| |
In growing toe
nail
Ingrowing toe nails and ulcers about the nails are often most
troublesome affections, and the more we confine ourselves to the
treatment of these apparently local troubles the worse off we
shall be as well as the patient. A few months since I saw a case
of this kind in company with another physician. The treatment
had been localized, and such remedies as Arn., Merc., Hepar.,
Nit. ac., had been given. It now turned out that she was full of
Rhus tox. symptoms. Restless nights ; was compelled to change
her position frequently, and always with relief ; was stiff in
joints and muscles on first motion, better after moving for a
while ; loss of appetite, etc. Rhus tox. in a high potency gave
her good night's rest ; stiffness of joints and limbs left her ;
her appetite returned ; the ulcer and apparent ingrowing toe
nail got perfectly well a few weeks later without any tropical
applications. (H. N. Guernsey.)
INTERMITTENT
FEVER
I was called in consultation to an obstinate case of
intermittent fever. It was a case imported from a district in
the west where malaria abounds. It had been of years' standing,
having been cured several times by the inevitable Quinine on
account of the plasmodium malaria. But of late she had been
unable to take Quinine. It made her sicker than the disease. I
had suggested Ipec. and again one or two other remedies on the
statement of the physician in charge, and because she had been
so abused with Quinine, but still the case went on and grew
worse until the doctor insisted on my coming to see her. When
arrived at the house where the patient was she was just coming
out of a very severe chill. She was tossing from side to side,
with moaning, low delirium with muttering. I managed to get a
look at her tongue, it was red and dry, in a triangular red tip
pointing backward. Just then she gave a hard dry cough. What
about the cough ? said I. Well, said one of the lady bystanders,
that cough is very peculiar. She only coughed during the chill.
Probably she won't cough again now until the next chill. There
were other symptoms, of course, which I will not narrate here,
because we have enough to prescribe on without fear of failure.
Every homœopath knows what it is. Rhus tox. 200 was given. She
never had another chill. The doctor was a good prescriber, but
he had not seen the case right in the paroxysm, and he was a
young practitioner and had never heart of Carroll Dunham's cough
symptom. (Nash.)
SPRAIN
A man sprained his leg in a harvest field. When he presented
himself to me he had exhausted the old school remedies. Found a
swelling about the size of half an ordinary orange just below
the knee-cap at the head of the tibia. Was very lame, worse
during rest, at night, before a storm, etc., a complete Rhus
case.
Prescribed Rhus 30. In five days he reported no swelling and no
pain to speak of. He got but one prescription. He sent another
man who had been hurt in the same field ; he had sprained his
ankle. The symptoms in this case were precisely the same as in
the other ; it was, however, of more recent occurrence, and was
located at the ankle instead of at the knee ; but still a clear
Rhus case. I gave him the same as I gave the other, with the
assurance to the patient that it would cure him in a week. He
came to me again not better. I was so sure of the remedy that I
gave him the 3d of the same. He reported in a week that the
medicine acted like a charm. (W. J. Hawkes.)
RHEUMATISM
German, aged sixty-six, attacked in 1837, from exposure to
cold, accompanied by paralysis of the right side from which he
slowly recovered. No symptoms of rheumatism until twelve years
ago ; since then pains almost constantly in the right side ;
decidedly rheumatic in character with marked periodicity, coming
on at 10 P. M. and lasting till 6 A. M., worse in winter and
before a storm ; during storm pains over the whole body ;
intense pain on moving after a rest, but continued motion
relieved. Rhus tox. 200, one dose a week, in six weeks well and
no rheumatism since. (H. H. Baxter.)
ERYSIPELAS
Mrs. Duane Fuller, age about 65, was taken with severe
chill, which was soon followed by aching pains all over, wrist,
in back and head. She soon lost consciousness, went into a
stupor with low grade delirium muttering and continually tossing
from side to side in the bed. The tongue began to grow dry and
stiff so that her muttering grew unintelligible. There was an
epidemic of typhoid fever in the vicinity, some had died under
old school treatment ; so I first prescribed Baptisia with
confidence that it would so modify the case that its subsequent
treatment would be easy or abort it entirely, as I had done in a
number cases before. But it failed. The next day there was no
improvement, and I, thinking that psora might be standing in the
way, dropped in a dose of Sulphur 200. Then erysipelas of the
head and face, the most intense I ever saw, developed. Perhaps
the Sulphur brought it out, but there was no amelioration of the
other symptoms.
The head and face were so swollen that the eyes were completely
closed, and the size of the head it seemed to me was nearly
one-third increased. The eruption was decidedly vesicular. Now
the remedy was pain. Rhus tox. m. m. was given in solution. The
restlessness immediately began to subside, the muttering less,
and an easy sleep (though she remained unconscious) followed in
which she remained for several days and nights. The swelling
gradually subsided, the vesicles dried and scaled off, and when
she awoke her mind was clear. In nine days sat up in bed and
took nourishment, and made rapid and complete recovery. (Nash).
CANCER
I had a similar case. It was of long standing. The tumor of
the stomach or rather just below the pit of the stomach was the
size of my two fits ; it was very large. After the coffee
grounds vomit appeared twice then came a large wash bowl full of
vomitus looking like molasses ; these were signs of dissolution.
That case received a dose of Arsenicum at that time, and has
never received a dose since, and she has been well for two
years. No repetition of the remedy. (Biegler.)
