RHUS TOXICODENDRON
RHEUMATISM (?)
Case 83
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
Case 84
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 homśopath
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
Case 85
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
Case 86
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
Case 87
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).
I have seen this remedy in the same potency (made on my own fluxion
potentizer) do likewise since in other cases. These cases of Rhus
need no comment. No remedy is more clear-cut in its indications and none
more satisfactory in application to the cure of the sick when indicated.
(N.)
RÉSUMÉ
1. Dry or coated tongue with a triangular red tip.
2. Great restlessness, cannot lie long in one position, changes often,
with temporary relief.
3. Lameness and stiffness and soreness on beginning to move after or
during rest ; on getting up in the A. M. : > by continued
motion.
4. Eruptions like erysipelas or scarlatina ; vesicular, with the
characteristic restlessness.
5. All diseases that put on the typhoid form with the characteristic
triangular red tip of tongue and restlessness.
6. Stupor and mild persistent delirium ; continually tossing and
muttering with laborious dreams.
7. Modalities, < when quiet, and
on beginning to move ; wet, cold weather, lifting or
straining ; getting wet when perspiring ; > by continual
motion ; warmth ; dry air or weather ; leaning against
something hard.
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