Fundamentals of Therapy
GA 27
XIX. Typical Cases of Illness
[ 1 ] In this chapter we shall describe a number of cases from the practice of the Clinical and Therapeutic Institute at Arlesheim. They will show how, with the help of a knowledge of spiritual man, it is possible to achieve such a thorough picture of the disease that diagnosis directly teaches us the remedy which should be used. Fundamental to this is a view which recognizes the process of illness and of healing as one complete cycle. The illness begins with an irregularity in the composition of the human organism with respect to its parts, which have been described in this book. It has already reached a certain stage when the patient is received for treatment. Our object must now be to bring about a reversal of all the processes which have taken place in the organism since the beginning of the illness, so that we arrive at length at the previous state of health of the organism. A process of this kind, reversing on itself, cannot be accomplished without the organism as a whole undergoing some loss in the forces of growth, which are equivalent to those forces which the human organism - needs during childhood in order to increase in size. The therapeutic substances must therefore be so composed as not only to bring the diseased process back to its starting-point, but also to support the reduced vitality again. To some extent this latter effect must be left to dietary treatment. But as a general rule, in the more serious cases of illness, the organism is not in a condition to evolve sufficient vitality in the assimilation of its food. Therefore the actual treatment will also have to be constituted so as to give the organism the necessary support in this respect. In the typical remedies supplied by our clinical/therapeutic institutes, this provision has been made throughout. Hence it will only be realized on closer inspection, why a given preparation contains particular constituents. In estimating the course of the disease, not only the localized pathological process, but the changes suffered by the organism as a whole must be considered and included in the reversing process. How this is to be conceived in detail will be shown by the individual cases we shall now describe. We shall then continue the more general considerations.
First Case
[ 2 ] A twenty-six years old woman patient. The whole personality reveals an extraordinarily labile condition. It is clear from the patient that that part of the organism, which we have here called the astral body, is in a state of excessive activity. One observes that the ego-organization has only slight control over the astral body. As soon as the patient begins to do some work, the astral body develops a state of agitation. The ego-organization tries to make itself felt, but is constantly repulsed. This causes the temperature to rise in such a case. A well regulated digestion depends mainly on a normal ego-organization. The impotence of this patient's ego-organization expresses itself in an obstinate constipation. The migraine-like conditions and vomiting from which she suffers are a consequence of this disturbance in the digestive activity. In sleep, her impotent ego-organization shows itself in a deficient organic activity from below upward and impaired expiration. The consequence is an excessive accumulation of carbonic acid in the organism during sleep, which shows itself organically in palpitations on awakening; psychologically in anxiety, and screaming. Physical examination can show nothing other than a lack of those forces which bring about a regular connection of the astral, etheric and physical bodies. Owing to the excessive activity of the astral body in itself, too little of its powers can flow over into the physical and the etheric. The latter, therefore, have remained too delicate in their development during the period of growth. This has shown itself on examination in the patient's slight build and weak body, and also in the fact that she complains of frequent back pain. The latter arises because in the activity of the spinal cord the ego-organization must make itself felt most. The patient talks of many dreams. The reason is that the astral body, separated in sleep from the physical and the etheric, unfolds its own excessive activity. We must start with the fact that the ego-organization needs to be strengthened and the over-activity of the astral body lowered. The former is attained by selecting a remedy that is suitable to support the weakened ego-organization in the digestive tract. Such a remedy is to be found in copper. Applied in the form of a copper ointment compress to the region of the loins, it has a strengthening effect on the deficient inner warmth coming from the ego-organization. This is observed in a reduction of the abnormal activity of the heart and the disappearance of anxiety. The excessive activity of the astral body in itself is combated by the smallest doses of lead taken orally. Lead draws the astral body together and awakens in it the forces through which it unites more intensely with the physical body and the etheric. (Lead poisoning is composed of an over-intense union of the astral with the etheric and physical bodies, so that the latter are made subject to excessive breakdown processes.) The patient recovered visibly under this treatment. Her labile condition gave way to a certain inner firmness and assurance. Her moods, recovering from their disrupted state, grew inwardly calm and contented. The constipation and back pain disappeared; likewise the migrainous conditions and the headaches. The patient's capacity for work was restored.
Second Case
[ 3 ] A forty-eight year old man. He had been a robust child with an active inner life. During the war, as he informed us, he had undergone a five months' treatment for nephritis and been discharged as cured. Married at the age of thirty-five, he had five healthy children; a sixth child died at birth. At the age of thirty-three, as a consequence of mental overwork, he began to suffer from depression, tiredness and apathy. These conditions increased continuously. At the same time he began to feel spiritual despair. He is confronted by questions, in which his profession—that of a teacher—appears to him in a negative light, which he cannot meet with anything positive. The illness shows an astral body which has too little affinity with the etheric and physical, and is rigid in itself. The physical and etheric bodies are thus enabled to assert their own inherent qualities. The feeling of the etheric not being rightly united with the astral body gives rise to states of depression; while the deficient union with the physical produces fatigue and apathy. That the patient is in a state of spiritual despair is due to the fact that the astral body cannot make use of the physical and the etheric. Consistently with all this, his sleep is good; for the astral body has little connection with the etheric and physical. For the same reason he has great difficulty in waking up. The astral body is loath to enter the physical. It is only in the evening, when the physical and etheric bodies are tired, that their normal union with the astral begins to take place. Therefore the patient becomes properly awake in the evening. This whole condition indicates that it is necessary first of all to strengthen the astral body in its activity. This can always be attained by giving arsenic internally in the form of a mineral water. It becomes clear that the particular individual is seen to gain more command over his body after some time. The connection between the astral and the etheric is strengthened; the depression, apathy and fatigue cease. But the physical body also, which through its long defective union with the astral has become sluggish and immobile, must be helped; this is done by giving treatment with a mild dose of phosphorous. Phosphorous supports the ego-organization, enabling it to overcome the resistance of the physical body. Rosemary baths are used to open a way out for the accumulated products of metabolism. Curative eurythmy re-establishes the harmony of the individual members of the organism (nerve-sense system, rhythmic system, motor and metabolic system), impaired as they are by the inaction of the astral body. Finally, by giving the patient elder-flower tea, the metabolism, which has gradually become sluggish owing to the inactivity of the astral body, is restored to a normal condition. We were able to observe a complete cure in this case.
Third Case
[ 4 ] This patient was a musician, thirty-one years old, who visited our clinic during a concert tour. He was suffering from a severe inflammatory and functional disturbance of the urinary tract, catarrhal symptoms, fever, excessive bodily fatigue, general weakness, and incapacity for work.
[ 5 ] The past history of the patient showed that he had repeatedly suffered the same condition. Examination of the patient's spiritual state revealed a hypersensitive and exhausted astral body. The susceptibility of the physical and etheric body to catarrhal and inflammatory conditions was a consequence of this. Already as a child, the patient had a weak physical body, badly supported by the astral. Hence measles, scarlet fever, chicken-pox, whooping-cough and frequent attacks of sore throat; at the age of fourteen, there was an inflammation of the urethra, which recurred at the age of twenty-nine in conjunction with cystitis. At the age of eighteen, pneumonia and pleurisy; at twenty-nine, pleurisy again, following on an attack of influenza; and at the age of thirty, catarrhal inflammation of the frontal sinus. There is also a perpetual tendency to conjunctivitis.
During the two months which he spent at our hospital the patient's temperature curve rose at first to 39.9¡C, after which, it descended, only to rise again on the fourteenth day; it then fluctuated between 37¡ and 36¡, occasionally rising above 37¡ and falling to 35¡. Such a temperature curve gives a clear picture of the changing states of the ego organisations. Such a curve arises when the effects of the semi-conscious contents of the ego-organization find expression in the warmth-processes of the physical and etheric bodies without being reduced to a normal rhythm by the astral. In this patient, the whole capacity of action of the astral body was concentrated on the rhythmic system, where it found expression in his artistic talent. The other systems fell short. As a significant result of this, the patient suffers from severe fatigue and insomnia during the summer. In the summer season, considerable demands are made upon the astral body by the outer world. Its inner capacity for activity recedes. The forces of the physical and etheric body become predominant. In the general perception of one's sense of well being, this manifests as severe fatigue. At the same time the weakened capacity for action of the astral body hinders its separation from the physical. Hence the insomnia. The deficient separation of the astral body from the etheric finds expression in anxious and unpleasant dreams, arising from the sensitivity of the etheric body to the lesions in the physical organism. Characteristically, the dreams symbolize these lesions in images of mutilated human beings. Their terrifying aspect is simply their natural quality and emphasis of feeling. As a consequence of the astral body functioning deficiently in the metabolic system, there is a tendency to constipation. And owing to the independence of the etheric body, which is too little influenced by the astral, the protein received as food cannot be completely transformed from vegetable and animal protein into human. Hence, protein is excreted in the urine, so that it is positive for albumen. If the astral body is functioning deficiently, processes will arise in the physical body which are really foreign processes in the human organism. Such processes express themselves in the formation of pus. This represents, as it were, an extra-human process within the human being. Thus in the sediment of the urine we actually find pure pus. But this formation of pus is accompanied by a parallel process in the soul. The astral body works as little psychically on the experiences of life, as it works physically on the substances of food. While extra-human substances are produced in the form of pus, mental and psychic contents of a extra-human character arise at the same time, as a keen interest in abnormal relationships of life, forebodings, premonitions and the like. We therefore set out to bring a balancing, purifying and strengthening influence to bear upon the astral body. As the ego organization is very much alive, its activity could be used, in a manner of speaking, as a carrier of the therapeutic remedy. The ego-organization, which is directed toward the external world, is most readily approached by influences whose direction is from without inward. This is achieved by the use of compresses. We first apply a compress of Melilotus, a remedy which works upon the astral body in such a way as to improve the balance and distribution of its forces, counteracting their one-sided concentration on the rhythmic system. Naturally the compresses must not be applied to that part of the body where the rhythmic system is especially concentrated. We applied them to the organs where the metabolic and motor systems are concentrated. We avoided compresses around the head, because the mood swings of the ego-organizations proceeding from the head, would have paralysed the effect. For the Melilotus to take effect, it was also necessary to assist the astral body and ego-organization, by drawing them together. This we sought to do by the addition of oxalic acid, derived from Radix bardanae. Oxalic acid works in such a way as to transform the activity of the ego-organization into that of the astral body. In addition, we gave oral remedies in very diluted doses; with the object of bringing the excretions into a regular connection with the influences of the astral body. We tried to normalise the excretions directed from the head organization by means of potassium sulphate. Those processes that depend upon the metabolic system in the narrower sense of the word, we sought to influence by potassium carbonate. We regulated the excretion of urine with Teucrium. We therefore gave a medicament, consisting of equal parts of potassium sulphate, potassium carbonate and Teucrium. The whole treatment had to reckon with a very labile balance in the whole, physical, psychical and spiritual organism. Thus we had to provide complete bed rest for physical rest, and mental quiet for spiritual balance; this alone made possible the proper interaction of the various remedies. Movement and agitation render such a complicated therapeutic process almost impossible. On completion of the treatment, the patient was restored to bodily strength and vigour, and was mentally in good condition. With such a labile state of health, it goes without saying that any external disruption may bring about a recurrence of one or another disturbance. It is part of the total treatment that in such a case such events should be avoided.
Fourth Case
[ 6 ] A child, who was brought to our clinic twice, first at the age of four, and then at the age of five and a half years. Also the mother of the child, and the mother's sister. Diagnosis led us from the illness of the child to that of her mother and of the sister. As for the child, we received the following information: it was a twin, born six weeks prematurely. The other twin died in the last stage of foetal life. At the age of six weeks, the child was taken ill, began to scream excessively, and was admitted to hospital. They diagnosed pyloric stenosis. The child was partly breast fed by a wet nurse and partly fed artificially. At the age of eight months it left the hospital. On the first day after arrival home the child had a convulsion, which recurred daily for the next two months. During the attacks the child became stiff, with the eyes deviated. The attacks were preceded by fear and crying. The child also squinted with the right eye and vomited before the attack began. At the age of two and a half years there was another attack lasting five hours. The child was again stiff and lay there as though dead. At the age of four there was an attack lasting half an hour. According to the report we received, this was the first attack which was seen to be accompanied by fever. After the convulsions that had followed directly on the return from hospital, the parents had noticed a paralysis of the right arm and the right leg. At two and a half the child made the first attempt to walk, but was only able to step out with the left leg, dragging the right after it. The right arm, too, remained without volition. The same state prevailed when the child was brought to us. Our first concern was to determine the condition of the child with respect to the members of the human organization. This was attempted independently of the syndrome. We found a severe atrophy of the etheric body, which, in certain parts, received only a very slight influence from the astral body. The region of the right chest was as though paralysed in the etheric body. On the other hand, there was a kind of hypertrophy of the astral body in the region of the stomach. The next thing was to establish the relation between this diagnosis and the syndrome. There could be no doubt that the astral body strongly involved the stomach during the process of digestion, which, however, owing to the paralysed condition of the etheric body was blocked at the transition from the gut to the lymph. Hence the blood was under-nourished. We thus attached great importance to the symptoms of nausea and vomiting. Convulsions always occur when the etheric body becomes atrophied and the astral gains a direct influence over the physical without the mediation of the etheric body. This was present to the greatest extent in the child. Moreover, if, as in this case, the condition becomes permanent during the period of growth, those processes which prepare the motor system to receive the will normally fail to take place. This showed itself in the uselessness on the right side in the child. We had now to relate the condition of the child to that of the mother. The latter was thirty-seven years old when she came to us. At the age of thirteen, she told us, she had already reached her present size. She had bad teeth at an early age, and had suffered in childhood from rheumatic fever, and maintained that she had had rickets. Menstruation began comparatively early. At the age of sixteen she had had a disease of the kidneys and she told of convulsive conditions which she had had. At twenty-five she had constipation owing to cramp in the sphincter ani, which had to be stretched. Even now she suffered from cramp on defaecation. Diagnosis by direct observation, without drawing any conclusions from this syndrome, revealed a condition extraordinarily similar to that of the child. But everything appeared in a far milder form. We must bear in mind that the human etheric body has its special period of development between the change of teeth and puberty. In the mother this expressed itself thus: with their deficient strength, the available forces of the etheric body enabled growth to take place only until puberty. At puberty the special development of the astral body begins and, being hypertrophied, now overwhelms the etheric body and takes hold of the physical organization too intensely. This showed itself in the arrest of growth at the thirteenth year. The patient was, however, by no means dwarf-like, on the contrary, she was very big; this was because the growth forces of the etheric body, deficient though they were, had worked uninhibited by the astral body and so brought about a large expansion of the volume of the physical body. But these forces had not been able to enter properly into the functions of the physical body. This showed itself in the appearance of rheumatic fever and, at a later stage, convulsions. Owing to the weakness of the etheric body there was a particularly strong influence of the astral body on the physical. Now this influence is a disintegrating one. In the course of normal development it is balanced by the regenerative forces during sleep, when the astral body is separated from the physical and the etheric. If, as in this case, the etheric body is too weak, the result is an excess of disintegration, which showed itself in the fact that she had the first filling already in the twelfth year. Moreover, if great demands are made on the etheric body as in pregnancy, on every such occasion the condition of the teeth grows worse. The weakness of the etheric body with respect to its connection with the astral was also shown by the frequency of the patient's dreams and by the sound sleep which she enjoyed in spite of all irregularities. Again the weakness of the etheric body shows itself in that foreign processes unmastered by the etheric take place in the physical body, and reveal themselves in the urine as protein, isolated hyaline casts, and salts.
