A NEOPHYTE TRIES HIS WINGS


A NEOPHYTE TRIES HIS WINGS. A descriptive synonym of the first word in the title of this little effort, neophyte, means either a recent convert, or a novice–and both these terms could certainly apply, because up until about two years ago, when I was fortunate enough to take the post graduate course of the American Foundation for Homoeopathy, the type of medicine I practiced was not strictly homoeopathic.


A descriptive synonym of the first word in the title of this little effort, neophyte, means either a recent convert, or a novice–and both these terms could certainly apply, because up until about two years ago, when I was fortunate enough to take the post graduate course of the American Foundation for Homoeopathy, the type of medicine I practiced was not strictly homoeopathic. Now, at least, a door has been opened, a pathway charted and a goal set, even though I stumble off occasionally and may often reach the end of the line by a new route.

The experiences I had with this patient may be quite routine, even commonplace, with you of greater knowledge of the Law of Similars, but to me, here was a challenge to which I hoped I was equal, everything in regular medicine and antibiotic therapy having been tried and found wanting. Homoeopathy had to be the answer.

The story begins on July 4th, 1951, when the patient, Mrs. M., aged 46 years, took a ride in a station wagon and caught a cold. This must have been quite a cold, because the patient relates that it went merrily on its way for about 1 1/2 months until August 21st, when her right ear began to run profusely. She had had a previous aural discharge from it at intervals for years, but she was unable to state the etiology or circumstances of the original trouble. She was taken immediately to a physician in a nearby town, who started penicillin injections, first daily, then every second, and finally every third day, for 29 times.

Then the physician decided that a sulfa powder insufflated into the ear daily would plug the dike and stop the endless flow of watery, odorless fluid that ran from her ear, and saturated cotton wads, and had her changing them as much as 7 or 8 times a night. Next Aureomycin was tried, then a triple sulfa combination tablet which gave her a fever, followed by Furacin drops, which irritated the ear canal, and later Neomycin locally.

Next in this therapeutic armamentarium was a course of 20 vaccine injections, probably stock and not autogenous. By then the Ideas of October had overtaken our friend, and a momentous statement was issued by the doctor, “I cant do anything more for you. Please consult a specialist. “She was so furiously mad that she stalked out to the car and her long suffering husband who was waiting and never bothered to answer our frustrated medical confrere.

Probably then from desperation, the spirit moved her to board a stuffy bus, ride 60 miles, and look up the son of her former physician whom she hadnt seen for 16 years, to tell me her story. I listened avidly as she talked, because she immediately began to give me general symptoms that certainly should lead me to a first prescription in this constitutional defect of hers. She volunteered these facts, that she was chilly, always kept her house about 82 degrees, didnt like hot weather, and didnt perspire. She couldnt sleep well, because she had to change the cotton so often in her right ear.

I looked at her right ear. At least half of the eardrum was gone, the anterior portion in front of the long handle of the malleus. The ear canal was full of a clear, very light yellow discharge that was absolutely odorless. She was afebrile. Here, I reasoned, were good indications for Silicea, and because there was still an acuteness in her pathology, I gave her the 6x tablet triturate every three hours. Two weeks later she phoned, with a “tickled pink” tone in her voice, to report that nine days after starting the remedy, she began to notice a diminution of the discharge, but that there was a slight relapse again.

She said the character of the discharge had changed, in that it had begun to thicken up a little. There was still no odor. I then thought that she needed a different potency, so I gave her six two-drachm bottles, each containing Silicea 500x, instructing her to dilute the granules with water and take a dose once daily before breakfast each morning, for six days. I gave her also some yellow Sac. lac. tablets to take three time daily after the six doses of 500th were completed. After four doses of the 500th Silicea, the ear stopped discharging for two or three days, the first time it had been dry in 70 days; but then a strange thing occurred.

A typical furuncle appeared behind the ear on the opposite side, which I interpreted to be a favorable event, if her body was attempting to throw off any infection. Feeling that she needed another potency of the Silicea at this turn, I dropped back to the 30th potency, and both the furuncle cleared up and the ear stopped discharging, except for a little moisture occasionally.

