PART I A-SENILE PRURITUS.
There are two reasons for presenting this subject:.
First: Because there is no other disease (conditions) except cancer, for high the apparently indicated remedy,. prescribed by me, has so often completely failed to cure the patients.
Second: Because the number of patients suffering from the disease is large and is constantly increasing.
In order to more clearly understand each other and thus get more out of the discussion let us consider pruritus as disease-an entity-and prurigo simply as a symptom,the entrance complaint, not only of pruritus, put of many other diseases.
DEFINITION:.
1.”This is a form of paraesthesia which is unique, infant, that itching is the sole symptom of the disease.
2.”Pruritus is characterized by the occurrence of itching, in fact, priorities is itching.”.
3.”Dermatology, itching of the skin.”.
My own definition is: An incurable disease of old age.
TISSUES INVOLVED are: Brain and nervous system, primarily; skin, secondarily.
ETIOLOGY;Atrophic changes, both central and peripheral, of he nervous system, of the aged. The causes of these atrophic changes are numerous, varying from a simple cold to syphilis, tuberculosis or that still more dreaded and yet less understood term, cancer. These causes may be acquired or congenital;general or local. I have had two cases of traumatize-one fracture of the skull at the base,the other concussion of the brain and in addition a featured leg, thigh and arm, and dislocation of the shoulder.
My experience also confirms me in the brief that heroic treatment by antipyrin, antifebrin,etc., prescribed by manufacturing druggists and administered by the physician, as caused or aggravated the suffering of many pruritic patients.
PATHOLOGY;In the simple, uncomplicated cases of senile pruritus, no structural changes have been found in the first stage. The only structural changes are caused by the patients diggings,rubbing, scratching or he local application of some drug. In the complicated cases and also in the later stages of the simple cases,. the structural changes are those of the complicating disease, and those caused by the scratching and local applications.
SYMPTOMS: In the simple form, first stage , there are only three symptoms, itching,the entrance complaint: insomnia caused by the itching; and prostration, caused by the sleeplessness.
In the later stages and complicated cases the symptoms are legion Dr.W.L.Kitchens, in his book, Symptoms and Diseases Applied, on page 105, Part II, gives twenty diseases of which itching is a symptom. The diseases are of all grades from “ivy poison and pediculosis to common duct carcinoma and chronic interstitial nephritis”. Under C.I.N., page 183, Part Iv, he gives 36 symptoms and old age (senile) is one.
DIAGNOSIS;Never tell your patient or his family you can cure him. Tell him you can relieve the itching, to some extent; that you can make sleep. artificial; and that such sleep will help his prostration.
HOMOEOPATHIC DRUG THERAPY:The indicated remedy must have itching of the skin as the keynote-the determining symptom-and also an elective affinity for both nerves and skin. In addition, they must have the make-up and the modalities of each individual patient.
Ars.alb., in potencies from 3x to the 1m, has served me the best of any.. My notes 4.See also Allens Handbook of T.F.Allens lectures, 1880-2, contain the following leading, general symptoms: “No drug in its proving and report of poisoning has caused more profound prostration, greater irritability of the skin, i.e., itching and burning, than Ars.alb.”.
Sulphur ranks second in both frequency and results. Like Ars.alb., Sulph. has been used in all potencies.
Dearborn 5 Diseases of the Skin, page 393. ranis Sulph. above Ars.alb. Boger 6 Repertory, page 185. says of Sulph: “Unbearable itching, especially from warmth.” Kent 7 Materia Medica, pages 920 and 921. devotes much space to the skin disease of Sulph, e.g., “All attended with much itching.” “Wherever there is a Sulphur patient you will burning.” The above under Sensations.
Under “Modalities”, Kent has:”May complaints come on from becoming warm in bed.” And, “As to time aggravations,nightly complaints are a feature.”.
As to the “make-up” of the Sulphur patient, kent is equally clear, concise and convincing, e.g. “He is a lean.,lank, hungry, dyspeptic fellow.””He is dirty.” “The Sulphur patient has filthiness throughout, he is the patient has filthiness throughout; he is the victim of filthy odors.”.
Radium I am going to give third place because from its use internally with electricity, and also externally, some patients have had much relief.
