Hundertmark, as ab., P.32.89 Fr. Hoffrnann, Consult. med. I. Cas. 28, P.141.90
Apoplexy. Cummius in Eph. Nat. Cur. Dec I., ann. I, obs. 58. Mobius, Institut. med., P.65. J. J. Wepfer, Histor. Apoplect. Amstel., 1724, P.457.
Paralysis, Hoechstetter. Obs. med., dec. VIII., obs. 8, P.245. journal de Medorrhinum, 1760, Sept., P.211. Unzer, Arzt VI., St. 301.91 Hundertmark, as above, P.33.92 Krause. Schubert, Diss. de scabie humani corp., Lips., 1779, P.23.93 Karl Wenzel, as above, P.174.
Melancholy, Reil, memorab. Fasc., III., P.177.94
Insanity, Landais in Roux, journ. de Medecine, Tom. 41. Amat. Lusitanus, Curat. med. Cent. II., Cur. 74. J. H. Schulze, Brune, Diss. Casus aliquot mente alienatorm, Halle, 1707, Cas. I, P.5.95 F. H. Waitz, medic.-chirurg. Aufsatze, Th I, P.130.96 Altenburg, 1791. Richter in Hufel. Journal, XV., II. Grossmann in Baldinger’s neuem’, Magaz., XI., I.97
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(89 The itch in a youth of 20 years was suppressed by a purgative which was allowed to act violently for several days, after which he for two years suffered daily the most violent convulsions, until, through the use of birch-juice, the itch was brought back to the skin.)
(90 A young mail of 17 years, of vigorous constitution and good intelligence, was attacked three years ago, after itch had been driven out, first by haemoptysis and then by epilepsy, which grew worse through medicines until the fits came on every two hours. Another surgeon, through frequent blood-lettings and many medicines, effected that he remained free from epilepsy for four weeks, but soon afterwards the epilepsy returned while he was taking his noonday nap, and the patient had two or three fits in the nights; at the same time he was attacked with a very severe cough and suffocating catarrh, especially during the nights, when he expectorated a very fetid fluid. He was confined to his bed. At last, after much medicine, the disease increased so much that he had ten fits at night and eight during the day. Nevertheless he never in these fits either clenched his thumbs or had foam at his mouth. His memory is weakened. The attacks come at the approach of meal-time, but more frequently after meals. During his nightly attacks he remains in the deepest sleep without awaking, but in the morning he feels as if bruised all over. The only warning of a fit consists in his rubbing his nose and drawing up his left foot, but then he suddenly falls down.)
(91 A woman, after having the itch driven out, had paralysis of one leg and remained lame.)
(92 After driving off the itch with sulphur ointment, a man of 53 years had hemiplegia.)
(93 A minister who for a long time had in vain used internal remedies against the itch finally grew tired of it and drove it off with ointment, when his upper extremities were, in a measure, paralyzed and a hard, thick skin formed in the palms of the hands, full of bloody chaps and insufferable itching.
In the same place the author mentions also a woman whose fingers contracted from an itch driven out by external means; she suffered of them a long time.)
(94 He found an idiotic melancholy arise in consequence of suppressed itch; when the itch broke out again the melancholy disappeared.)
(95 A student, 20 years old, had the humid itch, which so covered his hands that he became incapable of attending to his work. It was driven off by sulphur ointment. But shortly after it appeared how much his health had suffered from it. He became insane, sang or laughed where it was unbecoming, and ran until he sank to the ground from exhaustion. From day to day he became more sick in soul and in body, until at last hemiplegy came on and he died. The intestines were found grown together into a firm mass, studded with little ulcers full of protuberances, some of the size of walnuts, which were filled, with a substance resembling gypsum.)
(96 The same story.)
(97 A man of 50 years with whom, after driving away the itch by ointments, general dropsy had set in; when the itch re-appeared and drove away the swelling he drove it away again, when he fell into raving madness, while head and neck swelled up to suffocation; at last blindness and complete suppression of urine were added. Artificial irritants applied to the skin and a strong emetic brought back the itch again; when the eruption extended over the whole body all the former accidents disappeared.)
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Who, after meditating on even these few examples which might be much increased from the writings of the physicians of that time and from my experience,* would remain so thoughtless as to ignore the great evil hidden within, the Psora, of which evil the eruption of itch and its other forms, the tinea capitis, milk crust, tetter, etc., are only indications announcing the internal, monstrous disease of the whole organism, only local external symptoms which act vicariously and mitigatingly for the internal disease? Who, after reading even the few cases described, would hesitate to acknowledge that the Psora, as already stated, is the most destructive of all chronic miasmas? Who would be so stolid as to declare, with, the later allopathic physicians, that the itch-eruption, tinea and tetters are only situated superficially upon the skin and may, therefore, without fear, be driven out through external means since the internal of the body has no part in it and retains its health?