A day-school teacher had gall stones. The pains became so violent that her doctor suggested an operation. Accordingly, this was undertaken and the gall-bladder removed. She was sent home from the hospital “Cured”. Nothing was told to patient concerning future diet, although her food was probably the cause of her trouble. She was intelligent enough to choose better ailment, but she returned to her unwise provisions.
Hitherto slight over-exertion had brought about a violent asthmatic attack. One day young McD. took part with the other body in a field drill. The boys marched out with rifles and had to do a good deal of running. Probably the youngster greatly over-strained himself. Anyway his strength gave way, he felt very ill and came home in a fever, but to the amazement of his parents there was no asthmatic attack.
Incidentally my friend told me afterwards that certain other troubles had cleared up, one being the sensation of a cobweb on the face. So a few homoeopathic pilules cured completely in three days what other treatment cured indifferently in several weeks, and without the use of the knife and the true name of the trouble still unknown.
The traditional knowledge of the care of babies, transmitted from mother to daughter for many generations, is now extinct among large groups of society. Modern mothers are ignorant of physiological functions and infant nutrition. They listen too willingly to doctors, husbands, or well-meaning friends when advised to wean their child. They should think for themselves about the true significance of breast feeding.
I believe the diagnosis was gall stones followed by serious developments in the gall bladder. He pleaded for medicinal treatment because he feared a grave operation, but he was told that nothing else could be done, and that it was quite useless to go to England and see the leading consultants because the medical profession had agreed that for his trouble there was nothing but radical operation.
This is what homoeopathy can do; voiceless over six weeks, even a specialist could do nothing without hospitalization, and as soon as the correct homoeopathic medicine was given in minutest doses, the voice returned, as if by a charm. His mother asked “But why could Mr. —, the specialist, not do the same ?” Ask me another. It is because they have not got the key to unlock the treasure house of rational medicinal treatment.
In spite of this the patient could enjoy his meals, sit up in his armchair each day, take an interest in life in general and see his friends. Then came one morning when he did not want his breakfast; looked a bad colour; pulse very intermittent. However, he was able to take a drink of tea and listened to a message sent him, by telephone, from a friend. An hour later he went peacefully to sleep for the last time.
A careful interrogation as to her diet revealed her to be scrupulously careful in such matters and one simply had to let it remain unaltered, at least for the time being. I have now prescribed Rhus tox. 60x, one dose every four days taken first thing in the morning when the stomach is nearly empty as this dosage is less troublesome to remember than the frequently repeated dose.
In conclusion, it is our hope that in reviewing these three important remedies by giving respectively three typical vasosclerotic case histories, we have recalled some things to mind that you may have forgotten. Remember Baryta by its history and glandular status, Secale by its peripheral vasospasm, and arteriolar sclerosis, and Aurum by the peculiar mental state and leuetic history.
The main indication for Dulcamara is not any particular local symptom, but the marked aggravation from cold and damp. In a case of nasal catarrh the patient exhibited a great number of symptoms, most of which were of little use as an indication of the remedy. But she stated that as soon as he got out of bed she began to sneeze evidently from the change of temperature.