Kent's 12 Observations

7/23/2019 Kent's 12 Observations

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PROGNOSIS AFTER OBSERVING THE ACTION OF THE REMEDY

KENTS 12 OBSERVATIONS

After a prescription has been made, it is important to observe what happens in consequence to the prescription.

Not being conversant as to what may happen will result in wrong prescriptions. If the homoeopathic physician is

not an accurate observer, his observation will be indefinite; and if his observations are indefinite, his prescribing

is indefinite. It is to be understood that after a prescription is made, it has acted. If a medicine is acting, it starts

immediately to affect changes in the patient, and these changes are indicated through signs and symptoms. If aprescription is not related to the case, waiting is loss of time, and that should be taken into account among the

observations. The remedy is known to act by the changing of the symptoms. The disappearance of symptoms,

the increase of symptoms, the amelioration of symptoms, the order of the symptoms and duration are all changes

from the remedy, and these changes are to be studied. Among the commonest things that remedies do is to

aggravateor amel!rate. The aggravation is of two kinds; aggravat!" !# $%ea%e, in which the patient grows

worse; or aggravat!" !# %&m't!m%, in which the patient grows better. An aggravation of the disease means that

the patient is growing weaker, the symptoms are growing stronger, but the homoeopathic aggravation, which is

the aggravation of the symptoms of the patient while the patient is growing better, is something that the

physician observes after a true homoeopathic prescription. The patient should be the aim of the physician, to

determine whether he is improving or declining.

Fr%t !(%ervat!" ) Pr!l!"ge$ aggravat!" a"$ #"al $e*l"e !# t+e 'ate"t This is seen in an incurable case, where the antipsoric administered was too deep, and it has established

destruction. There is reversal of order of cure.

The patient steadily declines. The symptoms take on an internal phase ! vital organs are affected. In this

state, vital reaction was impossible.

In incurable and doubtful cases give no higher than the "# th or $##th potency, and observe whether theaggravation is going to be too deep or too prolonged. %egin, in such cases, with a moderately low potency,

and the "#this low enough for anybody or anything. &therwise, the deep acting remedy in high potency

results in a killer's aggravation.

I,,-STRATION!

A stoop(shouldered patient, with a chronic hacking cough reports for treatment. )is face is sickly,

he is lean and an*ious, and he is careworn and poor. An antipsoric seems indicated. Tuberculosis isdiagnosed and the patient is steadily declining. &n prescribing the antipsoric ( he comes back in a

few days with quite a sharp aggravation of the symptoms ! increased cough, night sweat, and more

weakness. this patient returns in a week, and the aggravation is still present and increased (coughing is worse, e*pectoration is more troublesome, night sweats have been going on; he comes

back at the end of the second week and he is still worse, and all the symptoms have been worse

since he took that medicine. )e was comparatively comfortable before he took that medicine, but at

the end of the fourth week he is steadily growing worse. There has been no amelioration followingthis aggravation, and he is evidently declining ! +&-&N/0 AA1ATI&N AN0 2INA-

0/3-IN/.

Se*!"$ !(%ervat!" ) ,!"g aggravat!". (/t #"al a"$ %l!0 m'r!veme"t

4een in cases that are not so advanced, with not so profound a disturbance ! on administration of a highpotency.

The aggravation is long and severe and may last for many weeks, yet there is a final amelioration ( a slow

but sure improvement.

It shows that the disease has not progressed quite so far; the changes have not become quite so marked.

It is always well in doubtful cases to go to the lower potencies, and in this way go cautiously prepared toantidote the medicine if it takes the wrong course.

If, at the end of a few weeks, he is a little better and his symptoms are a little better than when he took the

dose, there is some hope that finally the symptoms may have an outward manifestation whereby he will

attain final recovery, but for many years you may go along with prolonged aggravations.


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T+r$ !(%ervat!" ) Aggravat!" % /*. %+!rt a"$ %tr!"g 0t+ ra'$ m'r!veme"t !# 'ate"t 4een in cases where there is no structural change of vital organs or superficial structural changes of less vital

organs.

Aggravation, that comes quickly, is short, and has been more or less vigorous, then improvement of the

patient will be long.

eaction of the economy is vigorous. There is a difference between organic changes that take place in the

organs that are vital, that carry on the work of the economy, and organic changes that take place in structuresof the body that are not essential to life.

An aggravation that is quick, short and strong is one that is to be wished for and is followed by quick

improvement. 4uch is the slight aggravation of the symptoms that occurs in the first hours after the remedy

in an acute sickness, or during the first few days in a chronic case.

F!/rt+ !(%ervat!" 3 N! aggravat!". 0t+ re*!ver& !# 'ate"t These are cases with very satisfactory cures, where the administration of the remedy is followed by no

aggravation whatever.

There is no organic disease, and no tendency to organic disease. The chronic condition itself to which the

remedy is suitable is not of great depth, belongs to the functions of nerves rather than to threatened changes

in tissues. If there is no aggravation the potency 5ust e*actly fitted the case. In cures without any aggravation, the

potency is suitable, and the remedy is the curative remedy, provided that the symptoms go off and the patient

returns to health in an orderly way.

It is the highest order of cure in acute affections, yet the physician sometimes will be more satisfied if in the

beginning of his prescribing he notices a slight aggravation of the symptoms.

F#t+ !(%ervat!" 3 Amel!rat!" *!me% #r%t a"$ t+e aggravat!" *!me% a#ter0ar$% The patient says he is better, and the symptoms seem to be better; but at the end of a week or four or five

days all the symptoms are worse than when the patient first came.

