Homœopathic medicine in the treatment of chronic hypocapnoea^{[ † ]}

Summary

Hahnemannian concepts of the nature of disease, the function of the “vital force” in contributing to the symptomatology of disease processes, and the need to give the homœopathic remedy to restore health, are discussed. The physiological disturbance caused by habitual hyperventilation is described, and the value of homœopathic medicine in this syndrome is illustrated. The incidence of hypocapnoea in a series of new patients seen by the author is similar to that found in a general medical outpatients. The presenting symptomatology in a random series of hyperventilators seen in the author's private practice is enumerated, and some of the homœopathic remedies used are discussed. No remedy appears specific for hypocapnoea, but Aconite fits the acute symptoms, and Sepia seems to be frequently needed in the treatment of individual patients.