[ 7 ] Very remarkable was the relationship of these disease-processes in the mother with those of her sister. As to the composition of the members of the human being, diagnosis revealed almost exactly the same. A feebly working etheric body and hence a preponderance of the astral. The astral body was, however, weaker than that of the mother. Accordingly, menstruation had begun early as in the former case, but instead of inflammatory conditions she had only pains due to an irritation of the organs, e.g. the joints. In the joints the etheric body must be particularly active if the vitality is to go on in the normal way. If the activity of the etheric body is weak, that of the physical body will predominate, a fact which appeared in this case in the swollen joints and in chronic arthritis. The weakness of the astral body, that did not work enough in the subjective feeling, was indicated by her liking for sweet dishes, which enhanced the experience of the astral body. When the weak astral body is exhausted at the end of the day, then, if the weakness persists, the pains will increase in intensity. Thus the patient complained of increased pain in the evening. The connection between the pathological conditions of these three patients points to the generation preceding that of the two sisters, and more especially to the grandmother of the child. It is here that the real cause must be sought. The disordered equilibrium between the astral and etheric bodies in all three patients can only have been founded in a similar condition in the grandmother of the child. This irregularity must have been due to a deficiency of the embryonic organs of nutrition, especially the allantois development by the astral and etheric bodies of the grandmother. A deficient development of the allantois must be looked for in all three patients. We determined this to begin with by purely spiritual-scientific methods. The physical allantois, passing into the spiritual realm, is metamorphosed into the effectiveness of the forces of the astral body. A degenerated allantois gives rise to a lessened efficiency of the astral body, which will express itself, especially, in all the motor organs. Such was the case in all three patients. It is indeed possible to recognize, from the constitution of the astral body that of the allantois. From this it will be seen that our reference to the preceding generation was not the result of drawing far-fetched conclusions, but of real spiritual-scientific observations.
[ 8 ] To anyone who is irritated by this fact, we would say that our statements here are not inspired by any love of paradox; rather by the wish not to withhold existing knowledge from anyone. Conceptions of heredity will always remain dark and mystical, as long as we shrink from recognizing the metamorphosis from the physical to the spiritual and vice-versa, which takes place in the sequence of the generations.
[ 9 ] Therapeutically, such an insight could of course only lead us to perceive the right starting-point for a healing process. Had not our attention thus been drawn to the hereditary aspect, had we merely observed the irregularity in the connection between the astral and etheric bodies, we should have used therapeutic substances which affect both these members of the human being. Such remedies however would have been ineffective in our case, for the damage, running through the generations, was too deep-seated to be made good within the etheric and astral bodies themselves. In a case like this, one must work on the organization of the ego; here it is, that one must bring to bear all those influences which relate to a harmonizing and strengthening of the etheric and astral bodies. One can achieve this if one gains access to the ego-organization through intensified sensory stimuli, (Sensory stimuli work upon the ego-organization.) For the child, we attempted this in the following way: we bandaged the right hand with a 5% iron pyrites ointment and simultaneously we massaged the left half of the head with ointment of Amanita caesarea. Externally applied, pyrites, compound of iron and sulphur, has the effect of stimulating the ego-organization to make the astral body more alive and increase its affinity to the etheric. The Amanita substance, with its peculiar content of organized nitrogen, gives rise to an influence proceeding from the head, which, working through the ego-organization, makes the etheric body more alive and increases its affinity to the astral. The healing process was supported by curative eurythmy, which moves the ego-organization as such into quickened activity. This brings what is externally applied into the depths of the organization. Initiated in this way, the healing process was then intensified, with remedies making the astral and etheric bodies especially sensitive to the influence of the ego-organization. In rhythmic daily succession we gave a decoction of solidago in baths, massaged the back with a decoction of Stellaria media and gave orally willow bark tea (which particularly affects the receptivity of the astral body) and stannum 0.001 (which particularly makes the etheric body receptive). We also gave diluted doses of poppy juice, to allow the damaged organization to give place to the healing influences. In the mother's case, the latter kind of treatment was mainly adopted, since the inherited forces had worked far less than in the succeeding generation. The same applied to the sister of the mother. While the child was still with us in the clinic, we established that it became more easily guided and the general psychological condition was improved. It grew far more obedient, for example; movements which it had carried out very clumsily, it now accomplished with greater skill. Subsequently the aunt reported that a great change had taken place in the child. It had grown quieter and the excess of involuntary movements had decreased; the child is now sufficiently adroit to be able to play by itself, psychologically the former obstinacy has disappeared.
Fifth Case
[ 10 ] A woman patient, twenty-six years old, came to our clinic suffering from the serious consequences of influenza and bronchitis which she had undergone in 1918; this had been preceded in 1917 by pleurisy. Following the influenza, she had never properly recovered. In 1920 she was very emaciated and weak, with a slight temperature and night sweats. Soon after the influenza, back-pains began, which worsened continuously up to the end of 1920. Then, with violent pain, a curvature in the lumbar region became apparent. At the same time there was a swelling of the right forefinger. A rest cure had considerably lessened the back-pains. When the patient came to us, she was suffering from a cold abscess on the right thigh; her body was distended with slight ascites. There were catarrhal sounds over the apices of both lungs. Digestion and appetite were good. The urine was concentrated, with traces of protein. Spiritual-scientific investigation revealed a hypersensitivity of the astral body and the ego-organization; such an abnormality expresses itself to begin with in the etheric body, which produces, in place of the etheric functions proper, an etheric impress of the astral functions. The astral functions are destructive. Thus, the vitality and the normal process of the physical organs showed themselves to be stunted. This is always connected with processes occurring to some extent outside man, but taking place in the human organism. Hence the cold abscess, the lumbar pains, the distended abdomen, the catarrhal symptoms in the lungs, and also the deficient assimilation of protein. The treatment must therefore seek to reduce the sensitivity of the astral body and the ego-organization. This may be done by administering silicic acid, which always strengthens the inherent forces against sensitivity. In this case we gave powdered silicic acid in the food and in enemata. We also diverted the sensitivity by applying mustard plasters to the lower back. The effect of this depends upon the fact that it induces sensitivity of its own accord, thus relieving the astral body and ego-organization of theirs. By a process which damps down the over-sensitivity of the astral body in the digestive tract, we were able to divert the astral activity to the etheric body where it ought normally to be. We achieved this by minute doses of copper and carbo animalis. The possibility that the etheric body might withdraw from the normal activity of digestion, to which it was unaccustomed, was countered by administering pancreatic fluid.
[ 11 ] The cold abscess was punctured several times. Large quantities of pus were evacuated by aspiration. The abscess grew smaller and the distended stomach decreased in that the pus-formation grew continuously less and finally disappeared. While it was still flowing we were surprised one day by a renewed rise in temperature. This was not inexplicable to us, since, with the above-described constitution of the astral body, small psychological excitements could give rise to such fever. However, one must differentiate between the explanation of fever in such cases and its strongly harmful effect. For under these conditions, such a fever is the mediator for a profound intervention of the processes of destruction in the organism. One must provide at once for a strengthening of the etheric body, which will then paralyse the harmful effects of the astral. We gave high potency silver injections and the fever sank. The patient left the clinic with a twenty pounds' increase in weight, and in a stronger condition. We are under no illusion as to the necessity for further treatment to consolidate the cure.
Interpolation
[ 12 ] With the cases hitherto described, we wished to characterize the principles whereby we seek to find the therapeutic substances out of the diagnosis. For the sake of clear illustration we selected cases where it was necessary to proceed along very individual lines. But we have also prepared typical therapeutic substances applicable to typical diseases. We will now deal with a few cases where such typical medicaments were used.
Sixth Case. Treatment of Hay Fever.
[ 13 ] We had a patient with severe symptoms of hay fever. He had suffered with it from childhood. He came to us for treatment in his fortieth year. For this disorder we have our preparation “Gencydo”. This we used in this case at the time—the month of May—when the disease was at its worst. We treated him with injections and locally by painting the inside of the nose with “Gencydo” fluid. Following this there was a marked improvement, at a time of the year when formerly the patient had suffered severely from hay fever, undertaking a journey, he reported feeling incomparably better than in former years. In the hay fever season of the next year, he was travelling again from America to Europe and only had a far milder attack than previously. The repetition of the treatment achieved a tolerable condition for this year. For a thorough cure, treatment was repeated the next year, although he had no actual attack. In the fourth year the patient himself described his condition in the following words: “In the spring of 1923, I again began the treatment, as I was expecting fresh attacks. I found my nasal mucous membranes far less sensitive than before. I had to spend my time working among flowering grasses and pollen-producing trees. I also had to ride all through the summer along hot and dusty roads. Yet with the exception of a single day, no symptoms of hay fever occurred the whole summer, and I have every reason to believe that on that single day it was an ordinary cold, not an attack of hay fever. In thirty-five years this was the first time that I could stay and work unhindered in an environment where in former years I experienced real hell.”
Seventh Case. Treatment of Sclerosis.
[ 14 ] A woman patient, sixty-one years old, came to our clinic with sclerosis and albuminuria. Her immediate condition was the sequel of an attack of influenza, with slight fever and disturbances of the stomach and intestines. She had not felt well again since the influenza. She complained of difficult breathing on waking, attacks of vertigo, and a pounding sensation in the head, ears and hands, which was especially troublesome on waking, but occurred also when she walked or climbed uphill. Her sleep was good. There was a tendency to constipation. The urine contained protein. Her blood pressure was 185mm Hg. We took our start from the sclerosis which was noticeable in the over-activity of the astral body. The physical and etheric bodies were unable to receive the full activity of the astral. In such a case, excess activity of the astral body remains, which the physical and etheric do not re-absorb. The normal and firm poise of the human organization is only possible when this re-absorption is complete. Otherwise, as in this case, the non-absorbed part will make itself felt in attacks of vertigo and subjective sensory illusions, pounding etc. Also the non-absorbed part takes hold of the digested substances, forcing certain processes upon them before they have penetrated into the normal metabolism. This became apparent in the tendency to constipation, in the excretion of albumen, also in the stomach and intestinal disorders. The blood pressure is raised in such a case because the excess activity of the astral body also heightens the activity of the ego, and this reveals itself in raised blood pressure.—We treated the case mainly with our remedy, “Scleron”; we supplemented this with very minute doses of belladonna, only as an aid to counteract immediately the attacks of vertigo. We gave elder-flower tea to help the digestion, regulated the action of the bowels by enemas and laxative tea, and ordered a salt free diet, because salts tend to aggravate sclerosis. A comparatively quick improvement was the result. The attacks of vertigo receded, likewise the pounding. The blood pressure went down to 112mm Hg. The patient's subjective feeling visibly improved. During the subsequent year the sclerosis made no further progress. At the end of a year the patient came to us again with the same symptoms in a lesser degree. A similar treatment brought about a further improvement; now, after a lapse of considerable time since the treatment it is evident that the sclerosis is producing no further degeneration of the organism. The external symptoms characteristic of sclerosis are on the decline, and the accompanying rapid aging of the patient is no longer there.
Eighth Case. Treatment of a Goitre.
[ 15 ] A woman patient, who came to us in the thirty-fourth year of her life. She is typical of an individual whose psychic state is strongly influenced by a certain heaviness and fragility of the physical body. Every word she utters seems to cost her an effort. Very characteristic is the concavity in the whole shape of her face; the root of the nose is as if it were held back within the organism. She tells us that she was delicate and sickly even as a schoolgirl. The only actual disease that she went through was a slight attack of measles. She was always pale and very tired and had a poor appetite. She was sent from one doctor to another, and the following were diagnosed in succession: Infection of the apex of the lung, gastritis, anaemia. In her own mind the patient felt that she was not so much physically ill, but rather psychologically.
[ 16 ] Having given this part of her history, we will now indicate the spiritual-scientific diagnosis, in order to examine everything further against the latter.
[ 17 ] The patient reveals a highly atonic condition of the astral body. The ego-organization is thus held back, as it were, from the physical and etheric bodies. The whole life of consciousness is permeated by a subtle, dull drowsiness. The physical body is exposed to the processes arising from the ingested substances. Therefore, these substances are transformed into parts of the human organization. The etheric body in its coherent vitality is too strongly muted by the ego and the astral body; hence the inner sensations, namely, the sense of well-being and the sense of the orthostasis of the body become far too vivid, and the activity of the external senses is too dull. All the bodily functions thus have to take a course whereby they come into disharmony with one another. Inevitably the feeling arises in the patient that she cannot hold the functions of her body together with her own ego. This appears to her as a powerlessness of the soul. Hence she says she is more psychologically than physically ill. If the powerlessness of the ego and astral body increases, disease conditions must arise in various parts of the body, as is also indicated by the different diagnoses. Powerlessness of the ego expresses itself in irregularities of glands, such as the thyroid and the suprarenal; also in disorders of the stomach and intestinal system. All this is to be expected in the patient and does in fact occur. Her goitre and the condition of her stomach and intestinal system correspond entirely with the spiritual-scientific diagnosis. Most characteristic is the following: owing to the powerlessness of the ego and the astral body the need for sleep is partly satisfied during waking life, the patient's sleep is therefore lighter than a normal person's. To her, this appears as a persistent insomnia. In connection with this, she has a sense of easily falling asleep and easily awakening. Also in this connection she thinks she has many dreams, they are not, however, real dreams but mixtures of dreams and waking impressions. Thus they do not remain in her memory and are not powerfully exciting, for her excitability is lowered. In the inner organs the powerlessness of the ego first expresses itself in the lungs. Infection of the apex of the lung is in reality always a manifestation of a weak ego organization. The metabolism not being fully taken care of by the ego leads to rheumatism. Subjectively these things come to expression in the patient's general fatigue. Menstruation began at the age of fourteen; the weak ego organization cannot supply a sufficient unfolding of its forces to repress and restrain the menstrual process once it has come into flow. The work of the ego in this act of restraint comes as a sensation into consciousness through those nerves that enter the spinal cord in the region of the sacrum. Nerves insufficiently permeated by the currents of the ego-organization and the astral body are painful. Thus the patient complains of lower back pain during menstruation. All this led us in the following way to treatment. We have discovered that Colchicum autumnale has a powerfully stimulating action on the astral body, notably on the part that corresponds to the organization of the neck and head. Hence, we apply Colchicum autumnale to all those diseases which have their most important symptom in goitre. Accordingly, we gave the patient five drops of our Colchicum preparation three times a day; the goitre swelling receded and the patient felt much relieved. When the astral body is thus strengthened, it mediates a better functioning of the ego-organism, so that remedies which can work upon the organs of digestion and reproduction keep their strength in the organism. As such a remedy we used wormwood enemas, mixing them with oil, since oil stimulates the digestive tract. With this remedy we attained a considerable improvement. We hold that this treatment can develop its particularly favourable influence about the thirty-fifth year of life, for at this age the ego-organization has a strong affinity to the rest of the organism and can be readily stimulated, even when weak. The patient was thirty-four years old when she came to us.
