Rheum:- The sour odor is most prominent and persistent under this drug; even the whole body of the child smells sour and the mother cannot remove this odor however much she may wash the child. Remember that the stools of Magnesia-carb. are green while they are dark brown in Rheum.
Sulphur:- It has acrid stools and is a good curative when the anus is found red and excoriated. It has redness of all orifices. Even the palms of hands and soles of feet of Sulphur kids are usually red. The redness is however most prominent on the lips.
This polychrest is also helpful to clear up the incomplete cases of some other remedies, particularly of Aloe, Ars., Cham., Merc- s, and Podo.
Green diarrhoea:- Merc-dul. will usually prove sufficient. Think of Cham., Cal-p., or Ip. if Merc-dul does not fit well. Other possible medicines for this condition are Arg-n., Coloc., Crot- t., Mag-c., Merc-s., Nat-s., Podo., Puls. and Sulph.
Sour diarrhoea :- The principal remedies are being names here in order of their frequent applications:- Mag-c., Calc-c., Hep., and Rheum in the first group and Nap-p. and Sulph. in the next. In Rheum, Calc-c. and Hep. the sour odor persists even when the child has been washed well.
Painless diarrhoea :- China and Podo. should receive our first thought but if the symptoms do not suit a selection may be made from the following medicines – Aloe, Bismuth, Crot-t., Hep., Nat- m., Nat-s., Olnd., Phos., Phos-ac. and Sulph.
Involuntary stools:- Oleander will cover this condition if it is simple – diarrhoea and there is no other complication. Aloe also may come in for this trouble. But if the child remain unconscious, semiconscious, delirious or soporous then (1) Hyos. Op. (2) Apis, Cina or Mur-ac. will be the possibilities. Other remedies useful for this condition are – (1) Bell., Phos., Ph-ac. (2) Chin., Psor. and Sulph.
Lienteric stools:- China and Arsenicum are the principal remedies for this complaint and in the absence of any clear cut indication Chininum-Ars 3x or 6x trituration can be prescribed with confidence.
Other medicines that may be required for this condition are – (1) Calc., Olnd., Phos., Phos-ac., Podo. (2) Mag-c. and Nat-p.
Offensive stools. – (Smelling putrid) :- Remedies in general:- Ars., Bapt., Kali-ph., Olnd., Podo and Sulph.
Achiled or light colored stools :- Calc-c., Phos., Iod.
Causation: – (see stomach also).
Dentition: – Acon., Aeth., Calc-c., Cal-ph., Cham., Kreos., Podo.
Antim Crudum has diarrhoea from bathing. Thickly white coating over the whole tongue is its guiding symptom. The child is always very sleepy.
Sanguinaria when the diarrhoea sets in after suppression of bronchitis.
Opium will be suitable when diarrhoea is originated from nursing the child when the mother was frightened.
Chamomilla will be useful if the mother nurses the child after a fit of anger and the child gets diarrhoea.
Aconite is the chief remedy for diarrhoea after suppression of perspiration.
Bryonia may be of help in diarrhoea from suppression of eruptions.
Apis may be helpful in diarrhoea from suppression of exanthemata.
Thuja is our sheet-anchor for diarrhoea as bad effect of vaccination (Kali-m., Sil.).
Concomitants:- Think of Ipecac and Pulsatilla for diarrhoea associated with Measles, Drosera with Whooping Cough, and Argent- nit., with Conjunctivitis (Merc-s.) and Bapt., Hyosc., Mur-ac., and Rhus-t. with low type of fever.
DYSENTERY.
In the acute stage of dysentery, especially if it is caused from an exposure to cold or from getting cold when the body is warm, Aconite 1x or 3x in repeated doses will be sufficient. It has more or less fever, restlessness and increased thirst. Belladonna and Ferrum-phos are the other two medicines that may be found suitable in this stage. In the next stage we find Merc- sol. very useful. It has aggravation at night, colic and tenesmus without relief from stools. The stools are scanty and contains slims with, perhaps, marks of blood. But if blood is more prominent than mucus then Merc-cor. will serve better than Merc-sol. Some authors claim that in dysentery of children Ipecac in alternation with Petroleum works like a specific.
Nux-vom. has some similarity with Merc-s. Both have scanty stools with mucus, colic and tenesmus. But the child requiring Nux finds relief after each motion while the pain and tenesmus of Merc-sol continue long after the stools. Nux has also a history of patent medicine being abused.
Aloe will be indicated if the mucus is in jelly like lumps.
