DISEASES AND THEIR TREATMENT



TREATMENT. It generally requires little else than attention, to diet and warmth, as in Febricula, unless the fever be considerable, when a few doses of Aconitum may be given. For headache and disturbance of the brain, two or three doses of Belladonna, Rhus Tox. is also believed to accelerate complete recovery.

9. Measles (Morbilli)

Measles 1 For an account of German Measles we must refer the reader to the author’s Vade Mecum, 1898 Edition. is a disease of childhood, usually unattended with danger, unless improperly treated; but in adults it is often a severe or even dangerous malady. Like Scarlatina and Small-pox, it is highly contagious, often epidemic, and generally attacks the same patient only once.

SYMPTOMS. About eight days after the reception of the poison, the disease is ushered in with the symptoms of a common cold sneezing, running from the nose, red, swollen, and watery eyes, frontal headache, aching in back and limbs, shivering, a hoarse, harsh cough, and fever. On about the fourth day from the commencement of the illness, the eruption appears on the face and neck, and soon after on the whole body. It is in the form of minute raspberry-coloured pimples, which multiply and coalesce into blotches of a more or less crescentic form, slightly raised above the surrounding skin, so as to be felt, particularly on the face, which is often a good deal swollen. In four or five days the fever abates, and the eruption declines, a bran-like scurf being afterwards thrown off the skin.

Measles differs from Scarlatina in several respects. The eruption is rough, so that on passing the hand over the skin considerable inequalities may be detected, and it is of a darkish scarlet colour; in Scarlet-fever the roughness is absent, and, in simple cases of the disease, the rash is of a bright scarlet colour. The sneezing, lachrymation, and other catarrhal symptoms, which characterize the primary stage of Measles, are usually absent in Scarlet-fever.

TREATMENT. In mild forms, Aconite and Belladonna alternately, Pulsatilla and Sulph.; in severe and complicated, Aconite, Bryonia, Belladonna, Sulphur, Ipecac., Mercurius, Rhus., Tox., Arsen., etc.

Aconitum. Febrile symptoms, either at the outset, or during the progress of the disease. A dose every third or fourth hour as long as necessary. (See also Veratrum Vir., under Scarlet fever).

Pulsatilla. Almost specific in Measles, especially when symptoms of cold, derangement of the stomach, and much phlegm in the chest are present. It is most useful after the fever has been modified by Aconite; in the absence of fever, it may be given alone. Dose every two or three hours.

It is also useful as a preventive measure (see p. 104).

Belladonna. Considerable affection of the throat, dry, barking cough, etc.; restlessness, and tendency to delirium. A few doses, at intervals of two or three hours.

Bryonia. Imperfectly developed or suppressed eruption; stitching pains in the chest, difficult breathing, cough etc. In addition to this remedy, a sudden recession of the eruption might necessitate a hot-bath (see page 82).

Antim tart. Complicated with bad Congestive Bronchitis, Gelsemium, great restlessness. Baptisia, very bad gastric symptoms.

Sulphur. After the eruption has completed its natural course, and the other remedies are discontinued. A dose morning and night for several days.

AFTER EFFECTS (Sequelae). Measles is often succeeded by diseases of the lungs, eyes, ears, bones, or some affection of the skin. These are often far more serious than the malady itself, and generally require professional treatment. They may generally be prevented by the administration of Sulphur as just directed. Sequelae are very infrequent after homoeopathic treatment, unless constitutional evils are latent.

MEASLES AND CONSUMPTION.

Tubercular disease of the lungs, or more often, of the bowels, is by no means an infrequent sequel in delicate or strumous children. Cases of this nature are often under our care, and from long observation we have reason to believe that such a connection is far from uncommon. Whenever, therefore, a child makes but a slow or imperfect recovery after an attack of Measles, more particularly if there be a high temperature, tenderness, pain, or enlargement of the abdomen, diarrhoea or irregular action of the bowels, a grave constitutional disease may be suspected, and no time should be lost in obtaining professional homoeopathic assistance.

