Belladonna [Bell]
corresponds to the initial stages, where there is intense heat of the body, strong pulse, bright red face and delirium, where the cerebral irritation is marked by intense pain in the head, starting out of sleep crying out, grinding teeth. For simple meningitis, not the tubercular form, when everything is acute and intense; when effusion commences, however, it ceases to be the remedy.
**Aconite. Meningitis from heat of the sun’s rays after long exposure thereto, or cerebral congestions from anger. It is only useful at the onset. **Fear is a marked symptom.
**Veratrum viride. Intense cerebral congestion, rapid pulse, tendency to convulsion, followed by prostration. Elliot considers **Veratrum viride in the lower potencies our best remedy in acute meningitis. Coldness of the surface loss of consciousness, dilated pupils, labored, slow, irregular pulse.
**Gelsemium. Is hardly homoeopathic to pain as its action is wholly motor, but it may be indicated in meningitis by its general symptoms. It is less often indicated and hence less valuable than **Belladonna. Yet Spalding has used the remedy as a basic one in the cerebro-spinal variety with uniform success, losing but one case.
Bryonia. [Bry]
Suits well cerebral effusions with a benumbed sensorium. The following will be useful indications upon which to prescribe **Bryonia. ***Constant chewing motion with the mouth; when moved screams with pain; child stupid, abdomen distended; tongue white, pains are most sharp and stitching, and the patient drinks greedily; there is a livid flushed face, high temperature, copious sweats. Thus it is seen that **Bryonia produces a characteristic image of meningitis and suits especially cases caused by suppressed eruption.
Apis mellifica. [Apis]
Here nervous agitation predominates; there are shrill cries, stabbing pains; the child puts its hand to its head and screams. There is an oedematous face, scanty urine, and the patient is thirstless, it suits especially infantile cases and especially the tubercular form due to an undeveloped eruption.
**Cicuta is useful in the irritative stage when there are general convulsions, twitching in fingers and unconsciousness. It also markedly controls the effusion. The head is spasmodically drawn back with stiff neck. Violent jerks in any part of the body. Strangles on drinking, dilated pupils and staring look, trismus; one of our best remedies, having a fine clinical record.
Helleborus. [Hell]
Mental torpor marks this drug; a sensorial apathy, there is want of reaction. It corresponds to a later stage of the disease, when effusion has taken place; then symptoms such as wrinkling the forehead, dilated pupils and automatic motion of one arm and one leg are indicative of **Helleborus. There are shooting pains in the head, sudden crying out, screaming, boring head into the pillow. The cries have a most pitiful sound.
**Camphora. In the fulminant variety where the poison falls on the patient like a thunderbolt and collapse approaches speedily. The patient is cold, pale and pulseless, eyes sunken, face livid. Patient cold, but does not want to be covered.
**Iodoform 6X has proved useful in O’Connor’s hands, and some remarkable cases were reported in the North American Journal of Homoeopathy a few years ago as having been cured by inunctions of **Iodoform cerate into the scalp. Some very hopeless cases were thus cured. Dr. Martin, of Pittsburgh, used the 2X with success. It is also endorsed by Boericke and Clarke.
Zincum metallicum. [Zinc]
This remedy corresponds to the subacute form, especially if tubercular and due to suppressed eruptions. Febrile disturbance is absent or slight, there are marked twitching jerkings and hyperaesthesia of all the senses and skin, and tremulousness of the feet. At the beginning there are sharp lancinating pains and great exhaustion of nerve force. The 6X trituration is recommended.
**Sulphur is useful in tubercular meningitis; the child lies in a stupor with cold sweat on forehead, jerking of limbs, spasms and suppressed urine. Retrocessed eruptions may be the cause.
**Tuberculinum and **Calcarea carbonica may prove useful remedies. They corresponds to a basic or psoric taint which favors the development of the disease. Clarke advises Bacillinum 100th, which he claims is very prompt in its action.
**Cuprum suits cases marked with violent convulsions, thumbs clenched, loud screaming, face pale with blue lips. No remedy equals it in these conditions, but it is of more use in the later stages.
Professor of Materia Medica in the University of Michigan Homeopathic Medical College. Member of American Institute of Homeopathy. In addition to his editoral work he authored or collaborated on: Boericke and Dewey's Twelve Tissue Remedies, Essentials of Homeopathic Materia Medica, Essentials of Homeopathic Therapeutics and Practical Homeopathic Therapeutics.