BY Dr. L. Stern, in Miskolez Allg. Hom. Zeit., 67, 6

As an argument for the nullity of molecular doses, certain presumptuous opponents of Homoeopathy allege the inefficacy of such doses in the treatment of intermittent fever; affirming that the so-called homoeopathic doses do not avail for the rapid suppression of the paroxysms. This is a point on which they and the deluded public lay the greatest stress, although they are becoming every day more and more convinced that those cases of intermittent which are speedily suppressed by large doses of China are most subject to relapse and to be followed by enlargement of the spleen and liver, by dropsy, etc. – Very recently, however, the Bee has blunted and destroyed the poisonous sting of this hostile weapon and has re-enthroned the little doses; for numerous facts have shown that Apis. mel., even the one hundred potency, contests even with China its high rank as a febrifuge, in the matter of subduing the paroxysms and curing the intermittent fever.

Several years ago, when I first used it in the third potency on the recommendation of Dr. Wolfe, Apis approved itself as a very important antipyretic but for the last two years, during which I have used it in the one hundred potency against this disease, I have seen results, such as I had not for many years witnessed from any other homoeopathic remedy against intermittent fever – at least as regards the rapidity of the result.

I do not propose to give, at present, an exhaustive description of the groups of symptoms or of the cases for which Apis is indicated, for I hare, for two years past, for the sake of experiment, given Apis in almost every case of intermittent in which Ars., Ipec, China, or Natr. mur., was not clearly indicated. Thus much I may say, however, that in the majority of cases successfully treated with Apis, the sweating stage has either been absent or has been of a very light grade; further, that during the hot stage, during which the patient has complained of more or less violent headache, he has generally fallen into a continuous deep sleep.

Since the autumn of year before last, I have treated with Apis 100, sixty-five intermittent patients of various age and sex. Among these were nineteen persons who had suppressed the intermittent, several months previously, by means of large quantities of Quinine, alone or in combination with Iron, Piperine, etc., and who, in consequence, presented the ordinary symptoms of a China-cachexy.

In the majority of cases, the Apis alone sufficed for a radical cure. In some however, with predominating abdominal plethora, with constipation, gastric, and hepatic derangement, etc., and, especially, where the patients had previously made use of alcoholic liquors as a daily beverage or as medicine, with various ingredients as domestic remedies, I was obliged to interpose Nux vomica 100. For the most part, the mighty curative power of the highly potentised Apis was unmistakably evident in the very next paroxysm, which was diminished both in duration and in intensity, and – which often astonished me greatly – the succeeding paroxysm was hardly to be recognized as such. No relapse ever occurred. D.