Debility
and other complaints after excessive loss of fluids, blood-letting, etc.
Hæmorrhages
profuse, with faintness, loss of sight and ringing in the ears.
Great
flatulence, with sensation as if the abdomen were packed full; not > by
eructation or passing flatus.
Painless
diarrhœa (yellow, watery, brownish, undigested).
Periodical
affections, especially every other day.
Excessive
sensitiveness, especially to light touch, draft of air; hard pressure relieves.
Modalities:
< from slight touch, least draft of air, every other day. > by hard
pressure on painful part.
Dropsy
following excessive loss of fluids; great debility, trembling, aversion to
exercise; nervous; sensitive to touch, to pain, to drafts of air; unrefreshing
sleep after 3 A. M.
Face pale,
hippocratic; eyes sunken and surrounded by blue margins; pale, sickly
expression, as after excesses.
Hæmorrhages;
from all outlets (Crotalus, Sulphuric acid, Ferrum).
Blood dark, or dark and clotted, faiths ringing in the ears, loss of sight,
general coldness and sometimes convulsions (Fer.
phos.).
General
shaking chill over whole body.
Sweat, with
great thirst; sweating during sleep, on being covered:
******
This remedy
is used by both schools of medicine for conditions of great weakness and
debility. The old school, as they always do, prescribe it for all cases of
debility, on general principles, under the name of tonic. It remained for Homœopathy
to indicate its exact place here. Hahnemann expresses it: “Debility
and other complaints after loss of blood or other fluids, particularly by
nursing or salivation, bleeding, cupping, etc., or whites, seminal emissions,
etc.” I would add profuse suppuration and long continued
diarrhea. If the depletion has been sudden, as from a hæmorrhage from the womb,
lungs, bowels or nose, there will be faintness, loss
of sight, ringing in the ears, etc. For this state of things we have
a “friend indeed” in China, and
it should be given in frequently repeated doses, not too low, until reaction is
established; then at longer intervals, as occasion demands. If the debility is
the effect of a slow and long-continued drain the symptoms that might indicate
it must be sought in the Materia Medica; our space forbids trying to note them
here, but prominent among them are pale, sallow
face, sunken eyes with dark rings around, throbbing headaches, night sweats, and
sweats easily on least motion or labour. It is always well when a
patient comes to us in a very debilitated condition to think of China,
and to make careful inquiry for some debilitating waste that would account for
it; for if it is a woman she may be suffering from a very profuse leucorrhœa,
which from delicacy she will not mention, or if a young or even married man, he
may be suffering from seminal losses, of which he would not speak if not
encouraged to do so.
Again this
remedy has its sphere of usefulness in disorders of the alimentary canal. It has
loss of appetite, but canine hunger is
more characteristic. It is a great flatulent remedy, the choice often remaining
between it, Carbo veg. and Lycopodium.
H. N. Guernsey expresses it about right in these words -“Uncomfortable
distention of the abdomen, with a wish to belch up, or a sensation as if the
abdomen were packed full, not in the least relieved by eructation.”
Such patients are troubled with slow digestion, and as they express it:
sometimes it seems as if the food all turned to gas. They feel so full and
oppressed they can hardly breathe and still will feel hungry at meal-time.
That the
process of digestion is seriously impaired is shown by a tendency to diarrhœa,
especially from eating fruit. The stools are watery, yellow, brownish, or light
colored and undigested, and what is not
generally found under other remedies they are painless.
The stools are also accompanied with large discharge of flatulence
(Calcarea phos.). This is in accord with
the windy condition of the bowels generally. This condition of abdomen with
attending diarrhœa is often found in children, and the child is weak, pale,
with dark rings around the eyes. Here China
is the remedy, not Cina on the theory of
“worrums,” and it is astonishing what improvement follows in a short
time.
Now as to
this remedy as an anti-periodic. The popular use of it by the old school, and
the laity under their instruction in this sense, or as a panacea for all
so-called malarious diseases, is a curse to the race. That it is a great remedy,
when indicated by the symptoms, for periodical affections, whether of malarial
origin or not, is true, and so it is true of Eupatorium
Perfoliatum, Ipecacuanha, Natrum muriaticum, Arsenicum album, and a
host of other remedies. Affections that do not come strictly under the head of
malarial, if they are worse every other day,
should call attention to Cinchona.
I remember
a bad case of inflammatory rheumatism, which had been treated by an eclectic
physician with local applications until the disease had been driven to the
heart, which I quickly relieved by China,
being led to its choice by this every-other-day aggravation of the symptoms. Of
course, there were other indications for the remedy, but this was the key that
helped to unlock the case.
Those who
depend on China or its alkaloid as a general cure-all for intermittents will
meet with disappointments all along the way, for while it may have the power to
suppress the paroxysms in many cases it has the power to suppress the paroxysms
in many cases it has the power tocure in comparatively few. I have seen a case
suppressed time and again with it, return as often, for over a year and a half
that I cured with a single prescription of Eupatorium
perfoliatum. And so with Natrum
muriaticum and Arsenicum album.
With all its vaunted power over malarial affections, especially intermittent
fever, the indications for its use are not so clear cut as for many other
remedies.
I once had
three cases of intermittent fever in one family, living in the same house and
exposed to the same influences. Quinine failed to cure any one of them, and a
different remedy, as indicated by the symptoms according to the homœopathic law
of cure, was required for each case and promptly cured it. The respective
remedies were Eupatorium perfoliatum, Ignatia
and Capsicum. Now any good homœopath can
tell you the leading symptoms for all three remedies.
That
is science.
I once knew
a druggist who told me that he had at last discovered one thing that mothers-in-
law were good for. Of course I asked him what it was. I wanted to know.
He answered, to try patent medicines on. she died (the mother-in-law) shortly
after. Well, there is one thing that quinine in the hands of the average old
school physician is good for, and that is to make patients for homœopaths, for
we find more patients to treat coming from its abuse than we find calling for
its use as a curative, and from a purely business standpoint we are greatly
indebted to them (the allopathic) for a good bit of practice. But how in the
name of gratitude; we can ever pay them out of the poisonous results of our
little pill practice I don’t know.
Now what
are the best remedies for what is called the Quinine
cachexia? Here, as ever, we must answer, the indicated
one. Ipecac., Arsenicum, Natrum mur., Pulsatilla
and Ferrum are often indicated, but they
do not cover all cases any more than do Hepar
Sulph., Nitric acid or Kali hydroiodicum,
all cases of chronic mercurial poisoning. It is nonsense -worse than nonsense-
it is old-schoolism to say I gave Nux vomica
because the patient had taken pepper tea, or Pulsatilla
for Quinine, or Kali.
hydroiod. for Mercury. We do
not prescribe Aconite because the patient
has fever (the old school does), but because the patient has with the fever
other symptoms which enable us to choose between Aconite
and many other remedies that have fever also, and this to the exclusion of all
the rest. This is science again.
China
is one of the best remedies in chronic liver troubles.
There is
pain in the right hypochondria, and often the liver may be felt below the ribs,
enlarged, hard and sensitive to touch. The skin and sclerotica are yellow, the
urine dark colored and stools light, lacking the color due to a proper secretion
of bile. Now if in addition to all this we have in part or whole the abdominal
symptoms so characteristic of this remedy China;
will do excellent service. It is equally good in splenic diseases which closely
resemble the splenic troubles resulting from the abuse of Quinine.
I have found the 200th do better than lower potencies in these troubles.
I wish to
say in addition to what has already been said of China
for hæmorrhages, that the bleeding may come from any or every outlet or orifice
of the body. Carbo veg., Ferrum, Crotalus horridus,
Phosphorus and Sulphuric acid
also claim attention here.
China
has excessive sensitiveness of the nervous system. The special senses seem too
acute; the mind is unpleasantly affected, and nothing as more characteristic of
this remedy than its extreme sensitiveness to touch.
(Asafœtida, Hepar and Lachesis).
It affects the skin all over the body, even the hair feels sore (so says the
patient) because moving the hair hurts the sensitive scalp, and in addition to
this, one peculiar thing is that while the lightest
touch will increase to an extreme degree the pains of the diseased part, hard
pressure relieves. That seems impossible, but is true nevertheless.
The sensitiveness is so extreme that a current of air blowing on the part will
cause great pain and suffering.
Plumbum
also has this excessive hyperæsthesia, and I once cured a very obstinate case
of post-diphtheritic paralysis, being led to its administration by this symptom.
Capsicum also has it. The patient can
hardly bear to be shaved on account of it.
Plumbum
also has this excessive hyperæsthesia, and I once cured a very obstinate case
of post-diphtheritic paralysis, being led to its administration by this symptom.
Capsicum also has it. The patient can
hardly bear to be shaved on account of it.
Vital force
nearly exhausted; complete collapse.
Blood
stagnates in the capillaries; venous turgescence; surface cold and blue.
Hæmorrhages
(nose, stomach, gums, bowels, bladder or any mucous surface), with indescribable
paleness of the surface of the body.
Mucous
membranes break down, become spongy, bleed ulcerate and become putrid.
Excessive
flatulence, pressing upward, stomach and abdomen.
Hunger for
oxygen, decarbonized blood; cries, “fan me, fan me hard!”
Anæmic,
especially after acute diseases, which have greatly depleted the patients;
chronic effects.
Persons who
have never fully recovered from the exhausting effects of some previous illness;
has never recovered from effects of typhoid, weak digestion; the simplest food
disagrees; eructations give temporary relief.
