Case of Gonorrhoeal Rheumatism


A greater familiarity with the provings of Rhus and Pulsatilla would have shown me that former had also aggravation from heat although less frequently than amelioration and that Pulsatilla, had caused occasionally a decided thirst, and for large quantities too, but usually the thirstlessness was the characteristic….


I will relate a case where I made a gratifying cure after some months unsatisfactory treatment. The patient was afflicted with gonorrhoeal rheumatism of more than five years duration.

He described his pains as being always worse during warm days and form heat of the bed. Most of his other symptoms resembled those in the pathogenesis of Rhus, but these two conditions caused me to lay to one side the consideration of that remedy.

I prescribed Pulsatilla, Medorrhinum and Thuja without any particular result when finally in desperation I gave him Rhus MM. The moment the patient entered my consultation room on the occasion of his next visit, I knew he was better, by the way he walked, and the happy contended expression of his face.

I once discarded Pulsatilla in the study of another case because there was marked thirst for large quantities of water.

A greater familiarity with the provings of Rhus and Pulsatilla would have shown me that former had also aggravation from heat although less frequently than amelioration and that Pulsatilla, had caused occasionally a decided thirst, and for large quantities too, but usually the thirstlessness was the characteristic.

In some cases that come under our observation the symptoms are so linked together that each helps to explain the other, filling up with marvellous accuracy the picture of some other remedy with which the Homoeopath is familiar.

As the patient is unfolding his symptoms we often can anticipate the remainder of the picture and in that way if we wanted to resort to a little charlatanary we might greatly astonish our clientele. A remarkable adaptation of the symptoms of disease and drugs is one of the fascinations of our therapeutical science and the source of no little gratification to the lover of profession.

Bender P
Dr. P. Bender, author of "The Physical Examination of the Patient"