THE surukuku snake of South America is a very deadly snake and much feared by the natives. It grows to seven feet and upwards in length, has fangs nearly an inch long, and a reddish-brown skin marked along the back with blackish-brown spots.
The first trituration and first dilution in alcohol of this snake-poison was made by Dr. Hering, as far back as 1828, and is the Lachesis in use at the present time. It is an extremely valuable homoeopathic remedy.
About a couple of years ago I read a most interesting article in “HEAL THYSELF”, written by a well-known Harley Street lady doctor, in which she cured a patient with Lachesis. Strange to say, shortly afterwards I came across a case which seemed to me to show somewhat similar symptoms.
Our maid having gone on holiday, I was obliged to find some extra help, and a friend of mine, head of a clinic, sent me a good woman. After we had had her a few days she arrived one morning very weary and tired. On enquiring the reason, I was told that one of her daughters, aged about twenty years, always had terribly bad periods; it meant her being up all night with the girl, although everything she did for her failed to relieve the awful pains. She is a soft-hearted woman, and couldnt bear to see the girl suffer, so it usually ended in them both crying together.
She went on to tell me that she had taken her daughter to the local doctor, but he could not help at all and, after prescribing many different medicines, merely told her the best remedy was to get married. Next she took the girl to a well- known London hospital, where they gave her a bottle of medicine which did a little good, but when they went for a repeat of the same medicine no one knew what had been given, as she had had so many mixtures they could not tell which was the one that had produced slight relief, so she had nothing.
In desperation she went to the Maternity Clinic to see my friend, and the girl was sent there to see the lady doctor; again she was dosed with many medicines, but all proved useless.
The mother said these dreadful monthly times upset the whole household. So I asked for symptoms. I hoped that I might be able to find out which of the many homoeopathic remedies that I have seen written of in “HEAL THYSELF” of girls sufferings at monthly times might be the one required.
Could I discover which remedy was indicated ? I was told that the pains came on before the period was due; they were so bad that the girl could not go to work, could neither eat anything nor sleep; she cried with the pain and rolled about the floor in agony. On further questioning I learned that the pains were left-sided and began to get better once the flow was established. My mind flashed back to the case of which I had read of being cured with Lachesis.
I asked Mrs. E. to send her daughter to see me. This she agreed to do.
July 9th, 1938. Miss O. E. arrived. She proved to be a bright looking, fair, plumb girl with much to say, although I expected she might have been shy as it was her first visit. However, that quite settled any doubt that I might have had, although on first sight of the patient I thought of Pulsatilla; I had heard and read of Lachesis being exceedingly loquacious.
I at once put a powder of Lachesis 30 on her tongue.
A month or so after this I received a letter from Mrs. E. saying she thought the powder wonderful, as the girls period had come on without pains, that she was able to go to work and had gone all day and night without even taking aspirin ( which, of course, I had forbidden !), so she thought it had been a miracle.
November 7th, 1938. A period with slight pain. Miss O.E. came to see me on November 13th, 1938, for another powder of Lachesis 30, which was given dry on the tongue. Some time after this dose Mrs. E. wrote that her daughter was having lovely monthly times, above to cycle to work as usual and having good nights. This dose carried her on until I had to repeat again, but not until September of this year.
September 5th, 1939. Mrs. E. came to see me and told me that her girl was having slight pains again; however, they did not prevent her from going to work as usual on her bicycle. I then sent the third dose.
She still thinks the little homoeopathic powders marvellous, and so do I. Needless to say, I did not tell Mrs. E. what the powders were that I was giving her daughter, as if she had thought it was snake-poison I feel sure they would never have been taken at all.
It has been an interesting case to watch, and I hope no further repeats will be necessary.