Ninth Case. Migrainous Conditions in the Menopause.
[ 18 ] This patient came to us at the age of fifty-five. She informed us that she had been weak and delicate as a child; during childhood she had measles, scarlet fever, chicken pox, whooping cough and mumps. Menstruation began at the age of fourteen to fifteen. The bleeding was unusually intense and painful from the outset. In the fortieth year she underwent an oopherohysterectomy because of a tumour in the lower abdomen. She also reported that she suffered since the age of thirty-five from a migrainous headache lasting three days, every three or four weeks, which in her forty-sixth year developed into a cerebral illness lasting three days with unconsciousness. The spiritual-scientific diagnosis of her current condition is as follows: General weakness of the ego organization, which expresses itself in that the activity of the etheric body is insufficiently immobilized by the ego organization. Hence the vegetative organic activity extends over the head and nerve-sense system to a far greater degree than is the case when the ego-organization is normal. This diagnosis is corroborated by certain symptoms. Firstly a frequent urgency of micturition. This is due to the fact that the normally developed astral body which regulates the secretion of the kidneys is unopposed by a normally restraining ego-organization of sufficient strength. A second symptom is the long time she took to fall asleep and her tiredness on awakening. The astral body has difficulty in leaving the physical and etheric, for the ego is not strong enough in drawing it away. And when she has awakened, the vital activity, working on after sleep, was perceived as a feeling of fatigue owing to the weakness of the ego. A third symptom is to be found in the scarcity of her dreams. The pictures which the ego-organization can impress upon the astral body are feeble and cannot express themselves as vivid dreams.
[ 19 ] These perceptions led to the following treatment: we had to pave the way for the ego-organization to the physical and etheric bodies. We did this by compresses with a two per cent Oxalis solution on the forehead in the evening, compresses with a seven per cent solution of Urtica dioica on the lower abdomen in the morning, and compresses with a twenty per cent solution of lime blossom on the feet at midday. The object was, in the first place, to tone down the vital activity during the night; this was brought about by the oxalic salt, which exercises within the organism the function of suppressing an excessive vital activity. In the morning we had to ensure that the ego-organization could find its way into the physical body. This was done by stimulating the circulation. The iron effect of the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) was applied for this purpose. Finally, it was desirable to assist the penetration of the physical body by the ego-organization in the course of the day. This was done by the downward drawing action of the lime blossom compresses at midday. We have already referred to the headaches to which the patient had become subject, with their intensification at the forty-sixth year of life. For us there was connection between the headaches and the cessation of the menses after the operation and their intensification with unconsciousness as a compensatory symptom for the menopause. We first tried to effect an improvement by the use of antimony. This should have worked if we had been concerned with the general metabolism, regulated by the organization of the ego. There was, however, no improvement. This proved to us that we were dealing with the relatively independent part of the ego-organization which primarily regulates the organs of reproduction. For the treatment of this, we see a specific remedy of the root of Potentilla tormentilla at a very high dilution, and in fact this worked.
XIX. Charakteristische Krankheitsfälle
[ 1 ] In diesem Kapitel möchten wir aus der Praxis des klinischtherapeutischen Institutes in Arlesheim eine Reihe von Krankheitsfällen beschreiben. Dieselben werden zeigen, wie versucht werden kann, mit Zuhilfenahme der Erkenntnis vom geistigen Menschen ein durchgreifendes Bild des krankhaften Zustandes so zu gewinnen, daß die Diagnose unmittelbar lehrt, welches Arzneimittel angewendet werden muß. Dabei liegt eine Anschauung zugrunde, die Erkrankungs- und Gesundungsprozeß als einen einzigen Kreisprozeß ins Auge faßt. Die Erkrankung beginnt mit einer Irregularität in der Zusammensetzung des menschlichen Organismus mit Bezug auf seine in diesem Buch beschriebenen Teile. Sie ist an einem bestimmten Punkte angekommen,. wenn man den Kranken in Behandlung bekommt. Man hat nun dafür zu sorgen, daß alle Vorgänge, die sich seit dem Beginn der Krankheit im menschlichen Organismus abgespielt haben, wieder zurückverlaufen, so daß man zuletzt bei dem Zustande der Gesundheit anlangt, in dem der Organismus vorher war. Ein solcher Prozeß, der in sich selbst zurückläuft, ist nicht zum Vollzug zu bringen, ohne daß im Gesamtorganismus ein Verlust an Wachstumskräften vor sich geht, die gleichwertig sind den Kräften, welche der menschliche Organismus während der Kindheitszeit braucht, um sein Volumen zu vergrössern. Die Heilmittel müssen daher so beschaffen sein, daß sie nicht nur den Krankheitsprozeß zurücklaufen lassen, sondern auch die sich herabstimmende Vitalität wieder unterstützen. Einen Teil der letzteren Wirkung wird man der Krankheitsdiät überlassen müssen. Doch ist in der Regel bei ernsteren Krankheitsfällen der Organismus nicht gestimmt, in der Verarbeitung der Nahrungsmittel genügend Vitalität zu entwickeln. Es wird daher notwendig sein, auch die eigentliche Therapie so einzurichten, daß der Organismus in dieser Beziehung seine Unterstützung findet. Bei den typischen Mitteln, die von den klinisch-therapeutischen Instituten ausgehen, ist durchaus diese Einrichtung getroffen. Man wird deshalb nur bei genauerem Zusehen bei einem Präparat erkennen, warum es bestimmte Bestandteile enthält. Im Krankheitsverlaufe ist nicht nur der lokalisierte Krankheitsprozeß, sondern die Gesamtveränderung des Organismus zu berücksichtigen und diese in den rückläufigen Prozeß einzubeziehen. Wie das im Einzelnen zu denken ist, werden bestimmte Fälle, die wir nun charakterisieren wollen, zeigen. Nach deren Beschreibung wollen wir mit den allgemeinen Betrachtungen fortfahren.
Erster Fall
[ 2 ] Man hat es mit einer 26-jährigen Patientin zu tun. Der ganze Mensch zeigt einen außerordentlich labilen Zustand. Die Patientin läßt deutlich erkennen, daß derjenige Teil ihres Organismus, den wir in unserem Buche Astralleib genannt haben, in einem Zustand der übermäßigen Tätigkeit ist. Man sieht, daß dieser Astralleib von der Ich-Organisation nur mangelhaft beherrscht werden kann. Schickt sich die Patientin an, eine Arbeit zu verrichten, so gerät der Astralleib sofort in Wallungen. Die Ich-Organisation sucht sich geltend zu machen, wird aber fortwährend zurückgestoßen. Das bewirkt, daß in einem solchen Falle erhöhte Temperatur eintritt. Die geregelte Verdauungstätigkeit ist beim Menschen im eminentesten Sinne von der normalen Ich-Organisation abhängig. Die Ohnmacht dieser Ich-Organisation drückt sich bei der Patientin in hartnäckiger Obstipation aus. Eine Folge dieser gestörten Verdauungstätigkeit sind dann die migräneartigen Zustände und das Erbrechen, an dem sie leidet. Im Schlafe zeigt sich, daß die ohnmächtige Ich-Organisation eine mangelhafte organische Tätigkeit von unten nach oben bewirkt und die Ausatmung schädigt. Die Folge davon ist übermäßige Anhäufung von Kohlensäure im Organismus während des Schlafes, was organisch durch das Herzklopfen beim Aufwachen, psychisch durch Angstgefühl und Aufschreien zutage tritt. Die körperliche Untersuchung kann nichts anderes ergeben als einen Mangel an solchen Kräften, die den regelmäßigen Zusammenhang von Astralleib, Ätherleib und physischem Leib bewirken. Die übermäßige Eigentätigkeit des Astralleibes bewirkt, daß zu wenig Kräfte von diesem in den physischen und Ätherleib überströmen. Die letzteren bleiben daher während der Wachstumsperiode in ihrer Entwicklung zart. Das hat sich auch bei der Untersuchung dadurch gezeigt, daß die Patientin einen grazilen schwächlichen Körper hatte und über häufige Rückenschmerzen klagte. Die letzteren entstehen, weil in der Rückenmarkstätigkeit gerade die Ich-Organisation sich am stärksten geltend machen muß. Patientin spricht auch von vielen Träumen. Das ist eine Folge davon, daß der astralische Leib, wenn er beim Schlafe vom physischen und Ätherleib getrennt ist, seine übermäßige Eigentätigkeit entfaltet. Man hat nun davon auszugehen, daß die Ich-Organisation verstärkt und die Tätigkeit des Astralischen herabgemindert werden muß. Das erste erreicht man, wenn man ein Arzneimittel wählt, das geeignet ist, die in dem Verdauungstrakt schwach-werdende Ich-Organisation zu unterstützen. Man kann im Kupfer ein solches Arzneimittel erkennen. Wendet man es in Form eines Kupfersalbenverbandes, der in die Lendengegend gelegt wird, an, so wirkt das Kupfer verstärkend auf die von der Ich-Organisation mangelhaft ausgehende Wärmeentwicklung. Man wird dies bemerken an der zurückgehenden abnormen Herztätigkeit un& an dem Weichen der Angstgefühle. Die übermäßige Eigentätigkeit des Astralleibes läßt sich bekämpfen durch kleinste Dosen von Blei, innerlich genommen. Blei zieht den Astralleib zusammen und weckt in ihm die Kräfte, durch die er sich stärker mit dem physischen Leib und dem Ätherleib verbindet. (Bleivergiftung besteht in einer zu starken Verbindung des astralischen mit dem Äther- und physischen Leib, so daß die letzteren einem zu starken Abbauprozesse unterliegen.) Patientin erholte sich sichtlich bei dieser Kur. Der labile Zustand wich einer gewissen inneren Festigkeit und Sicherheit. Die Gemütsverfassung wurde von einer zerrissenen zu einer innerlich befriedigten. Die Erscheinungen der Verstopfung und der Rücken-schmerzen verschwanden, die migräneartigen Zustände und Kopfschmerzen gleichfalls. Patientin wurde ihre Arbeitsfähigkeit wieder zurückgegeben.
Zweiter Fall
[ 3 ] 48-jähriger männlicher Patient; war ein kräftiges Kind von seelischer Tüchtigkeit. Gibt an, daß er während des Krieges fünf Monate lang auf Nephritis behandelt und geheilt entlassen wurde. Heiratete mit 35 Jahren, hat fünf gesunde Kinder, ein sechstes starb bei der Geburt. Mit 33 Jahren zeigen sich nach geistiger Überanstrengung Depression, Müdigkeit, Apathie. Es tritt parallel damit eine geistige Ratlosigkeit auf. Patient steht vor Fragen, die ihm das Negative seines Berufes zeigen - er ist Lehrer - dem er aber nichts Positives entgegensetzen kann. - Der Krankheitszustand zeigt einen astralischen Leib, der zum Äther- und physischen Leib eine zu geringe Affinität hat und in sich selbst unbeweglich ist. Dadurch machen der physische und Ätherleib ihre eigenen Eigenschaften geltend. Die Empfindung des nicht richtig mit dem Astralleib verbundenen Ätherleibes erzeugt Depressionen; das nicht richtig Verbundensein mit dem physischen Leib Müdigkeit und Apathie. Daß Patient in geistige Ratlosigkeit fällt, rührt davon her, daß der Astralleib ohnmächtig ist, den physischen und Ätherleib zu gebrauchen. Mit alledem hängt zusammen, daß der Schlaf gut ist, weil der Astralleib geringen Zusammenhang mit Äther- und physischem Leib hat. Aus demselben Grunde ist aber das Aufwachen schwer. Der Astralleib will in den physischen nicht hinein. Erst, wenn der physische und Ätherleib müde sind am Abend, tritt eine normale Verbindung mit demselben ein. Daher wird der Patient erst am Abend recht wach. Der ganze Zustand weist daraufhin, daß man zunächst die Tätigkeit des astralischen Leibes verstärke. Das erreicht man immer, wenn man Arsen innerlich in Form eines Naturwassers gibt. Man wird nach einiger Zeit bemerken, wie der betreffende Mensch mehr Herrschaft über seinen Körper bekommt. Der Zusammenhang zwischen Astralleib und Ätherleib wird stärker, Depression, Apathie und Müdigkeit hören auf. Man muß nun auch dem physischen Körper, der durch die längere zu geringe Verbindung mit dem Astralleibe träge in Bezug auf Beweglichkeit geworden ist, durch eine Phosphorkur in schwacher Dosis zu Hilfe kommen. Der Phosphor unterstützt die Ich-Organisation, so daß diese den Widerstand des physischen Körpers überwinden kann. Rosmarinbäder werden den abgelagerten Stoffwechselprodukten einen Abfluß eröffnen. Heileurhythmie kann die Harmonie der einzelnen Glieder (Nervensinnessystem, rhythmisches System, motorisches und Stoffwechselsystem) des menschlichen Organismus, die durch die Untätigkeit des Astralleibes gestört worden ist, wieder herstellen. Gibt man dem Patienten noch Fliedertee, so wird der träge Stoffwechsel, der sich nach und nach durch die Untätigkeit des Astralleibes eingestellt hat, wieder normal gemacht. Wir konnten bei diesem Patienten eine vollständige Heilung konstatieren.
Dritter Fall
[ 4 ] 31-jähriger Patient, Künstler, suchte während einer Konzertreise unsere Klinik auf, ist in einem Zustande starker entzündlicher Funktionsstörung der Harnorgane; katarrhalische Erscheinungen, Fieber, übermüdeter Körper, allgemeine Schwäche, Arbeitsunfähigkeit.