Bad effects
from loss of vital fluids (Caust.);
hæmorrhage from any broken-down condition of mucous membrane.
Looseness
of teeth, easily bleeding gums.
In the last
stages of disease, with copious cold sweat, cold breath, cold tongue, voice
lost, this remedy may save a life.
Coldness of
the knees, even in bed (Apis); of left
arm and left leg; very cold hands and feet; finger-nails blue.
Persons who
have never recovered from effects of some previous illness or injury;
suppression by Quinine or drugging;
typhoid or yellow fever.
China
is its great complementary.
* * * * *
In our
remarks upon China we said that for
flatulent conditions the choice lay often between it, Carbo
veg. and Lycopodium. Carbo
vegetabilis also ranges alongside China
for debilitated states. The weakness of Carbo
vegetabilis is not surpassed by any other remedy. This, with Arsenicum
and Muriatic acid form a trio of remedies
which according to well-known indications has snatched many a patient from the
very jaws of death. Picture of Carbo veg.:
Vital forces nearly exhausted, cold surface,
especially from knees down to feet; lies motionless, as if dead; breath cold;
pulse intermittent, thready; cold sweat on limbs. This is truly a
desperate condition. Then add to these symptoms, blood
stagnates in the capillaries, causing blueness, coldness and ecchymoses;
the patient so weak he cannot breathe without being constantly fanned. Gasps:
“Fan me ! Fan me !” Carbo veg.
has saved such cases. This is a picture of a case of typhoid fever, and in one
case we saw added still to this, hæmorrhage of dark, decomposed, unclotted
blood; could not clot on account of its broken down condition; blood oozing from
gums and nostrils, and an indescribable paleness
not only of the hippocratic face, but also of the skin of the whole body, yet Carbo
veg. restored to health, and in an aged woman at that. I have here,
as faithfully as I can, portrayed the wonderful power of this remedy in such a
desperate case. Of course no remedy can raise the dead, no matter how strong the
indications before death; but no remedy can come nearer than this and the
dominant school know little or nothing about it, and never can until they will
consent to use it in the homœopathic form and according to homœopathic
indications.
The sphere
of this remedy is not by any means limited to low or weakening states in
connection with acute diseases. To give an idea of its use when indicated by the
symptoms in chronic ailments, I can do no better than quote from Henry N.
Guernsey: “No truer remark was ever written than that Carbo
vegetabilis is especially adapted to cachectic individuals whose
vital powers have become weakened. This remark is made particularly clear when
considered in the light of those cases in which disease seems to be engrafted
upon the system by reason of the depressing influence of some prior derangement.
(Psorinum). Thus, for instance, the
patient tells us that asthma has troubled him ever since he had the whooping
cough in childhood; he has dyspepsia ever since a drunken debauch which occurred
some years ago; he has never been well since the time he strained himself so
badly (Rhus tox., Calcarea ost.); the
strain itself does not now seem to be the matter, but his present ailments have
all appeared since it happened; he sustained an injury some years ago, no traces
of which are now apparent, and yet he dates his present complaints from the time
of the occurrence of that accident; or again, he was injured by exposure to
damp, hot air and his present ailments result from it. It will be well for the
physician to think of Carbo vegetabilis
in similar cases which are numerous and may present very dissimilar phenomena,
as these circumstances being suggestive of Carbo veg.
it in all probability will be found to be the appropriate remedy which the
agreement of the other symptoms of the case with those of the drug will serve to
corroborate.” This is from the pen of one of the best prescribers that ever
lived, and I feel justified in quoting it entire.
This remedy
seems to affect deeply the whole alimentary tract, and the same broken down,
weakened condition appears. The gums break down,
become spongy, bleed on touching or sucking them or become retracted from the
teeth, lower incisors and are painfully sensitive or sore on chewing
or even pressing the teeth hard together. The stomach also becomes weak. acidity
and pyrosis is frequent; the plainest food disagrees, fat foods especially. Here
Carbo vegetabilis succeeds when Pulsatilla
fails.
The most
marked and valuable place for this remedy is in its power to relieve complaints
from excessive flatulence in the stomach.
“Great accumulations of flatulence in the stomach.” “Stomach
feels full and tense from flatulence.” Great pain in stomach on account of
flatulence, worse especially on lying down,
should always call attention to this remedy. All this may occur in different
affections ranging from a simple dyspepsia to incurable cancer of the stomach.
In the latter case, and even in cases not so serious, we may have added burning
in stomach. This flatulence is also generated in the abdomen, but, in
the Carbo vegetabilis cases, is most
troublesome in upper part; yet may extend so far as to cause great meteoristic
distention, especially in typhoid fevers, dysenteries, etc. It is a remedy of
inestimable value in hæmorrhage from any broken down condition of mucous
membranes. This action upon the mucous membranes does not stop with the
alimentary tract, but attacks those of the respiratory tract also. Beginning
with the larynx, it causes and cures great hoarseness, which is
characteristically worse in the damp air, especially
of evening. It may be very bad even (if the air is damp) in the
morning; but morning hoarseness is oftener reached by Causticum.
This condition may go on extending and increasing until it reaches the bronchia.
This is
particularly true in case of elderly people of broken down constitutions, venous
system predominating. It is a great remedy for the bronchitis of old people;
also for asthma of the same, in very desperate cases where the patient appears
as if dying. Here the choice must be sometimes made between this remedy and China.
In the
chest there is sometimes “burning as from
glowing coal” and again, “weak, fatigued feeling in
chest,” where the choice may fall between it and Phosphoric
acid, Stannum and Sulphur.
It has been
found very efficacious in desperate cases of pneumonia, and comes in quite
naturally after Tartar emetic has failed
to assist the patient to clear his lungs of the great quantities of loosened
mucus, when cyanosis and paralysis threaten from weakness. Its sputa then is apt
to be fœtid with cold sweat and breath and the characteristic wanted-to-be-fanned
condition.
Before we
leave this remedy I want to emphasize its power over hæmorrhages, which may
occur from lungs, nose, stomach, bowels, bladder or any mucous surface. No
remedy can take its place in broken down, greatly debilitated constitutions
where the surfaces from which the blood oozes seem too weak and spongy to hold
the blood in them. Their vitality is gone with the patient’s nervous vitality.
The patient’s face and skin is very pale,
even before the hæmorrhage has occurred. China
and Carbo vegetabilis are decidedly
complementary.
Before we
leave this remedy I want to emphasize its power over hæmorrhages, which may
occur from lungs, nose, stomach, bowels, bladder or any mucous surface. No
remedy can take its place in broken down, greatly debilitated constitutions
where the surfaces from which the blood oozes seem too weak and spongy to hold
the blood in them. Their vitality is gone with the patient’s nervous vitality.
The patient’s face and skin is very pale,
even before the hæmorrhage has occurred. China
and Carbo vegetabilis are decidedly
complementary.
Depression
of mind and sensorium, stupid; lower jaw drops; chronic conditions, memory
fails; uses wrong words to express himself; mixes up things; failing brain
power.
Right-sided
complaints, or begins on right and travels leftward; throat, ovaries, uterine
region, kidney and skin troubles; hernia.
Sense of
satiety, or hunger, but soon fills up.
Great
flatulence with rumbling, mostly intestinal and pressing downward.
Lithic acid
diathesis; red sand in clear urine; > pains in back or kidneys after passing.
Dark-complexioned
people; emaciated in face and upper parts, bloated or swollen in lower; keen
intellectual but feeble muscular development.
Modalities:
< 4 to 8 P. M., after eating, in warm room; > in cool open air, on motion.
Irritable;
peevish and cross on waking; ugly, kick and! scream; easily angered; cannot
endure opposition or contradiction; seeks disputes; is beside himself.
Complexion:
Pale, dirty, unhealthy; sallow; looks. Older than he is.
One foot
hot and the other cold.
Great
thirst after the sweat.
Chill on
left-side of the body (Caust., Carbo v.).
Sour
vomiting between chill and heat; must uncover (Lach.).
Perspiration
immediately after the chill. Thirst after sweating stage.
In
intermittents, the flatulence, sour eructations, sour taste, sour sweat, sour
vomiting.
* * * * *
The remedy
with Sulphur and Calcarea
forms the leading trio of Hahnemann’s anti-psoric remedies. This makes a good
starting point, as the boy said when he set a pin in a vacant chair. They all
act very deeply. Each finds its affinity in a certain class of people or
temperament. Lycopodium acts favourably
in all ages, but particularly upon old people and children. It acts upon persons
of keen intellect, but feeble muscular development; lean people, leaning towards
lung and liver troubles. Such people are apt to suffer from lithic acid
diathesis for which this is also great remedy. The Lycopodium
subject is sallow, sunken, with premature lines in the face; looks older than he
is. Children are weak with well-developed heads, but puny, sickly bodies. They
are irritable, and when sick awake out of sleep ugly and kick and scream and
push away the nurse or parents. These temperament remedies are not always
appreciated by those who do not understand the true spirit of our own art of
healing; but when appreciated the skillful observer can often see the picture of
the right remedy in the face and build of his patient before he speaks a word. A
remedy must not only be well proven, but extended clinical use and observation
is necessary to develop it and indicate its true sphere of usefulness. I have
known temperaments so intensely Aconite
or Belladonna that they could not take
these remedies except in the high and highest potencies, and then only in single
doses at long intervals. Why should this be thought incredible? Carpenter, in
his Physiology, tells of a person who was so susceptible to Mercury that she was
salivated by sleeping with her husband, who had taken Mercury.
