“After a severe attack of scarlatina six months before, these symptoms developed, and the progress of the case had been so rapid that two allopathic medical men had pronounced her case hopeless. She had her farewell photograph taken; everybody (including the small patient herself) was waiting the end with sufficient resignation, when I happened to be consulted somewhat incidentally. Under Iodide of arsenic, to the astonishment of all, there was decided improvement. The fetor of the breath `with every cough’ disappeared under Capsicum; but much more markedly when I gave it high (1 m.)than when given low.
“I saw her first in May, 1888. She gained steadily, put on flesh, grew strong and ruddy, and in a few months was able to go to school.
“But though the lung dullness cleared up (leaving, however, evidence of a cavity at the right apex), and the cough left her, the breathing remained short and noisy. Creaking sounds were heard all over an auscultating, and she required treatment from time to time.
“On January 8, 1891, there was- wheezing respiration; rattling on chest; cough in morning. Otherwise she was well.
“Bacil. 100, two globules.
“January 12.-Wheezing much less.
“January 20.-Very much less wheezing.
“For the next week she had much heat, with perspiration at night. The wheezing still continued less marked; but the chest was a little tight, and she got up a little phlegm in the morning.
“January 27.-Bacil. 100, glb.ii.
“February 5.-Keeping very well.
“February 19.-No wheezing since.
“Since this date, at long intervals, she has required treatment, and Bacillin has never failed to relieve her. I have not seen her now for about a year, but I often see her father. The last time I prescribed was in August last, when she was reported to have more rattling on the chest and a little cough.
“Bacil. 30, four globules in a powder; four powders, one to be taken each week.
“September 5.-Report, very much better. Chest very different soon after the powders.
“October 19.-Keeping much better.
“She is now, I understand, growing into a strong, hearty girl. “The mother of this child was also in consumption at the same time, and the father, although muscularly strong, suffers from disease of the heart.
“I will now describe the mother’s case, although it can hardly be said to illustrate the successful use of Bacillin.
“Case 2.-Mrs. W., aged 38, first seen in November, 1888. She was fair, extremely thin, had suffered from rheumatism all her life, and had a cough as long as she could remember. Eighteen months before she had a severe illness (pleurisy, I gathered) after exposure, and was at one time given up for dead. Still had pain in left side of chest low down in front on taking a deep breath or coughing. There was prolonged expiration in both sides of chest, and a systolic bruit heard all over the cardiac areas. She was exceedingly sensitive to cold air.
“I attended this patient through many illnesses, including several attacks of influenza, the last of which, in the summer of 1892, gave such an impetus to the tubercular process that she eventually succumbed to it. The only reason for my mentioning her case now is that in January, 1861, I gave her two doses of Bacil. 100, at an interval of a week. After the first dose there was very little change, though the appetite was not so good. After the second she was seized with a `spasmodic pain in the chest, going up to the throat.’ This lasted, though diminishing till the next morning. She got up much worse. This attack (which I attributed to the Bacillin) was of such an alarming character that I did not venture to repeat the medicine, especially as it was not followed by any evident amelioration.
“Case 3.-Sydney W., the youngest child of Mrs. W., seen first on July 2, 1888, aged then 12 weeks. He was suffering from bronchitis, from which he recovered.
Afterwards he had commencing Pott’s disease of the spine, which was checked by ordinary homoeopathic remedies–Silica and Sulphur chiefly.
“On February 22, 1891, he had a scrofulous condition of the eyelids, the margins inflamed and somewhat eczematous. Bacillin quickly made a change for the better in these. Whenever this condition has since threatened to recur, Bacillin has at once put him right and improved him in general health. He is now a strong, sturdy child.
“Case 4.-This eczematous condition of eyelids calls to mind another case in a boy of 12, who had had eczema capitis severely as an infant, healed up by local applications, but not perfectly, the right eyelid being left eczematous; the eczema spreading to the face when specially active. One direct consequence of the local method of treatment was facial paralysis, which came on when the eruption disappeared under the ointments, and has left the boy disfigured for life. The condition of the eye had been ameliorated by several remedies, but nothing acted so promptly or so satisfactorily as Bacillin, given at rare intervals.
“Case 5.-My coachman, a young man of about 30, also suffered from redness of the eyelid margins, and he asked me to give him something for it. This condition was also eczematous. A few doses of Bacillin permanently removed it.
“Case 6.-This was a case of lupus. Miss., W. 26, consulted me July 17, 1891. She was a member of a very consumptive family, and one sister was insane a long time, and eventually committed suicide. The patient lived in Scotland, and consulted me whilst on a visit to London.
“She had been affected with lupus for ten years, the affection having begun in the eye, the right being the worst. It then invaded the right cheek, and finally the nose. The right wing of the nose was ulcerated and scabbed. The face is much disfigured.
“Bacil. 200 every ten days.
“July 24.-Marked improvement in nose.
“On examining the throat I found a small clean-punctured perforation in the soft palate near the uvula. No appearance of inflammation round it. Has felt the throat a little sore the last few days. Never had a sore throat before. (I conclude there must have been a tuberculous nodule in the palate which the Bacillin caused to ulcerate out.) Can breathe much more freely through nose.
“On September 1, she reported- (having left England) that there was much improvement.
“Bacillin, 1 m. (F.C.).
“October 9.-Face keeps on improving, but is at times very red. I now gave her Koch’s preparation–Tuberc. Koch, 200 (F.C.), every ten days.
“November 14.-Inside of the nose much better. Still festers a little outside.
“January 5, 1892.-Still improving; nose not so red. Still a little festering on right side; less every time I take a powder.
“Tuberculinum Koch, 1 m. (F.C.).
“March 4.-Face very much better. She has had an attack of influenza since last report, which left her with her legs and feet swollen and pitting. The doctor (allopathic) who attended her said she had Bright’s disease; and further added that the medicine she had taken `had cured the face, and driven it to the kidneys.’ As the same authority had pronounced her face incurable before, I did not accept the latter part of this statement as final. I got her to send me specimens of her urine from time to time. The first I examined was pale, alkaline, contained some mucus, slight cloud of phosphates, but no albumen. Subsequently I found a slight deposit of albumen, but no tube-casts. Under indicated remedies she soon recovered, and sent her last report on April 30, 1892. I have heard of her since as having kept well.
“Case 7.-A young lady of very good physique, but coming of a scrofulous family (her mother’s sister suffering from tuberculous ulceration of the nose, and her own elder sister having died after amputation of the thigh for scrofulous disease of the right knee), was taken last spring with pain in her right knee-joint. Being subject to rheumatic pains, she at first thought little of it; but as it persisted, I was asked to see her. Several remedies were given with but little success, and considering that her sister’s illness had begun in a similar insidious way, her friends became somewhat anxious, and, to some extent, so did I.
“I gave her one dose of Bacillin 100, four globules on the tongue.
“Seeing her the next day, she asked me if I intended to make her knee very much worse? She said the dose `went straight to the knee’–at least, within half an hour after taking it. She had violent pain in the joint, as after over-walking. This lasted for over four hours; then it went to the ankle on the same side, and then got better. From this time the knee began to mend, and in a few weeks was perfectly well. I gave other medicines afterwards, and did not repeat the Bacillin till a month after the first dose. This time it produced no aggravation, and was again followed by general improvement.
“Case 8.-The mother of the last patient, who was in good health, had for some time consulted me about deafness of her right ear. I had removed an accumulation of wax without giving relief to the deafness, and remedies had little effect. She could only hear my watch on contact.
“In view of her family history, I gave on June 27, 1893, Bacillin 100, four globules on the tongue.
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.