INFANTILE SPINAL PARALYSIS.
It is a diseases of childhood. Young children between the ages of one and four years are susceptible to this ailment. In some epidemics adults also have been attacked.
this disease occurs in endemic as well as in epidemic form.
Epidemics of Poliomyelitis occur usually during the hot summer months. Warm weather is very favourable for the development of this disease. Winter epidemics are also not rare. Sporadic cases may be found at any season of the year.
It is a kind a infectious disease. It is spread by contact of healthy children with infected ones. Secretions from the nose and throat and the stools of infected persons carry the virus. The disease is transferred by human contact.
Exposure to chill, sudden checking of perspiration, cold drinks when body is overheated, etc., may be the exciting causes. Chief symptoms:.
(1) Sudden rise of temperature to 105F or more or sometimes 101 to 103.
(2) Sudden vomiting.
(3) Diarrhoea (not very frequent).
(4) Headache.
(5) Convulsions (occasionally).
(6) Retraction of head (in some cases).
(7) Paralysis of legs or arms or paralysis of legs and arms. Atrophy of the muscles of the paralyzed limbs. (usually on first or second day, or on third or fourth day rarely beyond the sixth day.) Hemiplegia is a constant symptom.
(8) Pains in legs.
(9) Hyperesthesia.
(10) Delirium.
(11) Prostration.
(12) Constipation or diarrhoea.
(13) Severe pains in back and legs.
(14) Coryza, cough, general malaise, pains in extremities. Pharyngitis.
(15) Fever, rapid pulse, rapid respiration and restlessness.
(16) Rapid pulse and sweating especially with spinal rigidity.
(17) Drowsiness, apathy, nervous irritability. Child resents being touched or examined. He wants to be left alone.
(18( With development of paralysis the child becomes fretful.
(19) Strabismus and facial paralysis (rare).
(20) Some symptoms of meningitis. Severe cerebral symptoms, deafness, coma, delirium, general convulsions. “Cerebral and meningeal types are frequently confused with meningitis.”.
Acute symptoms last for six weeks or two months. The mortality is about ten per cent. Severe cases die within a few days. In majority of the cases the prognosis as regards life is good. Permanent deformity results. Paralysis with atrophy continues for years if not cured.
“One of the gravest dangers of poliomyelitis lies in the possibility of the paralysis ascending to the centres controlling the respiratory muscles, with resulting death from asphyxia. This sometimes occurs several days after the onset of the first signs of the leg paralysis” Raue.
Patient is to be isolated. Absolute rest in bed should be enforced. Do not allow the patient to lie on the back all of the time. The paralyzed parts are to be kept warm. All bedding, clothing and utensils used by the patient should be sterilized. All discharges used by the patient should be sterilized. All discharges particularly the nose and throat discharges must be destroyed.
Use of electricity in the acute stage is never rational. Massage or electricity may be begun when the pain and tenderness have disappeared from the affected limbs and the temperature has been normal for at least a week, that is when the acute stage is fully over.
“During the acute stage hygienic treatment and the indicated homoeopathic remedy are best” Mill.
Acute Anterior Poliomyelitis or Infantile Spinal Paralysis is reported to be appearing in an epidemic form in different parts of Indian. The allopathic treatment for this disease, so far as we know, is most unsatisfactory. Under allopathic treatment the unfortunate victims run through all the usual stages of the disease with ultimate result of paralysis and deformity of limbs. Allopaths have so far failed to arrest the progress of the disease in any of its stages. Neither the disease in its early advance nor the paralysis following the acute invasion has been ameliorated or cured by the old school treatment.
It is expected that the result of Homoeopathic treatment of the disease will be most satisfactory. The present epidemic of Infantile paralysis has given an opportunity to Indian Homoeopaths to prove the curative value of our drugs in the treatment of a disease for which allopaths offer o hope. The results obtained from the use of Homoeopathic drugs should be sent to our office for publication in the Herald. We hope Homoeopaths all over India will try Homoeopathic remedy in the treatment of this disease, and send their results for publication in our journal.
INFANTILE SPINAL PARALYSIS, TREATMENT.
Remedies: Aco. Arn. Bell. Caust. Gels. Hyosc. Merc. Nux.vom. Rhus.t. Sulph. (Lilienthal).
Alum. Arn. ARs. A. Caust. Cina. Cocc. Con. Gels. Graph. Lathyrus. Nux-vom. Physostigma. Plumb. Rhus t. Silic. Stann. (P. 184 (Lilienthal).
Aco. Bell. Gels. Caust. Plumb. Gatchell.
Aco, Bell. Bry. Gels. Rhus.t. Caust.
Raue.
Aco. Gels. Bell. Calc.c
Mill.
Fluid extract of ergot in three to ten drop doses every three hours.
Cowperthwaite.
Aco. Aeth. Bell. Calc.c. Caust. Chrom. S. Gels. Lathyrus. Nux.v. phos. Plumb.m. Rhus.t. Sec. Sul. (see spine).
