As I have not heard from the patient for some time, I am just writing a note to her to know whether the neuralgia has thus far (December 30th, 1882) returned. The reply I will add.
Of course, it does not follow that because Thuja cured this case of neuralgia of some twenty years’ standing that therefore the lady was suffering from vaccinosis; that Thuja DID cure it is incontrovertible, and my vaccinosis hypothesis led me to prescribe it. More cannot be maintained. At least, the case must stand as a clinical triumph for Thuja 30-this much is absolute.
In reply to my enquiry, I received the following : “January 1st, 1883.
… I have been in very much stronger health ever since I crossed your threshold, and excepting one or two attempts at a return from the enemy, I have been quite free from suffering…”
This lady continues well of her post-orbital neuralgia at the time of going to press. After the disappearance of the neuralgia she had several other remedies from me for dyspeptic symptoms.
XXVIII
Let this reason be a case of :-
CHRONIC HEADACHE OF NINE YEARS’ DURATION Miss G-, aet. 19, came under my care on March 12th, 1881, complaining of bad attacks of headache for the past nine years. She said it was as if the back of her head were in a vice, and then it would be frontal, and throbbing as if her head would burst. She was very pale, and her forehead looked shiny, and in places brown.
These “head attacks” occurred once or twice a week.
Tendency to constipation; menses regular; and old stye visible on left eyelid; poor appetite; dislikes flesh-meat; liver enlarged a little; had a series, of boils in the fall of 1880.
Feet cold; used to have chilblains. For years cannot ride on an omnibus or in a cab, because of getting pale and sick; skin becomes rough in the wind; lips crack; gets fainty at times.
To have Graphites 30.
April 13th-Appetite and spirits better, but otherwise no change. Questioned as to the duration of the head attacks, she tells me the last but one continued, for three weeks-the last, three days. Over the right eye there is a red, tender patch; has two or three white-headed pustules on her face.
Was vaccinated at three months, re-vaccinated at seven years, and again at fourteen. Had small-pox about ten years ago.
Thus here was a case that had had small pox ten years ago, or thereabouts, for she could not quite fix the date, and had been vaccinated three times besides, once subsequent to the small pox!
Rx Tc. Thuja occidentalis, 3iv. 3x.
To take five drops in water twice a day.
May 13th.-Much better; has only had one very slight headache lasting an hour or two; the frontal tender patch is no longer tender; no further faintness at all. Lips crack. The pustules on the face gone, and skin quite clear.
To have Thuja 12, one drop at bedtime.
June 17th.-Was taken ill yesterday fortnight with soreness of stomach; fever; nausea and perspiration. Subsequently spots broke out like pimples-eight on the face, one each on the thumb and wrist, one on the two on the back; they filled with matter, were out five days, became yellow, and then died away. Her mother says the symptoms were just the same as when patient had the small-pox. Her headaches were well just before this bout came on.
July 1st.-Continues well.
July 27th.-The headaches have not returned.
February 24th, 1882.-The cure holds good, for she has had no headache, and is otherwise well. She had subsequently some other remedies for the little tumour on her eyelid, and for a small exostosis on lower jaw, but she had received nothing but Thuja when the cephalalgia disappeared, and it was two or three weeks before the next medicine followed.
Some months after this date this young lady was brought by her mother merely to show me how well she was, and to take final leave of me; two years later I learned from her mother that she continued well, so the cure is permanent.
An interesting feature in this case is the curious attack which came on at the beginning of June. My reading of it is that it was really a proving of Thuja, or a general organismic reaction called forth by it; and this sent me often up to the thirtieth dilution in my subsequent use of Thuja, though I have occasionally found the third decimal dilution answer better than the thirtieth.
But this is not the point of my thesis, for this case was cured by the low dilution, and when the low dilutions cure, and cure promptly, even though not very agreeably, but well, it cannot be necessary to go up any higher, especially as one’s faith is sufficiently on the stretch without it.