This is one
of the leading trio of flatulent remedies, Carbo veg.
and China being the other two. With Lycopodium
there seems to be an almost constant fermentation of gas going on in the
abdomen, which produces a loud croaking and rumbling. Remember, while China
bloats the whole abdomen Carbo veg.
prefers the upper and Lycopodium the
lower parts. With Lycopodium this
flatulent condition is very apt to occur in connection with chronic liver
trouble. Again this rumbling of flatulence is often found particularly in the
region of the splenic flexure of the colon or left hypochondria.
A feeling
of satiety is found under this remedy which alternates with a feeling of hunger
of a peculiar kind. The patient sits down to the table very
hungry, but the first few mouthfuls fill him right up and he feels distressingly
full; in a Pickwickian sense “too full for utterance.” This
alternation of hunger and satiety is not markedly found under any other remedy.
Constipation
predominates under Lycopodium, and like Nux
vomica there may be frequent and ineffectual desire for stool, but
while that of Nux vomica is caused by
irregular peristaltic action that of Lycopodium
seems to be caused by a spasmodic contraction of the anus, which prevents the
stool and causes great pain.
Lycopodium
should be thought of in anal troubles associated with chronic liver troubles,
especially if with much flatulence.
Lycopodium
is of use in right sided hernia. It has cured cases of long standing without the
aid of a truss.
The liver
troubles of Lycopodium are more apt to be
of the atrophic variety, while those of China
are hypertrophic, both being equally useful in their sphere.
Lycopodium
has almost, if not quite, as marked action upon the urinary organs as upon the
liver. It is the chief remedy for “red sand in
the urine.” This not simply the reddish sediment which is
generally termed “brick-dust sediment,” and which is found under many
remedies, but is an actual sandy, gritty sediment that settles at the bottom of
the otherwise perfectly clear urine. Unless thus condition is removed we have
sooner or later renal calculi, or gravel forming, and terrible attacks of renal
colic. In children this sand is sometimes found in the diaper after severe
crying spells, and in adults much pain in the back in region of kidneys, which
is relieved after the discharge of urine containing the sand. (See Borax,
Sarsaparilla and Sanicula). No
one remedy helps these cases more promptly or permanently than Lycopodium.
Lycopodium
is also one of our best remedies for impotence. (Agnus
castus). An old man marries his second or third wife and finds
himself not “equal to the occasion.” It is very embarrassing for the
whole family. A dose of Lycopodium sets
the thing all right and makes the doctor a warm friend on both sides of the
house.
Young men
from onanism or sexual excess become impotent. The penis becomes small, cold and
relaxed. The desire is as strong as ever, and perhaps more so, but he can’t
perform. (Selenium, Caladium). I have
known apparently hopeless cases of this kind cured by the use of this remedy,
high single doses at intervals of a week or more.. Give it low, however, if you
want to, but do not blame me if you don’t succeed.
Lycopodium
affects the right side most, or. at least the troubles begin on the right side.
Swelling and suppuration of the tonsils I have aborted more than once in old
quinsy subjects by an early dose of this remedy. In fact, I have had such
success with Lachesis, Lycopodium, Lac caninum
and Phytolacca that some who employ me
for nothing else come for those powders that “break
up quinsy” so quick. In diphtheria, if the disease begins in the
nose or right tonsil and extends to the left, you will think of Lycopodium,
but remember that Mercurius protoiodide
also begins on the right side, but there is no difficulty in choosing between
the two. (Bromine diphtheria begins below
and comes upward, just the reverse of Lycopodium).
Pains in the abdomen, ovarian and uterine regions also begin in right side, running
from right to left; right foot gets cold while the other remains
warm, eruptions begin on right and travel across to left side. Sciatica the
same; any complaint that begins on right and goes to left makes me think of Lycopodium.
The “sides of the body” subject is of more account than some imagine.
Drugs have an affinity for particular parts, organs and even sides of the body.
Upon the
respiratory organs this remedy also has a strong influence. It is one of our
best remedies for chronic dry catarrh of the nose, which becomes completely
closed, so that’ the patient has to breathe through the open mouth, especially
at night. Here the choice often lies between this remedy, Ammonium
carb. and Hepar Sulphur.,
other symptoms, of course, deciding the choice. In infants Sambucus
comes in for a share of attention.
Lycopodium
has often saved neglected, mal-treated or
Imperfectly cured cases of pneumonia from running into consumption.
It may even come into the later stages of the acute attack itself, and here as
usual the disease is apt to be in the right lung, and especially if liver
complications arise. The disease has passed the first or congestive stage, and
generally the stage of hepatization, or is irk the last part of this stage, and
is trying hard to take a favourable turn into the breaking-up or third stage,
the stage of resolution. Just here is where many cases die, neither free
expectoration, nor perfect absorption of the disease product taking place. There
is extreme dyspnœa, the cough sounds as if the entire parenchyma of the lung
were softened; even raising whole mouthfuls of mucus does not afford relief, the
breath is short and the wings of the nose expand to their utmost with a fan-like
motion. Now is the tame when Lycopodium
does wonders. Again, even when this stage is imperfectly passed, and the patient
still coughs and expectorates much thick, yellow, purulent or greyish-yellow,
purulent (sometimes fœtid) Matter, tasting salty, with much rattling in the
chest, Lycopodium is indispensable Here
the choice may have to be made between this remedy and Sulphur,
Kali hydroiod. or Silicea. The
characteristic aggravation as to time, of this remedy is from
4 to 8 o’clock P. M. Colocynth
has 4 to 9 aggravation of abdominal pains, and Helleborus
Niger, of the headache, with coryza; but the 4 to 8 aggravations of Lycopodium
are general, not confined to any one, or one set
of symptoms.
Lycopodium
profoundly impresses the sensorium. We see by studying its pathogenesis that it depresses.
This is found particularly in typhoid. The patient lies stupid, eyes do not
re-act to light; lower jaw drops; apparent impending paralysis of the brain.
This
condition may also be found in the advanced stage of many different acute
diseases such as cerebro-spinal meningitis, typhoid fever, pneumonia, etc. Now
if you get the 4 to 8 P. M. aggravation this remedy surely comes in. But this
depression of the sensorium is also found in chronic form. you remember what was
said of this remedy in the impotence of old men. If you find corresponding
failure in the sensorium of old men, the memory fails, they use wrong words to
express themselves, mix things up generally in writing, spelling, and are, in
short, unable to do ordinary mental work on account of failing brain power,
remember Lycopodium Here again Anacardium,
Phosphorus, Baryta or Opium
may come in for comparison. Also Picric acid
and Agnus castus.
Many more
things might be written of this wonderful polychrest, but I have given the most
important. Its strongest curative powers are not developed below the 12th
potency, hence neither the old school nor the homœopaths who confine themselves
exclusively to the low preparations know much about it. Like Carbo
vegetabilis, Silicea and Sulphur
its best powers are only developed by Hahnemann’s peculiar process of
potentization; “prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
Hahnemann’s
king of anti-psorics; combating all psoric manifestations, as described in
Hahnemann’s chronic diseases.
Itching
eruptions on the skin everywhere; scratching is followed by burning.
Burning
everywhere, general and local, especially feet; has to stick them out of bed to
cool them.
Redness of
all orifices, as if pressed full of blood (lips, ears, nostrils, eyelids, anus,
urethra, etc.).
Exudations
into serous sacs following acute inflammations.
Weak,
faint, after hot flashes, followed by sweat, especially at 11 A. M.
Modalities:
< 5 A. M. (diarrhœa), standing; 11 A. M., close room, open air, bathing,
cold damp weather; > doors and windows open, sitting or lying.
* * * * *
I now come
to an attempt to give some idea of the curative sphere of Hahnemann’s king of
anti-psorics. I do not in this place feel it incumbent upon me to enter into a
defense of Hahnemann’s psora theory against those who discard it because they do
not understand it. With those who do understand and profit by it there is no
need of such defense. The truth stands confirmed (with those who have put to the
test Hahnemann’s rules for the use of Sulphur)
that it has power to meet and overcome certain obstacles to the usual action of
drugs when indicated by the symptoms, or least seemingly so. That is the reason
why the indication as laid down in the books reads: “When seemingly
indicated drugs do not cure, use Suphur,”
because psora is the obstacle to be overcome. If you now ask me, what is psora?
I answer in true Yankee style, what is scrofula? Perhaps psora is scrofula, or
scrofula is psora. Call it either or neither. Yet it is present, a something
named or unnamed which must be recognized and complicates so-called acute
diseases. Now there is nothing so very remarkable about this. Syphilis does the
same. Once contacted or inherited no matter what ordinary acute disease appears,
we are at times obliged to turn aside from its treatment to give a quietus to
the old enemy before we can overcome the acute affection. So it is with Sulphur
and psora. The orizing and philosphizing, no matter how wise they sound, must go
down when facts oppose them. (See case of gastralgia under Arsenicum
and neuralgia under Causticum).
