Occasionally with a right – sided pneumonia, bloody sputa, flushed face, especially the right cheek in the afternoon, delaying resolution, Sanguinaria canadensis will be required. A few doses of the 200th have proved all – sufficient. Where, after an influenza, a myocarditis is in evidence, with irregular or intermittent pulse, becoming much accelerated upon slight exertion, goneness at the stomach and facial pallor, Digitalis will be useful. The first decimal potency, in tablet triturate form, one tablet four times each day, will soon, together with rest in bed, put matters right.
Rhus Tox. and Eupatorium Perfoliatum. These remedies are both likely to be indicated influenza. Do not forget certain useful differential points. Both remedies are restless, both are full of pain, both complain of the aching and soreness. Eupatorium feels this soreness deep in the bones, as though these were broken. But the restlessness or Rhus tox. is > temporarily by a change of position, whereas that of Eupatorium is not.
Both are thirsty, but Eupatorium complains of a bitter taste and may vomit. The vomitus is bitter. Rhus tox. is worse in the evening and especially at night. Eupatorium is worse in the morning, generally from 7 to 9 a.m.
The tongue of Eupatorium is coated white; that of Rhus tox. is brownish – red and cracked. In Eupatorium the patient holds the sides of the chest when coughing, a symptom not found in Rhus tox.
Remember that Bryonia is to be differentiated from Eupatorium by the fact, that in the former the pains compel the sufferer to keep quiet, whereas in the latter, they make him restless, Bryonia, furthermore, has free sweat, which is lacking in Eupatorium.
Bactericidal Power of Various Plant Juices. A subscriber sends us the subjoined clipping from the Therapeutic Digest. The observations made are of much interest, particularly to homoeopathic physician, who depend upon fresh plant tinctures for their therapeutic results, or upon potencies made from such tinctures. Old Mother Nature does some truly wonderful things in her great laboratory, and it behooves us to employ her products much more than many of us do.
The modern craze for synthetic coal tar drugs is productive of immense harm, particularly in the hands of uneducated physicians whose ignorance of drugs is as deep as the sea.
“A study of certain aspects of this subject has recently been made by Sarti, of Modena, Italy, who writes in Annali dIgiene January 32, 1919. The juices particularly investigated were those of the orange, mandarin orange, lemon, onion, and garlic. The experimental procedure followed was to dip silk threads in suspensions of bacteria in saline solution, dry them in the incubator, place them in contact with the various plant juices, leave them of a definite time in empty, sterile receptacles, and finally wash them with saline solution.
After this contact the latter solution was innoculated on agar plates and the bacterial growth watched. The bacteria used in the experiments included the streptococcus, staphylococcus, colon bacillus, typhoid bacillus, comma bacillus, anthrax bacillus and spores, and the oidium albicans. The conclusion reached was that all the plant juices tested had some bactericidal power. This was especially the case with lemon and garlic juices; it was less pronounced with orange and onion juices, and very slight with mandarin juice.
In the case of the lemon, orange, and mandarin, the bactericidal property seemed to be connected with the acid content of the juices, as it was found to disappear when the juices were made neutral. In the case of the garlic and onion, the bactericidal power is ascribed to allyl sulphide or related compounds. Treating these two juices with ether almost entirely removed their bactericidal property.”
The same subscriber sends us an editorial comment upon the value of Calendula a san antiseptic dressing, also taken from the Therapeutic Digest.
“Suitable preparations of Calendula have long been recommended as a dressing for bruised and lacerated wounds, and it has been stated that however contaminated or unclean these wounds may be, suppuration would not set in if Calendula were applied promptly. Dr. Wm. M. Gregory confirms this statement, saying that he has found that Calendula prevented suppuration not only in contaminated, lacerated wounds, but that large burns would remain permanently clean and aseptic if dressed with an extract of Calendula and a saturated solution of boric acid.”
The uses of Calendula are well known to homoeopathic physicians, who would be most unwilling to part with this valuable remedy. There are still some surgeons in the homoeopathic school, who use and depend upon Calendula in suitable conditions and the elder Helmuth was wont to frequently extol its virtues.
One part of Calendula tincture to eight parts of glycerine makes an excellent dressing for open wounds or for burns. Chapped hands are made smooth by the same preparation.
American Homeopathy Doctor.
Rabe graduated from the New York Homeopathic Medical College and trained under Timothy Field Allen and William Tod Helmuth.
Rabe was President of the International Hahnemannian Association, editor in chief of the Homeopathic Recorder, and he wrote Medical Therapeutics for daily reference. Rabe was Dean and Professor of Homeopathic Therapeutics at the New York Homeopathic Medical College.