Radium Bromide. Ra br2, 2H2O. Trituration.
Clinical
Acne. Arteritis. Albuminuria. Appendicitis. Arthritis. Atheroma Bones, affections of. Callosities. Cancer. Carcinosis, Caruncle of Urethra. Climacteric flushes. Corns. Dermatitis. Diarrhoea. Duodenal ulcer. Eczema. Epistaxis. Epithelioma. Erythema. Eyes, affections of. Gout. Haemorrhage. Headache. Lumbago. Lupus. Naevus. Neuralgia. Neurasthenia. Nose: affections of, catarrh of, redness of. Ophthalmia. Phimosis. Prurigo. Pruritus Ani et Vulvae. Psoriasis. Rheumatism. Rodent ulcer. Sclerotitis. Skin, affections of. Tic douloureux. Trachoma. Ulcers. Warts. X-ray Dermatitis.
Characteristics
The discovery of Radium and its properties in 1898 by Pierre Curie and his wife set many persons thinking, and among them, naturally, those who are engaged in the healing of the sick. Curie himself made the first “proving. ‘ He put a tiny bit of Radium salt in an India rubber capsule and fastened it to his arm, leaving it there for ten hours. When he took it off the skin was red, the place turned into a wound, which took four months to heal, leaving a white scar the size of a shilling surrounded by discolored puckered skin. On another occasion he left it for half an hour. A wound appeared at the end of a fortnight and took another fortnight to heal. On a third occasion, left for eight minutes only, two months later the skin became red and a bit sore, but it soon passed off. In 1904 I began to make a few provings with the 30th, and in 1908 I published them in Radium as an Internal Remedy, along with some observations by Dr. Molson, experienced by himself when making triturations, and by Dr. Stonham with the 30x. A full account of these will be found in my book. By far the most important proving is that by Dr. William H. Dieffenbach, of New York City, published in The Journal of the American Institute of Homoeopathy, August 1911, and afterwards reprinted in pamphlet form the same year. Dieffenbach had the co- operation of Drs. ***R.S. Copeland, ***W. G. Crump, ***H. C. Sayre, and Guy B. Stearns in his proving, and this leaves little to be desired. It was carried out on both men and women on a much more heroic scale than mine, with 30x, 12X, and 6x, in repeated doses, but the 6x produced such severe symptoms that Dieffenbach warns against its use medicinally. Pure Radium is a white metal which “oxidizes in water, burns paper, turns black on exposure to air, and has the property of adhering firmly to iron. ‘ This last quality is not without significance, and shows a close affinity with Ferrum. Its atomic weight is 225. It is found in the ore pitchblende, and Drs. ***E. Stillman Bailey and F. H. Blackmarr, of Chicago (***J.A.I.H., September 1911), have used triturations of this combined with Thorium for radio-treatments. Although Dieffenbach used much more crude preparations than I did, his results confirm most of mine, and also greatly extend them, the eyes, skin, joints, and alimentary tracts being particularly affected. Dieffenbach quotes Professor William His, of Berlin, who published an article on the “Use of Radium in Gout and Rheumatism. ‘ His used Radium emanations (inhalations of the gas), Radium injections into joints and muscles, and the drinking of Radium water. The provings show the homoeopathicity of the drug to these conditions, although His used it empirically. Dieffenbach, who had been investigating Radium for ten years before he published his pamphlet, records that as a result of former X-ray and Radium-ray experiments one prover’s hands had, when the proving commenced, eczematous eruptions, cracks, scaly excrescences, and wart-like outcropping. After his proving with 6x these gradually disappeared. This is confirmed by a case reported to me by Mr. ***E. S. Pierrepont. A girl employed in the X-ray Department of the hospital with which he is connected developed dermatitis of the right hand and fingers. An ointment was prescribed without benefit, and cracks appeared on the skin. Two doses of Radium b. 30 were given, on Mr. Pierrepont’s suggestion, one in the morning and one in the evening. The following day the patient came out in a rash, which the matron mistook for measles, eyes watering, fingers very sore, and she felt very ill. By the following day the rash had disappeared and she felt well. The fingers were now better, and they got quite well, except that a sore feeling was left after washing. A noticeable feature of both Dieffenbach’s proving and mine was the disappearance of small naevi, which is significant, seeing that the rays are used for the destruction of naevi. Among the most successful local uses of Radium may be mentioned cases of lupus, epithelioma, carcinoma of the cervix uteri, and urethral caruncle. That Radium, like X-rays, can cause as well as cure cancer is on record. I have quoted a case (***H. W., August 1923) in a practitioner who contracted squamous-celled carcinoma from a careless handling of Radium tubes. Cases of cure of skin cases with Radium in potencies are numerous. T. Simpson (***H. W., April 1923) records one such. A retired excise officer had an intractable eruption on the genitals, inner surface of thighs and legs which had prevented him getting any refreshing sleep for three years. One tablet of Rad. b. 30 each morning was prescribed for a month. All conditions were vastly improved, and the patient got well without further medication. I have recorded another (***H. W., May 1924). A young unmarried woman, after the application of a Belladonna plaster to the back for lumbago, developed an edematous rash involving the whole face and neck, extremely irritating, worse at night, preventing sleep. At the