Now upon
this symptom -“When carefully selected remedies fail to act favorably,
etc.,” as we said when writing of a certain group under Nux
vomica -this is putting it in too wholesale a fashion. Let no one
understand that Sulphur is the only
remedy capable of removing psoric complications, but simply that Sulphur
will be likely to be oftener indicated here, because it oftener covers the usual
manifestations of psora in its pathogenesis than any other remedy. There are
anti-psorics, like Psorinum, Causticum, Graphites,
etc., which may have to be used instead of Sulphur.
And we know which one by the same law which guides us in the selection of the
right remedy any time. Another thing must not be forgotten. All the anti-psoric
remedies have their own individual sphere of action outside their anti-psoric
powers; and often a close study of the case in hand, where other remedies have
failed, as we had supposed, on account of psora, will reveal that the
anti-psoric remedy was the true simillimum from the start, independent of any
psoric element.
To
undertake to go over the whole range of action of Sulphur
would be simply to give its whole symptomatology. That is riot the object of
these notes, but we can notice only the red line
indications which lead the careful prescriber to its further study in the
Materia Medica.
One of the
chief characteristics of this remedy is found under the head or rubric of
sensation, viz., that of Burning. Burning
on vertex (outer and inner head); burning in eyes, painful smarting; burning
water from nose; burning in face without redness; burning pain in tongue;
burning vesicles in mouth; sore throat with great burning and dryness, first
right, then left; burning in stomach; burning and pressure in rectum; burning
and itching in hæmorrhoids; burning in anus; burning in urethra; burning in
vagina, scarcely able to keep still; nipples burn like fire; burning in chest,
rising to face; burning between scapulæ (Phos.
and Lycop.); burning of hands; burning of
feet; puts them out of bed to cool them; hot flushes and burning all over;
burning skin of whole body; itching eruptions burn after scratching.
After
reading such a list of burning in the cured and characteristic symptoms of Sulphur
one does not wonder that hell is represented as being heated by this substance,
for it seems by its pathogenesis as though it were eternally
burning. Arsenicum album, Phosphorus and Sulphur
lead the list in our Materia Medica for burners.
These burning sensations are found in both acute and chronic diseases. Of course
there are several other remedies that have this symptom in an intense degrees
and must be chosen if the other symptoms come in to complete the picture of
similarity. Among these of first importance may be named Aconite,
Agaricus, Apis, Belladonna, Cantharis, Capsicum, Carbo animalis and Phosphoric
acid. I think Arsenicum leads
in all acute diseases, while Sulphur
leads in chronic affections We, as homœopathists, do not yet fully appreciate
the value of sensations.
The action
of Sulphur upon the circulation is to
cause and cure local congestions and a chronic tendency thereto. In other words,
it seems to have the power of equalizing the circulation in persons subject to
such local congestions and inflammations. These, either acute or chronic
congestions, may manifest themselves in boils, swellings, felons, abdominal or
portal congestions and inflammations, and here it is especially indicated if
caused by suppressed hæmorrhoids; congestions to the head may result from the
same cause; the chest becomes congested, when there is great difficulty of
breathing; feels so oppressed that he wants doors
and windows open. This rush of blood seems to fill the whole chest,
the heart feels as if “too full,” palpitates and labours, as if trying
to rid itself of a burden.
The
orifices of the body are red, as if pressed full of blood. The
lips are red as vermilion, ears very red; eyelids red, anus red, urethra red.
All these are manifest indications for Sulphur.
Especially is the true if these symptoms follow, or are consequent upon, the
suppression or retrocession of some eruption or skin trouble. If inward
affections work outward towards the surface there is not usually cause for
alarm, but it they go the other way look out for breakers, there is shipwreck
ahead. No one need tell me that there is no relation of skin to internal
troubles. I have seen too much of it, and have cured many cases of that
character, where a restoration of the skin disease relieved the internal which
had followed its retrocession or suppression.
There is
one thing about Sulphur that it often
under-estimated by the profession in general, viz., its power of absorption. It
is after the stage of effusion has set in or even later when this stage is
passed and the results of the inflammatory process are to be gotten rid of; like
the enlargement of the joints in rheumatism, exudations
into serous sacs, pleura, meningeal membranes, peritoneum, etc. Bryonia
is one of the remedies first thought of in these cases, and we have another
remedy that is making a record for itself here, viz., Kali
muriaticum; but when the case is complicated by psora and,
especially, when the characteristic burnings
stand out prominently Sulphur is almost
sure to be needed before the case is finished. Bryonia
and Sulphur complement each other; but,
of course, the symptoms must decide and may decide in favor of neither of them.
Right here it may be well to speak of that power possessed by Sulphur
of arousing or exciting defective reaction. Your former remedy was well chosen
and seemed to help the patient in a measure, but the case relapses,
lingers or progresses slowly to perfect recovery. It is on account of a
depression of the vital force, as
Hahnemann would call it. It may be on account of psora or not. Now give a dose
of Sulphur and let it act a few hours if
in an acute case, or number of days if chronic. Then you may return to your
former remedy and get results which you could not before the Suphur
was given. It clears up the case and prevents its becoming chronic or a
lingering unsatifactory convalescence.
No remedy
has more general, positive and persistent action upon the skin than Sulphur.
With or without eruption, itching and burning,
are the characteristic sensations attending the skin symptoms. If any one doubts
the itch-producing power of Sulphur let
him work a day or two in the bleaching room of a broom factory. I have tried the
experiment, and we all remember the fact that our mothers and grandmothers used
to cure or rather over-cure itch with it.
So strong
is this affinity of Sulphur far the skin
that it seems bent on pushing everything internal out on the surface. Especially
is this true if it is something that naturally belongs there. Over twenty-five
years ago I had a case that illustrates this. A lady (maiden) had been an
invalid for fourteen years. Her trouble seemed to center in her stomach. So that
for all that long period of time she could eat nothing but at little Graham
bread and milk, hardly enough to sustain life and in the earlier part of her
sickness for a long time was able only to take a teaspoonfull of milk at a time.
She was an almost literal walking skeleton. I found, after much questioning and
several failures to relieve her much, that about fifteen years before she had
with an ointment suppressed an eczema of the nape and occiput. She boasted that
she had never seen a vestige of it since. I gave that lady Sulphur 200th and in
three weeks from that time had that eruption fully restored and her stomach
trouble completely relieved. The deacon of her (Presbyterian) church exclaimed
as she came walking up a long hill to service, “Here comes Susan F., who
has been dying for the last fourteen years and lo and behold, she is the
biggest, fattest one among us!” Now how about the relation of skin to
internal trouble? I can report a number of as convincing cases in my own
practice cured with Sulphur, Arsenicum, Causticum
or other remedies. One thing must be recognized and never lost sight of, viz.,
that symptoms weigh whether we can give the pathological interpretation of
them or not. Here are a few of that kind from the pathogenesis of Sulphur:
“Particularly
efficacious with lean, stoop-shouldered persons, who walk or sit stooped;
standing is the most uncomfortable position.”
“Dirty,
filthy people, prone to skin affections.”
“Children
cannot bear to be washed or bathed.”
“Voluptuous
itching; scratching relieves; after it burning.”
“Complaints
continually relapsing.”
“Congestion
to single parts.”
“Pain
in heart, extending to back.”
“Scrofulous
(psoric) chronic diseases that result from suppressed eruptions.”
“Discharges
from every outlet acrid, excoriating and reddening.”
“Offensive
odor of body despite frequent bathing.”
“Hot
flushes with spells of faintness, or debility passing off with a little
moisture, faintness or debility.”
“Weak,
faint spells frequently during the day.”
“Burning
in feet, wants to find a cool place for them; puts them out of bed to cool them
off.” (Chamomilla, Medorrhinum, Sanicula.)
“Feels
suffocated; wants doors and windows open, particularly at night.”
“Diarrhœa
after midnight; Painlessly driving out of bed early in the morning, as if the
bowels were too weak to retain their contents.”
“Weak,
empty, gone or faint feeling in stomach about 11 A. M.”
“White
tongue with very red tip and borders.”
“Bright
redness of lips as if the blood would burst through.” (Tuberculinum).
“Heat
on crown of head; cold feet; frequent flushing.”
Every true
homœopath knows the value of these and many more symptoms of this remedy. No
one else appreciates them. Again, none but those who use the potentized Sulphur
can ever know what it is capable of curing.
Deficient
or irregular bone development. (Fontanelles open, crooked spine, deformed
extremities.)
Leucophlegmatic
temperament.
Fairs fat,
flabby, obesic.
Coldness,
general and local, subjective and objective, especially as if had on cold, damp
stockings. Affections from working in cold water.
Sweats
general (night sweats and on exertion). Local; head (children), axillæ, hands,
feet, etc.
Digestive
tract sour (sour taste, eructations, vomiting, sour curds, diarrhœa).
Great
debility: cannot walk far or go upstairs
for short breath; easily strained.
Modalities:
< cold air, ascending, or exertion;
straining from lifting.
* * * * *
This is
another of Hahnemann’s constitutional remedies which, as Farrington says,
“may come into use, in almost any form of disease.” We may say come
into use because it may be on account of certain idiosyncrasies. which come
under the remedial power of Calcarea that
the disease, whatever it is, is made less amenable to ordinary treatment.
The
temperament of Calcarea is altogether
different from that of Sulphur. You
remember the lean stoop-shouldered Sulphur
subject. Calcarea is on the contrary what
cannot be better expressed than in the term used by Henry N. Guernsey viz.; Leocophlegmatic
temperament.
