This case I reported in minute detail to the British Homoeopathic Society in 1908, it being another which gave further proof of the efficacy of Lobelia Erinus in countering malignant conditions. I gave it in the same way, the initial dose being followed by an effect which startled the family, and the allopathic practitioner, who was watching the case from the lofty pedestal of polite incredulity. They hastened to me next morning to say that the bowels, whose obstinacy had been the despair of all those in attendance, to the point of a growing conviction of the presence of obstruction, had acted violently three times in the night with coincident vomiting. It is a significant fact that from that time onwards she never had any need for artificial aid for the bowels.
Briefly, the result of treatment was that the tumour became steadily smaller, till it was reduced to less than a quarter its original size (fig.3 and 4). Coincidently, though varying in vitality in an extraordinary way, apparently in consonance with the effect of the dose, she became steadily better. She put on weight, lost all her pain, and the cachectic appearance in her face, and was able to walk about the house.
The fact that at the height of this improvement she suddenly and unexpectedly succumbed to an exacerbation of her own recuperative powers in no way detracted from the value of the lesson to be learnt from her case. (The notch seen in the last diagrammatically a peculiar indentation which developed as the tumour was being absorbed) (fig.5).
It proved conclusively that a rapidly advancing Carcinomatous mass could be changed into an equally rapidly receding one by the exhibition of an internal remedy, at the same time greatly prolonging life, removing all pain, and changing the patient’s despair into happiness and renewed hope.
I have mentioned the above cases to show how I first convinced myself that I was not following a mirage, but now the difficult question presented itself, “How were these facts to be put on a workable basis?” It needed no time to discover that no one remedy would act upon all forms of Cancer, nor is this surprising when the diverse forms of the disease are considered, and the various manifestations it presents in different individuals, and in the same individual when attacking different parts of the body.
Further than this, it soon became abundantly manifest that the ordinary homoeopathic indications, obtained from healthy provers, though of immense value, were not in themselves alone sufficient to achieve the desired result, and I came to the conclusion that the reason for this was that the symptoms met with in this disease are, broadly speaking, of a twofold character.
The first is the associated cachexia, with its attendant loss of weight and debility, which is, roughly speaking, the same in all cases, and the second the pressure symptoms causing local discomfort, or pain, of varying character and intensity, in accordance with the site involved, and any particular organ attacked.
Cancer cells behave in a similar manner in whatever situation they may be lodged, they proliferate and involve surrounding tissue and tend to break down, though these attributes vary in degree. It therefore became apparent that the symptoms they produced were not due to inherent differences in the growths, but to the “site of growth” sprung into vivid prominence, and a rational deduction followed, viz., that the “specificity of site of action” of a remedy might be a valuable indication for its use. That some such idea influenced my father in selecting the remedy I feel certain, though he followed no definite rule, and often doubtless obtained indications from other sources.
But I had set myself the task of evolving some system which would enable others to carry on, and this seemed the most obvious avenue to probe.
After all, the proposition seemed rational enough. If a remedy had a special affinity for any one organ or tissue of the body, it necessarily meant that it had influence over the cells of that organ or tissue, a nd as all remedies act beneficially when properly administered, it was reasonable to suppose that the resistance of the cells of which that organ or tissue was composed would tend to be strengthened against the invasion of any enemy, whether cellular, microbic, or toxic.
I very soon had an opportunity of testing this train of though in the case of cloak-room attendant at Frascati’s restaurant, who was sent to me because she refused to be operated upon for what was diagnosed as Cancer, owing to her mother and aunt having both died of Cancer of the breast following operation.
I reported her case to the British Homoeopathic Society in a paper I read on :”The Medicinal Treatment of Cancer of the Breast” in March, 1909. A lump had existed in the left breast for six years without much apparent change till a short time ago, when the habitual slight pains she suffered became acute and of a shooting, knife-like character. They radiated from the breast into the axilla, and down the arm to the fingers, and a new rapidly growing lump developed below and external to the other it being impossible to raise the arm above the horizontal without pain and dragging. While the right breast was flat and pendulous, the left was much infiltrated and swollen, its lower level being raised a good deal above that on the other side (fig.7). Although there were other indications which led me to think of Belladonna (fig 6) in this case, I finally decided to employ it owing to its well known action on breast tissue, part evidence of which being its power when locally applied to stop the flow of milk nursing women.
The first dose of Belladonna, which I gave in arborivital form., was followed by a reaction of retching and vomiting and two diarrhoea attacks (both these symptoms being most rare top her, and constipation having existed for ten years). coincidentally there was some softening or the lumps and decrease of pain, following an initial aggravation of the latter. Except for one dose of schirr. 100, she had no other remedies. In two months’ time the breast was normal, having dropped down to its former normal level and become simply pendulous like the other (fig.8). Both lumps, one of which had existed for over six years, and the other, which was previously growing rapidly, had entirely disappeared, to the astonishment of herself and her relatives.
In addition to this, her ten years’ constipation had vanished. When this patient paraded for inspection at the above mentioned meeting, one of the members present expressed himself as not at all impressed, because he could find no evidence of any disease in the breast. As this was the very reason why I had shown her, he could not have paid the remedy employed a greater compliment.
Another remedy which I had found to have a till more definite specific effect on breast tissue was our old friend Scrophularia Nodosa (fig.1), and I described cases illustrating this fact in the same paper. Then came a search for a remedy which would have a special effect in intestinal cases, and especially those in which the rectum and lower intestine were involved, owing to the peculiar predilection of malignant disease for these situations. In Ornithogalum Umbellatum (fig 9), first introduced by my father, we had a remedy whose action on the stomach was undoubtedly specific, but I was disappointed in its effects on the intestine below the caecum. However, I eventually found what I was seeking in Ruta Graveolens (fig 10). To show how peculiarly specific the action of this remedy is one the rectum, I an throwing on the screen its Homoeopathic indications as detailed in Dr. Clarke’s “Dictionary of Materia Medica,” of which the most significant in this present read are-
“Difficult faeces, as from inactivity of the rectum evacuated only with straining. constipation, alternating with mucous, frothy stools. Slimy diarrhoea, alternately with constipation (chronic and obstructed diarrhoea-R.T.C.). Frequent want to evacuate., with scanty, but soft evacuations. Ineffectual want to evacuate, with prolapsus recti. Frequent unsuccessful urging. Discharge of blood with stool. When sitting, tearing stitches in rectum. Tearing in rectum and urethra when not urinating, Nausea felt in rectum.”
As will be seen by the bracketed symptoms marked R.T.C., my father appreciated the action of this remedy on the rectum, and though I never heard of his using it in cases of Malignant Diseases affecting the intestine, I know he always regarded it as having an action antagonistic to Malignant Disease as a whole. I think he was considerably influenced in this by observing its power to produce a mental condition closely simulating that found in this disease, its common name of “Rue” no doubt having originated from the intense sense of depression it is capable of producing.
It first called attention to its intestinal specificity in malignant cases in a paper I read before the British Homeopathic Society in March, 1909, and subsequently gave cases illustrating its action in a paper on “Rectal carcinoma” read before the Copper Club, and published in the Homoeopathic World in August of the same year.
