Ignatia. Intense itching at the seat, nervousness, epileptiform attacks, etc., especially in mild sensitive persons.
Sulphur. For worm-colic, and after the prominent symptoms have disappeared, to complete the cure.
Calcarea. In patients having a hereditary predisposition to worms, with scrofulous symptoma, and after discontinuing other remedies.
In addition to the treatment here prescribed, the tape-worm requires other remedies, and often in large doses. The Oil of Male Fern, given fasting, is generally necessary.
ACCESSORY MEANS:
The food should be simple, easy of digestion, and taken only at regular hours; underdone vegetables, pastry, malt liquor, sugar, sweet-meats, and sweet-made dishes, should be strictly avoided. Salt, as a condiment, should be taken with the food; it assists digestion and poisons the worms. A draught of spring-water should be swallowed on rising, and the whole body, the abdomen in particular, bathed with cold water in the morning, and afterwards rubbed till the whole skin is in a glow; daily exercise taken in the open-air; also injections, as follow.
INJECTIONS. 1 See also p. 277.
These are useful as means for expelling the worms, and partly to prevent their re-formation; half a pint or more of tepid water, i which ten drops of common turpentine have been mixed, once or twice repeated, will often suffice to relieve a patient thus troubled. It is better administered at bed-time. Afterwards, a simple cold or tepid injection should be used regularly about three times a week, for three or four months, to wash away the slime in which the ova exists. But the general and medicinal treatment only can be relied upon for correcting the health and preventing their reformation and future development.
53. Diarrhoea Looseness of the Bowels Purging
Common Diarrhoea is a functional disorder, consisting of frequent liquid faecal evacuations, without inflammation of the intestines.
CAUSES:
Unusual, excessive, acrid, or indigestible food, especially unripe or decaying raw fruits; pork, veal, etc.; putrid or diseased animal food; atmospheric influences; fatigue; suppressed eruptions; mental emotions; etc.
Diarrhoea is often a symptom of other diseases, as Hectic and Phthisis, when it is called colliquative Diarrhoea, because it appears to melt down the substance of the body; the Diarrhoea of Enteric fever; bilious Diarrhoea, from excessive flow of bile, as in hot weather, or after passing a gall-stone; and serous Diarrhoea with watery discharge. Looseness of the bowels is also a very common precursor of Cholera, when that disease is epidemic.
When Diarrhoea arises from indigestion or dissipation, it may be regarded as an effort of nature to expel substances which might otherwise give rise to more serious disturbances.
TREATMENT:
Camphor. In sudden and recent cases with chilliness, shivering, cold creeping of the skin, severe pain in the stomach and bowels, cold face and hands, and cramps in the legs or stomach. Two drops on a small piece of loaf sugar, every twenty or thirty minutes, for three or four times; if ineffectual it should then be discontinued.
Ant. Crud. Watery Diarrhoea, with white furred tongue, disordered stomach, nausea and eructations.
Pulsatilla. Mucous Diarrhoea, occurring chiefly at night, with little pain; the tongue is coated with a whitish fur; the taste is diminished or altered, and, generally, nausea, foul or acrid eructations, etc. Puls, is curative in Diarrhoea from fat or rich food.
Colocynth. Brown watery or faecal Diarrhoea, with much griping pain.
Podophyllum. Diarrhoea, coming on in the morning, yellow watery or slimy motions, tendency of the bowel to protrude.
China. Simple summer Diarrhoea; little pain, food passes imperfectly digested.
Mercurius. Green or clay-coloured stools.
Dulcamara. Catarrhal Diarrhoea, watery or yellowish, with little or no pain, traceable to damp, particularly in the summer and autumn.
Sulphur. Chronic Diarrhoea, watery, great urging, coming on in the morning in bed, griping and straining; from suppressed eruptions.
Veratrum. Choleraic Diarrhoea, with copious watery discharges, occurring in gushes, and accompanied with severe vomiting, debility, etc.; involuntary Diarrhoea; summer Diarrhoea, watery, with much griping. Diarrhoea from cold.
Arsenicum. Diarrhoea accompanied or ushered in by vomiting, with great heat of the stomach, ascending to the throat; a burning sensation attending the discharge of the motions; griping watery stools; coldness of the body, pallid and sunken face, and great prostration. It is chiefly suited to chronic Diarrhoea, with symptoms indicating organic disease.
