The duration of the disease varieties from one to eight, or seven ten years. Should effusion be arrested, the accumulation of serum already fusion be arrested, the accumulations of serum already present remains, f or it is never absorbed.
TREATMENT.-The best remedies for this disease are those adapted tot he constitutions cachexia these are -Calcarea carb.,. Sulph., Ferrum-Iodium, Silicea
Belladonna, Apis., Arsenicum-Iodium, Helleborus, Dig or Mercurius, may be required as adjuncts.
PREVENTION-Dr. Von. Grauvogl; states that in families in which hydrocephalic children have been born he has succeeded in preventing recurrence of cases by single alternate daily doses of Sulph.6., and Calc-Phos. 6, given to the mother during the term of pregnancy.
80.-acquired Chronic Hydrocephalus.
This condition is nearly always due to compression of the veins of Galen by a tumour at base of brain or in the third ventricle; or a foramen of Magendie into the spinal cord jay be closed and so fluid accumulates in the ventricle of the brain.
The symptoms are variable Optic neuritics and headache and attacks of coma with a slow pulse are to be expected; but it is virtually impossible to distinguish this condition with certainty from brain tumour,, which is so often the renal cause. Treatment must be symptomatic and is not hopeful.
81.-Serous Meningitis.
This is a curious condition where the lining of the brain ventricles seems to secrete fluid in excessive quantities. It may be acute or chronic. the pressure symptoms of the acute state resemble those of tubercular meningitis the acute state resemble those of the tubercular meningitis (q.v.), and those of the chronic form recall the symptoms of brain tumor. Fever is rate, however. This curious condition may subside and via possibly some reported cures of meningitis and humour were in. reality instances of this disease.
TREATMENT- If diagnosed or suspected Apis, or Hellebore should be given a trial, and Calcarea would very likely be of service.
82. Encephalitis.
DEFINITION-Inflammation of the brain substance. The symptoms naturally vary according to the areas involved but h following varieties must be briefly considered. As meninges and cord seldom escape the condition is best named Meningo-myelo encephalitis.
ACUTE POLIO-MYELITIS.
DEFINITION-An acute infection, attacking a particularly the grey matter of the anterior horns of the spinal cord and corresponding brain areas.
This is an epidemic disease and the cause of Infantile Paralysis which remains as a sequel to it and demands prolonged treatment. Mild cases of this disease are often overlooked and only the consequent paralysis of a group or two of muscles betrays the attack. care is therefore needed not to overlook these unobtrusive ceases.
Young adults are attacks, d but the period or the first dentition (six months to two years) is much the most dangerous time.
The cause of the disease is a living organism which seems to invade the body thought the upper respiratory tract- nose and pharynx. The most important effect of the organism is on the spinal cord, although meninges and brain seldom if ever escape altogether. The cells of the grey matter of he anterior horn of the cord are more or less destroyed and the localized symptoms in. the muscles are the expression of the localized disease in the parts of he cord which are in intimate relation with those muscles.
SYMPTOMS-Usually localized paralysis and slight fever are the first symptoms to attract attention, but now and then naso- pharyngeal catarrh, fever, drowsiness, twitchings or gastro intestinal symptoms precede. Most generally groups of muscle with irregular, non-symmetrical distributions re paralyzed. The legs suffer most and it is rare for the whole of any limb to be involved. Bladder and rectum generally escape. Numbness and other sensory disturbances (seldom pain) are usual, but the motor (muscle) involvement is the striking feature.
Now and then, in epidemics, the disease will ascend throughout the cord and cause death by destroying centres respiratory for instance of in the medulla. or the centres in the medulla, affecting eyes, tongue, pharynx may be almost he only ones managed. At other times the meninges may be more involved and the symptoms may be those already described under Meningitis. Or the brain may suffer predominantly. These cases are sudden and actuate, with vomiting and convulsions and a high degree of paralysis of one side of the body (hemiplegia). It must be understood that the nerve centre attacked may be few or many and distributed irregularity so that anomalous cases are common.
After the onset there is little change for the two three weeks, and then power begins to return to q great r or less extent. Some muscles will remain permanently atrophied, but the sooner treatment is undertaken the grate the chance of limiting the permanent loss. The mortality from his disease is seldom sewer.
