Transcript

PROGNOSIS AFTER OBSERVING THE ACTION OF THE REMEDY

KENT’S 12 OBSERVATIONS
After a prescription has been made, it is important to observe what happens in consequence to the prescription.
Not being conversant as to what may happen will result in wrong prescriptions. If the homoeopathic physician is
not an accurate observer, his observation will be indefinite; and if his observations are indefinite, his prescribing
is indefinite. It is to be understood that after a prescription is made, it has acted. If a medicine is acting, it starts
immediately to affect changes in the patient, and these changes are indicated through signs and symptoms. If a
prescription is not related to the case, waiting is loss of time, and that should be taken into account among the
observations. The remedy is known to act by the changing of the symptoms. The disappearance of symptoms,
the increase of symptoms, the amelioration of symptoms, the order of the symptoms and duration are all changes
from the remedy, and these changes are to be studied. Among the commonest things that remedies do is to
aggravate or ameliorate. The aggravation is of two kinds; aggravation of disease, in which the patient grows
worse; or aggravation of symptoms, in which the patient grows better. An aggravation of the disease means that
the patient is growing weaker, the symptoms are growing stronger, but the homoeopathic aggravation, which is
the aggravation of the symptoms of the patient while the patient is growing better, is something that the
physician observes after a true homoeopathic prescription. The patient should be the aim of the physician, to
determine whether he is improving or declining.

First observation – Prolonged aggravation and final decline of the patient
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This is seen in an incurable case, where the antipsoric administered was too deep, and it has established
destruction. There is reversal of order of cure.
The patient steadily declines. The symptoms take on an internal phase – vital organs are affected. In this
state, vital reaction was impossible.
In incurable and doubtful cases give no higher than the 30 th or 200th potency, and observe whether the
aggravation is going to be too deep or too prolonged. Begin, in such cases, with a moderately low potency,
and the 30th is low enough for anybody or anything. Otherwise, the deep acting remedy in high potency
results in a killer’s aggravation.
ILLUSTRATION –

A stoop-shouldered patient, with a chronic hacking cough reports for treatment. His face is sickly,
he is lean and anxious, and he is careworn and poor. An antipsoric seems indicated. Tuberculosis is
diagnosed and the patient is steadily declining. On prescribing the antipsoric - he comes back in a
few days with quite a sharp aggravation of the symptoms – increased cough, night sweat, and more
weakness. this patient returns in a week, and the aggravation is still present and increased coughing is worse, expectoration is more troublesome, night sweats have been going on; he comes
back at the end of the second week and he is still worse, and all the symptoms have been worse
since he took that medicine. He was comparatively comfortable before he took that medicine, but at
the end of the fourth week he is steadily growing worse. There has been no amelioration following
this aggravation, and he is evidently declining – PROLONGED AGGRAVATION AND FINAL
DECLINE.

Second observation – Long aggravation, but final and slow improvement
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Seen in cases that are not so advanced, with not so profound a disturbance – on administration of a high
potency.
The aggravation is long and severe and may last for many weeks, yet there is a final amelioration - a slow
but sure improvement.
It shows that the disease has not progressed quite so far; the changes have not become quite so marked.
It is always well in doubtful cases to go to the lower potencies, and in this way go cautiously prepared to
antidote the medicine if it takes the wrong course.
If, at the end of a few weeks, he is a little better and his symptoms are a little better than when he took the
dose, there is some hope that finally the symptoms may have an outward manifestation whereby he will
attain final recovery, but for many years you may go along with prolonged aggravations.

the patient may come back at the end of the first. and the remedy is the curative remedy. that the vital economy is in a good state. and if everything goes well. Fourth observation . Reaction of the economy is vigorous. But. The patient gets along without any medicine. provided that the symptoms go off and the patient returns to health in an orderly way. that carry on the work of the economy. Fifth observation . An aggravation that is quick. with recovery of patient · · · · These are cases with very satisfactory cures. Aggravation. then improvement of the patient will be long. but at the end of a week or four or five days all the symptoms are worse than when the patient first came. One of these two conclusions must be arrived at. There is a difference between organic changes that take place in the organs that are vital.Amelioration comes first and the aggravation comes afterwards · · · · · The patient says he is better. There is no organic disease. and no tendency to organic disease. it is because of some condition that interferes with the action of the remedy. and could only act as a palliative. or (b) The patient was incurable and the remedy was somewhat suitable. The remedy could have been an error. and that the patient is incurable and the selection was an unfavorable one. short and strong is one that is to be wished for and is followed by quick improvement. means that it is well chosen. it may be unconscious on the part of the patient. and then one needs to wait through grievous suffering for the picture. The chronic condition itself to which the remedy is suitable is not of great depth. It is the best thing for the patient if the symptoms come back exactly as they were. but very often they come back changed. and this can only be done by a re-examination of the patient and by finding out whether the symptoms relate to that remedy. short and strong with rapid improvement of patient · · · · Seen in cases where there is no structural change of vital organs or superficial structural changes of less vital organs. the potency is suitable. recovery take place. A further study of the case shows that the remedy was only similar to the most grievous symptoms. or during the first few days in a chronic case.Third observation – Aggravation is quick. is short. A quick rebound means everything in the remedy. and organic changes that take place in structures of the body that are not essential to life. In cures without any aggravation. that it did not affect the constitutional state of the patient. that comes quickly. belongs to the functions of nerves rather than to threatened changes in tissues. (a) either the remedy was only a superficial remedy. and has been more or less vigorous. Such is the slight aggravation of the symptoms that occurs in the first hours after the remedy in an acute sickness.something that has spoiled the action of medicine. If there is no aggravation the potency just exactly fitted the case. but at the end of the fourth week he returns back with suffering. Sixth observation . This order may continue a considerable length of time. If relief after the constitutional remedy does not last long enough. that it did not cover the whole case. after which there is no need in giving medicine. . second and third week and says he has done well. and the symptoms seem to be better. It is the highest order of cure in acute affections. This condition is an unfavorable one. yet the physician sometimes will be more satisfied if in the beginning of his prescribing he notices a slight aggravation of the symptoms. that he has been improving all the time. This could be due to some obstacle .Too short relief of symptoms · · · When a high and right potency acts in curable case – the remedy acts at once and establishes a condition of order. where the administration of the remedy is followed by no aggravation whatever.No aggravation. or it may be intentional. sometimes several months.

