The thing with dropsy is that you can cure it if you start treating it early enough.
The problem with it is that you don't realize that your fish has it until it's pretty much too late.
To that topic, I'm pretty sure that Harvey had the start of it - his face swelled up, he had a bloated belly and he had a few other symptoms, but he wasn't to the point of scales sticking out yet. I treated him with Maracyn 2 and his belly went back down and his face swelling went back down. Now he's (for the most part) very healthy and happy.
I know a LOT of people are afraid to medicate their fish. Lots of people hand out the advice that you should just use some salt and clean water if your fish is acting odd. And, to some extent, I do agree.
BUT - if your fish is acting odd, there's a reason - they're more than likely sick. I have brought fish back from dropsy, ick, acute viral hemmoragic septecemia, popeye, finrot, gill flukes, anchor worms and body fungus without one casualty.
I've never lost a fish due to over-medicating. (and I'm NOT an advocate of over-medicating or medicating at the first sign of something, but if there's something noticably wrong, DON'T be afraid to research meds a bit and use them!)
we had a betta leave us today.....dropsy got the best of him. I was researching and it pretty much sounds like once a fish has dropsy, there is not much that can be done. Is this true? It started out with bloating in the stomach and i've read that betta's can get constipated so we fed him a pea and gave him epsom baths....it seemed to help (the baths did at least) but he kept getting the bulge back on his stomach. finally his scales all came out (the pinecone look). when i came home from work, he was gone. very sad 
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