====== COPAVIA BALSAMUM IN BLENORRHAGIA.====== {{anchor:s2}}BY E. M. HALE, M. D., CHICAGO, ILL. {{anchor:s3}}This valuable remedy is, with Terebinth, too much neglected by the homoeopathic school. {{anchor:s4}}It had been so abused by the allopathic, that the adherents of the new felt a repugnance to its use. {{anchor:s5}}Since the publication of Teste's Materia Medica, in which attention was called particularly to Copavia as an analogue of Sepia, its use has become more general, yet I frequently meet with homoeopathic physicians who have never used it. {{anchor:s6}}According to Teste, the only analogues of Copavia are Sepia and Alumina. {{anchor:s7}}I admit that Sepia is a true analogue of Copavia but with this qualification, that the latter is to acute catarrhal affections what Sepia is to long lasting or chronic affections of that nature. {{anchor:s8}}I could never see any resemblance between the action of Alumina and the drug under consideration. {{anchor:s9}}I should arrange the analogue, of Copavia thus: {{anchor:s10}}Erigeron canadense, Sepia {{anchor:s11}}Cubabe, Pulsatilla, {{anchor:s12}}Terebinth, Senecio gracialis, {{anchor:s13}}Ura ursi, (Kali hyd. & brom.) {{anchor:s14}}My reasons for this arrangement are briefly set forth. {{anchor:s15}}1. They all cover acute and sub-acute inflammation of mucous membranes (primarily). {{anchor:s16}}2. All cause blenorrhoea of more or less sub-acute or chronic character (secondarily). {{anchor:s17}}3. All cause in excessive doses, hemorrhage from the urinary passages, diuresis, suppression of urine, etc. {{anchor:s18}}4. They are capable of curing the above-named conditions. {{anchor:s19}}"This balsam," says Teste, "has been employed in medicine for at least two centuries past.{{anchor:s20}}" By all the old medical authors it was recommended for blenorrhagia or profuse discharges from the various mucous surfaces; in bronchitis with profuse expectoration; vesical and urethral catarrh gonorrhoea, leucorrhea, diarrhea, etc. {{anchor:s21}}The provings of our school have evolved the fact that Copav. is capable of causing all these affections. {{anchor:s22}}It is indeed the typical remedy of a group which exercises a vast power over all catarrhal diseases. {{anchor:s23}}I propose to give briefly my experience with this drug, illustrating its action by the narration of a few cases. {{anchor:s24}}CASE I. Chronic Nasal Catarrh. {{anchor:s25}}— A young man applied for relief of profuse, yellow and green, thick, fetid discharge from the nasal passages of several years continuance. {{anchor:s26}}There was no perceptible ulceration of the mucous membranes. {{anchor:s27}}The discharge troubled him at night by running down the posterior nares, and causing choking and other disagreeable symptoms. {{anchor:s28}}He had taken all manner of "catarrh snuffs," etc., and had been treated by physicians of both schools but with no benefit. {{anchor:s29}}Copavia 1/100 ten drops every four hours. {{anchor:s30}}He was ordered to inject, twice a day, up each nostril one ounce of the following solution: Copavia 1/10, one drachm, warm water four ounces. {{anchor:s31}}In two weeks he reported himself cured. {{anchor:s32}}Since which time, over a year, he has had no return of the disease. {{anchor:s33}}CASE II. Gastric Catarrh. — Mrs. L. applied for relief of a "dyspepsia.{{anchor:s34}}"Her symptoms were: distention and fullness after eating; spitting up of the ingesta, with large quantities of mucus; sometimes vomiting of mucus. {{anchor:s35}}The stools were often coated with mucus; she had frequent attacks of mucous diarrhea. {{anchor:s36}}Pulsatilla was selected as the remedy, but failed to cause more than temporary palliation. {{anchor:s37}}From some remote symptoms I was induced to give Copavia. {{anchor:s38}}Ten drops of the second, dec dil, was prescribed, to be taken one hour before and two hours after meals. {{anchor:s39}}In a week the improvement was