Kent's cases 91: Lepra Vulgaris - With Clinical Notes On Pulsatilla Sulfur

Clinical Note On Pulsatilla.-

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In Lepra vulgaris the diffuse form of psoriasis, when it occurs in large
patches about the size of the palm over the abdomen and other parts of the
body, with heat and redness, and itching worse at night in the warmth of
the bed.
Pulsatilla has worked Wonders. It goes to the bottom and cures it in an
orderly way.
This is a feature that is not brought out in any of the books.
From the observation of this fact I have been able to cure the mange in
dogs at once with Puls. when the disease took this patchy form.
We see the depth of action of this drug also in its ability to antidote the
effects of Sulphur.
When Sulphur has been used externally and internally to suppress itch,
Pulsatilla will antidote it and bring back the itch.
In all skin diseases, however, let it be your aim to fit the remedy to the
constitution of the patient and not to the character of the eruption alone.
Always leave the consideration of the skin to the last.
When the reverse is done and the remedy suits only the eruption, while the
skin symptoms are benefited, the patient is invariably made worse.
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Case 92
Mammary tumor cured with carbo-an.
Graphites
Phytolacca
Carbo animalis

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Mrs. H. has had several children; she is about thirty five years old; she has
always had much difficulty with all her confinements.
The last one was comparatively easy, and yet it was tedious, owing to an
elongated cervix.
With the first she had an abscess in the mammae (r) and it was badly
treated, so that the cicatrix has always been a source of trouble.
Preparatory to her last confinement I prepared her as best I could, guided
by her symptoms.
The child is now some two months old and she is suffering with a hard
lump in the right mamma.
When I first observed the threatened trouble after the milk began to form,
she took Graphites without benefit; also Phytolacca, but only temporary
relief followed.
The milk mostly dried up and she now has a nodular lump with retraction
of the nipple, and there are lumps in the axilla; she complains of burning
and stinging in the lump and her menstrual flow has come on.
She says she has always menstruated during lactation.
The flow is dark and clotted; when she goes to sleep she perspires freely;
she seems greatly prostrated after a moderate loss of menstrua; she is
somewhat cachectic.
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For a choice of remedies we might arrange:
Burning in Mammae: Apis., Bell., Calc., Carbo-an., Iod., Led., Mez.,
Selen., Laur., Phos., Lyc., Tarent-c.
Stinging in Mammae: Apis., Berb., Carbo-an., Con., Kreos., Graph., Grat.,
Ind., Iod., Kali-c., Laur., Lys., Murex, Nat-m., Phos., Rheum., Sang., Sep.
Nodosities in Mammae: Bell., Carbo-an., Coloc., Con., Graph., Lys., Nit-
ac., Sil.
Cancer of Mammae, (Minton): Bell., Carb-an., Coloc., Con., Graph., Lys.,
Nit-ac., Sil.
Perspiration during sleep: Carb-an., Cic., Chin., Dros., Euph., Ferr., Jatr.,
Merc., Nux-v., Phos., Puls., Selen., Thuj.
Great exhaustion after Menses: Alum., Carb-an., Chin., Ip., Phos.
Menses During Lactation: Calc., Sil.
Neither of the last remedies correspond to the balance of the symptoms.
But it will be seen that Carbo-an. and Phos. cover the case, and the
menstrual flow, which is dark and clotted, is not so characteristic of Phos,
as Carb-an.
The exhaustion after the flow is more marked in Carb-an. than in Phos.,
though both have it in a marked degree.
"The flow weakens her; she can hardly speak; blood dark; (Guiding
Symptoms) under Carb-an., Carb-an. 3m, one dose dry was administered.
Four weeks, burning and stinging all gone; glands in axilla nearly gone.
After the dose the cutting pains became worse for a few days. Medicine
repeated in thirty-nine days. The lump has disappeared.
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Case 93
Natrum sulph., in symptoms arising after an injury to the head
Rhus toxicodendron
Natrum Sulfuricum

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This case, involving the most intense suffering, was the result of a violent
accident, that of being trampled upon by a spirited horse.
While visiting the farm of Chancellor Nicholson of Dover, Del., he invited
my attention to his farmer who was suffering at that time from the
following symptoms:
Rheumatism in left side, no pain elsewhere, worse in hands to wrists and
knees to hips.
Pain like a knife sticking in him, had not had such an attack for a long time.
Agg. in bed, can't sleep for the pain.
Does not feel sleepy, gets mad because he cannot sleep.
Gets stiff all over when sits or lies down.
Amel. from pressure or moving about.
Having learned that Mrs. Nicholson had given Rhus about the 30th potency
after the accident, and that it had worked well, and the symptoms seeming
to agree, I gave him one dose of Rhus. mm on Oct. 27, 1897.
This had only a temporary effect, as will be seen by the following letter
from the Chancellor:
Symptoms of r. R. E. Dec. 1, 1897
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Since the days of his apprenticeship in a Vienna Brewery he has been a
very poor sleeper.
Immediately after taking your last powder he slept for four or five nights,
"better than in all his life," say four or five hours of good sleep each night.
Since then has not slept at all.
Says positively that in the whole time, day and night put together, he has
not been asleep two hours.
His eyes wide open all night long except when he holds his hands over
them. Has waking dreams all day.
Sees and talks with his father, and with me. Sees what he reads all over the
world, particularly military scenes, such as battles in Cuba, etc. (He served
through FrancoPrussian War in the Bavarian cavalry.)
Is very nervous and startles at any sound during the night,-"not scared
exactly, but nervous all over down to the tips of his fingers." This is
something very novel to him.
Has nearly the whole time what he calls a "zumming in his ears," usually
not very loud, "like a bumble-bee in a hollow board."
If he gets up very slowly and carefully he escapes this. With the loud
"zumming" a pain comes across the top of his head from ear to ear running
back to the point where the hair centers.
Pain in his head comes when he lies down, on the side he is lying on.
On account of this he always lies on his back with his head propped high.
This pain goes away when he sits up or stands.
His forehead always feels very heavy, and frequently at the top of it, on the
left hand side, he has a sharp throbbing pain for a little while.
About eighteen months ago my big colt trampled on his head about this
place. His memory has been bad ever since then and he has had great
suffering with his head at the injured point especially.
He sweats very easily and profusely, which makes him feel cold and take
cold very frequently in his ordinary outdoor work.
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His breast is now very sore to the touch in the region of the ribs and breast
bones, the muscles apparently.
He seems tireless in his work, says he feels no fatigue when he works all
day long and is full of restless energy. Have noticed frequently of late a
wild look in his eyes.
The terrible sleeplessness in the one symptom upon which he himself
dwells, and which he tells me "his wife says is driving him crazy."
He drinks coffee three times a day, but says that if you direct him to stop it
he will not miss it. Has very little appetite.
Is habitually a small eater and the sight of any large quantities of food on
the table is so repulsive to him that it makes it impossible for him to eat
anything.
if these symptoms do not clearly indicate a remedy, please let me know and
I will send him up to you, provided you think his condition serious.
On these symptoms I sent, to be taken once, one powder of Natrum-sulph.
20 m.
On December 28th the following report was received:
"Effect of last powder is amazing; patient sleeps well and looks like
another man. The wrinkles are smoothed out and his eyes are mild and
youthful. Two days after the powder he was worse, but he later became
sleepy and then sleep came normally."
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Case 94
Ovarian tumor cured with Lycopodium
Lycopodium

