When god wants to destroy life no earthly power can help. Moreover, often the patients may die because we can not make a right selection of remedy every time and because in such case if we commit a mistake in the first and second selections of medicine we generally do not get sufficient time for a third selection, as the time allowed in such dangerous cases, is very short and before we are ready with our third selection the patient may expire.
Hence in the treatment of small-pox where we can get hardly five or six days to demonstrate our ability, we must be extremely careful while selecting a remedy. Here our selection should be speedy but infallible or we lose our patient and our reputation and with the fall of our reputation we lower the dignity of our remedies.
In support of my statement made above I describe briefly some cases which I had to treat.
(1) Mr. Surendra Nath Guha, 50 years of age, got an attack of small-pox of a very severe type at New Delhi (1934-35, epidemic of the Punjab). Doctors T.N. Ghose M.B. and S.K. Sen, B.SC.M.B. were attending him but on the 5th day of the disease I was asked to examine the patient in the presence of the two allopathic doctors. It was a confluent form of small-pox and no part of body was free from eruptions.
The patient had nausea especially on motion and occasionally vomited, severe pain in chest marked drowsiness, temperature 102*F, scanty urine, itching, no sleep, constipation, extreme weakness, delirious at night, appearance anxious and frightful. Vesicular eruptions filled with whitish matter. Ant. tart 200 was given but failed to produce any favourable change within 24 hours.
On the 7th day I put him to Sarracenia P. 200 which to the astonishment of all, removed the fever within 24 hours and the eruptions then looked blackish and devoid of liquid substance. Doctors Ghose and Sen re-examined him on the 9th day and declared him perfectly cured. They they admired my medicine very much.
(2) Child, about 10 years of age, had an attack of small- pox. Vesicular eruptions, dark, oily, face very much swollen, sore throat, high fever, Pneumonia. I examined him first on the 4th day of the disease and put him to Ant.t 200. But the above symptoms developed inspite of it. I then gave him Apis without any effect. Dr. Sen M.B. (of New Delhi) was also called to examine him. The patients condition became serious on the 10th day when I gave him a few doses of Merc. Sol. 200 with which the temperature dropped to normal within 24 hours and he recovered fully before the 15th. day.
(3) Unvaccinated baby, about 11 months of age, (Katra Neel, Delhi) was brought to my dispensary with fully developed eruptions of small-pox, on the 6th. day of the disease. Fever was slight. Confluent type of small-pox. Sarracenia P. 1x was given every two hours for 4 days and the child recovered.
(4) Boy, 12 years of age, (Karal Bagh, Delhi), unvaccinated even at that age, got the disease. He was in high fever on the 3rd. day when I first saw him. On the 4th day blackish eruptions, size of mustard seeds, hard, were found on the forehead and face, the temperature remained steady with no inclination to fall or subside, look was not happy, anxious and distressed and extremely weak. I put him to Ant. t. but the eruptions did not develop into vesicles but on the other hand appeared parched and dark. Typhoid condition came even before the Seventh day. I tried Sarracenia P. Malandrinum, Ars. Alb. and Sulphur but nothing helped and the patient died.
(5) Old woman at Barakhamba Road. New Delhi, age about 60, had an attack of small-pox and was placed on Homoeopathic treatment with out relief. I was called to see her on the 9th. day, and noted these symptoms:
Eruptions did not develop into vesicles but remained hard, dark, parched, size of mustard seeds, some big but flat with no disposition to vesicle formation, temp. 100*F, Typhoid, eyes closed moving head and limbs in distress, not fully conscious, prostration very marked. Pulse weak. Before I arrived Bapt, Variol. Malandri. Sarr. P. Ant. t. were tried in vain. I gave her Sulph. 200 but she died next day.
(6) Mohan, a Pahari servant, age about 28 years, got the disease and was removed to the Hospital at New Delhi. On the 8th. day his eruptions all on a sudden disappeared and he was in a dying conditions. Great oppression of chest difficult breathing. bursting feeling in chest, body black. Says he will die, Sarracenia P. 200 was repeated very frequently and within half an hour he was completely relieved of his distress and smiled to his friends who sat around him at that time.
The eruptions in this case were not reestablished or returned to the surface but he made a complete recovery within two days of the medicine and he returned home when I found that black and depressed spots were visible all over his body. He remained in excellent health ever afterwards.