great, and it continued use effected a cure. {{anchor:s40}}CASE III. Bronchial and Vesical Catarrh. {{anchor:s41}}— Miss G., of this city, a young girl aged 15, of lymphatic-sanguine temperament, caught a severe cold sometime in the month of March. {{anchor:s42}}This resulted in a cough which was considered by the parents as whooping cough, and little or no treatment given. {{anchor:s43}}In May, after the affection had continued about six weeks, I was called in. {{anchor:s44}}Her symptoms were: emaciation, hectic fever, night sweats, debility, unable to sit up, respiration quick and panting; could breathe easily only when bolstered up in bed, mucous rale on the whole chest, most in the left lung; dullness under left clavicle, and a want of normal resonance on the whole left side. {{anchor:s45}}Heart's action tumultuous, pulse irritable and 100 per minute. {{anchor:s46}}The cough was harrassing, severe, accompanied with profuse expectoration of thick heavy masses of yellow or greenish, and putrid tasting mucus; sometimes bloody; and in such quantities as to cause choking and vomiting. {{anchor:s47}}There was also dyspnea, soreness and rawness in the chest, and occasional stitches in the left side; loss of appetite, restless nights, weariness, tongue coated white, greenish diarrhea, mixed with mucous flocculi. {{anchor:s48}}Pulsatilla and Phosphorus were given for a week with but little benefit, although apparently well indicated. {{anchor:s49}}Upon further questioning I ascertained that the urine was high colored, thick, and deposited an abundant reddish sediment. {{anchor:s50}}Spasmodic pains in the bladder occurred every morning at nearly the same hour. {{anchor:s51}}Upon examination the urine was found to contain a large amount of viscid mucus, some blood and detached portions of mucous tissue, in the shape of discolored. {{anchor:s52}}There was evidently a catarrhal inflammation of the bladder, analogous in its pathological character, to the inflammation going on in the interior of the chest. {{anchor:s53}}This led me to prescribe Copavia. {{anchor:s54}}It was given in ten drop doses, of the first dilution, repeated every four hours. {{anchor:s55}}In twenty-fours hours all the symptoms were ameliorated, and in four days the cough and expectoration had entirely ceased. {{anchor:s56}}The mucus and blood had disappeared from the urine; the hectic fever was much lighter, and the night sweats less profuse. {{anchor:s57}}In eight days her appetite had returned and she was able to sit up several hours, and all the symptoms, which appeared so serious, were dissipated. {{anchor:s58}}No other remedy but the Copavia was given, and in three weeks she had regained her usual health. {{anchor:s59}}This case is a beautiful example of the remedial and specific powers of this remedy. {{anchor:s60}}CASE IV. — A young man had "dysentery.{{anchor:s61}}" I saw him on the fourth day of the disease. {{anchor:s62}}He had taken Mercurius and Ipecac. with no benefit. {{anchor:s63}}The evacuations were made of thick, brown, tenacious mucus, tinged with blood. {{anchor:s64}}There was some tormina and tenesmus, and sensitive hypogastrium. {{anchor:s65}}The urine was hot and scalding, red, and deposited a thick mucous sediment. {{anchor:s66}}Copavia1, ten drops every hour cured him in thirty-six hours. {{anchor:s67}}By the above it will be seen that Copavia is curative in very many conditions of blenorrhagia, even when disorganizations have appeared. {{anchor:s68}}No drug has been more useful in my hands, and I would urge the profession to give it a more extended trial. ---- ====== DOCUMENT DESCRIPTOR ====== ^ Source: | The American Homoeopathic Review Vol. 04 No. 04, 1863, page 162-165 | ^ Description: | Copavia Balsamum in Blenorrhagia. | ^ Remedies: | Copaiva officinalis | ^ Author: | Hale, E.M. | ^ Year: | 1863 | ^ Editing: | errors only; interlinks; formatting | ^ Attribution: | Legatum Homeopathicum |