Boericke 8 Materia Medica has the following under skin: “Itching all over the body, burning of skin, as if afire.” Under sleep we find:”Restless, dreams,vivid, busy.” Under Generalities, we find “great weakness,” and “severe aching pains all over ,with restlessness,” also” marked increase in the polymorphin clear neutrophiles.”Boericke states that the 1,800,000 radio-activity was employed. He also recommends the 12th and 30th triturations. I have only used the 12th and that in five grain doses, repeated at long intervals.
Antipyrin is another remedy mentioned , by Boericke”, 9.Materia Medica, pages 69 and 70 for pruritus. Under nerves,he gives “crawling and numbness,” also “general prostration.” Under skin he puts, “intense pruritus,” also the disease “erythema, eczema, urticaria,and angioneurotic-oedema,” Boericke suggests the “second decimal potency.”.
T.F.Allen 10 Handbook, page 67 says Antipyrin “reduces the temperature of the body, allays pain, promotes sleep and causes perspiration.”
Clarke” 11.dictionary, page 134, Vol.I tells us “Antipyrin is know from the poisoning effects it has produced in old school practice.” From my experience in a case, which will be related later, I am inclined to believe that Antipyrin is an excellent remedy to antidote the ill effects of aspirin and many other substances which are given to, or taken by patients suffering from the itching and sleeplessness of senile pruritus.
Anshutz 12. Old, New and Forgotten Remedies, page 133. gave me my first knowledge of Fagopyrum. Allen did not mention it is his lectures,s nor does he in his Handbook neither does it appear in the Cyclopedia of Drug pathogenesy, Nevertheless Fagopyrum is a well proven,though sadly neglected remedy.
Wm.Boericke 13 Materia Medica, pages 327-8. says, “its action on the skin, producing pruritus, is very marked.” “Pruritus senilis:” under sin he gives, “itching; worse, scratching, touch and retiring. Itching of hands deep in. Itching of knees and elbows and hairy portions.” Under Female, Boericke has: “Pruritus vulva, with yellow leucorrhoea, worse, rest..
Both Anshutz and Boericke stress the time aggravation, i.e., late afternoon,and Boericke stresses scratching.
Let me relate two cases illustrating two causes:.
Case I.Mrs. E.G.B., age 32,mother of three healthy children with a good family and personal history presented the following:”I came to see if I could get relief from my terrible itching.” “Where is it? All over my body, arms, legs, especially about ankles and knees, but the worse is in the hair above my privates.” “Do I have any vaginal discharge? No, only a little once in a while, just after the menses. Is ther anything visible on the parts? No ,not until I scratching, which I co, and then there are streaks and scabs. Worse? After scratching: in the p.m.when I am tried.”.
She was given Fagopyrum, Luyties 12x trituration, five tablets morning and evening, until relief was noticeable. She returned after five weeks with, “It did the work, I am much better, in fact I call myself with, “It did the work, I am much better remedy is as my sister and family who life in Chicago are just as I was.” When I said buckwheat she exclaimed.”Why I have just been in to visit them and they have buckwheat cakes every morning for breakfast.” The sister was advised to go to B. & Its get some of he 1M and take 10 drops before breakfast every Sunday. Two months late she came in and reported: “Isnt it funny that Fagopyrum high should relieve the itching caused by eating buckwheat cakes!
I do not know,however,whether the sister got the 1M or some other “high” potency.
Dolichos is the remedy I found most difficult to differentiate from Fagopyrum. Boericke 14.Materia Medica gives the following in his general statement, “a general intense itching without eruption. Exalted nervous sensibility” and “senile Pruritus.”.
Under Skin he has “intense itching, with no swelling or rash” worse across shoulders, also about the elbows that knees and hairy parts;itching exclusively at night.” And under Modalities, “worse at night, scratching.” Boericke also gives “a medicine,. with pronounced liver symptoms, constipation, bloated abdomen, haemorrhoids, skin yellow in spots. Herpes zoster.”.
My patient had no live symptoms. In fact, the only uncomplicated or senile pruritus I have ever had.
T.F.Allen 15 Handbook says of Dolichos.”it has been found valuable in the intense itching of jaundice: itching worse at night and from scratching.: the above symptoms I have verified, hut only when the constipation and haemorrhoids were in the totality.
