To continue with the Arnica.
This gentleman did not consult me again; he seemed vexed because I would not give him any positive prognosis, and announced his intention of going to his eye surgeon again; and, as I know the latter spends his spare time in laughing at Homoeopathy, there is no difficulty in guessing the result of the interview.
I never give a positive prognosis as to the curability of any given case of cataract, as I have no sufficient data to go by; I simply say, “Try, and if we fail you can still have recourse to an operation.”
OBS. VI.-Maiden lady aet. 49, came under treatment on January 13, 1878, for cataract. Had taken a great deal of Platina 3x. in 5 grain doses, night and morning for many months! The first day of taking it, it gave her a congestive headache. This I mention, as it may have had something to do with the lenticular opacities.
Her symptoms were these: Both upper lids swollen the left worse; the right eye was the first affected, and is, perhaps, the more misty of the two, but in the left eye there is an appearance of white transparent threads, and when inflamed, a crescent shaped band, like a flame, seems to cross it below the lids, but does not remain; the eyes are often inflamed, especially the left one; there are heat, soreness, and sometimes itching; the eyes are better at the seaside.
R.Ferrum phos. 6 trit. In 6 grain doses, three times a day.
Feb. 10 “Have felt stronger; the bowels more regular the first week, but less so the week following. The halo I used to see around a candle-flame has almost disappeared, but seems to have given place to a somewhat greater mistiness; there is also less dread of light, less aching, and less inflammation, so that on the whole the eyes are decidedly stronger.”
R. Trit. 6 Nat Mur.
July 5. “My eyes are much stronger and better in every way.”
Pergat.
August 5. “Altogether I am in much better health; the eyes are much stronger; can see distant objects better.”
She perspires a good deal in the head.
R. Calcarea Carb. 6 trit.
She subsequently informed me by letter, that her vision was very materially improved; she could see distant objects better; from her sitting-room window she could clearly distinguish objects far down an opposite street. She is not desirous of further treatment.
OBS.VI.-Case of cataract in an elderly, gouty gentleman, in whom the Iodide of Potash A trit. has decidedly improved the sight. He is still taking it.
OBS. VII.-Case of cataract of both eyes in middle-aged gentleman. It began three years ago General Symptoms.-Great liability to catch cold; considerable lachrymation; profound sleepiness after dinner; dry pain in eyes. These symptoms determined me to give him Natrum Muriaticum, 6 trit., 6 grains in water twice a day. All those symptoms promptly disappeared, and he continues to take the medicine these many months on his own responsibility; hence it may be presumed that he is getting better.
OBS VIII.-Young lady, about 25 years of age, double cataract these three years, perhaps congenital; the right eye has been pricked by Dr.-
General Symptoms.-Perspires in the hands a good deal; menses scanty, slightly painful; renal sphere normal; alvine function tardy; hands and feet go to sleep, dead, yellow, numb.
R. Pulsatilla Nuttal. 1. Three drops in water, three times a day.
This was in September, 1878.
Oct. 18. Bowels now quite regular; perspires less in hands. Pergat.
Nov. 28. Hands do not often perspire now; sight in status quo. R. Pulsatilla 3.
Dec. 30 Headaches better; menses more free than formerly. R. Pil. Sul. 30.
Jan. 30th, 1879. No difference, except that her headache is worse.
R. Cina Anth. 1.
February 26th, 1879. “Stronger and stouter than before treatment: mamma and my sisters think I can see with the affected eye better than I could, but I feel doubtful of it myself.”
To continue the medicine.
R. Cina Anth. 1. April 15. “Can see to read better, but cannot see any better at a distance; the operated eye is not so serviceable as it was.”
To continue the remedy.
June 20. “Do not know whether it is the clear sun or the medicine, but I see better; I am afraid it is the sun; my general health is now perfect.”
R. Trit. 6. Calcarea Fluor.
August 1. No further change.
R. Pil Silicea Terra 30.
Continues under treatment.
This case looks promising, but time must show.
OBS. IX.-Lady, married, 38 years of age.
HISTORY. Has lived a numbers of years in South America, and there suffered from inflamed eyes Returned to England in May, 1876, after an absence of twelve years. On returning consulted Mr. Shadford Walker, Liverpool for the inflamed eyes; he examined the eyes with the ophthalmoscope and found cataract of right eye. He cured the inflammation and said the cataract must be left alone. Saw Mr. Critchet at the beginning of August, who said it would probably progress very slowly.