oversensitive to all things. Such patients are good provers. It indicates that the medicine must be let alone. It is quite a common thing for old symptoms to appear after the aggravation has come. Those symptoms that are present subside. and thinks it a new one. note the change in them. the patient will settle down to the original state and no improvement takes place. he cannot go beyond and rise above such a state. tubercles that have become encysted and lungs capable of doing only limited work are examples of such cases. yet no special relief of the patient · · · · · There are conditions in patients that prevent improvement beyond a certain stage. and hence we see the symptoms disappearing in the reverse order of their coming. These symptoms will not very commonly appear during the proving.· · In acute cases. When administered a dose of a high potency. These cases have symptoms. patient with fibrinous structural change in certain places. Eighth observation – Patients prove every remedy they get · · · · Patients maybe hysterical. But the patient has not risen above his own pitch in this length of time. and these symptoms are ameliorated from time to time with remedies. A patient with one kidney can only improve to a certain degree. They disappeared because newer ones have come up. go back to the 30th and 200th potencies. it is because high grade inflammatory action is present and that organs are threatened by the rapid processes going on. it means that there are structural changes and organs are destroyed or being destroyed. and while under the influence of that medicine they are not under the influence of anything else. the remedy has to be repeated.Full time amelioration of the symptoms. The remedies act favorably. and it is a suitable palliation for homoeopathic remedies. It did not sustain a true homoeopathic relation. . It is well to observe carefully the constitutional states of an individual about to become a prover. if they do. and to write these down and subtract them from the proving. they go on and prove that medicine. The patient is palliated in this instance. they will prove the highest potencies. If the old symptoms come back to stay then a repetition of the dose is often necessary. if they are properly conducted. and these oversensitive patients are often incurable. when there is too short amelioration of the symptoms. The patient is said to have an idiosyncrasy to everything. Now and then the coming of a new symptom will simply be an old symptom coming up that the patient has not observed. and never can be cured. but the patient is only curable to a certain extent. Tenth observation – New symptoms appearing after the remedy · · · If a great number of new symptoms appear after the administration of a remedy. If it is too short amelioration in chronic diseases. but the patient is not cured. After several medicines have been administered – the amelioration of the case has existed the full length of time. and old symptoms keep coming up. The greater the array of new symptoms coming out after the administration of a remedy. after these new symptoms have passed away. Seventh observation . the prescription will generally prove an unfavorable one. Eleventh observation – Is when old symptoms are observed to reappear · · · · In proportion as old symptoms that have long been away return just in that proportion the disease is curable. For such patients. Old symptoms often come back and go off without any change of medicine. Ninth observation – Action of the medicines upon provers · · · Healthy provers are always benefited by provings. If it is too short an amelioration in acute cases. Many of them are born with this sensitivity and they will die with it. the more doubt there is thrown upon the prescription. The probability is.

Most gouty patients get along best when their fingers and toes are in the worst condition. otherwise structural change will take place in that new site. but the patient now suffers form violent internal distress of the heart.. and see the heart symptoms grow worse is not favorable.Twelfth observation .e. There is a danger in selecting a remedy on external symptoms alone. i. selecting a remedy that corresponds only to the skin and ignoring all the symptoms and general state of the patient. there is a transference from circumference to center. To prescribe for this. and the remedy must be antidote at once. because it is true that the remedy that is related to the skin alone may drive in that skin disease and cause it to appear while the patient himself is not cured. Such a patient will remain sick until that eruption comes back again. or locates in another place. or centers in the spine. .Symptoms take the wrong direction · · · If a medicine is prescribed for rheumatism of the joints and relief takes place at once.