Originally published in "The Homoeopathic Recorder, Vol XXVI, Lancaster, Pa., 1911."
Edited by: Dr. Ravinder S. Mann
Dr. A. D. Hard, of Marshall, Minn., has a paper in Medical
Times, March, on “Thiosinamine in Senility.” He claims that
this drug acts “as a resolvent of indurated flesh.” He concludes
by suggesting “that Thiosinamine be given in one-tenth grain
doses three times a day for the purpose of staying the hand of
time and keeping a man from growing old.” One-tenth grain
is to be found in the 1x tablet triturates of Thiosinamine.
Dr. Miller (British Hom. Jour., Mar.) on “symptoms” men-
tions some invaluable ones but deeply hidden, not easily confessed
by the patient, perhaps not fully realized save in a shamefaced
way. Among such mentioned is a presentiment of death, Apis;
lack of natural affection, Sepia and Phosphorus; lurking impulse
to kill those nearest and dearest, Phosphorus and Nux vomica,
and a suicidal prompting in China. This class, as said before,
is hidden but very valuable when discovered by the man who
knows the deeper working of his Materia Medica.
Crataegus oxyacanth. as a “Heart Remedy” — I cannot speak too
highly of Crataegus as a remedy in affections of the heart, as it
positively has no reaction. Its action is similar to Strophanthus,
but it has not the disagreeable taste of the latter drug. In a few
days Crataegus favorably influences the whole of the nervous
system, increasing the appetite and improving nutrition and
assimilation, its influence benign mainly on the sympathetic and
solar plexus. It is gentle in its action on the cardiac organ,
prompt and strengthening. In one case in which it was admin-
istered the patient was irritable, wan, and of a melancholic dis-
position. After a few day’s treatment with Crataegus, these symp-
toms were greatly modified and, shortly afterwards, disappeared.
It is a safe heart remedy, and the best results are obtained from
the 6 tincture, which I have always found to act quickly and
consistently. — Kopp, in Homoeopathic World.
The following is from a paper by Dr. E. R. Waterhouse
(Eclectic) in Clinical Reporter for March: “These friends” (the
homoeopaths) “have told us that Belladonna in very small doses
acts as a prophylactic against scarlet fever. I will say that I
have watched this for more than twenty years, and have given
it to children where there were cases of the scarlet fever in the
house, and in no case have these children contracted the disease.
Only a few weeks ago I had a case of scarlet fever where there
were four other children in the house, together with the mother
and father, and none of them had ever had the disease. They all
got the Belladonna except the father, who would not take the
medicine, and in due time he had scarlet fever, but none of the
others did.”
In an old note book we find, under Cicuta virosa: “Considered,
says Lilienthal, almost a specific in epidemic meningitis cerebro-
spinalis,” but where, and when he said it is not given.
Spigelia, as all homoeopaths know, is often a wonder worker
in the most painful cases of neuralgia, so that the following from
the official journal A. M. A. is curious reading: “Therapy, the
only therapeutic use for Spigelia, is to promote the removal from
the intestine of the round worm, and occasionally to aid in the
removal from the rectum of the pin-worm.” They have much to
learn about medicine.
Dr. C. J. Junkermann, of Cleveland, O., in Jour. A. I. H., says
that Ruta graveolens is very useful in “patients who have a ten-
dency to the formation of deposits in the periosteum, in bone, in
tendons, about joints, over-straining of tendons in the places
where they are weak, will form nodules, lumps, bunches or little
tumors in the tendons. I will include also gradual increasing
contraction of the flexors, so that the hand becomes permanently
flexed, or the foot becoming flexed so that the sole becomes more
concave and the toes drawn under from over-straining and vio-
lence to the contractors and flexors.” Presumably it is used ex-
ternally and internally.
Dr. F. C. Richardson (N. E. Med. Gaz., May), writing of
poliomyelitis, says that the medical treatment must be symptom-
atic. The remedies he found to be most useful in the cases he
treated were Gelsemium, Belladonna, Eupatorium and Helle-
borus.
Dr. E. X. Ritter, Williamsport, Pa. (Med. Summary, April),
praises the effects of Apocynum in sciatica and neuralgia, lumbar
and crural. He gives several cases, pain in left sciatic nerve, in
right leg, and in back which were relieved by half a dram of
Apocynum in four ounces of water, teaspoonful doses every few
hours.
Dr. J. H. Allen, Chicago (The Clinique, April), says that
Arsenicum iod. has helped him in cases of large, hard glands, in
tubercular glands and in tertiary syphilis, ulcers, hard and carti-
laginous-like, sallow and tired, heavy feeling in legs.