Has been under Dr. Drysdale, of Liverpool, with benefit for her general health.
PRESENT STATE. Left pupil larger than the right; has always been weak in the right side of the body; there is opacity of the right lens, though not very extensive. She cannot see well; has always been myopic; wears glasses; cannot see so well with the right eye as with the left; has always a mist before the right eye.
Has considerable pain in the right side for the past twelve months; before that, suffered for a year from dysentery; pain in the right hip; pain also in an around the right ovary. Menses rather too frequent: is very slightly haemorrhoidal; ankles swell towards night, the right one more than the left.
R. Tc. Chelidonium Majus 3.
November 18, 1876. No change. To go on with the Chelidonium.
November 23. The pain in the right side is very much better; it is worse when she breathes; suffers very much from heartburn.
R. Tc. Phosphorus 1.
December 8. Much better in general health; the pains in the right hypochondrium, right hip, and right ovary, very much better; she feels stronger.
R. Trit. 3. Natrum Sulphuricum.
January 9, 1877. Still has pains in the right side, but it is less severe; the right eye very uncomfortable; dreadful heartburn; is very cold; worse in wet weather.
R. Trit. B. Iridin.
February. Is now quite well in general health, but the mist before the right eye is no better.
R. Trit. 4. Acidum Oxalicum.
April 27. Feeds tolerably well: eye no better. At times gets acute attacks of pain in the right side. Is recommended at such times to take the tincture of Chelidonium 1.
R. Tc. Euphrasia 6.
June 20. The eye is worse, it feels uneasy, and is getting more dim; the pain in the side very bad; mouth dry and parched; tongue covered with a thick orange-coloured fur.
R. Trit. B. Iridin and Phosph. 1
July 24. Eye better; many symptoms of the hydrogenoid constitution.
R. Trit 5 Natrum Sulphuricum.
October 24. The urine is very turbid; there is very much pain in the uterine sphere.
R. Tc. Solidago Virga Aurea 1x and Tc. Viburnum Opulus 1.
May 28, 1878. The eyes water a good deal. Natrum Muriaticum
30. June 15. Pil. Sanguinaria Canadensis 6, one before each meal.
About this period, but whether before taking the Sanguinaria or after. I Unfortunately cannot ascertain, AN ERUPTION CAME OUT ALL OVER THE BODY, IN PATCHES, ITCHING VERY MUCH, worse in the inside of the thighs, legs, and arms and chest. It was an erythematous eruption and lasted only a few days.
August 14. Natrum Sulphuricum 4 and Pil, Calcarea Carbonica
30.
March 4, 1879. The pain in the right side is now observed only at rare intervals; eyes decidedly better; the lower lid of the right eye twitches a good deal.
To take Dulcamara 3. Four drops in water at bed time for two months.
After writing this prescription, and while engaged in some general conversation, I noticed that my patient’s eyes watered a little, and that she used her handkerchief to wipe them. There was no epiphora, but the eyes seemed to get brimful and that apparently caused her to desire to clear them; perhaps, the fluid interfered with vision. This lady had read, or heard about, my little monograph on Natrum Muriaticum, and was telling me of a friend to whom salt is a positive poison. I then said, “Are you fond of salt?” and learned to my astonishment that she was extremely partial to it, being in the habit of putting salt into her drinking water after sweet pudding. She also informed me that her tears were very salty.
I then remarked that salt had been known to cause cataract in some of the lower animals, and recommended only a moderate use of this condiment.
I did not see this lady again till 2nd of September, 1879, and then only casually, when she informed me that the haziness before the right eye disappeared six months or more ago. Now she sees quite clearly with it, the only difference between the two eyes being that on closing the left eye and looking with the right one, and then reversing the process, she notices that she can see more distinctly with the left one, but she remarked that that had always been the case. The eyes do not water, and there seems no reason to continue the treatment, as patient complains of nothing and looks exceedingly well. There was no time to make an ophthalmoscopic examination of the eyes as she was hurrying to catch a train, but she has promised to call at her convenience to enable me to do so. If she calls before this goes to press, I will add the result. But as the haziness was no doubt caused by – the cataract, and as the haziness is gone, it is pretty sure that the cataract has likewise disappeared. with the naked eye, one can detect nothing abnormal.
Burnett was one of the first to speak about vaccination triggering illness. This was discussed in his book, Vaccinosis, published in 1884. He introduced the remedy Bacillinum. He authored twenty books, including the much loved "Fifty Reason for Being a Homeopath." He was the editor of The Homoeopathic World.