what scudder said

[Guest guest]

I thought people might actually want to see an example of Scudder's

thinking on remedy selection. this excerpt from page 39 of his biography

by Harvey Felter is an accurate presentation of the style of eclectic

medicine I was exposed to during my naturopathic training (comments added

by me in parentheses - some of you may see the bold also added by me).

the entire book with much more information about eclectic practice can be

found on Michael Moore's website at http://www.swsbm.com/HOMEPAGE/HomePage.

html

 

SPECIFIC.—Many persons are in error in regard to our use of the term

specific. They think of specific medicine as one that will cure all cases

of

a certain disease, according to our present nosology, as pneumonitis,

dysentery, diarrhea, albuminuria, phthisis; and a person looking at a

subject in this light, and guided by his experience in the use of

remedies, would at once say there are no specifics.

 

We use the term specific with relation to definite pathological conditions,

and propose to say that certain well determined deviations from the

healthy state will always be corrected by certain specific medicines (one

disease, many meds, many diseases, one medicine).

A disease, according to our present nosology, may be formed of one or a

half-dozen or more distinct pathological changes, bearing a determinate

relation to one another.

 

We do not propose to reach all of these by one

remedy, except in those cases in which one lesion is primary and the

other result from it, but on the contrary we propose a remedy for each

pathological feature (using multiple remedies to address multiple

treatment principles),

 

using the remedy for that first which is first in the

chain of morbid action, and that second which stands second, and so on.

As an example, we analyze a case of fever and find it to consist of a

lesion of the circulation, a lesion of innervation, a lesion of secretion,

a

lesion of the blood, and a lesion of nutrition; each of these are regarded

as distinct elements of the disease, but in the order named—the one

depending upon the other to a certain extent.

 

A remedy that will rectify

the lesion of circulation will sometimes be sufficient to arrest the entire

chain of morbid phenomena, as we notice in the simple fevers

(or using a single remedy to unroot the primary pattern).

 

Or a

remedy that will correct the lesion of the blood, this being primary and

the cause of the various morbid processes, will be a specific for all, as

when quinine arrests an intermittent or remittent fever.

 

But in the severer types of disease we find it necessary to use a remedy

or remedies for each pathological feature. Thus, we employ one to

correct the lesion of circulation, one to correct the lesion of

innervation,

special remedies to increase secretion, to correct lesion of the blood,

etc.

 

Instead of one remedy to arrest the disease, according to the ordinary

use of the term specific (the allopathic use), we employ a number of

different agents, which are none the less specific, for they meet distinct

features of the diseased action.

 

To illustrate, it is not sufficient in selecting a sedative to know that

the

pulse is frequent, using alike veratrum, aconite, digitalis, gelseminum,

or lobelia. Frequency is but one element of the lesion, and we have to

determine in addition the strength or weakness of the circulation, the

degree of obstruction of the capillary circulation, and the condition of

the nervous system that controls this function.

 

Thus, when there is

strength with frequency we employ veratrum; feebleness with

frequency, aconite; excitation of the nervous system with strength and

frequency, gelseminum; atony of the nervous system and tendency to

stasis of blood, aconite and belladonna; feeble impulse from the heart,

without capillary obstruction, digitalis, etc. (using pulse to guide

remedy selection)

 

It is not sufficient to know that the tongue is coated, indicating an

impairment or arrest of digestion. We make this secretion give us the

history of blood lesions, as well as of gastric and intestinal

derangements. We learn that pallid mucous membranes with white coat

demand alkalies; that deep red mucous membranes and brown coat call

for acids; that dirty-white, pasty coat requires the alkaline sulphites,

etc.

(and of course, the tongue).

 

It is not necessary to continue this illustration further, for the reader

will see by the above that specific medication requires specific

diagnosis, and that it will be successful just in proportion as we become

skilled in this.

 

 

Chinese Herbs

 

 

" Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre

minds " -- Albert Einstein