She moved away from Cortland about a year after, and, while not entirely cured of the eczema, was very much better. (Nash.)
I have given these three cases of my own here not only to illustrate the homoeopathicity of Arsenicum from the symptomatic standpoint, but to also show the intimate relationship of skin of internal affections, which some deny. Arsenicum is certainly one of our greatest antipsorics. It would take a book larger than I propose to make this one to sound the praises of this remedy of wide range and deep action. (N.)
CC A Complicated Case. CC
(77) Case. – Mrs. B., aged 45, had for many years suffered from a very delicate and irritable stomach, from cankerous sore mouth (cured by Phytolacca ), all in consequence of what is mistermed scientific treatment. She also had suffered from hay fever, regularly returning every year on the 16th of September.
Mrs. B. returned from Europe, after an absence of several years, on the 26th of July last; the voyage had been a very unpleasant one; she had been very seasick all the time. From the time she left Liverpool till she was visited by me, on the 27th of July, she had taken literally no nourishment; broken ice was the only thing that had passed her lips. I found her sitting up, occasionally straining to vomit, very weak, pulse 116 per minute; she complained of a violent pain in the occiput, with great heat, which she had tried to relieved by applications of broken ice; urinary secretions suppressed; mouth dry and hot; she had not slept for a fortnight and could into lie down on account of great nervousness, as she expressed it, which compelled her to change her position and her chair so very often she wandered about all night from chair to chair; was very disagreeable; perfect loathing of food, and for a few days had a watery, very offensive and black looking diarrhoea. The choice of the remedy was easy enough. I gave her one dose of Arsenicum alb. 50 (Fincke), on her tongue, July 27th (10 A.M.). July 28th had slept in her bed from 10 P. M. till 1 A.M., then became nervous and restless, but says that she feels better. No medicine.
July 29. She has been in bed all night; slept; and no return of the diarrhoea; urinary secretions re – established; the hot water applications to her head have very much relieved the pain; had later some milk toast, and relished it; pulse below 90; is cheerful and hopeful.
July 31. Had a still better night; is better in every respect, but complains of severe pains in a bunion on the left foot; it is much inflamed and stings. I age her now one dose of Nitric acid c. m. (Fincke.).
August 1. The bunion is less painful, otherwise there is not much change perceptible.
August 2. Bunion still improving, and on August 3d no more pain or inflammation in it. IN the evening, same day, I was again summoned to see her; found her quite ill; the diarrhoea and vomiting had returned with great violence; pulse over 110; the same headache as on the 27th had also returned, also the great restlessness. Gave her one dose of Arsenicum album (Fincke) dry on her tongue. Found her better the next day, and the improvement continued; on the 6th of August her bunion began to pain her again as on the 21st. Gave no medicine. Improvement continued satisfactorily; when the 16th of September came she had that night, about 1 A.M., some oppression of breathing, which reminded her of the terrible asthmatic attacks she had had years ago; she had to sit up for half an hour. NO medicine. She fully recovered and traveled for some weeks; had no hay fever; really has had nothing to complain of since; enjoys better health than she has had for years (Ad. Lippe.)
This is a very instructive case, and illustrates several well known principles. First, the Nitric acid should not have been given because the bunion was only a part of the disease condition for which the right remedy was already prescribed. This was proved in the fact that when the bunion disappeared the original symptoms returned. Hering used to say that when a disease traveled from within outward it was all right, but from without inward was wrong. We all know that this is eminently true in regard to eruptions on the skin. In other words, if a disease moves from vital organs or centres outward or downward to the extremities it is favorable. Let the remedy that has caused this act. Again, we are taught here that although a mistake was made here (and the best prescribers sometimes make them) it was not irreparable, and the original remedy repeated cured the case.
Mistakes, however, are not always see easily repaired, so it stands us in hand to observe closely what an apparently new symptom or condition means before we meddle.
This case of Dr. Lippe’s (who was one of the best prescribers that ever lived) is taken from the “Organon” (Journal), Vol. 1, page 39. He has there given a more exhaustive commentary on the case, which is to lengthy to transcribe here.
It is well worth hunting up and reading. (N.)
CC Sciatica. CC
(78) Case. – Mrs. Jehial Clark, aged about 60, was afflicted with one of the worst forms of sciatica. Her brother, charles Sanders, of New York, of “School Reader” fame, was already a cripple from the same disease, allopathically treated. In this patient’s case the pains were intense, with decided burning sensation. They were greatly aggravated from 1 to 3 in the morning. She was greatly prostrated from her suffering. The only way she could get any rest (for she was exceedingly restless, continually wanting to be changed from place to place) was from bags of dry hot salt continually applied along the nerve. There were other symptoms, but these are enough to show the remedy that a homoeopath would naturally prescribe. Arsenicum alb. was given in the 30 and 200. To my surprise no good came of it. Then Sulphur was given in the possibility that psora was complicating matters, but with no good result given. Now other remedies were tried, but, of course, ineffectually.
I had one thing in my favor, the history of her brother’s case, which had run much longer than hers. SO there was no object in her changing to the old school, especially as he had been left an incurable cripple. It was in the earlier part of my practice, so I had a graft of Jenichen’s 8,000th in the office, so as nothing else did any good I concluded to try it. It was given in solution with rapid and permanent relief. She was well in an incredibly short time, and never had a return of the trouble, although she had suffered for four weeks. before she got this preparation. (Nash.)
This case illustrates the importance of our third principle viz., the minimum dose, and needs no discussion. (N.).
Characteristics
Resume.
1. Great anguish and restlessness, driving from place to place.
2. Great prostration (sometimes sudden), sinking of vital forces.
3. Intense burning sensations.
4. Intense thirst, drinks often but little at a time; cold water disagrees.
5. Dyspnoea, or difficult breathing on motion, especially on ascending an eminence.
6. Vomiting and stool simultaneously, (<) after eating or drinking.
7. Modalities, (<) in cold air, from cold things, cold applications and 1 to 3 A.M. (>) in warm air or room and hot applications to affected parts.
See “Leaders in Hom. Therapeutics” for other leading symptoms.