XXIX
ENLARGED GLANDS. APEX-CATARRH
Master C.-aet, 11 1/2 came under my care on August 18th, 1818, complaining of a cough, worse at 7.30 p.m., he also coughed by day and through the night, but it did not wake him. He perspired fearfully, worst on the head, and worse during the night. Over upper half of left lung one heard moist cracking rales. The cervical lymphatic glands at the top of the apex of left lung were indurated, and distinctly “feelable”. He weighed 5 stone 4 lbs. The vaccination scars were on the left arm, and the glands over the apex of the right lung were not indurated. Induration of the lymphatics on the left side of the neck (the vaccinating being performed on that side) is the rule after vaccination, as anyone may observe for himself if he will take the trouble to examine a healthy child just before vaccination and any time thereafter. I say, any time thereafter, for the thing generally persists for a very long time, unless cured by medical art.
Rx. Thuja 30, m.ii., Sac. q.s. Fiat pulv. Tales xxiv. One, three times a day
August 27th.-Is well of cough, but the sweats continue. To take no medicine.
September 6th.-The most careful examination of chest reveals no rale; there is no cough; the sweats have quite ceased; the said cervical lymphatics can not be found. The boy now weighs 5 stone 8 lbs., so tat he has gained 4 lbs. in weight since he got the Thuja.
Discharged cured.
The boy had been at school, and was sent home to his parents by the school physician on account of his obstinate cough, and because his general symptoms excited alarm. To me it appeared to be the first stage of phthisis. That the boy should increase in weight at home just after returning from school is, of course, not necessarily due to the medicine; home life, too, would improve his nutrition generally, and would perhaps also account for the disappearance of the apex catarrh, cough, and perspirations. But what is to account for the disappearance of the induration of the cervical glands?
XXX
Of course you will perceive that what I understand by vaccinosis has no necessary connection with Homoeopathy, the Thuja being homoeopathic to the cases.
As my thirtieth reason for being a homoeopath you will allow me to cite another Thuja case-viz. one of
ACNE OF FACE, AND NOSE, AND NASAL DERMATITIS
A young lady, about twenty years of age, was brought by her mother to me on October 28th, 1882. Patient had a very red, pimply nose, not like the red nose of the elderly bibber, or like that due to dyspepsia or to tight lacing, but the pimply, scaly nasal dermatitis, which extended from the cutaneous covering of the nose to that of the cheeks, but appearing here more as facial acne. The nasal dermatitis was, roughly, in the form of a saddle. Of course, this state of things in an otherwise pretty girl of twenty was painfully and humiliatingly unpleasant to her and to her friends; in fact, it was likely to mar her future prospects very materially, more especially as it had already existed for six years, and was making no signs of departing. She also complained of obstinate constipation. The pimples of the nose and face used to get little white mattery heads.
Rx. Thuja occidentalis 30
November 30th.-Pimples of face decidedly better. Nose less red. Constipation no better.
Rx. Thuja occidentalis 100
January 3rd, 1883.-the face is free! Her mother gratefully exclaims, “She is wonderfully better.” I ask the young lady which powders did her most good; she says, “The last” The skin of the nose is normal, but the constipation is no better, and for this she remains under treatment.
That Thuja cured this case is incontrovertible.
XXXI
NEURALGIA OF RIGHT EYE
Mr.-, a gentleman of position and means, about fifty years of age, came to consult me on June 28th, 1882, for neuralgia of the right eye.
He complained of almost constant pain in right eye ever since Christmas 1881, i.e. just about six months. Had had neuralgia in head and shoulders in 1866, and so much morphia had been injected in his shoulders by a doctor in Scotland that it almost killed him: for seven or eight hours it was doubtful if he would recover.
Has a brown, eczematous, itchy (at night) eruption on both shins and between the toes. The neuralgia of right eye, and for which at night. Mr. (now Sir William) Bowman had examined the eye and declared it to be neuralgia, the eye being normal. Mr. White Cooper had done the same.
On my enquiring when he was last vaccinated, he seemed completely frightened, and stammered out rapidly. “I should not like to be vaccinated again.”
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.