back of the neck was a sore, oozing patch. After temporary relief from some remedies, there still remained an irritating oozing rash, sore eyes first right, then left lids swollen, oozing from corners, lips hard, swollen. One dose of Rad. b. 30 was given. The result was dramatic. The first night she was able to sleep with only once waking. Two days later the rash had nearly gone, and the eyes had ceased to water. In a few days all had vanished, and the patient could enjoy open air. In ***H. R. (April 1923) Dr. ***S. L. Guild-Leggett records the case of a girl aged 2 1/2 years who had shifting rheumatism left foot to right knee. Then to left knee, hands, and toes. She had also a peculiarity about her stools. They were slate-coloured, very offensive, urgent, and came at noon during a meal. On these symptoms of Dieffenbach’s proving: “Defecation at noon, stool soft, dark, or offensive, slate-colour, clay-colour, pains in extremities, wakes 4 a.m., pains in all joints was given, and cured entirely. Other of my cured cases will be found in the Schema marked (o). I have also distinguished the symptoms from my proving with the letter (C) appended to each symptom. All the rest are from Dieffenbach. This enables a comparison to be made between the two. Peculiar Sensations are: As if skull too small, as if foreign body (lash) in eye, as if something dropped into trachea knees. Feel as if the bones would protrude. Intolerance of tobacco was produced. The Conditions of Radium are very marked in the general better by motion, worse by warmth of the bed, and better in open air, better lying down, better after sleep, better by pressure. Worse at night. Worse by shaving, by washing. Worse by smoking. Worse 3 a.m., 4 a.m., 7 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, night.
Relations
Rad. bro. is antidoted by Rhus and Nux mos. (dry mouth), Rhus ven. acted promptly in my cases. Dieffenbach used both Rhus ven. and Rhus tox. with success, and the homoeopathicity is evident enough. Rad. is followed well by Rhus, (in some cases I have given intermediate doses of Rhus v. 3x without interfering with the curative effects and avoiding unpleasant aggravations), by Kali-iod., Sepia, Calcarea Rad-b., antidotes Belladonna (H. W., May 1924). Compare: Cancer nosodes, Hydrast., Conium, Cund ur., Uran. (Rad. is found in pitchblende, which is an Uranium ore. Tellur. is also associated with Rad. in origin, and its symptoms are closely similar in many respects). Lycopodium corresponds in right to left direction, flatulent symptoms, and sudden pains, in stomach symptoms, Cad. Sul., Ornith., Arg-n., and Uran-n. are allied, in sclerotitis, Act-r., alternate constipation and diarrhoea, Ant-c. Rad. b. has warming sensation down oesophagus, Manc. has the same sensation rising up oesophagus. Carb. an. has worse by shaving.
Causation
Effect of X-ray burns.
Mind
Apprehensive. Depression, hardly able to move about. Fear of being alone, of the dark, wants to have someone near. Irritable, cross, easily vexed. Mind cloudy and unable to think clearly, stupid with dull frontal headache all day. After taking a single dose felt in much better spirits (curative).
Head
Vertigo with pains in occiput, better after sleep. Vertigo after rising, tendency to fall to left, better noon and after eating, better lying down, better in open air, better after eating. Dizziness with palpitation of the heart in afternoon. Vertigo with tendency to fall to left, better open air. Lightness of head with nausea and sinking in epigastrium, pulsation outward, skull felt too small. Numbness or compression of bones of head. Fullness of head. Head heavy, dull ache. Dull frontal headache, lasts all day, head feels light, better pressure, with clouded mind, unable to think. Terrific pain over right eye, spreading back to occiput, continued next morning. Intense sharp headache commencing over left eye and spreading over the head, better heat, worse cold and pressure. Sharp pain over right eye, extending to vertex, better in open air. Head heavy all day, began occiput: sharp over right eye, throbbing, pulsating, worse motion, worse lying down worse by warm air, better sitting down with head back, better cold air, better pressure over forehead and right eye, unable to lie in bed until 5 a.m. Sharp sticking pain right side of head, also in left temple, on going to bed. Headache in occiput in morning, a tight feeling, worse motion (C). Dull occipital headache, better pressure and open air. Dull headache, mostly occipital.
