The following is Dr. Shuldham’s letter:- “ELMSTEAD, CARLTON ROAD, PUTNEY, ” Feby. 8, 1888.
“MY DEAR BURNETT,- You ask me for a little news about Pyrogenium.
Here it is.
“First of all I must tell you that the earliest news I had of this medicine was associated with your name. The case was one of typhoid fever, which according to my patient’s account, had been broken up by your timely use of this nosode. The next bit of news in connection with Pyrogenium was that it had been given to a poor consumptive girl by before-mentioned friendly patient, and the girl’s temperature had been frequently lowered by the medicine.
“There was no mistake about the temperature, for the girl’s mother, an intelligent observer, had used the clinical thermometer.
“I regret to say that there was very little doubt as to the nature of the case, for I attended this very patient in her last sad illness.
“The next bit of news comes of your observations of the medicine.
“It is in this wise,- “In August 1887 I was attending a little boy for a diphtheritic sore throat, and the boy was not racing his way to recovery. Indeed, matters were at a standstill, when I thought of pyrogenium, and gave it in the sixth dilution-centesimal. But let me first say, by way of parenthesis, that the boy’s temperature was 102 I/2 degree F. There were patches on both tonsils, the breath was offensive, the tongue thickly furred, and the complexion was muddy. The Pyrogenium was given on a Tuesday, and by Wednesday morning there was a marvellous change for the better.
“The temperature had fallen to 99 degree F., the throat was less inflamed and less covered with membrane. The tongue was cleaner, and the complexion was less muddy.
“The next day matters improved still more, and by Friday I had taken leave of the patient.
“This was not all.
“The little boy’s sister was seized with chills, headache, aching in the limbs, and soreness of the throat. The clinical thermometer marked 102 I/2 F. in her case. Suspecting that I had another case of blood-poisoning to deal with, I gave Pyrogenium 6, and by next day all these uncanny symptoms had vanished like a dream.
“I fear, my dear Burnett, I weary you, but at the risk of being thought a dreadful bore. I will add one more experience.
“The mother of my little boy patient nursed her son, and was infected by the same blood poison. False membrane was deposited on both tonsils, the patient had a foul breath, a furred tongue, and a look of weariness and illness that betokened serious trouble. But she only remained in bed two days after having taken the first dose of Pyrogenium, and made a good recovery.
“My first patient, the little boy, was taking the traditional Belladonna and Mercurius biniod. in low dilutions, and was not making progress till Pyrogenium came to the rescue.
“I had treated the little patient for a similar attack of sore throat in JUne, and Belladonna and Mercurius iod. had acted well, so that this masterly inactivity on the part of these medicines made me look for the fresh help, which I found, thanks to your previous suggestions, in Pyrogenium 6.
“I gave this medicine in a scarlet fever case just before Christmas on the second day of my attendance, and certainly I had a fall of temperature and a case free from complication, but the results were not so striking as in the diphtheritic cases.
“I shall look forward with great interest to your own experience of this strong power for good.
“With friendly greetings, believe me to be-
“MY DEAR BURNETT,
“YOURS very truly,
“E.B. SHULDHAM.”
Beyond tendering to Dr. Shuldham my thanks for thus giving me the advantage of his experience on this important subject, I will only say that it affords me very great satisfaction to see that every advance in science, wherever it borders on medicine, is sure to rebound to the advancement and scientific precision of the law of therapeutics still so foolishly condemned by the majority of mankind.
They have eyes, I suppose, but they see not.
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.