2. BACILLINUM TUBERCULINUM CASES



“And now I could tell you of a good many of my dispensary patients, of what is called consumptive build. Flat-chested or narrow chests; hard to recover from colds, poorly nourished, low vitality, sweat easily and at nights, but who have no soreness in the lungs; some with sore throats, tonsillitis and haemorrhoids, bleeding freely from the least injuries, to whom, by way of experiment, I have given Bacillinum 30th, in my office, and a bottle of placebo, who have been promptly cured of all their complaints with the one prescription. From these cases I learn that this remedy is many-sided and is a good thing to give where there are no symptoms strong or clear enough to be named, only a general feeling of illness.

“ROBERT BOOCOCK, M.D.

“Flatbush, L. I.”

I will conclude with a short paper by my friend, Dr. John H. Clarke:

“A CASE OF TUBERCULOUS PHTHISIS CURED MAINLY BY TUBERCULINUM (HEATH).

A case presented to the Society, February 2, 1893.

“James K., a carman, age 40, was admitted into the hospital October 17, 1892. The following notes are taken from the case- book of Dr. Vincent Green, junior resident medical officer. The family history is excellent, there being no history of phthisis. The patient’s present illness dates from an attack of influenza three years ago, the attack being followed by cough, expectoration, night sweats and emaciation. These symptoms continued for a year until the patient could hardly get out of bed on account of weakness. He was in the North London Hospital six weeks, where he improved, but during the next six weeks he became rapidly worse, having two sharp attacks of haemoptysis. When admitted to the Homoeopathic Hospital he was emaciated, suffered much from dyspepsia, and had a poor appetite. He had an irritative hacking cough, but not much expectoration, but the sputum contained tubercle bacilli. At the apex of the right lung there was a crack-pot note, tubular breathing and abundant coarse crepitations. In the infraclavicular region there was some dullness, with prolonged expiration and fine crepitations; posteriorily, there was audible prolonged expiration, with crepitations all over the lung. At the apex of the left lung expiration was prolonged, but there were no accompaniments. The heart sounds were clear; pulse 110. The patient complained of a feeling of weight in the right chest, sleeplessness, and cough for several days, and then he began to improve; constipation was one of his chief troubles.

“On November 9th, as he still complained of the weight in the chest, he was given Tuberculinum (Health) 100, gt. iii., on the tongue, and this was repeated the following week.

“By November 20th he had gained one and a quarter pounds in weight; the sensation of weight in the chest was better; there was very little cough, no expectoration, no night sweats, but he was troubled a good deal with flatulence. Tuberculinum was repeated on the 30th, and again on December 10th; by this time he had gained another pound and a half in weight.

“December 19th.-He complains of pains in the joints without swelling; there is a return of the sweats and cough, with frothy white sputum. Under Mercurius vivus 12 the rheumatic symptoms perfectly subsided.

“Tuberculinum was repeated on January 4th and 25th.

“On February 2nd it was noted that he had gained four and a half pounds since January 18th; he had no cough, and felt quite well. There was a prolonged expiratory murmur and increase of vocal fremitus, and resonance at the right apex, but no abnormal physical signs at the left apex.-The Journal of the British Homoeopathic Society.

“[The Tuberculinum used in this case, and the Bacillinum prescribed by Dr. Burnett in his `New Cure of Consumption,’ are identical.–ED. RECORDER.]” The very latest testimony anent the clinical value of Bacillinum I find in the “Homoeopathic World” of November 1, 1893. It comes from New Zealand, and runs thus:

BACILLINUM CASES.

“In the `Homoeopathic World’ of January there is an article by Dr. Young on `Bacillinum,’ which interested me much, owing to the successful use of the two-hundredth potency. After reading Dr. J.C. Burnett’s `New Cure of Consumption,’ I employed Bacillinum 30 in several cases, but with very indifferent results. In a woman suffering from tubercular phthisis it had a beneficial effect on the pleurodynia, but had no really controlling influence over the disease itself, which marched steadily on to a fatal issue. Another little patient with tubercular meningitis it made no impression whatever upon, death taking place in about a week. Altogether I was disappointed. But the above-mentioned article with the higher potency with such magnificent results caused me to try Bacillinum again, but now in the two-hundredth.

