Muriatic acid. [Mur-ac]
Great weakness characterizes this remedy, great foetor of the breath, and ulceration of the mucous membrane. Salivary glands tender and swollen, mouth very sore. It corresponds th later stages, where putridity is prominent and the weakness is expressed as being so marked that he slips down to the foot of the bed. The tongue is so dry that it rattles in the moth. The diarrhoea is watery and often escapes while urinating; the heart is feeble, irregular and intermits every third beat. Bed sores are prone to form; petechiae and oedema of ankles.
Muriatic acid has many symptoms similar to Rhus; but decomposition is much more evident than under Rhus, and the acid rather follows than precedes Rhus.
Nitric acid and Millefolium occupy the first place in haemorrhages from the bowels.
Hamamelis is also a valuable remedy in the haemorrhage.
Terebinth and China also.
Trinks praises Muriatic acid in erethistic conditions too severe for Bryonia, too sthenic for Rhus, and not cerebral enough for belladonna.
Kali phosphoricum. [Kali-p]
Clinically, at least, this remedy deserves a place among the great typhoid fever remedies. Provings of this drug thus far have been, to say the least, uncertain, having been made mostly with fluxion potencies of uncertain strength. A vast array of cases cured by this remedy. aside from the Schuesslerian idea, would indicate the following as being good Kali phosphoricum symptoms: a dry, brown tongue, foul and putrid diarrhoea, great debility, low pulse, offensive breath, sordes on teeth, with great mental depression; delirium. Tine blood seems extremely vitiated and full of the typhoid poison. All discharges are extremely offensive.
Gelsemium. [Gels]
This is a remedy often indicated in the first stage, and especially in comparatively mild cases. The patient feels sore and bruised all over, as if pounded, there being also a dread of motion, headache, drowsiness, red face; the nervous symptoms are predominant. Patient is characteristically dull and apathetic, and looks and feels as if he were going to have a fit of sickness; but he does not care much, he never worries over his condition. Drooping eyelids in characteristic, it shows general languor and malaise. Trembling is scarcely less prominent. There is chilliness, full and flowing pulse, not resisting as in Aconite. Gelsemium usually precedes Baptisia, its symptoms being similar but milder. Nash says Baptisia leads when soreness is most prominent, and Gelsemium when prostration is most marked. The mind is clouded with Baptisia, not so much so with Gelsemium. Dr. G. J. Jones preferred Gelsemium to Baptisia, and he used the second dilution.
Phosphoric acid. [Ph-ac]
Under this remedy we have characteristically sensorial depression, indifference and perfect apathy, but out of this condition he is easily aroused and is perfectly rational. There is apt to be nose bleed, and abdominal symptoms are plentiful. The abdomen is distended and bloated; there is much rumbling and gurgling and painless diarrhoea, stools often containing undigested matter. There may also be present intestinal haemorrhage. Like Arsenic, Baptisia and Colchicum, the tongue is dry and the teeth covered with sordes. With this remedy there is a characteristic aversion to conversation and patient is apt to lie with a stupid, fixed, glassy stare. Stramonium has the opposite of this-desire to talk and wild look.
Phosphorous has more sensorial excitement and more dryness of the tongue than Phosphoric acid. It is to Phosphoric acid that Arsenic is to Rhus. It is also the main remedy when pneumonia complicates.
Hyoscyamus. [Hyos]
This remedy is quite likely to be required sooner or later in typhoid fever, for some symptoms at least; that is, there are times when it will accord with totality. In the early stage of the disease the delirium and the later the symptoms of cerebral paralysis may call for Hyoscyamus. It the delirium be furious or low and muttering, with picking at the bed clothes, and especially if subsultus tendinum be present, then Hyoscyamus is the remedy. Still later there may be dropping of the lower jaw, the patient being exceedingly weak and tremulous, with muscular twitchings as a prominent symptoms. With Hyoscyamus, too, we have involuntary stools. In the delirium there is much similarity between evidences of blood poisoning than Belladonna. This fact should be borne in mind in the treatment of typhoid fever, and drugs selected according to the totality of the symptoms; but the pathological condition should be taken into consideration in making up that totality.
Typhoid vaccine, whose use has been made officially obligatory in certain quarters and which produces extreme malaise and fatigue, has been employed with success by Waters in the Massachusetts Homoeopathic Hospital in the higher potencies, as the lower provoke aggravations in incipient cases. It has been declared convincing in its utility, both as preventive and a remedy for the actual disease. There seems to be no characteristic indicating feature, than that it is “good in Typhoid conditions.”.
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.