Dr. J. W. Miller, of Miami College (Therapeutic Gazette),
writing of eczema of the palms, after giving the usual salves, etc.,.
adds that great benefit is derived from soaking the hands in hot
water. Internally, we may add Skookum chuck 3X (medical lake
salts) have often proved to be very effective in eczema and kin-
dred skin ills.
Mercurius cyanide, according to Dr. J. H. Clarke, is “a very
efficient prophylactic in diphtheria.” He also says that it acts
better in the 30th than in lower potencies. Some years ago a man
in New York who had been poisoned with Merc. cy. was treated
by the doctors for diphtheria at first, before they discovered what
he was suffering from.
Mezerenm is said to be a good antidote to mercurial poisoning.
There is probably no drug in the materia medica that produces
so complete a picture of the worst sort of “fits” as does OEnanthe
crocata. The numerous poison cases from the roots on record
seem to prove that. Curious to relate a practitioner not long ago
said, “OEnanthe crocata? Never heard of it.” Yet a case of epi-
lepsy, or any kind of “fits,” should never be given up until this
drug is tried.
“It (Oleander) will be found to be, if not a complete remedy,
yet an indispensable intermediate remedy in some kinds of mental
derangements, e. g., absence of mind.” — Hahnemann.
“Belladonna will dry the mother's milk, and when it is given
directly after confinement it will often prevent or retard the flow.
When we wish to dry the flow of milk, as in cases of death of the
child, or at weaning time, the application of an ointment contain-
ing Belladonna will accomplish it in short order with no detri-
mental effect.” — Dr. E. R. Waterhouse, Eclectic Medical Journal,
May.
Dr. C. R. Green, Troy, N. Y., contributes a paper to Am . A.
J. of Hom., for May, on “The Third Action of Hepar Sulphur
Calcarea in Suppuration.” After quoting various text-books —
Hughes, Farrington, Nash, Boericke and Goodno — on the drug
when given high aborting, and low hastening suppuration, he re-
lates a number of cases, where pus had formed, operation being
either unadvisable or refused, where the drug in the 3X caused the
pus to be absorbed, cure following. The cases, four in number,
included one in the neck, the throat, hand and wrist from gonor-
rhoea, and a case of appendicitis where patient refused to be
operated on.
Dr. A. J. Howe, one of the old eclectics, said that a lotion of
Thuja was good for anal protrusion. Apply externally.
Dr. W. M. Gregory, Berea, O. (Medical Summary, May),
writes of Calendula, of which he accidentally heard somewhere :
“First, it will absolutely prevent the formation of pus in lacerated
wounds and burns ; second, it is of the most helpful things in
the world to relieve pain; third, it is a truly wonderful remedy to
promote healing and prevent sloughing.”
“In chronic cases we often find the patient complaining of pain
in the cervical region, with a tendency for the head to draw
backward, with nervousness. Here the field is most its own, as I
know of no other remedy that is so certain in its action. In
slender, pale-faced girls between the ages of twelve and twenty,
losing flesh, morning cough, irregular appetite, and even in a few
cases so far as to have the hectic fever; nervousness, nervous
chills, etc., when the patient is tall and bloodless — it seems that it
is in this class of patients that the results have been best. In
these cases also there may be scant menstruation or neuralgic
dysmenorrhoea. In cases, old or young, where there seems to be a
lack of red blood, here is the picture for Gossypium:” — Dr.
O. C. Baird, Chanute, Kansas, in N. E. M. A. Quarterly.
“Agnus castus tincture, one-half teaspoonful in
a half glass of water, teaspoonful every hour, never fails to estab-
lish the flow of milk after child-birth.” — Dr. S. A. Bass, Wichita,
Kans.
“I have absolutely cured numerous fibroid tumors
of the breast by the internal use of Thyroidin 2x.” —
Dr. E. J. Burch, Carthage, Mo.
The alkaloid of the fountain of youth has been discovered in
Thiosinamine, as, according to Dr. Hard, Medical Times, one-
tenth grain three times a day will “stay the hand of time.” The
drug is said to soften indurated flesh, hence it ought to do the
same to the hardening tissue of age, so runs the argument. If
you want to stop the clock of time better use the 1x tablet trits.,
as these represent exactly 1/1o grain.
“Cundurango 30 will relieve the sharp cutting pain in cancer,
a dose every half hour for a few doses. It takes the place of
morphine." — Dr. Rhoda Pike Barstow, Irving Park, III., con-
tributed.
