Organon §58
Faults in the antipathic approach:
Only a small part of the whole disease is treated.
1. This is a very faulty, merely symptomatic treatment (see fn7b) wherein only a single symptom, thus only a small part of the whole, is one-sidedly provided for. It is evident that aid for the totality of the disease, which is alone what the patient desires, is not to be expected.
After a short amelioration, antipathic treatments produce
an aggravation of the whole disease.
2. Even if I wanted to pass over this circumstance in my judgement of this medicinal application, one must, on the other hand, ask experience: Has there ever been one single case in which such antipathic use of medicine against a protracted or persistent ailment did not (after accomplishing short-lasting relief) result in a greater aggravation of the ailment that was at first allayed in a palliative manner-an aggravation, indeed, of the entire disease? Every attentive observer will agree that, after such a short antipathic alleviation, aggravation results every time and without exception. The ordinary physician is, however, in the habit of giving his patient another explanation for this subsequent aggravation. He either ascribes it to the virulence of the original disease now revealing itself for the first time, or he ascribes it to the emergence of a new disease. 123
Comment
123 Little as physicians have hitherto been given to observation, the certain aggravation resulting from such palliatives could not escape their notice. A striking example of this is to be found in J.H. Schulze's Diss. qua corporis humani momentanearum alterationum specimina quaedam expenduntur [Dissertation showing certain cases of brief alterations in the human body], Halae, 1741, §28. Willis attests to something similar (Pharm. rat., sec. 7, chap. 1, p. 298): "Opiata dolores atrocissimos plerumque sedant atque indolentiam procurant, eamque aliquamdiu et pro stato quodam tempore continuant, quo spatio elapso dolores mox recrudescunt et brevi ad solitam ferociam augentur." [Opiates generally assuage the most severe pains and bring on insensibility, and they continue the insensibilitiy for some time and for a fixed period. When that period has elapsed the pains soon flare up again, and in short order increase to their accustomed severity.] And also on p. 295: "Exactis opii viribus illico redeunt tormina, nec atrocitatem suam remittunt, nisi dum ab eodem pharmaco rursus incantantur." [When the opium's strength is spent, the intestinal pains return straightaway, nor do they slacken their severity unless they are charmed away again by the same drug.] In like manner, John Hunter (On the Venereal Diseases, p. 13) says that wine increases the active energy of weak people without imparting true strength. Afterwards, their vitality sinks as much as it was at first aroused so that they receive no advantage. In fact, vitality is, for the most part, lost.