New, Old, and Forgotten Remedies Part 7

As I have said before, more than a year afterwards the young woman continued in good health.

Following this case, Dr. Jousset quoted two a.n.a.logous instances in his practice, both of influential bronchitis, in which the sputa contained, for a certain period, Koch's bacillus. One was cured with _Aviaire_ 6th and strong doses of _Sulphate of Quinine_, and the other with _Aviaire_ 6th and twenty drops of _Tincture of Drosera_, a day.

"What conclusions must I draw from these facts?" says Dr. Jousset. "That the avian tuberculosis cured the consumption? I have failed too often in the treatment of ordinary consumption with this remedy to admit that."

That is my opinion also.

Koch's bacillus has been found in the nasal secretions of healthy hospital nurses, and of students of medicine, as noted by Strauss. Would it not be possible to come across it accidentally in certain kinds of expectoration, just as the pneumococcus is found in saliva?

In one of the numbers of _La Medecine Moderne_ of last year there appeared a short article on the "Influenzas known as pseudo-phymic." The writer remarked on the strong a.n.a.logy which certain complications of pulmonary influenza presented to acute tuberculosis. He observed, among other forms: 1st, the influenzal bronchitis which affected one of the summits of the lung, the most difficult form to diagnose from tuberculosis; 2d, the broncho-pneumonic form; 3d, the pleuro-pneumonic form, bearing a close resemblance to tuberculous pleurisy. I might remark that this last form is still little known and ill-defined. The influenza microbe always imitates to a remarkable degree the microbe of tuberculosis in certain instances; and if we wish to effect a cure on the laws laid down by Hahnemann in certain forms of influenzal bronchitis, we must frequently seek for the simillimum in the virus of tuberculosis.

I have mentioned oppression as one of the characteristics of _Bacillinum_. Now influenzal bronchitis is markedly accompanied by an incessant cough and by grave general symptoms. There is more frequently acute than pa.s.sive, obstructive and dyspnoeic congestion. I am inclined to prefer _Aviaire_ to _Bacillinum_ in such cases, and I should like to briefly touch upon certain cases in my practice.

I have under my care a little girl of twelve years of age who has for two years developed an influenza which rapidly leads to pulmonary symptoms, always distinctly localized in the top of the left lung. The mother is tuberculous, and the child, who was born with forceps, has her left chest less developed than her right. The congestion which accompanies the influenza is sudden and severe; within twenty-four hours the lung is invaded, and fine rales are soon heard. Twice running, at intervals of a year, _Aviaire_ 100th has stifled the symptoms in a few days. I have seen an a.n.a.logous case, only with congestion of the base of the lung.

In my clinical report of the Hopital St. Jacques (in August, 1895) I note ten cases of acute influenzal bronchitis with incessant cough, fever, and expectoration, rapidly cured with _Aviaire_. This year I have prescribed it with the same success as at the Hopital St. Jacques in cases of influenzal bronchitis, with active congestion. I will mention two cases of the pulmonary complications of measles which were rapidly dissipated by this remedy; but I must also mention a third case of measles in which _Aviaire_ failed and _Bryonia_ proved successful. The child had an acute rubeolic laryngitis, and few pulmonary symptoms.

_Bryonia_ was in this case more decidedly indicated than _Aviaire_.

The dilution of _Aviaire_ which I have always used is the 100th. I give usually five drops a day.

It seems that _Aviaire_ does not act in diminis.h.i.+ng the cough like an anodyne or a narcotic, but braces up the whole organism. The relief of debility and the return of appet.i.te are the phenomena which I have observed in conjunction with the diminution of the cough.

I have given _Aviaire_ 100th for weeks, and even for a month, regularly every day, without having observed excitement or aggravation. It would thus appear to be a remedy of long-lasting action, capable in certain cases of modifying the organism, and of bracing a const.i.tution which has become enfeebled from the effects of influenza or of suspicious bronchitis.

