By Dr. G. H. G. Jahr.
(Translated from the Journal de la Societe Gallicane,)
By E. E. Marcy, M. D., New York.
ANGINA. — 49. A woman aged twenty-nine years, of a delicate and irritable constitution, nursing her child, was attacked after a chill, with an angina presenting the following symptoms: pressing pain and weight in the head; sensation of dryness in the mouth with moist tongue; deep redness of the veil of the palate and the tonsils, which are swollen; lancinations in the throat; speech and deglutition difficult and painful; darting pains in the chest, burning in the limbs; hot skin; rapid, small and hard pulse. After the use of Pulsatilla, which was of no benefit, there occurred on the second day of the disease: bitter taste; accumulation of mucus in the mouth; pustules upon the tonsils; vulsions; lancinating pains throughout the body; skin moist; heat less intense. On the third day Aconite 3d, every hour, was prescribed, and after a good night, the cure was complete on the fourth day. (Dr. Y., Epitres homoeopathiques p. 104.)
50. A robust man, thirty years old, having drank very cold water when much heated, was attacked with a kind of oesophagitis: violent pains in the chest, at the upper part of the heart, but more towards the middle, and extending to the back, increased by every movement of the body, but especially during deglutition, with a sensation as if the substances swallowed had stopped in the oesophagus, in the region of the heart; the pains increase daily until he can no longer lie upon his back; fever. One dose of Aconite 12th, every day for one week, cured him in a short time. — (Segin, Hygea, vol. XVII, p. 55.)
51. Nine cases of severe inflammation of the tonsils, with great heat, frequent and hard pulse, in six men and three women, between the ages of twelve and thirty years, were entirely cured with two and four doses of Aconite, at intervals of from three to six hours. After the remedy the fever always subsided promptly, the pulse became natural, and a few doses of Sulphur, Mercurius or Kali, completed the cure. — (Hartung Fragments des ouvres posthumes de Hahnemann.)
52. Aconite is efficacious against anginas, when the throat is red, with pain on swallowing or speaking, fever, burning, pricking, and contraction of the throat; restlessness and anxious agitation. — (Hering Domestic Medicine.)
53. Rheumatic anginas are always cured with Aconite, when they affect the soft palate and the pharynx. Ordinarily deglutition is difficult, or rather transient lancinations extend from the throat to the ears, while the throat, the tonsils, and the veil of the palate are of a deep red color. — (Enlenberg, Hygea, vol. XXII, p. 352.)
54. When, in tonsilitis, there is imminent danger of suppuration, with high fever, Mercurius or Belladonna does not always avert the danger. In many cases of this kind a drop of Aconite 18th every two hours, has promptly cured the malady without suppuration. — (Schroen, Gazette Hom., vol. V, p. 145, et Hygea, vol. V, p. 101.)
55. From the commencement of tonsilitis to the end of the third day, I give Aconite, which alone cures light rheumatic angina, with pains in the muscles of deglutition, and striated redness of the veil of the palate. — (Goullon, Archives de Stapf, vol XIX, cah II, p 99.)
56. When, in apthous tonsilitis, the tonsils, swollen and lobulated, appear covered with white points, which become confluent and enlarged, as the disease progresses, with burning and lancinating pains, even without deglutition, and then disappear about the fifteenth to the nineteenth day, with a sort of desquamation of the epthelium, we treat them most successfully at first with Aconite, and afterwards with a few doses of Carbo vegetabilis. — (Goullon, ibid, p 102.)
57. Symptomatic indicators in tonsilitis: high inflammatory fever; bright redness of the affected parts; lancinating pains on swallowing; imminent danger of suppuration; great agitation and uneasiness. — (Jahr.)
VOMITING; HEMATEMISIS. — 58. A child immediately after its birth was attacked with hematemisis, with dark and bloody stools; he pined and refused the breast. Aconite 200th cured the vomiting in two hours, so that the child took the breast, and in four days the stools became natural. — (Schreten, Nouvelles archives de Stapf, vol III, cah 11, p 135.)
GASTRITIS. — 59. A woman thirty-six years old, poor, mother of four scrofulous children, and nursing a child, had a chill while bathing in cold water, and was attacked with pain in the stomach, which degenerated into a gastritis on the third day, presenting the following symptoms: violent lancinating, pressing and burning pains in the region of the stomach; frequent thirst; continued nausea and retching; the smallest tea spoonfull of water rejected by vomiting; continual stretchings and yawnings; anguish and fear of death; frequent and hard pulse. Two drops of Aconite 1st in a tea spoonfull of water, was ordered every hour. After the first dose the vomiting ceased. The Aconite was continued every two hours for four days, and the cure was complete. — (Geyer, Hygea, vol XI, p 358.)
