Glonoin 30x : irregularity and palpitation of the heart, severe headache, worse by sunshine, better when moving about.
Natrum muriaticum 12x : patients undernourished, livid complexion, melancholy, hopelessness, permanent whining, sleeplessness, pulse accelerated.
Ephedra 3x : metabolism accelerated, exophthalmus, severe headache, apathy, pulse very slow.
Yohimbin 30x : single dose suitable in cases of exophthalmus.
Of course the potencies of the drugs just reviewed are not at all unalterable ; we have to keep in mind that the Basedow patient may be extremely sensible not only to Iodine and Thyroidin but also to each other drug, provided this drug is the simillimum for the patients own symptoms.
Furthermore, it would be a great mistake to restrict ourselves to the homoeopathic treatment ; we should rather combine it with an energetically and carefully any prove of decisive influence with regard to the progress of the disease. This has been made clear by relapses of the disease, owing to the patients non- attention to the doctors prescriptions. As to the dietetic treatment, I usually give a vegetarian diet, in some cases uncooked food.
When the patients condition has improved, he may eat meat, such as veal, chicken, pigeon, and fresh-water fish ; whereas mutton, pork, goose, duck, game, sea fish, picked fish and tinned meats are prohibited. Liquid food ought to be restricted. As a matter of course, spirits, coffee, tea, tobacco, and strong spice are to be discontinued. Instead of these stimulants I recommend the Adinolan Tea. Its chief constituents are Gnaphalium, Juniper, Betuline, and Scilla ; its pleasant taste and prophylactic effect against accumulation of toxic end- products of metabolism make it suitable as a daily beverage instead of coffee and tea.
Again and again, we have to stress the importance of psychical treatment and of bodily repose ; in light cases we may restrict ourselves to the prohibition of overwork. In serious cases we have to insist upon confinement to bed, at least for several hours of the day.
In serious cases, especially in patients suffering from intense palpitation of the heart and accelerated pulse, I add the application of leeches to the homoeopathic treatment. Usually once a week I put three or four leeches on the heart region or the throat.
In conclusion, I must discuss the surgical treatment. An immediate operation is necessary if the thyroid gland compressed the trachea to such a degree that suffocation may be imminent ; such a condition sometimes occurs during pregnancy ; in order to save the patients life the pregnancy must be interrupted at once. Furthermore, we have to communicate with the surgeon in cases where, in spite of the most careful homoeopathic treatment, the condition of the patient did not show any sign of improvement but even became more serious still.
