TREATMENT.- From Headache arising —
From Exposure to Heat.- Aconite, Belladonna, Cactus, Gloninum
From Indigestion.- Iris, Nux vomica, Pulsatilla
From Injury.- Arnica
INDICATIONS FOR THE ABOVE REMEDIES.
Aconitum.- Throbbing pain, fever symptoms.
Arnica.- Following an injury
Belladonna.- Pain in the temples, or the back of the head, red face, bright eyes, dilated pupils, starting and screaming in sleep.
Glonoine.- Coming on suddenly : paleness of face; faintness and inability to hold the head erect.
Iris.- With bilious Vomiting or purging.
Nux Vomica.- With Constipation; worse in the morning and in the open air; the girls and boys of a dark complexion.
Pulsatilla.- Worse in the evening, relieved in the open air; in girls and boys of fair complexion.
ACCESSORY TREATMENT.- The wet compress in the form of a thick soft canvas cap, with an oiled-silk cover, is an admirable applications in almost all kinds of Headache. When the head is very hot, cold effusions are highly advantageous; but the feet should be kept warm by friction, or by artificial heat. The patient should like in a quiet room with a subdued light, and be protected from every kind of disturbance.
40. Sleeplessness
Sleeplessness is a symptom rather than a disease perse. It may depend upon a disease – of which it forms a prominent symptom – or upon irritation of the nervous system, the excitement produced by strong emotions, or from the head being propped up too high. We purpose here to treat principally of the complaint as it occurs unconnected with any grave disease; but in as much as the remedies suitable for simple sleeplessness are often the most efficient in overcoming insomnia connected with serious disease, the latter will be incidentally mentioned.
REMEDIES.- Aconitum.- Sleeplessness from fright, agitation, or anxiety, with febrile heat.
Belladonna.- Great desire, but inability to sleep; crying without assignable cause; heat and throbbing in the head.
Coffea.- Sleeplessness due to, or accompanied with, agreeable excitement, laughter, playfulness, etc., and unaccompanied by feverishness. Over-active brain.
Hyoscyamus.- Sleeplessness in sensitive or irritable children, from nervous excitement.
Ignatia.- When due to grief, depressing emotions, or Thread- worms.
Nux Vomica.- Flow of ideas preventing sleep; Indigestion or Constipation.
Opium.- Hideous visions after a fright.
Pulsatilla.- From repletion or indigestible food.
ACCESSORY MEANS.- When a child cannot fall asleep at the accustomed hour, he should be turned from the light, or the room should be darkened, quiet maintained, and the head a little lowered. Bathing the head and neck with cold water, and well drying by rubbing them with a rough towel, will often be useful. smoothing back the hair with the hand, or singing in a low monotonous tone, has often a soothing effect. It is very important to ascertain if the child’s feet are warm, and if necessary to make them so by warm applications or friction. If too many hours have elapsed since the child has taken food, a biscuit or two, with a little milk-and-water, may be all that is necessary to bring about the desired slumber. When the child starts in sleep and cries, refusing to be pacified, it is often best to wake his thoroughly from his half-sleeping condition, when the dreams and visions that disturbed him will probably not return.
Infants should early be accustomed to the habit of being put to bed awake; this proceeding will save the mother a great amount of trouble; at the same time, the habit involves the exercise of a certain amount of discipline that will aid in the formation of youthful character.
CHAPTER IV
DISEASES OF THE EYE, EAR, ETC.
41. Purulent Inflammation of the Eyes of New-Born Infants (Ophthalmia Neonatorum).
THIS form of inflammation generally appears three or four days after birth; occasionally it may come in somewhat later.
The eyelids are the usual seat of the inflammation, but in some cases it extends to the eyeballs, when there is great danger of this sight being lost. The disease is the same as Purulent Ophthalmia in the adult, except as modified by the undeveloped tissues and rapid growth of the infant organism, and is usually more severe. It is the chief cause of blindness in the poor.
SYMPTOMS.- The eyelids become red and swollen, and are gummed together during sleep; light soon becomes painful, and the eyes are kept closed; after this a muco-purulent secretion is found, which gradually passes into a discharge of thick yellow pus, and when the eyes are cleansed they are seen to be so vascular as often to resemble crimson velvet; the cornea looks smaller than natural, and as if sunk in a pit. The infant is restless and feverish, and there is general wasting of the body. Unfortunately, the disease is often overlooked in its early stage, or supposed to be due to a cold in the eye, which is expected to soon pass away; as a consequence, extensive and often irreparable mischief may result before treatment is commenced.
DIAGNOSIS.- The purulent character of the discharge distinguishes the disease from simple Catarrhal Ophthalmia.
