IHA Transactions 1881-83 pages 248-254
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Ten or twelve years since, Dr. Fincke sent me some notes of the effects of O. G. Pel. and its sphere of action, but the letter was mislaid, and I had forgotten the occurrence until I noticed in a recent number of the Investigator results obtained by Dr. Edson with Ova Testa, or toasted eggshell.
I have not the books at my command, to ascertain if eggshell, raw or toasted, was much used in olden times, but I find in “Reverius’ Practice of Physic,” published in 1658, that powdered egg-shell is named as a remedy for nocturnal enuresis, “Also the powder of egg-shells alone is commended, a dram thereof being given divers mornings together; it is accounted by some for a secret,” and was prescribed for “immoderate flux of the courses, while the shells of two new laid eggs burnt” was an ingredient in a prescription for the same complaint.
I doubt if there is anything new in remedies. Looking over this old work on practice, I find nearly all the medicines used at the present day, and a very large number used singly.
I prepared Ovi Gal. Pel. by triturating the fresh pellicle in .95 alcohol, and then allowing it to digest for several days before potentizing. The cm I sent to my friend Dr. Boardman, of Trenton, New Jersey, who had a young lady willing to prove drugs.
This lady while menstruating at the age of 16, shovelled snow, and while doing so, felt something give way in the left groin, causing great pain, extending down the thigh to the knee, and thence to the foot and toes, compelling her to keep her bed.
These conditions always appeared after slight exercise or walking, lifting, using the arms, as in sweeping, dusting, reaching upward; and especially, while menstruating, which added severe bearing down pains, and increased pains in the region of left ovary.
During the succeeding twelve years, to the present time, she had been constipated, going a week or more, and some times a partial movement every four or five days. She had a pressure against the spinal column, which while it caused no pain, suggested in connection with the painful menstruation, retroversion; at the time of her courses, the abdomen would become greatly and painfully distended, could not learn if it was tympanitic.
In this long period, she says: “if I keep quiet, walk or stand very little, live well, amuse myself with light reading and music, I feel perfectly well, but any extra efforts or exercise in standing or walking, causes me to break down with pains in left ovarian region, thigh, knee and foot, followed by deep melancholy.”
I have been thus prolix, for a better appreciation of the action of O. G. P.; and it is proper here to state that the above facts were not proven, (except that she could not bear exercise) until after the commencement of this proving.
On Wednesday, April 4, when she first took a powder, she was suffering from an attack of the above mentioned pains from overexertion; in about an hour they suddenly left her, and she got up, dressed, went around and took more than usual exercise. These pains have never returned.
The next day she had two or three slight, sharp pains in left ovary, and the same unusual and peculiar pains came on Friday the 6th, they did not again appear. On this day she engaged in house cleaning which she had never before been able to do without great suffering and prostration, and on Saturday the 7th, was at real work in the morning, and in the afternoon took a long walk and went shopping. About the 8th or 9th, left off some light article of under clothing, and was taken with a severe cold and coryza; it came on suddenly, continued two or three days, and ceased as suddenly, accompanied by an unusual discharge of mucus from the nose, filling three or four handkerchiefs every day, and had tightness across the chest, great oppression and violent cough. This is an abnormal condition with her, as she does not easily take cold, is not severely affected, and it passes away gradually after many days.
Menses appeared on the 20th, about 1 a.m.
The characteristic is an exceedingly and peculiar offensive breath, and a lady, happening to be near her, said, it entered her mouth and seemed to pass down directly to her womb; could not tell what to compare the odor to.
Another marked change is, that whereas she had always been very constipated, the movements have recently been natural every day.
The night before the menstruation appeared, there was great distension of the abdomen as if it would burst. Since the menstruation, which continued only 24 hours and was scanty, she has occasional fits of melancholy, which, however, pass off suddenly.
After the last period she can bear no pressure from her clothes, being obliged to suspend them from her shoulders. This also passed away in a few days.
The night preceding the last menstruation, was awakened about 1 a. m. with a pushing sensation downward in the lower abdomen, as though the blood. might rush out in torn rents; the suffering was intense, and continued about an hour, but no blood or any fluid passed out. The following night at the same time, the menses came of normal color and scanty, it was during the down pressing sensation that the abdomen was distended as if it would burst.
April 24. While playing upon the banjo, she was seized with a whirling sensation in the head, a sense of depression, weakness, a giving way feeling, mostly in the lower limbs, particularly in the knees, followed by a pushing down, rushing feeling in the womb, followed immediately by a profuse flow of blood which came rushing out, and continued about an hour and then ceased; during the flow the other symptoms passed away, there was no pain, only a downward pushing.
