Capsicum has thirst after every evacuation, and shuddering after every drinking. Stool after each drinking. Taste like putrid water. Tenesmus of the bladder (Merc. cor.). Pains aggravated by currents of air, though warm. Coldness of the body without shuddering. Drawing pains in the back, which with the tenesmus are continued after the stool. Thin adhesive slime, mixed with black blood, with twisting pain about the navel. This is one of the most important remedies in dysentery, and is nearly allied to Nux v. and Merc. We shall give the distinctions by and by.
Colchicum has cramps in the calves of the legs. Prolapse of the anus, with the evacuation. Constriction of the oesophagus. Great swelling of the lower part of the abdomen. Frequent shudderings down the back. It is said to be curative when the stools are more mucus then blood, and after sublimate has failed in such cases.
The great characteristic of Colchicum must not be overlooked, as it is as pronounced in dysentery cases as in all other field: disgust and nausea aroused by the thought, sight, or smell of food. The stools are described by Clarke as jelly-like mucus, membranous shreds, with violent tenesmus; stools like bloody scrapings. Generally > after stool but sometimes spasmodic pain of the sphincter ani after stool. Great prostration, all functions at a standstill, yet the patient does not emaciate rapidly. Icy coldness throughout the alimentary tract and in the extremities. Colchicum comes on as a result of getting chilled when wet; in changes to damp weather; in autumn; and for the chronic cases we note autumn dysentery, spring rheumatism.-H.A.R.
Colocynth. If there be fruitless efforts to vomit, weakness, paleness and prostration after the stool (Ars.). Burning pain along the sacral region. The pains are cutting and squeezing, and extremely severe, often accompanied by retching, and bending the body forward, and are relieved by external pressure. With the severe pain there are shudderings on the pain. The pains are such as characterize neuralgia rather than inflammation of the intestines; they are relieved by coffee, and the relief is followed by immediate disposition to stool. Cramps and cramp-like contractions of the muscles of the body. Cold hands with warm feet. It is oftener appropriate in the early than later period of the attacks.
There is a senseless practice, with some, of giving Colocynth “for the pain” and other drugs for supposed alliance to other elements of the attack, and these in alternation, according to the fancy of the prescriber, and not in accordance with any known law of nature. All such proceedings are the off spring of imperfect intelligence and can have no countenance from the instructed practitioner. There is another habit of some who give this drug in all these cases of dysentery, from routine or habit.
Against both these we protest, as neither in accordance with the requirements of the homoeopathic law, nor in any way beneficial in practice. The true homoeopathic application of this drug in this disease is rather restricted to the few cases than extended to the many. As benefit can only come from its use when it is truly homoeopathic, a careful study of its symptoms is urged, and that it be given only when these sanction its use according to law. The other course is only at the expense of the sufferings of the patient, of precious time, and it may be of his safety. The possible benefit is not such as to warrant these risks.
The tendency to bend the body forward, and relief from pressure of the abdomen, as given by Clarke from Guernsey as: “The strongest characteristic calling for the sue of this remedy is an agonizing pain in the abdomen causing the patient to bend over double. Relief is obtained by motion, such as twisting, turning and wriggling around, and the motion is kept up steadily while the pain lasts; the pain is < by eating or drinking the least amount…..
The doubling over of the patient is the chief characteristic.” Clarke goes on to say: ” The patient bends double or presses something hard against the abdomen. He leans over chairs, the tables, or bed-posts to get relief.” The dysenterical evacuations often come on regularly at 4 p.m; stool immediately > the pains. Grief, indignation or chagrin has marked effect on the evacuation of Colocynth. Dioscorea has many symptoms in common with Coloc., but the modality of position is the outstanding differentiation: Dioscorea seeks amelioration by stretching out.- H.A.R.
Cuprum metallicum, if there be severe retching with the stool. Cramps in the fingers and toes. Sweet ropy saliva. Paralytic sensation in the arms and feet. Slimy mouth. Sweet taste in the mouth. All food tastes, like clear water. Hiccough. Retching, with cramp-like pains in the abdomen. Downward pressure in the hypogastrium like a stone. Distension of the lower part of the abdomen. Hardness of the abdomen with great sensibility to pressure. Severe cramps in the abdomen and upper and lower extremities. Comatose sleep after vomiting.
Mercury has cuttings in the lower part of the abdomen, at night. The abdomen is externally cold to touch. Cutting stitch in the lower part of the abdomen, from right to left and aggravated by walking. Fecal taste in the mouth. Putrid taste in the throat. Salt saliva. Nausea with vertigo, obscured vision, obscured vision, and flashes of heat. Offensive perspiration. The pains are increased before and during the stool, with violent tenesmus. The pains are rather increased than diminished after the stool, and sometimes then extend to the back. The tenesmus as well as the pain is continued after the stool. During the stool hot sweat on the forehead, which soon becomes cold and sticky. Drawing pains in the lower extremities which impel to frequent change of position. Dry cracked lips. The discharges are excoriating.
Mercurius cor. This drug has been more used, empirically, by some physicians of our school, in the treatment of dysentery, than any other. We say empirically, because there is no such proving of it as will direct its use otherwise. In the brief proving given by Hahnemann, there is a single statement of a group of symptoms which belong to the generic symptoms of this disease, and this is all. Still some have claimed to cure every case of dysentery presented to their drug alone, in a time and manner quite satisfactory to themselves. Others have been less successful with it. And some have realized little of good from its us.
If it is difficult to reconcile these discrepancies in practice, it is not permitted us to doubt their actual existence. For many years, in my own practice, I have prescribed the very drug in very many different preparations, and different potencies, without in any case big able to see that any good resulted. The same uniform want of success attended its use in the practice of several of my friends. It became certain to my mind that the clue to its right place in the treatment of the disease was wanting. Specific symptoms in the materia medica were wholly wanting.
Allen’s Encyclopaedia given but one prover who used the 200th potency; all other records are from provings or poisonings of the low potencies or crude substance. Hahnemann according to this Materia Medica Pura, used the “decillion-fold” dilution, and it was Hahnemann who was responsible for the use of Mer. cor. in dysentery. In his Materia Medica Pura, Vol. II, page 147, he writes:.
” The perfect saline combinations of mercury with muriatic acid, the mercurial sublimate (corrosive sublimate, Mercurius corrosive sublimatus) is somewhat better known by reason of its frequent abuse. On account of its solubility in water and alcohol, and hence its capability of being diluted to every degree, it is more adapted for homoeopathic use. I have given some of its symptoms further on, which are well worth being added to, that will serve to give some idea of its peculiar action, which is very different from that of pure mercury. I have found a single dose of a small portion of drop of the quintillion fold, or better still, of the decillion-fold dilution, given alone, to be almost specific in the common autumnal dysentery. In this cases the truth of the homoeopathic law of cure is distinctly corroborated”.
Yet Hahnemann gives no symptoms of the provings which delineate Merc. cor, in dysentery, except perhaps the type of abdominal pains, as pointed out by Wells.- H.A.R.
That the drug had some relation to the disease there could hardly be a doubt. But what, and how was it to be ascertained? In Vols. I, II and III of Frank’s Magazine, cases of poisoning are reported from which some symptoms have been obtained, which possibly may have some value in aiding us to answer the question. It is not to be forgotten that while symptoms of real value may be derived from such cases, as a rule they occupy the lowest place in the mode of proving drugs. The disturbances in such cases are violent, brief and destructive, and often before there has been time for the development of those specific symptoms most characteristic of the drug, and therefore of a greatest value in practice, life itself is destroyed, and only the more common symptoms of poisoning are observed, and the whole is of little practical value.
