Among its general symptoms and modalities, it has a feeling throughout the body of general physical anxiety, has great body heat, swelling of glands-mesenteric, of the groins- suppurating buboes, is inclined to be right-sided, and is aggravated from warmth. It also has emaciation with increased appetite-ravenous appetite-and diarrhoea.
Pulsatilla, although primarily a catarrhal remedy, does have suppurative conditions in the eyes, ears, and nose. When needed you will be dealing with Pulsatilla type of patient-gentle, yielding, weeping, blue-eyed, blonde, fat, plump, red-faced, thirstless. Its discharges are thick, profuse, greenish-yellow and bland, except the vaginal discharge which may be very excoriating at times. All symptoms are aggravated in the evening, from warmth and rest; better in the open air.
It always has styes. Its eyes are inflamed, with thick, greenish pus- purulent conjunctivitis-applications of water, warmth, tepid or even cold, furnish comfort. (Sulphur is aggravated by bathing.) The ears have the same catarrhal or suppurative conditions, there being discharged the same profuse, thick, purulent, bland, offensive, fetid pus; otitis media following eruptive diseases, with sharp, tearing, pulsating pains, worse at night. worse at night. Pulsatilla is a good antidote for over-action of Sulphur. Silicea is its chronic. Its inflamed parts are bluish, mottled with venous engorgement, like Lachesis, Tarentula, etc.
Kali Sulphuricum one of the tissue remedies-the mineral Pulsatilla-is very similar to Pulsatilla, or, more accurately, is Pulsatilla intensified; unless the patient becomes chilly, and is better from rest, in which case, Silicea will be found to be more indicated and will finish the work. Unlike Pulsatilla, the Kali sulphuricum patient is more easily angered, is very obstinate and irritable, yet is very timid.
It has otitis media, the discharge being thin, yellow, bright yellow or greenish, bloody, offensive, purulent, with accompanying itching and all sorts of noises. It has smarting, suppurating tuberculous. It has Pulsatillas evening aggravation, and improvement from the cool, open air. Cyclamen is very similar to Pulsatilla and Kali sulph., but is worse from the open air, and better from warmth.
Kali bichromicum, unlike Pulsatilla, has tough, thick, ropy, tenacious discharge. It has ulcerations which tend to perforate- look as if punched out, with deep, regular edges (luetic); chronic suppurations of middle ear, with stitching, pulsating pains, and yellow, viscid discharges which may be bloody- pustules, boils, suppurating tubercles; many other skin manifestations. Pains in small parts, which appear and disappear suddenly are characteristic. Its pains fly from place to place like Pulsatilla, Kali sulph., Lac caninum, Manganum, Aceticum, Kali bich. works best in fat, light-haired people.
Phytolacca decandra might be called the vegetable Mercury (although Kali hydriodicum is most similar), and is Mercurys antidote. It is said by some to be a specific for boils. It does have a disposition toward boils, carbuncles and glandular swellings, but much of its action centers about the mammary glands.
From every excitement, fear of impending accident, tribulation, these glands are affected; lumps form and grow, there is heat, tumefaction, often resulting in violent inflammation and suppuration, associated with which there is aching in the back, and in the bones, fever and shivering all characteristics of Phytolacca.
This remedy may remove the predisposition to malignancy after breast abscesses and inflammations. In very hard, greatly swollen, hot and painful-the nursing child causes pain to radiate all over the body or all over the back. if there is high fever, congestion to the head, throbbing carotids, much redness radiating from nipple, Belladonna is the remedy; or Mercury when the general symptoms agree; Hepar and Silicea general after pus is inevitable and the only comfort is gained from heat.
Phytolacca should be in use before suppuration sets in (Aconite, Belladonna or some other remedy may be needed in the initial stage) and may prevent suppuration, but even after the case has gone on to pus-formation, and there are large, fistulous, gaping, angry-looking ulcers, discharging watery, fetid pus, Phytolacca may still be the remedy; or the choice may be made among other remedies such as : Croton tiglium, Phellandrium, Silicea, etc. Bryonia complements Phytolacca.
