[Read before The International Hahnemannian Association, July, 1923, Atlantic City, N.J.].
Case 1. Mrs. La F—-, age forty-five: She came under my care on April 4, fast, from the hands of an old school physician, who was glad to surrender the case. She was then having digitalis for her heart, bromides for her nerves, cathartics for constipation, and a medicine for her kidneys, I have forgotten what.
I found her propped up in bed, her breathing oppressed, abdomen much distended, and feet badly swollen. Her history was as follows:
“Heart disease,” at twelve years of age.
Menses first at sixteen, always irregular and profuse.
Has had four living children and six miscarriages.
Acute articular rheumatism seventeen years ago.
Miscarriage five months ago. No menstrual period since.
Since then heart is much worse and kidneys affected. Abdomen much distended and very sensitive, < light touch or percussion.
Not < firm pressure.
She feels as if something in the abdomen fell towards the side lain on.
Any excitement, or vexation, or much talking, causes pain in the left iliac region, extending to the axilla, back and heart. This is followed by choking and gagging, and violent palpitation, with the feeling of drops falling in the heart. The attacks also come on at night.
Micturition causes burning < during the attacks.
Hot flashes < night.
Limbs-nervous jerking.
Weariness < after sleep.
Tongue large and flabby, trembles when protruded.
Appetite poor, feeling of stones in the abdomen.
Examination.-Very loud systolic murmurs at apex and left edge of the sternum, at the fourth costal cartilage, and the apex beat felt one inch outside the nipple line.
Abdomen dull on percussion.
The urine contained one-third of a gram of albumen to the liter.
Diet regulated. Nujol ordered and R Lachesis M. General slow improvement followed in digestion, hot flashes and sleep. The heart was a little stronger and the apex nearer the nipple line. The albumen diminished. She had two more doses of Lachesis for slight attacks brought on by excitement. The abdomen was less distended, but the feet remained badly swollen.
On April 24, I was called to find her very restless and nervous, moaning and crying, complaining of a drawing pain in the abdomen. The urine was very scanty and the feet badly swollen. The room seemed very warm, but she did not want the window open because the wind was blowing hard. She said she could not bear the wind-it always made her so nervous. This last symptoms helped me to see the remedy and I gave her Lycopodium M. When I saw her ten days later, the swelling was all gone from her feet. The abdomen was much smaller, and the heart apex was one inch inside the nipple line. She seemed better in every way, except that for the last three or four days she had had a severe headache.
The pain, which was located in the right eye, beginning in the morning, increasing until about 3 P.M., and going away as she slept. There was also lachrymation of the right eye. She had had such headaches in the past, she said, but these were very bad, and made her heart worse. It seemed like the return of an old symptom, in the process of a cure, and I hesitated to change the remedy, but finally gave Sanguinaria canadensis M, which relieved the headaches. A week later I repeated the Lycopodium for some slight rheumatic symptoms and the patient has gained steadily since, so that she is able to be about the house very comfortably. The mental and nervous symptoms have improved, and the patient is quiet and self-controlled. There is only a trace of albumen in the urine, and the bladder symptoms have disappeared. She has had one normal menstrual period. The heart murmurs are about one-fourth their former intensity, and the apex beat is one and a half inches inside the nipple line. Case 2:
Miss P—- came to the office, suffering much from internal haemorrhoids. She had had them before, but they had always gone away with a few days rest. This time they had persisted for five weeks.
Pain intense, throbbing and stinging.
< after stool.
< from 7 P.M. on through the night.
> for sitting, < standing or lying.
Makes her nervous and restless, must walk the floor at night.
Makes her cross and want to cry. Has had little sleep for four nights.
Bowels constipated, takes carthartics. Rectum-sense of fullness after stool.
Bladder-frequent urging to urinate.
Mouth-disagreeable taste in A.M.
Thirst, but water is like medicine.
Appetite poor, but is sometimes faint about 11 A.M.
Feet-perspiration clammy and offensive.
R Sulphur 60x gave her the first good sleep for four nights. Ten days later she reported that the pain was a thing of the past, having almost disappeared the day after the prescription. Her bowels were moving twice daily and she was sleeping well.
Case 3. Mrs. R—-, age twenty, one child.
Seems a very healthy person, except for frequent headaches, which now come every week.
The pain begins in the morning on waking and lasts until after she has slept at night.
Pain left sided, in temple or over left eye.
Steady, < stooping, jar or light.
< cold air and cold applications.
Thirst during pain.
Anorexia during pain.
Face-flushed, hot, during pain.
Pain seems to have no connection with the menstrual period, but she had no headaches during pregnancy. Phosphorus and sulphur covered the symptoms best, especially that of the headache recurring every week. I gave first phosphorus, and two or three weeks later sulphur, but neither remedy produced any marked improvement, so that the patient became discouraged, and ceased coming to the office.
Two years later she came back to tell me that she was pregnant and asked for my care during labor. She had no headaches until several weeks after her delivery when they began again. After further study of the case, taking into the consideration the fact that when there were no menses there were no headaches, I gave Natrum mur. 60x, which shortened the next attack. A higher potency was then given, and the next time I saw the patient she had been free from headaches for some months.
