INDICATIONS FOR THE ABOVE AND OTHER REMEDIES.
Hydrastis.- Swelling, dark redness, and soreness of the tongue, gums, and cheek, ulceration of the lips and tongue; tenacious mucous in the mouth.
Kali Chlorum- Great soreness, foetid breath, and ulceration; especially after the allopathic use of Mercury.
Mercurius Sol. 3x.- Slight cases; foetid breath, and an abundant flow of watery saliva.
ACCESSORIES.- The mouth should be moistened frequently with thin barley-water, or with glycerine-and-water (one teaspoonful of glycerine to a large wineglass of water).
56. Cancrum Oris (Gangrenous Stomatitis).
DEFINITION.- A sloughing or gangrenous ulcer of the mouth, occasionally in ill-fed children from two to six years old, residing in low, damp situations, or living in overcrowded rooms and breathing impure air.
SYMPTOMS.- The inflammation generally begins at the edges of the gums opposite the incisors of the lower jaw; the gums are white and spongy, and separate from the teeth, as if Mercury had produced its specific effects. Ulceration begins and extends along the gums until the jaws are implicated; and as the disease advances, the cheeks and lips swell, and form a tense indurated tumefaction. The teeth are apt to fall out; and the breath to become intolerably foetid, from a gangrenous condition. There is generally enlargement and tenderness of the submaxillary glands. In severe forms of the disease, the destructive process rapidly extends, so that in a few days the lips, cheeks, tonsils, palate, tongue, and even half the face may become gangrenous, the teeth falling from their sockets, a horribly foetid saliva and fluid flowing from the parts.
TREATMENT.- Mercurius is generally the specific for this affection. A dose may be administered three or four times a day. Next to Mercurius, MurexAc. has been found most efficacious.
INDICATIONS FOR THE ABOVE AND OTHER REMEDIES.
Arsenicum Extensive disorganizations of the mouth, extreme prostration.
Mercurius-Sol. 3x.- The most useful remedy; will rarely fill to prove efficacious, if the disease has not been caused by any preparation of Mercury.
Mur.-Ac.- When the disease is associated with other diseases, such as Measles, Pneumonia, etc.
Sulph.- Ac.- Rapid spread of ulceration.
Sulph.- In chronic cases.
ACCESSORIES.- The gums, teeth, and mouth should be frequently cleansed with a mixture of Condy’s fluid one part, and water one hundred parts, or a weak lotion of carbolic acid and water (about ten drops of the former to a tumbler of the latter). Strong beef- tea, raw eggs beaten up in milk, and occasionally wine, are generally necessary.
57. Sore Throat
DEFINITION.- Acute simple inflammation of the throat, including Simple Tonsillitis, Follicular Tonsillitis, and Acute Pharyngitis. The usual sore throat is generally either a Simple or a Follicular Tonsillitis, which may be accompanied by more or less Pharyngitis.
SYMPTOMS.- In Simple Acute Tonsillitis, one or both tonsils become deep red and swollen and are the seat of pain, more or less severe, usually much aggravated by swallowing. In Follicular Tonsillitis, in addition to these symptoms, the tonsils are studded with whitish-yellow spots, which are the orifices of the tonsillar crypts chocked up with products of exudation. Both forms are accompanied by fever, the temperature running up to 103o or 104o.
CAUSES.- The real cause is microbic. Exciting causes are chill; bad hygienic surroundings, especially defective drainage. Tonsillitis is often part and parcel of a rheumatic infection in children; this is most important to remember. For the diagnosis from Diphtheria see Section 24.
TREATMENT.- Aconite should be given at once – a dose every two hours. If it does not act favourably in a few hours, Belladonna will probably be called for.
INDICATIONS FOR THE ABOVE AND OTHER REMEDIES.
Aconitum.- Dryness, roughness, and heat in the throat, with a choking sensations, hoarseness, fever.
Belladonna.- Bright-red throat, feeling as if scraped raw with pain on swallowing.
Dulcamara.- If from getting wet, or from damp, foggy air.
Mercurius Sol.- Sensation as of a lump in the throat, worse at night, increased flow of saliva, white or yellow spots on throat.
ACCESSORIES.- Hot fomentations round the neck; steaming the throat over a jug of boiling water containing a teaspoonful of Friar’s balsam.
58. Quinsy (Suppurative Tonsillitis).
DEFINITION.- A suppurative inflammation of the tonsils, in which the inflammation and abscess tend to spread on to the soft palate.
