CASES THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN SURGICAL



As patient continued to cough up bloody streaked sputum and as the cough was induced by tickling in the larynx and behind the sternum, was aggravated by talking and laughing and by swallowing, as he was thirsty for cold drinks, and as he was intelligent and of a bright temperament,I prescribed Phosphorus 200, one dose on January 22nd. After the Phosphorus, the sputum changed to greenish-yellow in color and occasionally had a disagreeable odor. The patient felt generally well up to February 8th when, during the night, he had a severe coughing spell in which he brought up a small piece of tissue with considerable bloody secretion which had a very foetid odor and his general condition was unsatisfactory.

During the night of February 12th, patient coughed up considerable fresh blood. Appetite was good and he was thirsty. Gave Phosphorus 200, one dose. This held fairly well, but not as satisfactorily as one would wish, until February 17th when a very definite picture was presented. During the latter part of the night of February 16th, patient had a severe coughing spell, lasting continually for one and a half hours. The immediate cause of the cough was a tickling sensation in the throat and behind the sternum. For the first time he complained of a stabbing pain in the left chest upon coughing and upon deep inspiration, relieved after coughing ceased. Secretion contained much dark blood, was of a strong foetid color, and caused a burning sensation when it passed through his throat.

He felt very restless in mind and body and could not lie still during the night. Mouth and lips were dry and he desired frequent drinks of cool water in small quantities. As I entered the room, I noticed a strong foetid odor and that the sputum cup contained considerable prune colored sputum which had the same foetid odor. This picture corresponded so well with the one so strikingly described under Arsenicum album by Kent in his Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica that I prescribed Arsenicum album 30th in water, a teaspoonful every four hours.

That night and the next day there was a decided improvement in the general condition, but in the evening of February 20th, the sputum changed again to a prune color and had a very decided foetid odor and the temperature rose to 102 degrees. I prescribed Arsenicum album 200th, one dose.

February 21st. Patient complained of the fact that his throat felt dry during the night, especially toward morning and that he had a pain in the left side of his throat when he swallowed empty. Food, hot or cold, did not bother him. He felt thirst for small quantities and felt generally restless. The whole body seemed to be in a dry heat. He complained of a light dull pain behind the sternum and that a tickling sensation in this region caused him to cough. The skin had a cachectic color. I read this picture as indicating a remedy aggravation.

February 22nd. Patient is much brighter and feels easier in every way, is cheerful and has a good appetite.

February 25th. During the night and today, patient has had frequent urge to stool. At two-thirty p.m. shortly after taking some nourishment, patient had a severe coughing spell during which he brought up much bloody secretion, having a strong foetid odor. Shortly after the coughing attack was ended, he had a severe chill which began with the sensation as if a cool breeze struck his head and traveled down through his body to his feet. At the same time, his body felt warm to the nurse. Temperature, 102 degrees; pulse, 120, weak and thready. The increase in the amount of strongly odored sputum accompanied by the chilly reaction and the condition of the pulse caused me to prescribe Arsenicum album 1M, one dose.

February 26th. Patients morale rather low. All food causes him to cough and he feels uncomfortable in the abdomen. Food eaten causes urge to stool at which he passes much gas and a little fluid. He has been very thirsty for small amounts, the mouth and throat are dry. All food causes urge to stool, but warm soup is the most troublesome. Sputum has strong foetid odor and is prune colored.

February 27th. Last evening about 9 p.m. after a coughing spell during which patient brought up much prune colored sputum with an extremely foetid odor, the temperature was 104 degrees and the pulse rate 150, very irregular and thready. During the rest of the night, he had several coughing spells which were not so severe and the sputum was thicker. It took on a grayish color, and did not have so strong an odor. He had several urges to stool during the night and passed much gas and small quantities of a brownish fluid which came out with considerable force. This morning the patient looks refreshed and bright. He says that he feels much fresher than yesterday. Temperature 101 degrees, pulse rate 160, full and large excursion.

