“Case 4.-Another case of consumption from the same village. On July 1, 1892, a mother brought her 16-year-old daughter to my office. The girl was a true type of the consumptive. Pulse 105; face brownish; strawberry tongue; eyes without any expression; cough more or less constant; very tall for her age, but very slim, weak, unable to walk, even to stand on her feet. Prescribed Bacillinum 200, 20 pellets every eighth day. September 8th, she came alone along way on foot. What a change after eight weeks of taking Bacillinum! My astonishment was great. Fleshy and stouter; rosy cheeks; cough completely gone. In this case the conditions were different from the case last related. Her parents fed her with nutritious food, so that in weight she gained several pounds; this wonderful and quick cure of that girl made quite a stir up in her village.
“Case 5.-Again another consumptive case. On July 30th, 1892, a farmer’s wife of the same village, aet. 42, made her appearance at my office, wishing to be cured of what she complained, having consumption, or what people and her husband called decline. Her skin was of a grayish-brown color; thin, emaciated, and very weak; completely exhausted by constant dry, hacking cough, often with purulent expectoration. She attributed her ill feelings to over-work in the fields and not sufficient suitable nourishment. Prescribed Bacillinum 200, every eighth day 25 pellets. On September 10th she came again and asked for more, as she said, of the same little pellets. Indeed, there was a great change. Her whole countenance had changed. She had gained flesh, looked better, and a real brightness shone in her face. Towards the end of October her husband came for medicine for himself, telling me of his wife’s perfect cure, and by her cure he had become converted to Homoeopathy.
“Case 6.-Bacillinum triumphant in rachitis. Early in June, 1892, a lady brought her little five-year-old girl to be examined and attended, as the girl was very sick. Questioning the lady concerning how long the disease had troubled the child, she answered, “since childhood!” Examination revealed a quite advanced state of rachitis; spine curved inwards (lordosis); the belly and stomach pressed out, very large and hard, especially the lower part; skin of the face deep yellowish, and of the body brownish color; the front part of the head narrow, pointed out, while the back part was very large and rather square. No appetite; no sleep; and more or less diarrhoea of putrid, strong-smelling excrement. As several quite eminent physicians (Allopaths) from different places had attended her, but without avail, the child getting from time to time weaker, unable to stand on her thin legs, I hesitated at undertaking the treatment of such a forlorn and apparently hopeless case. But the clamor of the distressed mother decided me to try Bacillinum 200, 20 pellets every eight days. End of July the mother wrote me of the effect of the pellets in the following terms: `My child begins to walk, belly and stomach smaller and less hard; diarrhoea subsiding; appetite and sleep good. Send more medicine!’ Continue in the same manner. September 25, child improving, runs and jumps around the rooms. Keep on the same dose of 25 pellets of Bacillinum 200. October 29, child all right; she has grown taller, gained flesh on chest, arms and legs; and to the astonishment of all, her head has become its natural shape, as also the stomach and belly. This peculiar case greatly occupies my mind concerning the possibility of the curative power of Bacillinum on rachitis, and strengthens my assertion that in many so-called incurable diseases the main causes are parasites of a peculiar nature.
“Forsthaus, Herisau, Switzerland, Dec. 10th, 1892.
“JOHN YOUNG, M.D.
“Formerly 260 Rodney Street, Brooklyn, N.Y.”
In the May (1893) issue of the Recorder I read with much interest the following further communication from Dr. Boocock: “BACILLINUM OR TUBERCULINUM.” “Having become convinced by a partial proving on myself of the wonderful power of this new remedy over and upon a healthy lung tissue, I was then anxious to try if it would do all that Dr. Burnett claims for it. I had been very well satisfied with our usual Homoeopathic remedies, and have contended for years that consumption could be cured, having cured my wife twenty years ago of what every one who saw her said was rapid consumption. Well, she is alive and very active yet. So having this case always with me as an inspiration, I have done good to many and have good confidence in Iodium ars., Calcarea c., Calcarea phosphorica, Kali bich., Phosphorus, Myosotis, and others. Myosotis has done much good in the last stages to give relief; yet we are all glad to find anything new that may save or prolong life.