ECZEMA
Florence Johnson, a young woman, had been afflicted a long
time with chronic gastritis. She was unable to take ordinary
food without great burning and distress in her stomach. This
condition of stomach was relieved when she had eczema of both
ears, which was intensely painful and burning. She would
sometimes succeed in healing the ears, but in proportion as she
succeeded in that the stomach symptoms returned. Then she would
get very poor in flesh. I had given her Sulphur and Graphites
without perceptible benefit and also Arsenicum 30 and 200.
Finally I concluded to try the Arsenicum higher. Gave her
Arsenicum 37m., made on my own potentizer, and the effect was
wonderful. The whole trouble promptly yielded, and she had no
trouble since now several years. I forgot to say that she also
had scalp trouble of a similar nature with that of the ears,
which also subsided. (Nash.)
MEASLES
Jennie Marit, young lady, had measles ; everything went well
for a few days. The eruption came out all right, when all at
once, in the night, the eruption, without apparent cause,
disappeared from the skin, and intense dyspnœa with great
restlessness and tossing about in agony and extreme prostration
set in. These were all Arsenicum symptoms, and this remedy in
frequently repeated doses relieved all those distressing and
dangerous symptoms in a very short time, and she made a rapid
recovery. (Nash.)
GASTRALGIA
Mrs. Hayford, age 35, had severe attacks of gastralgia. They
came on a little after midnight and lasted until 3 A. M. I asked
her what was the character of the pains. She answered, burning
as if my stomach was full of live coals. What have you done four
yourself ? Everything I can think of, but the only relief I can
get is to walk the floor with a hot water bag held across my
stomach. I am blistered now with it, and I am growing weak from
pains and loss of rest, fairly prostrated. The veriest tyro
would not hesitate to prescribe Arsenicum for such a case, which
I did, with a promise to call next day. I was very busy at the
time, and forgot all about the case for a week, when, passing
the house one day, it came to mind. Then I went in and found the
patient at her house work looking bright and happy. Well, said
I, how are you ? Are you dead, well or got another doctor ? I
forgot you. She answered, I am not dead or sent for another
doctor, and I haven't had any more of those attacks of pain ;
but, doctor, would that medicine send out salt rheum ? Ah, you
had salt rheum before you had the gastralgia. Yes. You cured or
rather suppressed it with an ointment. Yes. That was the cause
of your trouble in the stomach. But, doctor, I don't want
either. We'll try to make you better of both. Which we did by
letting the Arsenicum act.
She moved away from Cortland about a year after, and, while not
entirely cured of the eczema, was very much better. (Nash.)
A COMPLICATED CASE
Mrs. B., aged 45, had for many years suffered from a very
delicate and irritable stomach, from cankerous sore mouth (cured
by Phytolacca), all in consequence of what is mistermed
scientific treatment. She also had suffered from hay fever,
regularly returning every year on the 16th of September.
Mrs. B. returned
from Europe, after an absence of several years, on the 26th of
July last ; the voyage had been a very unpleasant one ; she had
been very seasick all the time. From the time she left Liverpool
till she was visited by me, on the 27th of July, she had taken
literally no nourishment ; broken ice was the only thing that
had passed her lips. I found her sitting up, occasionally
straining to vomit, very weak, pulse 116 per minute ; she
complained of a violent pain in the occiput, with great heat,
which she had tried to relieve by applications of broken ice ;
urinary secretions suppressed ; mouth dry and hot ; she had not
slept for fortnight, and could not lie down on account of great
nervousness, as she expressed it, which compelled her to change
her position and her chair so very often ; she wandered about
all night from chair to chair ; was very disagreeable ; perfect
loathing of food, and for a few days had a watery, very
offensive and black looking diarrhœa. The choice of the remedy
was easy enough. I gave her one dose of Arsenicum alb. 50m. (Fincke),
on her tongue, July 27th (10 A. M.). July 28th had slept in her
bed from 10 P. M. till 1 A. M., then became nervous and
restless, but says that she feels better. No medicine.
July 29. She has
been in bed all night ; slept ; and no return of the diarrhœa ;
urinary secretions re-established ; the hot water applications
to her head have very much relieved the pain, had later some
milk toast, and relished it ; pulse below 90 ; is cheerful and
hopeful.
July 31. Had a
still better night ; is better in every respect, but complains
of severe pains in a bunion on the left foot ; it is much
inflamed and stings. I gave her now one dose of Nitric acid. c.
m. (Fincke).
August 1. The
bunion is less painful, otherwise there is not much change
perceptible.
August 2. Bunion still improving, and on August 3rd no more pain
or inflammation in it. In the evening, same day, I was again
summoned to see her ; found her quite ill ; the diarrhœa and
vomiting had returned with great violence ; pulse over 110 ; the
same headache as on the 27th had also returned, also the great
restlessness. Gave her one dose of Arsenicum album (Fincke) dry
on her tongue. Found her better the next day, and the
improvement continued ; on the 6th of August her bunion began to
pain her again as on the 21st. Gave no medicine. Improvement
continued satisfactorily ; when the 16th of September came she
had that night, about 1 A. M., some oppression of breathing,
which reminded her of the terrible asthmatic attacks she had had
years ago ; she had to sit up for half an hour. No medicine. She
fully recovered and traveled for some weeks ; had no hay fever ;
really has had nothing to complain of since ; enjoys better
health than she has had for years (Ad. Lippe.)
Next Page |
|
