Cancer of Right Breast, Three Operations

John H. J. Clarke, M.D.  – 1908

Recurrence.   Mrs T, 41, tall, spare, blue   eyes, rather swarthy complexion,  consulted me December 21st, 1906.  She had one boy, aged 10. The  birth had been a difficult one, with  breech presentation. Two and a half years before I saw her, a lump the size of a pea had appeared in the right breast (Homeopathy for Breast Cancer). It grew, and her local medical man, an allopath, pronounced it to be a simple cyst, and removed it in January 1906.  Soon after another lump appeared, and the patient was again assured that it was quite an innocent growth, and the same practitioner performed   a second operation in March of the same year.

In the middle of July a third growth appeared, red and blue, and looking as if going to burst. This time her medical adviser said nothing would induce him to operate again, and she must see a specialist. He took her to Mr D , who pronounced it to be   “a cyst with cancerous growth.”  He advised that she should come into a nursing home and have the entire breast removed. This was done in July 1906. Shortly before she came to me, another nodule  appeared, and she was again asked to see the same specialist and get  him to remove it. This time she thought she would choose her own specialist, and by a friend’s advice  she came to me. She had had  enough of operations, and if she  could not be cured without, she  preferred to take her chances as she  was.

I found a branched scar covering the area of the right breast, with  one limb of it running into the axilla. The new nodule was near the end of this limb, but below it and not attached to it. The left breast was rather lumpy; the nipple was flat, and there was a gland in the axilla.  The patient used to have  indigestion for years before the  lump appeared, and when the lump  came the indigestion got better.  The indigestion consisted of pains about the splenic region, which were relieved by bringing up much wind. She had had good health all her life. Had had influenza  twice several years ago. Her father was living, aged 89. Her mother came of a phthisical family, and died from an illness which was supposed to be cancer of the bowels. Brothers and sisters were healthy.  She had been twice vaccinated, the last time just five years before.  It “took,” and she had a very bad  arm — the left. Her spirits used to be good before this trouble came.  Is subject to neuralgia in vertex  and occiput for seven or eight  years. It is better from wrapping up the head and worse from any jar.  She has had a wart on her tongue, which disappeared after being touched with caustic. Since the first operation she wakes at 5 a.m. with pains in right shoulder and neck. Always cold on the right side of the body. Catamenia  regular and very much leucorrhcea at times. Tongue clean. Appetite very good. Pulse  96. Used to be fond of salt. [Told] Not to eat much and to avoid pork and mild.

Rx Thuja 30, about once in ten days.

January 14th 1907 –  Not so cold on the right side. Has felt very well. Lost the pain in the right shoulder. Nodule about the same, tender to touch.

Rx  Scirrh. 100,  in the same way.

February 8th — Has had a cold in head and chest during the last week. Pretty well otherwise.  Much headache in forehead and occiput last few days. Nodule  about the same; no pain in it.  Small gland felt in right axilla.

Rx Silica 100, once a week.

March 8th — Cough has gone.  Has had pain in right arm. This appears to be in musculo-spiral nerve. Nodule grows rather smaller. Left breast rather lumpy.  Expanding pain in bones of shoulder. Tongue rather skinny looking.   Repeat.

April 19th — The pain in the  arm gets worse. It got better in the warmer weather. In the cold weather it began to swell. At the back of the tongue is a little red patch. Head has been better.  Nodule smaller and loose. Left  breast very lumpy.

Carcinosin 100, once in ten  days.

May 21st — Swelling of arm gone  down. No pain. Has felt very well. Nodule smaller. Has had another wart on the tongue. It lasted three weeks and then disappeared. She feels as if she had a bit of skin at back of throat. I found the tonsils somewhat congested and whitish.   Repeat.

July 12th — Has been feeling well. Swelling gone from right arm, but right index finger is still swollen and painful. Nodule same.

R Nat. Cacodyl gr. 1/4, one tablet three times a day immediately after  meals.

August 16th — Feeling very well. Swelling on finger nearly all gone.  Growth I think is smaller.   Repeat.

September 25th — No pains.  Always feels tired. Perspires easily. Swelling quite gone from finger.   Repeat.

November 15th — Feeling better in herself. Three weeks ago a red spot formed near the original nodule.  More sensitive under right arm.  I was somewhat disconcerted to find that a second nodule had appeared in position nearer the the   middle line than the first.

I now ordered Phytolacca 3X, five drops three times a day with  Scirrh 100, once in ten days, at  bedtime. I also ordered that an ointment of Scrophularia nodosa  should be rubbed into the axilla night and morning. This is a measure often adopted with advantage by the late Dr Cooper, and frequently confirmed by his  son.  There was no further change in the treatment from that date up to the completion of the cure.

December 13^th, 1907 — Lump smaller, no pain in it. No rheumatism in arm. No chilliness of right side this winter.   Repeat.

January 18th, 1908 — Lump seems smaller. Herpes on lips. Tongue rather skinny.   Repeat.   March 2nd. — Lump nearly gone.  The indigestion pain of the left side has come back.   Repeat.

March 2nd — Lump nearly gone. Has missed a period. Did so once before, three years ago. Repeat.

May 25th — Has been very much better. All that remains of the lump is a little pimple with matter in it. When the patient called two months later the lump had absolutely disappeared, and the patient was cured of her diathesis. There is an amazing improvement in her general health and appearance.

Excerpted from: The Cure Of Tumours By Medicines With Especial Reference To  The Cancer Nosodes  By John H. J. Clarke, M.D.  – 1908  –   Case XII