Potentially a bilateral mastoid case, there were first a viscous coryza, then tonsillitis, then an extension into both ears, the drums bulging and red, in a little two-year-old child. In any other hands but a Homoeopaths, wouldnt that case be headed for trouble? But Merc. sol. 50 M., 3 doses 12 hours apart, completely cured in four days.
Baby S.A.M., aged 1 year, had pain in the right ear and a discharge of green pus extending to left. A course of Lyc., Bell., Sil., and Penicillinum proved disappointing. However, Penicillinum in CM potency did relieve for a time. A month later another occurrence of pain in right ear with drainage. Lyc., Sil., all higher, did no good. Then Lac. c. helped a little because the ear disturbance seemed to alternate sides.
Again the right ear flared with thick green discharge from the nose as well. This time Merc. sol. up to 50 M and CM potencies finished the case, all but right at the end when Syphilinum finally did the trick.
Case of Master C.E.P., aged 13 years. Right earache. Bell CM. first, then Lyc. 1 M because it extended to the left. Then back to the right called for Lac. c. Both ears discharging now called for Sil. and Hepar which finished off the case.
All cases regained their normal hearing and no signs of infection were left. All ears were placed so that the child lay on the opposite side to promote drainage down the eustachian tube.
Mild cases first seen with a red bulging drum were placed on frequently doses of Bell. and warm Mullein oil in the ear for pain. If mastoid were threatening, I placed an ice cap to that area instead of warm oil in the ears.
GREENSFORK, INDIANA.
DISCUSSION.
DR. CARL H. RUST [Berea, Ohio]: In my experience with mastoids in our Cleveland Institute I have found that there is no doubt that very complicated and advanced cases of necrosis of the mastoid cells can be cured with the right drug – cases that showed with x-rays absolute necrosis, and which on, further x- rays, showed an entire clearing up, a healing process with no discharge of any kind, and with excellent clearing.
I am sorry to say I have not been able to get that result in call cases. I would like to hear from someone who has had such results. It can be done, and the homoeopathic method is the only method I know of that can complete that healing thoroughly.
DR. ROGER A. SCHMIDT [San Francisco, California]: I think it is rather significant that the paper by Dr. Bond did not mention the remedy that you usually apply classically or the end product of the disease. I refer to Capsicum.
In my hands Capsicum has been the great remedy for averting complications in mastoiditis in middle inner ear infections. It is in the true style of Hahnemannian indications, being the remedy for he totality of the symptoms.
DR. RUST: May I say just a word about Capsicum? Capsicum is a wonderful remedy in mastoid suppuration or necrosis, providing the patient is a Capsicum patient. If the patient is a thin, scrawny person who does not fit Capsicum , you wont get good results. You have to prescribe on the patient, and not on what you think should cure him.
DR. WILLIAM P. STOCKTON [Glendale, California]: I wish to thank Dr. Bond for his paper.
It has been my experience that mastoid infection can come not only form the ears but from an impacted wisdom tooth.
While I was in college I had a very vivid experience with a classmate of mine, whose father was a dentist in Detroit. He had an impacted wisdom tooth that had swollen up, with almost complete trismus of the jaws.
This boy went up to Dr. Chalmers Lyons, an oral surgeon, and Dr. Lyons said, “Dont let anyone touch it. We will have to reduce the swelling first”.
It was a week-end, and the boy went home to Detroit. His father ignored Dr. Lyons warning and gave his son gas and pried his jaws apart and extracted, not the wisdom tooth, which was offending member, but the second molar, thinking that the wisdom tooth would come in and take its place and that the pressure would be relieved.
That threw the case into an acute cellulitis, and it drifted back into the mastoid. The boy went through three operations on his neck, and is scarred for life. It happened around Christmas time, and he did not come back to classes until around Easter. The left side of his face at that time was swelled out level with his nose and was as read as a beet.
That impressed me very vividly. Since practicing homoeopathy in the last twelve years I have not seen a case of mastoid that could not be handled with homoeopathic treatment. However, there may be such a case.
DR. I.C. GOBAR [San Francisco, California]: As most of you know, I had three years in an allopathic college before I took up homoeopathy. I was not sold on homoeopathy. I knew what the general consideration was of homoeopathy at that time – that it was the bunk, and thats all there was to it. However, I was admitted to the school in San Francisco, and I finished out the rest of the course.
I entered in September. In November my brother came to visit me. He was about eight years younger than I. As a very young child he had had a spinal meningitis, and as a result of that he had a mastoid which was neglected. Following his meningitis he had one of those nasty, odoriferous discharges from the ear. When it was discharging it was almost impossible to stay in the same room with him.
He came to visit me that Christmas vacation. The boys in the group said, “Why the dickens dont you cure your brother?” I said, “That isnt possible. He has gone to six or seven specialists, and they all say there is nothing that can be done. It isnt a case they can operate. Theres nothing they can do for him.”.
They kept after me, so we got together and repertorized him. They selected Mercurius cor. He had four doses of that remedy. All his headaches and other symptoms disappeared with those four doses. He has had no headaches or illness or discharge since. That proved homoeopathy was on the right track.
DR. WILBUR K BOND. (closing): It has been a pleasure to receive all these comments on my paper.
In regard to the remedy Capsicum, I have heard of it and I do know it is a wonderful remedy.
