====== LACHESIS.======
{{anchor:s2}}By H. B. Fellows, M. D., Sennet, N. Y.
{{anchor:s3}}July 4th, l864. {{anchor:s4}}Took five pellets of Lachesis30 about nine, a. m., for a cough.
{{anchor:s5}}Soon after noon I began to feel great heaviness and lassitude all through the body, but particularly through the back and legs.
{{anchor:s6}}At 3.30 p. m., the feeling of lassitude had increased and walking tired me much more than usual. {{anchor:s7}}After supper this feeling partially passed off.
{{anchor:s8}}Retired soon after nine, p. m. {{anchor:s9}}Legs ached all through but the pain was the most severe about the knees.
{{anchor:s10}}July 5th. {{anchor:s11}}Slept well. {{anchor:s12}}Coughed less this morning than yesterday. {{anchor:s13}}All well until after breakfast.
{{anchor:s14}}Soon after eight, a. m. my legs began to ache again, aching all through, but the pain, as on the day before, was most about the knees. {{anchor:s15}}Legs felt very heavy. {{anchor:s16}}The same feelings extended through the shoulders and arms, but in a less degree.
{{anchor:s17}}The general lassitude was more marked than yesterday. {{anchor:s18}}Felt better after dinner.
{{anchor:s19}}In the evening whilst walking, had a pain deep in the left ear or between the ear and the throat, which was made more severe while putting the temporal and masseter muscles on tension. {{anchor:s20}}This pain disappeared in a short time and one appeared just above the left external malleolus, which would increase as the contiguous muscles were put upon the stretch in stepping.
{{anchor:s21}}This pain lasted for some time.
{{anchor:s22}}July 6th. {{anchor:s23}}Felt well with the exception of the lassitude.
{{anchor:s24}}July 7th. {{anchor:s25}}More of the lassitude. {{anchor:s26}}Increased sexual excitement. {{anchor:s27}}This excitement lasted several days.
{{anchor:s28}}July 10th. {{anchor:s29}}No more symptoms noticed.
{{anchor:s30}}Any pathogenetic symptom is reliable; it must be so, or the science of Homoeopathy falls to the ground. {{anchor:s31}}The pathogenesis of a drug may be confirmed either by reproving it, or by its curative effects when prescribed according to the homoeopathic formula. {{anchor:s32}}The former is the better way, and is more in accordance with the teachings of the master, if any doubt exists as to the symptoms ascribed to the drug. {{anchor:s33}}There can be no better way to settle the question of the reliability of Lachesis than by a reproving of it; the addition of other symptoms, equally characteristic as those now known, would also be likely to follow the reproving. {{anchor:s34}}The curative effects also confirm the provings, and are the final tests to be applied to every proving.
{{anchor:s35}}The following case of diphtheria is offered as confirming the above proving and as showing quite clearly the type of cases in which Lachesis will prove of the greatest value; a type which has been of frequent occurrence in this vicinity for the past few months.
{{anchor:s36}}Miss S. aged 18, had been feeling unwell for several days. {{anchor:s37}}On October 25th she was obliged to take to the bed. {{anchor:s38}}On the evening of that day I found her with a severe pain in the forehead, which became a beating pain in the vertex on assuming the upright position. {{anchor:s39}}On fixing her eyes on any spot on the wall she would feel dizzy. {{anchor:s40}}(I have seen this symptom produced from a high potency. {{anchor:s41}}"During the day looking at any object closely would produce vertigo, and in the evening looking at the clouds not more than 30° or 40° above the horizon, would immediately produce the same sensation.") Severe pain in the limbs, principally about the knees and elbows; the flesh felt very sore, and moving the limbs aggravated the pain for the time being. {{anchor:s42}}Much lassitude; she nearly fainted on rising from the bed at noon. {{anchor:s43}}Tenderness and pain in the epigastric region, nausea, anorexia, tongue coated with a dirty yellow fur, very unpleasant taste in the mouth. {{anchor:s44}}The tonsils were swollen and showed patches of a diphtheritic membrane about half an inch wide, of a dirty gray color, and extending down out of sight. {{anchor:s45}}Submaxillary and parotid glands swollen. {{anchor:s46}}The soreness of the throat began on the left side, and this side was still the most painful; throat was more painful after sleeping or talking. {{anchor:s47}}Pulse upwards of ninety; the skin at times hot and dry, at other times moist. {{anchor:s48}}Gave Lachesis30 in aqueous solution every two hours. {{anchor:s49}}Next morning I found the patient with the headache, pain in the limbs, and nausea removed and less soreness about the throat; pulse natural or nearly so, strength increased. {{anchor:s50}}Continued Lachesis 30.
{{anchor:s51}}Oct. 27. Symptoms improving; diphtheritic membrane disappearing. {{anchor:s52}}Lachesis200 every three hours.
{{anchor:s53}}October 28th. {{anchor:s54}}Did not sleep as well as on previous night. {{anchor:s55}}Diphtheritic membrane nearly gone. {{anchor:s56}}Lachesis30. {{anchor:s57}}After this the patient got no more medicine for the day.
{{anchor:s58}}About twenty months previous, I treated this patient for an attack of diphtheria, using the lower potencies of Aconite Belladonna and Mercurius iod., and during the disease a troublesome asthmatic cough set in and lasted for some days after the throat was healed. {{anchor:s59}}During the last attack a slight cough appeared having the same characteristics, but required no other remedy, and disappeared before the throat healed.
{{anchor:s60}}From the above proving we get some of the most marked symptoms of this case; and a complete picture of the disease as it often appears in its initiatory stage. {{anchor:s61}}As this stage frequently lasts from one to several days, it will in many cases enable us to avert a serious attack by the use of this remedy.
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====== DOCUMENT DESCRIPTOR ======
^ Source: | The American Homoeopathic Review Vol. 04 No. 09, 1865, pages 411-413 |
^ Description: | Lachesis. |
^ Remedies: | Lachesis |
^ Author: | Fellows, H.B. |
^ Year: | 1865 |
^ Editing: | errors only; interlinks; formatting |
^ Attribution: | Legatum Homeopathicum |