Dr. W. Banta, Calistoga, Calif., tells of a man he treated for
scorpion bite in a finger. The treatment was Echinacea applied
undiluted to the bite and a teaspoonful of the drug in water in-
ternally, at once followed by another later, divided in twenty drop
doses, every two hours during the remainder of the day. By
night he was well on to recovery. In contrast to this he tells
of another case treated at a sanitarium whose hand was swollen
enormously, the patient was unconscious for four days, and had
a crippled hand afterwards.
The quickest relief for haemorrhoids is in Aesculus and Hama-
melis Suppositories.
This has been verified. Sore throat from inhaling cold air.
Throat insufferably dry, Cistus Can.
A small cut or injury becomes very much swollen and inflamed,
sometimes discolored. In such cases Pyrogen will help.
In cases of ulcerated teeth do not forget that ancient standby
Heckla lava.
Do not stick too close to the idea that the Pulsatilla patient
must be a mild blonde, or the Sepia one a snappy brunette, and
so with others.
“Prickly heat,” perspiration, itching, Ledum.
Mr. W., aged JJ, consulted me about “discomfort in his ab-
domen,” and headache. He said : “I have a feeling that I want
to keep passing a motion, and when I try to do so I cannot. I
feel as if someone has pushed something lumpy up my back pas-
sage.” He further said, “I do not mind my other troubles, so
long as you get rid of this feeling for me;” I ordered Sepia 30.
Two doses were sufficient to cure him entirely of this discom-
fort. — MacCandlish, H. W., July.
With a history of gonorrhoea think of Medorrhinum 30.
When at a stand-still in heart cases do not be afraid to “try”
Crataegus ox. in 5 drop doses of the tincture. It is not a poison
like Digitalis, Nitro glyceriiie, etc.
While the reader may never be called upon to treat a case of
beri-beri it may be interesting to know that Dr. J. N. Majumdar,
of Calcutta (Indian Homoeopathic Review, July) says that “Rhus
tox. generally is our principal remedy.”' There are other reme-
dies, of course, that may be called upon according as the symp-
toms develop.
Dr. S. C. Paul, in Indian Homoeopathic Review, July, makes
the following peculiar distinction between the homoeopathic prep-
arations of Tuberculinum and Bacillinum, in tuberculosis, derived
from his experience as a practitioner, namely, that Tuberculinum
acts well where the climate is dry and Bacillinum where it is wet
and in marshy districts.
On arterio-sclerosis. Dr. J. Herbert Moore in the discus-
sion said : “To my personal knowledge and in my experience
Plumbum from its pathology seems to take the lead” — i. e., in the
therapeutics of this disease. The general opinion seemed to be
that therapeutics in this condition are of little avail.
In a general discussion of tonsils, adenoids and goitre (Iowa
Hom. Jour., Nov.), Dr. Nettie Campbell told of a bad case in a
young child which improved under Tuberculinum and Malan-
drium. She also praised Baryta carb. in tonsillar
troubles, curing cases in which it had been said that nothing but
an operation would avail. Other doctors also praised the action
of this remedy, but some maintained that it was a waste of time
to do anything but operate. Burnett said that Bacillinum once
a week should always be considered in tonsil cases.
Our old friend, Stacy Jones, says in Medical Genius: “Con-
vulsions. Spasms of all kinds. Epilepsy. The one grand mas-
ter remedy is Melilotus. Adult 1 drop of the tincture every 5
minutes during an attack.” If everything has failed this hint
may be useful — if not it will be no worse than what has preceded.
The same quaint authority says: “The acetate of copper, in
minute doses, stands in the front rank of remedies for heart
trouble with anguish and oppression, and rigid spasm.” Now in
his dosage “minute” stands for the 2x on the average.
According to Clarke's big Dictionary of M. M., “slag,” or, as
it is known in homoeopathic pharmacy, Silico-sulpho-calcite of
alumina, did one thing for a prover that was rather satisfactory
to him, namely, it produced no symptoms, but “it cured him of
flatulent distension in the evening and an oppressive feeling over
the heart.” It has also cured housemaid's knee and also “a
dreadful anal itching, piles and constipation as if by magic.” in
one prover it produced “soreness of the anus,” but “his general
health was much improved by it.” Slag seems to be a useful but
little known remedy. It is generally used in the 3X and 6x trit-
uration.
Formica rufa has been commended by several homoeopaths in
the past, notably Dr. R. M. Cooper, for nasal polypi. Some
cases are on record where, after several operations, where the
polypi returned, this remedy cleared away the trouble and others
where it obviated an operation. It was used from the 2x up.
