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en:ahr:wells-df-clinical-contributions-158-10646

CLINICAL CONTRIBUTIONS.

BY D. F. WELLS, M. D., BROOKLYN, N. Y.

Case I. A girl, 19 years old, had had constant pain in the loins, since she first menstruated, i. e., for about four years, as if the back were broken. The menstruation had always been retarded, often as much as seven days, but was not abnormal either in quantity or quality. The mother of this patient was similarly affected previous to her marriage, and not after. This case reminded the attendant of symptoms developed in a patient by massive doses of Camphor, which he had opportunity to observe while in attendance on the clinics of one of his professors. She had similar pains and similar delay of menstruation, after taking a series of such doses of the drug as the professor was accustomed to administer to his patients. A note was made of the fact at the time, and now no remedy seeming more like the symptoms of his case than this remembrance of the effects of Camphor, he gave six pellets of Camphor20 in half a tumbler of water, a teaspoonful to be taken every six hours. The pains ceased in twenty-four hours. They returned after wetting the feet, and were again removed and permanently by a similar medication.

The pathogenesis of Camphor in our Materia Medica gives no such symptoms either of the back or of the menstruation. It is wanting entirely in symptoms of the female sexual functions, and also of symptoms affecting the back below the shoulder blades. The above noted observation, and its repeated clinical confirmation, is confidently given as a contribution to the confessedly imperfect proving of this drug.

Case II. A soldier of the 69th New York Volunteers, at the battle of Antietam, was struck by a musket ball just below and close to the os pubis, and close to and outside of the spot over the exit of the femoral artery from the abdomen. The exit of the ball was posteriorly on the same side, one and a half inches, from the mesial line, and two inches above the lower end of the coccyx. The external openings were healed at the expiration of six weeks. The wound was attended, in the first instance, by copious hemorrhage from the anterior orifice, and later by gatherings of blood as if in a pouch near this orifice, which were discharged when making efforts to remove a wounded comrade from the field. He was much exposed, after his wound, on the field, for two days and nights before he was removed, and from want of clothing, during his convalescence, and got, after the healing of the external openings, pains extending from cicatrix to cicatrix, through the thigh and pelvis, which were burning as if made by a hot iron; and sharp shootings from the anterior cicatrix to the knee. The pains were worse on change of weather and especially on the approach of a storm. He had nightly dreams of his companions lost in battle, and of being in battles, cheering those who were wounded; he stormed batteries with loud calling to those engaged. After he had so far recovered as to be able to walk, he would at times find the knee-joint of the affected side suddenly give way and let him down. This was of frequent occurrence, the loss of power being only for a few minutes each time. It was with the greatest difficulty that he could raise the limb of the wounded side so high as to step up an elevation of six inches.

After giving several remedies for the relief of these sufferings, and continuing their use for four weeks without success, the peculiarity of the pain, like the burning of an hot iron, suggested Urtica urens, of which he got six globules in half a tumbler of water, a teaspoonful every four hours. The relief of the pain was immediate, and he improved in his general condition for a week, when the approach of a storm renewed the pains. The Urtica was again repeated with similar relief. Two weeks after this, after long walking and getting wet, he had a second relapse, which the Urtica failed to relieve, and he got four globules of Sulph.“ The pains continued without abatement, for a week, when he got a third dose of Urtica, which was followed by complete and permanent relief of all his pains, and there only remained the sudden giving way of the knee-joint, and temporary loss of power in the limb. This was cured by two doses of Urtica given at intervals of four weeks. The cure is now complete, and he says he is ready to take the field again.

Case III. A woman, 54 years of age, tall, dark hair and. eyes, thin face, hollow eyes, anxious expression, movements sluggish, had been accustomed to take six and eight cups of strong coffee daily. She complains of pain as if a band were drawn around from above the eyes to the lower and back part of the head, worse in the middle of the day, with nausea and vomiting of her food immediately after eating; the nausea and vomiting were preceded by pressure in the stomach like a stone. Pain in the region of the spleen, which was dull, heavy and constant. Palpitation of the heart after exertion; cold perspiration, especially on the hands. Hunger accompanied by a sense of nausea before sitting down at the table, which hunger disappeared with the first mouthful of food taken. She got Nux vom.20 with partial and temporary relief of the nausea, and aggravation of the pain in the spleen. The whole picture of the case, on more careful consideration, appeared so like known effects of Tobacco, that there was no hesitation in giving this drug. She got six globules of Tobacco200 in half a tumbler of water, a teaspoonful night and morning. She returned in one week free from all her symptoms. The case was of five years standing. The above symptoms were obtained from habitual consumers of Tobacco, and not from our Materia Medica, into which it is believed they may safely be incorporated.


DOCUMENT DESCRIPTOR

Source: The American Homoeopathic Review Vol. 03 No. 10, 1863, pages 462-464
Description: Clinical Contributions.
Author: Wells, D.F.
Year: 1863
Editing: errors only; interlinks; formatting
Attribution: Legatum Homeopathicum
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en/ahr/wells-df-clinical-contributions-158-10646.txt · Last modified: 2012/07/12 11:00 (external edit)