A large, powerfully-built merchant, 41, always healthy, had two years before, while travelling, contracted intermittent fever which was suppressed with large doses of Quinine. Since then he had never been well, whilst previously he had never been ill, and always had a blooming appearance. A year ago he was taken with gastric fever which had become typhus, as his physician told him. There was no unconsciousness, however, and no hallucinations, no diarrhoea or chest trouble, only constant pains in all parts of the head, especially the occiput, which deprived him of sleep, and every evening he had fever.
These pains in the head finally extended to the eyes and the lower jaw. Itching pustules also formed over the left shin bone, one of which developed into an ulcer.
After six weeks of allopathic treatment, during which he constantly got worse, lost flesh and all his appetite, he was so much unstrung and irritated that, without the knowledge of his physician, he sprang up to get into the open air.
Although punished for this by utter prostration of strength, so that he had to ride home, he had to his great delight the first good night’s sleep and thereupon more appetite, and that suggested to him the idea that he was not being managed well.
When he came under my care this man, once so corpulent, was so emaciated that his clothes hung on him as on a clothes-horse. At the same time his face was sunken, colourless, and he complained of constant boring headache, and photophobia and weakness of sight, which alone would have prevented his writing his name legibly, had he not been also hindered therefrom by trembling of the hands. Furthermore, he reeled so from vertigo at night and when his eyes were closed that he always had to hold on to something. To fix his thoughts on anything, or to give his business any consideration was impossible; on attempting it, it immediately got dark before his eyes and the headache increased. Moreover he could not separate his jaws wide enough to admit more than a quill. That prevented his speaking and he could only take fluid food. But what distressed him most was a disgusting odour from the little ulcers with which the inner nose was lined, fearing as he did that those around might be annoyed by it, which, however, was not the case. The stools were regular, the voice hoarse; no change could be discovered in the chest organs by auscultation or percussion; yet the impulse of the heart was very strong and audible over the whole thorax; pulse 98. The fundus of the eyes was obscured and the vessels could not be seen. Sometimes there was haemorrhoidal flow but no piles. The fever in the evening was no longer very perceptible, but it seemed to him that he had a fever in his sleep. Since be has taken ill he had never been able to go upstairs without increase of the difficulty of breathing.
Whoever has read Dr. Eisenmann’s work on Locomotor Ataxy will have no difficulty in placing this case under that head, but where, from that work, could a remedy be found?
This patient also after the lapse of two months was relieved of all his sufferings by the use of Argentum nit. He took it for eight days night and morning and then omitted it for eight days, and so on, without the appearance of any drug symptom. After the sight was restored, the nose cured and the trembling of the hands, after it became easier for him go to upstairs, there still remained an insufficient movement of the lower jaw, and I hoped that the secondary effect of the remedy, or rather allowing it to complete its effect would remove this also. It continued, however, for half a year longer, and the staggering when the eyes were closed was still present though in a much less degree. Argentum nit. was now repeated. After eight days there was marked improvement. No further remedy was given and after two months the cure was complete. This was clearly a case of malaria-ataxy, the malaria being the primary cause. We homoeopaths have not only Argentum nit., Arsen. and Iodium as problematical remedies for locomotor-ataxy, but as tried remedies Argentum nit. (or, rather Argentum mur.), Am. mur., Sul., Arsen., Belladonna, Cyclamen, Mangan. acet., Gratiola, Phosphorus, and Phosphorus ac.
CASE XI.
Amblyopia, Blood-rushes, Ataxia. Aggravation and then cure with Argentum nit.
A near-sighted Treasury officer, who wears concave glasses, 51 years of age, had cholera in Munich and subsequently abdominal typhus (enteric). During the past winter he suffered from facial neuralgia and swelling of the bones of the right foot. At the same time an herpetic eruption was observed on the occiput. The more this increased the less were the pains in the face, and in the spring they ceased entirely. The eruption also gradually disappeared. On the other hand, in the month of March there was determination of blood to the head, which was treated with Sulph and did not return. During a leave of absence, however, these congestions returned in a very distressing manner. In the course of an hour they were repeated four or five times after they had always ceased spontaneously. He then suddenly felt how the blood pressed from the heart to the head, which became blood-red the colour extending to behind the ears, even. Gradually the blood ebbed again and sweat appeared on the head. These rushes of blood acted injuriously on the eyes. Since their occurrence objects appeared as if enveloped in a mist; sometimes they seemed double. After a forced walk these rushes of blood came also at night; there was a stitching pain then from the right into the left ear, as if from a thrust with a dagger. In the dark he cannot walk without reeling and laying hold of whatever he can.
Nausea now followed these repeated attacks, and, called to see him once at night in such an attack, I gave him Belladonna 3 the next morning. This was followed by confusion of the head, which was a sign that Belladonna 3 the next morning. This was followed by confusion of the head, which was a sign that Belladonna was not indicated. He can read with his glasses only No. 13 of Jaeger’s test letters; the fundus of the eye is injected; the large blood- vessels are indistinct.
Reviewing this case, I must acknowledge that if in Therapeutics there was not a synthesis on the basis of natural laws, a mere analytical comparison between these groups of symptoms and the provings without a consideration of accompanying circumstances could hardly lead to an indication which could foresee the result.
In the group of symptoms just laid down the point of departure of the disease is a more or less diminished influence of oxygen upon the organism.
The patient now received Argentum nit. 2x, morning and evening; but after the first day not only was there no improvement but his power of vision was so greatly disturbed that he greatly feared he would lose his sight altogether. He could only read Jaeger 17, and this alarmed even me not a little. Sacch, lact. was now ordered. A week later he was able to read No. 13 again. Thus the aggravation from Argentum nit. subsided spontaneously without antidoting. Eight days afterwards the condition was as at first. I now ordered Argentum nit. 10x morning and evening.
Four days later he returned with the assurance that he could now see better than ever before and could actually read with his glasses, Jaeger No.4 without difficulty, although with the ophthal-moscope I could discover no change in the fundus oculi.
On the other hand he had felt the good effect of these drops almost instantly; he thought he could distinctly feel the blood setting down from his head. I now directed him to set the drops aside, and some weeks later he called again to say that the congestions, which he noticed for a few days longer, had now entirely ceased and he considered himself quite cured.
The forms as well as the number of diseases in which Argentum nit, has accomplished a cure for me are far greater than in the cases here recorded. The forms extend to most of the disease included in this bodily constitution and even to special diseases of adults and children, including one form of hydrocephalus. The sphere of Argent. nit. is so comprehensive because it stands, like Manganum, midway between Sycosis and Psora, and is all the more valuable because complications of these two constitutional characters are not infrequent.
