As the patient improves, it will often be found necessary to change the remedy as his state changes, and in some cases even as many as half a dozen different herbs may be required.

As an example.

A man of thirty-five had had severe rheumatism for five weeks. When first seen almost every joint in the body was affected with swelling and tenderness, he was in great pain, rolling about in his torture, anxious as to what was going to happen. The patient was very ill and looked as though he would not be able to stand much more. Agrimony was given hourly for twenty hours when there was marked improvement, pain and swelling had all gone except for one shoulder joint, the patient was calmer and less worried. Agrimony was continued for another six hours when the patient slept for four hours. On waking all his pain had gone. The next stage was one of fear, fear of the pain coming back, fear of moving in case it caused a recurrence. Mimulus was given, and the next day the patient was up and dressed and had shaved himself. In spite of the good result, the patient felt discouraged, down-hearted. Gentian was given and on the third day the patient was out and about, he attended a cinema and also visited the local tavern.

At other times a single remedy is all that is required as in the following case. A girl of eighteen had had some cysts removed from her thyroid gland in the neck six months previously. These were returning and she was told that she must wait until they were big again when another operation would be necessary. She was a gentle little girl of the day-dreaming type, living in a land of dreams and very little concerned about her condition. Clematis, given three times a day for a month afterwards, there was no sign of recurrence, and no further doses have been necessary.

A lady had had acute rheumatism for two years, and had been in nursing homes or hospitals the whole of that time. When first seen, the hands were very stiff and painful, the ankles were double their normal size and the patient was only just able to walk. In addition there was pain in the shoulders, neck and back. The lady was one of exquisite gentleness, calmness and courage ,and had borne her illness with wonderful patience and fortitude. Water violet was clearly indicated and it was given for two weeks, definite improvement slowly occurring. Then came a period of slight self-pity which Chicory removed. At the end of four weeks the patient was able to walk four miles but felt unsteady and uncertain, so Scleranthus was given. Then followed a period of slight impatience and wanting to be back doing everything which indicated Impatiens. At the end of eight weeks the patient could walk four miles, could use her hands freely, had no pain and, with the exception of a little stiffness and a trace of swelling in the right ankle , was completely cured.

A lady of about forty had vague pains in the abdomen for three weeks, and she had rapid swelling of the glands in the groin, armpits and neck. On examination there were found large masses of swollen glands in the abdomen and the blood count was that of an acute lymphatic leukemia. The outlook was of course extremely serious. The patient realized she had a malignant disease. She was in terror and was thinking of the easiest way to commit suicide. Rock Rose was given for a few days with lessening of the abdominal pain and a diminution in the size of the glands. The patient’s attitude then changed, she was encouraged by the improvement and the black terror and dread of death had gone, but there was now a quite fear that it was too good to be true, hence Mimulus was given for about two weeks, at the end of which time the patient’s condition was normal and she remained perfectly fit ever since, a period of six months.

A farmer suffered from paralysis of the neck so that the head fell forward. Besides, there was weakening of the eye and mouth muscles. He was intensely strong-willed would go about his work as usual, for months refused treatment. Vervain affected a complete cure in about two weeks.

A lady about forty had suffered from asthma since childhood, and had spent about four months each winter in bed. She had an enormous number of injections of adrenalin and had been given every type of asthma treatment with out effect. She was like many cases of asthma, whooping cough, and other chest complaints, tortured by her disease. She was first seen in December, 1930, and by the end of January 1931, Agrimony had completely removed the disease. There was a slight return in the winter of 1931 which was easily controlled, the patient not having to go to bed. Since then, there has been no trace whatever of the disease.