Clinical cases.
By George W. Sherbino, M. D.
Presented by Sylvain Cazalet
INDOLENT ULCERS : Sulphur.
Mrs. J—., æt. 30,
has had an ulcer on left leg, midway between knee and ankle, which has
been discharging more or less for 12 years ; discharge thin,
watery, sometimes tinged with blood. Surgeons have wanted to cut down
and scrape the bone, claiming it could be cured in no other way. I
introduced a probe, but a careful examination revealed neither caries
nor necrosis. The bone was perfectly smooth. I told the patient the
sinus could be cut open-it was two or three inches in length-and by
bringing the parts together, it in that way might be cured. She was
willing to submit to any treatment that promised a cure ;
but ! also told her that while splitting the sinus open might be
the easiest way, it certainly was not the beat. There was evidently a
constitutional defect, and when that was removed the ulcer would be
cured also.The symptoms were few
but characteristic : She could not bear any covering on that leg at
night, the foot was hot and burning, especially the sole ; in fact
the whole limb seemed to bum at night, and she was frequently compelled
to sleep with limb uncovered ; restless sleep at night in
consequence ; hot, burning, vertex headache ; hungry every day
at 11 A. M. These symptoms were far removed from the ulcer and
apparently had little or nothing to do with it, but as there was nothing
characteristic about the ulcer, the constitutional symptoms must be
relied upon. –Sulphur 1000, one
dose, S. L. to last a week.At the end of a week,
received a letter staling she was-wonderfully improved, ulcer better
than for years ; the burning, in the foot and limb almost gone. S.
L. for two weeks.In a month she wrote
that the ulcer had been healed for several days but that morning had
broken out again. One more ; dose of Sulph.
1M. and S. L. for another
month. Cured.
HYDROCEPHALUS :
Apium virus.Was called to see a
little girl, aged about two and a half years, suffering with diarrhœa
for two or three days, attended with a high fever and a rapid pulse, and
worse in the afternoon. She was drowsy and sleepy. Belladonna
200 relieved the fever promptly, and on my second visit the
bowel trouble had abated, though she was still drowsy, sleeping most of
the time. I thought she would need no further attention, and requested
to be notified if she did not improve. Several days after I was again
called and found my little patient much worse. She was unconscious,
pupils widely dilated, and did not notice anything. Had been growing
stupid ever since my last visit. Her head was drawn backwards. She was
very restless, constantly rolling her head from side to side, with an
occasional sharp, piercing screens which I had never heard before, but
shall not soon forget, the “Cri encephalique.” Urine very
scanty ; had not passed any in 24 hours. Some Squinting of the
eyes. No thirst. This was evidently a serious case, and I feared I had
neglected my patient too long. Apium virus 200,
in water, teaspoonful every two hours until better.Called in the evening.
Patient not so restless ; had passed urine ; still rolling the
head constantly, but the sharp scream had ceased ; skin hot and
dry. Pulse 140. The improvement was sufficiently marked to discontinue
the remedy, Ordered S. L. every two hours, the medicine to be repeated
if the improvement ceased, or if the screaming commenced again. On
calling in the morning found her sitting up in bed playing with her
toys, S. L. every two hours.This came very near
being a bad case, but similia proved
all sufficient.May —., age two and a
half years, twin, light complexion, blonde hair ; had sore eyes
last summer for three months, for which she received nothing but local
treatment. Seemingly she recovered, leaving a small cicatrix over the
pupil of the left eye. Last winter her mother vaccinated her on the calf
of the leg. It “took” and made her quite sick. She was
apparently progressing favorably till her mother brought her to the
office, for a discharge behind the ear, which was clear, transparent,
gluey, with some acne here and there over the face. For this she
received one dose of Graphites CM. which
cured in one week. Three weeks after she was brought to the office
again ; this time with ophthalmia of both eyes. She could not bear
the light ; had to wear a shade, and keep the eyes bandaged even in
the house. The conjunctive very red and congested, agglutination of the
lids in the morning, intolerable photophobia, and profuse lachrymation,