60. A man twenty years old, of a melancholy temperament, suffered from debility, with loss of appetite, nausea, thirst, weak eyes, tongue covered with thick and white mucus, putrid taste, irregular stools, morose humor, rigors towards evening, sleeplessness. After three doses of Pulsatilla daily, there occurred on the fourth day the following symptoms: gastric region very sensitive to pressure, increased thirst, desire to vomit, vomiting without relief, small and slightly accellerated pulse. Aconite 1st every two hours cured him in three days, notwithstanding the simultaneous use of petroleum ointment. — (Maly, Hygea, vol XXI, p 356.)
61. In a light erysipelatous gastritis, characterized by severe nausea and violent vomiting, first of food and then of bile, and then passing to retchings with acute pressing pains, great thirst and extreme heat, a few doses of Aconite followed in twelve hours with Belladonna, appeased the fever, the vomiting and the pains, although the erysipelatous affection continued lightly until the fifteenth day, when it entirely disappeared.
62. Symptomatic indicators in gastritis: acute sensitive pains; intense thirst; anguish as if death was imminent. — (Jahr.)
HEPATITIS AND JAUNDICE. — 63. Aconite is one of the most efficacious medicines in acute hepatitis, especially when it is characterized by pungent pain, with a short dry cough, and a severe inflammatory fever. — (Jahr.)
64. When the pain in hepatitis, is deeply seated, dull and pressive, with an inflammatory fever, Aconite 12th twice daily, will be indicated. It often alone suffices to effect a cure. — (Kreussler, Therapeutique, p 104.)
65. In hepatitis, I know by experience that Aconite is indispensible, especially when there is a burning and pungent pain under the false ribs, with difficult and anxious respiration, and dry and short cough, which aggravates the pain; the affected parts swollen, tense, hot to the touch, with strong synochal fever; dry heat; pulse a little hard, full, and accellerated. — (Hartmann, sur l'emplir de l'aconite p 14.)
66. In rheumatic inflammation of the serous-membranes of the stomach, intestines, or liver, with shifting pains manifesting themselves with violence, sometimes in the gastric region, sometimes in the right hypochondrium, and sometimes in the umbilical region, Aconite is a remedy of certain efficacy. — (Enlenberg, Hygea, vol XXII, p 353.)
67. Aconite often cures jaundice in a few days, if it is of recent origin. — (Rummel, Gaz hom. de Leipzig, vol XXVIII, p 265.)
68. A young girl eighteen years of age, apparently in fine health, with regular and abundant menstruation, suffered for many months with a painful sensation, which manifested itself sometimes in the epigastrium, sometimes in the right hypochondrium, and sometimes in the umbilical region. When the pain fixed itself in the epigastrium there were swelling and tension at the pit of the stomach with a bitter taste in the mouth; increase of pain from external pressure; tongue lightly furred or reddish, with much thirst; gums scorbutic, swollen, and bleeding from time to time; vomiting of food after eating; diarrhoea or constipation. — When the pain occupied the left lobe of the liver, with aggravation by external pressure, the conjunctiva and sclerotica became yellowish, with photophobia and rheumatic ophthalmia of the right eye; vertigo when stooping, or shaking the head. When the pain affected the umbilical region, there was sometimes diarrhoea and sometimes constipation. After an unsuccessful treatment of four months, strong tincture of Aconite, in doses of five drops four times a day, were employed. After having taken half an ounce, the patient was cured. — (Enlenberg, Hygea, vol XXII, p 353.)
69. A small boy, twelve years old, had an attack of jaundice of fifteen days standing, after an eruption. The entire body was of the color of sulphur, except the cheeks, nose, and lips. No fever, dry tongue, natural taste for food and drinks; bitter and frequent eructations in the morning; later, bitter vomiting, especially after having eaten; at evening and at noon he can eat without inconvenience; pit of the stomach swollen and tender to the touch; right hypochondrium perfectly insensible; bowels distended with wind, and hard; burning around the navel; stools soft and quite yellow; urine yellowish; continued burning in the forehead. Aconite 3d morning and evening, one drop at a dose. At the end of three days the cure was complete with the exception of the tympanitic condition of the bowels. — (Sommer, Gaz. hom, de Leipzig, vol XXXVI, p 331.)
70. Symptoms of the Materia Medica: burning around the navel, 184, 185. Pressure in the region of the liver; difficult respiration; then, after a short time, pain in the region beneath the navel, 190. Jaundice, 191. White stool and red urine 212, 213.
(To be Continued.)