====== CLINICAL CONTRIBUTIONS.====== 

{{anchor:s2}}By William Gallupe, M. D., Bangor, Maine.

<span grade2>{{anchor:s3}}Case 3</span>. {{anchor:s4}}- Miss H. M., aged twenty-four years, of slender form, lymphatic temperament, called on me for advice Dec. 5th, 1864. {{anchor:s5}}She stated that she was never of robust health, but able to keep about in comfortable health most of the time, by exercising care, up to a little more than four years since, when she received an injury from which she has suffered much ever since. {{anchor:s6}}She is now of a very pale and sickly countenance and quite feeble - scarcely able to sit up much. {{anchor:s7}}About a year since she was taken more unwell — supposed from a cold and over-exertion, was confined to her bed mostly for five months, and attended by an allopathic physician - the same who prescribed for her after the injury. {{anchor:s8}}She has been quite feeble since.

{{anchor:s9}}A little more than four years ago she was thrown from a wagon, in such a manner as to fall mostly upon the hip and side; the wagon-seat fell upon the other hip. {{anchor:s10}}She was injured very much, low down across the hips and the small of the back; was very lame and unable to move much or to sit up, for some time, and has suffered more or less, and been in feeble health ever since. {{anchor:s11}}It has affected her very much to stand or walk since that injury. {{anchor:s12}}She thinks she has not been able to bear her weight on her limbs since, without more or less suffering through the hips. {{anchor:s13}}She has made much effort to exercise, as it has been urgently recommended by her friends and her physician, but cannot endure walking, even for a short distance, without suffering from it more or less for a week or more. {{anchor:s14}}At times she is confined to her bed for some days in consequence. {{anchor:s15}}Riding, or any jarring, affects her in much the same way.

{{anchor:s16}}Her general health had suffered much for the want of exercise, and yet she had suffered from striving to take it; mostly through the hips and lower part of the back, is obliged to keep in a horizontal position to get much rest.

{{anchor:s17}}Since the illness a year since, has suffered from difficulties at the stomach, in addition to former troubles - faint, <span grade2>gone</span> feeling, fullness and flatulence from taking food, bowels more constipated, and suffered much more from hemorrhoidal irritation - has been troubled with the latter affection ever since the injury, and is not able to sit on a hard seat, from the tenderness about the coccyx and pressure on the hip sockets, producing a constant uneasiness there while sitting.

{{anchor:s18}}On examination much tenderness to pressure about the heads of both femora and the edges of the acetabulum, joint of the coccyx and sacrum; pressing the head of the femur against the acetabulum produces much pain and aching sensation, and she feels it so constantly while bearing any weight upon the limbs; migrating pains about the chest and much irritation to cough from slight causes; most about the left side; shooting and stitching pains; has had them more or less since the injury, but much more since the last sickness; head feels much of dizziness and of light aching feeling through the temples and to upper part of head; dull, languid, weak feeling much of the time; bowels constipated or variable mostly.

{{anchor:s19}}Sleep is restless and unquiet - most first part of night, and has been more or less so since the injury. {{anchor:s20}}Had what was called a salt rheum on left hand formerly and was much troubled with it; does not recollect having it much since the injury. {{anchor:s21}}Mother had it and died with it.

{{anchor:s22}}Prescription: Four powders of Nux vom.,<sup>30</sup> each containing four pellets; a powder to be taken every other night, by dissolving a powder in six spoonfuls of water, and taking a part of it at evening, remainder in the morning; after this to wait a week for the general effect on the system. {{anchor:s23}}Then to use five powders of Sulph., each 4/30 in the same manner as the above, and to report after a week or ten days.

{{anchor:s24}}Jan. 26. Reports a decided relief of state of stomach and bowels, and quite regulated from the first course. {{anchor:s25}}From the second course, the pains and irritation about the chest and left side, and the shooting or lancinating pains are about gone; she feels much better generally; head quite well - rests very much better at night - sleep is more refreshing, pain and soreness about hips and through rather less - can lie with more quietness, but it affects her to stand or bear any weight upon them, and to press with the hand about the joints. {{anchor:s26}}Stomach and bowels, in quite a healthful state and hemorrhoidal irritation very much relieved; while taking second course a fine rash came out on chest and neck with much itching and burning sensation .

