From time to time a number of monographs giving a more or less accurate description of the various epidemics supposed to have been caused chiefly by Ergot and other adulterations in France, Germany and Switzerland have appeared. In 1825, the year previous to his departure for South America Hering made a collection of these monographs which he left with Trinks, who had it completed by one of his assistants and published. These comprise the first 80 of the 170 authorities of the encyclopedias, taken from Hartlaub and Trinks. The later additions are chiefly toxicological and clinical.
Dr. R. B. Johnstone, of Pittsford, N. Y. writes. “In 1883- 84, during the building of the West Shore Railroad, I was called upon to treat many of the Italian employees for an eruption which appeared upon the body in many places, but usually on the shoulders, neck and inner surface of the upper arms. In the majority of cases it was on the right side alone, but if on both sides was always worse on the right. The eruption would begin in a small point, like the prick of a pin, which would soon assume a pimple-like form and finally become pustular and as large as a small pea. At other times they would appear as large as a small boil (half an inch across the base), of a dark bluish hue, shading off to the healthy color of the skin an inch or more from center of boil. They were intensely painful to touch, aching, burning and itching, better from light rubbing, worse from scratching, worse from heat. The small ones would dry up leaving no cicatrix, but the large ones would fill slowly with a bright yellow pus-like material, or at times a bloody, watery serum, remaining open for days, having extremely painful edges, and base, and discharging towards its close a thick, dirty, offensive serum. They were decidedly indolent in character, and left a prominent cicatrix. Cool air blowing over the eruption would relieve the itching and burning, but not the pain. Secale, Lachesis, Causticum were the remedies chiefly indicated. Having learned that the Italians ate largely of rye bread made of a very poor and cheap quality of flour, while other nationalities (not eating the rye bread) did not suffer from it at all, I attributed the eruption to poisoning by Ergot in the bread; and if a patient presented without an interpreter I usually gave Secale, which would cure about seven cases in ten.” “H. G. K. – A miller of Pittsford, N. Y., informs me that he is unable to grind rye even for a short time. Upon entering a rye mill, had a sensation of constriction in the throat, great difficulty in breathing, difficult inspiration; expiration accompanied by soreness all over the chest, oppression of the chest, soreness of the chest, intercostal pains, pricking of the tongue. “The foregoing symptoms are distinctively of rye grinding; when grinding wheat no symptoms follow. He also informs me that in two rye mills in Rochester he knows a number of individuals engaged therein who suffer as above with the addition of an eruption particularly on the neck, chest, behind the ears and around the waist. The eruption is pustular, itching violently, and discharges a yellow matter. One man he knew who was compelled to give up rye grinding because of the many boils and carbuncles. He recovered entirely after changing his occupation. Nearly all rye grinders have enlarged finger joints and poor teeth.”
DAY BOOK OF MRS. M. F. HATHAWAY.
March 6, 1885 – Took a powder (Secale 200) every morning and at night on retiring, for three days, then at night only, for a week.
March 9th. – A sore spot felt on back part of base of tongue, left side as though a “canker sore” were making its appearance; it was not felt in day time and passed away after a few days.
March 10th and 11th. – A slight frontal headache and some mental confusion, but not very troublesome. Sore spot on base of tongue, right side.
March 13th. – Spots with a sore bruised feeling appeared about and below the left knee. On looking found a swollen patch about the size of a silver half dollar, of a purple red color. Towards evening three or four similar spots appeared further down the leg, about the top of the shoe, so sore could scarcely bear the touch of the shoe, and attended with a violent itching, but were so extremely sore could not scratch them, and when touched gave a faint, sick feeling.
March 14th. – Headache and confusion more pronounced, and chiefly in frontal region. Three or four spots appeared on right leg below the knee, with violent itching and the same sore bruised feeling.