April 26. She says: “At half-past eight this morning I was seized with a pain in the epigastric region, which passed downward in the median line of the body, then pain in the left ovarian region, then in left hip, then down posterior side of left thigh to the hollow of the knee, at the same time a sense of weakness in left side, and particularly in the left limb. Then came another discharge of blood from the womb, which continued moderately for about 15 minutes. These flows seem to be an affair of every other day, namely, Friday, 1 a. m., April 20, the regular period; Sunday, April 22, moderately; Tuesday, April 24, and Thursday, April 26, Friday noon, April 27, a heavy pressing down sensation in lower abdomen the same as I had the day before menstruating.”
Saturday, April 28. Sensation as if menses were coming on, but they did not.
April 30. A very sharp pain passed from epigastric region in a direct line to left ovary, this was repeated at intervals three or four times during the day, each time the pain was only momentary.
Since menses ceased, she had leucorrhoea, thick, white, cream-like in consistence, preceded by sharp pain in the womb as during menses; the leucorrhoea continued as long as the menses had; it occurs every morning, whereas the menstrual flow came every other day; she never had the whites before, except after some unusual exertion and fatigue, and then it was slight and only a few hours, causes no debility.
About May 4, while stooping she “had a pain in left lower abdomen, and a sensation as if something within her turned or rolled over; no symptoms since; no more pain, blood or leucorrhea.
She thinks that her womb turned over, and since then has been feeling exceedingly well, taking long walks, is more joyous and happy and does not have the attacks of depression so often.
May 18. Menstruated bright red, but scanty and continued about 24 hours. Two days after, complained of soreness in abdomen, pressure did not aggravate it, but it was very severe, continued one day and ceased; there was no distension of abdomen or return of pains as formerly. She is now under O. G. P.,cmm one dose.
PROVING BY MRS. M. B.
About April 1, took several doses of 30 centesimal potency of O. G. Pel.
Second day. Sore throat on left side as if it had been scalded; continued several days only at night.
Catarrh with hard clinkers hawked back which would invariably shoot down the throat, came at 10 a.m., 3 p.m. and10 p.m.
Second and third days. Aching pain in the afternoon from back of left ear extending down toward the shoulder, half way from neck.
An ache over the left hip seems to extend in deep, this disappeared during menstruation, and reappeared when menses ceased.
Fourth day. Pains and aches in uterine region and left ovary as if menses were coming on (not due for eighteen days ).
Itching of right labia extending outward to the edge.
Fifth day. A congested suffocating feeling in the chest as from wind in the center of under the sternum; beating it with the hand temporarily relieves, apparently by jarring.
In the light of other experience may not this sensation have been in or around the heart.
April 18. While riding in the cars had sudden haemorrhage from the rectum, bright blood; a severe pain across the sacrum.
April 19. The menses appeared, same day had another discharge of blood from the bowels, followed by burning at the anus.
Second day. Awakened at night by great heat in sacral region, rest of the body cool; a good deal of aching pain across the sacrum and nates.
Third day. Lay awake all night as is usual with me before menses. Sleepy all the time and tired; can go to to sleep any time, night or day.
During sleep and immediately on going to sleep, the whole body jerked. Between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. am taken suddenly with intense drowsiness, some- times overcoming the will to keep awake.
Especially sleepy during menstruation. After menstruating slight pains in anterior part of left thigh.
Sore spot on pressure in left ovary, also breasts are sore, and sensitive to pressure.
May 17. Menses commenced at 5 p. m., flowed all night colorless, profuse, penetrating her clothing.
On the 18th. Began in the morning to be bright red fluid, profuse, painless, saturating five napkins during the day.
The menses were preceded for 24 hours by depression of spirits, dull dragging pains in lower abdomen.
Between 4 and 5 p. m. on the 18th after a natural stool had another haemorrhage from the bowels, same as April 18th and 20th.
Every time she sneezes or coughs the urine spurts out, only since menstruation ceased.
Urine scalds the vulva on right side which itches intensely.
Between menstruations the left side of abdomen was very sore with sharp pains occasionally darting through it, also a bearing down as if a weight was hanging to the womb.
Since the above was written the following was received from Dr. Boardman as reported by his prover of O. Gl. P.: ” Prickling pains in the neck of the womb, apparently in the os uteri, with pressure downwards, and intense aching, with desire to keep the thighs wide apart (Lachesis)
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Reprinted with the kind permission of Gwyneth Winston from Julian Winston’s Archives – http://julianwinston.com/archives/