From this date on there was a continual general improvement. The patient slept well until after midnight after which time his sleep was disturbed by occasional coughing spells which varied in intensity. His thirst for small drinks continued. His bowels became regular, his appetite improved, and he felt so generally strong and well that, on March 14th, he was allowed to sit up in an adjoining room for one-half hour. Day by day as his improvement held, the time was increased. His sputum was occasionally prune colored at which time it burned his throat on passing and had a strong foetid odor. His temperature ran from 98.3/5 to 101.2/5, and his pulse rate from 100 to 126. While the general condition showed a constant improvement, one had to realize that the source of his trouble had not been eradicated, so we followed a policy of watchful waiting.

March 24th. On Saturday, March 22nd, patient sat up only one-half hour instead of the two hours that he had been up the immediate previous days, because the atmosphere of the room felt chilly although his body felt comfortably warm. During Sunday he sneezed several times and during the night he coughed up a quantity of blood which had no odor and did not burn. Today there is a soreness in the mid-line of the larynx and the nose feels stuffed and secretes a thin fluid. He is thirsty for small amounts. A sensation of warmth spread through his body towards evening, a sensation that he had had constantly until about March first, but has not had since then. I considered this picture an indication for a repetition of his remedy and gave him Arsenicum album 1M, one dose. Temperature 100.3/5, pulse 120, regular and fair excursion.

March 25th. Pulse 105, regular and not very strong excursion, temperature 99.2/5. Nose feels decidedly more free. Slept more and better last night than since the beginning of his illness. Feels generally better than yesterday.

March 26th. Coughed occasionally during the night due to constant tickling in the larynx and behind the sternum. During the coughing, he brought up a dark lump that had a foetid odor and he perspired freely on his thorax, more profusely on the left side. Occasional twinges of pain in left thorax which come at any time. When he takes a deep breath, he gets a foetid odor if he allows the breath to pass through his nostrils. Feels generally strong and has a good appetite. Spontaneous and formed stool.

March 31st. Temperature 98.3/5, pulse 100, regular and good excursion. During the night of Friday, March 28th, patient coughed up two small lumps of a dirty grayish material which had an extremely foetid odor and caused a burning sensation in his throat. After this had occurred, the nurse remarked that she could no longer get the foetid odor from his breath as before and that the subsequent secretion did not have the usual disagreeable odor.

From this point there was a gradual and constant improvement in the patients condition. An x-ray examination of the chest on April 14th showed an area of scar tissue at the region of the left hilus, surrounded by normal lung tissue. The temperature remains constantly at 98.3/5. His quick recovery from now on was shown by the fact that from April 21t to May 15th he gained twelve pounds and 11 ounces in weight.

The subsequent course of this case is rather instructive. He had been earnestly warned against the danger of drinking alcohol to excess and also as to exposure to wet and chill. On June 27th, 1930, he was caught in a severe rainstorm during which he was drenched to the skin and was compelled to ride a long distance in his wet garments exposed to cool breezes. As a result of this exposure, there developed a severe coryza and bronchitis with a consequent flare-up of the infection. Careful homoeopathic prescribing did not prevent a relapse of his condition and an abscess developed in the lateral aspect of the base of the left lung.

September 16, one dose of Nitric acid 200th was given and during the night, he coughed up a large quantity of stinking, bloody sputum. After he had cleared this matter from his lung, his temperature dropped from 103 degrees to 98.3/5 degrees and he felt a great relief. At this point, relatives intervened and he was put into the hands of an allopath. After months of allopathic treatment, the results were so unsatisfactory that the patient took matters into his own hands and returned to homoeopathy in the person of a relative who recently returned to the United States. This attendant physician wrote to me as follows: “You will be interested to know that in spite of China off., Thuja, Phosphorus, Psorinum, Carbo vegetabilis and Silica, I did not get very far with Mr.W. until I gave him Pix liquida 30th, which is doing wonders for him. I have every reason to believe that the remedy will cure him.”.

W J Sweasey Powers