By Dr. G. H. G. Jahr.
(Translated from the Journal de la Societe Gallicane,)
By E. E. Marcy, M. D., New York.
ENTERITIS AND PERITONITIS. — 71. Aconite is the only medicine which responds to all the symptoms of enteritis. It may then be regarded as a true specific in this disease, and its use should be long continued, in affections of this kind. — (Hartmann, Therapeutique vol. I.)
72. Hartmann commends very highly the employment of Aconite in enteritis. After the favorable action of Aconite, it is Belladonna which is usually required to remove the remaining symptoms. — (Kreussler, Therapeutique, p 97.)
73. I have had but few cases of enteritis to treat; but I have cured all of those I have had with Aconite 30th, repeated at intervals of three or four hours. From twenty to thirty doses were usually sufficient, followed with a few doses of Belladonna or Sulphur to remove any remaining symptoms. — (Weber, Archives de Stapf, vol. XVI, cah. 1, p 84.)
74. A man thirty-six years of age, of a bilious temperament, had a cold in the head in consequence of a chill from exposure to a humid sea atmosphere, and experienced a painful shock in the bowels whenever he sneezed. After a few days the cold had much diminished, but peritonitis with tensive and pressive pain occupied the entire left side of the bowels, and extending towards the right, a little beyond the median line. The most severe pain was in the left side, above the navel; bowels distended with wind, and very tense, and hard like a drum. Fever with hot head and burning in the throat, at the lower part of the larynx. Half a drop of Aconite 3d every hour, and cold and wet compresses to the navel. Towards evening the pain had extended upwards and downwards as far as the vesical region; fever more intense. During the evening a dose of Aconite was given every two hours. The next day, good sleep; moderate perspiration; stool; reddish-yellow urine, but without deposit; bowels softer and less painful. Aconite every three hours. On the following day the patient sat up, having a good appetite. I then gave Bryonia 1st (why? Jahr), one drop every four hours, and the next day the patient was cured. — (Frank, Gaz. hom. de Leipzig, vol XIX, p 74.)
75. A student, aged twenty-four years, well-fed, with black hair, brown complexion, mild disposition, tendency to abdomenal colics, complained, after a chill of five hours, of enteritis with the following sufferings: contortion of the facial muscles when speaking; bowels burning, tense, and incapable of sustaining the least touch throughout the entire umbilical region; the incisive and burning pains increased by contact; the bed-covering even appearing too heavy. Skin hot and dry; pulse 120 — small, irregular, and a little hard; tongue dry, deep-red at the sides, and covered in the middle with a thin, white fur. Great thirst, and drinks cause pain and a sensation of anguish in the umbilical region. Respiration accelerated, and short, with a sort of disquietude in the body, and a desire to change position, which the pain prevents. Stool in the morning, but no urine for many hours. A drop of Aconite 18th every four hours was prescribed. In the morning after the third dose, some relief; pulse 98; urine scanty and deep red. Aconite continued. At the end of thirty hours the inflammation was cured by seven doses of Aconite, except a pressive pain in the abdomen and constipation, which were cured on the fiftieth day with Nux vomica 24th, Belladonna 30th, and Carbo vegetabilis 9th. — (Schuarze, Guerisons homoeopathique, p 92.)
76. A single woman thirty-six years old, of a sanguine temperament, and delicate constitution, but regular in her habits, was attacked with colic. After an ineffectual use of allopathic remedies for five days, peritonitis supervened with the following symptoms: face pale and expressive of fear and anguish; lancinating pains in the forehead, with hot head; tongue moist and charged with a yellowish white fur; bitter taste, excessive thirst, frequent eructations with desire to vomit, frequent vomiting of a liquid of the color of verdigris bowels swollen with wind (meteorism), and throughout their entire extent, excessively painful to the least touch; constant darting, tearing pains, worse at night; no stool for many days; urine scanty, hot and red; temperature of the skin much increased, but with sweat; feet cold; pulse 100, small, contracted, and hard; sleeplessness. A drop of Aconite 1st in water, was prescribed every two hours. On the following night, general aggravation; the next day, diminution of anguish, vomiting and pains. On the third day, continuation of the improvement, diminution of the meteorism, hard stool, pulse 80. On the fourth day pulse 66, and no fever. On the fifth day, a slight return of colic, which was cured with Colocynth. — (Huber, Journal Autrichien, vol IV, p 441.)