The Calcarea
patient is constitutionally fat, over-fat or strongly inclined to obesity. The
color of the skin is white, watery or chalky pale. Of torpid disposition
(especially children), sluggish or slow in its movements. The Sulphur
is almost the exact opposite, quick, wiry, nervous, active. There is none of the
bilious, swarthy, yellowish appearance in Calcarea
that we find in Lycopodium. These three
remedies Calcarea, Sulphur, Lycopodium
are a trio that find each their counterpart in many persons the world over. Of
course we find the tendency to obesity under other remedies, as for instance,
under Graphites, but with this obesity we
almost always find accompanying it the peculiar skin troubles of Graphites.
Sometimes we seem to find a condition that seems to simulate each remedy in some
one feature; for instance, the obesic temperament of Calcarea
and the eruptive tendency of Sulphur.
This may combine so as to make a case that will be covered by Hepar
sulph. Such cases are more difficult to cover with a perfect
simillimum. But when we do find a purely Calcarea,
Sulphur or Lycopodium
subject the fact is inestimable as a help to a brilliant result in many cases.
Malnutrition
is one of the disorders calling for the exhibition of this remedy.
“Tardy
development of the bony tissues with lymphatic enlargements.”
“Curvature
of the bones, especially spine and long bones.”
“Extremities
deformed, crooked.”
“Softening
of the bones; fontanelles remain open too long
and skull very large.”
These
symptoms are quoted from “Hering’s Guiding Symptoms,” and show the
lack of, or imperfect, nutrition of bones. They are nourished irregularly, or
unevenly. One part of a bone, the vertebræs for instance, is nourished while
the other is starved. While all this irregular bone development is going on the
soft parts are suffering from over-nutrition. Thus we have recorded in the
pathogenesis: “Tendency to obesity especially in children and young
people.”
“Nutrition
impaired with tendency to glandular enlargements.”
“Granular
vegetations: polypus (in nose, ear, bladder, uterus, etc.).”
This is a
fair picture of the general or constitutional use of Calcarea
ost., and it remains to give some of the characteristic or peculiar
symptoms guiding to its selection.
When
writing of Sulphur we called particular
attention to the sensation of burning under that remedy. Calcarea
has characteristically the opposite, viz., Coldness
(Cistus.).
“Cold,
damp feet.”
“Sensation
in feet and legs as if she had on cold, damp stockings.”
“Coldness
of legs with night-sweats.”
“Internal
and external sensation of coldness of various parts of head as if a piece of ice
were lying, against it; with pale puffed face.”
“She
feels a sort of inward coldness.”
“Aversion
to open air, the least cold air goes right through her.”
All this is
so directly opposite to Sulphur that any
confusion between them seems impossible.
Sensations
of coldness in single parts should always call to mind Calcarea,
as well as general coldness. (Cistus and Heloderma.)
If Calcarea
has one symptom that not only leads all the rest, but also all other remedies,
it is found in the profuse sweats on head of
large-headed, open fontanelled children. The sweat is so profuse that
during sleep it rolls down the head and face wetting the pillow far around. Many
a little child has been saved from dying of hydrocephalus, dentition, rachitis,
marasmus, eclampsia, cholera infantum, etc., where this sweating symptom was the
guiding symptom to the use of Calcarea.
It is also especially indicated, other symptoms agreeing, in sweats of male
organs, nape of neck, chest, axilla, hands, knees, feet, etc. Partial
sweats. It is also a remedy for night sweats generally when they
occur in connection with consumption or other debilitating diseases.
In all
these sweatings of Calcarea the surface
is characteristically cold at the same time, and especially would we find the
lower extremities cold.
Calcarea
has characteristic symptoms in the digestive tract. One is that everything in
the whole length of the tract seems soor.
Eructations sour; sour vomiting of large curds (Æthusa);
sour diarrhœa. And then there is a sour smell of the whole body. This is not
like the offensive odor of the body that Sulphur
has.
Then there
is a peculiar symptom of the appetite that has often been verified
-“Longing for eggs, particularly in children in sickness or during
convalescence, even before they are able to swallow. The stomach externally is
swollen or seems distended, standing right out like an inverted saucer. Abdomen
is also much distended from hard and swollen mesentery, even when the rest of
the body is emaciated.”
The
diarrhœa, which may vary as to color and consistence, instead of being
aggravated in the morning, like Sulphur, is worse in
the afternoon. The patient is generally
better when constipated.
Calcarea
has not so positive and unvarying action upon the skin as Sulphur,
but is indispensable in skin affections which seem to depend upon some
constitutional dyscrasia that it covers in its general action, for instance, in
eczema capitis or milk crusts. in children of the Calcarea
type. Here, of course, no remedy can take its place. Indeed all skin troubles in
Calcarea subjects disappear when through
its action the system is set right, showing that the skin troubles after all
were only secondary. The skin of the Calcarea
subject is generally cold, soft and flabby.
We must not
omit to notice the action of Calcarea ost.
on the respiratory organs, for the reason that it is of great importance in its
use in that dread disease, pulmonary consumption. Whether, as Professor Bennet
believes, this disease be essentially one of faulty nutrition or as Virchow
believes, one of inflammation, or if Professor Rindflesch’s theory relegating it
to the class of diseases known as infections, be true, or whatever its primary
cause may be, we know that Calcarea ost.
is one of the most effective agents, if indicated by the temperament and
symptoms, in the cure of this malady, and if applied at a stage when a cure is
at all possible.
Very many
cases in the incipient stage come within range of Sulphur
or Calcarea. As we have already given the
leading indications of Sulphur, we will
now give some of them for Calcarea:
“Leucophlegmatic
temperament.”
“Middle
and upper portion of right lung.” (Sulph.,
upper left.)
“Chest
painfully sensitive to touch and on inspiration.”
“Shortness
of breath on walking, especially on ascending.”
“Painless
hoarseness, < in the morning.”
“Especially
in women who have always been too early and profuse in menstruation, and who
have habitually cold feet to the knees.”
“Tendency
to looseness of the bowels, < afternoons.”
“Appetite
failing and emaciation progressing.”
Here are a
few of the prominent indications, and on them many a case has been cured. Of
course this is generally cough, and it may be tight or loose, yet the case rests
mainly on the symptoms outside the cough. This remedy in this disease and the
success attending its use is one of the illustrations of the soundness of
Hering’s advice when he says “treat the patient, not the disease.”
Tardy
closing or re-opening fontanelles in slim, emaciated children, with sweaty
heads.
Diarrhœa
or entero-colitis; stool passes with much flatulence and spluttering noise.
Rheumatic
troubles which are < in fall or spring, when the air is full of melting snow.
* * * * *
When on the
subject of Calcarea we may as well notice
this other combination.
The Phosphorus
element in this preparation seems to change the temperament, for while it
retains its wonderful remedial power over tardy bone development it acts best in
spare subjects instead of fat. So that if we find a sickly child with
fontanelles remaining open too long or re-opening after once closed, the child
being spare and anæmic, we think of this remedy.
We would
also think of Silicea in one of these
poor subjects, but in the Calcarea phos.
the sweaty head is not a prominent symptom, while with Silicea
it is markedly so. Calcarea phos.
also has a
very peculiar desire, the little patient instead of wanting eggs wants “ham
rind,” a very queer symptom, but a genuine one. (Magnesia
carb. craves meat in scrofulous children.) Diarrhœa is very
prominent, and the stools are green and “spluttering;” that is the
flatulence (of which there is much) with the stool makes a loud spluttering
noise when the stool passes. I have made some very fine cures in such cases
where there seemed little hope for the child and hydrocephaloid seemed
impending. The little patients were shrunken, emaciated and very anæmic. Marasmus.
(Calcarea
phos. is an excellent remedy in rheumatic troubles < spring and
fall, especially when the air is cold and damp from melting
snow.)
Calcarea
phos. is an excellent remedy for broken bones where the bones refuse
to knit (Also Symphytum.)
I have
found Calcarea phos. very useful in the
headaches of anæmic school girls. Here we sometimes have to choose between it
and Natrum mur.
Feels
complaints more when thinking of them (Oxalic acid,
Helonias).
Weak, puny
children; not from want of nourishment taken, but defective assimilation.
Inflammations
tending to end suppuration or refusing to heal; becoming chronic.
Coldness,
lack of vital warmth, even when taking exercise; must be wrapped up, especially
the head, which >.
Suppressed
sweat, especially of feet, which is profuse and offensive.
Weak,
nervous, easily irritated, faint-hearted; yielding, giving up disposition,
“grit all gone.” Constipation; stool protrudes and then slips back
again, again and again; week expulsive power.
Modalities:
< from cold or draft, motion, open air, at new moon; > in warm room, wrapping
up head; magnetism and electricity.
Scrofulous,
rachitic children with large heads; open fontanelles and sutures; much sweating
about the head, which must be kept warm by external covering; large bellies;
weak ankles, slow in learning to walk.
Diseases,
caused by suppressed foot sweat; exposing the head or back to any slight draft
of air; from vaccination (Thuja); dust
complaints of stone cutters, with total loss of strength.
Vertigo;
spinal headache ascending from nape of neck to head, as if one would fall
forward; worse looking upward.
Unhealthy
skin; every little injury suppurates.
Promotes
expulsion of foreign bodies from the tissues, fish bones, needles, bone
splinters.
* * * * *
Silicea is
another of our invaluable constitutional remedies, and also one which is of
little or no use except as developed by Hahnemann’s process of potentization.