[ 5 ] Die Anamnese ergibt, daß der gleiche Zustand wiederholentlich bei dem Patienten vorhanden war. Die Untersuchung der geistigen Beschaffenheit des Patienten ergibt einen überempfindlichen, zermürbten Astralleib. Als eine Folge davon erweist sich die leichte Anfälligkeit des physischen und des Ätherleibes für katarrhalische und entzündliche Zustände. Patient hatte schon als Kind einen schwächlichen, vom Astralleib unversorgten physischen Leib. Daher Masern, Scharl ach, Wasserpocken, Keuchhusten, oft Angina; mit 14 Jahren Harnröhrenentzündung, die mit 29 Jahren kombiniert mit einer Blasenentzündung sich wiederholte. Mit 18 Jahren trat eine Lungen- und Brustfellentzündung auf; mit 29 Jahren bei einem Grippean fall Rippenfellentzündung; mit 30 Jahren Stirnhöhlenkatarrh. Es ist eine fortwährende Neigung zu Bindehautkatarrh der Augen vorhanden. -Die Fieberkurve war während des zweimonatlichen Aufenthaltes des Patienten in der Klinik anfangs bis zu 38.9, ging dann herunter, um am 14. Tage wieder zu steigen; wurde später wellig zwischen 37 und 36, stieg zuweilen auch über 37 und ging bis 35 herunter. Diese Fieberkurve ist ein deutliches Bild der wechselnden Stimmungen in der Ich-Organisation. Es entsteht eine solche Kurve, wenn die Wirkungen der halb bewußten Inhalte der Ich-Organisation in den Wärmeprozessen des physischen und Ätherleibes sich ausleben, ohne durch den astralischen Leib auf einen normalen Rhythmus reduziert zu werden. Die Gesamtaktionsfähigkeit des astralischen Leibes ist in diesem Falle auf das rhythmische System konzentriert und lebt sich in demselben durch die künstlerische Begabung aus. Die anderen Systeme kommen dabei zu kurz. Eine wichtige Folge davon ist eine starke Müdigkeit und Schlaflosigkeit während der Sommerzeit. Im Sommer wird der astralische Leib durch die äußere Welt sehr in Anspruch genommen. Seine innere Aktionsfähigkeit tritt zurück. Die Kräfte des physischen und Ätherleibes werden vorherrschend. In der allgemeinen Lebensempfindung tritt das als starke Ermüdung auf. Die beeinträchtigte Aktionsfähigkeit des Astralleibes hindert denselben, sich vom physischen Leibe zu trennen. Daher tritt Schlaflosigkeit ein. Die nur mangelhafte Trennung des Astralleibes vom Ätherleibe lebt sich in aufregenden und unangenehmen Träumen aus, die von einer Empfindsamkeit dieses Leibes gegenüber den Schädigungen des physischen Organismus herrühren. Charakteristisch ist, daß die Träume diese Schädigungen des physischen Leibes in den Bildern menschlicher Verstümmelungen symbolisieren. Das Schreckhafte derselben ist ihre naturgemäße Gefühlsbetonung. Eine Folge des im Stoffwechselsystem mangelhaft funktionierenden Astralleibes ist die Neigung zur Obstipation. Durch die Selbständigkeit des Ätherleibes, der vom astralischen Leib zu wenig beeinflußt wird, kann das mit der Nahrung aufgenommene Eiweiß nicht vom pflanzlichen und tierischen Eiweiß vollständig in menschliches Eiweiß umgewandelt werden. Es wird daher im Urin Eiweiß ausgeschieden, so daß die Eiweißreaktion positiv ist. Funktioniert der astralische Leib mangelhaft, so treten im physischen Leibe Prozesse auf, die Fremdprozesse im menschlichen Organismus sind. Das Ergebnis solcher Prozesse ist die Eiterbildung. Die stellt gewissermaßen einen außermenschlichen Vorgang im Menschen dar. Es ergab sich daher im Urinsediment reiner Eiter. Diese Eiterbildung hat einen seelischen Parallelprozeß. Es verarbeitet der Astralleib ebensowenig seelisch die Lebenserfahrungen, wie physisch die Stoffe. Bilden sich außermenschliche Stoffbildungen als Eiter, so auch seelische Inhalte mit außermenschlichem Charakter als - Interesse für abnorme Lebenszusammenhänge, Ahnungen, Wahrzeichen usw. - Es handelte sich für uns nun darum, auf den astralischen Leib ausgleichend, reinigend, kräftigend einzuwirken. Da die Ich-Organisation eine sehr regsame ist, so kann ihre Tätigkeit gewissermaßen als Träger der Heilmittelwirkung benutzt werden. Man kommt der Ich-Organisation, die auf die Außenwelt eingestellt ist,- am besten bei, wenn man von außen nach innen gerichtete Wirkungen anstrebt. Das erreicht man durch Umschläge. Wir gaben in den Umschlag zuerst Melilotus. Dieser wirkt auf den Astralleib so, daß derselbe in der Verteilung seiner Kräfte eine Ausgleichung erfährt und der einseitigen Hinlenkung auf das rhythmische System entgegengewirkt wird. Natürlich darf man die Umschläge nicht auf jenen Teil des Organismus legen, in dem das rhythmische System besonders konzentriert ist. Wir legten sie um die Organe, in denen der Stoffwechsel und das motorische System konzentriert sind. Kopfumschläge vermieden wir aus dem Grunde, weil der Stimmungswechsel der Ich-Organisation, der vom Kopfe ausgeht, die Wirkung paralysieren mußte. Es handelte sich deshalb nun darum, den astralischen Leib und die Ich-Organisation, die für die Wirkung der Melilotus zusammengespannt werden mußten, zu fördern. Das suchten wir zu erreichen durch einen oxalsauren Zusatz, der der Klettenwurzel entnommen war. Oxalsäure wirkt so, daß die Tätigkeit der Ich-Organisation in eine solche des Astralleibes umgewandelt wird. Zu allem dem gaben wir innere Mittel in sehr schwacher Dosierung, welche die Aufgabe hatten, die Absonderungen in eine regelmäßige Eingliederung in die Astralleib-Wirkungen zu bringen. Die Absonderungen, die von der Kopforganisation aus dirigiert werden, suchten wir zu normalisieren durch schwefelsaures Kalium. Diejenigen Vorgänge, die vom Stoffwechselsystem im engeren Sinne abhängen, suchten wir durch kohlenlaures Kalium zu beeinflussen. Die Harnabsonderung regelten wir durch Teucrium. Wir gaben deshalb ein Präparat, das zu gleichen Teilen bestand aus schwefelsaurem Kalium, kohl ensaurem Kalium und Teucrium. Die ganze Behandlung mußte mit einem sehr labilen Gleichgewicht des physischen, seelischen und geistigen Gesamtorganismus rechnen. Es mußte daher durch dauerndes Bettliegen für physisches, durch seelische Ruhe für geistiges Gleichgewicht gesorgt werden, das ein Ineinanderwirken der verschiedenen Heilmittel erst möglich machte. Bewegung und Aufregung machen einen so komplizierten Heilungsprozeß fast unmöglich. - Patient war nach Beendigung der Kur körperlich kräftig und gestärkt und seelisch in guter Verfassung. Daß bei einem so labilen Gesundheitszustand bei irgend einer äußeren Attacke die eine oder andere Störung wieder eintreten kann, ist selbstverständlich. Es gehört zur Gesamtheilung, daß in einem solchen Falle solche Attacken vermieden werden.
Vierter Fall
[ 6 ] Ein Kind, das uns zweimal in die Klinik gebracht wurde, erst mit 4 Jahren, dann mit 51/2 Jahren. Dazu dessen Mutter und die Schwester der Mutter. Die Diagnose führte von der Erkrankung des Kindes sowohl zu derjenigen der Mutter, wie zu der der Schwester hinüber. Für das Kind konnten wir das Folgende feststellen: Es ist ein Zwillingskind, sechs Wochen zu früh geboren. Das andere Kind war im letzten Embryonal-stadium abgestorben. Mit sechs Wochen erkrankte das Kind, schrie außerordentlich viel und wurde in ein Hospital verbracht. Dort stellte man die Diagnose Pylorospasmus. Das Kind wurde teilweise von einer Amme, teilweise künstlich ernährt. Mit acht Monaten wird es vom Hospital entlassen. Zu Hause angekommen, hatte es am ersten Tage --einen Krampfanfall, der sich in den ersten zwei Monaten täglich wiederholte. Das Kind wurde dabei steif und verdrehte die Augen. Vor dem Anfall trat Ängstlichkeit und Weinen ein. Auch schielte das Kind mit dem rechten Auge und hatte Erbrechen, bevor der Anfall kam. Mit 21/2 Jahren trat wieder ein Anfall ein, der fünf Stunden dauerte. Das Kind wurde wieder steif und lag -wie tot da. Mit vier Jahren trat ein Anfall ein, der 1/2 Stunde dauerte. Für diesen wurde uns zum erstenmal die Begleitung mit Fiebererscheinungen gemeldet. Nach den Konvulsionen, die nach dem Zurückbringen aus dem Hospital eintraten, merkten die Eltern eine Lähmung des rechten Armes und des rechten Beines. Mit 21/2 Jahren kommt das Kind zum ersten Gehversuch, der so ausfällt, daß nur das linke Bein schreiten kann und das rechte nachgezogen wird. Auch der rechte Arm bleibt willenlos. Der gleiche Zustand war noch vorhanden, als uns das Kind gebracht wurde. - Es handelte sich darum, festzustellen, wie es mit den Organisationsgliedern des Kindes stand. Dies wurde unabhängig von dem Symptomen komplex versucht. Es stellte sich eine starke Atrophie des - Ätherleibes heraus, der in gewissen Teilen nur einen sehr geringen Einfluß des astralischen Leibes aufnahm. Die Gegend der rechten Brusthälfte war im Ätherleibe wie gelähmt; Dagegen zeigte sich etwas wie eine Hypertrophie des Astralleibes in der Magengegend. Nun handelte es sich darum, den Symptomenkomplex mit diesen Befunden in Einklang zu bringen. Es ist zweifellos durch den astralischen Leib eine starke Inanspruchnahme des Magens bei der Verdauung vorhanden, die sich aber wegen der Lähmung des Ätherleibes beim Übergange vom Darm in die Lymphgefäße staut. Dadurch ist das Blut unterernährt. Wir müssen die Brechreizerscheinungen daher als besonders wichtige Symptome nehmen. Krämpfe treten immer ein, wenn der ätherische Leib atrophisch wird und der astralische einen unmittelbaren Einfluß auf den physischen Leib erlangt ohne Vermittlung des Ätherleibes. Das war bei dem Kinde im höchsten Maße vorhanden. Wenn dieser Zustand während der Wachstumsperiode, wie es hier der Fall war, dauernd wird, so fallen diejenigen Vorgänge aus, welche das motorische System zur normalen Aufnahme des Willens geeignet machen. Das zeigte sich bei dem Kinde bei der Unbrauchbarkeit der rechten Seite. - Wir mußten nun den Zustand des Kindes mit dem der Mutter in Verbindung bringen. Diese ist 37 Jahre alt, als sie zu uns kommt. Sie gibt an, mit 13 Jahren schon so groß gewesen zu sein wie gegenwärtig. Sie hatte früh schlechte Zähne, litt als Kind an Gelenkrheumatismus, behauptet rhachitisch gewesen zu sein. Die Menses traten verhältnismäßig früh ein. Die Patientin erklärt, mit 16 Jahren eine Nierenkrankheit gehabt zu haben, und spricht auch von krampfartigen Zuständen, die sie gehabt hat. Mit 25 Jahren Obstipation wegen Krampf des Sphinkter ani, der gedehnt werden mußte. Hat auch jetzt bei der Entleerung Krampf. Der ohne Schlußfolgerung aus dem Symptomenkomplex in unmittelbarer Anschauung festgestellte Befund ergibt eine außerordentliche Ähnlichkeit mit dem des Kindes. Nur erweist sich alles in viel milderer Form. Man muß berücksichtigen, daß der Ätherleib des Menschen zwischen dem Zahnwechsel und der Geschlechtsreife seine besondere Entwickelung erfährt. Dies kommt bei der Patientin dadurch zum Ausdruck, daß die verfügbaren Kräfte des Ätherleibes, die wenig stark sind, ein Wachstum nur bis zur Geschlechtsreife möglich machen. Mit dieser beginnt die besondere Entwickelung des Astralleibes, der mit seiner Hypertrophie nun den Ätherleib überwuchert und zu stark in die physische Organisation eingreift. Das tritt in dem stehen bleibenden Wachstum mit dem 13. Jahre zutage. Dabei ist die Patientin keineswegs zwerghaft, sondern sehr groß, was davon herrührt, daß die zwar geringen, aber vom Astralleibe ungehemmten Wachstumskräfte des Ätherleibes eine starke Volumenausdehnung des physischen Körpers bewirkten. Diese Kräfte konnten dann noch nicht regulär in die Funktionen des physischen Leibes eingreifen. Das zeigte sich in dem Auftreten des Gelenkrheumatismus und später in den Krampfzuständen. Durch die Schwäche des Ätherleibes tritt eine besonders starke Wirkung des Astralleibes auf den physischen Leib ein. Diese Wirkung ist eine abbauende. Sie wird in der normalen Lebensentwicklung durch die Aufbaukräfte im Schlafe, wenn der Astralleib von dem physischen und Ätherleib getrennt ist, ausgeglichen. Ist der Ätherleib zu schwach, wie im Falle unserer Patientin, so tritt ein Überschuß des Abbaues ein, was sich bei ihr darin zeigte, daß die Zähne schon im 12. Jahre die erste Plombe notwendig machten. Wird der Ätherleib noch besonders in Anspruch genommen, wie in der Schwangerschaft, so tritt jedesmal eine Verschlechterung der Zähne ein. Die Schwäche des Ätherleibes in Bezug auf seine Verbindung mit dem Astralleibe zeigt sich noch besonders in der Häufigkeit der Träume und im gesunden Schlaf, der bei der Patientin vorhanden ist, troz aller Unregelmäßigkeit. Die Schwäche des Ätherleibes zeigt sich auch darinnen, daß im physischen Körper durch den Ätherleib nicht bewältigte Fremdprozesse sich abspielen, die im Urin als Eiweiß, vereinzelte hyaline Zylinder und Salze sich zeigen. –
Merkwürdig ist die Verwandtschaft dieser Krankheitsprozesse mit denen der Schwester der Mutter. Der Befund in Bezug auf die Zusammensetzung der Teile der menschlichen Wesenheit ist fast ganz derselbe. Schwach wirkender Ätherleib, daher Überwiegen des Astralleibes. Nur ist der Astralleib selbst schwächer als bei der Schwester. Es kommt daher ebenso wie bei dieser zum frühen Eintritt der Menses, aber es treten bei ihr statt der Entzündungen bloße Schmerzen auf, die von einer Irritierung der Organe, z. B. der Gelenke herrühren. In den Gelenken muß der Ätherleib besonders tätig sein, wenn die Vitalität normal vor sich gehen soll. Ist die Tätigkeit des Ätherleibes schwach, so wird die Tätigkeit des physischen Leibes überwiegend, was sich hier in Schwellungen und in chronischer Arthritis zeigt. Auf die Schwäche des Astralleibes, der zu wenig auf das subjektive Empfinden wirkt, weist die Vorliebe zu süßen Speisen hin, welche das Empfinden des Astralleibes erhöhen. Ist der schwache Astralleib durch das Tagesleben noch dazu abgenutzt, so treten, wenn das Schwachsein erhalten bleibt, die Schmerzen bedeutender auf. Patientin klagt über die Zunahme der Schmerzen abends. Der Zusammenhang der Krankheitszustände der drei Patienten weist in der Aszendenz auf die den beiden Schwestern vorangegangene Generation hin, insbesondere auf die Großmutter des Kindes. Bei dieser muß die Ursache gesucht werden. Das gestörte Gleichgewicht zwischen Astral- und Ätherleib bei allen drei Patienten kann nur in einem ebensolchen bei der Großmutter des Kindes begründet sein. Diese Unregelmäßigkeit muß in der mangelhaften Ausbildung der embryonalen Ernährungs-Organe, insbesondere der Allantois durch Astral und Ätherleib der Großmutter bedingt sein. Diese mangelhafte Ausbildung der Allantois muß bei allen drei Patienten gesucht werden. Bei uns wurde sie zunächst auf rein geisteswissenschaftliche Art festgestellt. Die physische Allantois metamorphosiert sich, ins Geistige hinübergehend, in der Tüchtigkeit der Kräfte des Astralleibes. Eine degenerierte Allantois erzeugt eine verminderte Tüchtigkeit des Astralleibes, die sich insbesondere in allen motorischen Organen äußert. Alles dieses ist bei den drei Patienten der Fall. Man kann wirklich aus der Beschaffenheit des Astralleibes diejenige der Allantois erkennen. Man wird daraus ersehen, daß unser Hinweis auf die Aszendenz nicht einer gewagten Phantasie-Schlußfolgerung, sondern einer wirklichen geisteswissenschaftlichen Beobachtung entstammt.
