Had had copious urine all winter which became scanty and highly-colored as the gangrenous process advanced; at present 1030, no albumin or sugar.
Intense thirst.
Craving sweets.
Emaciation : Skin like parchment.
Numbness and weakness of hands.
Pains worse at night, dampness or cold weather, east wind, from any variation from medium temperature.
Ars. 40m one dose was given with some rest and relief of pain.
April 20. eight days later.
Spells of irresistible lassitude.
Increased sensitiveness to cold.
Intense thirst instead of appetite in the morning, faint stomach during the forenoon.
Legs smarting and itching aggravated by both heat and cold, in the evening and by bathing; feeling very tight and stiff.
Craving sour.
Sul. 10m one dose.
Two days later the oozing increased and the fluid became green, as green as copper sulphur. Improved ten days, the escaping serum gradually fading to a straw color.
Sul. 10m one dose.
Two days later the legs were seen to be distinctly smaller and the green discharges had reappeared. The improvement ceased after six days and another remedy was sought.
The pains were worse now from 3 to 8 P.M., smarting and aching, the discharges irritating and edges of ulcerated areas red and inflamed.
Merc. v., 1M one dose. Improved five days and urine increased. Then pain, swelling and inflammation increased, extending rapidly upward.
Stiffness all over at night.
Sensitive in general to both heat and cold.
Merc.v., 1M two doses. Two hours apart.
Improved a few days and urine increased, but soon the patient became decidedly worse both generally and locally.
Merc. 10m was given without relief.
May 29. The legs had now become intensely sore and swollen though small areas had become covered with skin. They now became very sensitive to cold and drafts imperceptible to others and to slightest touch.
Yellow crusts had formed.
Smarting intense from evening to midnight.
Teeth decaying rapidly.
Twitching of legs.
Aggravation from thunder showers.
Contraction of flexors of lower extremities.
Feeling weak and all to pieces as if could not keep up, worse in the evening.
Silic. 1m one dose was given May 29.
By July 29 there was great improvement, patient could lie down, the legs were healing and puffiness disappearing.
By September 10 she could walk and the ulcers were entirely healed.
October 11. Walked about the house freely, slight swelling remaining. But back and lower extremities bent with contractions.
January 24, seven months from last prescription.
Rhus. tox. was given for stiffness and contractions with benefit. She could not yet stand erect.
February 11. Knees and back very stiff in the evening. Ulcer appearing on one leg.
Sil. 1m one dose.
Complete healing and capacity returned.
Ten months later Sil. 1m 3d doses four hours apart.
Two months after that Psor. 15c one dose gave further constitutional uplift.
From a chair-ridden paralytic with practically gangrenous legs to an able-bodied woman in six months is doing fairly well. The lengthening intervals of reaction from a strong vitality latent in this patient. Dr. Waffensmith saw her after she was well on her feet and he said, “That is what I call a brilliant result”.
To ward off possible censure by any who may be shocked at no. mention of local antiseptics or chemical lavatures, I will state that the patient was directed to put one powder of B.& T.”s strong saccharum lactis in a tub of water of comfortable temperature and bathe the legs fifteen minutes strictly once a only. Probably it was that cured after all!.
