Kent's cases 73: Numbness in fingers and soles of feet Alumina

Mr. T_____, aged 35, a travelling man, with syphilitic history, came back
from one of his western trips, with the following symptoms:
Numbness in fingers and soles of feet, with much awkwardness of all his
motions. The staggering was marked and he walked on a wide base. He
could not distinguish between small objects with his fingers.

His manual movements were irregular and would miss his purpose. His
movements thus far were not more irregular by closing the eyes. His
staggering was no worse when walking with his eyes closed. The reflexes,
tendon patellae and ankle joint were abolished, and he had to wait a long
time for his urine to start.
Fulgurating pains coursed through his limbs and back and he was in a
general way going down in bodily health. He says he has had these
symptoms three months and they have grown stronger every day.
His visual apparatus has been defective a long time but there are no new
symptoms traceable to the probable nervous state.
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Every seven days he got one powder dry on the tongue-Alumina met. 200,
no other medicine.
A change for the better took place after the second dose. He took four doses
in all.
Every homoeopathist conversant with our literature must see a resemblance
between this case and the one cured by Boenninghausen.
While the symptoms in both cases are analogous to signs of sclerosis of
posterior root-zones, yet, the essential features are wanting.
But the action of the remedy, as applied for a purpose, is just as
demonstrative. While it, in my judgment, is evident there was no sclerosis,
it is highly probable that a disturbing factor was at work in the tracks of co-
ordination, the posterior lateral columns; and in time a grave pathological
change would have been established.
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