Much is said about the mistake of prescribing nosodes simply because the patient has the disease producing the nosode. they should be prescribed only on the symptomatology brought out in their provings, we are warned. I would like to suggest that a group of characteristic symptoms of a nosode occasionally appears later in the treatment of a chronic case, matter layers of symptoms have been removed, one after another, and that, when such nosode is then prescribed, the case clears remarkably and goes on to such approximation to real cure as the patient is capable of reaching.
The president in deep chronic states learns by experience to keep one eye and ear open for such characteristic symptoms and must resist temptation to see and hear them when they are not clearly present. perhaps this last is not wholly true, for I do think that the need for a certain nosode comes to an experienced prescribe more by feeling or intuition than by conscious study of symptoms. To illustrate with only one example of each nosode mentioned above.
CASE 1.
Mrs. W.R.V.,24 years old in 1919 treatment began; a tall, slender, frail, fine-featured woman with clear white skin and masses of soft brown hair; an intellectual woman, fond of reading, composing, writing, dreaming dreams. She was always pessimistic, used to do much weeping, thoughts of suicide at nine years quarrelsome with her environment. Both parents far from strong; her environment. Both parents far from strong; her father melancholy; her mother insane for twenty years. Our patient is quick-motioned, quick mentally, ambition far beyond vitality, worse from excitement,take long fingers in childhood, attacks of indigestion and chronic diarrhoea,m dysmenorrhoea always, perspiration palms hands and soles feet, oily skin, sleep always good, can sleep any time, cannot bear constrictions of hats, collars, waistbands, shoes.
My first experiences with this patient were taking her through two abortions at two months, without any apparent cause; then what seemed normal pregnancy for nearly five months even to feeling life for two weeks or so. A profuse flow for seven days before calling me seemed to end this pregnancy, if it was one,without finding a foetus. Then in less than a year there was pregnancy which continued to term, producing a fine boy after only four hours of labor on May 1922. She had one chile who was nearly two years old when I took the case, so there were six years between living children. The older child was delicate, needing much medical attention.
These obstetrical experiences pulled the patient all to pieces nervously, and lowered her vitality much more than they should have. She seemed wholly unequal to her task as housewife, mother, and social companion to her husband,and her outlook on life and morbid although brilliant.
For remedies, I began with Phos, much later gave Sep, and later still Thuja. None of these was satisfactory,but each made her better equal to life and its responsibilities. Still she was tired all the time, never felt rested, although she had plenty to help in her household duties.
In October 1924, she told me of feeling chilly for many months no matter what the temperature outside or the amount of clothing. As the hot summer months had preceded this was peculiar. I realized then, also, that she naturally was slow to heal,and had a tendency to small suppurations. I gave her psor. 10M and improvement began fundamentally. Another pregnancy started in November. She met the situation better and went through the ordeal far more easily. This third child, now nearly five years old, is the strongest.
My patient had changed into a model mother, and homemaker, doing all the work for her family of five in a house instead of mall apartment. She is happy in home, well-balanced, helpful, bright-eyed, eyed,good color. She does not realize now the kind of person she used to be; apparently it has all slipped away from her.
She has had Psor. at very long intervals as few times since.
one indication of a beginning need for it being a dribbling for a long time after menses which are bow painless.
CASE 2.
Mrs. S.E.W. was 52 years old when I took her case in 1915 and found the following symptoms.
Several cases of phthisis in the family.
Health considered good until about four years ago when the long illness and death of her mother broke her down from over work, worry and grief.
Exophthalmic goiter for four years. The thyroid gland was never much enlarged but pressed inward on the vessels of the neck. The eyes protrude 1 slightly. the heart action was tumultuous, irregular,soft and rather weak. There were loud murmurs. November 1914 when one branch of each carotid was lighted. Afterward the gait was affected and she was unable to walk with out support. She dragged her feet somewhat as in locomotor ataxia and rolled her body from side to side, saying it felt as if the sacro-iliac synchondrosis was loosened or dislocated.
Delirium after the operation.
Sinking spells frequent for a long time.
Early in September she was carried to Welters Part and on the second day there almost died from a heart attack. She was treated by Dr.Almfelt who gave her Tub. 200 which causes a wonderful reaction which she felt going all through her. There weeks later she was given the 1M just before returning home. This was about October first when took charged of here case. Slow improvement continued. She was up in a reclining chair nearly all day and allowed to sit up for meals and about hour each afternoon.
The following additional symptoms have been subsequently reported:.
Night sweats each night.
Headache, frontal,and indefinable distress.
Stools twice a day with a tendency to chronic Diarrhoea.
Tendency to take cold, extending from head to chest. Cough in paroxysms, severe, racking. Finally expectoration which is stingy, touch, or frothy and blood-streaked. This causes an exhausting palpitation.
Temperature subnormal in a.m. and somewhat above in the p.m.
Lack of vital heat and creepy chills in neck.
Sensitive to drafts or change in clothing.
Nausea in attacks, with vomiting of bile.
Faintness on rising with some vertigo.
Nose, small scabs and scales, bleeding occasionally.
Voice husky when tired, must clear throat before speaking.
Itching in ears and throat.
Membranous patches on posterior palate.
Pains her and there in small areas.
Desire for salty food when quite ill.
Attacks of frequent urging with pain in urethra at close of urination.
Teeth poor much dentistry needed.
I took her through a long series of potencies with Tuberculinum and used Ars. as an intercurrent for several severe heart failure attacks. Phos helped much after Tub. ceased to act.
The average slow improvement was satisfactory, though we had anxious time on several occasions, the worst after a report from the hospital where her husband had undergone on operation,saying he was in a serious condition. She jumped to the conclusion he was dead. Watched he all night, thinking several times heart had stopped. It pulled through on Ars.and the dynamic effect of alcohol in water.
By 1920 she had times of feeling fine for a few days; these times came oftener and oftener until she cloud leave her invalid chair and walk across a room, could entertain callers, and could sit at table for meals, without a bad effect on the heart.
In 1921 her husband insisted on the operation for removal of the entire thyroid. She stood it far better than the specialist anticipated and in a few weeks was walking across several rooms with a heart somewhere nearly steady,. In fact the great has done wonderfully well ever since. Of course it has very loud murmurs and much irregular beating but it is dependable and much more stable.
However, a new group of symptoms seemed to be a consequence of the operation. After two or three months she began long weakening attacks of chronic diarrhoea.
By 1923, after much debility from this cause, her husband intervened again and had the whole digestive tract examined by a specialist. The diagnosis was chronic colitis and his treatment a series of irrigations over nearly a year. She grew stronger and the colitis stopped; again she had many months of feeling comparatively well.
But new set of symptoms developed and she returned to me. She had had wandering pains in small areas. Now the joints became affects and she was in misery. First one joint and then another showed swelling redness,heat and great pain with exquisite tenderness and lack of function., The heart behaved well considering the involvement but the steady pains and the sharp stitches wore her out.
Then I began giving her Kali bich. She improved markedly with free intervals which grew longer, but the attacks would return.
The the whole picture seemed to be Medorrhinum. Since I have given her a slow series of this drug, she has made the greatest gain of all,able to take auto tours, able to get out and work in her garden, to have personal oversight of all details of house keeping, even to have lawn party and play hostess. She has had all sorts of shocks and worries connected with illness in her family,but her friends marvel at her condition, She seems “made over new”.
