[ Read before Bureau of Clinical Medicine, I.H.A., June 22, 1949.].
H. R. January, 1950.
As a rule, a case defies our efforts to find the curative remedy, not because there is no remedy which would cover its symptom totality, but because we have failed to consider or to recognize this remedy. Every single substance of the mineral, plant and animal world represents a potential medicine which may be required in a given disorder.
Of all these millions of therapeutic possibilities even the most encompassing of all, Boerickes Materia Medica, lists approximately twelve hundred. Yet even of the greater majority of those we have only a very fragmentary knowledge as far as symptoms for exact prescribing are concerned. We usually limit our prescribing to perhaps a hundred of our best proven polychrests.
It is often held that a really through knowledge of those polychrests is sufficient to cover every and any case we may be confronted with. After all, these drugs are polychrests because their nature and composition bears such a fundamental relation to the human organization that the majority of disorders requires their prescription. On the other hand we ought to admit to ourselves that, because we are more familiar with them than with the other medicines, we tend to lean upon the polychrests more heavily than is sometimes justified by the patients needs.
No remedy can ever take the place of the simillimum. Undoubtedly, the polychrests are most basic substances and of deep action. Yet, when a remedy of only a superficial sphere of action happens to be indicated by the symptoms, any other one, though of constitutionally deeper repute, will act no better than distilled water. Often we meet with references to certain drugs as “good” remedies for this or that.
This way of thinking is contrary to Homoeopathy. There are no “good” or “bad” medicines, but only indicated or not indicated medicines. Sulphur or Calcarea may be quite “bad” medicines and some little obscure herb with but a supposedly superficial effect a “good” one, if required by the symptoms of the individual case.
It has been the writers experience that from among every ten patients seven or eight, in the average, will actually require and satisfactorily respond to a polychrest. The other two or three, however, require a more unusual remedy, at least temporarily. From among these cases we recruit the bulk of our failures and unsatisfactory improvements. Often we assume obstacles to recovery where the only obstacles lie in our yet fragmentary knowledge of the Materia Medica.
The case presented in this paper at first defied the best effort of diagnosis and of prescribing. Failing to respond to the apparently well indicated polychrests, this case furnished valuable, well-defined symptom material for the relatively unproven drug which turned out to be the correct simillimum.
Mrs. S., 36 yrs. Two years before the onset of the present illness she had lost a little son through an accident. She never regained her peace of mind. During the last preceding months she was under great additional strain, emotionally and physically, caring for her disabled parents. At the end of December, 1948, in a state of utter physical exhaustion and nervous strain she contracted a cold. A few days later, at the exact anniversary of the childs death, she was completely immobilized by an excruciating pain in the right lumbosacral area. The next day found her unable to void urine and to move her legs at all.
Examination showed an area of muscular constriction along the lower spine with somewhat accentuated but normal reflexes and undisturbed skin sensorium. However, the patient was in a state of frenzied restlessness, screaming and crying with pain, unable to lie still, yet aggravated by any motion. There was no urge for stool what-so-ever and urination could be induced only by pouring warm water over the perineum. The temperature was between 99.5 and 100. An orthopaedic specialist ruled out a slipped or ruptured disk, though an incipient caries remained a remote possibility.
The modalities were: worse at night; very chilly, yet better open air; tearful disposition; restlessness; and the fact that the last period had been extremely scanty, almost completely suppressed. Rx Pulsatilla 200. Relief moderate and shortlived. Pulsatilla 1M followed by a temperature rise to 101; for a day the pains became somewhat more tolerable. The paralysis, on the other hand, increased. The possibility of a myelitis was considered now, and neurological consultation was requested.
The neurologist, one of the best men in his field, at first leaned towards the diagnosis of a myelitis. then, learning about the emotional background was more inclined to consider it a conversion hysteria. Since the family was extremely alarmed, he suggested immediate hospitalization for a diagnostic “work up”. Before she was taken to the hospital the symptoms were reviewed again. Additional features, now, were an extreme drumlike distension of the abdomen, loud belching, nausea, loss of appetite, at times brownish vomiting, a great thirst for cold water which was taken in little sips, an aversion to sweets, an offensive odor from the mouth, and a feeling of heaviness and oppression on the chest. Still tearful with indefinite fears.
The pain now cramping and shooting in waves like labor pains. Phosphorus 200. Upon arriving at the hospital the next day the pain was somewhat easier and the bladder function gradually became normal but the inactivity of the rectum remained. The patient remained in the hospital for about 5 weeks with all diagnostic and therapeutic attempts unavailing. She returned home unimproved and without definite diagnosis. However the homoeopathic study of the case could be resumed again.
Because now a status of utter exhaustion dominated the picture and in view of Phosphor having done relatively best, though failing upon repetition in the same as well as in a higher potency, Phosphoric acid 200. and later 1M was given. For several weeks the patient improved and became able to rise from her bed and move about, slowly and with support.
However, the pains were still almost unbearable, particularly during the night, after the first sleep, and with every change of weather towards rain or electric storms. Mentally also she was not better. After a few weeks Phos. acid did not elicit any further response. Additional symptoms, now, were flushes of heat and an inability to concentrate on any thoughts. Lachesis, Sepia, Mag. carb., and Rhus tox. gave absolutely no response.
Now, two months after the first onset of her illness, LATRODECTUS mact. 200. was given. There was such an immediate and gratifying relief of all mental and physical symptoms that there can be no doubt but that Latrodectus was indicated from the very beginning. Within a few days the patient moved and walked freely and had only slight distress at night. Within 2 weeks she became practically normal.
Four weeks after this, a sore throat occurred with desire for and better from cold drinks. Merc. solub. 200. given with little improvement; 2M improved the throat but brought back the backache with the patient generally worse. LATRODECTUS 200. again removed the whole of the disturbance including the throat. Four and one half months after the onset, heart palpitations, hot flashes and chilliness, back pain on bending, sore throat and clogged up nose, soft bleeding spongy gums, ravenous appetite and thirst again responded to LATRODECTUS 200.
Subsequently, the toxicology of Latrodectus mactans, the block widow spider, was studied. It was rather embarrassing to find that even the crude toxicological symptoms, as far as they are known, represent a perfect replica of this patients condition. From the very beginning, even from the toxicological picture, the remedy would have been indicated had been known then to the prescriber. Unfortunately, however, Latrodectus had been mentally associated with angina pectoris and nothing else, a very unhomoeopathic mental attitude indeed!.
The symptoms observed in clinical cases of spider bite, which were also outstanding in this case and removed by the potentized drug, should be added to our symptomatology of Latrodectus, thus enlarging the scope of its use.
The following is a digest of this material which so far does not appear in any of our Materia Medicas, to my knowledge.
Latrodectus MACTANS.
The leading and determining features are:.
Extremes of tension, spasticity and constrictiveness and prostration.
They manifest themselves in the mind, the chest, abdomen, the lumbar spine and the lower extremities in the first place.
The modalities are worse during the night, worse during damp weather and change of weather, worse before a thunder-storm, restless, tossing about but worse from motion and exhausted by every effort, chilliness, lack of vital heat but flashes of heat. Syphilis and alcoholics are hypersensitive to Latrodectus; alcohol especially aggravates all of its symptoms, thus suggesting alcoholism and constitutional syphilis among the general indications for Latrodectus.