SYMPTOMS.- Swelling of tonsils, severe throbbing pain, hoarseness, difficult swallowing and expectoration, Headache, pain in the back and limbs, foul tongue, offensive breath, shivering, high temperature (104o or 105o), and profound prostration, terminating in resolution or suppuration, or chronic enlargement.
CAUSES.- As for “Sore Throat” (Section 57).
TREATMENT.- If seen very early the patient should have a few doses of Aconitum, followed by Baryta Carb. If suppuration be inevitable, Hepar S. should be administered. In some acute cases Guaiacum has been eminently successful in checking the progress of the disease. Gunpowder is also worth a trial.
INDICATIONS FOR THE ABOVE AND OTHER REMEDIES.
Aconitum.- Pricking sensation in the throat, with much fever.
Belladonna.- Redness and rawness of the throat, flushed face, glistening of the face, Headache.
Baryta Carb.- If given early in acute cases it is often very efficacious. Is very useful also in chronic cases.
Calcarea carb.- Chronic cases in scrofulous persons.
Hepar S.- When suppuration has taken place.
Guaiacum.- In cases accompanied with pains of a rheumatic neuralgic character.
Lycopodium.- Ulceration and suppuration of tonsils, beginning on right side. Worse from 4 to 8 p.m.
ACCESSORIES.- As for “Sore Throat” (Section 57). As soon as it is certain that pus has formed, the abscess should be lanced.
Mercur.-Iodium- Considerable swelling, copious salivation, swelling of tongue, foetid breath.
58. Chronic Tonsillitis (“Tonsils and Adenoids”).
DEFINITION.- A chronic enlargement of the tonsils, in which there may be little evidence of active inflammation, accompanied by lymphoid masses in the naso-pharynx (an exaggeration of the so- called “pharyngeal tonsil”).
CAUSATION.- In this condition cause and effect are much mixed up. Cold or Simple Nasal or Naso-pharyngeal Catarrh., by including a habit of mouth-breathing, leads to imperfect development of the nasal cavities and accessory sinuses, and this is believed to be a cause of adenoids. On the other hand adenoids undoubtedly themselves lead to a Chronic Naso-Pharyngeal Catarrh and repeated cold-catching, with their natural result of chronic mouth- breathing. The want of hard food in the child’s diet and consequent failure to exercise the jaws and muscles of mastication also lead to imperfect development of the naso- pharynx and the accessory sinuses and so to adenoids. The same is true of insufficient vitamins in the food. There is, however, without doubt a condition of Congenital Adenoids, in which an infant is born with an overgrowth of the lymphoid tissue normally found in the naso-pharynx. Hypertrophy of the lymphoid tissue of the tonsils is generally a concomitant of adenoids.
SYMPTOMS.- Mouth-breathing, snoring at night, nasal speech, impairment of smell and taste, nocturnal incontinence, the adenoidal facies (pinched-in nostrils, open mouth, vacant expression), fetor of the breath, earache and deafness (due to extension of catarrh to the Eustachian tube), enlarged cervical glands, paroxysmal cough, Bronchial Catarrh, backwardness, Asthma, Dyspepsia (from swallowing the mucus secreted by the adenoids), mental dulness, certain deformities of the chest (notably the “funnel breast”), a tendency to attacks of Acute Follicular Tonsillitis, a diminished resistance to such serious throat trouble as Diphtheria, and reflexly at times Convulsions and Laryngismus Stridulus. In congenital cases the chief symptoms are the nasal discharge, the snoring respiration, and the difficulty in taking the breast. Many remote troubles, as e.g. Arthritis, are traced to latent and smouldering foci of infection deep in the crypts of unhealthy tonsils.
TREATMENT.- Congenital Adenoids, in as much as they interfere with taking the breast and with swallowing milk and so retard nutrition at a critical age, ought to be removed by operation. In acquired adenoids a trial may be made of homoeopathically chosen remedies (see below), of systematic deep-breathing exercises, of a nasal toilet (Hutchison recommends a solution of borax, one drachm to the pint, injected up the nostrils and allowed to run out by the mouth), and of painting the tonsils with a paint consisting of one part of tincture of iodine and seven parts of anaesthetic ether. By the age of about five, if marked improvement has not resulted (an earlier still if deafness threatens or Asthma or Convulsions occur), an operation should be undertaken for the removal of the adenoids and for extirpation of the tonsils by one of the modern complete methods. Such operations ought always to be followed up by systematic education in nose-breathing by day and by the use at night, if necessary, of an elastic chinstrap to keep the lower jaw from dropping.
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."