Like Calcarea, it is especially useful in
sweaty-headed children (Sanicula) with
defective assimilation. It is not in the fat, torpid, obesic patients,
over-nourished in one part and insufficiently so in another, like Calcarea
that Silicea is indicated, but in the
over-sensitive, imperfectly nourished (generally), not from want of food, but
from imperfect assimilation. The Silicea
child is not larger than natural anywhere except in its “big belly,”
which is due to diseased mesentery. Its limbs are shrunken, its eyes sunken and
its face pinched and old looking. It does not increase in size or strength,
learns to walk late; in short, if not actually sick in bed, everything seems to
have come to a standstill so far as growth or development is concerned. Now if
this state of things continues the bowels become very constipated, and a
peculiar constipation it is, too. The little fellow strains and strains, the
stool partly protruding and then slipping back (Sanicula
and Thuja), as though the general
weakness of the patient affected the expulsive power of the rectum, or else the
bowels become very persistently loose, especially during dentition or the hot
weather of summer. The stools are changeable, but Pulsatilla
does no good, almost every kind and color of loose stool appearing. The child
takes nourishment enough, but, whether vomited or retained, goes on emaciating
and growing weaker and weaker until it dies of inanition, unless Silicea
checks this process. Many such cases have I saved with this remedy and made them
healthy children. I have always used the 30th and upwards, hence cannot speak of
the lower preparations. (Silicea also has
constipation < before and during menstruation).
Silicea
ranks among the first of our remedies for inflammations ending in suppuration.
It seems to make no particular difference whether the suppuration takes place in
the soft or hard parts, for it is equally efficacious in glandular or bony
ulcerations. It seems to come in at a later stage than Hepar
sulph. or Calcarea sulphide
which expedite the discharge of pus already formed, while Silicea
comes in for healing after the discharge has taken place. Cellular tissues with
deep-seated suppurations, including tendons and ligaments, also come within the
range of its healing powers. In these cases the constitution of the patient has
an important bearing in the selection of this remedy. The Silicea
subject is weakly, with fine skin, pale face, lax muscles. Even the mind and
nervous symptoms come into the general picture of “weakness.” He is
nervous and irritable, weak, faint-hearted, yielding, giving-up disposition,
“grit all gone.” (Pulsatilla).
In such a case Silicea is grand. I hate
to use the term, but as the old school would say, “it builds them up,”
and so it seems, for under its action the patients spirits rise, hope revives,
the weakness and depression give way to a feeling of returning strength and
health. It makes no difference whether the ulcerations are in the tissues
already named, in the lungs, intestinal tract, or mammæ, or elsewhere, the
effect is the same, and the improvement in the local affection generally follows
the general constitutional improvement. This condition of weakness seems to
attack the general nervous system, affecting the spine, and so we get those
cerebro-spinal headaches, or headaches beginning in the nape of the neck and
running forward over the head to the eyes, for which Silicea
is so useful. Vertigo also ascends from
the nape to head, < looking up. (Pulsatilla).
There seems
to be lack of nerve power to resist outward depressing influences. He is cold,
or, as Hering puts it, there is “want of vital
warmth, even when taking exercise.” He is sensitive to cold air,
takes cold very easily, especially when uncovering the head or feet. On the
contrary, he is relieved by “wrapping up the
head” (Magnesia mur.),
or, in other words, supplying artificially the warmth that he lacks naturally.
I have
several times found a Silicea child
suffering from epileptiform spasms which were always worse at new moon. A few
doses of Silicea 200th set them all
right.
Silicea
subjects are often afflicted with offensive foot-sweats (Sanicula,
Psorinum, Graphites), which are easily suppressed by getting the feet
cold. Such suppression must be remedied, the sweat restored and cured by proper
medication or serious results often follow, such as convulsions and other spinal
troubles, even locomotor ataxia. Silicea
is the remedy to restore and cure such sweats by correcting the conditions upon
which the sweats depend. (Baryta carb., Graphites,
Psorinum, Sanicula).
The Silicea
patient desires to be magnetized and is relieved thereby (Phosphorus).
This is one
of the remedies of which, like Sepia, Lachesis,
Lycopodium and others, the old school knows little or nothing,
because their chief virtues are only developed in potencies above the 12th.
Silicea is
the chronic of Pulsatilla.
Fear:
of death; of crowds; of going out. Anything, always fearful.
Complaints
from exposure to cold, dry cold.
Congestions
and inflammations, acute, first stage with great anxiety, heat and restlessness;
tosses about in agony; throws off covering. Inflammatory fever.
Pains
insuppressable < at night, especially in the evening; neuralgic.
Face very
red and flushed, but turns pale on rising up.
Favorite
points of attack: Larynx (crop), bronchi (bronchitis), lungs and pleura
(pneumonia and pleurisy), joints (rheumatism), heart and circulation (erethism).
Modalities:
< in the evening (chest symptoms and pains); lying on left side; in warm room
or warm covering.
>
uncovering; kicks the clothes off.
* * * * *
We will now
take up what I call the trio of restless
remedies; viz: Aconite, Arsenicum and Rhus toxicodendron.
All are
equally restless, yet all are so very different that there is no difficulty in
choosing between them. The Aconite
restlessness is oftenest found in a high grade of synochal or inflammatory
fevers. There is no better picture in a few words of the Aconite
fever than is given by Hering -“Heat, with thirst; hard, full and frequent
pulse, anxious impatience, inappeasable, beside himself, tossing about with
agony.”
The custom
of alternating Aconite and Belladonna
in inflammatory affections, which so widely prevails is a senseless one. Both
remedies cannot be indicated at a time, and if a good effect follows their
administration you may be sure that the indicated
one cured in spite of the action of the other, which only hindered;
or that the patient recovered without help from either. There are many cases of
this kind where the doctor is congratulating himself on a cure which was only a
recovery, for which he deserves no credit at all. Let us look for a moment at
some of the diagnostic differences of these two remedies.
Both have
great heat of the skin, but Aconite has
characteristically dry, hot skin and no
sweat; Belladonna has even greater
surface heat, but sweats on covered parts.
Aconite
tosses about in agony with great fear of death; Belladonna
often has semi-stupor and jerks and twitches in sleep. Aconite
has great distress in heart and chest; Belladonna
everything seems to centre in the head. Aconite
fears death without much delirium; Belladonna
fears imaginary things, with delirium. Thus we might continue to give points of
difference. No man who understands the homœopathic art of healing will ever
alternate these two remedies.
Aconite
is also a great pain remedy. If we were to
name the three leading remedies in this respect it would be Aconite,
Chamomilla and Coffea. The Aconite
pains are always attended by the extreme restlessness, anxiety and fearfulness
of this remedy. The patient tosses about in agony, “cannot
bear the pain, nor bear to be touched, nor to be uncovered.”
Well, you say, all remedies have pain. Not all, and not many so intense pain. Opium
and Stramonium have painlessness oftener
than pain. The Aconite pains are
intolerable and generally worse in the evening or at night. Then we have often
alternating with or sometimes even in conjunction with the pains numbness,
tingling, or formication.
In this it
resembles Rhus tox., but with Aconite
the pains predominate, while with Rhus tox.
the numbness, with dull aching and
soreness, leads. The pains of Aconite are
tearing, cutting pains, which drive the patient to desperation. Right here we
may as well speak of the leading characteristic of this remedy, for it is almost
always present when Aconite is clearly
indicated. Just one word expressed it: Fear –fear
of death especially, but fear to cross the street, fear to go into
society, fear something is going to happen, ever present, undefinable,
unreasonable fear. No remedy has it in such a degree as this one. It is the fear
as much as the pain that makes the patient so full of that agonized
restlessness. The Arsenic restlessness
goes with extreme prostration and reduced vitality. Rhus
tox., on account of the aching pains, which make him want to move for
the temporary relief he gets from the movement. Arsenic
wants to move from place to place, but is not
relieved. Neither Aconite nor Arsenic
get such relief from movement, nor does Arsenic
fear like Aconite,
or at least in any such degree. Aconite,
as a fever remedy, has been greatly abused. Even the old school, astonished at
the results of homœopathic treatment, so superior to their so-called
anti-phlogistic treatment, and finding Aconite
so highly recommended and frequently used in inflammatory affections, concluded
in accordance with their usual way of reasoning that Aconite
could be squeezed into their pathological livery and made to do service in all
kinds of fever simply because it was
fever. But they soon found that however useful it might be in some cases of
inflammatory fever, it was of no use in typhoids. Thus was generalization from a
pathological standpoint again doomed to disappointment, as it always must be.
Now many so-called homœopaths have fallen into similar error by concluding that
because Aconite did quickly cure in some
cases having a high grade of fever, that therefore it was always the remedy with
which to treat cases having high fever. They even fell into the routine habit of
prescribing this remedy for the first stage of all inflammatory affections, and
follow it with other remedies more appropriate to the whole case further on. If Aconite
were the only remedy having inflammatory fever, perhaps we could do no better
than to zig-zag the case to a cure this way. Dunham writes: “Aconite
is never to be given first to subdue the fever and then some other remedy ‘to
meet the case,’ never to be alternated with other drugs for the purpose, as is
often alleged, of ‘controlling the fever.’ If the fever be such as to require Aconite,
no other drug is needed. If other drugs seem indicated one should be sought
which meets the fever as well, for many drugs besides Aconite
produce fever, each after its kind.”
