(1) That is exerts a marked beneficial action on ear diseases accompanied by the formation of new connective tissue; (2) that this beneficial action is due to an increased pliability of this tissue; (3) that its administration should always be accompanied by mechanical measures; (4) that better and more prompt results may be obtained in recent cases; (5) that it exerts a beneficial action on vertigo; (6) that better results may be obtained with it in the relief of tinnitus aurium than with any drug used heretofore.
I have verified the above, and in some cases, without the mechanical means for vibrating the membrana tympani, rapid relief has followed its administration. I looked up the literature on this drug, but found practically nothing.
Thallium Acetate for Scalp Ringworm.- “Dowling and Kelman report on twenty-four cases. The treatment consists of a single dose of thallium acetate, 8 mg. per kilogram of body weight, given by mouth in sweetened water. The hair begins to loosen in from six to eight days, and complete epilation has taken place by the nineteenth day. Confinement to bed during the whole period of treatment is desirable. As albuminuria may be a complication of thallium treatment, it is evident that the giving of thallium acetate to a person suffering from any renal disorder is contra- indicated. Epilation has been satisfactory in every case so treated.”- J.A.M.A.
Thallium, a rare metal, is mentioned by Clarke in his Dictionary of Materia Medica as of possible use in the treatment of baldness and of the violent pains of tabes dorsalis; also as of value in the night-sweats of phthisis. The remedy needs proving and may show itself to be of service in nephritis, as suggested by the abstract.
Workmen in Zinc Foundries. “Lead poisoning is rare among these workmen. Foundry fever, beginning a few hours after the melting of the zinc and resembling febrile influenza is not infrequent. The workmen believe that it has a favorable influence on syphilis and tuberculosis. Albuminuria is frequent among them.”- J.A.M.A.
These observation also, are of interest; we cannot know too much of drug pathogenesis.
Tuberculin in Whooping Cough. “The frequent occurrence and special severity of whooping cough in tuberculous children have been noted by many authors. Stuhl believes that a tubercular infection is present to some extent in every case of whooping cough. This opinion has been strengthened by his results with tuberculin in whooping cough, which has reduced the number of the paroxysms and shortened the course of the disease in practically every case.
“The initial dose was 0.0000001 gm. old tuberculin; injections were repeated every third day, increasing the dosage by half each time. As a rule five to six injections are given, but more may be necessary. The best results are obtained if the tuberculin treatment is started as soon as the child begins to cough”.
In the vernacular of the day, this is “some dose.” We confess that our bump for mathematics is not sufficiently developed to enables us to figure out without much trouble and time, just which potency this array of naughts may represent. At all events, it is small and we hasten to congratulate our friends of the Old School upon their perspicacity and superhuman wisdom.
Homoeopathy Abroad. We have received voluminous literature concerning the Ninth Quinquennial International Homoeopathic Congress to be held in London, July 18th to 23rd, at Connaught Rooms, Great Queen Street, Kingsway, W.C. 2. The officers of the Congress are Dr.George Burford, President-elect; Dr. C.E. Wheeler, Vice-president-elect; Dr. John Weir, C. V. O., Chairman of Committees; Sir George Wyatt Truscott, Bt., Hon. Treasurer; Dr. E. A. Neatby, Hon. Acting Treasurer; Dr. H. Fergie Woods, Hon. Organizing Secretary and Dr. E. Petrie Hoyle, Hon. Administrative Secretary. Truly, an imposing array of names and titles, reminiscent of our own fraternal organizations in the land of the supposedly free and undoubtedly brave.
Our British colleagues have gone to great lengths in their endeavors to make this Congress a success and if social distinction and royal patronage are its ear-marks, success has already been assured, for we note that His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, has most graciously consented to act as Patron. We Americans, with our strong flare for royalty, which will crop out, in spite of all our alleged democracy, recall with pleasure the visit of the Prince to this country, a few years ago.
We now have an opportunity of showing our appreciation by returning the visit and attending the Congress to be held next month; the greatest kindness and hospitality will be shown us and the scientific program to be presented, will be of a high order as well as of great importance to homoeopathy. Elsewhere in this issue, we publish one of the communications from Dr. E. Petrie Hoyle and we trust that as many Americans as possible, particularly those who have survived the “Lapland” trip of the American Institute of Homoeopathy, will attend.
A Cigarette Case. We have thus far refrained from commenting upon the plaintive wail of “Neighbor,” which appeared in our April issue, hoping that some subscriber, with abler pen than ours, would hasten to give our Neighbor much needed advice. But alas, such advice has not, thus far at least, been forthcoming, so, mindful of the admonition that fools rush in, where angels fear to tread, we graciously condescend to play the fool, forgetting for the moment, that quite possibly we do not have to play it; in some quarters it has been slyly suggested, that we already have sufficiently measured up to this distinction; if so, we plead guilty to the indictment, for happily, an abundant fund of good nature, is one of our characteristics.
Now in the first place we would suggest, that Neighbors intimate friend is very ungallant in smoking in his wifes presence, since by so doing, he makes her sick. Unless he really wishes to dispose of her, he might try the garage or the coal cellar for his indulgence in the blessed weed. As to the desire to be cuddled and coddled (cute words those) we are inclined to sympathize with him; to be sure, this depends upon who is to do the cuddling and coddling, for it does, we understand, make a difference. Perhaps on the other hand, he has been coddled too much, for there is such a thing, we have been told.
Our poor victim feels, evidently, that he is “misunderstood”; well, perhaps he is; perhaps his over-zealous wife devils the life out of him with well-intended, though nevertheless annoying solicitude. Men hate to be fussed over, in that way at all events. Neighbor wonders whether Tabacum high would do anything for him, to which we answer most emphatically, “No!” unless, as we suspect, the unrevealed causes of domestic and business worry and care, can first be removed, when the abnormal craving for tobacco would of itself largely disappear. Arsenicum, Nux vom., Ipecac., Tabacum itself, might then come into play.
Yes, Neighbor, Apomorphin will cause your cigarette bedeviled friend to vomit copiously, but we doubt whether cure would result from such emesis; incidentally, the bedroom rugs might be ruined, his temper certainly would be. You ask whether putting something in the cigarettes would do any good. You might try dynamite, the cure would be absolutely permanent, for the cigarette case would then be ended, once and for all.
Arsenic Poisoning and Purpura from Wall Paper. “Tillings patient, a physician, felt tired for about a year. His feet were cold. Later on purpura appeared repeatedly. At times he had pains in the abdomen and once a transitory amaurosis. A few drops of solution of potassium arsenic caused an exacerbation of the purpura. The patient requested chemical examination of a sample of the wallpaper, which had been painted green about five years before. It contained a large amount of arsenic; the patients hair also gave a strong reaction.”- J.A.M.A.
Yes, Arsenicum will play the devil, as we homoeos know. To be sure, cold feet are not necessarily characteristic of arsenic, many other things have been known to cause them as well. The observations of Tiling are interesting.
Homoeopaths in Veterinary Medicine. Although to many of us it would seem, as though the automobile mechanic has long since usurped the place of the veterinarian, nevertheless there are many parts of this and of other countries where the horse and other domestic animals form an important part of daily life. The ills of such animals must be treated, not only from human considerations, but also from the standpoint of economic welfare.
The treatment of the sick animal resembles very closely the treatment of young children in that it is purely and almost entirely objective. Animals cannot tell us in spoken language, what ails them; neither can babies, but their reactions to disease are manifested by various signs and symptoms, to the watchful medical observer. Objective symptomatology is therefore, of first importance in the treatment of sick animals as it is in the treatment of sick babies.
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.