Pyrogen. Pyrexin. Sepsin. A product of the decomposition of chopped lean beef in water, allowed to stand in the sun for two or three weeks. Dilutions, (which should be made, according to Burnett, direct and without glycerine).
Clinical
Abscess. Anus, sweating near. Bed-sores. Bright’s disease. Constipation. Diarrhoea. Dysentery. *Eczema. Enteric fever. Fistula. Headache. Heart, rapid action of, consciousness of, failure of. *Hectic fever. Indian continued fevers. Influenza. Intestines, ulceration of, obstruction of. Labour: *puerperal fever. *Ovary, abscess of. Peritonitis. Phthisis pulmonalis. Ptomaine poisoning. Puerperal fever. *Pyaemia. Sepsis. *Spine, Pott’s *curvature of. Tabes mesenterica. Tuberculosis. Syphilitic. Ulcers, varicose, obstinate. Varicosis.
Characteristics
John Drysdale was the first, in 1880, to suggest the use of this substance as a medicament (*On Pyrexin or Pyrogen as a Therapeutic Agent, Bailliere, Tyndall & Cox). Burdon Sanderson has stated (*B. M. F., February 13, 1875) that “only liquids which contain bacteria or have a marked proneness to their production” are capable of setting up pyrexia. This remark struck Drysdale, and though, of course, he could not endorse the “only” of the statement many drugs known to homoeopaths set up fever he saw that the fact might be turned to account. Sanderson further defines *Pyrogen as “a chemical non-living substance formed by living bacteria, but also by living pus-corpuscles, or the living blood or tissue-protoplasms from which these corpuscles spring.” In Sanderson’s experiments with *Pyrogenium the following effects were observed. (1) From a non-fatal dose: The animal shivers and begins to move about restlessly. The temperature rises from 2o to 3oC., the maximum being reached in three hours. Thirst and vomiting come on, followed by feculent and thin mucous, and finally bloody diarrhoea and tenesmus. In five hours these symptoms begin to subside, and the animal recovers with wonderful rapidity. When death occurs it is from heart failure. In *non- fatal cases with gastro-enteric symptoms the temperature gradually rises for four hours, and as gradually subsides: in *fatal cases it rises rapidly to 104o F., then rapidly declines to below normal. (2) From a fatal dose: There is intestinal haemorrhage, purging, collapse, and death. After death extravasations of blood are found in heart, pleura, and pericardium, the spleen is enlarged and full of blood. Mucous membrane of stomach and small intestines is intensely injected with detachment of epithelium and exudation of bloody fluid, which distends th gut. The blood is dark, the corpuscles being in clumps instead of rolls, and many being dissolved in the liquor sanguinis. White corpuscles partially disintegrated. Drysdale prepared a tincture of *Pyrogenium which he preferred to call *Pyrexin, since it is not a mere fever-*producer: others have called it *Sepsin, but this is too close to *Septicaemin, a name given to a related and perhaps identical nosode: I have chosen to retain the name *Pyrogen, by which the remedy is best known in homoeopathy and put his own suggestion into practice. His success was very encouraging, but as he continued to use the tincture and lowest attenuations the difficulty of keeping the preparation was not small, and the remedy did not come into extensive use till Burnett published his pamphlet on *Pyrogenium in Fevers and Blood-poisoning in 1888. Burnett used chiefly the 6th centesimal dilution, which is perfectly harmless, and which will keep indefinitely. Heath, who made one of the preparations used by Burnett, gave some of it to Swan, of New York, who ran it up into the high infinitesimal. Much of the American experience is with Swan’s attenuations, including a proving by Sherbino (*Medorrhinum Adv., xxv. 369), whose symptoms I have marked (S) in the Schema. The remainder of the symptoms of the Schema are for the most part clinical. Yingling (*H. P., xiii. 402) collected symptoms from many reported cases, and arranged them with the symptoms of the proving. (Yingling erroneously describes *Pyrogenium as prepared from “pus from septic abscess.” This is Septicaemin. He refers, however, to Burnett’s pamphlet and to cases cured with *Pyrogenium, leaving the actual substance referred to not in doubt. H. C. Allen, who published the proving and most of the cases in *Medorrhinum *Adv., rightly describes *Pyrogenium as a “Product of Sepsis”). Drysdale’s original cases include a number in which threatened typhoid was averted, a case of tabes mesenterica cured, and one of ulceration of the colon greatly benefited. Burnett’s were cases of fully developed typhoid all cut short at the height by *Pyrogenium 6 given every two hours. In his pamphlet is included a successful experience of Dr. Shouldham’s with *Pyrogenium 6 in two cases of diphtheritic sore throat. I have had ample opportunity of observing the power of *Pyrogenium over typhoid fever, and typhoid and hectic states, including one of discharging abscess connected with Pott’s disease of the spine. ***T. M. Dillingham reports (*Medorrhinum Adv., xxvii. 