In contrast with _Bacillinum_ I have noted, in my observations on _Aviaire_, considerable cough and little dyspnoea--an acute inflammatory, extremely irritating cough, such as one meets with in acute diseases or sub-acute affections in young people; a cough which fatigues, and which leads to enfeeblement and loss of appet.i.te--in a word, a suspicious cough. To conclude my remarks, the utility of _Aviaire_ in _suspicious bronchitis_--an expression on which I again lay stress--I will recall certain indubitable examples of the cure (at the Hopital St. Jacques) of bronchitis or of pulmonary congestion at the top of one of the lungs, or of bronchitis on one side only, or of congestion predominating on one side. These localizations on one side are sufficiently grave symptoms to warrant apprehension of the hatching of tuberculosis.

If I were myself attacked, as the result of influenza or measles, or of some weakening malady, with an incessant tickling and stubborn cough, with certain closely localized pulmonary symptoms; if I lost my strength and appet.i.te; if, in a word, I were attacked by bronchitis whose upshot was highly doubtful, and which caused apprehension of tuberculosis, I should not hesitate a single moment, with the examples which I have had before me, to try _Aviaire_ 100th upon myself.

Such is the conclusion of my clinical observations made at Hopital St.

Jacques in August, 1895.

What I said last year I can only repeat with renewed confidence in this; and I hope that the years which follow will not cause me to alter my opinion.

BELLIS PERENNIS.

NAT. ORD., Compositae.

COMMON NAMES, English Daisy. Garden Daisy. Hens and Chickens.

PREPARATION.--The fresh plant, in flower, is pounded to a pulp and submitted to pressure. The expressed juice is then mixed with an equal part by weight of alcohol.

(The following is from Thomas' _Additions to the h.o.m.oeopathic Materia Medica_, 1858. To it we may add Dr. J. C. Burnett's statement that _Bellis_ is a remedy for all ills that may be traced to a sudden wetting when overheated.)

_Bellis perennis_ or daisy, formerly called _consolida_, on account of its vulnerary properties; the roots and leaves were used in wound drinks, and were considered efficacious in removing extravasated blood from bruises, etc. It is said to be refused by cattle on account of its peculiar taste. Lightfoot, in his _Flora Scotica_, says: "In a scarcity of garden-stuff, they (daisies) have, in some countries, been subst.i.tuted as pot herbs." My first trial with this plant as a curative agent was in the autumn of 1856. While on a visit in the neighborhood of Bangor, a countryman, understanding that I was a "doctor," wished me to prescribe for his foot, which he had sprained very badly. Not having either _Arnica_ or _Rhus_ with me, I determined to try the effects of the daisy; so directed him to procure a handful of the leaves and flowers of the plant, chop them up small, boil them for a quarter of an hour in half a pint of water, and apply them in linen as a poultice round the ankle at night. The application was not made until the next morning, but in half an hour's time the ankle admitted of very fair motion. A piece of calico wetted and wrung out of the daisy water was then wrapped round the ankle, and the man put his shoe on and limped about all day, walking not less than five miles. He repeated the poultice at night, and found his ankle so much restored in the morning that he was able to walk four miles to his work without experiencing any difficulty. The success, in this instance, so far exceeded the previous use of _Arnica_ and _Rhus_, especially in the time gained, that I had a tincture from the whole plant made for such uses, and have used it in sprained ankle from a fall--the ankle was well the second day. A sprain of the wrist, which had been a week ailing, yielded to the daisy in three days. I have also successfully used it in several severe whitlows; in every case the pure tincture was used externally. The only provings I have made with this remedy have been with the pure tincture in ten or twenty drop doses at a time. After taking the medicine for fourteen days without any symptoms, I suspended the use of it--in two weeks after leaving it off, for the first time in my life I had a large boil on the back of my neck (right side), commencing with a dull aching pain; some difficulty and a bruised pain in keeping the head erect; slight nausea, want of appet.i.te, and a little giddiness in the head at times. Pain in middle finger of the left hand, as of a gathering, for a short time only; and at the same time pain in inner side of left forearm, as of a boil developing; two nights before similar pains in corresponding parts of the right arm--query, are these effects of _Bellis_ (this was written December 11, 1856). The boil on the neck came December 7, 1856; began as a slight pimple with burning pain in the skin, increasing until in six days' time it was very large, of a dark fiery purple color, and very sore burning and aching pain in it, accompanied with headache, extending from occiput to sinciput, of a cold aching character; brain as though contracted in frontal region, dizziness, etc. (as before stated). I now set to work to cure myself, which by use of hot fomentations and lint dipped in [Greek: theta] tincture of _Belladonna_ externally, taking at the same time 3d dil. _Belladonna_ internally, was soon accomplished.

