In medieval chemical manuscripts descriptions of how to produce chemical and therapeutical substances spoke of the "repetition" of one and the same procedure, a process which might appear unnecessary to the chemist of today because seemingly no new transformation resulted from it. This procedure mainly concerned processes of dissolving and distillation. Yet the old literature makes it clear that these processes, when repeated in definite rhythms, have the effect of purifying the substance involved and intensifying the intended process. The repetition of the distillation process is reported to purify the substance more and more and, thus, make it receptive to "fixation" of the world-spirit. When elaborating on the production of metal mirrors. Dr. Steiner explained that a substance undergoing distillations is brought back to its cosmic origin and rendered able to receive cosmic forces….

Citation: Pfeiffer, E., & Sabarth, E. (1995). Thoughts and Observations About the Production of Remedies. Journal of Anthroposophic Medicine, 12(2), 36–42.

Summary

Aim: To assess clinical and immunostimulant activities of Viscum album whole extract (Iscador¨) in immunosuppressed children with recurrent respiratory tract infections.

Trial design: 15-month uncontrolled prospective observation trial.

Context: Outpatient care at Ukrainian Institute of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kiev, from March 1991.

Patients: 25 children aged 3-15 years from the 30-km zone around Chemobyl with URIs recurring 5-12 times a year and at least one of the following: CD3+ lymphocytes below 50%, phagocytosis below 60%, NK cells below 10%, CD8+ lymphocytes above 28%.

Intervention: Twice a week for 5 weeks s.c. injection of Iscador M in doses rising per week (from 2 x 0.0001 mg of whole mistletoe extract to 2 x 5 mg, maximum dose with defined lectin activity). Treatment repeated for 4 children.

Assessment: Frequency of infections, subjective symptomatology and clinical data were assessed before and immediately after treatment, after 3 or 4 and after 15 months. Lymphocyte sub-populations, phagocytosis, immurioglobulins and serum complement were determined before and after treatment, and after 3 or 4 months (except phagocytosis).

Results: 19 of the 25 children completed the trial. In 14 of the 19 the incidence of URIs clearly decreased. Prior to the treatment, 24 of the 25 children had more than six infections per annum. During the 15 months of observation, 4 of 19 children had no infections. General well-being, tiredness, appetite and pain improved. The proportion of T lymphocytes (CD3+), phagocytosis, IgM, IgA, SIgA in saliva, and complement C4 were significantly above the starting values on completion of treatment and 3 or 4 months later.

Conclusion: Iscador therapy proved clinically and immunologically active and was well tolerated by children who were immunosuppressed due to the Chenobyl disaster and presented with recurrent URIs.

Authors and Notes:

M. Lukyanova, V. P. Chemyshov, L. I. Omelchenko, I. I. Slukvin, T. V. Pochinok,}. G. Antipkin, I. V. Voichenko, P. Heusser, G. Schniedermann (Ukrainian Institute of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kiev, and Society for Cancer Research, Lukas Klinik, Arlesheim, Switzerland): Die Behandlung immunsupprimierter Kinder nach dem Tschemobyl-Unfall mit Viscum album (Iscador¨): klinische und immunologische Untersuchungen. Forsch Komplementaermed 1994;1:58-70.

Original title: Viscum wirksam bei immunsupprimierten Tschemobyl-Kindem. Merkurstab 1994; 47(5): 509-10.
Article-ID: https://www.anthromedics.org/DMS-16601-DE
English by A. R. Meuss, FIL, MTA.
This translation is published with the kind permission of the journal Der Merkurstab.

JAM Vol. 12(2), Summer 1995