PERICARDITIS

RECAPITULATION.

For pericarditis, as a complication of acute rheumatism, the remedies are, aconite, gelsemium, veratrum viride, asclepias tuberosa, bryonia, cimicifuga, colchicum, cactus, nitrate and iodide of potassa, digitalis, spigelia, and sulphur.

For pericarditis from Bright’s disease, arsenicum, phosphorus, kali nitricum, colchicum, asclepias syriaca, digitalis, and benzoate of ammonia.

For pericarditis from pyaemia, arsenicum, baptisia, phosphorus, carbolic acid, and the sulphite of soda.

For threatened cardiac paralysis, digitalis, veratrum album, lachesis, naja, gelsemium, aconite, veratrum viride, and arsenicum.

For pericarditis, with pneumonia complication; phosphorus, tartar emetic, kali nit., sanguinaria, bryonia, veratrum viride; with pleurisy; Bryonia, asclepias tuberosa, arnica, iodide of potassa, sulphur; with cerebral irritation, cannabis ind., veratrum alb., cimicifuga, belladonna, digitalis and perhaps opium.

For hydropericardium, or copious effusion of serous fluid, digitalis, arsenicum, colchicum, apocynum cann., benzoate of ammonia, nitrate and iodide of potassa, iodide of arsenic, and perhaps apis mel.

DIETETIC AND HYGIENIC TREATMENT During the first or acute inflammatory stage, the diet should consist of the lightest kind of food. Cardiac inflammations do not exhaust the general system as much as other inflammations, and less food will sustain the vital forces. All stimulating or highly nutritious food and beverages should be prohibited. Mental and bodily exertion must be avoided as much as possible.

In the stage of effusion, when the heart becomes weak and irritable, the only change in diet and regimen you should advise, would be permit light soups and broths, or weak beef-tea, if the patient desires them. In this stage tea should be strictly prohibited, and absolute mental and physical repose insisted upon. In threatened paralysis you may administer cautiously alcoholic stimulants, beef-tea, carbonate of ammonia, and even apply the electro-galvanic current in desperate cases.

If I have not fully impressed upon you the importance of insisting upon absolute quiet, and the recumbent posture, I will here repeat, that you should insist that the patient must not be raised in bed to eat, drink, urinate or defecate, nor turn on his side unaided, for any such movements in severe cases may result in fatal syncope.

External applications on the chest, over the region of the heart, may be of benefit in some cases by assisting in the reduction of the inflammation, or palliating the pain. Warm poultices of flax-seed meal, medicated with tincture of aconite or verat. viride – or compresses of quite warm water, may be applied during the first stages. In the latter stages, I cannot recommend you to prescribe any external application.

Edwin Hale

Edwin Moses Hale 1829 – 1899 was an orthodox doctor who converted to homeopathy graduated at the Cleveland Homoeopathic Medical College to become Professor Emeritus of Materia Medica and Therapeutics at Hahnemann Medical College, editor of the North American Journal of Homeopathy and The American Homeopathic Observer and a member of the American Institute of Homeopathy. Hale was also a member of The Chicago Literary Club.

Hale wrote Lectures On Diseases Of The Heart, Materia medica and special therapeutics of the new remedies Volume 1, Materia Medica And Special Therapeutics Of The New Remedies Volume 2, Saw Palmetto: (Sabal Serrulata. Serenoa Serrulata), The Medical, Surgical, and Hygienic Treatment of Diseases of Women, New Remedies: Their Pathogenetic Effects and Therapeutic Application, Ilex Cassine : the aboriginal North American tea, Repertory to the New Remedies with Charles Porter Hart, The Characteristics of the New Remedies, Materia Medica and Special Therapeutics of the New Remedies, The Practice of Medicine, Homoeopathic Materia Medica of the New Remedies: Their Botanical Description etc.