“Case 1.-I had at this time coming to my dispensary Mrs. O., aged about 40, slowly recovering from confinement; has a very severe and racking cough; no appetite; copious night sweats; very acrid and copious leucorrhoea; not able to nurse her baby, no milk. She presented the picture of a woman in the last stages of consumption. A careful examination revealed a great dullness in two or three parts of the right lung, with some rales in other parts, and much pain. I was not able to make a complete examination, and the bulk of this was what she told me. However, it was a nice case on which to try the new remedy, so I gave her one powder of Bacillinum 30th, ten globules, and a bottle of Aqua d. and Glycerine as a placebo, one teaspoonful three of four times daily or when her cough troubled her; and seeing her every three or four days, so that I might watch her carefully (for we have to give something in order to win their confidence). To my joy, she at once began to improve; appetite returned, night sweats ceased, cough was relieved, and so cure was completed in less than two months. She received sixty globules of 30th.
“Case 2.-A car driver’s wife. Tall, thin, fair skin, high cheek bones, hectic flush, 34 years old, mother of several children; has a hard life to live–a drunken husband and insufficient food, and the care and worry of a large family. When she bared the upper part of her body she was a perfect skeleton. Every bone could be counted, and the intercostal muscles were very severely shrunk. Tubercles in all parts of lung. Cough; sputa raised in great quantities, yellow and like oysters as it floated in water, or partly so, much sinking, heavy with gray particles. She looked like a physical wreck. What could Bacillinum do for her? Well, it was given in 30th, ten globules and placebo. In four weeks a steady gain. She then stopped coming, and after four weeks’ waiting I went to find her, but could scarce believe it was she. I asked her for Mrs. B., and when she said, `Why, doctor, did you not know me?’ you may judge of my surprise. She was fair and good-looking; her cheeks had filled out, and she was well; I could see she was. What a rapid change? Thank God! A woman saved to her family.
“Case 3.-Mrs. T.A., about 37 years, was given up, or she had given up doctoring, as she believed it was no good. History: had two attacks of what her doctors had called la grippe, and had not been well since. Lost her voice; continuous severe, racking cough, which all the medicine she took did not relieve. Losing flesh constantly; night sweats; no appetite; cold feet; sweaty, clammy hands and feet, burning at times. Bluish purple face; aphonia. She had been under the care of two specialists for her throat, but they told her that her vocal cords were paralyzed, and she would never speak a loud word again. With the cough and this form of aphonia there is always a gushing from the bladder. For this I began treatment from her husband’s description. Gave Causticum in 3d. At the end of a week report very much better; cough, voice, and urine. So continued giving the same medicine, but in 30th dilution; still improvement. At the end of the week she was able to come and see me, and was very much encouraged. Gave Bacillinum 30th, ten globules and placebo powders nightly. To report in a week. Very much better; said, `I have been able to do my household work, which I thought I should never do again.’ She came weekly during July; still gaining. In August she went to the mountains; the running down had been stopped, for she had lost twenty-nine pounds in three months previous to my taking her in hand. Now she said, `I believe I am gaining;’ which was true, and in her month in the mountains she gained two pounds weekly, and has kept up gaining in weight and strength. She is now happy, and preparing for her confinement in February next. She coughs some in the morning yet, and there is some huskiness of the voice, but she eats well sleeps well, and is able to work well, and come to see me every two weeks. To gain strength and healing and support an unborn baby must be considered a grand triumph for any remedy.
“Case 4–Mrs. M., aet. 41. Knowing that she is of a consumptive family, having attended her sister when in the last stage of consumption, while she was visiting at this lady’s house, I was anxious about her, and upon inquiry, found that she was weakly; cold legs, a feeling as if she had on wet stockings; hands and feet hot at times, with clammy sweat; some night sweat, but no cough, only when she took a cold, and then it hung on in spite of anything she took. I gave her two powders of Bacillinum 30th ten days apart, but she got rid of all her bad feelings, so that both she and her husband thought there was no need of going through the three months’ course I had asked for.
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.