There is perhaps no remedy that has more decided action on the gums (not even Mercury), than this one. It is not used often enough in painful dentition. Gums very painful, swell, look dark- red or blue, and the teeth decay almost as soon as they are born. A child that has its mouth full of decayed teeth, with spongy, painful gums, will find its best friend in Kreosote. Never forget Kreosote in cholera infantum which seems to arise from painful dentition, or in connection with it; for I have seen some of the finest effects ever witnessed from any remedy from this one. (Here also is the 200th).
He recapitulates:–Bad teeth and gums: fetid corrosive discharges; great debility and haemorrhagic tendency, should always call to mind this remedy.
H. C. ALLEN (Keynotes) gives a few more hints for the use of Kreosote.
Especially for the dark complexioned, slight, lean, ill- developed, poorly nourished, overgrown:–“very tall for her age” (Phosphorus).
Children, old-looking, wrinkled. Rapid emaciation (Iodium) Post- climacteric diseases of women.
Then the haemorrhagic condition flow passive, in epistaxis, haemoptysis, hematuria dark oozing after extraction of teeth. Menses; too early: profuse: protracted: pain during, but worse after it. FLOW ON LYING DOWN, ceases on sitting or waking about. Again, “can only urinate when lying”, is a curious symptom. (And the rest we have got).
But, generally, better from warmth. Worse in open air; cold weather; growing cold; washing or bathing in cold water. Worse rest, especially when lying.
KENT, gives as the three characteristics of Kreosotum,
1. Excoriating discharges.
2. Pulsations all over the body.
3. Profuse bleeding from small wounds.
He says, when these things are associated in a high degree, Kreosote should be examined.
Lachrymation is excoriating: excoriates margins of lids and cheeks: they become red and raw. A purulent discharge is acrid. Saliva burns and smarts. Eyes smart and burn as if raw. Leucorrhoea causes smarting and burning, with mucous membranes some- times inflamed, but always burning. Urine smarts and burns. This tendency to excoriation from excretions and secretions applies to all the tissues of the body.
Every emotion is attended with throbbing all over the body– and with tearfulness. Pathetic music will bring out acrid tears and palpitations and pulsations that are felt to the extremities.
With the Kreosote sore throat, the tongue depressor will establish oozing: little drops of blood will appear. Nosebleed. Inflamed eyes bleed easily. Pricked finger bleeds many drops.
KENT gives the typical Kreosote face: yellowish pallor; sickly, semi-cachectic, with blotches that are reddish-looking: “it used to be called a scorbutic countenance”.
He also describes the Kreosotum infant, for whom most of us would think of Chamomilla–i.e., in regard to its trying mentality. “You see the child in its mother’s arms. It wants a toy, and when given it slings it into the face of somebody: it wants this and that, and then something else, never satisfied. The lips are red and bleeding” (here we break away from Chamomilla, Cina, etc.) “The corners of the mouth raw, eyelids red and skin excoriated. If it has, with this, loose motions, and you examine the fissure between nates you will find it red and raw. An older child will put his hand upon the sore genitals, and cry and scream in a most irritable way, because of the smarting and burning. Such is the Kreosote baby. It may be suffering from cholera infantum: may have wetting the bed; may have spells of vomiting: it is a Kreosote baby.
“Wherever there is a mucous membrane, it is raw. The fluids that ooze continue to eat and cause ulceration. The fluids vomited from the stomach seem to take the skin off from the mouth, set the teeth on edge, make the lips raw. So, excoriation from acrid fluids, as well as throbbing all over the body, are features, you must bear in mind with Kreosote.”
It is will to realize these less frequently useful, yet indispensable: drugs of extreme conditions, and with definite unusual complexes.
And now we will epitomize, for those who do not despise such aids to memory:
This is the Kreosotum state
Discharges hot, excoriate:
From mucous membrane–wound–or gum,
Profuse and easy bleedings come:
Sanguinous oozings, frightful stenches,
Which Kreosotum only quenches.
Leucorrhoea acrid, putrid, stains.
Like red hot coals her pelvic pains.
Dentitions painful, futile, too!
The teeth decay as soon as through
For cholera infantum, note,
With teething troubles–Kreosote.
