“Complaints brought on from injuries to skull, blows on the head. Mind and head symptoms after injuries. Cerebro-spinal meningitis. Has cured epithelioma of lips. After swallowing a fishbone, etc., a spasm comes on. After Cicuta the spasm will cease and it can be taken out.
“Barber’s itch: troubles from shaving.”
One wonders why one has not made more use of Cicuta, after one of the amazing experiences of a lifetime. One has recently reproduced it, as “Effects of the Remedy”, in the CORRESPONDENCE COURSE FOR DOCTORS.
Cicuta IN EPILEPSY AND MENTAL DEFICIENCY OF TWENTY YEARS’ STANDING
It was many years ago: Charlotte E., an epileptic idiot, 23 years old. First seen in 1909.
History-At 32 years old had a fall on head. In bed four months, “unconscious and blind”. On recovery, a pustular rash all over head, cured with ointments.
Epileptic fits ever since, with enuresis. Whole body violently convulsed. Sleeps after the fits, sometimes all day.
May have 20-30 fits in one night. May go 14 days without fits, then fits every night for a week.
Very intelligent before the fall (at 32 years old). Just like a baby now, at 23.
Cannot wash or dress herself, but can feed herself now. If asked whether she wants food, says “No,”-then eats it, if set before her.
Can never be left alone.
For the (a) violence of the convulsions- (b) the pustular rash- and for (c) “after-effects of blows on the head”, she got Cicuta 200, one dose.
The effect was amazing; it was a revelation!
Three weeks later, the report was-
Much better. Fewer fits, and less violent. No struggling.
Much more intelligent. Remembers things now!
Remembers, as she has not done since babyhood.
Washed and dressed herself to-day for the first time in her life.
No medicine.
In five weeks- Better. Goes upstairs to fetch things for her mother.
Fits? “Nothing near so bad. Only six fits since here” used to have 20-30 in a night!
Actually talks about things.
Dressed herself to come up to Hospital. Understands and remembers.
Mother says, “It doesn’t seem true that she can talk to them, and say sensible things,” as she does now.
Some festery spots have come out on her face.
The girl talks to me. Tells me that “she likes to go and see the girls doing needlework”. Shows me the pennies that they have given her. Mother says, “She couldn’t trust her to do anything for herself; can now!” No medicine.
In two months-
Very much better. Only two slight fits.
Memory improving. Enjoys coming up here. She positively asked her mother not to forget her hospital card!
Helps herself at meals now. Cuts bread.
Again, spots on face. No medicine.
In three months-
Still rapid improvement in intelligence.
Remembers that she had forgotten to bring me flowers.
Two slight fits. No medicine.
In five months-
No fits at all.
Can make beds, and do cleaning. Sews on buttons. No medicine.
In six months-
Has been ill with a bad cold; doctor called it pleurisy; and one severe fit. Cicuta 200, one dose (for the second time in six months.)
In seven months-
Am told that this medicine (like the first) produced an aggravation. She was dreadful for two days, and took no notice of anyone.
Much better since. Does housework. Loves needlework. No medicine.
In eight months-
No fit, till she burnt her hand. She was taking a kettle off the fire with paper for a kettle-holder. It flared up and burnt her hand. She screamed with the pain. Three fits, not severe, the next day.
She is very useful in the house. Talks to me a lot to-day. No medicine.
In eleven months-
“Getting on tremendously.” Does needlework.
Goes out and buys vegetables.
One slight attack. Cicuta 200, one dose, for the third time.
In twelve months-
One slight attack. No medicine.
In fourteen months-
Better than ever before. No fits at all.
Tells me a long yarn about her sister.
Originates conversations.
After wringing the clothes, and hanging them up to dry, said,
“Now I am dead tired. I’m going to bed. Mother doesn’t want me to, but my nerves are going like that, and I’m dead tired!”
No medicine.
In seventeen months-
Understands that her Sunday School teacher is dead. Said, “She’s gone, and we shall not see her any more.” Never mentioned her again. No medicine.
In nineteen months-
Mother wrote up, “Ill, and ten fits.” Sent Cicuta 200, one dose.
Two years later-
Several rather bad fits. Cicuta 200, one dose.
Three years later-
Had been ill with ‘flu; ten bad fits one night. Otherwise well. Washes up. Cleans the doorstep. Goes shopping. Cicuta 200, one dose.
Then for some six months-No fits.
After four years-
Mother says, “She speaks in proverbs now! She said, ‘What is it, Mother, when your nose itches like this?'” No medicine.
In five years-
Mends her clothes. Does all the mangling and hangs the clothes out. Remembers where she has put things.
Has been since, at very long intervals. It was a pleasing and illuminating case. Excitement or sickness may bring on an attack. But a girl of 23, with less than the mentality of a baby, unable to say when she wanted food, let alone to wash or dress herself, was quickly transformed into a useful and fairly intelligent member of society by a very few single doses of Cicuta, in the 200 potency.
One thinks of Cicuta for extreme violence of convulsions: but, as said, it has all the symptoms of petit mal: and one might have made use of Cicuta here, and saved oneself a lot of trouble: for really these petit mal cases are often more difficult than the major attacks.
Looking up that old wonderful case the other day, led to the prescription of Cicuta in another equally difficult and seemingly hopeless case.
It was this. A thin slip of a “girl”, nearly 40 years old. Practically an epileptic idiot since fall at 12 years old, which rendered her unconscious. Had had a previous fall as a baby, which left a “dent on the top of her head”. (Has queer shaped skull, with a deep dent, wide, running back from vertex.) Makes extraordinary noises before some of the fits, or falls without noise: enuresis in fits.
She had very frequent major attacks, minor attacks also, “silent fits”. Skin troubles also.
Her symptoms suggested Sulphur, which gave a terrible aggravation, then she improved to a point.
But still a great number of fits: and also shrieking fits. Better and worse, without really much change, till January 29th, 1937. Cicuta 30, one dose.
In a month the report is “Ever so much better: two weeks since the last fit-her longest period without. A different creature: now takes interest in everything. Takes interest in her clothes now. Looks better. Has put on weight.”
Why did she not get Cicuta before?
The Cyclopaedia of Drug Pathogenesy gives cases of poisoning by Cicuta. Here is one. A healthy man of 20 ate of the root, and was soon ill. He went out and was soon afterwards found stretched on the ground, and as if dying. Face congested: eyes protruded; foamed at mouth; scarcely breathed. Soon a violent epileptic attack occurred, during which all the limbs in succession were horribly contorted, the breathing interrupted. He never recovered consciousness and soon died. Another:- a child of 6 soon complained of pain in precordia and fell to the ground and passed urine with great force. He looked fearfully ill; all his senses left him; he shut his mouth strongly that it could not be opened, ground his teeth. Eyes much distorted, blood gushed from his ears and a large swelling formed about the precordial region. Hiccough: attempts to vomit. He threw his limbs about and contorted them, the head was often thrown back and the whole back bent in the form of a bow. The convulsions ceased and he cried to his mother for help, but they returned with renewed intensity, he could not be roused by calling to him: and in half an hour he died. And so on with other cases.
In one case of proving given, among a host of symptoms, the stool had this peculiarity, that without premonitory symptoms they suddenly came on with urging so severe that they could hardly be kept back, with bruised pain in sacrum and general weakness. Then, almost every hour a stool of black carrion- smelling mucus in large quantity, with straining. When walking, suddenly a peculiar feeling as if the heart stopped etc., etc.
