by the doctors, applying the official methods of the allopathic school, the patient finds himself in just the same state, all these treatments having led to no result. Curious thing that this coryza appears at the time of the flowering of the plane trees in June. The patients, a very painful hammering.
It is impossible for him to read for nearly a month, he is sleepless-very sleepy in the evening, but cannot get off to sleep. Naturally all the day he feels tired and sleepy. The worst time is the morning when the sneezing and pricking of the eyes are incessant. The breathing is not affected.
This is a patient who cannot stand heat or the sun. He is Hyper emotional and easily tired, soon depressed-the least difficulty in his profession, the slightest disagreement in the family, as well as any anxiety, cause him to brood all the night and effectually prevent sleep. He is frequently subject to dry coryza alternating with the fluent variety, as well as to numberless “chills.” His face is covered with red spots. At nineteen, he suffered from a urethral discharge, treated with injections of silver nitrate.
The study of the case by the repertory, taking count only of the symptoms of the patient himself, and putting aside those pertaining to the hay fever, allowed of the following classification:.
1. Results of emotion and excitement.
2. Broods through the night.
3. Subjects to taking cold.
4. Aggravated by heat headache.
5. Hammering temple headache.
All these symptoms, it will be needless to remind you, are typical of Natrum muriaticum.
For the rest, the patient tells me that after a trip that I had advised to the seaside, his catarrh disappeared as if by magic.
The urethral discharge and especially the suppressive treatment with silver nitrate are still further reasons for the prescription of this remedy, which I gave him on March 5th, 1927, in the 10,000th potency, a single dose.
On April 14th, the patient returns and tells me that he is troubled only with the prickings in the eyes. I then repeat Natrum mur. 10,000 (Skinner).
On May 24th I see the patient again, and he complains of hardly anything. He is much surprised at not having more than a few sneezes and asks if it can be coincidence. I give him, to get a deeper action, a dose of the 50,000 of Natrum mur., telling him to take it only if his condition should become worse.
On June 19th the patient is still awaiting the exacerbation of his malady, and has not yet had occasion to take the 50,000. I see him again at the end of July. Not a symptom.
During December, I advise him to take the dose of the 50,000, so that he takes be immunised for the year following, and he then takes this remedy for the last time. For two years now, the patient has had no more hay fever, and his general condition is considerably benefited. I have just telephoned him in the last few days, and he declares himself delighted, because, during June itself, he sleeps well, has not had to interrupt his work, has neither running nor pricking of the eyes, and is, in fact, in perfect health.
What is more, he stands emotion much better.
Dr. Schmidt was introduced to the results of homeopathic treatment during the 1918 flu epidemic while living in London. There he met both J. H. Clarke and John Weir.
In 1922 he came to the United States and began his studies with Alonzo Austin and Frederica Gladwin, who had been a pupil of Kent's. He became the first graduate of the American Foundation for Homeopathy course for doctors. Returning to his native land he set up practice in Geneva, Switzerland. He was responsible for reintroducing classical homeopathy into Europe, teaching several generations of physicians, including Elizabeth Wright Hubbard.
Dr. Schmidt helped edit the "Final General Repertory" of Kent, and translated the Organon into French. In 1925, he was one of the main founders of the Liga Medicorum Homoeopathic Internationalis (LIGA).