CASE I. Belladonna.
Of course there are plenty and plenty of cases helped by Belladonna; we feel well acquainted with its action so you may say there is no need to call this remedy unusual. But I was much surprised with it in this case.
Mrs. V.K.W., 35 years old, was taken Feb. 7 of this year with a severe attack of influenza which was epidemic at the time. After three days of rather high fever and the cardinal symptoms of the epidemic, which were much helped by Kali bi., her husband and two children came down with the same thing. She left her bed to care for them, pushing herself far beyond her strength. The hard, dry, racking cough caused involuntary urination and near exhaustion. Nothing given helped this cough, though other symptoms improved.
Puls. was tried and then Phos. Then her chronic remedy, Zinc., was given, apparently without effect. Finally. the evening of Feb. 22, I was below 105, eyes looked glassy had she was delirious. This was all true. In addition her face was much flushed; she complained of burning all over; skin dry; headache violent, throbbing; very restless. She had sudden sharp pains in throat and chest. Wild delirium came and went; she would not know who she was or where she was, talking incoherently, then suddenly rational again for a short time.
I gave her Bell. 2C. for these obvious symptoms of that drug, when to my surprise it removed all other symptoms too. Next morning temperature was nearly normal and did not again rise above 100. Sleep, which had been almost wholly absent for about ten days, returned, peacefully. The general aching left; the vile taste was gone; she could eat again with relish; the cough declined rapidly and the urine was controlled from the start.
After a few groups of Bell. 2c. in water, she had no more medicine for a week when Bell. 1M. was given as the nervous weakness, trembling and sleeplessness returned.
It was repeated in another week and acted well both times.
After three weeks Bell. 10M. was given because of a sudden exhaustion returning. This time there was no reaction and ten days later she was given her old chronic remedy, Zinc., once more.
QUERY: Is there a known relationship between Bell. and Zinc.?.
CASE II. Lactuca.
A slender, graceful woman of 35 years, unmarried, skin soft and smooth, has extremely poor inheritance. She seems to have both venereal miasms and psora mixed; never strong, always ailing.
Some of the marked, recurrent symptoms: Swelling of eyelids, upper and lower. Itching edges of lids. Injection of conjunctivae. Aching eyeballs with photophobia, sensation of cold air blowing in them. Skin so dry must grease it; on face as if thick and tightly drawn. Throat: pulsations. Itching all over after shower bath. Spells of great nervousness in the night, as if she would lose her mind, shrieking, tossing arms about, could not control them, sensation as if she would fly to pieces, Back, upper dorsal: sensation of great weakness; aching, must support it with hands when sitting and in bed. Full of mucus; some in eyes, much in throat, stomach; leucorrhoea profuse. Hungry all the time but abdomen distended easily after eating. Swelling ankles, hands, as well as eyes and face. Taste bad; breath offensive.
Lactuca, given on symptoms of face and the hysterical symptoms at night, created a marked general improvement.
CASE III. Sambucus.
A large, stocky child of medium complexion was 19 months old when I first saw her. She had always been fussy about food, refusing one thing after another, always restless and wakeful at night and hard to get to sleep in the daytime. She has been ill for two months with pneumonia when about 6 months old.
She would waken at 1 or 2 a.m. with crowing respiration and a hoarse sawing kind of cough accompanied by high fever and dripping sweat. In such attacks eyelids apt to be swollen and eyes sometimes glassy, expressionless; skin pale and moist. Coarse rales could be heard in the upper bronchi. Fussy, very restless, wanting water but no food. Some salivation.
These feverish attacks came every few weeks and between them the cough became almost constant, < after midnight, driving the family wild. Sometimes frequent sneezing with the cough.
The usual croup remedies did nothing; Merc. held for a time; Calc. and Sulph. produced only temporary relief.
Finally, after nearly two years of searching for the right remedy while attacks grew closer together until the child was sick more than half the time, I gave her a dose of Sambucus 2C. In twelve days the cough was about gone. Sambucus 2M. was given for more fever.
There was improvement then for eight months when Sambucus 2M. was given for another attack, much lighter.
Meantime the patient has grown wonderfully, looks well, temperament improved. I would hardly know her for the same child. While Sambucus was doing it first good work I thought she had gone to another doctor because the former frequent calls for help stopped so suddenly.
CASE IV. Agaricus.
A child of five years, plump with firm flesh, light complexion, has many common symptoms and some unusual one, e.g.: Tendency to mouth breathing. Nose stopped tight with mucus welling forth. Tonsils not large, uvula long, swollen, Grinding teeth in sleep. Perspiration free, head, neck, hands, feet. Desire sweets, rich foods. Cannot stand soap around nose, causes sneezing. Tendency to chest colds and asthma. Cough croupy, alternating with sneezing all night long. Wheezing all over chest. Dyspnoea accompanied by yawning. Extreme restlessness. Pulling hair, clapping hands, throwing herself, finally weeping. Itching all over so cannot sleep, very restless. Attacks of pain mid-abdomen, cramp-like, accompanied by nausea and vomiting. aching legs prevent sleep, wants them rubbed. Itching eyes and nose, keeps rubbing them. Nose red; sore.
Agaricus has made this child over in six months; potencies from 2c. to 1M. 10M. so far. She has milder attacks farther apart, is far less nervous, can sleep all night. WASHINGTON, D.G.
Anacardium orientale: Nervous depression; depression of regions of special senses. Weak memory. Sensation of impending misfortune (consider also Calc. c. and Gels.). Irritable, contradictory. Seems as if one could not control the will; knows it is wrong, but cannot resist doing it. Suspects everybody. Disregard of religious things; tendency to swear, cannot resist profanity. Do not punish a child for swearing; give it Anac. Prostration. Epileptiform seizures. Voracious appetite, must eat. This remedy most surely would have changed the mental condition of Esau and he might not have traded his birthright for a mess of pottage to relieve his awful hunger. V.M.JOHNSON, M.D.
