84 Botanic Drugs 



THERAPEUTICS. Homeopathic and Eclectic lit- 

 erature asserts that the drug is valuable in certain 

 typhoid and rheumatic states, herpetic eruptions, 

 conjunctivitis, restless febrile conditions, and cer- 

 tain nervous diseases; and many gentlemen whose 

 views I respect esteem the drug highly. 



Some years since I became mildly enthusiastic 

 over some neurologic cases in which I employed 

 rhus tox., seemingly with good results. Indeed, 

 to this day, I believe the drug did markedly benefit 

 some of my cases. But the difficulty is this: As 

 nearly as I could differentiate in diagnosis, the same 

 type of cases usually failed to be influenced by the 

 drug in any way. One sees some striking results 

 he feels fully justified in ascribing to rhus tox., and 

 yet he can seldom repeat those results with ap- 

 parently similar cases. I have accurately followed 

 Homeopathic methods with their low dilutions, 

 Eclectic indications with their own drug prepara- 

 tions, and my own judgment with all kinds of 

 dosage; and to this day I don't know the indications 

 for rhus tox., or if it is justified as a remedy in any 

 indication; nor do I know the proper dosage, either 

 for a susceptible person or one not susceptible. I 

 am inclined to the view, however, that the drug is 

 active only in persons who are susceptible to its 

 external toxic influences and irregularly with them. 

 So I never employ the drug without telling my 

 patient that it is purely experimental, since he may 

 not react to it at all. 



RICINUS 



CASTOR BEAN and CASTOR OIL, Ricinus Communis. 

 The beans are official in four countries, the oil uni- 



