This case illustrates a congested state of the kidneys from Amenorrhoea, the congestion being sufficient to cause Albuminuria.
The twitchings I regard as reflex symptoms from an irritated bladder and kidneys and not uraemia. The cough and hoarseness were very likely from the cause which suppressed the menses. But the chief feature is the complete relief following the use of Helonias. Whether it would be of use in genuine Bright’s Disease remains to be seen. It must be carefully distinguished from its analogue, Senecio. The latter is of service in nervous, restless, sleepless females, who always complain of nausea with usual symptoms. Helonias, on the other hand, gives us dullness, drowsiness, languor; kidneys heavy, sensitive; pains less intense than under Senecio.
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ATONY OF THE UTERUS.
MRS.—- had long been troubled with retroflexion of the uterus. At about the third month of pregnancy, she was taken with symptom that indicated an impending abortion. Digital examination detected the uterus so retroflexed as to be almost inverted. Its replacement was followed by instantaneous relief of the threatening symptoms. By frequent replacements, danger was averted until the uterus had grown out of the pelvis. The labor, which ensued in full time, was tedious, the pains exciting but very imperfect contractions. Caulophyllum did no good; Pulsatilla also failed. The labor, however, terminated without other artificial interference than some manipulation of the fundus uteri to excite its contractions. Haemorrhage followed, which china controlled. The after-pains (this was her third pregnancy) was intense and seemed to call for caulophyllum. This relieved for two days; but on the third, they again became worse, and this time were accompanied by ineffectual urging to stool and entire suppression of the lochia. There were no head symptoms, no fever, nothing to explain the cessation of the flow except this persistent atony.
Nux Vom., repeated with each new paroxysm of pain, relieved and developed the lochia; but it would again cease and finally at the end of three days, stubbornly refused to reappear. The case had now reached its eighth day. The intermission of the lochia suggested Sulphur, but its use was followed by no relief; on the contrary, the symptoms grew more serious. There had been no lochial discharge for forty hours. The patient was weak and feverish. She complained of an agonizing headache. It felt as though the face was being drawn towards the root of the nose; and then backwards towards the occiput, as if by a string. The eye-balls were sore and pained on the slightest attempt at motion. The italicized symptom is found under Paris Quadrifolia (see Allen, Vol. vii, and also Allen & Norton, p.100). After the first dose of the 30th, the discharge returned. Two hours later following the second dose, the headache perceptibly diminished, ceasing entirely after the third dose. The remedy was then suspended. The lochial discharge, though somewhat fitful in its flow, continued the usual two weeks.
BAD COLD.
One cold, blustering day, a poor woman brought her child to my office to be treated for a “bad cold”. She had given it Magnesia and Rhubarb to “work the cold off”, The child, a well-nourished girl of, perhaps, three years, was lying in a semi-conscious state, skin pale; eyes half-open; an excoriating nasal discharge reddened the upper lip the cervical glands were swollen, and cellular tissue about the throat markedly infiltrated. The lips were covered with black scabs, and the mouth and throat internally so swollen, that an examination seemed impossible. I diagnosed the case as Scarlatina and gave Nux Vom. 2c, 3 doses, to prepare the way for Lycopodium 2m.
Next morning no better,. Child started from sleep, as if choking. Lachesis 2c. every 2 hours. On the following day an eruption appeared over both face and body; child conscious. At the next visit the rash had turned purplish; the child was lying with its head thrown back, the neck terribly swollen. The breathing was accelerated and labored. Mucous rales could be heard all over the chest. Urine suppressed. Un-consciousness was complete. Ailanthus 6th every 2 hours. The first sign of improvement was a diminution in the engorgement of the throat; the breathing became consequently more easy and the child returned slowly to consciousness.
It is quite possible that the above case was not scarlet Fever, as diagnosed. The rash, which very much resembled measles and which appeared quite plentifully on the face, reminded one of the Roseola, now quite prevalent in Philadelphia.
And, besides in three days two other children in the same family developed an unmistakable Roseola.