True words,
and as one reads them who has proved their truthfulness and remembers they great
author, he feels like exclaiming, “Being dead, yet speaketh.” Aconite
has two very important modalities, viz., fright and dry cold air. We have
already noticed the value of the fear of Aconite
as a symptom, connected with acute inflammatory ailments. It is no less a remedy
for ailments brought on by fright, either immediate or remote. The patient has
received a fright in the dark and is always afraid in the dark afterwards. From
fright vertigo comes on, or fainting; trembling; threatened abortion, or
suppressed menstruation, Jaundice may be induced by it, and become chronic.
There are other remedies for fright, prominent among which are Opium,
Ignatia, Veratrum album, etc. Now in regard to the dry
cold air. No remedy has more prominently acute inflammations arising
from dry, cold air. Nineteen out of twenty cases of croup arising from exposure
to dry, cold air will be cured by Aconite.
I live in a locality where croup abounds and have had abundant opportunity to
verify this. Pleurisy, pneumonia and rheumatism
also come under this head, and they are, as would be expected, almost invariably
accompanied by the high fever, anguish, restlessness and fear so characteristic
of this remedy. Any local congestion or inflammation coming from such exposure
also comes under the same rule, always providing the other symptoms corresponds
The other leading dry air remedies are Bryonia,
Causticum, Hepar sulph., and Nux vomica.
Here are some wet weather remedies: Dulcamara, Nux
moschata, Natrum sulphuricum and Rhus
toxicodendron. Such things are well to remember, for one positive
indication is worth two or three vague ones.
Great
anguish and restlessness, driving from place to place.
Great and
sudden prostration, sinking of vital force.
Intense
burning pains.
Intense
thirst; drinks often, but little, as cold water disagrees.
Dyspnœa
< on motion, especially ascending.
Vomiting
and stool simultaneous; < after eating or drinking.
Modalities:
< in cold air, from cold things, cold applications; and 1 to 3 A. M.
Movement.
> by
warm air or room and hot applications, relieved by sweat.
* * * * *
No remedy
is more restless than this one. The Aconite
restlessness comes in the earlier stages of inflammatory diseases, with fever of
a high grade. Arsenicum in the later
stages, after the patient has become greatly reduced in strength, or in low
grades of fever like typhoids. The Aconite
patient tosses to and fro in agony and fear. The Arsenic
patient is too wealth to toss as the anguish and restlessness would incline him
to. He cannot move himself around as he desires, but wants to be moved from
place to place, or bed to bed, while the least exertion on his own part exhausts
terribly. He has fear of death, but not like the Aconite
fear, but rather an anxiety and a feeling that it is useless to take medicine
for he is going to die; he is incurable.
The mental
restlessness is as great as the bodily. He has attacks of anxiety that drive him
out of bed at night. Even when there is no pain at all he wants to be
continually changing place, walking about if strong enough, without any other
reason than that he can’t keep still. Often the first beneficial effect to be
observed in cases calling for this remedy is that the anxiety grows less, the
patient lies still, his pain is not so much less, but it does not make him so
restless; he can bear it better. This is a good sign and is generally followed
by amelioration of all the symptoms. It makes little difference what the
disease, if this persistent restlessness and especially if great weakness is
also present, don’t forget Arsenic.
Arsenicum
leads all the remedies for burning
sensation, especially in acute diseases. It is not by any means confined to
acute diseases, but is often found in chronic affections, especially of a
malignant character or tending to malignancy. I think perhaps Sulphur
outranks it generally for burnings in chronic affections. There is hardly an
organ or tissue in the human system where these burnings of Arsenic are not
found. This burning, strange as it may seem, is greatly ameliorated
by heat. Hot applications if they can be gotten in contact with the
part, also heat of a warm stove or warm room. This is the exact opposite of Secale
cornutum, for while the part is objectively cold, it still burns,
but hot applications are intolerable; they cannot even bear to have it covered;
with Arsenicum, in throat complaints, in
connection with acute catarrh, the burnings in throat and from the excoriating
nasal discharge ameliorated by hot application. The burning in throat is better
from eating or drinking hot things. This is the chief modality which enables us
to choose between this remedy and Cepa
and Mercurius, for all the three have
fluent coryza. I once had a case of very severe gastralgia caused by suppression
of eczema on the hands. I knew nothing of the suppression, but prescribed Arsenicum
because the pains came on at midnight, lasting until 3 A. M., during which time
the patient had to walk the floor in agony and there was great
burning in the stomach. She had but one slight attack after taking Arsenicum,
but, said she, when I visited her, “Doctor, would that remedy send out salt
rheum?” Then I found out about the suppression which had been caused by the
application of an ointment, and told her that she could have back the pain in
the stomach any time she wanted it, by suppressing the eruption again. She did
not want it.
Arsenicum
is one of our best remedies for fevers of a typhoid character. So useful is it
that Baehr says -“Since Arsenic is,
more than any other remedy, adapted to the worst forms of infectious diseases it
seems wrong to delay its administration until the symptoms indicating it are
developed in their most malignant intensity,” and further, “our
advice, therefore, is that Arsenic should
be given more frequently than has been customary from the very beginning of the
attack, and that we should not wait until the disease has fully developed its
pernicious character.” I do not think this is sound reasoning or good
advice, for I have never found any rule by which I could decide from the
beginning that a case would later on develop into a case of the pernicious or
malignant character which would ever call for the exhibition of Arsenic.
While we need not wait for a case to develop to that “most malignant”
intensity which calls for Arsenic, we
would not on the other hand be justified in giving Arsenic
or any other remedy in anticipation of a condition which might never come. Arsenicum
is not the only remedy capable of curing these malignant cases, and how do we
know after all that it may not be Muriatic acid
or Carbo vegetabilis that will be the
remedy after the case is developed. There is no safe or scientific rule but to
treat the case with the indicated remedy
at any and all stages of the disease, without trying to treat expected
conditions or future possibilities. It would be out of place here to give all
the indications for Arsenic in typhoids,
as it would take too much space, and they can be found in Raue, Lilienthal or
any good work on practice. Arsenic is
also fine of our best remedies in intermittents, especially after the abuse of Quinine.
Close individualization is necessary here as elsewhere.
Arsenic
profoundly affects the alimentary canal from lips to anus. The lips are so dry
and parched and cracked that the patient often licks them to moisten them. The
tongue is affected in various ways. It may be dry and red, with raised papillæ;
or red, with indented edges; or white as chalk or white paint; or lead colored,
or dry, brown or black, especially in typhoids. The mouth is dry or aphthous,
ulcerated or gangrenous. The throat the same. The thirst is indescribably
intense and peculiar, in that notwithstanding its intensity the patient can take
only a little water at a time. The stomach is so irritable that the
least food or drink causes distress and pain, or immediately excites vomiting,
or stool, or both together. Cold drinks, ice-water, or ice-cream particularly
disagree and create distress. Vomits all kinds and grades of substances from
water or mucus to bile, blood, and coffee ground substances.
The pains
in stomach are terrible and aggravated by the least food or drink, especially,
if cold. The abdominal pains also are
intense, causing the patient to turn and twist in all possible shapes and
directions. Diarrhœa of all kinds of stools, from simply watery to black,
bloody and horribly offensive, and finally the end of the tract is reached and
we have hæmorrhoids. Now in every one of these affections, ranging along the
whole length of the canal, and from the lightest grade of irritation to the most
intense inflammatory and malignant forms of disease, we will be apt to find
everywhere present the characteristic burning
of this remedy, in greater or lesser degree; and the not less characteristic amelioration
from heat, and also, though not quite so invariably, the midnight
aggravation.
Arsenicum
also has its sphere of usefulness in diseases of the respiratory organs. First,
for acute coryza it stands in the front rank, the choice often having to be made
between this remedy, Cepa and Mercurius.
Arsenicum has the fluent discharge which
corrodes the lips and wings of the nose and more burning
than the other two remedies. It often follows well after Mercurius
if that remedy only partially relieves.
Arsenicum
is particularly efficacious in many affections of the lungs, where the breathing
is very much oppressed. Respiration is wheezing, with cough and frothy
expectoration. Patient cannot lie down; must sit up to breathe, and is unable to
move without being greatly put out of breath. The air passages seem constricted.
It is especially useful in asthmatic affections caused or aggravated by
suppressed eruptions, like pneumonia from retrocedent measles, or even chronic
lung troubles from suppressed eczema. I remember a case of asthma of years’
standing to which I was called at midnight, because they were afraid the patient
would die before morning. Found that her attacks always came on at 1 A. M. Gave Arsenicum
alb. 30th, and she was completely cured
by it.
The symptom
by Rollin R. Gregg, “Acute, sharp, fixed or darting pain in apex and
through upper third of right lung,” is a gem, and has enabled me to cure a
number of cases of obstinate lung troubles. In the last stage off pneumonia of
old people, with gangrenous expectoration, if the other symptoms correspond,
this remedy has often saved life. The burning is often found here as elsewhere. Arsenicum
is also one of our best remedies in pleuritic effusions.
Arsenicum
also affects profoundly the nervous system. To the characteristic restlessness,
of which we have said so much, is added great
Prostration. This prostration is present in most diseases, both acute
and chronic, where Arsenic is indicated.
