BY ROGER G. PERKINS, M. D.

Remedies may be divided into three classes, according as they reach the personality through the life-the Soul-or the Body. These classes differ from each other in character as do the three elements aforesaid, which together make up the Man.

Psychical remedies, or those which reach the personality through the Soul or Spirit, are, as is well understood, of a purely Spiritual nature. They consist of impressions made upon the inner senses by psychical influences; in other words, the apprehended meaning of things, or the ideas conveyed by any presence.

In the exhibition of the “Palmer Marbles” two or three years ago, a female head called “Resignation” will be remembered by many as one of the principal attractions. To those who have seen this piece, any description which may be given here must seem meagre and inadequate. To those who have never had that pleasure, we can only say, the prominent ideas inspired by it are well indicated by the name which the artist has given. Blended with resignation, and in a manner subdued by it, is an expression of calm resolve and quiet firmness, all the more heroic because so still and strong. This is the meaning of those marble features-this is the spirit of the sculptured stone. This is the psychical element which applies itself to the soul of the spectator and gives the “effect.”*[“Expression is addressed to the Soul, as form is addressed to the senses. Form is the obstacle of expression, and, at the same time, is its imperative, necessary and only means. By working upon form, by bending it to its service, by dint of care, patience and genius, Art succeeds in converting an obstacle into a means.”-COUSIN.] During the period of the exhibition, the writer had in charge an highly interesting patient, suffering from mental derangement. This young lady was profoundly depressed from certain moral causes, which it is unnecessary here to specify. She had been plunged into the deepest melancholy, by a sequence of painful circumstances, and though affected by no physical disease, was rapidly loosing strength and flesh. Mental Diseases were hereditary in her family-and the natural susceptibilities of the patient had been much intensified by a previous attack. Viewing this as a purely psychical disease, it was to be treated by psychical means. The young lady was taken to the room where the Palmer marbles were to be seen, and seated in front of the statue of “Resignation.” Her attention was immediately attracted, and she sat gazing intently upon the marble face, in wrapt silence, from half-past seven P. M. till ten, the hour of closing the rooms. She was not spoken to, nor interfered with in any way, but most carefully observed. On her way home she manifested an unusual degree of calmness; said she felt better for having seen that remarkable statue; and arriving home, went to bed quietly and slept pretty well all night. On the morrow she again visited the exhibition, this time at her own suggestion, and in the course of the day there came over her mind the much wished for change. She may be said to have begun her convalescence at the first sight of the statue. She has often spoken since of the circumstances above narrated, and assigns her cure to the “effect” of that wondrous piece of sculptured art. This case has been selected as illustrating a cure by means of pure spiritualities. Cases similar are not unusual.

Material or Crude Remedies are those which are applied primarily to the material side of the personality, and remove symptoms with but little change in their own atomic conditions. If however, a genuine cure of the disease be effected, the crude drug, introduced into the personality, primarily through its material sphere, becomes speedily dynamized by the various succussations and triturations it receives in its progress through the system (in the course of arterial and nervous function,) and secondarily enters the personality through the Life as a *[The term Specific or essential is used here, as in other papers of this series, to indicate those properties which are characteristic and peculiar to the thing referred to, and upon which its individuality is dependant.] specific or essential influence.

The differences between crude drugs, considered merely as such, consist only in these things which appeal to the external senses of the observer. They are differences of form, color, taste, smell, consistency, and chemical affinities. These particulars embrace every thing which can be discovered of any crude remedy when viewed from a purely material stand point. Any other properties which it may, and necessarily must, possess, are found out by other means, to be presently considered. As instance of the application of a remedy to the material sphere of the personality, we may cite the cauterization of ulcerated surfaces, the use of poultices, lotions, &c. No one doubts the removal of symptoms by this means when the disease is manifesting itself upon the body-third of the man-trinity; but the thorough removal of the disease element, which, if not allowed to manifest its presence through one particular set of symptoms, is pretty certain to select another field for its operations, is only effected under the conditions named above.

