Clinical Cases

A Typical Pyrogen Case with Comments on the Remedy

homeopathy medicine for paralysis
Written by Royal E.S. Hayes

Royal E. S. Hayes M.D. presents a serious Pyrogenum case. The pulse was small and rapid, with vomiting and frequent weak sinking spells. Perfect recovery occurred after the remedy.

Mrs. L. ret. 26, being advanced three months with her third pregnancy “took a long walk up the mountains,” which was followed by serious consequences. I was called soon after an abortion had taken place. Pulsatilla quickly relieved the haemorrhage and pains. All went well for two days, when the woman complained of severe pains in the back extending to the pubes. Greatly aggravated by a change of position. She was unable to move without bringing on copious gushes of bright colored blood mixed with clots. Sabina was given, with the result that I found her so much improved that I said I would not call again for a few days unless sent for.

I was sent for just a week later. I found that during the week she had been passing putrid shreds and pieces of membrane, together with an acrid, offensive lochial discharge. The stench which filled the house was simply horrible. Even the curiosity of the neighbors could not withstand it; they could not stay in the house. On the day on which I was called she had a shaking chill in the forenoon, which lasted over an hour and was followed by repeated lighter ones. The temperature at 2 P. M. was 102.4. The pulse was small and rapid. She complained of headache, vomiting and frequent weak “sinking spells.” The abdomen was distended, the pelvic organs and bowels quite tender.  She was constantly walking about the room to relieve the bruised aching and soreness.

It was not a very pleasant state of things for either patient or physician. Such a state needs a remedy that has the power to go to the root of the condition and establish reaction in short order or there will be a dangerous illness from which there may never be reaction. Pyrogen is just such a remedy in these conditions and was prescribed at this time. Next morning I prepared my instruments for curetting. When I called, however, I found that a change had taken place. The temperature had dropped to 99.5, there was almost no pain and the discharge had improved in appearance and odor. This went on a few days to perfect recovery.

Pyrogen is a morbific product. The keynote of its sphere of usefulness is sepsis. The most frequent use for it is found in sapraemia and septicaemia, especially puerperal, from an unknown cause or from a local source and in the chronic effects of such a sickness. But it is just as useful in typhoid fever, diphtheria, ptomaine poisoning, poisoning from sewer gas, abscess, malignant pustule or any septic process when those conditions present the characteristic indications of the remedy. I have the best results with it in poisoned or septic wounds where the case had been neglected or had been dallying with surgical fussing so long that the whole organism had become impressed by the effect of pus in the system.

In a case of suppurative peritonitis from which a large quantity of pus had been evacuated, slow improvement continued for a few weeks, after which the boy persistently remained at a standstill both in general condition and locally. Repeated efforts at discovery of symptomatic indications for a remedy were made in vain. Then a dose of Pyrogen was given on the theory that long continued exposure to pus had made the impression which was retarding progress. The Pyrogen was followed by a sharp rise of fever, which lasted about a day, after which the improvement was truly remarkable.

Sometime after abortion the infection pursues a local track and extends up the urinary tract, causing large quantities of pus in the urine. The characteristic indications for Pyrogen will usually be found in these cases. When, after labor, in addition to offensive and putrid lochia the woman develops an insidious fever and complains of bruised pains in the body and that the bed feels hard, necessitating occasional change of position, the Pyrogen bottle had better be taken out, for it is then more valuable than all the antiseptics and curetting instruments in the world. There is only a bare possibility that these will have to be used, too.

Never forget the possibility of Pyrogen being needed in diphtheria, for if it is needed but not used the case may as well be turned over to the undertaker. The case is malignant. There is great swelling of the parts, which are dark red and bluish, bleeding easily, and suppurating, or even gangrenous. When the little patient coughs blood and pus is discharged. A horrible odor fills the house. There are great noises in breathing and the chest organs seem about to be invaded by the septic process. There is great restlessness and bodily soreness, abdominal soreness and pain. If the case is late the pulse is rapid and cardiac paralysis threatens.

Who would expect Antitoxin to cure such a case? Everybody who has observed the effects of Antitoxin with an unprejudiced mind and knows how to distinguish between the effects of drugs and disease knows that it would be exceedingly dangerous. Pyrogen has cured even then and will often if properly managed. But when the case has gone quite far the physician must be satisfied with a little improvement each day for two or three days before decided change may take place.

A friend of mine relates his experience in an epidemic of real diphtheria some years ago. His allopathic neighbors, with their Antitoxin swelled the population of the graveyards in large numbers. My friend had some twenty cases which he treated with Pyrogen 6th and cured every case. Some of the “Regulars” came to him and asked him what it was that he used. He wrote a paper about the whole matter, Antitoxin and all, and read it to his conferees, but, of course, they would not believe any such nonsense as that.

In every case of acute disease that I have cured with Pyrogen the acute action has been followed by a long continued action as a general alterative, better health following than was present before. Pyrogen not only removes the acute symptoms, but digs out old constitutional tendencies which the patient had before the local infection was present.

Some of the keynote indications of Pyrogen are:

Soreness of the flesh; the parts lain upon feel sore and bruised. Patient complains that ‘the bed feels hard/

Restlessness, must move constantly to relieve the sore, bruised and aching pains. Sometimes motion does not relieve.

Confusion as to different parts of the body. For instance, in a case of slow fever the man thought that a neighbor’s leg had taken the place of one of his own and that his leg was doing service out in the field with the neighbor.

Tongue clean, smooth, glazed, fiery red.

Sweetish, fetid, pus-like taste in the mouth as from an abscess.

Vomiting-, persistent, coffee ground or stercoraceous.

Diarrhoea, horribly offensive, putrid, brown or black, involuntary, or there may be constipation with large black stools of carrion odor.

Lochia thin, acrid, brown, fetid or suppressed and followed by chills, fever and profuse fetid perspiration.

Chills severe, general, marking onset of septic fever; pulse small, wiry, rapid, out of proportion to temperature ; cold sweat.

Rapid decubitus.

Threatened cardiac paralysis from septic conditions.”

These symptoms give a picture of dangerous malignant processes which tax the resources of the physician to the utmost, unless he has made the acquaintance of Pyrogen.  I have never seen Pyrogen indicated in those cases of puerperal fever of violent onset which begin with a severe chill twenty-four hours after confinement. These are of different character than those due to sapraemia.

I prefer to use Pyrogen in a single dose of the higher potencies.  But if, through lack of experience, one’s courage is weak, it may be used in the 30th and repeated until improvement begins. It must then be discontinued lest the malignant forces blaze up anew.

On account of its malignant nature it is not sold in a lower potency than the 6th, I believe.  A full account of Pyrogen may be found in Clarke’s Dictionary.  If anyone’s homoeopathic enthusiasm has become a bit wearied (which seems impossible) let him get Clarke’s Dictionary and he will become refreshed. How could we get along without it now!

Excerpted From: The  Homoeopathic Recorder Volume XXIV –  1909

About the author

Royal E.S. Hayes

Dr. Royal E.S. Hayes (1871-1952) received his M.D. from the Eclectic Medical College, New York City. He practiced homeopathy in Waterbury, Connecticut (U.S.) for most of his career and wrote many articles for the Homeopathic Recorder published by the American Institute of Homeopathy. He is considered by modern homeopaths one of the one of the major physicians who kept homeopathy alive in the mid-twentieth century.

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