Examples



These are not solitary cases, for I have pursued this method for six years in all families in which there has ever been a hydrocephalic child, and with the same good result.

But where I have taken charge in other families of children who had already suffered from hydrocephalus none have died during the last seven years, during which time I have given such children every morning and evening a powder of the second trituration of Calcarea phos.; and only such children as I first see in the last stage receive morning and evening a few drops of Argentum nit. 6 and every two hours the powder of Calcarea phos. with the best result. At the same time I have repeatedly convinced myself that in such cases one of the remedies alone affords no such relief.

CASE IX.

Sycosis. Thuja and Natrum sulph.

In September, 1861, I received from a well-known Homoeopathic physician the following letter, which I give verbatim:

“I hope you will excuse me for taking the liberty of relating my disease to you with the request that you will kindly give me the benefit of your skill in my case.

“I am 53, of nervous constitution and have suffered from piles since my youth. I have employed all sorts of remedies against these with but transient treatment. Subsequently a hypochondriac mood was super-added. Homoeopathy and the water cure have given me but little relief from my sufferings. My manner of life from my youth up was much like that of others. I drank two or three glasses of beer every day, smoked tobacco and partook of the ordinary fare. Married at 23, I became the father of eight children, quite healthy and vigorous. I was never syphilitic, rachitic or scrofulous, but when a child was afflicted with itch which perhaps was checked too soon by means of ointments. Although I was always observed a pressing pain in the testicles after coitus, which was more violent as the coitus was more frequent and vice versa; it was (<) when standing but (>) by walking and still more on lying down. This, perhaps, may have its cause in youthful sexual sins.

“My haemorrhoidal pains, which were especially severe in the years from 30 to 40, tormented me after every stool with their burning pains as if the parts were raw. Later in life the pain disappeared, and the haemorrhoidal knobs were only swollen when I drank a glass of beer too much of an evening. Only very seldom was there any discharge of blood, and it was only after having used cold sitz-baths and cold injections for several years that there were repeated haemorrhages after stool, without affording any essential relief.

“I am very nervous and hence could never take the sitz-baths under 68 degree Far., since if used in a lower temperature febrile attacks were always induced.”

“In 1859 an acute burning sore pain appeared again after every stool as well as protrusion of the haemorrhoidal tumours. The pain after stool was very severe and sometimes continued for hours. as no remedy afforded me any relief I determined to adopt a vegetarian diet. Accordingly from the beginning of September, 1859, I avoided all animal food, drank no beer, denied myself smoking and every irritant. My breakfast and supper were bread and milk; my dinner consisted of vegetables and dishes made of flour and milk; my drink was water. As a consequence I strictly resisted the greatest longing for meat. Now and then I took a dose of some Homoeopathic remedy of which Calcarea carb. and Sepia 200 acted most beneficially. In connection with this I practised gymnastics every day according to Dr. Neumann’s directions in his ‘Hausgymnastick.’ My sufferings were more endurable but the haemorrhoidal pains continued, and a melancholy as of undeserved injustice set in, with pressure in the throat, (<) on walking in the open air; easily wearied by a long walk causing a careless gait. Last spring I became accidentally acquainted with Braun- scheidtismus and got possession of Braunscheidt’s book. The great recommendations of the method against haemorrhoids and hypochondria soon aroused a desire in me to try it. Hence I proceeded at once to carry out my plan and applied the instrument with intervals of ten days upon the back, the sacrum, the whole circumference of the abdomen, on the outer side of the thigh, on the calves seven times, and it was used the last timed seven weeks ago.

The result, however, is very sad; for after the fifth application the left axilla swelled up and became painful. Soon after I got an ulcer on the outer side of the thigh, and one on the left forearm, suppurating for a long time. Then developed a reddish knotty eruption spreading over the whole body. The tubercles of the size of a small lentil are in many places so elevated above the skin that they resembled wart-like excrescences. These have their seat chiefly on the vertex, above the ear, on the forehead, on the left side of the neck, between the scrotum and the right thigh, and scattered here and there on the penis and about the anus. Small scales form on them, they itch but little and after being scratched the itching is relieved. At the same time, above the third rib on the left side near the sternum there was a swelling, painful on pressure. My knees became stiff so that I could go upstairs only with the greatest labour. There appeared besides an oppressive weight on each shoulder, with sensitiveness in separate small portions of the thorax (<) by drawing a deep breath and by eructations, but soon disappearing again, now frequently annoyed me very much. The most distressing pain, however, was a rheumatic, throbbing, tearing pain in the head, which disappeared entirely, perhaps on the use of Mercurius sol., Nux. and Bryonia. In short, after this Braunscheidtismus, as I think, a rheumatism developed itself, which has lasted now for about six weeks.