The symptoms produced by chemical irritation, or by material contact, when compared with those caused by the dynamization of the same drug, are as the crude material mass of the body is to the refined nervous influence which pervades it. Of this we are assured by positive experimentation; Rhus Radicans, for instance, produced, when proved in Tincture, boils, carbuncles and erysipelas-when proved in the attenuations, mental symptoms and the Rhus chills and pains. It thus seems that correspondential relations exist between the material side of the personality and the material element in the drug. The inference is a natural one, that for certain material manifestations the best homoeopathic remedy is one similar in its crudity as well as in its essential and specific nature. Then again it is to be remembered that some constitutions have such remarkable susceptibilities in the vital direction; a susceptibility, it should be remarked, often entirely ignoring the presence of the coarse influence applied to the material sphere; that if diseases manifesting themselves on the materialities are treated by attenuations, (remedies applied to the vitality directly) severe nervous aggravations occur, and there is required a longer time to remove material symptoms (organic lesions) than if the crude Tinctures or lower triturations were administered. After the troublesome symptom is removed, the attenuation of the same drug will enter the personality with a curative effect on the disease itself.

A Vital Remedy-or one applied directly and primarily to the Life-is understood as being the essential specific influence of any drug detached from its natural material nidus, and located in an artificial one-Sugar of milk-to which it is but losely adherent, and from which it is immediately appropriated by the vitality of the patient. This is the sense in which the term is to be usually taken. It is proper, however, to broaden the definition that we may include climatic, marine, solar and terestrial influences. Let us say, therefore, that Remedies directly applicable to the Life, are those specific influences which by their extreme tenuity, and state of high specific tension, have a natural correspondential relation with the specific or essential vitality of the man.

This theory of the specific tension of the ultimate atom, when treated by the Hahnemann method of trituration and succussation, seems to us the crowning glory of our system. That the last possible sub-division of the material mass contains its proper proportion of the specific qualities which gave a character to the original aggregations; that this specific quality may be intensified, and while under this tension may communicate itself to substances formerly foreign to it, and this too with an immediateness which is almost electrical; that thus the specific Life of a man, may be directly reached by the specific quality of a remedy; all these seem to us revelations, greater than which, we have not had since the foundation of the Christian Religion. We are well aware there are those among our school who, like Thomas, must put their fingers in the holes the nails have made, and even thrust the hand into the side of this great truth, before they can believe. For such, in all brotherly kindness, we hope to show it naked, now, and here.

Our propositions are stated above, viz: that the ultimate atom contains the specific qualities of the Mass-and, that the specific quality thus resident is intensified by friction. This is the whole story, and as such only requires to be understood, to be tested rationally, analogically and clinically; to be at once received as the second article of our medical creed.

It requires not a moment's thought to satisfy the reason that the qualities of an inanimate mass are dependent upon those of the parts of which it is composed. No possible aggregation of granite molecules, for instance can possess the qualities of leather or pomatum; nor can the fat of pigs, in any quantity, charged no matter how thoroughly, with the breath of the costliest perfumes, ever become granite; for the simple reason that the ultimate molecules of granite and pomatum are essentially different. It is not worth while to dwell longer on this point-we pass to the next proposition-viz: that specific qualities are intensified by friction, according to the Hahnemann method. And this after all is a mere question of fact though, perhaps, the consideration of sundry analogies may render our apprehensions more apt to receive it. Let us remember that friction evolves Heat, Light and Electricity. These are imponderable, and other imponderables may be governed by the same laws, which obtain in these instances. Under the influence of friction the Heat is not generated, nor yet is it simply evolved-the latent heat in the two dry sticks which Robinson Crusoe rubbed together (frictionized) was intensified as well as evolved. Perhaps this single analogy is sufficient. It is certainly a very strong one. The reader asks at once, if latent heat is evolved and intensified by friction, why should not other latent (specific) qualities (alike imponderable), be evolved and intensified by the same means? Indeed, and why not?

But here comes the fact. Away with all theorizing and explanations. It is a positive truth, one which admits of no question in the minds of candid experimenters, that drugs which have passed through the process of frictionization according to the Hahnemanian plan, which involves the necessity of dilution and attenuation, do possess the same specific powers as when in crude mass. It is also perfectly well settled that these specific properties are really intensified by this process.

