Kent's cases 26: Chills Rhus tox

W. B. says he has had several chills and that they are increasing in severity.
The first he noticed of his departure from health was a peculiar burning of
his skin, his face swelled and looked red, especially about the eyes.
He thought it was erysipelas. The burning and itching were intense. It felt
so badly that he could not resist pinching and scratching. His eyes closed
from the rapid swelling and neck got too big for his collar; over the chest
the itching and burning were almost maddening.


He applied cold water to his face which gave him comfort and reduced the
swelling so he could open his eyes. In spite of the itching and burning he
must keep in a warm room. In spite of the local relief from cold the general
state was made worse from cold. The urticaria went back and the chills
came on beginning in the hands and feet.
Chill 12 to 1 for several days, then 10: 30 a. m. every other day. Chills
begin by a dry cough which lasts until fever is marked. He climbed upon
the heater and piled clothing over him during the chill and did not become
even comfortably warm until the fever warmed him. Thirst only during
chill, for large quantities of water. Bones ache during chill and fever.
Fingers cold and dead during chill and the numbness wears off during the
fever. Gushing diarrhoea during chill. Fever is not very marked and there is
no sweat. During apyrexia, he must wear heavy clothing to keep warm; he
is much affected by weather changes. Great restlessness day and night. The
amelioration from warmth is a marked feature of his whole case.
Rhus tox 1m. cured. No more chills.
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The beginner might think of Apis in the above case on account of the
urticaria and the thirst during the chill, but there was no suffocation
attending the eruption, and the amelioration from warmth must exclude
Apis.
Rhus has no characteristic place for a chill to begin nor special time, but the
gushing diarrhoea and aggravation from cold generally and more especially
the chill beginning with a dry cough must point to Rhus as the most
appropriate remedy.
Where there is a gushing diarrhoea during chill or fever, and urticaria,
Elaterium should be consulted.
It is characteristic of Hepar to have urticaria during the chill, of Rhus,
Ignatia, and Apis during the fever, Rhus, Hepar, and Apis during apyrexia,
of Elaterium after the chills have been suppressed.
But I have never seen the urticaria crop out incompletely during the
apyrexia and seem to get relief by a gushing diarrhoea, in cases cured by
Elaterium. It has been only a clinical observation.
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Case 27
Chronic arthritis
Lycopodium et Rhus tox.
Mrs. N., Age, about thirty-eight, has for about ten years been an invalid as
a result of chronic arthritis of the left knee. When it was in the acute stage
she was treated by Dr. Hammer, a well-known St. Louis surgeon.
It was cupped and blistered but the disease progressed. She was treated by
the best allopathic surgeons and still it progressed. The last to have control
of it was our lamented Dr. Hodgen, who placed it in a splint, saying that if
anchylosis could not be accomplished it must come off. "A stiff leg or no
leg," was his language. Two months in a splint failed to accomplish
anchylosis.
July 16th, 1881.,
I was called to the case. The knee was painful and extremely sore to touch,
enlarged to twice the size of the well one and very hard. The thigh was
emaciated and the ankle and feet were oedematous. The limb was wrapped
and she was in bed. She could sit up but the limb could not be moved
much, it was so painful from motion. There was great burning in the soles
and top of the head.
Sulph. 55000 one dose dry. Sac. lac.
The husband came to me the next morning, saying that Mrs. N. was much
worse. She had suffered greatly during the night and had pain all over the
body. I visited her and urged her to bear her suffering, that it would pass off
soon.
She took Sac. lac till August 20th, and Sulph. 81m was given, one dose dry.
Slight aggravation followed, but she said she could bear it, as the first
medicine which aggravated had been followed by such relief.
September 1st.
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The pain has all subsided and she is moving about the house on crutches.
September 20th,
she sent for me. I found crepe on the door and learned that her husband had
been sick a week and had died under allopathic treatment; that she had been
up night and day attending him and was very nervous and the limb was
much more painful.
She took Ignatia for some days until the sad occasion had passed over a
little, when I again paid my attention to the knee.
October 8th
she took Sulph. 81m and she thought it gave her rest, but not much
improvement in the knee. She continued Sac. Lac. to November 12th. The
joint has grown smaller, the foot is not so oedematous, no burning in the
soles or top of head. Her appetite is good and she is gaining strength. In a
general way she is much improved. Not seeing. How matters could be
improved by medicine, without better indications, I concluded to continue
Sac. Lac.
December 3d.
She complained of cold feet and that every change in the weather from
warm to cold gave her pain in the knee and she had a craving for eggs. She
had difficulty in keeping warm.
Calc. 85m and Sac Lac for a month.
