Clinical cases.
By Morrison, M. D.
Presented by Sylvain Cazalet1. VISCUM ALBUM.
Chorea from Fright.
A little girl about 9
years old, of scrofulous habit and disposed to cutaneous affections,
being frightened by a drunken Ign, came violently against a lamp-post. A
few days after, the following symptoms appeared : Absolute
incapacity for standing for three minutes steadily in one
position ; the muscles of the face, arms and legs were in constant
motion ; the countenance sad, stupid, and idiotic. It was with
great difficulty she could put out her tongue ; her speech was
entirely inarticulate ; she could not turn round at the table
without assistance. Contrary to numerous observations formerly made in
other cases of Chorea, I found that the motions continued during the
night, and that the child was worn out from want of sleep.
Belladonna
was given, and during the following days the convulsive movements were
diminished by day but not by night. Hyosciamus
was administered, which improved the condition of the patient by day but
not during the night. The mother informed me that the child saw things
double. This seemed to me most indicated in the proving of Stramonium,
where objects seen always seem to disappear, or a part only of them
remains constant. Under Stramonium
the sleep improved, the diplopia vanished ; but as for the rest not
withstanding all our care, no perceptible improvements was made in three
weeks. I changed, therefore, to Viscum-album, 1st
two drops for a dose, and prescribed
Puredelle-frizioni. With this she grew worse. Her mother then
begged permission to give the child the mistletoe tea, recommended to
her by many friends. Being in doubt whether I had not given too small
doses. I prescribed fifteen drops of the mother tincture daily in four
doses. Immediately an improvement took place and the convulsive
movements ceased a once ; the aspect of the child became more
lively and she slept well. After having continued the use of the viscum
for a week, ulcers appeared at the corners of the mouth, a considerable
excoriation upon the tongue, and a certain dryness of the conjunctive.
On this account I suspended of chorea refunded. I administered another
15 drops and the ulcers of the corners of the mouth and the dryness of
the conjunctive reappeared. Then I gave 5 drops only, every third day,
and the patient continued to improve daily until the cure was complete.The writer conclude by
speaking of having used the Viscum with great advantage in two cases of
epilepsy of long duration ; and no doubt this remedy has given many
other proofs of its virtues. The two cases cured were women who suffered
much from Metrorrhagia. Let us add that they induce the opinion that
Viscum should be used only when the Epilepsy is accompanied with
unaccustomed irritation of the womb.
2. LAC DEFLORATUM : PROVING AND CURES.
A lady, aged 22 years,
of bilious-sanguine temperament, moderately fleshy, while in perfect
health, on the 14th March took some drops of the 15th dil. On the 15th
she awoke with 8 disagreeable sensation, of stupidity, which increased
to a severe pain in the forehead accompanied by nausea and chilliness.
On the 16th she took the medicine every hour ; nausea and strong
desire to vomit on rising up ; during the day the nausea subdivided
a little ; the sensation of cold remained ; she sat by the
fire but with no permanent relief. As yet no evacuation ; appetite
not so good as before. On 17th she has continued to take the medicine.
Strong sensation of suffocation, and efforts to vomit without success.
Indescribable nausea ; severe pain in forehead. She could not make
up her mind to go to dinner or to taste the least morsel of food brought
to her. Her whole tongue was covered with a white coating ; great
sense of humiliation, as if some disgrace had befallen her. Every six
hours the nausea returns. No evacuation. The rectum seems full, but she
is unable to expel the feces. Coldness of the whole body, nails livid,
nor do the heavy coverings prove too warm. Still greater prostration,
18th, medicine as before. She awoke with headache. Ineffectual efforts
to vomit. Is hungry and feels faint in the stomach, but is unable to eat
during the loss of appetite. The thought of food increases the nausea.
After many efforts, and consequent generation of the anus, had an
insufficient stool, large and herd. All day she has chilliness and
presentiment of evil. 19th, an unquiet night ; feet not warm all
night ; headache, nausea and greater chilliness ; stools very
hard and large, during which laceration of the anus and pains so severe
as to make her cry out ; afterwards loss of much blood. Can no
longer be induced to take the medicine. The constipation was so great
she was obliged to have recourse to Nux-vomica, which gave her
remarkable relief. The nausea and efforts to vomit continued yet for
some time every morning on rising. The natural stool returned only after
several weeks. The menstruation, which had formally been scanty and
tardy, appeared mare regularly and more abundantly.
