A remedy not generally thought of in the treatment of rheumatism if Hyoscyamus. Where the patient is ill-natured, unreasonable, and complains beyond all reason, in this or any other disease, a few doses of Hyoscyamus 3x will surprise you very pleasantly.
While it is not proper for a really good homoeopath to alternate, most of us do it sometimes. We know the books teach us that Rhus tox. and Bryonia are antidotal. In my early practice, before I knew this, an old fellow whom I treated for rheumatism failed to respond to anything I gave him until I gave him these two medicines in alternation. They worked like a charm on him. Either one alone did not help him, but the two did relieve him, and he took the combination off and on for several years.
Then he became angry at me for an imaginary insult and I heard from time to time of other physicians treating him. Finally he came to me and apologized for his actions and begged me to give him two more bottles of those little pills I had given him before.
Regarding gonorrhoeal rheumatism, where the discharge has been suppressed by the patients getting wet or chilled so that rheumatism follows, the pain will be excruciating, but is promptly relieved by a few doses of Sulphur. I use the 30x, which re-establishes the discharge and promptly relieves. One caution about using Sulphur. Never give it in the afternoon or evening. In the morning this remedy has a curative effect, but afternoon it aggravates.
Thuja is also useful in gonorrhoeal rheumatism, after the discharge has been re-established by the use of Sulphur. The Thuja patient is better from warmth, from moving the affected part, and after midnight.
There seems to be a fad just now to extract the teeth of persons suffering with rheumatism. Possibly it is justifiable in occasional cases. Recently in conversation with one of the best dentists that I have ever known, I stated that I believe that in about one-half of the instances where people had their teeth extracted for relief from rheumatism, the teeth were sacrificed unnecessarily and without benefit to the patient. His reply was: “You are wrong in your estimate, for I believe that more than 90 per cent, of the teeth removed to relieve rheumatism should not be extracted”.
Locally I have never had anything to give relief from the pain of articular rheumatism like the static-induced current does, but it is such a nuisance to keep a static machine in proper running condition that I have finally discarded mine. I did not have enough use for it to justify the annoyance, worry and work of keeping it in order, and then often, just when I needed it, it would refuse to generate.
The positive galvanic current when properly applied has been very satisfactory in my hands in treating articular rheumatism.
I have not used the infra-red lamp long enough to say certainly whether it is to be relief upon or not, but in the few cases I have used it, it had given satisfactory results.
Hot witchhazel locally often relieves rheumatic pains.
My experience with antiphlogistine and antithermoline in rheumatism has certainly been disappointing. In saying this I do not mean to denounce their use in treating pneumonia, as the latter had saved many lives for me.
