An aggravation
from Phosphorus.
By A. L. Fisher, M. D.
Presented by Sylvain CazaletIn 1870 the late Dr. R.
R. Gregg wrote as follows : “Phosphorus we have prescribed for
years in cases where there was pain, more particularly acute pain, in
the lower portion of the left lung, aggravated by lying upon left
side.”Following this was a
differential comparison of Phosphorus
and Pulsatilla, which latter remedy
has, so far, the identical conditions of Phosphorus. Following this
comparison he said, “To those who will be warned by what we say, we
must insist in regard to Phosphorus that they must not give it in
repeated doses in any potency upon the foregoing indications, or they
will surely drive their patients into phthisis, who have not already
reached that condition, and will greatly hasten on the disease in those
who have, while they may cure all the former, and some of the latter by
due caution in the administration of medicine.”In August 1875, I had
under treatment a married lady 25 years of age who had not only the
pains in left side as given above, but who was a typical Phosphorus
patient ; black hair ; eyes of a suspiciously brilliant
black ; thin, delicate skin ; hectic fever ; night sweats
and a harassing, dry cough, that had for some weeks previously withstood
my best efforts. Phosphorus-200 was given in a single dose. Improvement
was plain in a week and continued uninterruptedly till the following
October, she having meantime received no more medicine. At this time
while I was away on my annual outing, she called to have her vial
refilled and the student who knew no better, looked up her remedy in my
prescription record and filled the vial with Phosphorus 6x. On my return
home, a week later, there was an order waiting for me to visit her.
Imagine my surprise and grief when I found her worse off than ever
before with a similar set of symptoms and hæmoptysis added. The
refilled vial told the story, and Gregg’s prophesy was being fulfilled.
However, after nearly a year of zig zagging, during which time she
received half a dozen different remedies, prominently among them being Sepia,
Sanguinaria and Sulphur, she recovered a fair degree
of health which she has maintained to the present time ; in fact
she is as well as the majority of women at her age.(There are several
other remedies equally efficacious to cure, and equally capable of
producing irreparable injury in diseases of the lungs if improperly used
or too frequently repeated.)
Source :
Medical Advance, 1891.
Copyright © Sylvain
Cazalet 2001