Generalities
Feeling of fatigue.
Malaise, depression, headache, somnolence, oppression of breathing, tightness of chest, nausea.
General fatigue in morning; sensation of faintness; great weakness in lower extremities, esp. from knees down to feet.
Terribly tired, so that she can scarcely walk.
General excessive fatigue after a short walk, so that he must lean on his companion.
Emaciation (lost six pounds in fourteen days, twenty pounds in five weeks).
In parts affected throbbing pain.
Leucocytosis; diminution of oxyhemoglobin.
Oxyhemoglobin first diminished then increased (Henoque).
Feeling well, but decidedly losing flesh.
Acts principally by very acute irritation of internal organs affected (in the same way as in external organs), causing intense redness and great swelling.
Actual inflammatory processes (not mere hyperemias), and esp. active proliferations, occur to an intense degree, in (1) edges of existing ulcers; in (2) neighboring lymphatic glands, esp. bronchial and mesenteric.
Lymphatic glands present a quite unusual degree of enlargement, and notably that form of medullary swelling, characteristic of acute irritations, which is caused by rapid proliferation of the cells in the interior of the glands.
Leucocytosis: various infiltrations of white blood corpuscles over affected parts, esp. around the tubercles themselves.
Enormous dangerous swellings in parts near ulcers (even where the surface of the ulcer becomes clean), causing dangerous constriction.
Phlegmonous swelling resembling erysipelatous edema of glottis and retropharyngeal abscess.
Where tubercle is associated with any other specific disease, reaction is so slight as to be scarcely discernible (Heron).
Syphilitic cases are refractory to reaction (Heron).
Children bear the treatment well (Wendt).
Tuberculinum, a typical case: Howard L., 28 years of age, a resident of Attleboro, Mass., was indisposed in the fall of 1898, troubled with hoarseness and gastric ailments. A neighboring physician was called who had attended the young man’s family for many years. This physician commenced in September, 1898, to inject Tuberculin (Koch’s), and up to December had injected his toxin twice a week for several weeks, and then once in two weeks the remainder of the time.
Cases
The result? At the time of the commencement of this treatment Mr. L. could work and eat comfortably; soon his stomach rebelled against food and the bowels became constipated, his hoarseness increased and distressing, suffocative spells set in every forenoon, lasting an hour or so; he would then be able to breathe well the rest of the day.
In January, 1899, I was summoned hastily in the night and found him laboring for breath, the noise of his breathing audible from the street. His first words were: “My God, help me; relieve me, Doctor, or I shall die.” Expectoration was scanty, dark green, lumpy, tubercular matter. Examination of the throat revealed a larynx full of tubercular nodes. I saw that his end was near, and told his parents with whom he lived I would rather they would call their family physician. But as they insisted on my keeping the case, I prepared some medicine which relieved him, but the next morning he was again worse, and from that time on was in agony from efforts to get breath. To relieve him intubation (through the mouth) was resorted to, but he could not keep the tube in. He died that afternoon, his great agony being amel. only by resort to chloroform applied locally. This man had been wild in his youth, had gonorrhea several times, and of diathesis tubercular. I asked him if he had told his former physician these things and he said he had. This case is typical as far as the use of Tuberculin by injection is concerned, or of a score I could mention who have died under the hypodermic use of Tuberculin in this vicinity the past two years.
Cases.
Miss. Mary E. A., 29, University student, one brother living in poor health. Mother, several aunts and rest of the family died before thirty of tuberculosis. In July, when 11 years old, was severely poisoned with ivy, and has annual attacks in summer ever since. Menstruated at 13; early, full, scanty, dark, clotted, exhausting, dribbles for a week; omits in June, July and August every year. Stomach and abdomen bloated agg. in summer. Perspires easily on single parts. Hands and feet edematous. Nape and occiput heavy; painful. Mental labor; her college work can only be done with great effort. Restless, dreamful sleep, unrefreshing. Feet and hands cold and damp. Summer heat exhausts her. Leucorrhea: acrid, profuse, brownish-yellow, offensive, running down to the heels in large quantities. Not relieved by bathing.
