New, Old, and Forgotten Remedies Part 15

10 o'clock, have been quiet for half an hour and feel some better; have a pressing or squeezing sensation in the bridge of my nose; sore constricted feeling in the temples, with throbbing temporal arteries.

10:30 o'clock, just came from stool; the first pa.s.sed was watery, but the last was more solid in appearance; stool terribly offensive, like _carrion_. Heavy, all-gone sort of feeling low down in hypogastrium; color of stool was dark brown with pieces of undigested food in it.

11:30, just got home and feel very bad and weak. My head and back ache considerably, and I feel "played out" generally.

12 o'clock, forehead and cheeks _very_ hot and dry, radial pulse 114, chilly sensation darting through body from front to back, causing a sort of s.h.i.+vering or involuntary jerking, forehead feels like a hot coal of fire to my hand; headache in forehead and over eyes relieved by pressing with my hand, but I cannot bear it long for my head seems to get hotter from it; am exceedingly nervous, cannot lie still, involuntary jerkings in different parts of the body. Roof of mouth and tongue feel very dry, although there seems to be the usual amount of saliva present. No thirst at all.

I went to sleep about 12:20 P.M., and was awakened at 2 o'clock for dinner. Couldn't eat anything; I tried but it nauseated me; could only drink a cup of coffee; headache worse after waking; pulse 88; head not quite so hot, body feels chilly, and I had a shawl thrown over me; went to sleep again about 3:30.

I was told that at 4:15 my face and head were covered with a profuse perspiration, and my carotid arteries pulsated very hard and rapidly; I got up at 5 o'clock and bathed my face in cold water and felt somewhat better, though my head and back still ache considerably and feel quite sore; eyeb.a.l.l.s feel bruised.

6:30. Weak, empty feeling about stomach, which was relieved for awhile by eating some crackers and drinking a cup of coffee. Pulse still 88.

At 8:15 had an action from my bowels; during stool griping and cutting pains in abdomen, about and below umbilicus; stool thin, watery, blackish-brown color and very offensive. I retired at 9:30 and had to have an extra covering thrown upon me, I was so chilly, while my room-mate lay without any covering at all. My head feels sore and bruised all over, and the small of my back is exceedingly weak and feels, when I touch it with my hand, as though the skin were all off.

Thursday, July 13th. I was very nervous and restless last night after going to bed; didn't go to sleep till after 12 o'clock, and woke up several times before daylight with pains in my head, abdomen and back.

Got up at 8 o'clock. My head feels sore and bruised; the bruised feeling seems to go into my brain now; every time I move, cough or laugh it seems as if my head would split open and fly in every direction; my _back_ is not so painful this morning; I couldn't eat much breakfast; stool this morning was quite copious, watery, _dark_ brown and not so offensive as yesterday.

9:30. Headache better; several times this morning I have had attacks of cutting or griping pains in my intestines, in and about the umbilical region; my tongue is very heavily coated in the centre with a thick yellowish fur; the tip is slightly red, and on each side of the tip there are several little places that look as though blood was about to ooze forth from them; my tongue feels drawn and shriveled up the centre.

4:30. The only symptom at 11 o'clock was a dull, sore, aching feeling in the umbilical and iliac regions, occasionally changing for just a minute or so to a severe griping, which was relieved some by emission of flatus. My face has a yellowish appearance; from the outer to the inner canthus there is a reddish-yellow streak, about one-quarter of an inch wide, in the whites of both eyes; the blood vessels of the sclerotic coat are very much enlarged and distinctly visible.

Friday, July 14th. I suffered considerably after 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon and last night with pains in my abdomen, and they are more severe this morning than yesterday; it feels just like a string tied in a "slip knot" around my intestines in the umbilical region, and every once in awhile it was _suddenly_ drawn tight for a minute or so, and then _gradually_ loosened; stool this morning was very thin, watery and rather flaky; the flaky portion was dark yellow, the fluid portion _dark_ green, with a _light_ green foam or froth on top, streaked with a white, mucus-looking substance; flatus and faeces pa.s.sed together; some pain in my bowels during stool, and a hot, scalded sensation in a.n.u.s, which lasted fifteen or twenty minutes after stool; during stool a cold perspiration broke out on my forehead and back of my hands; took quite a while to pa.s.s stool, and then only a small quant.i.ty pa.s.sed; eyeb.a.l.l.s feel bruised and the whites have a yellowish cast all over, though the "bands" are still very distinct; my skin is quite yellow to-day and I feel very much fatigued generally.

Sat.u.r.day, July 15th. Stool about natural this morning; some feeling in my abdomen, though not so severe; no new symptoms.

Sunday, July 16th. The only thing unusual which I noticed to-day was the pa.s.sage of considerable offensive flatus; a greater quant.i.ty after retiring than during the day.

I noticed no more symptoms after Sunday night.

(The following is from a letter of Dr. E. M. Hale):

Some time ago I received a letter from Dr. F. S. Smith, of Lock Haven, Pa., in which, referring to _Chionanthus_, he says:

"For the first time to-day I read your article on _Chionanthus_ in the last edition of your Materia Medica of 'New Remedies.' I have been using this drug for over two years, as a specific for so-called sick headache.

