THE TREATMENT OF BRONCHIAL ASTHMA



October 30. The patient had been doing fine up to this day when she had another spell. A single dose of the Auto nosode 30 was given and the attack subsided.

November 15. Patient developed today a new attack of acute coryza. Another dose of the Auto-nosode, same potency, and symptoms were relieved.

November 19. At 4 a.m. on this day while I was out of town she began with another very acute attack of asthma caused by eating some spicy food (enchiladas) the night before, and for which one more dose of the Auto-nosode 30 was prescribed by Dr. Jose G. Garcia, a very clever young homoeopath who frequently takes care of my patients while I am away.

November 20. Patient still worse, Dr. Garcia gave her a dose of Antimonium crud. 10M., because symptoms corresponded to those of the remedy, especially the typical Antimonium tongue. The attack subsided within a few hours and the patient has been free from any new attacks ever since, and without any further medication.

COMMENT: Antimonium crud. was undoubtedly the deepest acting remedy for this case and if continued to use whenever necessary, it will eventually effect the complete cure. There is a possibility that the Auto-nosode might have acted well if it had been used in higher potencies, but we do not have the means of preparing them.

CASE II. W.M., a young man, 20 years of age, a brother of Case I. Diagnosis: bronchial asthma.

Previous History: Has been suffering attacks of asthma since the age of 9. Very predisposed to colds which usually end in an asthmatic bronchitis. Parents cannot recall whether he h ad a skin trouble or any other disease every suppressed, except chicken-pox when he was eight years old, and his pustules were treated locally with some yellow ointment. He is subject to furuncles, having been operated on for one in back of his neck a year and a half ago.

Present History: Four days with a head cold that developed into an attack of asthma on October 26, 1939, while his sister was still in bed recovering from that very serious attack for which we began treating her. He received several injections for his cold from the hands of an allopathic physician. He complains of an itching sensation over the entire body every time he perspires after exercising. By noon the dyspnoea is very intense, he can only sit on a chair, loud coarse rales all over his chest and , although coughing,. he cannot raise any expectoration. Tongue white. Antimonium tart 200 failed to relieve. The next morning at 2 a.m., face swollen, cyanotic, respiration still more difficult. Apis 200 gave some relief. Another aggravation at 6:30 p.m. for which another dose of Apis failed to help and was changed to Sambucus 30 in fractional doses.

October 28. Slight better.

October 29. Another, still more intense aggravation at 4 a.m. Ammonium carb. 1M. with no relief. At midnight a change was made to Kali carb.200 which produced a free and easy expectoration and a decided amelioration of all symptoms. A specimen was collected for the preparation of an auto-nosode.

November 8. After a hot bath he went out last night and a decided amelioration of all symptoms. A specimen was collected for the preparation of an auto-nosode.

November 8. After a hot bath he went out last night and ate some enchiladas (corn meal tortillas with red pepper sauce and cheese) with hot chocolate. Another attack at 3 a.m. with much gas in the stomach. Auto-nosode 30, a single dose.

November 9. Not much relief. Went back to Kali carb. 200.

November 10. After some amelioration, another strong aggravation at 6 p.m. that Kali carb. failed to help, when repeated. Another dose of Auto-nosode 30 given.

November 12. At 5:30 p.m. another intense attack that the Auto-nosode failed to relieve. A very distressing sensation of fullness over the whole abdomen; expectoration difficult to heavy stringy mucus. Kali bi. 200.

November 13. Respiration still rapid and shallow; rales all over chest but expectoration even more difficult. Sulphur 200.

November 15. Patient still complaining of his inability to raise any mucus. “If I can only get rid of this phlegm,” he said, “I know I will feel better.” Antimonium tart. 200.

November 27. Had been much better for the last nine days, but after an exposure to cold air last night, he began this morning with an aching pain in the head, vertex and occiput, which signs of an acute coryza. Senega 10M.

November 28. Much better.

November 29. Another very intense attack of asthma today at 4 p.m. A repetition of Senega 10M. without results, followed again by kali carb.200 which seemed to have ended the attack.