Three days after this was cured, another made its appearance, which speedily succ.u.mbed to the same remedies. As I had never previously had a boil, and had not made any change in my diet, I suspected _Bellis_ tincture to be the cause of the trouble. On the 12th of January, 1857, feeling my left foot somewhat strained after running, I applied _Bellis_ [Greek: theta] to the strain, which for several days aggravated the feeling; and in five hours after the application I had another small boil (three weeks after disappearance of the last), which yielded to same treatment as the others, by January 19, 1857. On March 7, 1857, I chewed some daisy flowers. On the 11th, a small boil appeared at the angle of the inferior maxilla, right side; _Belladonna_ [Greek: theta], externally, cured it. The last trial I made with the third centesimal dilution of _Bellis_, taking three drops on Tuesday, 2d March, 1858, on the following Friday a small pimple appeared a little behind the angle of _left_ inferior maxilla; it increased very much in size and pain by Sat.u.r.day, when I treated it with _Belladonna_ [Greek: theta] externally, to which it soon yielded. As at no other time in my life have I suffered from boils, I am inclined to think these are due to the use of the daisy.

BERBERIS AQUIFOLIUM.

NAT. ORD., Berberidaceae

COMMON NAMES, Oregon grape. Mountain grape.

PREPARATION.--The fresh root and stem is pounded to a pulp and macerated in two parts by weight of alcohol.

(This unintentional proving was published in August, 1896, under the signature J. d. W. C. The paper referred to by J. d. W. C. was a clipping from the _Eclectic Medical Journal_.)

In the _h.o.m.oeopathic Recorder_ for March, 1896, p. 133, there appears an interesting article on the virtues of the plant named above--it starts out with: "From the fact that it will make a 'new' man of an old one in a short time it is an excellent remedy."

As I am now over sixty years old, it seemed high time to cast about for something possessing the virtue specified, viz., making "a 'new' man out of an old one"--and to my knowledge, as I have never had five days'

illness confining me to bed, or even to my room, during the said sixty years, I considered myself an easy subject for the contemplated rejuvenation; besides all this, I am what some would call a h.o.m.oeopathic "crank;" and believed, and yet believe, if there be anything that can effect such a transformation it is to be found only within the lines of h.o.m.oeopathy, I immediately ordered quantum suf. of the article in question from the celebrated firm of Boericke & Tafel, and started out on the trip to the "Fountain of Youth" in full confidence that _something_ would come of it.

