Sulphur – Chronic Diarrhoea in strumous patients, and when it continues in spite of the medicines before recommended.
ADMINISTRATION – A dose every two, three, or four hours, or after every evacuation; in chronic cases, morning and night.
ACCESSORY MEANS – In cases of protracted Diarrhoea, the surface should be kept warm with flannel; a flannel roller around the abdomen often gives great relief. Night air, late hours, stimulants, and excesses of every kind should be avoided. Food should be light, and, in acute cases, taken cool, or cold, and only in small quantities at a time. Fluid food is most suitable especially milk-and-lime-water, or milk-and-soda-water, or, better still, wheykoumiss No.3 (Aylesbury). Restricting a patient solely to this diet, for two or three days, or even longer, is often alone sufficient to cure all sorts of Diarrhoea not dependent on a permanent chronic cause; and even where there is such a cause, much temporary benefit is gained (Chambers). It need scarcely be stated that a fluid diet like the above is advantageous in Diarrhoea, because it is highly nutritive, and because it does not require a perfect condition of the intestinal mucous membrane to digest and absorb it.
46 – PILES (Haemorrhoids)
Piles it really a varicose condition of the veins of the rectum, and is one of the most frequent diseases of pregnancy. It is by no means peculiar to that condition; but some ladies are troubled then who do not suffer at any other time. External Piles seldom give rise to haemorrhage to any great extent, while internal piles often bleed profusely.
CAUSES – The chief cause is the pressure of the enlarged womb upon the vessel of the pelvis, obstructing the circulation; minor causes are, mechanical pressure of the contents of the bowels in constipation, acrid diarrhoea, etc.
MEDICINAL TREATMENT – Aconite, Aesculus H., Aloe., Arsenicum, Calc-C., Carbo vegetabilis, Collinsonia, Hamamelis, Lycopodium, Nux V., Phosphorus, Podophyllum, Sulphur
LEADING INDICATIONS FOR THE PRINCIPAL REMEDIES –
Aconitum – Fulness, heat, inflammation, and throbbing in the anus and small of the back, and discharges of bright red blood. Often useful at the commencement of the treatment.
Aesculus – Piles, with pain in the anus, back, and loins, and frequent small bleedings. A cerate is sometimes a very useful for external Piles. It may be made with one part of Aescul. to nine part os Olive-oil, and sufficient bees wax to secure consistency.
Aloes – Haemorrhoids with bilious derangement or torpor of the liver; profuse discharge of hot, dark-coloured blood. It may be alternated with Sulphur, or it may precede or follow the remedy.
Collinsonia – Piles with Constipation, or with chronic uterine derangement.
Hamamelis – Bleeding Piles. When the haemorrhage is profuse, a dose should be administered every fifteen or twenty minutes; when the bleeding is less, or takes place occasionally, a dose every three to six hours. In severe cases a lotion may be made by adding thirty drops of strong tincture to four ounces of water, and applied by soaking two or three folds of linen, covered with oil-silk and renewed several times daily.
Nux Vomica and Sulphur – In the majority of cases the alternate use f these medicines will afford marked relief, especially in persons who have indulged in coffee, or stimulating drinks, or who lead an inactive life, and when there are alternate constipation and diarrhoea, frequent protrusion of the lower bowel, pain in the small of the back, painful urination, with aggravation of the symptoms after meals and during mental exercise. A dose Nux V., at night and one of Sulph. in the morning, should be steadily adhered to for ten or twelve days.
Podophyllum – Piles from portal congestion, or chronic hepatics affections with Prolapsus ani. It acts similarly to Aloes.
ACCESSORY MEANS – External Piles should be returned as quickly as possible by gently pressing them within the sphincter; then the patient should lie down for a short time to favour their retention; afterwards the application of cotton wool or a cold compress will afford comfort and tend to prevent the descent of the Piles. In internal Piles, half a pint to a pint of water injected up the bowel in the morning has often a most salutary effect; it constricts the blood-vessels and softens the faeces before the accustomed evacuation. Hard, costive motions and straining should always be prevented during Piles by injections of tepid water. An India-rubber syringe, with an ivory tube, should be used. If the tumours are too painful to permit of injections, the parts should be washed with tepid water; if they are much swollen and extremely tender, the patient should sit over the steam of hot water, or foment the parts with moderately hot water. When the inflammatory symptoms have subsided, washing the parts with cold water, and cold injections do much good.
