Read before the Bureau of Internal Medicine at the joint convention of the Southern Homoeopathic Medical Association and Pan-American Homoeopathic Medical Congress held at Louisville, Kentucky, Nov. 1, 1941.
Philadelphia, Pa.
THE heart possibly more than any other organ is the object of so-called direct medication and yet the organic lesions amenable to such measures are not nearly so frequent as other symptom syndromes.
Symptoms relating to the precordial region usually send the patient scurrying to his physician who may have the good judgement to evaluate them properly and, if this is so, but rarely does he resort to a true cardiac drug, by which we mean one which has a tissue proclivity for this organ.
The numerous extraneous factors which may temporarily make one heart-conscious need to be considered and, if we treat properly, by endeavoring to remove the cause we treat not the heart but all of these factors. This is particularly true of private practice where such cases are seen much sooner than in the hospital wards and hence Homoeopathic medication is more applicable as it is in all cases where frank decompensation is not the rule.
It is such a conception that justifies the Homoeopathic treatment of heart diseases. It is really an indirect or constitutional approach to the cardiac trouble. It accounts also for the rather formidable list of Homoeopathic drugs that relate to this field and further answers the pharmacological objection that but few of our Homoeopathic drugs really effect the heart. They may not effect the heart itself directly, but they accomplish their end by other physiological adjustments.
To plunge immediately into our subject, we might ask first what is myocarditis, or better yet, “chronic myocarditis ?” There is no more common diagnosis and to our mind it conveys little.
In the first place “it is” conveys the idea of inflammation as this syllable does on any medical term. But whereas nephritis, arthritis, neuritis. etc., are true inflammation with varying degrees of the classical dolor, rubor, tumor, and calor, no such conception is justifiable when applied to the myocardium. There is no inflammation. There is very slight fibrosis or fatty change demonstrable at the autopsy table in cases dying of this diagnosis. The facts are that what we mean by myocarditis is simply myocardial exhaustion and differs little from exhaustion anywhere else, no matter what the tissue.
Recently, it has become fashionable to speak of a “myocardosis” to convey what we mean by a chronic myocarditis. The condition of myocardosis results from the effect of prolonged toxemia, syphilis, diphtheria, and chronic streptococcic infection on the muscle fiber of the heart leading to their degeneration and infiltration. This term is analogous to nephrosis, the term used to signify a degeneration in contradistinction to an inflammatory lesion of the kidneys.
A heart fails when it is dynamically unable to nourish itself and remove waste products. The contractions become more and more feeble as it is less able to remove CO2 and lactic acid and finally it fails. If one follows the case clinically and at the autopsy table, we are constantly impressed at the rareness with which physical signs are borne out by the postmortem findings and vice versa. All this seems to justify a broad view of cardiac therapeutics, and agents such as our Homoeopathic drugs which effect adjustment when adjustment is needed, may be the best remedial tools.
By the time that dyspnoea and edema make their appearance there is usually ample physical evidence of heart disease and in these cases, in our opinion, Homoeopathy plays a relatively minor part. Before these signs become manifest, however, we may look for the cause in any or all of four main factors.
First, there is the heart itself, which may be so Handicapped by valvular lesions that its reserve power is non-existence.
The peripheral resistance is next and here we mean only the capillary system. Large arteries even though thoroughly calcified exert slight strain on the heart and the radial artery is no guide to this state. It is an arteriosclerosis, not an arterio- sclerosis. The arteries in the brain, portal system, and kidneys are the worst offenders, as resistance goes up according to the inverse square of the tubes diameter. This is the formal cause of hypertension–capillary spasm–but just what causes this condition to exist in an individual, no one has discovered although as usual theories abound.
The third factor of cardiac failure is the viscosity of the blood, since in certain conditions, such as increase of CO2, it is much increased and obviously a heavy fluid takes more power to push than a light one. We draw the conclusion that, if we can lessen this viscosity by constitutional medication, this would be the rational way to treat a heart so embarrassed. Drugs like SULPHUR, LYCOPODIUM, and CALCAREA, may bring this change about, if prescribed carefully on constitutional grounds.
The last factor is likewise extra cardiac, the return or venous circulation may be impeded. Longstanding emphysema, old T.B. lesions, chronic bronchitis, all these retard the action of the accessory muscles of respiration and hence prevent an adequate amount of blood being delivered to the heart. Obviously, a heart cannot pump that which it does not get.