CAUSES.- The most frequent is contact during birth with leucorrhoeal or gonorrhoeal discharge in the vaginal passage. Other microbic causes; neglect of cleanliness; infection from another child suffering from the same disease. Irritation of the conjunctiva with soft or irritant soaps, spirits, etc., may be an accessory factor. It is most frequent in weakly infants, imperfectly nourished and breathing and bad air, and if infants prematurely born.
TREATMENT.- A dose of Argentum Nitricum every two or three hours, as recommended by the late Dr. Dudgeon, is probably the best treatment that can be adopted. A lotion of the same remedy – one grain of the pure salt to three ounces of distilled water – may be used if necessary. Should no good result ensue, Mercurius Corrosivus may be given.
INDICATIONS FOR THE ABOVE AND OTHER REMEDIES.
Aconitum.- If there be febrile disturbance.
Argentum Nit.- Well-marked and severe cases.
Belladonna.- In slight attacks, with intolerance of light, and swollen eyelids.
ACCESSORY MEANS.- These consist essentially in the observations of great cleanliness, the eyes being gently sponged or syringed many times a day, and in slightly smearing the edges of the lids with olive-oil or cold-cream by means of a camel’s-hair pencil, before the infant goes to sleep. It is important never to bathe the inflamed eyes with cold water, but always with tepid water, or tepid milk-and-water. Warm fomentations and sponging are highly beneficial. The child should be kept in an airy, warm, but not in a too brightly lighted room, till the inflammation is cured.
The Preventive measures must have for their object the improvement of the mother’s health prior to parturition, including the arrest of the local symptoms which we have stated to be the most frequent cause of the disease. The eyes of all new-born infants should be carefully washed out with plain boiled water or weak boracic solution. Where the mother suffers from leucorrhoea or gonorrhoea, some 10 per cent, solution of Argyrol should be dropped into the infant’s eyes immediately after birth.
42. Catarrhal Inflammation of the Eyes (Ophthalmia Simplex).
Ophthalmia is a general term for inflammation of the mucous membrane which lines the eyelids, and the front part of the eyeball.
CAUSES.- The real cause is usually microbic. Exciting causes are colds, draughts, and damp; vicissitudes of temperature, easterly and north-easterly winds; strong light; heat, smoke, dust, or foreign bodies in the eye.
SYMPTOMS.- Itching or soreness in the ball of the eye; sensation as of sand under the lids : redness of pricking or shooting pains; pustules and scales on the lids; the pains increase in the evening, and on exposure to cold, and there is agglutination in the morning.
TREATMENT.- In the early stages a few doses of Aconite followed by Belladonna will often arrest the progress of the disease.
INDICATIONS FOR THE ABOVE AND OTHER REMEDIES.
Aconitum.- White of eyes presents the appearance as if covered with a red network; fever.
Arnica.- Inflammation from external injuries.
Belladonna.- Pain, redness, and swelling, throbbing in the temples; flushed cheeks, glistening eyes, and intolerance of light. Often used after Aconite
Hepar Sulphur.- After the acute symptoms have yielded to the remedies prescribed above; chronic Ophthalmia, with agglutination of the lids at night.
Mercurius Cor.- Copious discharge from the eyes with much pain.
Sulphur.- Frequent relapses in scrofulous children. It may follow other remedies after the more urgent symptoms have subsided.
ADDITIONAL REMEDIES.- Arsenicum (for old standing cases); Argentum-Nit. (with purulent discharge); Calcarea carb. (in scrofulous patients); Phosphorus (obstinate cases in consumptive patients).
ACCESSORY MEASURES.- If inflammation has been caused by sand, dust, lime, flies, or hairs of the lids, the irritating body should be immediately removed; and if the inflammation be considerable, a shade should be worn. To prevent the eyelids from being cemented together in the morning, they should be seared with a little olive-oil or cerate, by means of a camel’s hair brush at bedtime, or a wet compress may be worn over the eyes at night. The eyes should be bathed with tepid water; and strong light and exposure to cold avoided till the inflammation subside. Children predisposed to Ophthalmia should be guarded against easterly and north-easterly winds. In mild but persistent cases of the disease, in which the ordinary remedies are availing, some constitutional derangement may be suspected, and must be removed before the ophthalmic symptoms will yield.
43. Stye.
DEFINITION.- A small abscess which forms round an eyelash, due to microbic infection.
LICENTIATE OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS; MEMBER OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS; LICENTIATE IN MIDWIFERY, LONDON AND EDINBURGH, ETC. PHYSICIAN TO THE READING AND BERKSHIRE HOMOEOPATHIC DISPENSARY.
Author of "The Stepping Stone to Homeopathy and Health,"
"Manual of Homoeopathic Treatment". Editor of "The Homoeopathic World."