January 7th, 1882
Feeling very comfortable; slept well most of her nights; feet warm, and
there was not much pain in the knee; swelling in knee going down; she is
about the house on crutches; the sensitiveness is gradually going out of the
knee. Sac Lac.
During all this time there has been limited motion in the limb, but the
slightest motion has always caused pain, but she has been able to swing it
off the bed, holding the foot up to prevent flexion and then with her
crutches she has been going about the house with comparative comfort.
February 3d.-Calc. 85m. Improving slowly.
March 25th.
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There is some motion in the knee without much pain; the joint is slowly
growing smaller; no swelling of the foot; she now wears a shoe that mates
the right, the first time f or ten years or more. Sac. Lac.
April 4th.
No new symptoms; improvement has ceased.
Calc-c. 85m and Sac. Lac.
May 3d.
No change from last date; no new symptoms; eating well, sleeping well;
countenance looks well. What shall I do? Prescribe for the knee? No. I
wait. Sac. Lac.
June 3d.
Sour eructations that seem to burn the pharynx but do not come up into the
mouth; knee more painful; nights restless; must move about, which seems
to relieve; drawing pain in the knee; gnawing pain in the stomach.
"A sour eructation, the taste of which does not remain in the mouth, but the
acid gnaws in the stomach" Lyc.
"Incomplete burning eructations which only rise into the pharynx, where
they cause a burning for several hours" (Allen) Lyc.
Lycopodium having all the rest of the symptoms, it was given 71m, and
Sac. Lac.
The knee became very painful and she was compelled to keep her bed for
several days. Each day I visited her and she took Sac. Lac.
July 2d.
She is walking with crutches and has very little pain in the knee; no pain in
stomach or eructation. Improving.
August 3d.-Improving. Sac. Lac.
September 2d.-Lycop. 71m and Sac. Lac.
September 6th.-- Slight aggravation front the Lyc. Improving.
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October Ist.-Improving. Sac. Lac.
November 8th.-Improving. Sac. Lac.
December 15th.-Lycopod 71m and Sac Lac.
January, 1883.
It is now eighteen months since taking this case. The patient is in good
flesh, and the knee is the only thing that gives her trouble. There is still
limited motion. The motion is not much painful except when forced flexion
is attempted. She goes about the yard and out into the road. I furnished her
a cane and advised laying aside one of the crutches. She has no fear of the
knee being hit, which heretofore has been a great factor in the case.
May 1
She walks with a crutch and cane. Limbs gaining motion continuously. No
new symptoms, knee nearly natural. She can bear some weight on the left
foot.
Lyc. 71m dry and Sac. Lac.
July 8th
Rheumatism pains in both knees and such restlessness that she moves all
night. Stiffness in joints, which passes off by motion; while in motion she
feels better,
Rhus. tox. 1m in water every three hours.
July 10th.
Improved. Restlessness all gone. Stiffness some better. Sac. Lac,
August 5th-Improving. Rhus tox 32m one dose, and Sac. Lac.
September 1st
I found her walking with one cane. She moved over the house to show me
how well she could walk.
October 1st. -Improving. Rhus. tox. 32m one dose, and San Lac.
November 8th.-Rhus. tox. 32m one dose, and Sac Lac.
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December 5th
She walked with the aid of her cane two blocks to a street car, and came to
my office without the aid of the cane.
January 7th., 1884.
Came to my office. She walks with a limp. Limited motion in the knee, but
the soreness has gone. I asked her if she regretted going under
constitutional treatment, to which she answered:
"Ten thousand times, no."
I have referred to two distinguished allopathic attendants, simply to show
that the best surgical skill had been applied, and that the value of the purely
homoeopathic method may be the better appreciated. Ten years she grew
worse, and in two and one-half year she was cured. If it can be argued that
she recovered without medicine, then the means that had been used were
destroying her life.
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Case 28
Chronic disorders promptly cured
Malaria fever
Sulfur
Mr. R., young man, 38 years old, was discharged from the U. S. army for
physical disability from chronic malaria; had taken quinine in twenty grain
doses for years to keep down recurrent malaria; he seldom went longer than
six weeks before his chills would return; he suffered severely, but with a
confused general condition. He had never permitted his case to develop
into well-defined symptoms but he was pale and ached all over; full of
chilliness in the afternoon and evening and heat all night.
Chronic indigestion; can eat but few simple foods. Malaria contracted in
Delaware over twelve years ago; has suffered ever since. Distended with
much gas stomach and bowels. Burning pain. Restless during fever and
must move constantly.
Aching in limbs with fever. More sensitive to cold than to heat; likes to be
warm. Cannot concentrate mind. Thirst only moderate. Wants everything
very salty.
Stool: urging drives him out of bed every morning. Feet are so warm that
he sleeps with them out of bed often in cold weather.
