From Homoeopathic Recorder, 1934.
AMONG the many and varied effects of inherited sycotic taint in children are arrested mental development, stunted physical growth, marasmus and asthma. Medorrhinum, the potentized virus of the disease itself, is homoeopathic to a small percentage of children affected with these ailments, as illustrated by the following cases:.
CASE I. Tommy P., aged 5. As an infant he was frail and under- nourished, although seldom ill until he was 2 years old. He then became peevish, his appetite failed; he complained of frontal headache; pain in the small of the back; had spells of vomiting followed by sleep, sometimes lasting for hours; pickling all over the body but no eruption. Since he lived in a distant city and his mother was too poor to bring him to Chicago, I was obliged to depend upon her letters, and doubtless the record is very incomplete.
Possibly he should have had Aethusa at that time. A child specialist diagnosed the ailment as cystitis and under his treatment the boy improved as to the renal symptoms, but the bilious attacks continued to recur. In her first letter dated August 10th, 1925, the mother related the following symptoms:.
“Frequent attacks of headache and vomiting of food and bile. No appetite; craves sweets and highly seasoned food. Nausea if forced to eat. Teeth chalky and easily decay. Enlarged tonsils and adenoids. Frequently recurring styes. Wets the bad at night and frequently loses some urine on the way to the toilet during the day. Redness and irritation of the foreskin (the specialist recommended circumcision which was not done). Is sullen, pouting and forgetful. Takes the knee-chest position in sleep. Medorrhinum 1m.
Improvement commenced almost from the first day taking the remedy. REpetitions at long intervals and in ascending potencies over a period of two years transformed the puny, peevish youngster into a cheerful, husky one.
CASE II. Edna C., a flaxen-haired, blue-eyed girl of three was brought to my office of July 13th, 1932. Her colour was good, teeth regular and well formed; digestion perfect; bowels regular; reflexes normal. She slept well and seemed happy and contented; crying only when she was hungry or needed her diaper changed. In fact she had all the appearance of a healthy girl of three except that she acted like an infant three months old.
She cooed and laughed, kicked her legs and moved her arms in an aimless fashion, had great difficulty in grasping any object offered her and lay in any position she was placed in on the bed with no effort at turning over. Her legs were not emaciated but were somewhat smaller than normal and slightly curved, like those of a small baby. She drooled constantly and copiously. The only word she could say was “Mama”. Her parents had consulted eight physicians, some of them well-known pediatrists, without avail.
It was always the same verdict-undeveloped brain cells for which nothing could be done. One or two physicians offered some hope by stating that the child by training and careful feeding, might achieve some degree of intelligence but that she would never be normal. She received one dose of Medorrhinum cm. The record continued:.
July 20th. Drooling almost ceased by the end of the first week. More alert; notices more of what is going on around her. Facial expression more intelligent.
Tries to talk, creep and to use the feet when held in a standing position; pulls herself by holding on to the arm of a chair and stands there laughing, as though she had done something remarkable.
She notices strangers now and they cannot get too familiar.
Her memory appears to be unusually good. No medicine.
August 31st. Yells when a toy is taken away from her, whereas formerly it made no difference to her. Says. “Mama” with emphasis, especially if she wants something.
Insists on sleeping on her stomach or in the knee-chest position. No medicine.
October 5th. Learning more words, such as “baby”, “milk”. “man”. Is growing exceedingly irritable, discontented and selfish. Has learned to say the word “mine” and uses it frequently. Pushes herself about the floor in sitting position; tries to walk when held by the hands. No medicine.
November 2nd. Has gained 8 lbs. The legs are filling out and getting stronger. Her actions are quick and show greater co- ordination. No. medicine.
March 7th, 1933. Is learning more words but her face is marked by a strange pallor and she is not so well in general. Medorrhinum 3cm.
April 12th. Has improved during the past five weeks more than in nay previous period of the treatment. Seems to understand more of what is said to her, “Scoots” around on the floor in her queer fashion; stands five minutes without support and seems excited about it. But she wets herself day and night. Her cheeks are pink again. No medicine.