Three Cases of Cures :
(1) A lady, small,
slender, nervobilious, the mother of 4 children, suffered for 16 years
with hemicrania, which came at least once a month, and for the last two
years every Saturday. The attack lasted two or three days and obliged
her to go to bed. Symptoms : Nausea, and some times vomiting, which
relieved her. Pain in the forehead as if the head would burst, with
blindness. The pain is diminished by binding a handkerchief tightly
around the head ; it is increased by light and noise. Constipation
with large stools. Hands and feet cold. Nux and Sulphur gave no relief.
Lac-defl. 1M repeated for seven hours, cured.(2) A lady, aged 29
years, tall, thin, the mother of two children, light hair and blue eyes,
had suffered from her youth with headache, which became worse at the
menstrual period- the menses being always scanty and accompanied with
colic Periodical pain in the forehead, as if the head would burst,
accompanied with violent efforts to vomit, and more rarely with
vomiting. The last attack continued for three days. Hand and feet
cold ; diarrhœa alternating with constipation, the latter
predominating. Loss of appetite ; the smell or thought of food
produced nausea ; the tongue moist and covered with a white
coating ; no thirst. Lac-defl. one dose every hour for nine days.
In the 9 months following she had but a single attack and that very
severe. She is now sufficiently fleshy and entirely well. The allopaths,
first employed, could gave no relief.(3) A lady, aged 32,
small sized, the mother of 4 child was for seven years tormented with
headache accompanied by nausea. The attacks came every 8 days, during
which the patient could neither eat or drink, nor endure light or
noise ; she did not even like to speak. Great prostration,
particularly during the menstruation. When the pains subside,
inflammation of the tonsil appears ; the tongue is white and she
had no relish for food.
Lac-defl.
1M,
one dose every hour. Two light attacks afterwards, when she was cured.These cases are
sufficient to show the action of this remedy. I always use the one
thousandth potency or one still higher.
PRACTICAL JOTTINGS.
Æsculus Hipp. :
Used
internally and externally, relieved and cured an extreme case of
hæmorrhoids. They formed, painful, strangulated mass, preventing the
gentleman, getting. Under the old practice this would have been
considered a case urgent for operation.
Arnica :
Promptly checked
severe hæmoptysis, in a phthisical patient. The blood was darkish,
semi-fluid, and expelled after hacking cough. Millefolium 200th had
sufficed for previous attacks but failed on this occasion.
Baptisia 200 :
Speedily
arrested remittent fever in a child, 4 years of age. She had several
times complained of slight abdominal pains, and one morning was found in
a high state of fever. I visited her 2 P. M. She had twice vomited
frothy mucus ; there was frontal headache ; eyes dull ;
tongue thickly coated with white fur ; skin dusky, dry hot ;
tenderness and fullness about hypogastric region ; moderate
thirst ; constipation ; and general apathetic condition. Pulse
130. Medicine every 2 hours. On the following morning, at half past ten,
the tongue was cleaning ; skin less dusky and hot ; abdominal
tenderness had almost gone, and the aspect was greatly improved. She had
once vomited, and had several times started up from sleep, exclaiming
that there were “ugly things” about the walls. Pulse 116.
Medicine continued. On the following morning, at 11 O’clock, the skin
was moist ; tongue clean ; pulse 88 ; and she was up, and
playing with her toys.
Camphor 200 :
Has, with
myself and others, repeatedly checked catarrh ; a few doses, taken
at frequent intervals during the sneezing stage.
Caulophyllum 200 :
Arrested
threatened miscarriage, when remedies administered by another
practitioner had failed. All movement of the child had ceased ;
there was a sense of heavy weight, and profuse hæmorrhagic discharge.
The patient went her full time, and a healthy infant was born. In
another case, about four months advanced, the danger was over by the
third day. When consulted, there were paroxysms of labor pains so severe
that the patient was obliged to hold to firm objects for support. The
first decimal of Caulophyllum is especially useful in parturition.