“Case 1.-I had prescribed for some time for an elderly lady suffering from Lupus exedens over the left superior maxilla, with very unsatisfactory progress. I then advised Bacillinum, which she had in the two hundred and first potency. One drop of this caused such medicinal aggravation, that she first thought of taking no more; but after a few days (I think five) she ventured upon half a drop, which agreed, and two more doses healed the part up completely. Her general health has improved wonderfully.

“Case 2.-Another instance is that of a boy about 11 years old, who was reduced to the last extremity by tubercular ulceration of intestines. His disease had resisted three allopathic doctors before I saw him, and he was so very far through that the parents asked for a consultation with another doctor (allopathic), which I assented to. His verdict was to give the boy all the nourishment he could get, but that there was no hope for him. Just then Dr. Young’s article came before me, and I decided to give Bacillinum 200 mj. every eighth day. His recovery took place steadily; and from being skin and bone, with constant abdominal pain and vexatious alvine discharges of blood, faeces and pus, he has become well- nourished, and has lost his pains, etc., entirely.

“Case 3.-A third case was that of a baby 14 months old, who had been unsuccessfully treated at the Dunedin Hospital. It was emaciated to a degree, and was evidently not long for this world, and was another example of consumption of the bowels. I gave Bacillinum 200 mj. every eighth day, with such perfect success that the father told me afterwards that the child had never been so well since its birth.

“In the first case no other medicine was used. But it is only right to add, that in both of the bowel cases I gave in addition Calcarea carb. 30 mj. t.d.s.

“But now, in conclusion, I want to make another statement of an opposite kind, and that is, I have given Bacillinum, both in the thirtieth and two-hundredth, in that fell disease of infancy and childhood–I refer to acute tubercular meningitis–but with one result, viz., death. Of course, my cases were indubitable specimens of the disease; there could be no manner of doubt about the diagnosis.

“WILLIAM LAMB, M.B., C.M., “40 High Street, Dunedin,

“August 12, 1893.”

As this little treatise was going to press, I wrote to my friend, Dr. John H. Clarke, the able Editor of the Homoeopathic World, to ask him to give my readers the benefit of his experience with the remedy herein recommended, and he replies as follows:

“30 Clarges Street, “London, W.

“I began to use Bacillin, and at the same time I proved it on myself, taking (on December 20, 1890) just the thirtieth, and afterwards the one-hundredth potency. The chief symptoms I experienced were the following:

” 1. Pain in glands of neck, worse on turning the head or stretching the neck. Right side more affected.

“2. Pain deep in head, worse on shaking the head.

“3. Aching in teeth, especially lower incisors (all sound). This was felt at the roots, especially on raising the lower lip; the symptoms persisted many months, and I occasionally feel it now. Teeth very sensitive to cold air.

“4. Sharp pains of short duration in chest and various parts of body.

“5. Pain in left knee whilst walking one evening; passed off after persevering in walking for a short distance.

“6. Nasal Catarrh. Pricking in throat (larynx), with sudden cough. Single cough on rising from bed in the morning. Cough waking me in the night. Easy expectoration. Sharp pain in precordial region, arresting breathing. Very sharp pain in left scapula, worse lying down in bed at night, relieved by warmth.

“7. An indolent angry pimple on left cheek. This persisted many weeks, and I began to fear it was something worse. After it had once healed it broke out several times at long intervals, and even still a slight indention can be felt at the spot.

“Case 1.-One of the first cases in which I proved its curative power was that of a little girl, R. W., whom I had practically `cured’ of consumption with ordinary homoeopathic remedies nearly three years before. At the first time I saw her she was 7 years old, and was reduced almost to a skeleton.

Right lung dull all over. Rattling sounds over both lungs. Breath short and noisy–audible almost all over the house. Cough distressing and breath most fetid.

James Compton Burnett
James Compton Burnett was born on July 10, 1840 and died April 2, 1901. Dr. Burnett attended medical school in Vienna, Austria in 1865. Alfred Hawkes converted him to homeopathy in 1872 (in Glasgow). In 1876 he took his MD degree.
Burnett was one of the first to speak about vaccination triggering illness. This was discussed in his book, Vaccinosis, published in 1884. He introduced the remedy Bacillinum. He authored twenty books, including the much loved "Fifty Reason for Being a Homeopath." He was the editor of The Homoeopathic World.