[ 7 ] Wen diese Wahrheit irritiert, dem möchten wir sagen, daß unsere Ausführungen durchaus nicht dem Triebe zum Paradoxen, sondern dem Verlangen, die nun einmal vorhandene Erkenntnis niemandem vorzuenthalten, entsprungen sind. Die mystischen Begriffe der Vererbung werden ja stets dunkel bleiben, wenn man sich scheut, die Metamorphose vom Physischen zum Geistigen und umgekehrt in der Folge der Generationen anzuerkennen.
[ 8 ] Therapeutisch kann eine solche Einsicht ja nur dazu führen, eine Ansicht zu bekommen, an welchem Punkte man mit dem Heilungsprozeß anzusetzen hat. Würde man nicht in einer solchen Art an das Hereditäre verwiesen worden sein, sondern einfach die Unregelmäßigkeit im Zusammenhange zwischen Ätherleib und Astralleib bemerkt haben,- so hätte man Heilmittel angewendet, welche auf diese beiden Teile des Menschen wirken. Diese würden aber in unserem Falle unwirksam geblieben sein, weil die Schädigung, die durch Gene rationen hindurch geht, zu tief liegt, um in diesen Gliedern der menschlichen Organisation selbst ausgeglichen-zu werden. Man muß in einem solchen Falle auf die Ich-Organisation wirken und in dieser alles zur Auswirkung bringen, was auf die Harmonisierung und Stärkung von Äther- und Astralleib Bezug hat. Man kann das erreichen, wenn man in gewissermaßen verstärkten Sinnesreizen (Sinnesreize wirken auf die Ich-Organisation) der Ich-Organisation beikommt. Bei dem Kinde wurde dies auf folgende Art versucht: es wurde eine Bandage der rechten Hand rnit einer 5-prozentigen Pyritsalbe und gleichzeitig Einreiben der linken Kopfhälfte mit Kaiserschwammsalbe angewendet. Der Pyrit, eine Verbindung von Eisen und Schwefel, wirkt äußerlich angewendet so, daß er die Ich-Organisation anregt, den Astralleib lebhafter zu machen und seineAffinitätzumÄtherleib zu vergrößern. Die Kaiserschwammsubstanz mit ihrem besondern Inhalte an organisiertem Stickstofl wirkt so, daß eine Wirkung vom Kopfe ausgeht, die durch die Ich-Organisation den Ätherleib lebhafter macht und dessen Affinität zum Astralleibe erhöht. Der Heilungsprozeß wurde unterstützt durch Heileurhythmie, die die Ich-Organisation als solche in rege Tätigkeit versetzt. Dadurch wird, was äußerlich angewendet wird, in die Tiefen der Organisation geleitet. Der damit eingeleitete Heilungsprozeß wurde dann noch verstärkt durch Mittel, welche Astral- und Ätherleib besonders empfindlich machen sollten für die Wirkung der Ich-Organisation. In rhythmischer Tages folge wurden dazu angewendet Bäder mit einer Auskochung von Solidago, Rückenabreibungen mit Auskochung von Stellaria media und innerlich Tee von Weidenrinde (besonders auf die Empfänglichkeit des Astralleibes wirkend) und Stannum 0,001 (besonders den Ätherleib empfänglich mach end). Wir gaben auch noch Mohnsaft in schwacher Dosierung, um die geschädigte Eigenorganisation gegenüber den Heilwirkungen zurück-treten zu lassen.
[ 9 ] Bei der Mutter wurde mehr die letzte Therapie angewendet, weil, als in einer Generation höherstehend, die Vererbungs-kräfte ja weniger gewirkt haben. Das Gleiche gilt für die Schwester der Mutter. - Wir konnten noch, als das Kind in der Klinik war, konstatieren, daß es sich leichter dirigieren ließ und zu einer besseren seelischen Verfassung kam. Es wurde z. B. gehorsamer; und die Bewegungen, die es sonst sehr ungeschickt machte, bewirkte es geschickter. Nachträglich wurde uns von der Tante berichtet, daß mit dem Kinde eine große Veränderung vorgegangen wäre. Es ist ruhiger geworden, das Übermaß unwillkürlicher Bewegungen hat abgenommen; es ist so geschickt geworden, daß es allein spielen kann; und in seelischer Beziehung ist der frühere Eigensinn verschwunden.
Fünfter Fall
[ 10 ] Eine 26-jährige Patientin kam in unsere Klinik mit den schweren Folgen einer Grippe, die 1918 mit Lungenkatarrh verbunden durchgemacht worden ist, und die einer 1917 abgelaufenen Brustfellentzündung gefolgt war. Seit der Grippe konnte sich die Patientin nicht mehr so recht erholen. 1920 war sie sehr abgemagert schwach und hatte leichtes Fieber und Nachtschweiße. Bald nach der Grippe setzten Kreuz-, schmerzen ein, die sich bis ins Spätjahr 1920 fortwährend steigerten; und dann zeigte sich unter heftigen Schmerzen eine Verkrümmung im Kreuz. Auch trat eine Schwellung des rechten Zeigefingers ein. Eine Liegekur brachte angeblich Besserung der Rückenschmerzen. - Als Patientin bei uns ankam, hatte sie einen Senkungsabszeß am rechten Oberschenkel, aufgetriebenen Leib mit etwas Ascites und über den Lungenspitzen katarrhalische Geräusche, sowohl rechts als links. Verdauung und Appetit ist gut. Urin ist konzentriert, zeigt Spuren von Eiweiß. Die geisteswissenschaftliche Untersuchung ergab: Überempfindlichkeit des Astralleibes und der Ich-Organisation; eine solche Abnormität drückt sich zunächst im Ätherleibe dadurch aus, daß derselbe nicht die eigentlichen Ätherfunktionen, sondern einen ätherischen Abdruck der Astralfunktionen entwickelt. Die Astralfunktionen sind abbauende. Es mußten sich daher die Vitalität und der normale Prozeß in den physischen Organen verkümmert zeigen. Das ist immer verbunden mit gewissermaßen außermenschlichen Prozessen, die sich im menschlichen Organismus abspielen. Der Senkungsabszeß, die Rückenschmerzen, die Aufgetriebenheit des Leibes, die katarrhalischen Erscheinungen der Lungen und auch die mangelhafte Eiweißverarbeitung rühren davon her. Es handelt sich bei der Therapie darum, die Empfindlichkeit des Astralleibes und der Ich-Organisation herabzusetzen. Man erreicht das dadurch, daß man Kieselsäure verabreicht, welche immer die Eigenkraft gegenüber der Empfindlichkeit verstärkt. Wir taten es in diesem Falle, indem wir pulverisierte Kieselsäure in die Speisen taten und als Klystiere gaben. Ebenso leiteten wir die Empfindlichkeit ab, indem wir auf den unteren Rükken Senfpflaster legten. Dessen Wirkung beruht darauf, daß es von sich aus die Empfindlichkeit bewirkt und sie dadurch dem Astralleib und der Ich-Organisation abnimmt. Durch einen Prozeß, der die Überempfindlichkeit des Astralleibes im Verdauungstrakt dämpft, erreichten wir ein Ableiten dieser astralischen Tätigkeit auf den Ätherleib, wo sie normalerweise sein soll. Wir bewirkten das durch geringe Dosen von Kupfer und Garbo animalis. Der Möglichkeit, daß sich der Ätherleib der ihm ungewohnten normalen Verdauungstätigkeit entzieht, begegnen wir, indem wir Pankreassaft gaben.
[ 11 ] Der Senkungsabszeß wurde einigemale punktiert. Es entleerten sich durch Aspiration große Eitermengen. Der Abszeß ging zurück und die Bauchschwellung nahm ab, indem die Eiterbil dung stetig nach Ii eß und zuletzt verschwand. Während der Eiter noch floß, wurden wir eines Tages überrascht durch einen erneuten Fieberanstieg. Derselbe erschien uns nicht unerklärlich, da bei der oben geschilderten Konstitution des Astralleibes geringe psychische Aufregungen solches Fieber bewirken können. Man muß aber unterscheiden zwischen der Erklärlichkeit des Fiebers in solchen Fällen und seiner stark schädigenden Wirkung. Denn es ist unter den angegebenen Voraussetzungen solches Fieber geradezu der Vermittler für ein tiefgehendes Eingreifen der Abbauprozesse in den Organismus. Und man muß sogleich für eine Stärkung des Ätherleibes sorgen, damit diese die schädigende Wirkung des Astralleibes paralysiert. Wir wandten hochpotenzierte Silberinjektionen an und erreichten Rückgang des Fiebers. - Patientin hat die Klinik mit 20 Pfund Gewichtszunahme und in gestärktem Zustande verlassen. Wir geben uns keiner Täuschung darüber hin, daß in diesem Falle noch eine Nachkur die Heilung befestigen muß.
Zwischenbemerkung
[ 12 ] Durch die bisher behandelten Fälle wollten wir die Prinzipien charakterisieren, nach denen wir aus der Diagnose die Heilmittel suchen. Um die Sache anschaulich zu machen, nahmen wir Fälle, in denen sehr individuell vorgegangen werden mußte. Doch sind von uns auch typische Heilmittel hergestellt worden, die für typische Krankheiten angewendet werden können. Wir wollen nun einige Fälle behandeln, in denen wir solche typischen Mittel anwendeten.
Sechster Fall. Heufieberbehandlung.
[ 13 ] Wir hatten einen Patienten mit schweren Heufiebererscheinungen. Derselbe litt schon seit Kindheit darunter. Er kam in unsere Behandlung im 40. Lebensjahr. Für diesen Krankheitszustand haben wir unser «Gencydo»-Präparat. Dasselbe wurde bei dem Patienten in der Zeit angewendet, in der - es war im Mai - die Krankheit am heftigsten auftrat. Wir behandelten den Patienten mit Injektionen und lokal durch Pinselung mit der «Gencydo»-Flüssigkeit in der Nase. Nachdem eine deutliche Besserung zu einer Zeit eingetreten war, in der der Patient in früheren Jahren von den Heufiebererscheinungen noch schwer geplagt wurde, machte derselbe eine Reise und konnte uns von derselben berichten, daß er sich unvergleichlich wohler als in früheren Jahren befand. Im nächsten Jahre war er zur Heufieberzeit wieder auf einer Reise von Amerika nach Europa und hatte nur einen viel leichteren Anfall als früher. Die Wiederholung der Behandlung ergab für dieses Jahr einen durchaus erträglichen Zustand. Um die Heilung gründlich zu machen, wurde die Behandlung auch im nächsten Jahre vorgenommen, trotzdem ein eigentlicher Anfall nicht vorhanden war. Für ein weiteres Jahr schilderte Patient wörtlich seinen Zustand folgendermaßen: «Im Frühling 1923 begann ich die Behandlung wieder, weil ich neue Attacken erwartete. Ich fand, daß meine Nasenschleimhaut weit weniger empfindlich als früher war. Ich mußte mich arbeitend aufhalten inmitten von Grasblüten und Pollen-erzeugenden Bäumen. Auch ritt ich den ganzen Sommer hindurch über heiße und staubige Straßen. Aber mit Ausnahme eines einzigen Tages traten keinerlei Symptome von Heufieber den ganzen Sommer auf; ja, ich habe allen Grund, zu glauben, daß der einzige Tag mir nur eine Erkältung brachte und keinen Heuschnupfenanfall. Seit 35 Jahren war dies das erste Jahr, daß ich ungehindert mich aufhalten und arbeiten konnte in einer Umgebung, in der ich in früheren Jahren eine wahre Hölle erlebte.»