{{anchor:s27}}Four powders of Rhus. tox.<sup>30</sup> Nos. 1, 3, 5,7. Sac. lac. {{anchor:s28}}Nos. 2, 4, 6, 8. to take as of the others, and repeat a powder every other night, and to take in the order as numbered.

{{anchor:s29}}Reports, March 8th, very much improved; can stand and walk about quite comfortably - can sit in a common chair without feeling any uneasiness, which had been constant before ever since the injury from the wagon. {{anchor:s30}}After walking awhile began to feel some of the old uneasiness at the hips and some soreness for a few days, but on keeping still awhile subsides and feels easy again. {{anchor:s31}}Slight tenderness to firm pressure about the edges of the acetabulum, and if pressed on trochanter firmly, is felt at the acetabulum, but is slight to what it had been; general health is much improved-countenance becoming healthful.

{{anchor:s32}}Three powders Rhus. tox. 5/30, Nos. 1, 2, 3. Two powders Rhus. tox. {{anchor:s33}}5/200 Nos. 4, 5. Take as before, and repeat a powder twice per week for three powders and once per week after.

{{anchor:s34}}I did not see the patient again for five years after, as she resided about thirty miles from me. {{anchor:s35}}She states that she soon got well from the last prescription, and could walk with ease two or three miles with any of her neighbors, and had been quite well of her former difficulties.

{{anchor:s36}}Case 4. - Mr. L -, aged about forty years, of sandy complexion, strong, athletic and vigorous constitution, stated to me that he had met with a sad accident for him, eight or nine days before; that he strained the middle joint of his right thumb, and quite severely; that it had been very sore and painful, and with much heat, and painful nights; that he was making arrangements to get his timber together to build him a house; but as this had occurred, thought he should be obliged to give it up till next season.

{{anchor:s37}}I remarked that I thought it could be relieved so as not to be of much detriment to him.

{{anchor:s38}}Replied that he had lost all confidence in physicians for such difficulties - that he strained his left thumb in the same place and manner six years before, though he thought not quite so bad as this one appeared to be - that he followed the advice and prescriptions of a prominent surgeon, for nearly a year, without any sensible benefit - that he was unable to use it much for three or four years - would often pain him severely from trying to use it, and that even now it would have a catching pain in it from using it in certain ways.

{{anchor:s39}}On examining the thumb, it had evidently received a bad strain about the middle joint - was quite tender and painful to move the joint, and swollen some. {{anchor:s40}}I think it was the ninth day from the accident.

{{anchor:s41}}I replied to him that I could give him some medicine to take, so as to relieve his thumb in the course of three weeks, so that it would be no further detriment to him.

{{anchor:s42}}He thought it was rather a laughable idea to take medicine to relieve the joint of the thumb, but thought he would try the experiment, as he called it; but that his faith was very small.

{{anchor:s43}}I prepared for him six powders of Rhus. t. 4/30, to take: by dissolving a powder in six spoonfuls of water, and take a part of it at evening and remainder in the morning, and repeat a powder every other night for three powders, and for the remainder a powder once in three to five days, as felt required to keep up a gradual improvement; to keep the part cool by bathing it in fresh, cool water, and if not quite well in three weeks to call and report, as he resides some miles from me. {{anchor:s44}}I did not see him again for eight weeks, when he stated that the thumb was quite well at the expiration of three weeks, and he could use it freely since.

{{anchor:s45}}He asked if it was possible that he could have been deceived in calling it a strain of the joint.

{{anchor:s46}}I replied that I thought he could decide pretty well from former experience - that I considered it a pretty bad strain of the joint, and in all probability would have taken him as long to have cured it by any other practice, as it did of the left one.

{{anchor:s47}}The above cases I submit for the pages of your Review — hoping they may be of some benefit to some of your readers — not now recollecting to have seen cases reported under the use of Rhus tox., and having seen some who have been, in the practice of Homoeopathy, who had not been aware of such curative action from it.

----

====== DOCUMENT DESCRIPTOR ======

^ Source: | The American Homoeopathic Review Vol. 06 No. 06, 1865, pages 221-225 |
^ Description: | Clinical Contributions; Ailments after an injury; Strained joint |
^ Author: | Gallupe, W. |
^ Year: | 1865 |
^ Editing: | errors only; interlinks; formatting |
^ Attribution: | Legatum Homeopathicum |