the water running down both cheeks. Perhaps she would return with
pimples around her eyes. Once she had a sore on her head that had to be
opened, and it discharged a quantity of pus. The lymphatics of the neck
were enlarged and felt, under pressure, like split peas. Every time I
gave her a remedy, she would improve for a week or two, and then return
as bad as ever. This continued for about three months, and the parents
became somewhat discouraged ; but if she went to an oculist, she
would again receive the same old local treatment, in which they had no
confidence.I had given her Belladonna,
Calcarea, Graphites, Cina Mercurius, Rhus-tox., Sulphur and
Silicea ; but despite my best selected remedies she
would return as bad as ever. For about two or three weeks she suffered
from ulcer of the cornea Both eyes were terribly photophobic, attended
with severe pain She would improve for a time, and then one would come
the inevitable relapse. Each remedy had been carefully selected and
allowed a proper time to act before a repetition of the dose, but
without avail. From a proving of Sanicula,
which appeared in the ‘Advance’ in Jan. 1885, and a careful
correspondence of the symptoms, especially the tendency to relapse which
Sulphur, had failed to prevent,)
determined to give it a trial. Sanicula
50M. was accordingly prescribed with
very gratifying results. Improvement began to take piece at once, and
continued without any more relapses. The bloated and enlarged stomach
and abdomen, the profuse sweating of the head, so that the pillow was
wet while sleeping, for which Calcarea
and Silicea had been given with only
temporary relief, gradually but permanently disappeared.There is no doubt that Sanicula
will become one of our best remedies, rivaling some of our valuable
anti-psorics.
RHEUMATIC CARDITIS : Spigelia.
Miss B—., aged 12 was
troubled with inflammatory rheumatism, a year ago, which left her with
“heart trouble” and her hands were somewhat deformed. Two or
three weeks ago she took a severe cold which caused her to suffer most
intolerable pain in the region of the heart.When I was called she
had been attended by one of the old school physicians, who had that day
said she would not live until morning. The neighbors were of the same
opinion and were preparing her burial clothes.The doctor’s diagnosis
of The case was consumption, scrofula and heart disease. She had fair
complexion, with blue eyes and light hair. Evidently she had a catarrhal
affection but I could see no signs of scrofula or consumption. When I
called, she was sitting in a rocking chair, having been in that position
for a week, as she was unable to lie down for a moment, so great was the
dyspnœa. Her pulse was 120, full and strong respiration 28 ;
temperature 99 1/2. She described a pain in her chest at about the sixth
intercostal space, where the apex of the heart strikes the thorax, the
spot that pained her seeming to be about the size of a quarter of
dollar, and having three branches ; one extending upwards across
the left chest to the point of the left shoulder and down the arm and
the third downward, across the lower part of the sternum, or epigastric
region. On moving or taking a long breath, the pain became worse, the
act of moving being always followed by a momentary suspension of breath.
The heart’s action vigorous, striking the chest so hard that it produced
a waving undulating motion of the carotids. I thought from the heart
striking further around to the left that there was hypertrophy of the
left ventricle, but I could not detect any abnormal sounds, only
increased intensity. Spigelia 200.On calling next
morning, I found her lying in bed with two pillows under head sleeping
soundly. I felt her pulse, and as she did not awaken, left word that I
would call again next day. She improved very rapidly from day to day. I
would stop giving Spigelia and use
S. L. instead, when the pain would soon return, so that I would again
have to give Spigelia. This continued for at least a month, until all
trouble had ceased. As the pain abated respiration and pulse became
normal, and with this came decreased heart action. She has not had any
aching about the heart for two months ; has gained in flesh and her
appetite is good.When I began to treat
her, her mother was the most skeptical person in the town, but now she
does not feel that way. Faith comes after the cure, both to the patient
and friends, and also the doctor !DR. GEORGE W. SHERBINO, M. D.,
ABILENE, TEXAS.Source :
Medical Advance, 1886.Copyright © Sylvain
Cazalet 2001