CURING THE SO-CALLED HELPLESS CHILD


CURING THE SO-CALLED HELPLESS CHILD. The diagnosis in his case, according to former pediatricians, was Mongolian Idiocy, accompanied by a probable birth injury. His was an instrument birth. His chief complaint was exemplified by his symptomatology and past personal history. He began walking at two years, with a peculiar spastic gait.


Master Joseph G. was brought to me February 16, 1951. His age was 7 years. The diagnosis in his case, according to former pediatricians, was Mongolian Idiocy, accompanied by a probable birth injury. His was an instrument birth. His chief complaint was exemplified by his symptomatology and past personal history. He began walking at two years, with a peculiar spastic gait.

Tonsils and adenoids were removed at three and one-half years. Talking was very slow with indistinct speech. Most of his expressions were indistinct with a guttural tone. He did not know his alphabet at seven years of age, could not connect sentences, and never had any temper.

When he began to walk he always showed a great tendency to try to go away from home. He developed somnambulism. He would wander around the house, occasionally fall down stairs and if possible to do so, would open doors and go and out. His joint were flaccid and he was called double jointed. His condition showed a fair state of general nutrition; he had some old nasal catarrh; heart and lungs were negative.

My first prescription was Amorphous Sulphur +The various remedies used were prescribed in the 1M and 10M potencies- which, in my experience, goes to the bottom of all rot. His mother said he slept better, but she always found him in the knees and chest position. He developed a gluing up of the eyes in the morning, which had been a symptom for a short time in early infancy. This was “cured” by the installation of some medicine.

My next prescription was Medorrhinum. While under the influence of Medorrhinum, he began to stay in bed at night, and in a month was sleeping naturally and not in the knee and chest position. The mother said he showed more evidence of life; liked to be bathed, and washed his hands frequently. During late infancy it was almost impossible to give him a bath.

Head sweating next developed; he craved eggs, bread and milk and put on weight rapidly. Upon close inspection, I found his stockings were damp. I prescribed Calcarea carb., with general improvement in every way. Calcarea carb, was continued from May 15, 1951, through October, 1951, when the sweating completely disappeared. His nutrition was excellent; his walking and general obedience were better.

On November1, 1951, he developed an acute upper respiratory infection which was probably of a virus type; also cerebral symptoms. Here again, Amorphous Sulphur relieved the acute symptoms, but a serious nervous syndrome developed. He seemed to forget how to talk; became absent-minded; had to be told the word before he could speak it; developed night terrors; ground his teeth in his sleep; twitching of fingers. Careful repertory analysis brought out Kali bromatum.

Under the influence of Kali bromatum, his nervous system cleared up. First, the night terrors left him. Second, he stayed in bed and did not walk about the house again. Third, his general fidgety condition cleared up, and at the end of two months, he looked as though he had been reborn. The result was so striking that anyone who believed in the philosophy of Spinoza would take it as an act of Providence, instead of Kali bromatum.

This patient is still under my care and after a year and a half, his parents tell me they cannot realize what a wonderful transformation has come over that helpless child. They call him a model child at the present time. Mentally, he is alert and active. Of course, he still shows some evidence of the epicanthus slant, but his general aspect is that of a healthy child.

I am indebted to this case and have learned a lesson, and the lesson is that at this late date, after fifty-eight years of continuous practice, I have found that we do know all that a remedy can do.

1326 NO. 12TH ST.,

PHILADELPHIA, PENNA.

DISCUSSION

DR. F.K. BELLOKOSSY [Denver, Colo.]: I have treated one case of Mongolian idiocy with Sanicula with very good results. Another case, a case that was already nine years old, with not so good but quite decided results, with several remedies because I could not find a similimum. That was just lately. We can always do something for a Mongoloid. Almost every child can be helped in one way or another.

Dr. Schmidt, do you have any such cases?.

DR. ROGER A. SCHMIDT [San Francisco, Calif.]: No, I haven’t any experience.

DR. BELLOKOSSY: You have no Mongoloids in San Francisco?.

DR. SCHMIDT: They are all intelligent over there! [Laughter].

DR. ALLAN D. SUTHERLAND [Brattleboro, Vt.]: In view of the fact they live in California, that seems a rather broad statement! DR. CARL H. ENSTAM [Los Angeles, Calif.]: Mr. Chairman, it was said that we weren’t to speak to a paper with the author absent but since we are still kicking it around, I have to express a certain amount of interest in the paper which was just presented.

First of all, I have been an admirer of Dr. Griggs for a number of years. If I am not mistaken, I think his capacity as a pediatrician is unquestionable. When this man takes the trouble to present a case of this kind to the society, the least we can do is to receive it with appreciation and to see how much good we can get out of it.

I think your Secretary, if I am not mistaken, is one of Dr. Griggs’ proteges. I think he was there and took some special training at his hand. If I am wrong, I will be corrected later on.

To me, one of th e refreshing things about the paper is, first of all, that a man …..

of the standing of Dr.Griggs, with a complete understanding of the pathology involved, surely, comes forward and gives us the proof that with the remedies of his choosing this human being is improved tremendously.

Mongolian idiocy isn’t something the average person takes on by choice. They usually come and plead with you to see if you can do something. Any problem of idiocy in a home is terrific.

If you won’t misunderstand me, I don’t have a Mongolian idiot under treatment at the present time I have a child that is so classified. His mother chose homoeopathic treatment.

In order to carry out an interesting experiment, he was admitted to one of the new progressive schools for the mentally retarded, or whatever the fancy names are for them. This school is under the direction of a competent psychiatrist of a very modern school.

A year ago they decided to carry out an experiment on the children present. The father discovered there was a certain drug to be administered to all the mentally retarded children, reports to be made and conclusions reached and celebrations to take place.

The mother came to me and asked me what I thought. I said, “My dear lady, it is not my child. i think the only question you need to ask yourself is, is any body doing him any good?”.

She said, “You know the answer to that. We believe you are”.

“Why, then, should they tamper with what we are doing?”.

So the school received no permission to enter this boy in the group of experimental laboratory specimens.

To her surprise, at the end of several month’s time she was invited to the school. They were going to have open house. Her boy had the best record of any in the institution. He had shown real progress and was to be chief guinea pig.

She appeared in due time and due form; talked to the manager of the thing and said, “My boy wasn’t in it. You look up the record. I gave you no such permission. I told you I preferred to leave him with Dr. Enstam”.

They invited that woman to leave the institution that very moment, before the dowagers came in to enjoy the tea. sent the boy for him but he is better.

William B. Griggs