Boericke.
Hemiplegia: Aco. Alum. Anac. Apis. Arg-n. Ars-A. Bapt. Cadm. Caust. Cocc. Graph. Hyosc. Kali.c. Kali P. Lach. Mur-ac. Phos.ac. Phos. Plb. Rhus.t. Sul-ac. Thuja.
Right side: Apis Arn. Bell. Calc.c. Caust Graph. Phos. Plb. Rhus t. Sil. Sul.
Left: Aco. Apis. Arg.n. Arn. Bapt. Bell. Caust. Lach. Lyco. Nit- ac. Nux.v. Rhus t. Sul.
Right hand: Am.c. Arn. Caust. Lyco. Nit-ac. Nux-v. Plb. Sang. Sil. Sul.
Left hand: Calc.c. Dig.
Legs: Agar. Alum. Arg.n. Arn.Ars. A Bell. Bry. Calc.c. Cocc. Con. Dul. Gels. Ign. Kali-c. Lath. Merc. Nux-v. Op. Phos. Plb. Puls. Sec. Sep. Sil.
Especially of paralyzed limbs: Kali-p. Nux-v. Plb. Sec. Sep.
Worse in Summer: Aeth. Alum. Ant.c Arg.n. Bell. Bry. Carb.v. Kali-bi. Lach. Lyc. Nat-c. Nat.m. Nux-vom. Puls. Thuj.
Worse from exposure to sun: Ant-c. Arg.m. Bar-c. Bell. Bry. Calc.c. Cadm. Carb.v. Gels. LAch. Nat.c. Nat.m. Nux.vom. Op. Puls. Sul.
Biochemic treatment: Kali-phos. Mag. phos. Calc.phos. Silicea.
DESCRIPTION.
Aconite: Early stage. Fever with restlessness, thirst, dry, hot skin. Screams on touch. Pains in back and limbs. Nerve pain. Anxiety, fear of death, violence. Does not want to be touched. Effects of dry cold weather. checked perspiration. Very hot weather. Head hot. Delirium at night. Sensitive to noise. Music aggravates. Ear hot, red. Face red. Moves lower jaw as if chewing. Vomiting.
Thirst for cold water. Biter taste. Hot hands and cold feet. Sleeplessness, restlessness, tossing about. “Thirst and restlessness always present.” Sweat relieves. Sweat on part lain on, worse in warm room, i evening and night. Better in open air. “In the heat of Aco there is much agony and tossing, feels very hot and wants a great amount of cold drinks”. “Mental uneasiness, and great fear.” Aversion to light or strong desire for it.
Bell: Fever with hot skin, rapid pulse, flushed face, bright glassy eyes, “High fever with hot dry skin.” Moaning Delirium, wants to injure, strike, bite etc. Hot, red skin, flushed face, glaring eyes, throbbing carotids. Violence, suddenness of onset, after hair cut, redness of eyes, convulsions. Drowsy but cannot sleep. Sleepless, screams out, jumping, jerks; anxious; frightful. Sleeplessness with drowsiness. “During fever thirst, drowsy, starting, delirium”. Grinding of teeth. Throat feels constricted, difficult deglutition, continual desire to swallow. Averse to milk. Nausea vomiting. Dread of drinking. Cold extremities. Head hot. Sleeps with hands under head. Symptoms worse by touch, jar, noise, afternoon, suppressed perspiration.
Bryo: Patient wants to remain quiet. Likes no motion. Thirst. Delirium, wants to go home. Intolerance of noise. Red face. Parched, dry, cracked lips, affected limbs painful and tender. Vomits. Dry, hard, burnt looking stool, stool too large. Dark urine. Dry heat. hard, quick pulse. Motion aggravates all symptoms. Dryness of mouth. Child dislikes to be carried or raised. Complaints develop slowly. Talks of business in delirium. Irritable. Bursting headache worse on motion, better rest. Cough worse in warm room.
Gels: Does not wish to be spoken to, pulsations through carotid arteries. Powerless condition of lower extremities. Hot face. Fulness of head. Cold feet. Breath putrid, unequal and frequent respiration. Wrists and hands cold. Hands dry and hot especially the palms. Delirium as soon as sleep comes on. “fevers where muscular power is affected, patient feels so utterly without power.” Patient dull, fever quite high, paralysis present. “When paralysis develops. Gels should be employed” Pain in back of head and spine. Disturbance of vision.
Loss of voluntary motion. Shaking, must be held. Chilliness up and down back. Dizziness, drowsiness, dullness and trembling. Slow pulse. Tired feeling. Desire to be quiet, to be left alone. Starts and grasps the nurse, and screams as if afraid of falling. Eyelids heavy, patient can hardly open them. Double vision. Face hot. Flushed. Chin quivers. Lower jaw dropped. Cannot swallow warm food. Has no thirst. Yawning.
Calcutta