December 3. Because of the use of heavy wool underwear and too much perspiration, patient developed an intense irritation, rather extensive, on the skin of the perineum and scrotum, with a profuse exudate and an itching and burning sensation. He had had it for three days before he mentioned it. A dose of Sulphur 200 cleared it quickly.

December 18. After being somewhat better for about a week, apparently entirely free of his symptoms, another marked aggravation this afternoon with no response to a new dose of Antimonium tart. 10M. Patient had to sit straight up in bed, throwing his shoulders back with the help of his hands pressing hard on the bed; tightness of chest; drinking milk would make the oppression of breathing worse; instead of milk he wants eggs which he has always craved.

The symptoms pointed clearly to Calcarea carb. and I gave him a single dose of the 10M. This was the end of this attack and the patient was able to enjoy Christmas time a few days later, something for which he was earnestly hoping.

January 13, 1940. Patient reported today, entirely free from all symptoms. A continuation of Calcarea carb. 10M. January 17. Still coughing. A continuation.

January 18. Today symptoms of an acute coryza. Merc. viv. 200.

February 4. Another head cold this morning. Another dose of Merc. viv. 200.

February 6. He began this morning with a new attack of asthma. Went back to Calcarea carb. 10M.

February 8. Respiration slightly better, but cough worse and with difficult expectoration. Antimonium tart. 200 was given, but patient continued to aggravate and that same night I changed again to Calcarea carb., but this time in the 200th potency to use in fractional doses.

February 10. Another aggravation about 2 a.m. this morning. A single dose of Calcarea carb. 10M. after which patient continued to improve.

Most unfortunately the patient was tired of getting the attacks so frequently, although milder every time. His father took him to another doctor in town who, after having x-rayed the patient, advised diathermy. The father tells me that he has not had any other severe attack, but that every time he feels one coming, he goes for his diathermic treatment which seems to stop it.

COMMENT: This is a typical case for erring. The acuteness of the attacks and the cry for immediate relief made me change remedies more frequently than I should, muddling ;up the case to a greater extent. First, I shouldnt have used the Auto-nosode instead of Kali carb., when this remedy had so beautifully ended the first attack.

A repetition of the latter would have been the reasonable thing to do, paving the road, perhaps, to the truly homoeopathic remedy, Calcarea carb., which I believe is the constitutional remedy for this particular case, as proven later on when at the climax of the attack, on December 18, the symptoms began to subside within the first half hour after the remedy was given, and kept the patient free from all suffering for almost a month. and then came the second mistake: to repeat the 10M. potency of the remedy, when he came back of complaining of a dry cough on January 16.

A repetition of such a deep and long acting remedy, and at a such a high potency when it should have been but a continuation! Then the interfering with Merc.viv., because of a fluent coryza only to make the case more confused. Fortunately the unnecessary detour came to and, and I found the way back to Calcarea carb. to a successful termination of the attack, but finding a pretty well tired out patient, ready to desert.

CASE III.

The presentation of this case will be a very short one, but very interesting because of the fact of the patient being a third member of the same family, treated while the other two were still under our care.

Miss A.M., age 22. While a child, she suffered several attacks of bronchitis of an asthmatic type. Four years ago she had a “touch” of malaria for which she was given arsiquinine, a preparation very widely used in our midst, malaria being a prevalent disease here.

On January 18, 1940, she began complaining of back ache and some digestive disorders, fullness in the stomach p.c., lack of appetite, etc. Carbo veg. 200 was prescribed.

On January 22. Patient developed today a dry cough although rales could be heard all over her chest, with difficult respiration. kali carb.200.

January 23. Condition unimproved; on the contrary, patient very nervous, desperate, with great anxiety and fear, had not been able to sleep the night before. I sent Arsenicum iod.200 which she took only to make her worse; her father called on me that evening to tell me that her condition was decidedly aggravated since the dose of Arsenicum. knowing the nervous temperament of the patient and thinking that she was exaggerating her condition, I was fixing up a powder of Chamomilla to send with her father, when her mother called on the phone begging of me to come and see her personally, which I did.

Eliud Garcia-Trevino