Siebenter Fall. Sklerosebehandlung
[ 14 ] Eine 61-jährige Patientin erscheint in unserer Klinik mit Sklerose und Albuminurie. Der augenblickliche Zustand ist ausgelöst durch eine Influenza mit leichtem Fieber und Magen- und Darmstörungen. Seit dem Influenzaanfall fühlt sich Patientin nicht mehr wohl. - Sie klagt über Schwere des Atmens beim Aufwachen, Schwindelanfälle, ein Gefühl von Klopfen in Kopf, Ohren und Händen, das sich besonders beim Aufwachen lästig bemerkbar macht, aber auch beim Gehen und Steigen sich einstellt. Der Schlaf ist gut. Es ist Neigung zur Obstipation vorhanden. Im Urin Eiweiß. Blutdruck 185 mm Quecksilber. Wir gingen zunächst von der Sklerose aus, die an der Übertätigkeit des Astralleibes bemerkbar ist. Der physische Leib und der Ätherleib sind nicht imstande, die volle Tätigkeit des Astralleibes aufzunehmen. Es bleibt in einem solchen Falle eine Übertätigkeit des Astralleibes übrig, die vom physischen und Ätherleibe nicht resorbiert wird. Eine normale feste Haltung der menschlichen Organisation ist nur möglich, wenn diese Resorption eine vollständige ist. Sonst macht sich der nicht resorbierte Teil, wie es hier der Fall ist, durch Schwindel und namentlich durch subjektive Sinn esillusionen, wie Klopfen usw. geltend. Auch ergreift dieser nicht resorbierte Teil die aufgenommenen Substanzen und drängt ihnen Prozesse auf, bevor sie in den normalen Stoffwechsel eingedrungen sind. Das kommt zum Vorschein in der Neigung zur Obstipation und im Eiweißabgang; ebenso in den Magen- und Darmstörungen. Der Blutdruck wird in einem solchen Falle erhöht, weil die Übertätigkeit des Astralleibes auch die Ich tätigkeit erhöht und diese sich im erhöhten Blutdruck offenbart .-Wir behandelten den Fall in der Hauptsache mit unserem «Skleron»; wir fügten nur zur Unterstützung Belladonna in sehr geringer Dosis hinzu, um den Schwindelanfällen auch augenblicklich zu begegnen. Wir gebrauchten Hollundertee, um der Verdauung förderlich zu sein, regulierten den Stuhl durch Klystiere und Abführtee und verordneten eine salzlose Diät, weil Salze der Sklerose unterstützend beispringen. Wir erreichten eine verhältnismäßig rasche Besserung. Die Schwindelanfälle gingen zurück, sowie auch das Klopfen. Der Blutdruck ging auf 112 zurück. Das subjektive Befinden besserte sich zusehends. Die Sklerose machte in dem darauffolgenden Jahre keine Fortschritte. Nach einem Jahre kam Patientin wieder mit einem geringeren Grade der Symptome. Durch eine ähnliche Behandlung trat eine weitere Besserung ein; und an der Patientin ist deutlich bemerkbar, nachdem längere Zeit seit der Behandlung verflossen ist, daß die Sklerose keine weitere Degeneration des Organismus hervorruft. Die für die Sklerose charakteristischen äußern Symptome sind in Rückbildung begriffen und das schnelle Altern, von dem Patientin vorher ergriffen war, ist nicht mehr vorhanden.
Achter Fall. Eine Struma-Behandlung
[ 15 ] Die Patientin kam im 34. Lebensjahre zu uns. Sie stellt den Typus eines Menschen dar, der in seiner seelischen Gesamtverfassung stark von einer gewissen Schwere und inneren Brüchigkeit des physischen Leibes beeinflußt wird. Es scheint, daß jedes Wort, das sie spricht, eine Anstrengung kostet. Außerordentlich charakteristisch ist die Konkavität der Gesamtform des Gesichtes; die Nasenwurzel ist wie etwas, was im Organismus zurückgehalten wird. Die Patientin gibt an, daß sie seit der Schulzeit schon zart und kränklich war. Von eigentlichen Krankheiten hat sie nur leichte Masern durchgemacht. Sie hat immer blasses Aussehen, viel Müdigkeit und schlechten Appetit gehabt. Sie wurde von Arzt zu Arzt geschickt, wobei nacheinander folgende Diagnosen festgestellt wurden: Lungenspitzenkatarrh, Magenkatarrh, Blutarmut. In ihrem eigenen Bewußtsein hatte die. Patientin, daß sie weniger körperlich krank sei, dafür aber mehr seelisch. Wir wollen nun nach diesem Teil der Anamnese den geisteswissenschaftlichen Befund anführen, um nachher an demselben alles Weitere zu prüfen.
[ 16 ] Bei der Patientin zeigt sich eine hochgradige Atonie des Astralleibes. Dadurch ist die Ich-Organisation vom physischen und Ätherleib zurückgestaut. Das ganze Bewußtseinsleben ist wie von einer leisen dumpfen Schläfrigkeit durchzogen. Der physische Leib ist den Prozessen ausgesetzt, die von den eingeführten Stoffen herrühren. Dadurch werden diese Stoffe in Teile der menschlichen Organisation umgewandelt. Der Ätherleib wird vom Ich und astralischen Leib in seiner kohärenten Vitalität zu stark herabgedämpft, wodurch die inneren Empfindungen, nämlich das allgemeine Lebensgefühl und das Gefühl der Körperstatik viel zu lebhaft, die Regsamkeit der äußeren Sinne viel zu dumpf werden. Es müssen daher alle körperlichen Funktionen einen Weg nehmen, wodurch sie in Disharmonie zueinander stehen. Es ist nicht anders möglich, als daß bei der Patientin das Gefühl auftritt, sie könne die Funktionen ihres Körpers vom Ich aus nicht zusammenhalten. Das erscheint ihr wie eine seelische Ohnmacht. Deshalb sagt sie, sie sei mehr seelisch als körperlich krank. Steigert sich die Ohnmacht des Ich und astralischen Leibes, so müssen in den verschiedenen Körperteilen Krankheitszustände auftreten, worauf auch die verschiedenen Diagnosen hinweisen. Die Ohnmacht des Ich drückt sich in Unregelmäßigkeiten solcher Drüsen aus, wie Schilddrüse, Nebennieren; ferner in Unregelmäßigkeiten des Magen- und Darmsystems. All dies ist bei der Patientin zu erwarten und tatsächlich zu konstatieren. Ihre Struma und die Verfassung des Magen- und Darmsystems entsprechen ganz dem geisteswissenschaftlichen Befund. Sehr charakteristisch ist das Folgende. Durch die Ohnmacht des Ichs und des astralischen Leibes wird ein Teil des Schlafbedürfnisses schon während des Wachens absolviert und es ist daher der Schlaf viel weniger tief als beim normalen Menschen. Das erscheint der Patientin als hartnäckige Schlaflosigkeit. Damit hängt es zusammen-, daß sie das Gefühl hat, leicht einzuschlafen und leicht aufzuwachen. Ebenso hängt es zusammen, daß sie viele Träume zu haben glaubt, die- aber nicht eigentliche Träume sind, sondern Mischungen von Träumen und Wacheindrücken. Sie bleiben deshalb nicht in der Erinnerung und sind nicht stark erregend, weil die Reizstärke herabgestimmt ist. Die Ohnmacht des Ich äußert sich in den innern Organen zuerst in den Lungen. Lungenspitzenkatarrhe sind eigentlich immer der Ausdruck der schwachen Ich-Organisation. Der durch das Ich nicht vollzogene Stoffwechsel offenbart sich in Rheumatismus. Subjektiv kommt das Ganze zum Ausdruck in der allgemeinen Müdigkeit. Die Menses traten mit 14 Jahren ein; die schwache Ich-Organisation liefert keine genügende Kraftentfaltung, um den in Fluß gekommenen Menstrualprozeß wieder zurückzuschrauben. Die Arbeit des Ich bei diesem Zurückschrauben kommt als Empfindung durch jene Nerven zum Bewußtsein, die in der Kreuzbeingegend in das Rückenmark münden. Nerven, durch die nicht genügend die Ströme der Ich-Organisation und des Astralleibes gehen, schmerzen. Patientin klagt über Kreuzschmerzen bei der Periode. Das alles führt auf folgende Art zur Therapie. Wir haben gefunden, daß Goichicum autumnale einen starken Reiz auf den Astralleib ausübt und zwar auf denjenigen Teil, welcher der Hals- und Kop£ Organisation entspricht. Golchicum autumnale wird daher von uns bei allen denjenigen Krankheiten gegeben, die in der Struma ihr wichtigstes Symptom haben. Wir gaben daher Patientin dreimal täglich 5 Tropfen unseres Colchicum-präparates, wodurch die Strumageschwulst zurückgegangen ist und die Patientin sich erleichtert fühlte. Hat man auf diese Weise den Astralleib gestärkt, so vermittelt er auch eine bessere Funktion des Ich-Organismus, wodurch die Mittel, die auf Verdauungs- und Fortpflanzungsorgane wirken können, im Organismus ihre Kraft erhalten. Wir haben als solches Mittel angewendet Wermutklystiere, die wir mit Öl versetzten, weil Öl im Verdauungstrakt exzitierend wirkt. Wir haben mit diesem Mittel eine bedeutende Besserung erzielt. Wir glauben, daß diese Therapie ihre besonders günstigen Einwirkungen um das 35. Lebensjahr des Menschen entfalten kann, weil zu dieser Zeit die Ich-Organisation eine starke Affinität zu dem übrigen Organismus hat und auch dann, wenn sie schwach ist, leicht angeregt werden kann. Patientin war, als sie zu uns kam, 34 Jahre alt.
Neunter Fall. Migräneartige Zustände im Klimakterium
[ 18 ] Die Patientin kam mit 55 Jahren zu uns. Sie gibt an, ein zartes und schwächliches Kind gewesen zu sein; in der Kindheit Masern, Scharlach,Windpocken, Keuchhusten und Mumps gehabt zu haben. Die Menses traten mit 14-15 Jahren auf. Die Blutungen waren von Anfang an sehr stark und schmerzhaft. Im 40. Lebensjahre wurde eine Totalexstirpation wegen einer Geschwulst im Unterleibe vollzogen. Die Patientin gibt ferner an, daß sie alle drei bis vier Wochen seit dem 35. Jahre einen dreitägigen migräneartigen Kopfschmerz gehabt, der sich im 46. Jahre zu einer drei Tage dauernden, mit Bewußtlosigkeit verbundenen Kopfkrankheit verstärkte. - Der gegenwärtige geisteswissenschaftliche Befund ist: allgemeine Schwäche der Ich-Organisation, die sich darin äußert, daß die Tätigkeit des Ätherleibes nicht genügend von der Ich-Organisation abgelähmt wird. Dadurch entsteht eine Ausbreitung der vegetativen organischen Tätigkeiten über das Kopf- und Nervensinnes-System, die in einer solchen Stärke bei normaler Ich-Organisation nicht vorhanden ist. Mit diesem Befund stimmen gewisse Symptome zusammen. Ein erstes ist ein häufiger Urindrang. Derselbe rührt davon her, daß dem normal entwickelten Astralleib, welcher die Nierenabsonderung regelt, keine sie normal zurückhaltende, genügend starke Ich-Organisation gegenübersteht. Ein zweites Symptom ist das späte Einschlafen und das müde Aufwachen. Der Astralleib geht schwer aus dem physischen und Ätherleib heraus, weil das Ich ihn nicht genügend stark herauszieht. Ist das Aufwachen erfolgt, so wird die vitale Tätigkeit, die aus dem Schlafe nachwirkt, wegen des schwachen Ichs als Ermüdung empfunden. Ein drittes Symptom sind die wenigen Träume. Die Ich-Organisation prägt dem Astralleibe nur schwache Bilder ein, die sich nicht in lebhaften Träumen äußern können.
[ 19 ] Diese Erkenntnisse führen uns zur folgenden Therapie: wir mußten der Ich-Organisation den Weg zum physischen und Äth erl eibe bahnen. Wir taten es durch 2% Kleesalzkompressen auf die Stirn des Abends und Umschläge mit 7 % Urtica dioica-Lösung des Morgens am Unterleib, mit 20% Lindenblütenlösung des Mittags an den Füßen. Dadurch soll erreicht werden, daß während der Nacht die vitale Tätigkeit abgeschwächt werde; das Klees alz, das im Organismus die Funktion der Unterdrückung einer zu großen vitalen Tätigkeit ausübt, bewirkte dieses. Morgens mußten wir dafür sorgen, daß die Ich-Organisation den Weg in den physischen Leib findet. Dies geschieht durch eine Anregung der Blutzirkulation. Die Eisenwirkung der Brennesseiwirkung ist zu diesem Zwecke angewendet worden. Es blieb also noch übrig, im Laufe des Tages die Durchdringung des physischen Körpers mit der Ich-Organisation zu fördern. Das geschah durch die ableitende Zugwirkung der Lindenblüte am Mittag. Nun traten bei der Patientin die geschilderten Kopfschmerzen mit ihrer Steigerung im 46. Lebensjahre auf. Diese Kopfschmerzen mußten wir in Zusammenhang bringen mit der durch die Exstirpation ausfallenden Periode und die Steigerung mit Bewußtlosigkeit für ein Kompensationssymptom des Klimakteriums. Wir versuchten zunächst Besserung zu erzielen mit Antimon. Dasselbe hätte die Besserung erzeugen müssen, wenn der allgemeine, unter der Regulierung der Ich-Organisation stehende Stoffwechsel in Betracht gekommen wäre. Die Besserung wurde dadurch nicht erzielt. Es War dadurch der Beweis erbracht, daß der relativ selbständige Teil der Ich-Organisation, der vorzüglich die Fortpflanzungsorgane reguliert, in Betracht kommt. Dafür sehen wir in der Wurzel der Potentilla-Tormentilla bei sehr starker Verdünnung ein Spezifikum, und in der Tat, dies wirkte.
XIX Characteristic cases of illness
[ 1 ] In this chapter we would like to describe a number of cases of illness from the practice of the Clinical Therapeutic Institute in Arlesheim. These will show how an attempt can be made to gain a thorough picture of the pathological condition with the aid of knowledge of the spiritual human being in such a way that the diagnosis directly teaches which remedy must be used. This is based on a view that sees the process of illness and the process of recovery as a single circular process. The disease begins with an irregularity in the composition of the human organism in relation to the parts described in this book. It has reached a certain point when the patient receives treatment. It is now necessary to ensure that all the processes that have taken place in the human organism since the onset of the disease are reversed, so that one finally arrives at the state of health in which the organism was before. Such a process, which runs back into itself, cannot be brought to completion without a loss of growth forces in the whole organism, which are equivalent to the forces which the human organism needs during childhood in order to increase its volume. The remedies must therefore be such that they not only reverse the disease process, but also support the vitality that is being reduced. Part of the latter effect will have to be left to the disease diet. As a rule, however, in more serious cases of illness the organism is not in tune to develop sufficient vitality in the processing of food. It will therefore be necessary to arrange the actual therapy in such a way that the organism finds its support in this respect. With the typical remedies that emanate from the clinical-therapeutic institutes, this arrangement has certainly been made. It is therefore only on closer inspection of a preparation that one will recognize why it contains certain constituents. In the course of the disease, not only the localized disease process but also the overall change in the organism must be taken into account and this must be included in the regressive process. How this is to be thought of in detail will be shown by certain cases which we shall now characterize. After describing them, we will continue with the general observations.
