In typhoid fevers, and typhoid conditions, Baptisia vies with Pyrogen and Arnica.”
One remembers a very bad case of typhoid, during the 1914-18 War, contracted in France, at a place where a very severe type of typhoid was raging. This patient gave great anxiety, till “Ca va si bien, Mademoiselle! si bien.” And the symptom, “says she feels well, when desperately ill,” led to the administration of Arnica which cleared up the case.
Arnica has not the drowsiness, or the redness, or the besotted condition of Baptisia, though they both have the hard-bed sensation, markedly. (Pyrogen.)
Baptisia has the Arnica “sensation, all over body, as if bruised or beaten”. And in one prover, “Lying in one position for a few minutes, or upon the back, caused the sacral region to become exceedingly painful, as though I had lain on a hard floor all night, and induced the conviction that a short continuance of the same position would cause bedsore; when turning on the other side, the same sensation was produced on the hips.” (Baptisia should be useful in bedsores.).
BLACK LETTER AND CHARACTERISTIC SYMPTOMS
Stupor; falls asleep while being spoken to, or answering; heavy sleep until aroused: wakes only to fall asleep again in the midst of his answer, which he vainly endeavours to finish.
Confusion of ideas. Confusion as if drunk.
She cannot go to sleep, because she cannot get herself together.
Feels scattered about, and tosses about to get the pieces together.
Aversion to mental exertion. Indisposed to think : mind seems weak.
Dull bruised feeling in occiput.
Face sallow : dark-red; with a besotted expression: flushed: dusky.
Sordes on teeth and lips : tongue ulcerated.
Fetid odour of mouth (Mercurius).
Fauces dark-red: dark, putrid ulcers unusual absence of pain.
Tonsils and soft palate swollen : not accompanied by pain.
Can swallow liquids only. The least food gags.
Oesophagus feels constricted from above down to stomach.
Paralysis of organs of deglutition (Gelsemium).
Right iliac region sensitive.
Abdominal muscles sore on pressure, with acute intermitting pain.
Fetid, exhausting diarrhoea, causing excoriation.
Drowsy : stupid : delirious stupor.
Cerebral forms of fever.
Typhoid and cerebral forms of fever, with delirium, drowsiness.
Feeling head, or limbs, scattered, etc. Involuntary scanty stool, difficult breathing.
Prostration with disposition of fluids to decompose.
Discharges and exhalations fetid; breath, stools, urine, sweat, ulcers.
Ulceration, especially of mouth; also with tendency to putrescence.
