But it is well to remember that other drugs have produced a like condition, with always, distinguishing symptoms to give the casting vote between them.
Again, in such minor troubles as GNAT BITES.. I am permitted to reproduce somebody’s personal experience, recorded at the time, since these things stick in the memory and give confidence when one is prescribing for others.
This is the record.”Last Tuesday, 10 p.m., a fine sharp stab just above right wrist, and a flimsy little demon flew gaily off. Almost immediately thereafter a hard wheal appeared, pricking and extending. At night, awakened by a stab in finger of left hand, and then a second finger wounded. All Wednesday –those bites! By Thursday, absolutely obsessed, to the exclusion of thought or interest in anything else, by the incessant urgent necessity of handling and nursing the torment, and struggling against the impulse to scratch and tear. Wrist; round wrist; up arm; farther and farther round wrist; higher and higher up arm; round fingers; over back of hand: everywhere, burning, itching, swelling; spreading more and more widely. On Thursday afternoon, things were at their worst, when, starting for Wembley, a friend-in-need produced a few globules medicated with Cantharis 30, which were obediently sucked; and a second dose, to be taken later on, was provided. This rapidity of the relief was unbelievable: the suffering was soon negligible, then forgotten. Able to concentrate again!–able to experience the thrill of the Wembley Tattoo. And on this (Friday) morning, arm and fingers are again normal–except for a few scratch-marks. But why record all this? Because such airy demons are not the last of their kind, and because someone else, some day, may be glad to prove the merits of Cantharis, in potency, for GNAT BITES.”
A private detective had been standing and watching for hours in an unpleasant spot, legs soaked with wet salt-petre. came in distress to exhibit them–red, swollen, very painful,–severe cellulitis nearly up to the knees. One wanted to get the patient into hospital; but that was “not possible!” So Cantharis 200 was given–just a few doses–and it all vanished astonishingly, and there was no further trouble–to the great relief of the doctor!
Cantharis being so frightfully rapid in its evil action–i.e. in the production of destructive inflammations, is equally rapid in its benign action, when used curatively.
It is well to remember that even in pace of action, disease and remedy must match.
BLACK LETTER SYMPTOMS
Great amativeness; amorous frenzy.
Inflammation of EYES, particularly when caused by a burn.
Burning sensation in THROAT, which feels as if on fire.
Passage of white or pale red tough mucus with STOOL, like scrapings from intestines, with streaks of blood.
Paroxysmal cutting and burning pains in both KIDNEYS, the region very sensitive to slightest touch, alternating with pain in tip of penis; urging to urinate; painful evacuation, by drops of bloody URINE, and at times, of pure blood.
Violent tenesmus vesicae and strangury.
Painful discharge of a few drops of bloody urine, causing very severe sharp pain, as if a red-hot iron was passing along urethra: this pain was most acutely felt at membranous portion of canal, and in meatus urinarius.
Violent burning, cutting pains in neck of bladder, extending to fossa navicularis, (<) before and after urinating.
Violent pains in bladder with frequent urging; intolerable tenesmus.
Urging to urinate from smallest quantity of urine in bladder.
Dribbling discharge, reddish, sometimes mixed with blood.
Ardor urinae.
Before, during, and after urinating fearful cutting pains in urethra; she must double herself and scream from pains.
Burning, when urinating, and when not.
Retention of urine, causing pain. Suppressed gonorrhoea.
SEXUAL desire; increased; disturbing sleep at night.
Frightful satyriasis; violent, painful priapism, with excessive pains.
Retained placenta or membranes, usually with painful urination.
Burning in chest.
Pain in loins, with incessant desire to urinate.
Pain in loins, kidneys and abdomen, with such pain on urinating that he could not pass a single drop without moaning and screaming.
In third stage, when there is complete insensibility; cramps in abdomen, muscles and legs; suppression of urine; haemorrhages from stomach and intestines; cold sweat on hands and feet. (Yellow fever.)
Scalds and BURNS.
Burns, before blisters form, and when they have formed.