“To give a more exact detail of my case, I take the liberty of describing my present condition as follows:

“Rheumatic tensive pains on the left side of the neck. Pressing pain on the shoulders with sensitiveness of the top of the shoulders to external pressure. Pain as of dislocation in the shoulders and arms on raising the arms. Painfulness of the bones, especially of the left hand, so that I can hardly grasp and hold a small weight, a book for instance. Painfulness of the third rib on the left side on external pressure. Redness and swelling of the skin over the point of the right elbow. A slight jar with the hand upon firm substance produced, some days ago, a dull humming pain in the hand. Painfulness of the spinous processes of two of the lumbar vertebrae on pressure. (at present one only being painful). Painfulness in the right elbow joint, and on the upper part of the right arm, especially when turning the hand outwards. Paralytic weakness (and paralytic pains) of the legs, especially of the right, with painfulness of the knee- joint on extending and flexing the leg. When sitting in a chair I can raise the right leg only by keeping it extended. Raising the leg while the knee is bent is impossible on account of the pain in the knee-joint. Weakness of the knee-joint when walking in the room. Sitting down or rising from a sitting posture can only be accomplished by the most powerful support of the hands. Going up stairs is impossible. Painfulness of the heels, especially the left, when rising and afterwards, and when beginning to walk. Redness of the uvula and velum pendulum palati, with pain in the throat, especially on empty swallowing (this is much better). A red tubercular eruption about the anus and between the right thigh and the scrotum, almost like warts raised above the skin, itching but little and especially at first on the forehead, now on the forehead, now on the forehead, now on the vertex above the ears, on the left side of the neck and on the front of the axilla. For a few days past slight oedematous swelling of the feet. Respiration sighing. Pulse 90. Weeping mood; doubtful of recovery.

“I must add, however, that my pulse has always been somewhat accelerated, and that the pains seem to be seated in the bones and are (<) only by pressure and motion, as well as that the upper ends of the shin bones, just below the knee-joint, are painful on being pressed. Sour smelling night-sweat.

“The above symptoms have set in since the use of the Braunscheidtismus. But in order to give you a closer insight into my disease I will also give you those symptoms which have annoyed me for a long time and which are now present:

“Confusion, humming, heaviness and fulness of the head, glittering before the eyes. Roaring in the ears, mucous rattling. Heat in the mouth. Bad breath. Appetite and digestion good. Protrusion of the haemorrhoidal tumours as stool. Burning and soreness at the anus after stool, (<) on walking and (>) by sitting and lying. Cracking of the joints; sense of swelling and difficult motion of the fingers, (<) when walking in the open air and in the morning in bed. Powerlessness of the hands when writing, which is very difficult for me. Hardness and thickening of the skin on the ball of the left toe, with pains when walking on the pavement as if trading on small stones. Easy perspiration; sour-smelling perspiration. Sensation as if a fibre were torn or snapped off suddenly at the left axilla. Aching in the testicles after coitus; (>) by sitting, still more by by lying down. Pain in the groin from the pressure of the loins, which annoyed me very much since the Braunscheidtismus, although I have not worn the truss for fourteen days (at present relieved).

John Henry Clarke
John Henry Clarke MD (1853 – November 24, 1931 was a prominent English classical homeopath. Dr. Clarke was a busy practitioner. As a physician he not only had his own clinic in Piccadilly, London, but he also was a consultant at the London Homeopathic Hospital and researched into new remedies — nosodes. For many years, he was the editor of The Homeopathic World. He wrote many books, his best known were Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica and Repertory of Materia Medica