For instance, in typhoids there is no remedy that prostrates more. Carbo
veg. and Muriatic acid equal
it, the difference being that the Arsenic
patient wants to move or be moved constantly, while with the other two remedies
there is almost utter absence of any such show of life. Even if not confined to
the bed, in acute or chronic diseases the patient is so weak that he is
“exhausted from the slightest exertion,” must lie down. Sometimes this
extreme degree of prostration comes on very rapidly.
Here is a
picture that shows a condition of things in chronic trouble calling for this
remedy. “From climbing mountains, or other muscular exertions, want of
breath, prostration, sleeplessness and other ailments.” This shows how weak
the patient is, and this weakness may be coupled with various forms of disease.
You may say it is common for sick people to be weak. True, but the Arsenicum
patient is weak out off proportion to the
rest of his trouble, or apparently so; and it is a general
prostration, not local like the sense of weakness in the chest of Phosphoric
acid, Stannum and Sulphur; or
in the abdomen like Phosphorus; or in the
stomach like Ignatia, Hydrastis
and Sepia. Now I do not see how I can
make plainer the value of prostration as an Arsenic
symptom.
When we
come to the tissues we find our remedy almost universally present.
It attacks
the blood, causing septic changes,
exanthemata, ecchymoses, petechiæ, etc.
It attacks
the veins; varices burn like fire, <
at night.
It attacks
the serous membranes, causing copious serous effusion.
It attacks
the glands, which indurate or suppurate.
It attacks
the periosteum.
It attacks
the joints; causing pale swellings, burning pains, etc.
It causes
inflammatory swellings with burning lancinating pains.
It causes
general anasarca; skin pale, waxy or earth colored; great thirst (Apis
none).
It causes
rapid emaciation; atrophy of children.
It causes
ulcerations, constantly extending in breadth. The ulcers burn
like fire, pain even during sleep, discharge may be copious or scanty, the base
blue, black or lardaceous.
Anthrax burning
like fire; cold blue skin dry as parchment, peeling off in large scales.
“Sphacelus,”
parts look black or burn like fire.
“Gangrene,”
better from heat (worse, Secale).
“Parchment”
like dryness, or dry scaly skin.
The skin
troubles of this remedy are mostly dry and scaly, and almost always burning.
It is one of our best remedies for affections caused by retrocedent or
suppressed exanthemata, also for suppressed chronic eczema, etc.
But it is
impossible and outside the scope of this work to mention by name all the
affections of the tissues in which this remedy is useful.
Notwithstanding
this, Arsenic is not a panacea. It must,
like every other remedy, be indicated by its similar symptoms or failure is the
outcome. Its great keynotes are Restlessness,
Burning, Prostration, and Midnight
Aggravation.
Dry or
coated tongue with a triangular red tip.
Great
restlessness, cannot lie long in one position, changes often with temporary
relief, tosses about continually.
Lameness
and stiffness on beginning to move after rest; on getting up in the A. M. >
by continued motion.
Erysipelas
or scarlatina with vesicular eruption and characteristic restlessness.
All
diseases that put on the typhoid form with the characteristic, triangular red
tip tongue and restlessness.
Stupor and
mild, persistent delirium; continually tossing about, with laborious dreams.
Modalities:
< when quietly sitting or lying and on beginning to move; wet, cold weather;
lifting or straining; getting wet when perspiring. > by continued motion, by
warmth, dry air or weather; lying on hard floor (backache).
Muscular
rheumatism, sciatica; left side (Col.);
aching in left arm, with heart disease.
Great
sensitiveness to open air; putting the hand from under the bed cover brings on
the cough (Bar., Hep.).
Back; pain
between the shoulders on swallowing.
Cough
during chill; dry, teasing, fatiguing, but urticaria over body during heat.
* * * * *
This is the
third remedy of our so-called restless trio. This restlessness of Rhus
is on account of the aching pain and soreness which is temporarily relieved by
movement. There is also an internal uneasiness which is purely nervous, which
causes the patient to want to be on the move, even when there is no particular
pain present; but not nearly to the degree that we find it under Aconite
and Arsenicum.
As in Bryonia, so in Rhus, the
leading characteristic is found in its modality. The aggravation on movement, in
the former, is no less marked than the aggravation
when quiet of the latter. The patient tosses and turns from side to side with Rhus
the same as with Aconite and Arsenicum.
With Rhus the change relieves, while with
the other two it does not. In Bryonia,
the more the patient moves the more he suffers, while with Rhus,
the more and longer he moves the better he feels, until he is exhausted. In
acute affections, like scarlatina and typhoid fevers, and even in the hot stage
of intermittent fever, constant movement seems to be the patient’s only relief.
With chronic diseases like chronic rheumatism the patient must move, suffers on
first beginning to move, but as he continues to move, or as he expresses it,
“gets limbered up,” he feels better. But he cannot long lie
comfortably in either the acute or chronic trouble, for the aching comes on and
he must move even if it does hurt him at first. The pains causing the
restlessness of Rhus are not so agonizing
as they are under Aconite and Arsenicum,
nor is the prostration so great as under Arsenicum
nor the excitement so great as under Aconite.
Rhus and Arsenicum
are often indicated in typhoids, Aconite
seldom or never, but all three are equally restless
remedies.
If in
genuine typhoid Arsenicum, as some think,
heads the list, because oftenest indicated, Rhus
will put in equally strong claims in all other diseases that take on typhoid
symptoms. The literal meaning of the term or word typhus is smoke,
stupefaction. Now in all forms of typhus, known as cerebral,
abdominal and pneumo-typhus, taking all together, Rhus
will be as often indicated as any other remedy. Whenever in fevers or even
inflammatory diseases the sensorium becomes cloudy (smoky) or stupefaction sets
in, with low grade of muttering delirium, dry tongue, etc., we think of Rhus.
Dry or dark coated tongue, with triangular red tip,
is especial indication for this remedy. This condition of sensorium and tongue
may appear in dysentery, peritonitis, pneumonia,
scarlatina, rheumatism, diphtheria; bilious, remittent, typhoid fevers,
etc. It makes no difference what the name or locality of the disease is if the symptoms
are there. The stupefaction calling for Rhus
in these diseases is not so profound as that calling for Hyoscyamus
or opium, but is more on a parallel with
such remedies as Baptisia, Nux
moschata, Lachesis or Phosphoric acid.
Nor is the delirium so violent as that calling for such remedies as Belladonna,
Hyoscyamus and Stramonium.
Both stupefaction and delirium are mild in form, but regular and persistent. Of
course the Rhus restlessness is present
and the patient tosses or turns from side to side, even without knowing of it,
or of anything going on around her. She will answer questions and perhaps answer
correctly, but afterwards does not know anything that transpired while she was
sick, may be for days or weeks.
Rhus,
Baptisia and Arnica closely
resemble each other; and choice is sometimes difficult; but we will try to
differentiate them when we come to write upon the two latter.
Cough
during chill in intermittents is a characteristic given us by Carroll
Dunham, and is very reliable, as I have had occasion to prove.
Rhus
acts particularly on fibrous, muscular and cellular tissues. The muscles are
stiff and sore. This may be of a rheumatic character, or may have been induced
by straining, by heavy lifting or severe muscular exercise of any kind, or it
may have been brought on by exposure to cold, especially wet cold.
This
strained condition may not be confined to the muscles alone, but may involve the
tendons, ligaments and membranes of the joints. Several affections of the
muscles of the back and even the spinal membranes (myelitis) may come on from
sprain, or by exposure, by sleeping on damp ground, or in bed with damp sheets,
or getting wet in a rain storm, especially while perspiring. Indeed Rhus
is one of our best remedies in lumbago. But it makes no particular difference
what muscles are strained or exposed so as to bring on this lameness and
soreness the remedy is the same, and if the great characteristic -“Lameness
and stiffness and pain on first moving after rest, or on getting up in the
morning, relieved by continued motion,” is present, Rhus
is the first remedy to think of.
Rhus is
also often a remedy for glandular swelling of parotid or submaxillary glands
during scarlatina, cellulitis in diphtheria, or orbital cellulitis.
This is
also one of our best remedies in skin diseases. No one who has been poisoned by
it will doubt that Rhus has power to
produce skin disease, and of course in accordance with our law of cure we would
expect cures by it. We have not been disappointed. The eruption of Rhus
poisoning is vesicular. Erysipelas of the vesicular
variety, accompanied by the restlessness and sensorium of this
remedy, is quickly cured by it. So, also, is scarlatina.
If we find the skin red, smooth and shiny, with high grade of fever and delirium
Rhus would not do any good, but Belladonna
or some remedy having that kind of skin, etc.
Apis,
Cantharis, Lachesis, Ailanthus and others have each their peculiar
appearance of the skin in these acute exanthemata. Yet, notwithstanding this, it
must be remembered that in many cases the
leading indication for a remedy will not lie in the skin symptoms, but outside
of them.
If in variola the eruption turns livid and typhoid symptoms supervene
we may rely on Rhus for a good effect.
Probably no remedy is oftener found useful in herpes
zoster than this. Rhus
is no less valuable in chronic skin troubles than in acute. Eczemas
of the vesicular type are often cured by it; there is much itching which is not
greatly relieved by scratching. In all such cases of course the constitutional
symptoms weigh as much as the local. So far as dose is concerned, I have used it
both high and low, and find it useful all along the scale, but I have an M. M.
potency made upon my own potentizer which has served me so well, and so many
times, that I cannot refrain from speaking of it.