Experience With Tincture

In the March number of the Recorder, page 120, we published Dr. Neatby’s experience with the 200th of Thuja, condensed from the British Homoeopathic Review. In the succeeding number of the Review (March) Dr. T. D. Nicholson takes up the other side of the question, and while not denying the action of the higher potencies, inclines to the belief that the lower dilutions, or the tinctures, are better. In support of his opinions he gives the several cases, which are summarized below:
 The first patient was himself when on a vacation. Diarrhoea, with some pain, persisted for ten days. After that time he took one drop of Veratrum alb. q, which put a stop to the trouble at once.
 A young lady had an attack of all-night vomiting of bile, and severe bilious diarrhoea; deathly pale, with much suffering. Iris versicolor q, in half a tumblerful of water, frequent teaspoonful doses, stopped the trouble at once.
 Lady, aged 80, had severe attack of lumbago, unable to arise without help, but felt no pain when quiet in bed. Bryonia q, half a drop every four hours, quickly cured.
 Lady, aged 70, severe cramp in calf of leg every night for two weeks, compelling her to arise and stamp about. Cuprum met. 3x, two grain doses, relieved after first dose.
 Woman, aged 70, affected with nausea, vomiting, and furred, white tongue, for two weeks. Ipecac 1x, two drops, stopped the vomiting at once, and nausea gradually subsided.
 Woman, aged 80, had several attacks of subacute mania, with illusions; sees strangers in the room; is excited, loquacious, and picks at imaginary things on the bed. Hyoscyamine 1-50 grain dose every four hours brought her around in two days, and afterwards always controlled these attacks at once.
 Men have not got to the bottom of this potency question yet; men are prone to run exclusively to the crude drug, on the one hand, or to exclusively high potencies on the other. Much must depend on the patient and also on the nature of the drug, charcoal, Carbo veg., for instance, being rather inert in the pure stuff or even in the 1x. The same may be said also of Calcarea carb., Lycopodium, Silicea, and several other drugs, all of which seem to act better in the 30th or higher. Aconite, Bryonia and drugs of that nature seem to be efficacious in material doses.
 Potency is still an open question. – Hom. Recorder.