Lycopodium, another one of Hahnemanns anti-psorics (Sul. and calc.), because of its scope of action, and its general characteristics, may well be mentioned in connection with suppuration. Surface wounds suppurate as though they had contained splinters; burrow along under the skin. Its ulcers bleed easily and form great quantities of thick, greenish-yellow, offensive pus.
Chancres and chancroids find their simillimum in Lycopodium when the proper indications are presented. It has suppuration about the eyes and ears, the discharge being thick, yellow, offensive; and other signs, symptoms and modalities are present- 4 to 8 p.m. aggravation, complexion pale, dirty, unhealthy, sallow; looks older than really is; keen intellect, feeble physique; early satiety, etc.
Lycopodium is right-sided, or travels from right to left – in sore throat, quinsy, inflamed salivary and cervical glands. If symptoms agree, it will abort the suppuration of swelling tonsils, which virtue has been claimed in preceding pages, may it be repeated by Baryta carb., Hepar, Calc. carb., Lachesis, Lac caninum and Phytolacca. In its throat conditions, cold drinks may ameliorate, but usually warm drinks make better.
Lachesis is always worse from cold drinks, and warm drinks cause spasms of the throat muscles. Lycopodium does not sleep into an aggravation. Like many other remedies for suppuration, as has already been mentioned, it has feebleness, weakness, is tired, has emaciation or emaciation of single members, and dreads. Always keep in mind, the bilious, swarthy, yellowish Lycopodium patient.
Pyrogenium is more for the septic state, puerperal fever, typhoid, typhus, ptomaine poisoning, diphtheria, etc. It has dissecting abscesses-great pain when the flow from an open abscess becomes scanty; violent burning like Arsenicum, Anthracinum and Tarentula. It is the similimum to the after- effects of miscarriage-retained secundines, after putrefactive processes have set in; all discharges are horribly offensive; there is violent burning, motion gives comfort etc.
As I read these lines, I feel certain that what I have been saying about each one of the preceding remedies will mean little to any one of us in the treatment of suppurating conditions, unless we are master of the homoeopathic materia medica, or unless, in the care of each and every case, we get out our best repertory, our Kent and all other authorities, and get the picture and fit the two together. I am quite certain that this paper will mean very little to any of us in the future, but if it will leave the thought that we must be honest and sincere about the matter of individualising, completely, each and every case that comes to us for help, the time spent in the composition will be well lost.
If we are to get the best results from homoeopathic treatment of suppurative ailments, or any other derangement of the human organism, we cannot prescribe Hepar, Mercurius, Silicea or any other remedy, except upon the complete totality of symptoms. It is grossly improper and unscientific to list all suppurative diseases, such as furunculosis, quinsy, etc., and give the remedies for same.
We cannot prescribe for any disease. Such homoeopathy is confusing, misleading, impossible. Each case must be individualised, visualised in its entirety, the diagnosis made if possible, and the patient prescribed for with a potentised remedy if cure is to be expected. It matters not the name nor the location of the disease process; suppuration and the predisposition to same will have their train of signs and symptoms.
Psorinum may at times be needed, whether or not we even know the meaning of psora, or of psoric manifestations. It is a cold remedy-wants warmth at all times, on all parts-is very sensitive to cold, hence its great debility, lack of reaction, depleted state from long-drawn out suppurative process, or diseases. its reactive powers have been deranged by some-deep-seated dyscrasia- psora; phagocytosis is impaired, has filthy smell, well-chosen remedies fail to act, discharges horribly offensive like rotten meat.
When you need it you will have a patient who is hopeless, one who is despairing of recovery, one who is melancholic and suicidal. There is fetid pus form the ears-brown and offensive pus. There is in its pathogenesis, recurrent quinsy, and it eradicates the tendency to same, it is said, and certainly will if it is the similimum. The Psorinum patient will not improve so long as coffee is being used. All symptoms are better from warmth and worse from the least cold air or draught. This remedy should be given only in high potencies and at long intervals. One dose may be sufficient.