The following cases are cited in proof:

A woman took, under my directions, three doses of the 200th of Pulsatilla, (Lehrman's). The totality of her symptoms indicated the remedy, but the particular manifestation for which the drug was administered, was “involuntary emission of some drops of urine on coughing.” Patient had a chronic, nervous cough of long standing, and the urinary trouble was so considerable as to necessitate wearing a napkin constantly. For a week after taking these three doses, above referred to, she had a pain in the head, with fever every afternoon and evening-“ Pain in the head as if the forehead would split”-“ Sense of emptiness and confusion in the head” -“ Shootings, or sharp drawing and jerking pains, or tingling pulsation and boring in the head”-“compression somewhat mitigated the symptoms.” Pressive pains in the eyes-burning itching in the eyes-sharp shooting pains in the teeth- flying pains over the whole person. These pains were worse on movement, and of course on coughing, talking and stooping. Such an headache the patient had never before or since. She was perfectly satisfied the terrible pain was caused by the medicine I had given her, and begged me to administer something to check its too violent action. She was entirely ignorant of the nature of the remedy which had been taken in solution, and which was, of course, tasteless. A drop of Tinct. of Camphor in a tumbler of water, taken now and then during the worst of her paroxysms, palliated the pains.

The reader is assured that the most jealous care was taken in endevouring to discover any influence which could have caused these unusual symptoms. There was positively no cause for them except in the Pulsatilla.

Lest any should suppose the imagination of the patient has somewhat to do with these manifestations, the following case is cited of a remarkable effect following a dose of Bovista in the fifteenth dilution, administered by Dr, Bayard to a favorite horse of one of his friends:

The horse had been for one year affected with “Heaves.” The asthmatic paroxysms were invariably induced by the pressure of the girths of blanket or saddle; by dry food, (hay &c), and by a faster gate than a walk. When fed upon grass in the country, the disease caused less inconvenience, but though a beautiful, well bred ladies-saddle horse, he had become, in consequence of his disease, almost useless. The intolerance of girths, and the aggravation of asthmatic difficulty from dry food, (which last symptom had occurred in a fragmentary proving of Dr. Bayard) were, with certain abdominal complications, the grounds of the prescription. Hardly three minutes passed after the pellets of the 15th potency were placed on the tongue of the horse before a most violent paroxysm of asthma occurred; worse by far than any which the groom had ever witnessed. It seemed almost impossible the horse should survive the terrible agony and fright which accompanied this attack. He recovered however from this aggravation in about half an hour. He had three doses of the same remedy on the following day. The horse has never had another attack since this one which took place a year ago. He has been ridden at full gallop, an hour, and perhaps longer, every day since. He has worn the tight girths of a side saddle, and has had hay and other dry food, as have the other horses in the stable with him.

Now here is a palpable effect, a lasting one also, of four doses of a remedy, fourteen times diluted from a drop of the Tincture; which it is utterly unreasonable to doubt. There can have been no cause for the sudden cessation of these asthmatic attacks aside from the Bovista. The subsequent diet was one which had, up to the time the Bovista was administered, invariably produced paroxysms. The horse has been frequently ridden at its utmost speed, and still no return of the disease. A year has transpired. What can those of our brothers, who doubt the potency of the dynamized remedies, say in explanation of these facts?

A gentlemen who had often joked at the minuteness of the symptomatology of our provings; took, not long since, a dose of the 200th of Lachesis, (Lehrman's.) Three days after, while sitting quietly writing in his usual position and chair, his attention was suddenly attracted from his occupation by a most unlooked for, and hitherto unexperienced sensation. It was as he described it, as if several little hammers were beating in the anus. This symptom was recorded by Hering. The gentlemen above referred to, thus inadvertantly proved a symptom, the presence of which in the pathogenesis of Lachesis, induced Bayard, ten years ago to prescribe that remedy rather than another which covered the other symptoms as well as the Lachesis. Bayard's case, which was one of very multitudinous symptoms, recovered perfectly with no other remedy beside the Lachesis-except a single dose of Sulphur.

In the month of November 1857. A woman who had been my patient for some six months for another and an entirely different set of symptoms, came into my office with the following story: During the months of November of the two preceding years she had caught cold which, as she expressed it, had settled in her ears. This had produced a deafness which lasted all winter, but which went off on the approach of warm weather. An elder sister had been every winter for the few preceding years afflicted in a similar manner. The concomitant symptoms as well as those directly connected with the ears indicated Sulphur. She was at the time of her then speaking extremely deaf; and it was with the greatest difficulty she was made to understand the questions I asked.

