Wednesday, March 21, 2018

A case - Dr. Lippe

"Mrs. B......, aet. 45, had for many years suffered from a very delicate and irritable stomach, from cancrous sore mouth (cured by Phytolacca), all in consequence of what is mis-termed scientific treatment; she also had suffered from hay-fever, regularly returning every year on the 16th of September.

Mrs. B. returned from Europe, after an absence of several years, on the 26th July last; the voyage had been a very unpleasant one; she had been very sea-sick all the time. From the time she left Liverpool till she was visited by me, on the 27th July, she had taken literally no nourishment; broken ice was the only thing that had passed her lips.

I found her sitting up, occasionally straining to vomit, very weak, pulse 110 per minute; she complained of a violent pain in the occiput, with great heat, which she had tried to relieve by applications of broken ice; urinary secretions suppressed; mouth dry and hot; she had not slept for a fortnight, and could not lie down on account of a great nervousness, as she expressed it, which compelled her to change her position and her chair so very often; she wandered about all night from chair to chair; taste very disagreeable; perfect loathing of food, and for a few days had a watery, very offensive, and black-looking diarrhoea.

The choice of the remedy was easy enough; I gave her one dose of Arsenicum album 50m (Fincke) on her tongue. (July 27th, 10 a.m. ) July 28th, had slept in her bed from 10 p.m. till 1 a.m. , then became nervous and restless, but says that she feels better. No medicine. July 29th. Has been in bed all night, slept, and no return of the diarrhoea; urinary secretions re-established; the hot water applications to her head have very much relieved the pain; has taken some milk-toast, and relished it; pulse below 90; is cheerful and hopeful.

July 31st. Had a still better night, is better in every respect, but complains of severe pains in a bunion on the left foot; it is much inflamed and stings (1). I gave her now one dose of Nitr-ac. C m. (Fincke). August 1st. The bunion is less painful, otherwise there is not much change perceptible. August 2nd. Bunion still improving, and on August 3rd no more pain or inflammation in it.

On the evening of August 3rd, I was again summoned to see her; found her (7 p.m. ) quite ill; the diarrhoea and vomiting had returned with great violence; pulse over 110; the same headache as on the 27th had also returned, also the great restlessness (2). Gave her one dose of Arsenicum alb. C m (Fincke) dry on her tongue. Found her better next day, and the improvement continued; on the 6th of August (3) her bunion began to pain her again as on July 31st.

Gave no medicine (4). The improvement continued satisfactorily; when the 16th of September came, she had that night, about 1 a.m. , some oppression of breathing, which reminded her of the terrible asthmatic attacks she had had years ago; she had to sit up for half-an-hour. No medicine. She fully recovered, and travelled for some weeks; had no hay-fever; really has had nothing to complain of since; enjoys better health than she had for years."

Comments from Dr. Lippe:
"When the bunion appeared, no medicine should have been given, because all the other symptoms for which Arsenic was clearly indicated improved under its salutary action, clearly showing that the effects of the dose administered was not yet exhausted, and because this new symptom appearing on a less vital part of the body; also showing a moving downward of the disease did not indicate a progress, but a descending diminution of the disorder.

Here were two important rules violated. The remedy must be allowed to exhaust its effects before another dose of the same remedy, or a new remedy, shall be administered. If the appearance of the painful bunion had demonstrated a progress of the disorder, a new remedy indicated by this last appearing symptom would have been in order; and, above all, do we know that if a less vital organ becomes affected, and if the symptoms move from the centres to the extremities, or from above downwards, such symptoms do not indicate a progress of the disorder, and therefore no new remedy should be given, and especially not if the general or previous more serious condition of the patient improves."

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