Hodgkin’s disease


The cases I am now about to relate were really, I believe, scrofulous in their nature, but they presented many points of resemblance to Hodgkin’s disease, treated with homeopathy….


SOME CASES OF INVETERATE SCROFULA RESEMBLING. “HODGKIN’S DISEASE,” OR LYMPHADENOMA.

THERE is a disease of the lymphatic glands, called after the first accurate describer of it “Hodgkin’s disease,” which consists of an enlargement of the glands without much tendency to suppuration, but with much constitutional weakness, anaemia, enlargement of spleen, and an almost invariably fatal result. Though distinct in nature from scrofulous disease, the two affections are often so closely alike as to defy distinction, cases having occurred where the diagnosis was not even cleared up at the post-mortem examination.

It is possible to have the two combined. The cases I am now about to relate were really, I believe, scrofulous in their nature, but they presented many points of resemblance to Hodgkin’s disease. At the risk of being thought tedious, I shall give full length pictures of these cases, as it is only by watching them over a course of years that a complete view of the disease in all its phases can be obtained.

CASE XIII.-DISFIGURING ENLARGEMENT OF GLANDS OR NECK WITH VERY LITTLE TENDENCY TO SUPPURATION. CONSECUTIVE INFLAMMATION OF THE EYES. FREQUENT COLDS. CONSTITUTIONAL CURE.

Charles M., 16, brassworker, consulted me at the Hospital on March 26th, 1884. For six years he had had very large glands on the left side of the neck and under the chin. Last winter, blotches appeared on his legs, and since then they come and go. Last winter, for the first time, he had a cough; it was bad for three weeks, and since then has continued to be trouble some. It continues during the day, and also in the night till he goes to sleep. He has a little swelling under the instep of each foot, which pains him when he walks. He looks pale. Family history negative.

Rx Arsen. 3, Baryta c. 6, every two hours alternately.

April 16.-Feet and legs better. Swelling gone from feet. Cough gone. Has a contracting feeling in abdomen when he coughs; cannot get his breath for some time.

Repeat.

May 7.-Breath better. Legs all right, but blotches have appeared on his face. The glands go smaller in hot weather, but this year there are more of them. Repeat.

June 7.-A gland under the chin has softened and discharged. A lotion of Nitric ac. I x, 3i. to 3zvi. of water, was ordered, and healing took place rapidly.

July 2.-Great inflammation of conjunctiva. No photophobia; not much lachrymation. Matter; eyes red all round.

Rx Euphras. I every two hours; a lotion of 0 tincture.

July 5.-Pain in eyes less.

Rx Acon I every two hours. Boracic acid lotion.

July 19.-Eyes almost well. Lumps in neck smaller. Repeat.

Aug. 2.-Eyes well. Neck smaller. Repeat Aconite

Oct.10.-Has a cold. Glands smaller. Have been still smaller, but have become a little bigger since the weather became colder. Repeat. p73 Nov.12.-Neck smaller. Has another cold. Repeat. (Last year he had colds and cough alternately.)

Dec. 10.-Cold soon got better. Glands smaller (they are usually worse in winter).

Dec. 24.-Has had another cold the last ten days. Nose very much stopped. Glands much smaller than they usually are at this time of the year.

Rx Arsen.3 four times a day till the cold is better.

Jan 21, 1885.-Cold in nose still very bad. Glands smaller. To use Vaseline.

Feb. 4.-Eye has been inflamed. Nose less sore. Glands small. Has had sores on face.

Rx Sacch. Lact. Vaseline to nose.

Feb. 11.-Better. Nose getting better. Right eye sore still.

Rx Aconite 6 four times a day. Lotion of Acid Borac. for eye.

Feb. 21.-Eye a little better. There are two vesicles on upper margin of cornea. Nose better.

Mar. 5.-(Dr. Moir, who was then in charge of the eye department of the hospital, kindly examined the patient’s eyes for me, and prescribed Pulsatilla 3x, with the Borac. acid lotion.) Eyes better. Nose still very sore.

Repeat Pulsatilla

Mar. 18.-Eyes much better, but still mattery. No pain. Glands same. Nose better.

Rx Mercurius sol. 3, gr. ii. ter die. Lotion, Borac acid.

April I.-Nose much better.

April 15.-Better Nose nearly well but a few days ago gland on right side of neck became very large. Repeat.

May 13.-One gland on right side has been larger, others smaller. Has a cough in morning on rising; dry. Eyes and nose keep right.

Rx Bryonia 3. four times a day for a week, then Aconite 6.

June 3.-Cough gone. Face same. Two weeks ago had throbbing pains in feet and hands; now they are stiff.

Rx Caulophyllum Ix four times a day.

June 17.-Feet and hands all right now. Has had eye bad for a few days; better now. Lumps about the same. a “pimple” came on the side of the eye as at first.

Rx Aconite 6 four times a day.

