Wm. McKee, aet. 27, suffers from deafness, due to chronic non-suppurative catarrh of the middle ear. While a lad, and on to manhood, went out a great deal at night to dances and parties, where he would dance and romp until in a great heat and profuse sweat, when he would go out of doors and remove his coat. In this way he would contract a cold, and one cold after another, until he found himself a sufferer from chronic catarrh of the nose and throat, the discharge being continual and very annoying. At this time (about six years ago) he noticed a noise commencing in his ears, and it gradually increased until he became aware of the fact that his hearing was damaged. He then commenced treatment, and not getting immediate relief from his first doctor he changed, and soon changed again, in this way going to several doctors, a few of them old-school specialists, and then gave up discouraged, and let the disease run its course unhindered. When he came to me (last March) he said he had been unable to hear anything but confused noises, even when the loudest tones were used to accost him, for five years. He is of medium height, rather slender, with inclination to red hair; has blue eyes, a fair complexion, and has a slightly anaemic appearance. He describes the noise in his ears as dull and rumbling, if he pays no particular heed to it; but if he concentrates his thoughts on it, he can imagine that it resembles almost any kind of a noise. One thing I wish to mention which was quite prominent, and quickly disappeared under the remedy viz, he would be awakened in the night by a loud bombing noise and afterward be unable to sleep “for the racket in his ears.” There were a number of nervous symptoms in the case that led me to show him to Dr. Bartlett. 1. Slight melancholia, would go off alone and brood over his troubles for hours. 2. He would stagger while he walked. I found his tendo patella reflex much decreased and on standing with his eyes closed he would fall over in my arms, couldn’t manage at best to take three steps forward with eyes closed without falling. I have kept him pretty steadily on Ferrum phos., and the improvement is remarkable. He can hear every word of the longest sentence by slightly raising the voice when accosting him at several feet away. The noises are greatly loosened, he sleeps well, and the nervous symptoms are fast disappearing. I have continually inflated the middle ear by Politzer method, once a week. (Dr. F. W. Messerve).
MASTOID PERIOSTITIS- SILICEA.- Dr. A. T. Sherman of Minnesota, reports a case of a man who had suffered for six days with pain in mastoid region. On examination found the membrana tympani highly injected, tuning-fork was heard indifferently on each side when pressed against parietal bones; hearing impaired on the affected side. Temperature 100. Very weak, nervous; complete muscular paralysis of right side of face. The condition of the sense of hearing precluded brain disease. There was no difficulty in swallowing, or other evidence of paralysis of the muscles of the fauces, which placed the trouble beyond the origin of the petrosal nerve. There was no disturbance of taste or of the salivary glands, which placed the trouble beyond the origin of the chorda tympani. He diagnosed mastoid periostitis with pressure on the seventh nerve immediately on its exit from the duct of Fallopius. On protruding his tongue it was drawn somewhat toward the affected side. While contemplating incision, patient mentioned that on the previous morning he had found relief and some sleep by placing the head in a warm poultice of Indian meal. Gave Silicea200, a dose every three hours. In forty-eight hours all pain had ceased and temperature normal. Relief from moist warmth was the guiding symptom to the remedy.
MENIERE’S DISEASE- Dr. Fellows reports in the “Clinique” two cases of this disease greatly and speedily relieved by Silicea 3x and 6x, given several times daily.
Mrs., aet. 34. March 30, 1886. For several years has been troubled with deafness from time to time, upon the right side, accompanied by tinnitus of ringing and pulsating character, and with occasional pain. Mt. slightly depressed and thickened upon the right side. Nose catarrhal in slight degree.
H.D.R. w.= 22″ = 29″ Cath2. Calcarea phos. 2x N. and M.
To spray the nostrils with weak, warm solution of common salt.
April 7. H.D.R. w.= 21″= 31″ Cath2. Kali mur. 6x N. and M.
April 14. H.D.R. w.= 22″= 52″ Cath3. Kali mur. 6x N. and M.
April 21. H.D.R. w.= 36″= 6 ft. Cath3. Tinnitus has ceased, Kali mur. 6x N.
April 27. H.D.R. w. =46″ = 7 ft. Cath3. No further tinnitus. Kali mur. 6x alt.
N.
It is now three years since this case was discharged, and at the expiration of two years I heard that there had been no recurrence of any trouble whatever. As another year has passed without news from the patient, the improvement doubtless remains permanent. It is needless to say that the spraying with salt solution in this case was not sufficiently potent to detract from the cure, while the catheter could have been but an aid only, especially when the permanence of the relief is considered.
In closing my remarks upon the use of Kali mur. in these aural diseases, I will simply state that my experience agrees with the observation of others that it follows particularly well after Ferrum phos. or Mercurius dulcis, and is itself sometimes followed especially well by Calcarea sulph. (H.P. Bellows, M.D., in N.E. Medorrhinum Gaz., Nov., 1889).
SILICEA IN SUPPURATIVE OTITIS- Dr. Bellows records a case of distressing and frequently recurring frontal headache, which seemed traceable to chronic middle ear suppuration. The tympanum was perforated. Silicea 3 taken for some months dried up the discharge, healed the tympanum, and made the hearing normal, while the headaches soon disappeared. – N.E. Medorrhinum Gazette, Feb. 1893.
Professor of Materia Medica in the University of Michigan Homeopathic Medical College. Member of American Institute of Homeopathy. In addition to his editoral work he authored or collaborated on: Boericke and Dewey's Twelve Tissue Remedies, Essentials of Homeopathic Materia Medica, Essentials of Homeopathic Therapeutics and Practical Homeopathic Therapeutics.