Podophyllum has small stools in dysentery while large in diarrhoea.
Sulphur may be required to clear up the cases after some improvements have been made by the indicated remedy.
For badly managed cases, especially when it takes the form of typhoid think of – Ars., Bapt., Phos. and Rhus-t.
In persistent cases of dysentery the writer recommends to wrap a piece of flannel or linen around the abdomen of the child as a protection against cold.
In some places thee water hampers the cure of dysentery. Boiled water is allowed to cool in an earthen pot, the sediments will settle down at the bottom. Take out this water in another pot very carefully leaving the sediments unstirred at the bottom of the first vessel. If all the diets of the child is prepared with this sedimentless preboiled water it will facilitate the treatment. Of course care should be taken that no other water enters into the stomach of the patient.
ENTERITIS: – This is another common complaint for which the children are brought to us. Inflammation of the bowel is called enteritis and is usually characterised by colicky pain, diarrhoea general malaise and rumbling in abdomen. This may be due to several causes. If the inflammation extends to the stomach it is named as gastro enteritis. Inflammation of the large intestine or colon is called colitis.
The principal remedies for this trouble are – Acon., Bell., Bry., and occasionally Coloc., or Rhus-t. Dr. Jahr further recommends Lachesis when Rhus-t. fails.
CHOLERA INFANTUM:- We shall deal with this condition in a separate chapter. But for the present it will not be difficult for a prescriber to find out the appropriate medicine according to the indications described under diarrhoea above in stomach chapter.
WORMS.
The remedies most frequently indicated for these complaints are – Calc-c., Cina., Spig., Sulph. Nat-p. and Sil. In the next group we can place the remedies like Acon., Bell., Ferr., Ipecac, Lyco., and Stannum. Other possible medicines are -Chenopodium, China, Filix-mas, Ign., Indigo, Mer-sol., Teucrium etc.
Aconite:- Fever due to ascarides (Merc-s., Cina., Sil.); bloated abdomen and itching of anus.
Belladonna:- Urine escapes involuntarily, the child grinds the teeth during sleep (Cina); plethoric subjects.
Caladium Sequinum is suitable when ascarides enter into the female genitalis and create leucorrhoea in little girls. (Calc).
Cina is no doubt our first remedy for all conditions brought on by this animalculae but to produce the desired effect it should be used judiciously. It has pale face with rings around the eyes, constant picking of nose; grinding of teeth and starting and screaming during sleep; pitiful weeping when wakes up and restless sleep. It is also the best remedy for convulsions from worms (Cicuta, Indigo).
Ignatia is our best remedy for itching of or crawling sensation in anus (Cina, Kali-m., Nat-p Teucrium). The child is very irritable and peevish.
Indigo is claimed to be a better remedy than Cina for convulsions of children from worms.
Ipecac:- Progressive emaciation with nausea and vomiting.
Kali-mur will be suitable for itching in anus if the tongue has a white coating.
Sometimes the ascarides crawl out to the anus during night and causes great irritation and itching there. It prevents the childs sleep. External application of mustard oil will give immediate, though temporary, relief.
Natrum phos. is the chief remedy in biochemistry for all sorts of worms and worm conditions.
Santonine 3x should be tried when Cina, though indicated, fails to bring the desired effect.
Silica:- If the child passes ascarides in masses.
Stannum is claimed as a specific to expel pin worms.
Teucrium :- During night the pin worms crawl down to the anus and torment the child with terrible itching (Ign.).
ASCARIDES: – Dr. Jahr advises to give Mercurius and Sulphur in frequently repeated doses. Calcarea in higher potency, preferably preceded by a dose of Sulphur, may be sufficient to extinct these worms, if allowed to act undisturbed for a sufficiently long time.
LUMBRICOIDES: Dr. Jahr considers Aconite is better than Cina to expel these worms. Some authors recommend Chenopodium also for this purpose. Three or four drops of chenopodium oil taken four times a day will help to expel these round worms. It acts better when taken in empty stomach.
For colic of children from worms think of Cina first and then Lycopodium or Mercurius.
For vomiting in association with worms think of Cina, Ip., and Sanguinaria first and Aconite and Ferrum next.
FLATULENCE.
When this condition is in association with constipation usually Lycopodium or Opium will be found sufficient. Graphites and Nux vom. may also come in occasionally. For flatulence with diarrhoea think of China or Carbo-veg. first and then Arg-n., Cham., or Colchicum according to symptoms present. China is suitable in the early stage while Carbo veg come in a later.