TREATMENT-To disinfect nose and pharynx as well as possible is wise during epidemics, as the germ grains access by this route. The disease is now notifiable.
In the acute stage Gelsemium, (especially in thereafter cases which resemble neuritis, Q.v., a nd show pain and tenderness) is useful. Following this Phosphorous is most likely to help and Manganese, Causticum and Picric aCid. After a few days Secale, Plumbum, or stannum should be studied. the affected parts should be kept warm and at rest for th fist two weeks. After this time massage is desirable, and later electricity, Faradic if there is any response, or failing response, or, filing, response, Galvanic. FAtigue is harmful for months after the disease. As far as possible the affected muscles should be entirely relaxed. AFter a time systematic re-education of the wasted muscles does much good and although a damaged nerve centre is nerve centre is never restored,. patience and training will make much of any power that remains, and encourage other muscles to replace as far as may be., those that are lost.
Some residual deformity is frequent and the orthopedic surgeon’s aid is often required to deal with these.
EPIDEMIC ENCEPHALITIS (LETHARGICA).
DEFINITION-An infective disease so-called sleepy sickness, not to be confound with Sleeping sickness, Trypanosomiasis),. attacking principally the brain and often accompanied by lethargy or stupor and paralysis of cranial nerves.
There is no doubt that the disease is infective, though its organism has not been isolated with certainty. It is not the organism that causes Anterior Poliomyelitis. This letter disease destroys ganglion cells, which escape in epidemic encephalitis, the middle parts of the brain (pons and basal nuclei) are most affected, and the actual lesions found post mortem are not unlike those found in rabies and sleeping sickness, but the causative agent is a separate one from that responsible for either of these disease. Influenza seems to predispose to encephalitis. Adults (over twenty) are more often attacked than children.
SYMPTOMS-There is a vaguely defined prodromal of infection is probably by nose of pharynx. Then in most cases lethargy deepens even to stupor, or coma. paralysis of eye muscle causes squint, and dropped more than a week, but the lethargy deepens even to super or coma. Paralysis of eye muscles causing squint, and dropped eyelids (ptosis) is very characteristic. Fever rarely lasts more than weak, but the lethargy remains, and headache. Its roused, intelligent answers to questions may be obtained from he patient. The is now and then delirium and tremor, muscles twitching and difficulties in speech are common. Pain is not as a rule marked, though there may be sensitiveness to touch and muscle tenderness. Other motor nerves than cranial may be involved with corresponding symptoms.
The lethargy is the characteristic features, whether due to toxaemia or top some interruption of normal stimuli in part of the brain.
Recovery is usual after a period of from two to twelve weeks, but a mortality of twenty-two per cent, has been recorded in one series of 168 cases. there may be mild and evanescent cases.
TREATMENT-Isolation, careful nursing (especially with regard to passable bed sores and careful feeding are needed Feeding may have to be done by nasal tube or per rectum.
When the first case occurred they were attributed to botulism, a bacterial disease. There is a nosode of their germ called Botulinum and it should certainly be tried in encephalitis, preferably in unit doses of the 30th or 200th potency. Otherwise the symptoms suggest Baptisia or Bryonia in the earlier stage and Nux Moschata Arsenicum, Antim-Tart, or Opium when the fever Arsenicum, Antim-Tart, or Opium when the fever subsides, Chloral Hydrate might be considered also; It is not a well known drug, but has symptoms that suggest its value here.
83.-Apoplexy.
DEFINITION-A condition characterized but the abrupt loss, more or less complete, of consciousness, from extravasation of blood (Haemorrhage) within the cranium.
The symptoms are usually sudden, and its development most rapid.
LICENTIATE OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS; MEMBER OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS; LICENTIATE IN MIDWIFERY, LONDON AND EDINBURGH, ETC. PHYSICIAN TO THE READING AND BERKSHIRE HOMOEOPATHIC DISPENSARY.
Author of "The Stepping Stone to Homeopathy and Health,"
"Manual of Homoeopathic Treatment". Editor of "The Homoeopathic World."