Dioscorea 12 :
Has recently
proved very serviceable in mitigating the pain of suppurating white
flow, affecting the right thumb. On a previous occasion there had been
slight disease of bone, a repetition of which this remedy appears to
have prevented. In the 200th, a few doses checked a troublesome diarrhœa
in an old gentleman, when Colocynth had failed. There were frequent
attacks of colic (always before a motion, sometimes without) increased
by bending forward, and eased by assuming the rigidly upright posture.
Hippozanin 12 :
Permanently
cured a child suffering from extensive eczema, who had been several
months in other hands. No other drug was given. It also proved of great
service in a case of inveterate rupia, in a girl aged 16, who had
suffered from the complaint from early childhood. She subsequently died
from the effects of cardiac disease ; probably induced by arsenical
treatment.
Hyoscyamus 6 :
Recently
carried a patient well through the crisis of remittent fever. The pulse
was 100 ; temp. 40°C, tongue red and cracked ; there were
heavy, sour perspiration ; troublesome dreaming ; and
bronchial complications, with difficult, frothy, hæmorrhagic
expectoration’s.
Kali Carb. 200 :
Relieved
acute gastritis, resulting from chill ; accompanied by attacks of
twisting, hot pain, at the epigastrium, extending upwards beneath the
sternum, and downwards into abdomen, with distension and gripping ;
nausea ; constipation ; aching in the limbs, and
neuralgia of the temples. Drawing pains in the breasts had yielded to
Conium 12. The cure was completed by Chamomilla.
Lycopodium 200 :
Carried me
through the crisis of rheumatic fever, with severe cardiac
complications. There existed intense dyspnœa ; dilatations of the
alæ nasi ; great flatulence ; epigastric constriction ;
and profuse, sour perspirations. Each dose afforded perceptible relief.
Podophyllum :
Has been the
basis-remedy for what amount of summer diarrhœa there has been in this
neighborhood. After the subjugation of the earlier symptoms by other
medicines (notably Veratrum-alb.) there frequently remained profuse,
watery gushing, offensive, painless stools ; sudden urging ;
vomiting of empty retching ; retraction of the abdominal
muscles ; and great prostration ; which promptly yielded to
Podophyllum. My experience was first gained with the 200th
potency ; some of my confrere’s arrived at a similar conclusion
from administering the mother tincture.
Rumex Crispus 200 :
Subdued
a serious attack of diarrhœa, affecting a gentleman 70 years of age,
where Sulphur had failed. The chief symptoms were : early morning
aggravation nausea ; and colic. Tickling cough, increased by cool
air and talking, subsequently developed ; when Rumex acted well.
Vaccinin 200 :
Quickly
relieved the severer symptoms of variola, occurring in a child aged 6
months. Two days previous to the eruption appearing, she had been
revaccinate (at an interval of eight days,) on a nævus near the right
nipple. Deglutition was difficult, through implication of the tongue and
fauces. The pustules, many of large size, were scattered over the scalp,
face body and limbs, Vaccinin was given on the second day. By the
following morning deglutition had somewhat improved ; and the next
day was fairly easy. The pustules were rapidly fading. She was then
attacked with croup. This yielded promptly to Hepar-sulph 200th., and by
the fifth day of treatment she was convalescent. A case (age 28) in
which tinea tarsi and conjunctivitis remained as the result of variola
in infancy, has been much benefited by Vaccinin 200, Sulphur 12,
Mercurus sol. 12, Rhus tox. 6, Thuja 12, and Zincum 12 had been
administered without decided improvement. The conjunctive have lost
their painful sensitiveness, and the eyelashes are becoming perfect.
Variolinum 200 :
Was given
as a prophylactic to two children, sisters of the infant above
mentioned. Both had been vaccinated in infancy, and the younger had
excellent scars. The elder had varioloid two years previously. She again
had a slight attack, a week subsequent to the baby’s recovery, which a
repetition of Variolinum at once
checked.
Source :
Monthly Homœopathic Review, 1874.
Copyright © Sylvain
Cazalet 2001