77. A woman forty years of age, generally pretty well, except a disposition to sanguineous congestion towards the head, was attacked with an hepatitis which was relieved so much in two days by Aconite and Bryonia that she could move about. On the second day, after a dose of Mercurius 12th, and an increase of the pains, against which she applied leeches in the afternoon, there supervened in the evening, burning pains, in the umbilical region, and on the morning of the next day a metastatic enteritis presenting the following symptoms: in the umbilical region, but rather below than above the navel, acute, burning, tearing pains, becoming almost insupportable at the slightest touch, and the covering seeming too heavy; great increase of the pain on turning upon the right side, which restores also the hepatic pain; bowels much swollen and tense; easiest position upon the back; continual paroxysms of anguish; frequent hiccoughs, which increases the pains; lower limbs more cold than the rest of the body; decided fever, great thirst, dry mouth; rapid, small, and rather hard pulse; constipation; urine deep-red and flocculent; no appetite or sleep. Aconite 24th, two doses from three o’clock in the afternoon until the next day. On the three following days one dose daily was given, and repeated every time the symptoms appeared to increase. After the second day there was an amelioration of all symptoms. On the sixth day constipation ceased. On the tenth day, from the commencement of the attack of hepatitis, the patient departed cured, without having had any trace of a crisis. — (Hartmann, Annales de Hartlaub et Trinks, vol I, p 207.)
78. A young girl of twenty-nine years, having been treated for two attacks of Intermittent Fever within eight weeks, with Quinine, suddenly ceased menstruating after having lifted too heavy a weight. Rigors, heat, and colic-pains came on, and on the second day she was attacked with an enteritis presenting the following symptoms: violent, burning pain over the entire abdomen, especially from the navel to the pubic region; piercing cries at the slightest touch; tearing and shooting pains alternately across many parts of the bowels; abdomen tense and swollen; respiration difficult, short, rapid, painful; face pale and distorted; skin dry and hot; great thirst; loss of appetite; confusion of the head; no stools; urine scanty, deep-red and burning; great nightly agitation; pulse rapid and somewhat hard. Eight doses of Aconite 18th in 24 hours, were followed by profuse perspiration, two stools, and an amelioration of the symptoms. On the morning of the third day Pulsatilla 12th was prescribed, and a complete cure was effected in a few days. — (L. de F. Gaz. hom. de Leipzig, vol XXVIII, p 26.)
79. A little girl six years old, had, in consequence of a chill, the following symptoms: violent pain in the bowels, with drawing and cramp-like sensations; pinching and retraction of the navel; frequent white stools, with pressure and lancinations in the anus; general heat and pain throughout the body; every touch is intolerable; yellowish color of the skin and of the whites of the eyes; intense thirst, dry mouth; stiffness of the whole body. After drop doses of Aconite 6th every two hours, there were a general perspiration, and a diminution of all the sufferings in 24 hours. On the fourth day the cure was complete. — (Scholz, Gaz. hom. de Leipzig, vol. XIV, p 202.)
80. A man with weak abdominal organs was attacked with enteritis from having drank cold water when heated. The progress of the disease was rapid, but the disease appeared to remain stationary after the force of the malady had been subdued. The bowels continued very sensitive, the pain was supportable during repose, but always excited anew by frequent paroxysms of retching, and the shocks which these produced. Antimonium crudum 6th by olfaction rapidly cured the retchings, and a few doses of Aconite and Chamomilla completed the cure. — (Wolf, Archives de Stapf, vol XII cah. II, p 32.)
81. A young girl fourteen years old, had been treated allopathically for ten days for an enteritis, and was in imminent danger of dying. Two doses of Aconite 24th at intervals of three hours cured her in a short time. — (Krammer, Gaz. hom. de Leipzig, vol V, p 298.)
82. Predominant indications: burning, lancinating or incisive pains; griping pains especially in the umbilical region; face pale and disfigured; intense thirst; greenish vomiting; frequent, white stools; suppression of urine ; urine scanty, red, hot, burning; respiration short, rapid and painful; inflammatory fever, with hot and dry skin; pulse papid, hard and small; anxious jactitation and anguish; great anguish, and anxious expression; aggravation of the pains from the least touch, even from the bed-covers. — (Jahr.)
83. In acute inflammations of all organs, Aconite is the first and principal remedy, especially when, besides thirst and a rapid pulse, there are, anxious impatience, inconsolable exasperation, and a sort of agonizing jactitation. — (Hahnemann, Matiere Medicale, I, preface de l'aconite.)
(To be Continued.)