THE ABDOMINAL COMPRESS.1 (1 Many of the Homoeopathic chemists sell bandages for this purpose.) This is made of three or four thicknesses of coarse linen cloth, from six to nine inches wide, to fit the individual, so as to cover the whole abdomen, including the liver and spleen, and extend down to the pubes. It should be wrung out of cold water, covered with oil-silk or India-rubber cloth, to prevent evaporation, and secured by three broad tapes around the hips and waist. The compress should fit as closely as possible, so as to avoid displacement, otherwise air enters between it and the skin, and cold, instead of a moist heat, is produced. The best time for wearing it is during the night, and when taken off in the morning, and part which has been covered should be sponged with cold water and vigorously rubbed with a towel. The wet compress may sometimes be worn day and night, and renewed every twelve or twenty-four hours. It is of great utility in Dyspepsia, chronic Constipation and Piles.
Cold sitz baths are not always admissible in Piles, as they increase local congestion by the reaction they occasion, and should not be used except by medical advice.
DIET – In Piles this should be moderate, unstimulating and easy of digestion. Coffee, peppers, spices, the excessive use of animal food, and all stimulating beverages, should be avoided. A liberal quantity of well-cooked vegetables and ripe fruits is recommended. Bread made from unbolted flour is sometimes inadmissible. On this subject, Dr. Baikie, in a communication to the author, makes the following remarks: “Bread from unbolted flour is both wholesome and nourishing for those accustomed to it from infancy; and to persons suffering from simple Constipation, without Piles, its occasional use instead of physic, is most desirable. But in all cases of Piles, when the mucous membrane of the intestines and rectum is irritable, the mechanical action of the spiculae of bran is most injurious, and sure to produce aggravation.”
47 – INCONTINENCE OF URINE
The bladder is frequently affected during pregnancy; in the early months by the descent of the womb, causing a frequent and painful desire to urinate, which, if not immediately yielded to, may result in an involuntary discharge, especially when the patient has a cough. In many cases this condition is very distressing; the constant discharge excoriates the parts more or less, so that the patient can only move about with pain; whilst at the same time an offensive urinous odour is exhaled from the person.
MEDICAL TREATMENT – Belladonna, Cannabis sativa, Cantharis, Cina, Cocc., Ferr- M., Nux V.
LEADING INDICATIONS FOR THE PRINCIPAL REMEDIES
Belladonna – Relaxation of the neck of the bladder, with inability to retain the urine. The emissions are copious, frequent and watery, or yellow and turbid.
Cannabis Sat. – Involuntary emissions, from irritation of gravel.
Cantharis – Irritation of the bladder, with irresistible desire to urinate, and only a few drops of scalding, acrid urine passed at a time.
Cina – Frequent desire, and passage of turbid urine, which may occur involuntarily in bed, from the irritation of worms.
Ferrum Mur. – Incontinence of urine only during the daytime, or on coughing.
Nux Vomica – This remedy is useful in females of an active temperament, dark, spare habit, tendency to constipation, with frequent desire to urinate, with spasmodic pains in the neck of the bladder, and watery urine. A dose every four hours.
ACCESSORY MEANS – The bladder should be trained to retain water during the day, though evacuation should not be too long postponed. All salt, acid and pungent articles of food malt liquors, spirits, tea and coffee should be avoided. Meat should be taken sparingly; flatulent food eschewed. Nothing hot should be taken in the latter part of the day. Cold water (soft is preferable), toast-and-water, mucilaginous drinks, milk-and- water, and cocoa, are the most suitable beverages. Abstinence from fluid is not desirable, as rather tending to increase the acridity of the urine, which may be lessened by mucilaginous drinks. Local cold ablutions are strengthening.
LICENTIATE OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS; MEMBER OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS; LICENTIATE IN MIDWIFERY, LONDON AND EDINBURGH, ETC. PHYSICIAN TO THE READING AND BERKSHIRE HOMOEOPATHIC DISPENSARY.
Author of "The Stepping Stone to Homeopathy and Health,"
"Manual of Homoeopathic Treatment". Editor of "The Homoeopathic World."