First case
[ 2 ] We are dealing with a 26-year-old female patient. The whole person shows an extraordinarily unstable condition. The patient clearly shows that that part of her organism which we have called the astral body in our book is in a state of excessive activity. You can see that this astral body can only be inadequately controlled by the ego organization. If the patient starts to do some work, the astral body immediately becomes agitated. The ego organization tries to assert itself, but is continually repelled. This causes an increased temperature in such a case. The regulated digestive activity in man depends in the most eminent sense on the normal ego-organization. The impotence of this ego-organization is expressed in the patient in persistent constipation. A consequence of this disturbed digestive activity are the migraine-like conditions and the vomiting from which she suffers. During sleep it becomes apparent that the impotent ego organization causes inadequate organic activity from the bottom up and damages the exhalation. The consequence of this is an excessive accumulation of carbonic acid in the organism during sleep, which is manifested organically by palpitations on waking and psychologically by feelings of anxiety and crying out. The physical examination can reveal nothing other than a lack of the forces that bring about the regular connection between the astral body, etheric body and physical body. The excessive activity of the astral body causes too few forces to flow from it into the physical and etheric bodies. The latter therefore remain fragile in their development during the growth period. This was also shown during the examination by the fact that the patient had a delicate, weak body and complained of frequent back pain. The latter arise because the ego organization has to assert itself most strongly in the spinal cord activity. Patient also speaks of many dreams. This is a consequence of the fact that the astral body, when it is separated from the physical and etheric body during sleep, develops its own excessive activity. It must now be assumed that the ego-organization must be strengthened and the activity of the astral reduced. The first is achieved by choosing a remedy that is suitable for supporting the ego organization that is becoming weak in the digestive tract. One can recognize such a remedy in copper. If it is applied in the form of a copper ointment dressing, which is placed in the lumbar region, the copper has a strengthening effect on the heat development that is insufficiently emanating from the ego organization. You will notice this by the decrease in abnormal heart activity and the easing of anxiety. The excessive self-activity of the astral body can be combated by the smallest doses of lead, taken internally. Lead draws the astral body together and awakens the forces in it through which it connects more strongly with the physical body and the etheric body. (Lead poisoning consists of too strong a connection between the astral body and the etheric and physical bodies, so that the latter are subject to too strong a process of decomposition). The patient visibly recovered during this treatment. The unstable state gave way to a certain inner stability and security. Her state of mind changed from a torn one to an inwardly satisfied one. The symptoms of constipation and back pain disappeared, as did the migraine-like conditions and headaches. The patient's ability to work was restored.
Second case
[ 3 ] 48-year-old male patient; was a strong child of mental efficiency. States that he was treated for nephritis for five months during the war and discharged cured. Married at 35, had five healthy children, a sixth died at birth. At the age of 33, depression, fatigue and apathy appear after mental overwork. This is accompanied by mental helplessness. The patient is faced with questions which show him the negative aspects of his profession - he is a teacher - but which he cannot counter with anything positive. - The state of illness shows an astral body that has too little affinity with the etheric and physical body and is immobile in itself. As a result, the physical and etheric bodies assert their own characteristics. The sensation of the etheric body not being properly connected to the astral body produces depression; not being properly connected to the physical body produces tiredness and apathy. The fact that the patient falls into spiritual helplessness stems from the fact that the astral body is powerless to use the physical and etheric bodies. In connection with all this, sleep is good because the astral body has little connection with the etheric and physical bodies. For the same reason, however, waking up is difficult. The astral body does not want to enter the physical body. Only when the physical and etheric bodies are tired in the evening does a normal connection with them occur. Therefore the patient only really wakes up in the evening. The whole condition indicates that the activity of the astral body should first be intensified. This is always achieved by giving arsenic internally in the form of natural water. After some time you will notice how the person concerned gains more control over his body. The connection between the astral body and the etheric body becomes stronger, depression, apathy and tiredness cease. The physical body, which has become sluggish in terms of mobility due to the prolonged lack of connection with the astral body, must now also be helped by a phosphorus cure in small doses. Phosphorus supports the ego organization so that it can overcome the resistance of the physical body. Rosemary baths will open up an outlet for the deposited metabolic products. Healing eurhythmics can restore the harmony of the individual limbs (nervous-sensory system, rhythmic system, motor and metabolic system) of the human organism, which has been disturbed by the inactivity of the astral body. If the patient is also given lilac tea, the sluggish metabolism, which has gradually returned to normal due to the inactivity of the astral body, is restored. We were able to observe a complete cure in this patient.
Third case
[ 4 ] 31-year-old patient, artist, visited our clinic during a concert tour, is in a state of severe inflammatory dysfunction of the urinary organs; catarrhal symptoms, fever, overtired body, general weakness, inability to work.
[ 5 ] The medical history shows that the same condition has repeatedly been present in the patient. Examination of the patient's mental constitution reveals a hypersensitive, demoralized astral body. As a consequence of this, the physical and etheric body is easily susceptible to catarrhal and inflammatory conditions. Even as a child, the patient had a weak physical body that was not cared for by the astral body. Hence measles, scarlet fever, water pox, whooping cough, often angina; urethritis at the age of 14, which recurred at the age of 29 in combination with cystitis. At 18, pneumonia and pleurisy; at 29, pleurisy during a bout of influenza; at 30, sinusitis. There is a constant tendency to conjunctivitis of the eyes. During the patient's two-month stay in the clinic, the fever curve was initially up to 38.9, then went down to rise again on the 14th day; later became undulating between 37 and 36, sometimes rose above 37 and went down to 35. This fever curve is a clear picture of the changing moods in the ego organization. Such a curve arises when the effects of the semi-conscious contents of the ego organization are lived out in the warmth processes of the physical and etheric body without being reduced to a normal rhythm by the astral body. In this case, the overall capacity for action of the astral body is concentrated on the rhythmic system and lives itself out in it through the artistic talent. The other systems are neglected. An important consequence of this is severe tiredness and sleeplessness during the summer. In summer, the astral body is very busy with the outer world. Its inner capacity for action recedes. The forces of the physical and etheric body become predominant. In the general perception of life this appears as severe fatigue. The impaired ability of the astral body to act prevents it from separating from the physical body. Hence insomnia occurs. The inadequate separation of the astral body from the Ä physical body is expressed in exciting and unpleasant dreams, which result from the sensitivity of this body to the damage of the physical organism. It is characteristic that the dreams symbolize these damages to the physical body in the images of human mutilations. The frightening thing about them is their natural emotional emphasis. One consequence of the inadequate functioning of the astral body in the metabolic system is the tendency to constipation. Due to the independence of the etheric body, which is not sufficiently influenced by the astral body, the protein ingested with food cannot be completely transformed from vegetable and animal protein into human protein. Protein is therefore excreted in the urine, so that the protein reaction is positive. If the astral body functions inadequately, processes occur in the physical body that are foreign processes in the human organism. The result of such processes is the formation of pus. To a certain extent, this represents an extra-human process in the human being. Pure pus is therefore found in the urine sediment. This pus formation has a parallel process in the soul. The astral body processes the experiences of life just as little psychically as it does the substances physically. If extra-human substance formations are formed as pus, so too are psychic contents with an extra-human character as interest in abnormal life contexts, premonitions, signs, etc. - It was now a matter for us to have a balancing, purifying and strengthening effect on the astral body. Since the ego-organization is a very active one, its activity can be used to a certain extent as a carrier of the healing effect. The I-organization, which is attuned to the outside world, is best approached when one strives for effects directed from the outside inwards. This is achieved through poultices. We first put Melilotus in the poultice. This acts on the astral body in such a way that it is balanced in the distribution of its forces and the one-sided direction towards the rhythmic system is counteracted. Of course, the envelopes must not be placed on that part of the organism in which the rhythmic system is particularly concentrated. We placed them around the organs in which the metabolism and the motor system are concentrated. We avoided head wraps for the reason that the change of mood of the ego organization, which emanates from the head, had to paralyze the effect. It was therefore a question of promoting the astral body and the ego organization, which had to be brought together for the effect of Melilotus. We tried to achieve this with an oxalic acid supplement taken from burdock root. Oxalic acid acts in such a way that the activity of the ego organization is transformed into that of the astral body. To all this we gave internal remedies in very weak doses, which had the task of bringing the excretions into a regular integration with the astral body effects. We tried to normalize the secretions that are directed from the head organization with sulphuric acid potassium. We tried to influence those processes that depend on the metabolic system in the narrower sense with carbonic acid potassium. We regulated the urinary secretion with teucrium. We therefore gave a preparation consisting of equal parts of sulphuric acid potassium, carbonic acid potassium and Teucrium. The whole treatment had to take into account a very unstable balance of the physical, mental and spiritual organism as a whole. It was therefore necessary to ensure physical equilibrium through permanent bed rest and mental equilibrium through mental rest, which made the interaction of the various remedies possible in the first place. Movement and excitement make such a complicated healing process almost impossible. - At the end of the cure, the patient was physically strong and invigorated and mentally in good condition. It goes without saying that with such an unstable state of health, one or other disturbance can reoccur with any external attack. It is part of the overall healing process that such attacks are avoided in such a case.
Fourth case
[ 6 ] A child who was brought to the clinic twice, first at the age of 4 and then at the age of 51/2. Also his mother and the mother's sister. The diagnosis led from the child's illness to that of both the mother and the sister. We were able to establish the following for the child: It is a twin child, born six weeks prematurely. The other child had died in the last embryonic stage. At six weeks, the child fell ill, cried a lot and was taken to hospital. There he was diagnosed with pylorospasm. The child was partly fed by a wet nurse and partly artificially. He was discharged from hospital at the age of eight months. Once at home, he had a seizure on the first day, which was repeated daily for the first two months. The child became stiff and rolled its eyes. The seizure was preceded by anxiety and crying. The child also squinted his right eye and had vomiting before the seizure. At the age of 21/2, another seizure occurred which lasted five hours. The child became stiff again and lay there as if dead. At the age of four, a seizure occurred that lasted 1/2 hour. This was the first time that we were informed that the child was accompanied by fever. After the convulsions, which occurred after being brought back from the hospital, the parents noticed a paralysis of the right arm and the right leg. At the age of 21/2, the child made his first attempt to walk, which was so unsuccessful that only the left leg was able to walk and the right was dragged behind. The right arm also remains without will. The same condition was still present when the child was brought to us. - It was a question of determining the state of the child's organizational limbs. This was attempted in a complex manner, independently of the symptoms. It turned out that there was a strong atrophy of the etheric body, which in certain parts only absorbed a very slight influence of the astral body. The region of the right half of the chest was as if paralyzed in the etheric body; on the other hand, something like a hypertrophy of the astral body appeared in the stomach region. Now it was a question of harmonizing the symptom complex with these findings. There is undoubtedly a strong utilization of the stomach by the astral body during digestion, but due to the paralysis of the etheric body this is blocked when passing from the intestines into the lymphatic vessels. As a result, the blood is undernourished. We must therefore take the nausea symptoms as particularly important symptoms. Cramps always occur when the etheric body becomes atrophic and the astral body acquires a direct influence on the physical body without the mediation of the etheric body. This was present in the child to the highest degree. When this state becomes permanent during the period of growth, as was the case here, those processes which make the motor system suitable for the normal reception of the will cease. This became apparent in the child when the right side was unusable. - We must now relate the condition of the child to that of the mother. She was 37 years old when she came to us. She claims to have been as tall as she is now at the age of 13. She had bad teeth at an early age, suffered from rheumatoid arthritis as a child and claims to have been rhachitic. Her menses came relatively early. The patient declares that she had a kidney disease at the age of 16 and also speaks of cramp-like conditions that she had. At the age of 25, constipation due to spasm of the sphincter ani, which had to be stretched. Also now has cramp during evacuation. The findings, established without drawing conclusions from the symptom complex in direct observation, are extraordinarily similar to those of the child. Only everything proves to be in a much milder form. It must be borne in mind that the etheric body of the human being undergoes its special development between the change of teeth and sexual maturity. This is expressed in the patient by the fact that the available forces of the etheric body, which are not very strong, only make growth possible up to sexual maturity. With this the special development of the astral body begins, which with its hypertrophy now overgrows the etheric body and intervenes too strongly in the physical organization. This becomes apparent in the stagnant growth at the age of 13. The patient is by no means dwarfish, but very tall, which is due to the fact that the growth forces of the etheric body, although small, were uninhibited by the astral body and caused a strong expansion of the volume of the physical body. These forces were not yet able to intervene regularly in the functions of the physical body. This became apparent in the occurrence of rheumatism of the joints and later in the convulsive states. Due to the weakness of the etheric body, the astral body has a particularly strong effect on the physical body. This effect is a degrading one. In the normal development of life it is balanced out by the constructive forces during sleep, when the astral body is separated from the physical and etheric body. If the etheric body is too weak, as in the case of our patient, there is an excess of degradation, which was shown in her case by the fact that her teeth required their first filling as early as the age of 12. If the etheric body is particularly stressed, as during pregnancy, the teeth always deteriorate. The weakness of the etheric body in relation to its connection with the astral body is particularly evident in the frequency of dreams and in the healthy sleep that is present in the patient, despite all irregularity. The weakness of the etheric body also shows itself in the fact that foreign processes not mastered by the etheric body take place in the physical body, which show themselves in the urine as protein, isolated hyaline cylinders and salts. -
The relationship between these disease processes and those of the mother's sister is remarkable. The findings with regard to the composition of the parts of the human being are almost completely the same. Weakly functioning etheric body, therefore predominance of the astral body. Only the astral body itself is weaker than in the sister. Therefore, just as in the latter, menses occur early, but instead of inflammation, only pain occurs, which is caused by irritation of the organs, e.g. the joints. The etheric body must be particularly active in the joints if vitality is to proceed normally. If the activity of the etheric body is weak, the activity of the physical body becomes predominant, which manifests itself in swellings and chronic arthritis. The weakness of the astral body, which has too little effect on the subjective sensations, is indicated by the preference for sweet foods, which increase the sensations of the astral body. If the weak astral body is also worn out by daily life, the pains become more significant if the weakness is maintained. Patient complains of increased pain in the evening. The connection between the illnesses of the three patients points in the ascendancy to the generation preceding the two sisters, especially to the grandmother of the child. The cause must be sought in her. The disturbed balance between the astral and etheric bodies in all three patients can only be due to a similar imbalance in the child's grandmother. This irregularity must be due to the inadequate development of the embryonic nutritional organs, especially the allantois, by the astral and etheric body of the grandmother. This deficient development of the allantois must be sought in all three patients. In our case it was first determined in a purely spiritual-scientific way. The physical allantois metamorphoses, passing over into the spiritual, in the efficiency of the powers of the astral body. A degenerated allantois produces a diminished efficiency of the astral body, which manifests itself particularly in all motor organs. All this is the case with the three patients. One can really recognize from the constitution of the astral body that of the allantois. You will see from this that our reference to the ascendancy does not come from a daring fantasy conclusion, but from a real spiritual-scientific observation.
[ 7 ] If this truth irritates you, we would like to tell you that our explanations are not the result of an impulse to paradox, but of a desire not to withhold this knowledge from anyone. The mystical concepts of heredity will always remain obscure if one shies away from recognizing the metamorphosis from the physical to the spiritual and vice versa in the succession of generations.