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June 1, 1888.-Miss A. W., aged thirty, Irish housemaid.
Pelvic tumor, about which opinion varied. Abdomen resembled pregnancy
of nine months. Her friends refused to go upon the street with her because
of her appearance.
She consulted several surgeons, and some declined to operate. The tumor
could not be moved, seemed to fill the pelvic cavity.
Its origin could not be traced; tumor was very hard. It being immovable,
very hard and painful, were the reasons why one surgeon could not operate.
No vaginal examination was made by me.
She came to my office because she had heard that a local examination
would not be made. She dates her discovery of it to five years ago. For two
years she has felt much pain in the pelvis.
Swelling of the pit of the stomach below the abdomen became distended.
Feet oedematous. Constant headache; cold milk causes pain.
Cannot take cold things; everything must be warm. Nausea and vomiting.
Everything eaten makes her sick and causes vomiting, vomiting after every
meal.
Constipation, no desire for stool for many days. Always feels a constriction
about the waist from pressure upwards of the tumor.
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Distension in stomach after eating so little. Menses regular, with cramping
pain, has always relieved it by whiskey.
Starts suddenly from a noise. Restless, and sleeps badly.
Teeth decayed young; they are dark colored. She says she felt a lump in the
right side as large as a child's head, which was the first she felt of it, about
four years ago, it was then very hard.
Pain in this lump in the side has been felt from time to time. Feet burn;
must remove the shoes to cool them. She says feet feel like there was
mustard on them.
Lycop. cm.
July 23d.
Up to a few days ago she had no vomiting, and the pain is much better. She
is again feeling worse.
Lyc. mm.
August 2nd.
Called to see if medicine was expected to make her worse. S. L.
August 9th.
Called to say the aggravations had passed off and that she was much better.
September 25th.
Continued to improve up to a few days ago. Symptoms returning. Vomiting
after eating and pain in the stomach.
Lycop. mm.
October 28th.
Symptoms all passed away until a few days ago the pain came back in the
pylorus, and again she received:
Lyc. mm.
November 27th.
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No symptoms. S. L.
December 13th.
Reports no symptoms. S. L.
January 7th.
The tumor has diminished some. No bloating of feet. Can move the tumor
and can discern that it belongs to the right side of the pelvis.
January 26th.
Symptoms returning.
Lyc. mm.
February 16th.
She is growing smaller about the abdomen and gaining in flesh and color.
March 7th.
Improving. No symptoms,
March 28th.
Still improving.
April 25th.
Stomach symptoms returning.
Lyc. mm.
June 3rd.
Has been entirely free from symptoms until recently. Feet swelling again;
cannot drink water nor cold milk; cannot take cold things; everything must
be warm.
Headache in forehead and eyes; pain in lumbar region; bowels constipated;
now, goes three or four days; feet burn.
Lyc. mm.
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June 15th.
Symptoms all better.
August 15th.
All symptoms have returned.
She returns when the symptoms return.
Lyc. 2 mm.
October 7th.
Reports herself cured. The tumor can be discovered by close examination.
She had not been able to find it, therefore she thought she was cured. She
remarked that the last medicine did her most good of all the medicine
taken. She remains in perfect health.
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Case 95
Paralysis
Plumbum metallicum

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Lad, age six. Paralysis of left arms, oesophagus, and pharynx.
Difficulty in swallowing. Liquids come out of nose.
Solids cause much choking. Nasal voice. Limited motion in left arm.
Cannot grasp with the hand. Pale sickly face, waxy and shiny.
When talking he throws the head back. Choking when eating.
Bowels constipated, no action. Ineffectual frequent urging. Trouble
progressing rapidly. The attack began only a few weeks ago.
No history of any kind discovered in the family. Family supposed to be
psoric. Lad was poisoned by Rhus three years ago, self-cured.
Talks and cries out when sleeping. Cannot abduct the arm, but can flex it
feebly.
The paralysis of left is almost complete and the right is showing signs of
weakness in abduction. Rash comes out on the body in heated air.
Plumb. 42m.
Cured in six months.