“Against this complaint I have already taken Mercurius sol., Nux. vom., Bryonia, Ant. tart., Sulphur and Colchicum. I have now taken rhus. since September 7th. I have taken two drops of the 2x, repeated at first every six hours. Now, September 21st, I am taking a dose only morning and evening. I do not notice any striking result such as I have often seen in my practice.
“I am father of seven children yet unprovided for, without means, and the support of my large family depends entirely upon the earnings of my practice. Hence my situation at present it truly a sad one and the future looks darker still, since I fear my lower limbs may yet become paralysed.”
No expert will doubt that for this disease the physiological school has no name, and since it has none it hence cannot say what is really present here, and at most could recognise as special troubles, haemorrhoids, paralysis, etc. To establish a Constitutional Diagnosis is hence impossible for it, and consequently it could make neither a rational prescription nor prognosis. Neither could empiricism help in this case. Was Homoeopathy as helpless as the others? On the contrary. After I had received this letter of September 23rd, 1861, and had reflected on it I wrote the patient as follows:
“In your letter you have given me a very good description of the phenomena which are wont to accompany the development of sycosis, whether you have acquired or inherited it. Hence you will have the goodness without delay to take Thuja 30 morning and evening as well as Natrum sulph. every third hour-four or five drops of each in a spoonful of water. At the same time I beg of you not to practise great abstinence, nor to fast, for no form of sycotic disease can be cured without good food, without nutrition of the parts which remain healthy. Whether you are quite which remain healthy. Whether you are quite curable I would rather leave undecided at present, but in any case you can be so far restored that you will be able to resume your practice again.”
Truly this strict diet, which unhappily many Homoeopathists from great misunderstanding of facts insist upon even to this day, so that to a sick man actually nothing is left to live upon but the air, does by no means aid in the spread of Homoeopathy, and indeed it is thus wantonly deprived of one of the greatest guarantees of its results at the bedside.
I will now give (1) the symptoms which led me to this diagnosis; and (2) what induced me to give two remedies in alternation, an abomination to orthodox Homoeopathists.
(1) The following symptoms are above all characteristic of the sycotic form of this disease: Swelling and suppuration of the axillary glands, sores on the outer side of the left leg; tubercular wart-like eruptions on the above mentioned parts of the body; swelling of the rib on the left side near the sternum; stiffness of the knee, the various so-called rheumatic pains; redness of the velum palati with painfulness of the throat on empty swallowing; pains in the loins; cracking of the joints; with all the symptoms above indicated under the modern idea of the locomotor ataxy of Duchenne and Eisenmann.
(2) As regards the remarks, that according to this diagram Thuja is indicated needs no further discussion for those who are versed in the Homoeopathic drug-provings. But Thuja, both according to these provings and experience at the bedside, cannot cure the tubercular, or, as our colleague expressed it, wart-like eruption; Natrum sulph. alone can accomplish that. But this tubercular eruption is just the most dangerous form of this disease. If not removed at once it luxuriantly develops in many parts of the body, especially on the neck and in the region of the clavicle, and grows into great clusters which the inexperienced confound with strumous and other glandular swellings and mistreat, although they occur in places where there are no glands.
An evidence of this I find in many patients who have sought and obtained help from me, not only after the injurious treatment of the physiological school, but also after unsuccessful Homoeopathic treatment.
For the sake of brevity I will only give as much of the correspondence as appertains to the case.
October 16th. “The rheumatic tensive pain on the left side o the neck, the painfulness of the third rib and of the spinous processes of two of the lumbar vertebrae to pressure, the reddish tubercular eruptions between the scrotum and the thigh of the right side, the sighing respiration, the tearful mood despairing of cure, the oedematous swelling of the feet have all disappeared.
“The following symptoms are relieved: the pressing pain in the shoulders, the painfulness of the hand on grasping and lifting even small objects; the painfulness of the elbow-joint when strongly flexing it, the paralytic weakness of the left leg, in consequence of which it is somewhat easier to rise from a seat and sit down again; the reddish tubercular eruptions of the head and neck, and the sensation as if in the right shoulder a fibre was suddenly torn and jerked loose. Osseous distention of the left parietal bone along the sagittal suture, with less sensitiveness to outward pressure, which symptom I forgot to give in my last letter. The abscess on the right arm near the axilla, which broke once, discharged pus, then healed, has now disappeared by absorption.
“I must add that in the morning and during the forenoon the pains in my leg are relieved, and that the swelling of the knees, especially of the right knee, has disappeared, and that my legs feel best while lying in bed. As I suffered one evening from a violent burning, tearing and itching in the painful eruption at the anus, I resorted to the external use of Thuja by which not only was the pain relieved but the condylomata were also reduced at least one third.
“I could not for moment believe my complaint to be of a sycotic nature, for living twenty-seven years in happy wedlock I have always led a pure life; it would have been a bare impossibility for me to have indulged in sexual intercourse with any other woman.”
“One symptom which I have had for many years has become aggravated-a creaking of the ankle when stretching out the foot, so that I am obliged to keep the foot quiet in the joint and have to lie down, whereupon the pain soon leaves. The roaring in my head and ears, which has become habitual, is also much aggravated. To this is added a dullness of the brain which does not, however, interfere with conversation.”
To the question whether he should continue the former prescription and might drink beer, I replied in the affirmative.
October 31st. “The tubercular eruption has, for the most part, disappeared; the Condylomata (?) at the reduced to the merest trace.
The painfulness of the metacarpal bones on flexing the hand has disappeared. The exostosis on the left parietal bone is much improved, and the pains in the right ankle when stepping have not been noticed for eight days.
“Present condition. Difficulty of hearing and roaring in the head and ears; painfulness of both trochanters and femurs when lying on them. Weakness of the knees as from relaxation of the ligaments; painful cracking of the right ankle when extending it; pain in the right heel when stepping on it; painfulness of the shoulders, of the point of the right elbow and of the right index and ring fingers on pressure; of the left humerus when bending the arm backward, or when raising or extending it. Sensation of stiffness and sleepiness of the hand, especially when resting on the elbow. Pains in the neck when bending the head back. Suppuration of the left axillary gland which is still somewhat hard. Fourteen days ago this was the case in the right axilla. Painful glandular knots in the groins and the anterior surface of the thigh as well as in both sides of the neck. Difficulty of falling asleep; stools insufficient; apparent inactivity of the rectum when at stool, with protrusion of the haemorrhoids and burning pains; blood when at stool; urine often interrupted, also with a double stream as if from stricture.”
“On the whole an improvement in my condition cannot be denied so that I indulged a hope again that I shall be able to resume my practice.”
I directed him that if there were any strictures in the urethra they should be dilated, and that otherwise he should continue with Thuja and Nat. sulph.
November 10th. “Two days after sending my letter the pains in the throat, which had previously disappeared, returned again and light grey ulcers with red edges presented themselves. In my anxiety I took on my own responsibility in place of Thuja, Lycopod. 200, several pellets in a tumbler of water, a spoonful morning and evening. Nat. sulph. I have continued to take. It is a great remedy. There is nothing worse for me than my own treatment. Since yesterday I have taken morning and evening two drops of Nitr. acid, as the ulcers on the throat seem to be spreading again. I expect nothing whatever from Thuja. But the symptoms and pains of the leg are considerably better, as well as those of the upper extremities. My mind is active, but without application or endurance, and when reading I am dull and unobservant, yet am in good spirits again.