March 15th. – An eruption in the form of a rash or small pustules appeared on the face, left side chiefly, very sore and sensitive to touch. It would begin in fine points like the prick of a pin or the sting of an insect and gradually increasing in size to a small pustule as large as a pea. Felt like the spots on the legs, with the same sore, bruised feeling in the skin of face and neck. There were twenty-eight small pustules on left side of face and neck.
March 18th. – The eruption appeared on the left shoulder, several small pustules in a cluster, with the same characteristic soreness. Ceased taking drug. Dull, heavy headache in forehead and eyes; much throbbing.
Before the menses (four or five days) a dark colored leucorrhea was observed, not very profuse, but attended with a tired and uneasy feeling in the pelvis.
April 5th. – The eruption on face, neck and shoulders gradually disappeared, but left discolored, ecchymosed spots and patches like the remains of an old bruises for several weeks, especially on lower leg. April 18th. – Menses appeared on time very profuse for the first three or four days, accompanied by a good deal of pain and an uneasy sore feeling through the pelvis (much more than usual), but an unusual amount of pain for a week before the menses. Flow darker, much more profuse (formerly profuse for one day) for four days. Considerable clotting. The flow continued for ten days, a circumstance which never occurred before. Vertigo during entire menstrual period, with inclination to fall forwards.
Was attacked while at lectures with palpitation which continued nearly all the afternoon. Could feel the heart flutter and remit. Pulse 108 and 110. Violent throbbing of the carotids, faint for several hours. Never had palpitation before in her life.
Headache; full, throbbing, bursting, like a Glonoine headache (has proved Glonoine), only not so sore on shaking the head.
Characteristics
Adapted to women of thin, scrawny, feeble, cachetic appearance, irritable, nervous temperament; pale, sunken countenance.
Very old, decrepit, feeble persons.
Women of very lax muscular fibre; everything seems loose and open; no action, vessels flabby; passive hemorrhages, copious flow of thin, black, watery blood, the corpuscles are destroyed.
Hemorrhagic diathesis; the slightest wound causes bleeding for weeks (Lachesis, Phosphorus); discharge of sanious liquid blood with a strong tendency to putrescence, tingling in the limbs and great debility, especially when the weakness is not caused by previous loss of fluids.
Leucorrhea: green, brown, offensive.
Boils: small, painful with green contents, mature very slowly and heal in the same manner; very debilitating.
Face: pale, pinched, ashy, sunken, hippocratic, drawn, with sunken eyes; blue rings around eyes.
Unnatural, ravenous appetite; even with exhausting diarrhea; craves acids, lemonade.
Diarrhea: profuse, watery, putrid, brown; discharged with great force (Gambogia, Crot.); very exhausting; painless, involuntary, anus wide open (Apis, Phos).
Enuresis: of old people; urine pale, watery, or bloody; urine suppressed.
Burning in all parts of the body, as if sparks of fire were falling on the patient (Arsenicum).
Gangrene; dry, senile, agg. from external heat.
Large ecchymoses; blood blisters; often commencement of gangrene.
Collapse in cholera diseases; skin cold, yet cannot bear to be covered (Camph.).
The skin feels cold to the touch, yet the patient cannot tolerate covering; icy coldness of extremities.
Menses: irregular; copious, dark fluid; with pressing, labor like pains in abdomen; continuous discharge of watery blood until next period.
Threatened abortion especially at third month (Sabina); prolonged, bearing down, forcing pains.
During labor: pains irregular; too weak; feeble or ceasing; everything seems loose and open but no expulsive action; fainting.
After pains: too long; too painful; hour-glass contraction.
Suppression of milk: in thin, scrawny, exhausted women; the breasts do not properly fill.
Pulse small, rapid, contracted and often intermittent.
Mind
Stupid, half-sleepy state.
Impaired power of thinking.
Delirium: quiet, wandering.
Mania: with inclination to bite, with inclination to drown.
Uncomfortableness and depression.
Fear of death.
Anxiety, sadness, melancholy.
Great anguish, wild with anxiety.
Apathy, indifference.
Constant moaning and fear of death.
Great anxiety and difficult respiration.