[ 8 ] Therapeutically, such an insight can only lead to a view of where to start the healing process. If one had not been referred to the hereditary in such a way, but had simply noticed the irregularity in the connection between the etheric body and the astral body, one would have applied remedies that act on these two parts of the human being. In our case, however, these would have remained ineffective because the damage, which runs through the genes, is too deep to be balanced in these parts of the human organization itself. In such a case one must work on the ego-organization and bring to bear in it everything that relates to the harmonization and strengthening of the etheric and astral body. This can be achieved by working on the ego-organization by means of intensified sensory stimuli (sensory stimuli act on the ego-organization). This was tried with the child in the following way: a bandage was applied to the right hand with a 5 percent pyrite ointment and at the same time the left half of the head was rubbed with emperor's sponge ointment. Pyrite, a compound of iron and sulphur, acts externally to stimulate the ego organization, to make the astral body more lively and to increase its affinity to the etheric body. The emperor's sponge substance with its special content of organized nitrogen acts in such a way that an effect emanates from the head which, through the ego organization, makes the etheric body more lively and increases its affinity to the astral body. The healing process was supported by healing eurhythmy, which brings the ego-organization as such into lively activity. In this way, what is applied externally is directed into the depths of the organization. The healing process initiated in this way was then reinforced by means that were intended to make the astral and etheric bodies particularly sensitive to the effect of the ego organization. Baths with a decoction of Solidago, back rubs with a decoction of Stellaria media and internally tea of willow bark (particularly effective on the receptivity of the astral body) and Stannum 0.001 (particularly receptive to the etheric body) were applied in rhythmic daily succession. We also gave poppy juice in a weak dosage to make the damaged self-organization recede in comparison to the healing effects.
[ 9 ] The last therapy was used more on the mother because, being one generation higher, the hereditary forces had less of an effect. The same applies to the mother's sister. - When the child was still in the clinic, we were able to observe that it was easier to control and that its mental state improved. It became more obedient, for example, and the movements that it otherwise made very clumsily were done more skillfully. Afterwards we were told by the aunt that a great change had taken place in the child. It has become calmer, the excess of involuntary movements has diminished; it has become so skillful that it can play alone; and mentally the former obstinacy has disappeared.
Fifth case
[ 10 ] A 26-year-old female patient came to our clinic with the severe consequences of influenza, which had been contracted in 1918 in conjunction with pulmonary catarrh, and which had followed a pleurisy that had expired in 1917. The patient had not been able to recover since the flu. In 1920 she was very emaciated, weak and had a slight fever and night sweats. Soon after the flu, back pain set in, which continued to increase until late 1920; and then a curvature of the back appeared with severe pain. There was also swelling of the right index finger. A recumbent treatment supposedly improved the back pain. - When the patient came to us, she had a prolapsed abscess on the right thigh, a distended abdomen with some ascites and catarrhal noises above the lung tips, both on the right and left. Digestion and appetite are good. Urine is concentrated, shows traces of protein. The spiritual-scientific examination revealed: hypersensitivity of the astral body and the ego organization; such an abnormality is first expressed in the etheric body by the fact that it does not develop the actual etheric functions, but an etheric imprint of the astral functions. The astral functions are destructive. The vitality and the normal process in the physical organs must therefore be atrophied. This is always connected with certain extra-human processes that take place in the human organism. The prolapse abscess, the back pain, the bloatedness of the body, the catarrhal phenomena of the lungs and also the inadequate protein processing all stem from this. The aim of the therapy is to reduce the sensitivity of the astral body and the ego organization. This is achieved by administering silicic acid, which always strengthens the intrinsic power against the sensitivity. In this case we did it by putting powdered silicic acid in the food and giving it as a clyster. We also reduced the sensitivity by placing mustard plasters on the lower back. Its effect is based on the fact that it causes sensitivity of its own accord and thus removes it from the astral body and the ego organization. Through a process that dampens the hypersensitivity of the astral body in the digestive tract, we were able to divert this astral activity to the etheric body, where it should normally be. We achieved this with small doses of copper and Garbo animalis. We countered the possibility of the etheric body withdrawing from its unaccustomed normal digestive activity by giving pancreatic juice.
[ 11 ] The prolapsed abscess was punctured several times. Large amounts of pus were discharged by aspiration. The abscess receded and the abdominal swelling decreased as the pus formation steadily decreased and finally disappeared. While the pus was still flowing, we were surprised one day by a renewed rise in fever. This did not seem inexplicable to us, since with the constitution of the astral body described above, slight psychic excitement can cause such a fever. However, a distinction must be made between the explainability of the fever in such cases and its strongly damaging effect. For under the conditions indicated, such fever is virtually the mediator for a profound intervention of the degradation processes in the organism. And one must immediately ensure that the etheric body is strengthened so that this paralyzes the damaging effect of the astral body. We applied high-potency silver injections and achieved a reduction in fever. - The patient left the clinic with a weight gain of 20 pounds and in a stronger condition. We are under no illusion that in this case a further course of treatment is required to consolidate the cure.
Interim remark
[ 12 ] Through the cases treated so far, we wanted to characterize the principles according to which we seek the remedies from the diagnosis. To make the matter clearer, we took cases in which a very individual approach had to be taken. However, we have also produced typical remedies that can be used for typical diseases. We will now discuss some cases in which we used such typical remedies.
Sixth case. Treatment of hay fever.
[ 13 ] We had a patient with severe symptoms of hay fever. He had been suffering from it since childhood. He came to our treatment at the age of 40. We have our "Gencydo" preparation for this condition. It was used on the patient at the time when the disease was most severe - it was in May. We treated the patient with injections and locally by brushing the "Gencydo" liquid into his nose. After a marked improvement had occurred at a time when the patient had been severely plagued by hay fever symptoms in previous years, he went on a trip and was able to report that he was incomparably better than in previous years. The next year he was again on a journey from America to Europe at hay fever time and only had a much lighter attack than before. The repetition of the treatment resulted in a quite tolerable condition for this year. In order to achieve a thorough cure, the treatment was continued the following year, even though there was no actual attack. For another year, the patient described his condition verbatim as follows: "In the spring of 1923, I started the treatment again because I was expecting new attacks. I found that my nasal mucous membrane was far less sensitive than before. I had to stay at work in the midst of grass flowers and pollen-producing trees. I also rode over hot and dusty roads all summer. But with the exception of a single day, there were no symptoms of hay fever all summer; indeed, I have every reason to believe that the single day brought me only a cold and not an attack of hay fever. This has been the first year in 35 years that I have been able to stay and work unhindered in an environment where I experienced a real hell in previous years."
Seventh case. Sclerosis treatment
[ 14 ] A 61-year-old female patient presents to our clinic with sclerosis and albuminuria. The current condition is caused by influenza with mild fever and gastrointestinal disturbances. Since the influenza attack, the patient no longer feels well. - She complains of heavy breathing on waking, dizzy spells, a feeling of palpitations in her head, ears and hands, which is particularly annoying on waking, but also occurs when walking and climbing. Sleep is good. There is a tendency to constipation. Protein in the urine. Blood pressure 185 mm mercury. We started with sclerosis, which is noticeable in the overactivity of the astral body. The physical body and the etheric body are not able to absorb the full activity of the astral body. In such a case there remains a hyperactivity of the astral body which is not absorbed by the physical and etheric bodies. A normal, stable position of the human organization is only possible if this absorption is complete. Otherwise the unabsorbed part, as is the case here, asserts itself through dizziness and especially through subjective sensory illusions, such as palpitations, etc. This unabsorbed part also takes hold of the body. This unabsorbed part also takes hold of the ingested substances and imposes processes on them before they have entered the normal metabolism. This can be seen in the tendency to constipation and in the loss of protein, as well as in stomach and intestinal disorders. The blood pressure is increased in such a case because the overactivity of the astral body also increases the ego activity and this manifests itself in the increased blood pressure. We treated the case mainly with our "Scleron"; we only added Belladonna in very small doses for support, in order to counteract the dizzy spells immediately. We used elderberry tea to aid digestion, regulated the stool with clysters and laxative tea and prescribed a salt-free diet, because salts help sclerosis. We achieved a relatively rapid improvement. The dizzy spells decreased, as did the palpitations. The blood pressure dropped to 112. The subjective condition improved noticeably. The sclerosis made no progress in the following year. After one year, the patient returned with a lesser degree of symptoms. A similar treatment brought about a further improvement; and it is clearly noticeable in the patient, after a longer period of time has elapsed since the treatment, that the sclerosis does not cause any further degeneration of the organism. The external symptoms characteristic of sclerosis are in remission and the rapid ageing which previously affected the patient is no longer present.
Eighth case. A goiter treatment
[ 15 ] The patient came to us at the age of 34. She represents the type of person whose overall mental state is strongly influenced by a certain heaviness and inner fragility of the physical body. It seems that every word she speaks costs an effort. The concavity of the overall shape of the face is extremely characteristic; the root of the nose is like something that is held back in the organism. The patient states that she has been delicate and sickly since her school days. Of actual diseases she has had only slight measles. She always looked pale, was very tired and had a poor appetite. She was sent from doctor to doctor, and the following diagnoses were made one after the other: Lung tip catarrh, stomach catarrh, anemia. In her own consciousness the patient had. In her own consciousness, the patient thought that she was less physically ill, but more mentally ill. After this part of the anamnesis, we will now cite the spiritual-scientific findings in order to examine everything else afterwards.
[ 16 ] The patient shows a high degree of atony of the astral body. As a result, the ego organization is backed up from the physical and etheric body. The whole life of consciousness is pervaded by a quiet, dull sleepiness. The physical body is exposed to the processes caused by the substances introduced. These substances are thus transformed into parts of the human organization. The coherent vitality of the etheric body is too strongly dampened by the ego and the astral body, as a result of which the inner sensations, namely the general feeling of life and the feeling of the body's statics, become far too vivid and the activity of the outer senses far too dull. All bodily functions must therefore take a path whereby they are in disharmony with each other. It is not otherwise possible than that the patient has the feeling that she cannot hold the functions of her body together from the ego. This seems to her like a mental impotence. She therefore says that she is more mentally than physically ill. If the impotence of the ego and astral body increases, illnesses must occur in the various parts of the body, which is also indicated by the various diagnoses. The impotence of the ego is expressed in irregularities of such glands as the thyroid gland, adrenal glands; furthermore in irregularities of the stomach and intestinal system. All this is to be expected in the patient and can actually be observed. Her goitre and the condition of the gastrointestinal system correspond entirely to the spiritual scientific findings. The following is very characteristic. Due to the impotence of the ego and the astral body, part of the need for sleep is already fulfilled during wakefulness and sleep is therefore much less deep than in normal people. This appears to the patient as persistent insomnia. It is related to this that she has the feeling that she falls asleep easily and wakes up easily. It is also connected with the fact that she thinks she has many dreams, but they are not actual dreams, but mixtures of dreams and waking impressions. They therefore do not remain in the memory and are not strongly arousing because the intensity of the stimulus is down-tuned. The impotence of the ego manifests itself in the internal organs, first in the lungs. Catarrhs at the top of the lungs are actually always the expression of the weak ego organization. The metabolism not carried out by the ego manifests itself in rheumatism. Subjectively, the whole is expressed in the general tiredness. The menses began at the age of 14; the weak ego-organization does not provide sufficient development of strength to reverse the menstrual process that has begun to flow. The work of the ego during this reduction comes to consciousness as a sensation through those nerves that lead into the spinal cord in the sacral region. Nerves through which the currents of the ego organization and the astral body do not pass sufficiently hurt. Patient complains of low back pain during her period. All this leads to therapy in the following way. We have found that Goichicum autumnale exerts a strong stimulus on the astral body, namely on that part which corresponds to the cervical and cephalic organization. Golchicum autumnale is therefore given by us for all those diseases which have their most important symptom in the goitre. We therefore gave the patient 5 drops of our Colchicum preparation three times a day, as a result of which the goitre receded and the patient felt relieved. Once the astral body has been strengthened in this way, it also improves the functioning of the ego-organism, whereby the remedies that can act on the digestive and reproductive organs receive their strength in the organism. We have used wormwood clysters as such a remedy, to which we have added oil, because oil has an excitatory effect in the digestive tract. We have achieved a significant improvement with this remedy. We believe that this therapy can develop its particularly beneficial effects around the age of 35, because at this time the ego organization has a strong affinity to the rest of the organism and can be easily stimulated even when it is weak. The patient was 34 years old when she came to us.
Fourth case. Migraine-like conditions in the menopause
[ 18 ] The patient came to us at the age of 55. She claims to have been a frail and weak child; to have had measles, scarlet fever, chickenpox, whooping cough and mumps in childhood. The menses occurred at the age of 14-15. The bleeding was very heavy and painful from the beginning. At the age of 40, a total extirpation was performed because of a tumor in the lower abdomen. The patient further states that she has had a three-day migraine-like headache every three to four weeks since the age of 35, which intensified in the 46th year to a three-day headache associated with unconsciousness. - The present spiritual-scientific findings are: general weakness of the ego-organization, which manifests itself in the fact that the activity of the etheric body is not sufficiently paralysed by the ego-organization. This results in a spread of vegetative organic activity via the head and nervous-sensory system, which is not present to such an extent in a normal ego organization. Certain symptoms coincide with this finding. The first is a frequent urge to urinate. This is due to the fact that the normally developed astral body, which regulates the kidney secretion, is not confronted with a sufficiently strong ego organization that normally restrains it. A second symptom is falling asleep late and waking up tired. The astral body has difficulty leaving the physical and etheric body because the ego does not pull it out strongly enough. Once awakening has taken place, the vital activity that continues from sleep is felt as fatigue because of the weak ego. A third symptom is the few dreams. The ego organization imprints only weak images on the astral body, which cannot express themselves in vivid dreams.
[ 19 ] These findings lead us to the following therapy: we had to pave the way for the ego organization to the physical and etheric body. We did this by applying 2% clover salt compresses to the forehead in the evening and compresses with 7% Urtica dioica solution to the abdomen in the morning and 20% lime blossom solution to the feet at midday. This is to ensure that the vital activity is weakened during the night; the clover oil, which performs the function of suppressing excessive vital activity in the organism, has this effect. In the morning we had to ensure that the ego organization found its way into the physical body. This is done by stimulating the blood circulation. The iron effect of the stinging effect was used for this purpose. It therefore remained to promote the penetration of the physical body with the ego organization during the course of the day. This was achieved by the draining effect of the lime blossom at midday. Now the headaches described above occurred in the patient with their increase at the age of 46. We had to relate these headaches to the period lost due to the extirpation and the increase in unconsciousness to a compensatory symptom of the climacteric. We first tried to achieve improvement with antimony. The same should have produced the improvement if the general metabolism under the regulation of the ego-organization had come into consideration. The improvement was not achieved. This was proof that the relatively independent part of the ego-organization, which primarily regulates the reproductive organs, comes into consideration. We see a specific for this in the root of Potentilla-Tormentilla in very strong dilution, and indeed, this worked.