Administration. A dose every one, two, or three hours, according to the violence of the symptoms, or after every motion, until relieved.
ACCESSORY MEANS:
Rest in the recumbent posture; warmth to the extremities; and avoidance of sudden changes of temperature. Individuals subject to Diarrhoea from slight causes, and having a feeling of coldness about the body, should wear a flannel roller around the abdomen. Night air and light hours predispose to attacks. Except in severe cases, moderate out-of-door exercise should be taken daily. Mental excitement and physical excesses of every kind should be avoided.
DIET:
Food should be given cool and sparingly, consisting of light non-irritating substances, sago, tapioca, milk, rice milk, arrow- root, baked rice-puddings, white fish, etc.; bland drinks; no coffee, spices, acids, eggs, fruit, or stimulants should be allowed. The white of egg beaten up into a froth and flavoured with a few drops of lemon juice, and a little sugar, is an excellent thing in Diarrhoea, Beef-tea must be avoided.
54. Diarrhoea in Children
Healthy infants have usually two or three motions in twenty-four hours. If the discharges become much more frequent, unnatural in colour, watery, and accompanied with pain, medical treatment is necessary. Depending, moreover, as it often does, on functional causes only, it well repays our careful attention.
Chamomilla. Diarrhoea during teething, or from cold, with colic, crossness, and restlessness; greenish, watery, bilious, frothy. and offensive motions, with pinching pains, and fretfulness.
Ipecacuanha. Summer Diarrhoea (see also under China, p. 265), with vomiting: Diarrhoea from overloading the stomach.
Pulsatilla. Loose, greenish, bilious motions, with flatulence or griping, from indigestion, especially in fair and delicate children.
Mercurius, Calcarea, Carb., or Rheum, may be required.
See also previous Section.
Administration. See the previous Section.
See also under Teething, Worms, and Thrush. 1 For fuller particulars see the Author’s “Infants and Children, 6th edition, p. 130 and following.
55. Colic (Enteralgia)
SYMPTOMS:
Severe twisting, griping, tearing pain about the navel, recurring in paroxysms, but relieved by pressure, so that the patient lies on his belly, pressing his abdomen with his hands, writhing in agony. There is a frequent desire to relieve the bowels, but often nothing passes except a little flatus. Febrile symptoms as in inflammation of the intestines (Enteritis 2 See the Vade Mecum of Modern Medicine and Surgery.), are absent, and the pulse is not quickened unless it becomes so from anxiety. The symptoms abate when vomiting, eructation, or a discharge from the bowels takes place.
CAUSES:
Cold; a mass of heterogeneous, acrid, indigestible food; worms; constipation. A condition resembling Colic may arise from stricture of the intestines (intussusception). Painter’s Colic 1 See the Vade Mecum of Modern Medicine and Surgery. arises from the poison of lead.
TREATMENT:
Colocynthis. Violent pains, compared to stabbing or clawing, with flatulence and Diarrhoea.
Nux Vomica. From indigestible food, suppressed period, or during pregnancy, with severe contracting pains low in the abdomen and relieved by pressure, ineffectual efforts to relieve the bowels or alternate constipation and relaxation.
Chamomilla. Particularly suitable for children. See the symptoms in the preceding Section.
Cina. Colic from thread-worms.
Opium. Lead Colic.
ACCESSORY MEANS:
An injection of a pint of tepid water by means of the enema apparatus (p. 277), often gives immediate relief. Applications of heat to the abdomen, or a warm bath, are also useful measures. Persons subject to Colic should avoid food of a flatulent character, not take too much liquid, nor fast too long, should wear flannel round the abdomen, and keep the feet dry.
56. Constipation Confined Bowels
A tendency to costiveness, or sluggish action of the bowels, is not so grave a symptom as many persons suppose it to be; indeed, individuals the us predisposed generally live long, unless they injure themselves by purgatives, while those who are subject to frequent attacks of Diarrhoea are soon debilitated, and often become prematurely old. The common idea that aperients contribute in health, not only in sickness, but also occasionally in health, and that impurities are thereby expelled from the body, is most erroneous and mischievous.
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."