May 10th. More active. Learning more words. Tried to walk, but still sleeps with buttocks in the air and face in pillow. Her legs are rounding our and getting stronger and her appetite better. Those who saw her when she received the first dose of Medorrhinum notice a wonderful change both mentally and physically.
In time some antipsoric may be required to complete the cure of this little girl but the nosode is still acting.
My experience with asthma in children has led me to the conclusion that hereditary sycosis is frequently the underlying cause. Here are two cases in point.
November 6th, 1927. Jack B., a rather thin, pale boy of nine. He has had asthmatic attacks since he was a year old. A maternal uncle and aunt and two cousins have the same affliction. This side of the family are evidently sycotic. Paroxysms occur any time of day or night; are worse before a storm, in damp weather and while lying down. He sits in a rocking chair and rocks furiously or raises up on “all fours” in bed, which position affords some relief.
Loose, rattling cough with but little expectoration.
Had whooping cough when seventeen months old and all symptoms have been worse since then.
Appetite poor; found of meat and sweets.
Is sensitive to cold; hands cold, feet icy especially in the evening; cannot stand cold bathing.
In early life slept in the knee-chest position. Medorrhinum cm.
December 2nd. Has had only two or three spells of asthma. No medicine.
December 14th. Not so well. Medorrhinum 3cm.
Medorrhinum was repeated on June 23rd, 1931, in the millionth potency and again on July 31st with steady improvement. Moreover the patient gained in weight and endurance.
The case of John M., aged 8, illustrated even more strikingly the futility of old school therapy in asthma. His spells were more severe than those of Jack; he had been subjected to all sorts of treatment and, after over 100 tests, was found sensitized to sixteen different foods, pollens, etc., including milk, eggs, oranges, lemons, beef liver, fish feathers, ragweed, chocolate, carrots, kapok and wheat. There was asthma and hay fever on the mothers side of the family. The symptoms briefly are as follows.
December 29th, 1932. Fat baby and well until 22 years old when he had a very severe attack of whooping cough; mumps at the age of 4, took a bad cold while convalescing with long spells of coughing and wheezing respiration (got Belladonna tincture). Definite symptoms of asthma developed a year afterwards. Frequent colds, always followed by an attack of asthma which usually lasts two or three weeks.
First come snuffles and watery discharge from the nose, restlessness, quick motions, and frequent urging to stool; then exhausting cough, wheezing, occasional vomiting after a meal, expectoration of greenish mucous and temperature of 100 or 101 F. Worse from dust, exertion, getting feet wet, damp weather.
Appetite poor; hunger between meals; craves potatoes, meat, sweets; thirsty.
In early years sweat on the head in sleep; was slow in learning to walk but teething began at the age of five months.
Offensive foot sweat; excoriation between toes.
Easily made angry and “throws things”. Sleeps in knee-chest position or on back with arms over head.
In spite of the strong indications for Calcarea carbonica, the peculiar position during sleep in my judgment, called for Medorrhinum as the first remedy. The cm was given at the first visit, December 29th, and I feel sure that the case made more rapid progress than if Calcarea had bee administered.
There could be no mistake as to the general effect. The boy gained 8 lbs. in two months and was entirely free from cold and asthmatic symptoms until March 20th, 1933, when Kali sulph.acted very promptly. One of his usual spells followed an automobile trip in a cold wind heavily laden with pollen. The temperature rose to 103, there was throbbing headache worse from light and jar, red face and general nervous sensitiveness.
This time Belladonna quickly controlled the condition. He is now making rapid progress under Calcarea carb. During the treatment no restrictions as to diet were observed, except those that would be natural for a boy of his age.
[Lay readers and professional readers who are insufficiently experienced must not conclude that Medorrhinum is the remedy for backward and ailing children. In all the cases described the patient adopted the knee-chest position, sleeping in a kneeling attitude with the head bored into the pillow, a leading symptom calling for Medorrhinum.