367) the case of a young German Jewess who had been under treatment at various hospitals for Bright’s disease, and at the *Hahnemann Hospital of New York among others. To this she was readmitted on March 14, 1890, when she first came under Dr. Dillingham’s care. The urine showed an enormous amount of albumen and a variety of casts. Feet and legs greatly swollen, face puffy. Throbbing headache, often accompanied by profuse nose-bleed, nausea, and vomiting, worse motion and light, abnormally bright eyes, widely dilated pupils. *Belladonna Gave temporary relief, but on May 31st the condition was desperate. Dillingham then learned that the trouble dated from a large abscess resulting from a lanced, badly cared-for felon of the left thumb. She was ill six weeks with this abscess, having, as her doctors said, “blood poisoning.” Soon after this he face and feet began to swell. On May 31st the condition was this: Feet, legs, and genitals greatly swollen. Frightful throbbing headache, better by tight band constantly worn. better By heat, very fond of the *hot bath. Headaches had terrible aggravations lasting two to four days, during which time she could neither lie in bed nor sit up, but was in constant motion, groaning and crying piteously for help. *Pyrogenium cmm, Swan, one dose was given, and no other medicine, although the patient on one occasion begged for something to stop the pain. In the course of June she began to mend, and on October 20th was discharged cured. In Sherbino’s proving he was cured incidentally of a consciousness of the heart and its working, and palpitation from least excitement or anxiety, worse beginning to move, congestion to head as if apoplexy would ensue. *Cactus had done no good. Sherbino cured: (1) a case of puerperal fever with Pyrogenium, being led to its selection by the very high pulse rate. (2) Relapse of typhoid, pulse 140, temperature 102o F., both were normal in twenty-four hours. (3) Young lady, 17, fever, aching bones, bed felt very hard. Numb, paralytic feeling. *As the fever left the pulse kept mounting up. *Pyrogenium cmm, Swan, repeated as often as effect ceased, *Pyrogenium is one of the germinal remedies of the materia medica. When once the idea of its essential action is grasped on infinity of applications become apparent. As Drysdale put it, “The most summary indication for *Pyrogenium would be to term it the Aconite of the typhous or typhoid quality of pyrexia,” and wherever poisoning by bacterial products (*e.g., in the hectic of phthisis) is going on *Pyrogenium will be likely to do good. *Sepsis is the essence of the action of *Pyrogenium ***H. C. Allen gives this indication for its use in septic state: “When the best selected remedies fail to relieve or permanently improve” analogous to the action of *Pso. and *Sul. In other conditions. Also: “Latent pyogenic process, patient continually relapsing after apparent simillimum.” As *Pyrogenium Is a product of carrion, the carrion-like odour of bodily emaciation, secretions, and excretions is a keynote for its use. Other leading indications are: Restlessness, must move constantly to ameliorates the soreness of parts. “Constipation, from impacts of faeces in fevers, stool large, black, carrion-like.” “Chill begins in back, between scapulae.” “Severe general chill of bones and extremities.” *Pyrogenium 5, five drops in water night and morning, assisted in the cure of a case of anal fistula in a case of Burnett’s (*On Fistula, p. 66). Under its action a sweating at the seat which the man had for many years disappeared, and the skin of his hands, which were subject to dry eczema, assumed a much cleaner aspect. J. S. Hunt (*H. W., xxxi. 54) reports five cases of varicose ulcers, all of which healed quickly under *Pyrogenium Bellairs (*H. W., xxxiv. 298) gave *Pyrogenium 200 to an elderly woman who suffered for years with an ulcerated leg, which was riddled with deep, burrowing wounds, extremely painful and discharging freely. *Hepar, *Silicea, *Arsenicum, *Hamamelis, did no good. Under *Pyrogenium once or twice a day “a large boil” formed on the calf of the leg and discharged its contents, after which the various ulcers healed up directly. The symptoms are ameliorates by heat (drinking hot water, hot bath). better Tightly binding head. better Stretching out limbs, walking about, turning over or changing position. Heart’s action and cough worse by motion. Eyeball worse moving eye. Cough worse motion and in a warm room. Worse Sitting up in bed, rising. (Cough better sitting up, worse lying down.).