6a7 either the remedy was only a superficial remedy, and could only act as a palliative, or

6b7 The patient was incurable and the remedy was somewhat suitable.

&ne of these two conclusions must be arrived at, and this can only be done by a re(e*amination of the

patient and by finding out whether the symptoms relate to that remedy.

The remedy could have been an error. A further study of the case shows that the remedy was only similar tothe most grievous symptoms, that it did not cover the whole case, that it did not affect the constitutional state

of the patient, and that the patient is incurable and the selection was an unfavorable one.

It is the best thing for the patient if the symptoms come back e*actly as they were, but very often they come

back changed, and then one needs to wait through grievous suffering for the picture.

S4t+ !(%ervat!" 3 T!! %+!rt rele# !# %&m't!m% 8hen a high and right potency acts in curable case ! the remedy acts at once and establishes a condition of

order, after which there is no need in giving medicine. This order may continue a considerable length of

time, sometimes several months. The patient gets along without any medicine. %ut, the patient may comeback at the end of the first, second and third week and says he has done well, that he has been improving all

the time, but at the end of the fourth week he returns back with suffering.

This could be due to some obstacle ( something that has spoiled the action of medicine. This condition is an

unfavorable one.

If relief after the constitutional remedy does not last long enough, it is because of some condition thatinterferes with the action of the remedy; it may be unconscious on the part of the patient, or it may be

intentional. A quick rebound means everything in the remedy, means that it is well chosen, that the vital

economy is in a good state, and if everything goes well, recovery take place.


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In a*/tecases, when there is too short amelioration of the symptoms, the remedy has to be repeated. If it is

too short an amelioration in acute cases, it is because high grade inflammatory action is present and that

organs are threatened by the rapid processes going on.

If it is too short amelioration in *+r!"*diseases, it means that there are structural changes and organs are

destroyed or being destroyed.

Seve"t+ !(%ervat!" 3 F/ll tme amel!rat!" !# t+e %&m't!m%. &et "! %'e*al rele# !# t+e 'ate"t

There are conditions in patients that prevent improvement beyond a certain stage. A patient with one kidney can only improve to a certain degree; patient with fibrinous structural change in

certain places, tubercles that have become encysted and lungs capable of doing only limited work are

e*amples of such cases.

These cases have symptoms, and these symptoms are ameliorated from time to time with remedies, but the

patient is only curable to a certain e*tent; he cannot go beyond and rise above such a state. After several medicines have been administered ! the amelioration of the case has e*isted the full length of

time. %ut the patient has not risen above his own pitch in this length of time.

The remedies act favorably, but the patient is not cured, and never can be cured. The patient is palliated in

this instance, and it is a suitable palliation for homoeopathic remedies.

Eg+t+ !(%ervat!" ) Pate"t% 'r!ve ever& reme$& t+e& get +atients maybe hysterical, oversensitive to all things.

The patient is said to have an idiosyncrasy to everything, and these oversensitive patients are often

incurable.

8hen administered a dose of a high potency, they go on and prove that medicine, and while under the

influence of that medicine they are not under the influence of anything else. 4uch patients are good provers,

they will prove the highest potencies.

2or such patients, go back to the "#thand $##thpotencies. 9any of them are born with this sensitivity and

they will die with it.

N"t+ !(%ervat!" ) A*t!" !# t+e me$*"e% /'!" 'r!ver% )ealthy provers are always benefited by provings, if they are properly conducted.

It is well to observe carefully the constitutional states of an individual about to become a prover, and to writethese down and subtract them from the proving.

These symptoms will not very commonly appear during the proving; if they do, note the change in them.

Te"t+ !(%ervat!" ) Ne0 %&m't!m% a''ear"g a#ter t+e reme$& If a great number of new symptoms appear after the administration of a remedy, the prescription will

generally prove an unfavorable one.

Now and then the coming of a new symptom will simply be an old symptom coming up that the patient has

not observed, and thinks it a new one. The greater the array of new symptoms coming out after the administration of a remedy, the more doubt

there is thrown upon the prescription. The probability is, after these new symptoms have passed away, the

patient will settle down to the original state and no improvement takes place. It did not sustain a true

homoeopathic relation.

Eleve"t+ !(%ervat!" ) I% 0+e" !l$ %&m't!m% are !(%erve$ t! rea''ear In proportion as old symptoms that have long been away return 5ust in that proportion the disease is curable.

They disappeared because newer ones have come up. It is quite a common thing for old symptoms to appear

after the aggravation has come, and hence we see the symptoms disappearing in the reverse order of their

coming.

Those symptoms that are present subside, and old symptoms keep coming up.

&ld symptoms often come back and go off without any change of medicine. It indicates that the medicine

must be let alone. If the old symptoms come back to stay then a repetition of the dose is often necessary.


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T0el#t+ !(%ervat!" 3 S&m't!m% tae t+e 0r!"g $re*t!" If a medicine is prescribed for rheumatism of the 5oints and relief takes place at once, but the patient now

suffers form violent internal distress of the heart, or centers in the spine, there is a transference from

circumference to center, and the remedy must be antidote at once, otherwise structural change will take place

in that new site.

9ost gouty patients get along best when their fingers and toes are in the worst condition. To prescribe for

this, and see the heart symptoms grow worse is not favorable. There is a danger in selecting a remedy on e*ternal symptoms alone, i.e., selecting a remedy that

corresponds only to the skin and ignoring all the symptoms and general state of the patient; because it is true

that the remedy that is related to the skin alone may drive in that skin disease and cause it to appear while the

patient himself is not cured. 4uch a patient will remain sick until that eruption comes back again, or locates

in another place.

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Kent's 12 Observations