Nevertheless to the prompt action of the Ailanthus the child owes its life, the blood having become poisoned by an undeveloped disease. Poverty together with the impression that her child had merely a cold, prevented the mother from seeking medical advice until eight days after the initial fever. Lachesis, while it seemed to bring out the eruption, did not relieve the blood of its contamination.
CASES FROM PRACTICE – RHEUMATISM, DIARRHOEA AND HEADACHE
Mr.–, subject to attacks of Rheumatism every Spring, suffered a year ago from complication of diseases. While in the west he contracted chills and fever, and travelling over the prairies added the Itch. Thus he combined Rheumatism, Itch, chills and fever, and Asthma. The characteristic picture called for Sulphur.
Evening spells of Asthma, with rush of blood to the chest and constriction; stinging between the shoulders; chill in the fore- noon, followed by long-lasting heat, flushes of heat in the after-noon. Rheumatic pains erratic; vesicles on the hands between the fingers itching intolerably.
All the symptoms were soon relieved, and finally removed. The prairie Itch lasted the longest.
About a month ago, just a year after his previous attack, I was summoned to visit him, the messenger stating that the was suffering from Asthma. Being engaged in the office at the time, I sent Sulphur, as it had relieved before. An hour later, on seeing the patient, I found not Asthma, but Rheumatism of the diaphragm. The agony was intense. Respiration jerking, numbness of the limbs, coldness. As well as he could, he described his sensations. There was a feeling as of a cord around the hypochondria; rush of blood towards the chest; shooting pains through to the back and up each side of the chest; cannot lie down; dry tickling cough, as from dust in the throat. Sulphur had done no good cactus 30 relieved. Another attack in the night again yielded to Cactus 2c. On the following evening the symptoms reappeared, though not so severely. Cactus 2c quickly relieved.
Miss—, aged 48 nervous temperament. Troubled for 6 years with diarrhoea, which occurred only in the morning and hurried her out of bed. She had a severe attack when I saw her, aggravated by suppressed perspiration. Gave Sulphur 900. No apparent relief in several weeks. From the fact that, if she composed three lines even, in the afternoon, she would wake up the next morning with diarrhoea, showing the preponderating influence of mental labour, I gave Nux Vom. 1000th. The diarrhoea disappeared and congestive headaches, to which she was formerly subject, reappeared. They in their turn went away without any other medicine. The patient remained unusually well for three months, when an undue amount of mental work brought it on again, but it readily yielded to the remedy.
Miss— aged 21, complained of headache, which was improved by looking cross-eyed. There were no other symptoms that would guide me. Knowing that Oleander had improved by looking sideways, I gave two doses of the 200th. The result was a cure. She had had no return to date.
Mrs.C—, dark complexion, dark brown eyes, has had for years uterine troubles; Cancer of the left mamma, and was talking medicine for these general ailments. In the course of treatment she caught cold and exhibited the following condition;
Headache in occiput and right temple; intermittent. Eye-ball aches and feels, as if there were a “shot in it.” Darting in right eye at intervals during the day; but in both eyes, and much more severe at night. She says, “I shall go crazy”. Involuntary twitching of eye-lid Worse from light, especially gas-light. Worse from least noise, as others walking, etc. Gave spigelia 30. No relief. I then studied Cimicifuga, which I gave two doses of the 30th. The Neuralgia was well the next day, and with it the following improvement; A heavy pain in right ovary disappeared. She could lie on right side, which she hadn’t done for two months, and a troublesome Leucorrhoea of several months standing, ceased entirely.
Mr.– had Syphilis nine years ago, for which he received large doses of Mercury. On December 24, 1869, he came to me complaining of shooting pains from above the left ear to the root of the nose; the nose was swollen at its base, and so also were the eye-lids, especially in the inner angles. The similarity of the headache to that described by Dr. Neidhard (A. J. H. M. M., vol. No. I, page 106) together with the swelling of nose and inner corner of eye-lids induced me to give Sarsaparilla 2c, one dose.
