The following is an excerpt from an article written by Dr Roger Schmidt in the Homeopathic Recorder in 1929. One of my favourite parts about learning about homeopathy is sometimes the text you are reading was written in 2021 and other times it was written in 1852. We don’t know which year Dr Constantine Herring penned the “Law of Direction of Cure”. But, we do know he lived from 1800-1880.
The cure must then proceed from centre to circumference, i. e.
From above downwards.
From within outwards.
From the more important organs to the lesser.
From the head to the hands and feet.
The law of cure is infinitely precious to the physician ; it is his compass and rudder in the struggle against disease. It explains to him clearly in what manner the morbific principle evolves. The practitioner knows with certainty, which makes his strength and his success, that if the symptoms are developed in the direction indicated by the law, the patient will be cured and the symptoms will permanently disappear. He knows also when the symptoms take a country direction that the remedy was not well-chosen, that it acts as a palliative and that the patient will grow worse.
I will quote now two cases that wilt illustrate better than any theoretical considerations, what the law of cure is in the daily practice.
CASE 1 :
Mr. G. B—., 72 years old, told me he suffered, when he, was about 40, from an obdurate eczema which had extended from the feet to the sexual parts, then onto the trunk, and at last to the eyelids and scalp. But for the eczema, he thought at that time, that he was very strong and in perfect health. It required years of various treatment and the use of numerous ointments to suppress little by little this eruption, traces of which are still to be seen on the scalp and eyelids. During more than twenty years since the time he had at last succeeded in ridding himself of his eczema, he suffered from frequent influenza, then from bronchitis, which little by little turned into asthma. He attributes all these phenomena, from which he never suffered before, to chills and these grew worse in spite of every care. Little by little rheumatism set in (a question of time perhaps) which made him suffer cruelly, in the shoulders, hands and lower limbs. Every winter he had one or two attacks of lumbago and sciatica, without mentioning attacks of bronchitis and asthma.
Now he has a pityriasis erythema on the scalp, dry eczema of the eyelids and conjunctivitis. The skin all over the body is extremely dry and covered with little white scales, especially abundant on the limbs. When auscultating the globulous thorax, one hears big rhonci and, numerous sibilances spread about. The cough is noisy, paroxysmal, turns loose and dry. Solar plexus painful when pressed, when the patient is standing (signal pain according to Leven), which denotes a gastric ptosis. The liver, very sensitive to touch, continues beyond the ribs a little. The patient complains of lack of appetite and constipation. Dry arthritis of the shoulders and knees. Heart normal. Pulse 75. Tendon reflexes not very much marked. Numerous nodosities around the articulations of both hands. The nails of the big toes are very much thickened. The patient is frequently disturbed in his sleep by his cough and after 5 in the morning he cannot sleep at all.
This story and the complex of the present symptoms clearly indicate Sulphur. On January 11, I gave Sulphur 30 every morning in the plus method. On February 3., the patient returns saying : “I feel better I sleep better, till 6.30. The cough disappeared two days ago, the breathing is deeper, the stairs much less difficult to ascend. I have an appetite again, my bowels evacuate two or three times a day.” The only shadow in the picture is the increase of rheumatism nearly everywhere. I give Placebo.
On February 27, the above mentioned improvements are maintained. The head is lighter, the mind more active, the ideas clearer. The itching and the erythema of the scalp have disappeared. The eyes are getting better. On the contrary, the rheumatic pains are stronger in the hands and feet. “An extraordinary thing, doctor, my previous perspirations and my eczema of 20 years ago, on the genital parts, on the hands and feet have returned. I don’t want to re-commence the comedy of yore”. I warn my patient and tell him to abstain from any external medicinal application and I speak to him of the law of cure explaining to him that his symptoms are following exactly the desired direction :
From above downward (the head is better, the lower parts of the body worse).
From within outward (the cough, asthma, breathing, digestive functions are very much improved, whilst the extremities show serious aggravation).
And in the reverse order of the coming of the symptoms (reappearance of the previous eczema and perspiration). Of course I give Placebo.
On April 2. I see my patient again. He declares that his state has rapidly improved, until a recent journey during which he indulged in an indiscretion of diet, which brought a strong aggravation of all skin symptoms. The rheumatism is better but has not completely disappeared. I order a dose of Sulphur 200 and Placebo. (The duration of Sulphur 30 was 10 weeks).
On July 6, the patient returns to thank me. He is cured and wishes to make me endorse his opinion.
CASE II :
Mrs. A. G—. 35 years old, comes to consult me for her general state of health. She is sensitive person, and her symptoms would cover numerous pages, therefore, I will only mention the most important. Her state of health was entirely modified after the birth of her daughter eight years ago, in spite of the care of several physicians, it was growing worse and worse. Giddiness in the morning, when standing and when going down the stairs. Sick headaches accompanied with nausea and vomiting of bile, especially before and after the menses. Her head is often flushed in the region of the vertex. The nape of the neck is the seat of heavy pains. She always feels too hot and cannot bear heat ; the warmth of the bed gives agonies in the legs, her feet are so burning that she stretches them out of the bed or walks barefooted on the cold stones of her kitchen to cool them. Violent fits of sneezing in the morning after leaving bed, followed by tears ; itching of the eyelids. Her sight is weakened and her eyes easily get tired. She has too much saliva which obliges her to swallow constantly, thence aerophagia. She is more thirsty than hungry. The stomach and abdomen, very much swollen, are as if bruised. Many eructations and intestinal gases. The menses have nothing special, except that they are followed by “whites”. Her back often hurts. Her very damp hands show an eczema of the palm for the last eight years. Pains in the shoulders, worse at night. Heaviness in the legs, which feel as if swollen. Very sudden pains in the sciatic nerve, when walking. Sleep is very troubled, because of a burning feeling of the feet, starlings and shakings of the entire body. In the morning, when awaking, she is more fatigued than when going to bed. This symptomological ensemble contains good indications of Sulphur.
On April 5, I give Sulphur 30, 200M, 10M one dose of each dilution every morning and Placebo.
On April 16, the patient tells me she felt far worse during the four days which followed her visit to my office, and she didn’t close her eyes during these four nights. Then, she felt relieved, stronger, the headaches have not re-appeared, nor the giddiness either. The nape of the neck is getting better too. The thirst has disappeared ; but she has the greatest difficulties in coming to my office, as she suffers so much in the back arid lower limbs. The eczema of the hand is increased. All this discourages her very much. I exhort her to have patience and reassure her in explaining the LAW OF CURE : “All that will go down and out, never to return”.
Indeed, on April 30, the pains in the back have gradually disappeared after the last consultation. The hands are getting freed from the eruption. The sleep would be excellent, if the legs and especially the feet did not give her a foretaste of hell fire ; Placebo.
See my patient only 10 weeks later, on July 16, for the good reason that she is perfectly well and cured.
Amazing Health 