It has done wonders for me in that disease. I had been a victim from early childhood, and have suffered terribly. I have not had an attack for two years. If I am threatened, a few drops, timely taken, dissipates it at once.

"Dr. B., a dentist, aged 35, dark complexion, a victim to sick headache, had an attack on an average once in three weeks. Since taking _Chionanthus_, has not had more than two or three attacks in over two years, and then owing to a neglect to take the medicine. I have failed in but one case, and that was a menstrual sick headache.

"I prescribe it as follows: In cases of habitual sick headache, 5 gtts.

of the 2x dil. three times a day for a week, then twice a day for a week, then once a day for a week, after which the patient only takes it when symptoms of the attack show themselves. I regard it almost a specific."

(_Chionanthus_ is also, by some physicians, regarded as a specific in jaundice, either acute or chronic, and the proving seems to justify the belief.)

CORNUS ALTERNIFOLIA.

NAT. ORD., Cornaceae.

COMMON NAME, Alternate-leaved Cornel or Dogwood. Swamp-walnut.

PREPARATION.--The fresh bark and young twigs are pounded to a pulp and macerated in two parts by weight of alcohol.

(The following proving of this remedy was made under the supervision of Dr. F. H. Lutze, Brooklyn. The _Cornus alternifolia_, or "swamp walnut," has a reputation among the people in certain localities as being a "sure" remedy for "salt rheum.")

FIRST PROVING BY R. E. ALBERTSON.

Commence at bedtime Tuesday, May 12, 1896.

Wednesday, May 13, 1896.--Awoke this morning after a very refres.h.i.+ng night's sleep, feeling as well as usual; and did not notice anything out of the ordinary during the entire day. Had stool, but somewhat scanty.

Appet.i.te fair.

Thursday, May 14, 1896.--Did not rest very well during night. Had dream I was spending summer in country. Did not get into anything like a sound sleep until near morning; and then was very reluctant about getting up; would have preferred to have had a couple hours more of such sleep. I have noticed nothing in the course of the day worthy of mention excepting a pain across the small of the back, which lasted only a short time and then disappeared. Stool to-day little better than yesterday.

Friday, May 15, 1896.--Another restless night; would get into a light sleep off and on until near morning. Dreamed again; this time of an exciting fire drill. Up to to-day had been taking _Cornus alternifolia_ thrice daily; 3 drops 30th, commencing with this morning every three hours. Stool to-day at first hard and difficult, then loose. Nothing further noticed to-day.

Sat.u.r.day, May 16, 1896.--Pa.s.sed a very restless and sleepless night; guess I was awake at the striking of every hour. Tongue has been coated a yellowish white for a couple of days. Stool to-day, but scanty. Feel as well as usual, but don't seem to have the ambition to do anything for any length of time.

Sunday, May 17, 1896.--Experienced another very restless and sleepless night. Felt an aching in left shoulder and dull pain across forehead, more particularly on right side. Stool to-day and appet.i.te fair.

Monday, May 18, 1896.--While I pa.s.sed another restless night, it was not as bad as nights previous. Seem to hear every little noise and sound.

When once awake, mind becomes active and then it is difficult to get into a sleep again. Have dreamed something mostly every night; some of which I do not remember.

Tuesday, May 19, 1896.--Rested somewhat better last night; though was awake off and on. Last dose taken at bedtime.

Wednesday, May 20, 1896.--Experienced another restless night; was awake most of the night until about 3 A.M., when I dropped off into a sleep.

Friday, May 22, 1896.--Noticed a little sore inside of mouth (left side), which by Sat.u.r.day, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday had become very annoying. When eating anything that came in contact with it, or even when moving the mouth in a certain direction would cause a sticking, p.r.i.c.king pain. I also want to mention a few eruptions, small pustules on face and neck, which appeared during this proving.

SECOND PROVING OF "CORNUS ALTERNIFOLIA."

BY F. H. LUTZE, M. D.

February 1, 1896.--Took 5 drops of [Greek: theta] three times daily.

February 6, 1896.--Took 5 drops of [Greek: theta] every two hours. On second day had two loose evacuations in quick succession in the afternoon.

February 9, 1896.--A cold feeling in chest as if it were filled with cold air or ice; this continued for two days and was very disagreeable, but seemed to have no influence on action of heart or respiration.

A second proving, commenced on April 1st, reproduced the same symptoms in same manner. Have made no proving of 30th yet.

THIRD PROVING OF "CORNUS ALTERNIFOLIA" 30TH DILUTION.

Commenced at bedtime Sunday, June 7, 1896.

Monday, June 8, 1896.--Awoke after being awake the greater part of the night feeling as usual. Felt dull pain in right side region of liver about 11 A.M.

Tuesday, June 9, 1896.--Slept very little; tossed and turned mostly all night; could not get into any comfortable position. Tongue this morning coated a yellowish white. No stool to-day and appet.i.te fair.