SOME CONFIRMATIONS OF THE HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDY DURING SURGICAL CONVALESCENCE


The thought that has led me to write these confirmations of the homoeopathic remedy is due to the fact that a young homoeopathic physician, who was associated with me, was severely criticized by a surgeon for not having a case of carcinomata operated upon early.


The thought that has led me to write these confirmations of the homoeopathic remedy is due to the fact that a young homoeopathic physician, who was associated with me, was severely criticized by a surgeon for not having a case of carcinomata operated upon early. When, as the result of surgical excision, the case went acutely bad and the thought came to me, after thirty-two years in the practice of homoeopathic therapeutics how often might I have criticized the surgeons for not asking for a homoeopathic prescription when their cases went bad, instead of using the common anodynes and narcotics just as the dominant school does. Surely, if the scales of just criticism are to balance evenly on both sides, the surgeon is just as reprehensible for not using the best homoeopathic therapeutics as the physician might be, for not calling the mechanic in soon enough to suit his judgment.

Now, this has led me to collect a few experiences and I am sure you will agree with me by saying, after surgery had done its best in these cases, the homoeopathic remedy, assisted in the final restoration to health. I wish now to quote the case of a female child, six and a half years old, born of great financial wealth and luxury, but of unhealthy parentage. To make a short summary of the case, I will say that at three years of age the patient contracted scarlet fever. The case was a long, protracted illness, being complicated by an otitis media, the drumheads ruptured. About six weeks after, the child was operated on for an acute mastoiditis on the left side and about two months following, the right mastoid had to undergo a radical operation.

The wounds did not deal for nearly seven months and then the ear discharge came back, being temporarily stopped for a few weeks at a time, until I saw the case, which was about three and a half years after the beginning of the illness. The present status of the case was a child suffering with a high grade of malnutrition with marked debility; anaemic, partially deaf, with a stinking, whitish, watery, purulent discharge from both ears, not very profuse. According to indications, as interpreted by me, I prescribed Arsenic album, Hepar sulph., Silicea, Sulphur, Psorinum, with improvement of some of the conditions, but the discharge, though much less, continued. But the patients general condition was much better.

After a careful study of the symptoms of the case, which were an offensive odor of the diseased bone, a white, watery, purulent discharge from the ear, deafness, aggravation at night, I prescribed Asafoetida 30th. This was April I, 1923. I raised the potencies from time to time and by June first, there was absolutely no odor, and by July first, we had dry ears and they have been well ever since, now about three years. The child is now enjoying perfect health, with the exception of the impaired hearing, after surgery had done its best.

CASE II. I present in this case a woman of about forty years of age, a mother of five children. She was suffered very severely with varicose veins during her pregnant state. Her trouble dates back nine years, that is, since her last confinement, when from her his history of the case, she was kept in bed, at perfect rest, had the limbs bandaged, etc. After a rest of six weeks, she was supplied with long, elastic silk stockings, with little or no improvement. Finally, several veins burst and she was operated upon by a surgeon, who also healed up a small varicose ulcer, but she had been in daily pain and suffering, even since her operation, had lost in weight and was unable to care for her children.

The other veins began to swell and became sore and inflamed. One day I was called in to take charge of one of her children, who was taken acutely ill. When it recovered, the mother spoke to me about the condition of her limbs. I told her that I did not think much could be done and I have not enough English words at my command to describe the appearance of her legs, Carbo veg., Carduus mar., Calc fluor., Puls., with very little so that I was very sorry that I had become mixed up with this case, therefore advised her to consult the surgeon again. He advised the hospital, which she refused. A practical nurse, who had been assisting in the family for some time, finally got me the following symptoms, which I put together and pictured thus:

“Large swollen veins, some bordered by an area of inflammation,extremely sensitive to touch, limbs swollen, of bluish color; foot oedematous and bluish in color; inability to allow the leg to hang down, on account of the intense pain and a terrible bursting sensation.” She would look at the limb, thinking it had swelled up two or three times its normal size, because of the awful bursting-full sensation in the tissues, and this always came as soon as the leg was allowed to hang down.

After a careful study of this case and of the materia medica, I prescribed Vipera torva 30th, with a constant amelioration of all the symptoms. The pain disappeared first, the veins still looked swollen, but the woman does all her housework, the limb is reduced in size, she has no pain, wears her elastic stocking, has gained in weight, takes full charge of her four children, after surgery did its best.

CASE III. A young man sustained a crushed hand in an automobile accident. His left hand was crushed with a traumatic amputation of the little and ring fingers; the others were badly lacerated. He received good surgical treatment at a hospital, but the hand and injured fingers remained swollen for more than three months, with intense pain, necessitating an anodyne regularly each night, in order to get some sleep. After returning to the city,he walked into my office one night, asking me for a prescription for morphia, to give him some sleep.

I might say, that he had not taken morphia for some time, but was taking some of the well- known coal tar anodyne preparations. After examining his crippled hand, I told him I thought I might do more than dope him every night, if he was willing to try me out. His case presented a crippled hand with threes tiff and deformed fingers, that were full of scars. He complained of intense, lancinating and cutting pains in the fingers, followed by a painful numbness for a while, then severe throbbing and sticking, as though an abscess was ready to break;also, occasionally, paroxysms of pain along the nerves of the arm to the shoulder.

At times he was chilly, then would get very hot towards morning. This was his own description. Accordingly, I prescribed Hypericum perf., with slow but a continued relief, so that finally,at the end of three weeks, he was fairly free from pain, slept well and so far as I know, has needed no further medicated of any kind. The last prescription was made in October, 1925, long enough ago to bear out the efficacy of the remedy.

I could give many more cases, illustrating the value of the homoeopathic remedy during surgical convalescence or after surgery had done its best, but I believe these three illustrations, though possibly simple in character to the minds of some of the members here, may inspire some others to try our and uphold the value of the homoeopathic remedy, as being the most potent medicinal agent which the surgeon has at his command.

William B. Griggs