HOMOEOPATHY IN THE TREATMENT OF MENINGITIS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD



I took as a last resort the family history, the positive Manteaux tuberculin skin reactions, the history of tuberculosis in the family, and the findings of the tuberculosis lesions in the lungs, plus the laboratory findings in the spinal fluid, and, putting these together, I prescribed Tuberculinum with a prompt amelioration of all symptoms. The child finally regained consciousness in a few days, spasms ceased, the remedy was repeated in higher potencies, and in two weeks from that first dose of Tuberculinum, he began to feed himself.

At present time, June I, 1935, he is sitting out in the sun parlor and walking about the ward. He seems to have recovered completely mentally, and now is alert and playing with his toys. The only remaining symptoms is a convergent squint confined to the left eye. All other neurological findings have disappeared, and he is gaining weight and strength.

This case is reported to bring to the mind of these who are not well acquainted the use of the nosodes that we have in Tuberculinum a precious remedy that reaches deep enough into the vital economy into the vital economy to restore an apparently dying child to complete recovery. PHILADELPHIA, PENNA.

DISCUSSION.

DR. STEARNS: Have you the potency of the spinal fluid?.

DR. GRIGGS: I potentized it by hand to the thirtieth, and then put it on the Fincke Potentizer. Thinking one of the members might have a case of that type, I brought it with me and I have in it my room. I drain the brain from the base and when the laboratory produced the culture and showed the bacillus, I potentized it to try it out. I will be glad to leave the bottle here and help yourself.

DR. MOORE: How high is the potency?.

DR. GRIGGS: One thousand.

Dr. K.A. MCLAREN: Dr. Griggs, I should like to ask you if you think that the same result would have been obtained from potentizing blood.

DR. GRIGGS: l have never had results from potentizing blood in any of those cases I have tried it. I have tried Dr. Whats- his-Names autohaemic method in neurological cases, but I have received tangible results only from the spinal fluid.

DR. GRIMMER; This wonderful paper gives us an exhibition of master prescribing. It controverts the statement that has been made by some of the critics of homoeopathy, that we cant prescribe when we have no symptoms. Dr. Griggs has proven that that is false. You can prescribe on just the things that the has given us, and when you reach his level of mastership, you can get the same results.

I have seen only a few of these cases; many years ago I had a case of typhoid meningitis that seemed to be dying. Because of the peculiar mental states of that little patient, great violence, striking and even biting-and another symptom earlier in the case was that she wanted to lie on her face-putting those things together and going back over the case, it led me to Cina, and Cina cured that case.

DR.MOORE: I have a great feeling of that we are all anxious to see homoeopathy come forward to a position where it can have some influence with the allopathic group. This is what I mean when I say that we should have cases carried through altogether in their language.

We have our spinal fluid. We have our blood picture. We take all the various tests. I doubt if there is hardly an exception, where we will have this positive blood test, under ordinary treatment. They all die. Now there is a case that got well. This is educational, in my estimation far beyond any other method which we can possibly use, to put this before the dominant school of medicine.

Dr. ALLEN: This is an unusual paper and certainly it is very illuminating and educational.

DR. GRIGGS:The members are welcome to grafts of this potency I made. I have been handling it in the Childrens Hospital. There was a time when I could not handle it, but I have had septic meningitis, due to invasion of the meninges through the mastoid diseases, abscesses, and I frequently carry those cases through.

I wouldnt feel as though I had presented a case before the society if I hadnt given all the scientific laboratory data. We have to consider that. We know that to be a symptom-monger professionally doesnt mean very much-at least it doesnt to me. I must bring proof and in that way I educate myself and I understand and perceive what the homoeopathic remedy does. As a young man I never knew what it did, more than just to remove symptoms, but now with the advanced laboratory methods, I see what my remedy is capable;e of doing.

Take the juvenile diabetes that is so fatal. I know what in remedies to when I take the blood sugar and watch the cases. I see what homoeopathy does, and we can see these conditions are all amenable to homoeopathy. I have been doing it right along for years back.

William B. Griggs