Read before the Bureau of Clinical Medicine at the ninety-seventh Convention of the American Institute of Homoeopathy at Old Point Comfort, Virginia, June 15-20, 1941.
PARAGRAPH 210 of the Organon, 6th Edition, reads : “They (e.g., the mental diseases) do not, however, constitute a class of disease sharply separated from all others, since in all other so-called corporeal diseases the condition of the disposition and mind is ALWAYS altered; and in all cases of disease we are called on to cure the state of the patients disposition is to be particularly noted, along with the totality of the symptoms, if we would trace an accurate picture of the disease, in order to be able therefrom to treat it homoeopathically with success.” Par. 211 states :
“This holds good to such an extent that the state of the disposition of the patient often chiefly determines the selection of the homoeopathic remedy as being a decidedly characteristic symptom which can least of all remain concealed from the accurately observing physician.”.
With these words Hahnemann a hundred years ago has clearly and simply stated facts which represent today the most recent discovery of medicine, concerning the inter-relationship of mind and body, and involving the problem of the psychic origin of many pathological conditions and even anatomical changes due to emotions.
This discovery promoted by the development of psycho- pathology, that emotions can be a cause of organic pathology may be of far greater importance than we still are inclined to believe. The research in the field of psychosomatic medicine is in its initial stage and the more we learn the more we become aware of the important role emotions play in the pathogenesis of many diseases.
The vegetative nervous system functions as the pathway between psyche and soma. The emotional reaction is mediated through the thalamus, and the vegetative nervous system centers in the diencephalon and reaches the organ by means of the sympathetic and para-sympathetic fibres, expressing itself in the “language of the organ”, i.e., its particular functions and their disturbances.
The disturbances may occur chiefly (a) in the sensory functions, (b) in the motor functions, (c) in the secretory functions which are all under the control of the sympathetic and para-sympathetic autonomous system. It can be said in general that the emotional impulses of pain and discomfort effect predominantly the sympathetic and those associated with pleasure, the para-sympathetic. The emotions of fear, rage, worry, anxiety, anger may give rise to effects of sympathetic stimulation.
Every emotion may either disappear after a short time without penetrating into the physiological level or it may continue in the form of a repeated or steady mental stress which may lead to disturbances in the organs governed by the autonomous nervous system. In the same way a sudden emotional shock can upset the functions of an organ or of several organs initiating pathological changes. The emotional reaction must not reach necessarily the level of conscious awareness, but by establishing an unconscious working complex far-reaching effects in the physiological and even anatomical level may result.
Proceeding from the psychological viewpoint, Lange and James developed a theory of emotions and their relationship to bodily changes. According to this theory the bodily changes follow directly the perception of the existing fact, and our feeling of these changes as they occur IS the emotion. We feel sorry because we cry, we do not cry because we are sorry. The bodily manifestation must first be interposed, otherwise we would have a pale colorless perception without any real emotion. The discovery of the emotional secretion of adrenalin seemed to strengthen the James-Lange theory of the emotions.
Proceeding from this theory we may easier understand the influence of drugs on emotions, and particularly the effect of homoeopathic remedies on emotions and their consequences.
Let us bear in mind the Aconite-picture and at the same time read the description Darwin gives in his “Expression of the emotions in Man and Animals”, of the physiological change which takes place in connection with fear : “The heart beats quickly and violently, so that it palpitates or knocks against the ribs; but it is very doubtful if it then works more efficiently than usual, so as to send a greater supply of blood to all parts of the body; for the skin instantly becomes pale as during incipient faintness.
This paleness of the surface, however, is probably in large part or is exclusively due to the vaso-motor centre being affected in such a manner as to cause the contraction of the small arteries of the skin. That the skin is much affected under the sense of fear, we see in the marvelous manner in which perspiration immediately exudes from it. The exudation is all the more remarkable as the surface is then cold, and hence the term “a cold sweat”, whereas the sudorific glands are properly excited into action when the surface is heated.
The hair on the skin also stands erect, and the superficial muscles shiver. In connection with the disturbed action of the heart the breathing is hurried. The salivary glands act imperfectly; the mouth becomes dry and is repeatedly opened and shut. I have also noticed that under slight fear there is a strong tendency to yawn. One of the marked symptoms is the trembling of all muscles of the body; and this is first seen in the lips.
From this cause, and from the dryness of the mouth, the voice becomes husky or indistinct, or may altogether fail.” Going over the proving symptoms of Aconite, we find a complete resemblance between Darwins classical description of the state of fear as expressed by bodily symptoms and the effect of Aconite, laid down in the provings. According to the law of similars, Aconite was always found helpful in ailments due to fear or sudden fright.
I recall a case of severe chronic sleeplessness which could be traced to an extreme shock due to sudden fright suffered in the World War when the patient was accidentally buried; the man could be cured by Aconite although the actual incident of shock had taken place many years ago.
The chapter Consequences of Emotions plays an important part in Homoeopathy, but it was not before the latest development in modern medicine that experimental proof could be found for our old clinical knowledge. Ever since then ample evidence has been gathered that emotions produce bodily changes, and a short survey of the facts may illustrate how right the homoeopaths have been in upholding their experiences through a century against the contemptible derision of a medical majority.
The heart has been considered by common opinion as the seat of the emotions. True, the heart and the whole circulatory apparatus particularly express readily the emotions as f.i. by blushing and becoming pale. Suggestion of emotions made partly in hypnosis, produced definite changes of the pulse, distribution of the blood volume, blood pressure, changes in the heart rhythm, demonstrated by the electrocardiogram, and changes in the heart configuration of more than I cm, controlled by X-rays.
Under the repeated influence of emotions a definite change in blood pressure and heart configuration may take place. Anxiety can be considered as a so-to-speak heart-specific emotion. Even slight sensations of the heart as they may occur after over-exertion produce the feeling of fear and anxiety. The strongest expression of fear occurs in the attack of angina pectoris and the so-called angina pectoris sine dolore is exclusively characterized by strong emotions of undefined fear and apprehension. The feeling of approaching death and the fear of death is closely connected with the heart and the circulatory system.
Homoeopathic provings and clinical experiences have established this connection long ago, and remedies which produce most clearly the sensation of fear of death, like Aconite and Arsenicum are drugs which affect primarily the circulatory system. The effect of Aconite is directed chiefly towards the arteries; arsenic owes its symptomatology to the poisoning of the heart and the capillary system. There is no remedy which is more closely related with death than Arsenic. There is this immense fear of death no other remedy has in such a degree.
Despair of life, anguish, agony, a face showing genuine fear, finally cachexia and hippocratic features are the signs of the deadly intoxication of the heart and of the capillary system which produces a state of chronic collapse, the underlying pathological condition of this impressive picture. Even in the subconscious sphere of dreams the idea of death is prevailing. A patient of mine suffered from a great many functional disorders. I recall particularly, great loss of hair with an enormous amount of dandruff.
After one dose of arsenic all symptoms disappeared but the patient expressed her particular thankfulness that I freed her from her frightful dreams. She dreamed in regular intervals of corpses and the terrible nightmares made her sick for days afterwards. After administration of Arsenic she no longer had these dreams. This is at the same time an example of the influence which the homoeopathic remedy has on the emotions, penetrating even into the level of subconsciousness and the realm of dreams.