And so, Homoeopathically, we may best aid the heart by trying to modify the pulmonary process. In other words, it may not be a cardiac drug at all we use, but one such as PHOSPHORUS, ANT. ARS., or CARBO. VEG.
Rest, diet, and physiological unloading are indicated, but I have found that after such measures there are often annoying subjective symptoms which are properly controlled by a Homoeopathic prescription. One such case was that of a butcher with a typical hypertensive decompensating heart with extensive edema. Following his unloading, he still complained of choking sensation at night and on waking up. LACHESIS removed this last of his complaints and he was discharged until such time as he would decompensate himself again.
The moderately decompensated hearts without disturbance of the cardiac rhythm and usually with subjective symptoms of pain, palpitation, etc. are true Homoeopathic candidates.
So far, we have tried to justify the use of Homoeopathic drugs on broad physiological grounds. We shall now attempt to fit in our Homoeopathic drugs according to classification of heart disease by the American Heart Association.
We will list the drugs under the various etiological, anatomical classifications and their sub-heads, then add a third classification which is clinical for some symptoms and syndromes. More details, descriptions of individual indications are listed which we shall not read at this time in its entirety but simply pick out the more important drugs. I have had these mimeographed for distribution and will now mention some of the drugs in more detail.
HEART DISEASE.
Homoeopathic therapeutics based on classification of American Heart Association. Etiological:.
Arteriosclerosis Arsenicum iodatum 2x.
Plumbum metallicum 3x.
Baryta carb. 3x.
Sumbul.
Bacteria infection Arnica 3x.
Hg I 3x. Effort Syndrome Sulphur 6x.
Coffea 6x.
Iberis 3x.
Lilium tigrinum 3x.
Nux vom. 3x.
Moschus 3x. Hypertension Crataegus O.
Aconite 3x.
Plumbum metallicum 6x. Rheumatic fever Kalmia latifolia.
Cactus O (cactina 2 grains b.i.d.). The above list is suggestive only. The clinician is urged to verify the symptoms of the drug selected by referring to section on “symptomatic indications”. Anatomical :
Aortitis Aurum 3x.
Baryta carb. 3x.
Fluoric acid 3x.
Arteriosclerosis of
coronary origin Spigelia 3x.
With narrowing Latrodectus mactans 6x.
Cactus O.
With occlusion (during Lachesis 6x.
rest period) Arnica 3x.
Arsenicum iodatum 2x.
Degeneration of Arsenicum iodatum 2x.
myocardium Crataegus O.
Strychnia phos 3x.
Cactus (cactina pellets 1 pellet
= 1 grain).
Calc. carb. Enlargement of the heart.
Dilatation Kalmia Latifolia 3x.
Hypertrophy Bryonia.
Crataegus O.
Infarction of myocardium.
Recent Lachesis 6x.
Arnica 3x.
Healed Crataegus O.
Myocarditis, Kalmia Latifolia 3x.
active Diseases of endocardium
and valves
Endocarditis Mercurius Iodatus 3x.
Vulvulitis(active) Kalmia Latifolia 3x.
Valvulitis(inactive)Bryonia.
Pericarditis Naja Tripudians 3x.
Fibrinous Bryonia 3x.
Arsenic 3x.
Serofibrinous Colchicum 3x.
Sulphur O.
Suppurative Cantharis 3x
Clinical remedies for some symptoms and syndromes
Paroxysmal tachycardia Iberis 3x.
Aconite 3x
Premature contractions Tabacum 30x
Constitutional prescribing with chief symptomatic complaint as a guide
Palpitation Iberis.
Aconite.
Ignatia
Emphysema and pulmonary Antimonium arsenicosum 3x.
sclerosis Grindelia O, 1-10 gtts.
Venous engorgement,
Dilatation varicosities Carduus marianus O.
Hamamelis virginica O.
(peripheral,not Sepia 6x.
cardiac) Carbo veg. 6x
Post-influenzal myocarditis Iberis
Angina pectoris Spigelia 3x.
Latrodectus mactans 6x.
Magnesia phos 3x.
Cactus (cactina 2-5 pellets).
Lilium tig.
SYMPTOMATIC INDICATIONS.
Aconite–Mental fear and anxiety with or without organic lesions. Tachycardia and palpitations with much heart consciousness. Thyroid heart.
American homeopath - Ann Arbor - Michigan.
Son of William Boericke.
Books:
A Compend of the Principles of Homeopathy.
Homoeopathy