The first day I took two doses mother tincture 10-15 drops each; no special effect noticed--no youthfulness either! Second day, ditto; third day, one dose in morning; after bank hours went to friend's sanctum and engaged in a game of chess, and while so engaged felt a growing sense of nausea and thick-headedness--so much so, that I was obliged to excuse myself and hurry to my own quarters. _Berberis_, however, did not once occur to me--I had scarce reached my room when the sense of nausea (seven minutes' lively walk, since it became really oppressive) had _full sway_, and having eaten nothing whatever since the previous evening (as I do not eat unless I am hungry) the straining was rather severe, but exactly similar to some previous attacks of "biliousness"--in feeling, and color and taste of discharges--and still _Berberis_ did not occur to me; as soon as the strain was over I was seized with a remarkable and peculiar headache; a thing of which I have no recollection whatever to have previously experienced in any shape--the sensation was that of a strong, well-defined, compressive band of iron (or some unyielding substance), about two inches wide, pa.s.sing _entirely round the head, just above the ears_--it kept on growing tighter and tighter; I jumped from the reclined position on a couch, wet a folded towel in cold water, and pa.s.sed it round my head so as to cover the "band;" but it gave little relief; about 10 o'clock I began to think over what I might have eaten to disagree with me so, and at last _Berberis_ came plump into sight; I at once prepared a cup of strong, strong coffee (Hahnemann's antidote, and for which I had to send to a neighbor), believing it would antidote the _Berberis_ (or rather hoping it might), and about 12 o'clock there was a slight diminution of pressure; then more coffee, black and strong, two or three mouthfuls, and again laid down; by morning the serious phase of the headache had disappeared, but I was exceedingly tremulous in nerves and unsteady in gait up to noon, when I ventured on some oatmeal and syrup--habitually, I do not eat meat, or drink tea or coffee, nor spirituous liquors, nor use tobacco, and have not for over thirty years.

Finally, I "made a good recovery," and now whenever I have a sensation of biliousness I touch my tongue to my finger after touching the cork of the mother tincture bottle of _Berberis aqui._; with laid finger--and have no trouble compared to what I have usually had--I believe I may say, I am subject to bilousness by heredity, but it has removed much thereof, and this remedy, I think, is good enough for the remainder.

BLATTA ORIENTALIS.

SYNONYM, Indian c.o.c.kroach.

CLa.s.s, Insecta.

ORDER, Orthoptera.

COMMON NAME (Indian), Talapoka.

PREPARATION.--Triturate in the usual way.

(These two papers are by Dr. D. N. Ray, of Calcutta, India, and were originally published in the _h.o.m.oeopathic Recorder_ in the years 1890 and 1891. A number of papers from American physicians could be added confirming what Dr. Ray says of the drug.)

The _Blatta orientalis_ is a common insect in India, where it is found abundantly in the dwelling houses. It has rather a flat body, from an inch to a couple of inches in length; deep brown color. It can fly a short distance. The wings reach beyond the body and cover it completely; the feet have several segments and are provided with p.r.i.c.kles.

Preparation.--The live animal is crushed and triturated as under cla.s.s IX of American h.o.m.oeopathic Pharmacopoeia, a tincture can be prepared as under cla.s.s IV of the same Pharmacopoeia.

This new unknown remedy has a curious anecdote connected with it. I call it new because it has not been mentioned in any of our medical works, although the use of _Blatta Americana_ (American c.o.c.kroach) as a remedy for dropsy has been mentioned in journals. The Indian c.o.c.kroach is used not in cases of dropsy but in cases of _Asthma_, a most obstinate disease to deal with. In asthma it acts almost specifically. Before I further proceed to give an account of this new, invaluable drug I shall narrate here a short story how it came into use.

Some years ago an elderly gentleman had long been suffering from asthma; for over twenty years. He took all measures and tried different methods of both recognized and unrecognized medical treatments, but unfortunately all proved in vain. At last he gave up all treatment and was getting fits daily. He was brought to such a deplorable condition that he was left to suffer. He was in the habit of taking tea. One afternoon as usual he drank his cup of tea--afterwards he noticed that his oppression in the chest was much less and that he was feeling unusually better, so much so that he felt himself a different being.