Then I told her that she merited a rest from doctors for a while and discharged her except for monthly check-ups, so when I saw her in January, 1952, she reported that the color of the aural discharge on the few occasions when she had a small amount, was now a little thicker and more yellow, that the outside of the ear was sensitive to touch, and that she couldnt sleep well at night, even though there was no longer the problem of changing cotton pads in her ear.

I decided that she needed some Nux vomica, gave her the 30th every three hours, and, when I found that she had a well-marked secondary anemia with 12.5 grams of hemoglobin, 3,840,000 red cells and 6,200 white cells, I started her on an excellent hematinic preparation known as lific-forte, which contains liver extract, folic acid and vitamin B12. A neighbor who was a nurse taught he how to give herself these injections and this she faithfully did, without very good results as far as her count was concerned.

On April 30th she reported that she had had a menstruation that began March 23rd and had lasted 34 days, with two rather severe hemorrhages on April 18th and 19th. I suggested an immediate pelvic examination by a competent gynecologist, but was informed that she had already had two such check-ups within the past year and had been given a clean bill of health in that department. Our old friend, the right ear, was behaving tolerably well, so I started her on Pulsatilla 30x, tablet triturates, three tablets every hour for several days and then twice or three times daily, after that, my reasons being that the aural discharge had thickened, was definitely bland and non-irritating.

She informed me also, as I questioned her, that she was thirstless in general, sleepless in the early part of the night, was easily discouraged, was a chilly person, and felt generally worse toward evening. This remedy seemed to be the key that unlocked the door of our problem. Until the aural discharge thickened I hadnt thought of it as a general remedy also; but now all of her other symptoms fitted together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

To bring us strictly up to date before I conclude, may I say that on June 11th she still had some secondary anemia, Hb 54 percent, RBC 3,970,000, WBC 5,400, C.I. 60. Her red cells are poor in appearance but her sedimentation rate is 14, her differential white count is not unusual, her urine analysis is absolutely normal, her blood pressure 102/76 in the left arm, 120/70 in the right arm. She has had a normal menstruation on June 1, thirty days after the previous one, that lasted only six days, was profuse on the first day only and then tapered off.

Her right ear is dry. She has to plan her housework and budget her energy because it begins to run out around 2 P.M., if she isnt careful. She minds the heat and particularly the humidity. From the physiological viewpoint she is on ferrous gluconate, two five-grain tablets three times daily, but homoeopathically, Pulsatilla 30x, three tablet triturates once a day, seems to be holding the fort adequately because she looks better, has more hope and encouragement about eventually being able to do physically all the things that are now only wishful thinking.

DISCUSSION.

DR. HARVEY FARRINGTON [Chicago, Ill.]: With regard to this young man, he is the son of one of my old college mates. I was glad to hear that he went to the Foundation course in Connecticut. He has been more fortunate, however, than one or two that I know of.

I know some of us young fellows, when we first got out of college, took Kents course and we had a clinic there, and made some pretty terrible blunders. One day George Cooper, my associate, and myself were talking with Kent. We said, “Doctor, we hope the day will come when we can prescribe as well as you do, hit the right remedy”.

“Boy,” he said, “I make as many mistakes as you do only I know better how to get out of them.” [Laughter].

So, that is the story.

I dont want to take up too much time but one of our Chicago physicians, who has been practicing twenty-five years, became a well-known eye, ear, nose and throat man, came to me one day and he spoke about the use of high potencies. He said that he had seen Grimmer and myself in the clinic use them.

He said, “Farrington, I had a wonderful cure of a mastoid without operation, with Silicea. You know, I was trying your high potencies. I gave the 1000th and pus began to flow, began to get thinner. The pain all went away. This was on Friday. She got along so well I thought I would give her a good push forward. On Monday I gave her the CM. Then I was scared. Her fever went up; the pain came back and pus began to increase”.

Wm. A. Weaver