I placed half a dozen pellets of the 2000th of Sulphur, dry on her tongue. This being one of the first of my clinical provings of so high an attenuation I anxiously waited the result. The patient remained sitting quietly upon the sofa while I was busied in a distant part of the room preparing S. L., which I wished to give her. About five minutes elapsed when, without turning toward her, or speaking above my ordinary tone, I addressed her by name. She started from her seat-putting her hands to her ears, and looking at me with a most frightened expression, exclaimed- “Why Doctor I heard you!” and in truth she did. This almost instantaneous cure of the woman's deafness was as permanent as sudden. She had no return of deafness during that winter nor indeed has she had since.

A shoemaker who had had Intermittent Fever for six years, and who told us he had spent a house and lot in paying for Quinine in the attempt to stop his chills, at last succeeded in masking his disease with a Neuralgia. Having had this manifestation of disease for some time, he came limping into our office one afternoon with scarcely power to cross the street. He had Sciatica. The pain was agonizing. I gave him a single dose of the 8000th potency of Arsenic. In about three minutes he screamed out, clasping his limb with both hands- “Oh Doctor, now it's in my knee;” in a minute after- “No, it's in my ankle;” a minute more, and he looked up wonderingly, “Why Doctor, the pain is gone!“And so it had. This was Saturday and there was no return of pain till the following Thursday. On that day the pain returned. I repeated the dose. I do not know what became of the patient afterwards; but the fact of the power of the 8000th of Arsenic is firmly fixed by the circumstances of his temporary relief.

It would be very easy to multiply the number of instances similar to those given above, but these are perhaps sufficient for our present purpose. We have thus passed in review the three classes of remedial agents, and have endeavored to illustrate their characters, and the method of their action by individual cases selected from our own experience.

In view of their relative excellence, we cite the following instance which sets forth the differences between what we have called material or crude drugs, and the vital or dynamized remedies:

A child, a fine boy, was subject to Ephemeral fever, which occurred at regular intervals, lasted two or three days, and generally passed off, leaving no particular effects. I was generally called in, and usually placed a drop of Tincture of Aconite in a tumbler of water, and gave the boy a teaspoon-full of the fluid every two hours. The child would hardly take two doses before falling asleep, with a loss of eight or ten beats in the pulse. The fever, as such, seemed to leave the patient almost immediately. On calling the next day, however, I invariably found the child's pulse had again risen to the number of beats the night previous; but that all the other febrile symptoms had completely disappeared. There was no great heat of skin; no suffused eyes; no redness of the cheeks; no headache, and yet the pulse was fully as rapid and in fact more irritable than on my first visit.

Under these circumstances I generally prescribed Sugar of Milk; and at the end of three or four days, the pulse would fall to its natural standard, and the child be as well as usual. The repetition of this series of phenomena, on several occasions, induced me to think that the very rapid and extremely satisfactory effects of the Tinct. of Aconite, occurring at the time of its administration, were followed by a nervous reaction on the following day. It might be also that the disease manifesting itself on the material side of the little fellow, through the congeries of febrile symptoms, had been driven from material to vital demonstrations, and we thus had a nervous irritability taking the place of a material erythismus. The real disease element was thus seen to be unneutralized by the remedy employed. It had been driven from one set of symptoms to another. Yesterday we had a vascular: today a nervous erythismus. Manifestly the intra-within (to coin a word) of the disease element had not been reached. But Aconite was emphatically the remedy which fulfilled all the the conditions of Homoeopathy, and yet the disease was not cured by it. The reader must see at once how irresistibly I was led by this train of thought to administer Aconite 30^th instead of Aconite Tinct., in the subsequent attacks.

It required a longer time for the pulse to fall and for the material febrile symptoms to subside, under the influence of the 30^th dilution than had been needed for the Tinct. But the following day the Pulse remained normal; and the child was well much sooner than usual. The 30^th dilution entering the personality directly through the Life, required a longer time to work itself out toward and upon the material sphere; and thus the material febrile symptoms, were more slowly removed, than when the application of the crude drug was made directly to them, and the specific influence of the drug found its way toward the more interior and vital sphere by the slow process of vascular and nervous dynamizing circulation. The specific influence of the drug having reached the personality, the disease element was at once expelled according to the theory of cure before published in this REVIEW.

What further remains to be said in direct connection with this subject will appear in a subsequent issue.