July 22.-Glands smaller. Two days after beginning the Aconite had a cold which lasted a week. Upper lip became sore and swelled. Nose does not feel sore at all now. Has pimples on face, chest, and back. Repeat.

Aug. 19.-Much better. Neck smaller. Repeat.

Jan. 6, 1886.-Glands smaller than ever. Has had cough three days. Gets up phlegm. p73 Rx Calcarea c. 6, one pilule three times a day till cough is better, then Aconite

March 5.-Very much better.

Repeat.

Jan. 12, 1887.-Lumps very small. Has a cough that seems to tear the throat. Slight cold.

Rx Causticum 5, one drop every three hours.

Feb. 18, 1888.-Aconite6.

May 12.-Lumps rather bigger.

Rx Kali mur. 6x, gr. ii. ter die.

Jan. 19, 1889.-Has kept well in meantime. Now has a lump appearing under ear. Repeat Kali mur.

Mar.20.-Lumps is larger. Has cough for a week.

Rx Aconite 6 ter die.

April 10.-Lump smaller. Has pain in feet and ankles; aching in limbs. Lumps of erythema nodosum, which feel bruised when touched. Eyes well.

Rx Arnica 30 ter die.

May 8.-Very much better. Soon improved. One or two small glands have a re-appeared. Repeat if required.

July 13.-Aconite 6 ter die.

Sept. 15.-Lumps smaller than they have ever been. Repeat.

April 2, 1890.-Has had a cough three days. Chest sore. Irritability worse at night. Cough jars the head. Legs ache.

Rx Sulph. 30 four times a day.

April 16.-Cough gone. His chest is sore. Unable to lie on right side. Sleeps on left.

Rx Psorinum 30 three times a day for a week.

April 30.-Better. Can lie on either side at night. Glands seem larger. Pain on left side when he laughs.

Rx Aconite 6.

May 16.-Pain gone. Slight stiffness in right arm.

Conium 30 ter die.

May 28.-Feels well. Repeat.

l I saw him for the last time on July 16th, 1890, when he was well, except for slight cold.

During the progress of this case, the great power of Aconite over the glandular enlargement was very strikingly manifested. It was the inflammation of the eyes which led me to prescribe it first, when the action on the glands was very marked.

CASE XIV.-CHRONICALLY ENLARGED AND SUPPURATING GLANDS. CONSTITUTIONAL CURE.

The case I am now about to narrate was under treatment upwards of three years. It presented some points of resemblance to lymphadenoma, or Hodgkin’s disease. In this case suppuration had occurred again and again before the patient came to the hospital, and did so whilst he was under my treatment; but the gradual improvement in general health was most marked, and finally his constitution was able to get rid of the disease p73 altogether.

In this case a radical “cleaning out” of the diseased glands by a surgeon would have necessitated the removal of almost all the glands the patient possessed,-and then the disease would have remained in the blood. The case exemplifies the necessity of steadily working at a case, though the progress may appear slow. The susceptibility to colds and coughs of patients suffering from diseased glands is worthy of remark. The glands bear the brunt of this vulnerability.

If they are taken away, there is little wonder that vital organs are next attacked.

Fred. H., 26, polisher, consulted me at the L. H. Hospital on Nov.22, 1884. He had been ill seven years with enlarged and suppurating glands in the neck and armpits, and he had also had abscesses over the breast bone.

He had, on admission swollen glands on both sides of the neck, and one of them was discharging, having been opened ten months before. In the armpits enlarged glands could be felt. The spleen was rather large. The mitral valve of the heart was incompetent, but this was compensated, as the patient did not suffer from short breath. Tongue dirty at the back.

Bowels rather relaxed; open, as a rule. There was no history of anything of the kind in the family.

Barytac. 3x, one grain three times a day.

Dec.6.-Neck more painful. Repeat.

Jan. 1, 1885.-Glands in neck have broken. Glands under arm have enlarged.

Rx Aconite I, four times a day.

Jan.3.-Still discharging. Abscess on sternum breaking out.

Rx Calcarea phos.3x, two grains three times a day.

Feb. 28.-Gland on left side rather larger. One on right side discharges at times.

Rx Calcarea ars.3x, one grain three times a day.

April 4.-Not so well. Glands more painful and larger. Scarcely any discharge. Gets faint at times. Bowels rather relaxed.

Rx Aconite, 6, one drop four times a day.

June 6.-Glands larger and rather painful. General health pretty good.

Rx Conium 0, two pilules three times a day. Conium30, one pilule at bedtime.

John Henry Clarke
John Henry Clarke MD (1853 – November 24, 1931 was a prominent English classical homeopath. Dr. Clarke was a busy practitioner. As a physician he not only had his own clinic in Piccadilly, London, but he also was a consultant at the London Homeopathic Hospital and researched into new remedies — nosodes. For many years, he was the editor of The Homeopathic World. He wrote many books, his best known were Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica and Repertory of Materia Medica