Case of cancer of the breast, so diagnosed by best allopathic authority in Boston; no history of grief or traumatism. The most peculiar symptoms about it were its tubercular-small hard nodules in the gland, a superficial string extending to the axilla.
Previously had suffered from severe headaches; since the growths appeared, headaches ceased. The nipple was retracted. On account of tubercular character of growths, the history of former headaches, which were similar to those of Tuberculinum, I gave the patient one dose. In 48 hours burning, lancinating pains began in the growths; had previously suffered from burning pain which was palliated by sedatives. The burning, lancinating pains continued two or three days, then gradually disappeared. The retraction of nipple was less marked, the tubercles softened, the pains disappeared and general health promptly improved.
Cases.
Mr. G. A. T., 28, dry goods salesman, light complexion, mental, motive temperament, active, wiry, well nourished. Father and three uncles died of pulmonary tuberculosis, leaving him the only living male representative of the family; is strictly temperate, uses no coffee, tea, beer, or tobacco. Has suffered for nine years from involuntary emissions, with or without erections, and with and without dreams; weak and exhausted for two days following emissions; has six or eight per month. Has had some of the best men of both schools in the city caring for him, and the last six years under homoeopathic treatment, and for three years under one of the ablest members of this association.Cases.
Mrs. S-, aged 27, Denver, catarrh of nose, throat and larynx; cough severe agg. by lying down; for ten or fifteen minutes after retiring coughs severely, loosens some tough mucus which can neither be raised nor swallowed. Night-sweats if warmly covered.
Morning diarrhoea: watery, profuse, gushing, at 6: 30 A.M.; a slight motion, turning in bed, necessitates getting up in a hurry, with a rush. Rumbling, gurgling in abdomen as if quarts of water were in stomach and bowels. By careful eating can go rest of day without. Going without noon-day meal stool is natural, but it would not affect morning diarrhoea. In morning, weak; exhausted. In afternoon, feels fairly well. Excessively nervous during menses. Last three periods have been ten or fifteen days late and more scanty than usual. Under the care of one of our best homoeopathic prescribers has had Aloe, Sulphur, Podophyllum, Gamboge and Rumex.
Profuse, watery stool two or three times a day.
Constant urging for stool. Formication.
Loose stool; slight tenesmus.
Constant, ineffectual desire.
Loose, yellow colored stool, with considerable straining; three stools since 5 P.M., attended with much thirst and borborygmus.
Griping pain with bearing down in lower part of abdomen; some relief after stool.
Stool pale yellow color.
Sensation of drawing and constricting of sphincter.
Profuse, watery, ill-smelling, like old cheese, at 5 P.M.
Sudden diarrhoea before breakfast, with nausea.
Diarrhoea, furious fever, burning hot skin, great heat in head, red, flushed face, eyes turned upward, quivering and rolling; peculiar fetid smell of body. – Burnett.Cholera infantum. – Swan.
Severe hemorrhage from bowels, cough; emaciation; family history of phthisis.
Mind
Anxiety, gloomy, melancholy humor.
Has lost melancholy expression she formerly had.
Is disposed to whine and complain; dejected mind, anxiety.
She is very sad.
Nervous irritation; aversion to labor.
Indifferent.
Forgetful.
Aversion to all labor, esp. mental work.
Sensibility to music.
Does not like to be disturbed by people; trembling of hands.
Felt positively ugly; personal aversions became almost a mania.
Trifles produced intense irritation and I could not shake them off.
Very irritable, want to fight, no hesitancy in throwing anything at any one, even without cause.
Memory weak, unable to think.
Comprehension and concentration almost impossible.
Great anxiety for future, otherwise marked indifference.
Great sleepiness and weariness; entire muscular system relaxed; desire to lie down all the time.
Nervous; weak; IRRITABLE.
Melancholy, despondent, morose, irritable, fretful, peevish.
Dejected, taciturn, sulky; weeps, but knows not why; naturally of a sweat disposition, now on the borderland of insanity.
