Pneumonia



Chelidonium. [Chel]

      Bilious pneumonia is, perhaps more often indicative of **Chelidonium than of any other remedy. there are stitching pains under the right scapula, loose rattling cough and difficult expectoration, oppression;of chest, as under **Antimonium tartaricum, and fan-like motions of the alae nasi, as under **Lycopodium.

**Mercurius is quite similar in bilious pneumonia; the stools will decide, those of **Mercurius being slimy and accompanied by tenesmus; the expectoration is also apt to be blood- streaked. With **chelidonium there is an excess of secretion in the tubes, which;is similar to **Antimonium tartaricum, and an inability to raise the same. It has been greatly praised in catarrhal pneumonia of young children where there is plentiful secretion and inability to raise it. The right lung is more often affected in cases calling for **chelidonium.

Antimonium tartaricum. [Ant-t]

      This drug is especially indicated in pneumonia and pleuro- pneumonia at the stage of resolution. There are fine moist rales heard all over the hepatized portion of the lungs; these are different from the **Ipecac rales; they are ***fine, while those of **Ipecac are ***coarse. With ***Antimonium tartaricum there is great oppression of breathing, worse towards morning, compelling the patient to sit up to breath. There are also sharp, stitching pains and high fever, as under **Bryonia, and it, perhaps, more closely corresponds to the catarrhal form than it does to the croupous. Bilious symptoms, if present, do not contra-indicate, as there are many of these in its pathogenesis. There is one peculiar symptom, the patient feels sure that the next cough will raise the mucus, but it does not. When there is deficient reaction, as in the aged or in very young children, this remedy is particularly indicated.

Kali carbonicum [Kali-c]

      Is, perhaps, more similar to **Bryonia than any drug in the symptom of sharp, stitching pains in the chest. These are worse by motion, but, unlike **Bryonia they come whether the patient moves or not, and are more in the lower part of the right lung. In pneumonia with intense dyspnoea and a great deal of mucus on the chest, which, like in all of the **Kalis, is raised with difficulty, wheezing and whistling breathing, **Kali carbonicum is the remedy, especially if the cough be tormenting. It comes in with benefit ofttimes where **Antimonium tartaricum and **Ipecac have failed to raise the expectoration.

**Kali bichromicum may be indicated by its well-known tough, stringy expectoration.

Sulphur [Sulph]

      Is a remedy to be used in any stage of pneumonia. It will prevent, if given in the beginning, if the symptoms indicate it. It will prevent hepatization and cause imperfect and slow resolution to react. When the case has a typhoid tendency and the lung tends to break down, where there are rales, muco- purulent expectoration slow speech, dry tongue and symptoms of hectic, **Sulphur is the remedy. Weakness and faintness are characteristic symptoms. Dr. G. J. Jones says a dyspnoea occurring at night between 12 and 2 causing the patient to sit up in bed is a valuable symptom. Its field is especially in neglected pneumonias in psoric constitutions, with tendency to develop into tuberculosis.

In purulent expectoration **Sanguinaria is the better remedy, especially where it is offensive even to the patient himself. If the lung be hepatized, the patient at night restless and feverish, ulceration threatened, and there is no tendency to recuperation then one may depend upon **Sulphur.

**Lycopodium is also; a most useful remedy in delayed or partial resolution. There is a tightness across the chest, aching over lungs, general weakness. Hughes says it is the best remedy where the case threatens to run into acute phthisis.

W.A. Dewey
Dewey, Willis A. (Willis Alonzo), 1858-1938.
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.