This led him and his friends to inquire into the cause of it. He immediately inferred that the relief was due to the drinking of the _tea_, although he habitually drank the same tea but never before had experienced any such changes. So this change he attributed to something in the tea. The servant who prepared the tea was sent for and questioned. His reply was that he made the tea as usual and there was nothing new in it. The residue of the teacup was carefully examined, nothing was found there, but on examining the tea-pot a dead c.o.c.kroach was discovered. So it was concluded that this _infusion_ of c.o.c.kroach did the gentleman a world of good. The very day he drank that _cup of tea_ he had hardly any fit of asthma at night, and in a few days he got entirely well to his and his friends' surprise.

The accounts of his Providential recovery were communicated to some of his friends--one of them, not a medical man, but quite an enterprising gentleman, took this into his head and resolved to try whether c.o.c.kroach does any good to other asthmatic patients. For this purpose he got a lot of c.o.c.kroaches, put them alive into a quant.i.ty of boiling water and mixed it after filtering the water when cool with almost the same quant.i.ty of the rectified spirit of wine, so that it might last for some time without getting soured. This new mixture (or tincture) he began to try in each and every case of asthma that he came across. The dose was a drop each time, 3 or 4 doses daily, and more frequently during the fits of asthma. Within a short time he made some such wonderful cures that people began to flock from different parts of the country to his door.

Soon the number of attendants was so great that he had to manufacture the medicine by pounds and all this medicine he distributed to patients without any charge. He has records of some of the cases.

Some two years ago a patient of mine asked me whether we make any use of _Talapoka_ (c.o.c.kroach) in our Pharmacopoeia. My reply was that we use many loathsome insects as our remedial agents. I told him also that _Blatta Americana_ (American c.o.c.kroach), I had heard, had been used in cases of dropsy, but I had no practical experience with it. He then said the Indian c.o.c.kroach is used in cases of asthma and he knew several cases had been cured with it. This struck me and I determined to try this in cases of asthma whenever next opportunity occurred. For this purpose I got a lot of live c.o.c.kroaches, killed them and pounded to a fine pulp and triturated according to cla.s.s IX of American h.o.m.oeopathic Pharmacopoeia, that is, two parts by weight of the substance and nine parts by weight of sugar of milk, giving 1x trituration. Thus I prepare up to 3x trituration and I also make an alcoholic solution--a few live c.o.c.kroaches were crushed and five parts by weight of alcohol poured over them--it was allowed to remain eight days in a dark, cool place, being shaken twice daily. After the expiration of that period the alcoholic solution was poured off, strained and filtered, when it was ready for use.

I began to try both the preparations--drop doses of the tincture and grain doses of 1x, 2x and sometimes 3x, 3 or 4 times daily when there was no fit and almost every fifteen minutes or half hourly during the severity of a fit. Both preparations began to answer well and I was getting daily more and more encouraged about the efficacy of this new drug. I had the opportunity of trying quite a number of cases of asthma within this short time, the reports of which I wish to publish in the future, but for the present I am glad to say in many cases it acted almost specifically, that is, the whole trouble cleared away within a fortnight or so without recurrence. In some cases the severity of the paroxysm was lessened and the recurrence of the fits took place at a longer interval; in others again only temporary benefit was observed.

This failure to benefit all cases alike I attribute to many circ.u.mstances. Some people did not, rather could not, take the medicine regularly according to my directions owing to their untoward circ.u.mstances; some persons were suffering from other complications along with asthma; some again got temporary relief and in the meantime discontinued the medicine and came back again when there was a recurrence of the fits, that is, they did not continue the drug for sufficient length of time. Some cases again, not having derived immediate benefit, got impatient and discontinued the medicine without proper trial.

Besides all these, I think individual idiosyncrasy has a great deal to do. The season of the year has some influence. It is usually observed in this country that those who are subject to periodical attacks of asthmatic fits are more p.r.o.ne to an attack either during the full or the new moon, or at both the times. I believe if it is properly watched this fact will be evident all over the world. Same is true of some other diseases, as chronic cough, chronic fevers, rheumatism, either acute or chronic, gout, elephantiasis, other glandular enlargements, etc., get aggravated or are p.r.o.ne to aggravation during such changes of the moon.