Sulph. 10m relieved all his symptoms and he felt well for six weeks, then
his symptoms began to return; he had been thinking he was well.
Sulph. 10m was repeated and he did not return for 40 days because he
thought he could do without me, he felt so well.
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His symptoms began to return; Sulph. 50m. Has remained in perfect health.
He is an engineer and much exposed, but his endurance is better that it ever
was and he has added flesh and color.
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Case 29
Gastric disturbance.
Phosphorus
Catherine W., aged 7. Every 2 or 3 weeks paroxysms of vomiting, with
high fever, red face, and thirst for ice cold water.
Since infancy has had these vomiting spells. She vomits yellow and green
mucus, even pure bile. She has taken much medicine and had several
physicians. Jaundiced eyes and skin.
Constipation; has used cathartics and injections. Stools usually undigested.
Urine: brickdust - sediment.
Very chilly in cold weather but the stomach symptoms are worse in hot
weather. Lips chap in cold weather. Suffers much more in summer. The
warmer the weather the severer are the paroxysms. Cold hands and damp
feet.
Skin mottled. Tongue heavily coated. Temperature subnormal when the
spells are not present. Excitable; cries, then laughs.
Phos. 10m.
In five weeks one light attack.
Phos. 10m.
Six weeks later she began to have signs of a return.
Phos. 50m.
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Seven weeks later she vomited, after her mother gave her stronger food (as
the child appeared very well.)
Phos. 50m.
No sign of returning symptoms for two months and ten days.
Phos. cm.
Two months later: Stool formed, undigested. Cold hands and feet. Mottled
skin. Thirst for very cold water.
Phos. cm.
She is now a robust child, growing rapidly; no symptoms.
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Case 30
Cicatrix removed by medicine
Calcarea carbonica
A young lady twenty-six years old, consulted me for some cicatrices on the
left side of the neck, an indentation that disfigured her very much was
there.
She said with the exception of cold, damp feet, she was in good health.
The fistulous openings had been there, discharging several years, and
finally closed under some sort of blood, or root syrup. Believing that her
treatment had only temporarily controlled the trouble, I attempted to find
what her remedy should be.
From all I could glean, and she had very few symptoms, but the Calc-c.
Symptom of "cold damp stockings" was there.
She took one dose of Calc-c, 85m.
On the third day her neck began to be painful. She called to ask me if the
medicine had anything to do with it. Plenty of S. L. was given.
The deep cicatrix suppurated and discharged several calcareous nodules
and the neck healed with scarcely a scar where the one opened.
A depression about two inches from this one is unsightly. She wished that
had opened in like manner, but a little surgical skill may remove the other.
Lippe gives: Cicatrices breaking open: Carbo-v., Crocus, Crotal, Lach.,
Nat-m., Phos., Sil.
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Case 31
Old school drugging
Sulphur
Miss W. L. C., aged thirty-five years, is a nurse, and has had free treatment
many years, hence has had violent old-school drugging until she is scarcely
able to earn her living.
Deafness in both ears, agg. in left, from quinine.
Perspires easily from exertion.
Quinine: am-c., ant-t., apis, ARN., ars., asa f., bell., CALC., caps., carb-v.,
cina., cop., dig., ferr., ferr-ar., gels., hell., ip., lach., merc., nat-m., nux-v.,
ph-ac., phos., plb., puls., samb., sep., stann., sul-ac., sulph., verat.
Perspires on slight exertion: Ars., calc., caps., carb-v., ferr., ferr-ar., gels.,
lach., merc., nat-m., phos., sep., stann., sulph., sul-ac., verat.
Impaired hearing: Ars., Calc., caps., carb-v., ferr., ferr-ar., gels., lach.,
merc., nat-m., phos., sep., sulph., sul-ac., verat.
Ears, roaring in: Ars., Calc., carb-v., ferr., ferr-ar., gels., lach., merc., nat-
m., phos., sep., sulph., sul-ac., verat.
Ringing: Ars., Calc., carb-v., ferr., lach., merc., nat-m., phos., sep., sulph.,
sul-ac.
Impaired hearing, human voice: Ars., phos., sulph.
Taste bitter: Ars., calc., carb-v., lach., nat-m., phos., sep., sulph.
Catarrh of nose: Ars., Calc., carb-v., lach., nat-m., phos., sep., sulph.
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Desires fresh air: Ars., carb-v., lach., nat-m., phos., sep., sulph.
Walking in open air: verat.
Buzzing: Ars., calc., carb-v., lach., nat-m., phos.,
Air amel.: Carb-v., nat-m., phos., sep., sulph.
Warm room agg.: Carb-v., nat-m., phos., sulph.
Sulphur, 10m,
and on through a series of potencies, has made a radical change for the
better; she is now able to earn her living.