days. I had resorted vigorously to the antiphlogistic treatment then in
vogue; a consulting physician was called, and at last we told the family
that our patient could not live until the next morning. I then said to the
consulting physician: "I have some homoeopathic remedies; suppose we try
them?" His reply was: "It does not make any difference what you try; he
will not live until morning." Under such circumstances I felt that I was
justified in trying the new remedies. I accordingly dissolved a few pellets
of Aconite in a glass of water, and of Bryonia alb. in another glass of
water, and directed that a teaspoonful of the solution of Aconite should be
given once an hour for five hours, and that a similar dose of Bryonia be
given instead of Aconite every sixth hour. I sat down by his bedside and
watched his case for two hours. At the end of that period I found that his
pulse was five beats less frequent in a minute, and that his breathing was
a little easier. The next morning all of his dangerous symptoms had
disappeared, and in a reasonable period of time he was restored to health.
I talked with the consulting physician about his unexpected recovery, and
we were, disposed to think that we had made a false prognosis, and that he
would have recovered any way. Still, the case made some impression on me;
so that in the next case of pneumonia to which I was called, I resolved to
try the same remedies in the same way. The patient was a man about forty
years of age. Under the action of the Aconite and Bryonia the patient about
held his own, neither gaining nor losing very perceptibly for about three
days. At the end of that period I became alarmed, and felt that if the
patient were to die I should be guilty of the crime of manslaughter. I
discontinued the treatment, and resorted to the then regular antiphlogistic
treatment; the patient immediately began to get worse, and at the end of
three days more he was a very sick man. I then came to the conclusion that
my patient had done much better under the homoeopathic treatment than he
had under the Allopathic, and I discontinued the latter and returned to the
former, giving the Aconite and Bryonia. The patient ceased to grow worse;