DIET AND REGIMEN. The general directions in the chapter on Nursing (pp. 73-82) should be carried out. Sponging thrice daily with a mixture of one pint of dilute acetic acid to six pints of hot water.1 See the Author’s “Homoeopathic Treatment of Infant and Children,” p. 47, 6th Edition, 1899. The Wet-pack (p.84) is useful at the commencement of the fever. It is especially necessary, while securing efficient ventilation, to guard the patient from cold, and, except during the very height of summer, a fire should be kept burning in his room. Exposure to strong currents of air may cause the eruption to recede, and bring on Bronchitis or Pneumonia. But a constant supply of fresh air may be secured without exposing the patient to draughts of cold air. The patient should be kept warm in bed. The room should be equally warmed, well ventilated, light, but the eyes protected from strong light. The diet should be the same as that recommended on p. 78.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES Measles is contagious, but may generally be prevented, or modified by giving children who have not had the disease a dose of Pulsatilla, morning and night, during the prevalence of the disease. 1 For much useful and interesting information on this disease, see “Measles; its complications and Fatality prevented by Homoeopathy; being Contributions from more than Twenty Medical Men,” Price ld.; and sold by this publishers of this Manual.

10. Scarlet Fever Scarlatina (Febris rubra).

This is a contagious disease, the poison of which is only second in virulence to that of Small-pox. The second, third, fourth and fifth years of life are those in which it is most prevalent; after the tenth year its frequency rapidly declines. The opinion that the disease does not attack children under two years of age is erroneous; as also is the idea that there is a difference between Scarlatina and Scarlet-fever; for the terms are synonymous.

The increasing prevalence of Scarlatina during the present century leads us to assign to it that pre-eminent rank among the causes of the mortality of childhood which was formerly occupied by Small-pox; indeed, the mortality from it often exceeds that from Measles and Small-pox combined. The mortality in towns is double that in the country. Its fatality during the epidemics of 1869-70 was again very great, and for many weeks during the latter part of 1870 the mortality averaged 108 per week in London alone. In 1886 the mortality from the disease in England was 5,986, and in 1890, 6,974. The largest number recently was 14,275 in 1881, and the smallest, 4,532 in 1895.

SYMPTOMS. Scarlatina has a latest period of about five days. The disease commences with the ordinary precursors of fever shivering, hot-skin, frequent pulse, thirst, and sore throat, headache, backache, and, often, vomiting. On the second or third day, after these symptoms, the eruption appears, first on the neck and breast, and then over the great joints and body generally, as a scarlet efflorescence, minutely point-shaped, but not raised above the surrounding skin so as to be felt; and some what resembles a boiled lobster shell. On the fourth or fifth day the eruption generally begins to decline, and gradually goes off, the outer skin desquamating in large flakes. The distinctive characters of Scarlatina are (1) The scarlet rash, just described, (2) The high temperature of the skin and blood, which becomes higher than in most other fevers, rising often to 105*, from 98*, the normal standard. (3) The papillae of the tongue are red and and prominent, and may be first seen projecting through a white fur, or, as this fur clears away, on a red ground suggesting the term “the strawberry-tongue.” (4) The sore throat. The throat is congested and swollen round the soft palate and tonsils, and the mucous membrane of the mouth and nostrils is generally involved.

For points of difference between Scarlatina and Measles, see p.97.

DEGREES OF INTENSITY. There are three recognized degrees of intensity, viz: Scarlatina simplex, in which the skin only appears to be affected; S. anginosa, in which both skin and throat are involved; and S. maligna, with extreme depression of the vital strength, super-added to the affection of the throat and skin, the fever assuming a malignant character. In this form, the tongue is brown, there is low delirium, the eruption is imperfect, darker than usual, and appearing and disappearing alternately. The throat is dark, livid, and even sloughy. Often this form of the disease terminates fatally on the third or fourth day, and is always one of such extreme danger that none but patients of very vigorous constitutions, with whom skilful treatment is commenced early, survive it.

Edward Harris Ruddock
Ruddock, E. H. (Edward Harris), 1822-1875. M.D.
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."