Four Lachesis Cases

From an article in Journal Beige d’Homeopathie –reported in The Homoeopathic Recorder – Volume XIII 1898. Dr. Lambreght was Professor of the Theory and Practice of Medicine at the University of Padua – Circa late 1800’s.

Case 1: Typhoid Fever with Intestinal Hemorrhage and Haematuria, Gangrena penis and Decubitus on the Os Sacrum.

During last April the author had under his treatment a young man of twenty-eight years, of vigorous constitution, without any especial hereditary taint. The patient had complained for several weeks of general feeling of indisposition, with wandering pains in the limbs, loss of appetite, thirst, liquid stools, headache and insomnia. The tongue was covered with a thick, whitish coat, and the urine contained a copious deposit of sediment. At the same time there was a slight, feverish agitation, more pronounced in the evening.

In answer to this image of disease, he received Baptisia 3, four times a day. The symptoms in the meantime increased, and a severe form of typhoid fever developed. In the middle of the second week the following symptoms appeared: repeated epistaxis, inflation of the abdomen, with sensitiveness to pressure and gurgling in the left ileo-cecal region. The tongue was dry, the stools liquid, of yellowish color; delirium with hallucinations; great prostration; the temperature, 104, with remission in the morning; pulse, 120. On the abdomen there were some roseola spots. There was nothing morbid in the respiratory organs.

Prescription: Acid phosph, 3, cold ablutions of the whole body, which was then wrapped in a woollen blanket.

The disease proceeded in its regular course, but on the fourteenth day there appeared most serious symptoms, threatening a fatal issue. First a hemorrhage from the rectum, then, a few hours afterwards, a violent haematuria.

Prescription: Hamamelis and Acid phosph. 3.

The hemorrhages now succeeded each other at long intervals and with less violence, and after five days they ceased entirely. These complications had caused a great debility and caused a very unfavorable prognosis. Bouillon, wine and some doses of China were given as a tonic, when suddenly a new complication arose. The penis became the seat of a considerable oedematous swelling, and about the middle of its dorsum there appeared a blackish, luminous, carbunculous spot, which quickly extended toward the tip of the member and gave off the dreadful odor of gangrene. I at once ordered Lachesis 6, a dose every fifteen minutes. The author then separated the dead parts from the sound, and thus laid bare the glans and a part of the corpus cavernosum, which were already covered with small ulcers of a malignant appearance. All these parts were washed with carbolized water and covered with a thick layer of iodoform. In a similar manner I treated the gangrenous spots which had in the meantime formed on the os sacrum.

Under the action of Lachesis, the gangrene was stopped, and the patient, who was the very image of misery, daily awaiting his last breath, soon felt an appreciable improvement. The ulcerated surfaces on the glands and the corpus cavernosum took on a healthier, red color and cicatrices formed in two weeks. The tongue became clear, the appetite and strength returned and the young man is at this day in full health, and has only a somewhat extensive circumcision to remind him of the dreadful danger from which he escaped.

Case 2: An Infected Wound

While treating the above case, Dr. Lambreght had suffered a slight lesion on the index finger of the left hand; on this, as a precautionary measure, he placed a slight bandage. This wound was about forming a cicatrice, but while amputating the mortified parts of the penis of the patient the bandage on his own wound slipped off and the wounded part came in contact with the gangrenous ichor. Although he immediately washed the wound with carbolized water, and took all the requisite precautions, next day shooting pains developed in his index finger, and these soon extended to the dorsum of the hand and the and the forearm, and during the night they increased to such a degree that he could not close his eyes. The wound had become the seat of a bluish-livid swelling, threatening evil consequences.

He took Lachesis 6. Under the action of this remedy the pains perceptibly decreased, while at the same time a suppuration copious in comparison with the slight extent of the lesion set in. The swelling disappeared and the spot was completely healed in ten days; only a small cicatrice like a line, still shows on the dorsal surface of the index finger.

In his Manual of Homceopathy, Jahr mentions lesions while dissecting, as a clinical symptom of Lachesis. The observation above mentioned fully confirms the practical importance of this symptom.

Case 3 : Erysipelas Gangrenosum in a Pregnant Woman — Abortion

This case concerned a poor woman who suffered from angina faucium. The patient was 32 years of age, the mother of three children, and of a weakly, debilitated constitution, and this the more as she was in the third month of pregnancy. A year before, Dr. L. had treated her for a lesion on the foot, and erysipelas affecting the whole limb had set in. This yielded, however, promptly to the homoeopathic treatment, but it showed that there was a certain predisposition to such affections with this patient.

She now complained of a violent pain in the throat, as well as great difficulty in deglutition, while swallowing fluids. An examination showed that the whole mucous membrane of the throat was of an intense red, swollen and oedematous. This was accompanied with pains and heaviness in all the limbs, high fever, showing 104.3, considerable prostration.

Prescription: First of all Aconite 3 and Apis 3, the latter on account of the oedematous and erysipelatous swelling of the throat.

In a few days a perceptible improvement in the angina was manifested. The pains and the swelling decreased, so that the patient could swallow without any great difficulty. Nevertheless the fever remained as high as before, which threatened serious complications. And these were realized, for the dorsum of both hands suddenly became swollen and of deep red color, an affection which soon extended to the forearm. On the diseased cutaneous surface large blisters were thrown up here and there, which then filled with black blood, and when they burst, there appeared extensive ulcerations of a blackish color and a gangrenous odor. The tongue became dry and the patient was delirious at night. She received Lachesis 6 and the ulcerated surface was sprinkled with Iodoform. The state of the patient was hopeless, but, thanks to the powerful action of the remedy, a turn for the better soon appeared. The delirium ceased, the tongue became moist, and the fever lost much of its violence. The convalescence was very much protracted, as the suppuration in the ulcerated surfaces had gradually weakened the patient, and besides this, when the general condition had already become somewhat satisfactory, an abortion and the passing off of a dead foetus was superadded. The abortion was attended with a copious hemorrhage, which was, however, soon checked by Sabina 3. To remove the weakness and anaemia appearing in the course of her reconvalescence a few doses of China were administered. After six weeks the woman was perfectly restored and could again attend to her business.

Case 4 : Stomatitis Gangrenosa

A boy seven years of age of a poor family, after having passed through measles, suffered from an attack of stomatitis. The little patient was pale, weak and his nutrition was defective. The appetite was good, but the stools were frequent and liquid. When examined, the inner surface of the mouth, at the height of the gums, on the left side, showed a broad ulceration of greyish- blackish color and an intense gangrenous fetor. On the same side the cheek also was the seat of a pretty considerable oedematous swelling. The glands on the neck and below the lower jaw were swollen.

The ulcer was rinsed several times a day with a solution of Borax; internally he received Lachesis 6, a dose every hour. Under this treatment, after four days, the gangrene ceased to spread. The ulceration appeared more red and improved, and the swelling of the surface had perceptibly decreased. In the course of two weeks a full cicatrization had ensued. As the child was manifestly scrofulous, Calc, carb, 6 was given, after which the glandular swellings also gradually disappeared.