Cases
CC Rheumatism CC
(83) Case. – Ingrowing toe nails and ulcers about the nails are often most troublesome affections, and the more we confine ourselves to the treatment of these apparently local troubles the worse off we shall be as well as the patient. A few months since I saw a case of this kind in company with another physician. The treatment had been localized, and such remedies as Arsenicum, Mercurius, Hepar, Acid nitricum had been given. It now turned out that she was full of Rhus tox. symptoms. Restless nights; was compelled to change her position frequently, and always with relief; was stiff in joints and muscles on first motion, better after moving for a while; loss of appetite, etc. Rhus tox. in a high potency gave her good night’s rest; stiffness of joints and limbs left her; her appetite returned; the ulcer and apparent ingrowing toe nail got perfectly well a few weeks later without any topical applications. (H. N. Guernsey.)
CC Intermittent Fever. CC
(84) Case. – I was called in consultation to an obstinate case of intermittent fever. It was a case imported from a district in the west where malaria abounds. It had been of years’s standing, having been cured (?) several times by the inevitable Quinine, on account of the plasmodium malaria. But of late she had been unable to take Quinine. It made her sicker than the disease. I had suggested Ipecac. and again one or two others remedies on the statement of the physician in charge, and because she had been so abused with Quinine, but still the case went on and grew worse until the doctor insisted on my coming to see her. When arrived at the house where the patient was she was just coming out of a very severe chill. She was losing from side to side, with moaning, low delirium with muttering. I managed to get a look at her tongue, it was red and dry, in a triangular red tip pointing backward. Just then she gave a hard dry cough. What about the cough? said I. Well, said one of the lady bystanders, that cough is very peculiar. She only coughed during the chill. Probably she won’t cough again now until the next chill. There were other symptoms, of course, which I will not narrate here, because we have enough to prescribe on without fear of failure. Every homoeopath knows what it is. Rhus tox. 200 was given. She never had another chill. The doctor was a good prescriber, but he had not seen the case right in the paroxysm, and he was a young practitioner and had every heard of Carroll Dunham’s cough symptoms. (Nash.)
CC Sprain. CC
(85) Case. – A man sprained his leg in a harvest field. When he presented himself to me had exhausted the old school remedies. Found a swelling about the size of half an ordinary orange just below the knee – cap at the head of the tibia. Was very lame, worse during rest, at night, before a storm, etc., a complete Rhus case.
Prescribed Rhus 30. In five days he reported no swelling, and no pain to speak of. He got but one prescription. He sent another man who had been hurt in the same feet; he had sprained his ankle. The symptoms in this case were precisely the same as in the other; it was, however, of more recent occurrence, and was located at the ankle instead of at the knee; but still a clear Rhus case. I gave him the same as I gave the other, with the assurance to the patient that it would cure him in a week. He came to me again not better. I was so sure of the remedy that gave him the 3rd of the same. He reported in a week that the medicine acted like a charm. (W. J.Hawkes.)
CC Rheumatism. CC
(86) Case. – German, aged sixty – six, attacked in 1837 from exposure to cold, accompanied by paralysis of the right side from which he slowly recovered. No symptoms of rheumatism until twelve years ago; since then pains almost constantly in the right side; decidedly rheumatic in character with marked periodicity, coming on at 10 P. M. and lasting till 6 A.M., worse in winter and before a storm; during storm pains over the whole body; intense pain on moving after a rest, but continued motion relieved. Rhus tox. 200, one dose a week, in six weeks well and no rheumatism since. (H. H.Baxter.)
CC Erysipelas. CC
(87) Case. – Mrs. Duane Fuller, age about 65, was taken with severe chill, which was soon followed by aching pains all over, wrist, in back and head. She soon lost consciousness, went into a stupor with low grade delirium muttering and continually tossing from side to side in the bed. The tongue began to grow dry and stiff so that her muttering grew unintelligible. There was an epidemic of typhoid fever in the vicinity, some had died under old school treatment; so I first prescribed Baptisia with confidence that it would so modify the case that its subsequent treatment would be easy or abort it entirely, as I had done in a number of cases before. But it failed. The next day there was no improvement, and I, thinking that psora might be standing in the way, dropped in a dose of Sulphur 200. Then erysipelas of the head and face, the most intense I ever saw, developed. Perhaps the Sulphur brought it out, but there was no amelioration of the other symptoms.
The head and face were so swollen that the eyes were completely closed, and the side of the head it seemed to me was nearly one – third increased. The eruption was decidedly vesicular. Now the remedy was plain. Rhus tox. m. m. was given in solution. The restlessness immediately began to subside, the muttering less, and an easy sleep (though she remained unconscious) following in which she remained for several days and nights. The swelling gradually subsided, the vesicles dried and scaled off, and when she awoke her mind was clear. In nine days she sat up in bed and took nourishment, and made a rapid and completes recovery. (Nash.)
I have seen this remedy in the same potency (made on my own fluxion potentizer) do likewise since in other cases. These cases of Rhus need no comment. No remedy is more clear cut in its indications and none more satisfactory in application to the cure of the sick when indicated. (N.).
Characteristics
Resume.
1. Dry or coated tongue with a triangular red tip.
2. Great restlessness, cannot lie long in one position, changes often, with temporary relief.
3. Lameness and stiffness and soreness on beginning to move after or during rest; on getting up in the A.M.; (>) by continued motion.
4. Eruptions like erysipelas or scarlatina; vesicular, with the characteristic restless.
5. All diseases that put on the typhoid form with the characteristic triangular red tip of tongue and restlessness.
6. Stupor and mild persistent delirium; continually tossing and muttering with laborious dreams
7. Modalities, (<) when quiet, and on beginning to move; wet, cold weather, lifting or straining; getting wet when perspiring; (>) by continual motion; warmth; dry air or weather; leaning against something hard.