(7) Surajmal, Barabazar, Calcutta, age 25, got the disease in 1946, and was under allopathic treatment. As soon as the eruptions appeared and small-pox was recognized that treatment was discontinued and I was called to prescribe for him: He had diarrhoea with frequent watery stools, vesicular eruptions all over his body, worse on face chest and back. Ant. t. 200 stopped diarrhoea but eruptions did not dry up.
On the 6th day I put him to several doses of Sarracenia P. 200 and he recovered completely within three days of this medicine. His friends were astonished to see this action of our medicine. He is quite well and I often meet him in Barabazar.
(8) Chatterjee, 28 years old, (Daryagung, Delhi) had an attack of small-pox, and was placed under the treatment of Dr. J. K. Sen L.M.S. of Delhi. On the 11th day of the disease I was called in haste to see him and on arrival I recorded these symptoms:-Whole face very much swollen, it is impossible to open eyes, it is hard to recognize him, the face looked round like a ball with swelling. Cannot speak well. Temperature 104*F. Delirium, says, black persons are standing at the foot of his bed with clubs in hand and they are asking him to go with them without delay. Tears ran down his cheeks and in indistinct low voice he says that he is unwilling to follow them. Sore throat.
This patient was in very bad condition and the doctor declared that his life was trembling in the balance. The members of the house were actually weeping. I gave him 16 doses of Sarracenia P. 200 At first medicine was given every 30 minutes and afterwards at longer intervals. Next morning the temperature dropped to 100* and swelling of face was less and he could open his eyes. Within three days he had complete recovery.
(9) Kolays mother-in-law, Monirampur, H.B. chord. Had small-pox at the age of 52. She had diarrhoea, high fever, delirium. Ant. tart. 200 was given first and 48 hours after it she was put to Sarracenia P. 200. She was cured soon.
(10) A little girl about 12 years of age, got small-pox (Daryagung, Delhi). Two of her brothers died of the same disease. Her attack was severe and she was delirious at night. In delirium she always saw an old woman frequently coming to her and speaking to her in sweet words. Temperature 103*F loss of sleep, itching. Sarracenia P. 6, contributed for four days, cured.
In these case reports I have stated facts as I found them. There is no exaggeration in them and they are the results of honest endeavour. Any body can try homoeopathic drugs for the cure of small-pox and if his efforts be sincere he will obtain the same gratifying results. Routinism will always fail to the bitter disappointment of the prescriber and an honest homoeopath must avoid it by all means.
The following remedies are usually employed in the treatment of small-pox.
(1) Ant. T. Merc. S. Variol. Malandr. Vaccininum. Thuj.
(2) Apis Mel. Ars. A. Bapt. Camphor. Canth. Carbo. Ac. Carb. V. Ac. Mur. Macrotin. Crot. H. Hamamelis. Hydrast. Hydro-ac. Phos. Ph-ac. Rhus. T. Sil. Sul., Zinc. Met.
Confluent form: Sulph. Ars. A. Phos. Merc., Hippoz. Variol Sarrac. P. Ant. T. Rhus T.
Discrete: Bapt. Ant. T. Sul.
Haemorrhagic: Phos. Ars. A. Lach. Crot. Hor. Ham. Sec Sul. Chin. Am-c. Am-m. Canth. Solanum Nig.
Malignant: Am-c. Ant-t. Ars. A. Bapt. Carb. Ac. Crot. Hor. Lach. Mur. ac. Ph-ac. Phos. Rhus T. Sec. Sul. Variol. Sarrac. P.
Asthenic variola: Carb. V. Ars. A.
Bad cases of small-pox: Hydro-ac.
Pustules do not fill with matter: Phos. ac.
Severe cases: Sarrac. P.
Eruptions:-
Repercussion of eruption: Ant-t. Carb. V. Hyosc. Ars. A. Camph. Cupr. M. Sul. Zinc. Met. Sarrac. P.
When eruption recedes with great dyspnoea: Apis Mel. Ant-T.
Eruptions seem to recede: Carb.v.
Eruptions does not come out properly: Ant-T Bry.
Eruption slow in developing: Bry.
Swelling of skin suddenly sinks in, pustules. dry up: Camph.
Eructations livid, purple: Carb.V. Hydro-ac.
Areolae grow livid: Ars. A.
Eruptions black: Ars. A.
Pustules sink in : Ars. A.
Eruptions fail to appear at the proper time: Hyosc.
Rash fails to appear with haemorrhages from orifices: Crot Hor.
White pustules: Cimicifuga.
Calcutta