====== CHRONIC CONSTIPATION (SILICEA) ======

{{anchor:s2}}BY E. B. NASH, M.D., CORTLAND, N. Y.

{{anchor:s3}}Aug. 14th, 1879. {{anchor:s4}}M. D., young lady aged twenty-five, single, dark hair and eyes, rather tall and thin. {{anchor:s5}}Symptoms: constipation of many years’ standing, can hardly remember when she was not so. {{anchor:s6}}Has taken much cathartic medicine; can not have stool without cathartic medicine or an enema. {{anchor:s7}}This enema now fails to procure a passage and causes a sick headache. {{anchor:s8}}Appetite good except when she takes her cathartic pills (Herricks), of which she has to take as many as four at once. {{anchor:s9}}Then she loses her appetite and has a weak, gone feeling in stomach, with soreness. {{anchor:s10}}When she tried to have a passage without her cathartics (as she is inclined to do) “//it comes to the verge of the anus and then recedes as though she// had not the strength //to expel it// . //{{anchor:s11}}The constipation is always worse the week before her menses and she is cold, particularly hands and feet, during that time. {{anchor:s12}}Cold sweat of feet sometimes offensive.// {{anchor:s13}}Chills run up her legs. {{anchor:s14}}Constipation temporarily improved //during// menses.

{{anchor:s15}}Has had, for a long time, attacks of sick headache, not at menses. {{anchor:s16}}Headaches generally come on between 10-11 A. M., pain //beginning in back and nape of neck// and extends over to forehead, where it is very severe, is accompanied with nausea, sour and bitter vomiting. {{anchor:s17}}Enemas bring this on her. {{anchor:s18}}Menses, regular, painful and scanty, which is growing worse. {{anchor:s19}}Patient is reduced in flesh, feels discouraged; says she will never be well again. {{anchor:s20}}Has tried cathartic medicines, also dieting, and no medicine, but all these failed her and she continues to get worse.

{{anchor:s21}}Prescribed //Silicea// 200, a powder dry on tongue, two nights in succession, then omit two, etc. {{anchor:s22}}Latter part of August she wrote me, “am much better in every way, have a natural stool every day now, and believe you will cure me. {{anchor:s23}}Stomach seems sore, food hurts me as it passes through the oesophagus.{{anchor:s24}}” Continued Silicea at longer intervals.

{{anchor:s25}}Sept. 17th, has had only one headache since beginning the treatment; natural stools every day except the first few days. {{anchor:s26}}Has now been out of medicine some time; for the last week has had a slight return of the constipation, yet stomach is better and food causes no more pain, menses are freer and easier; hands and feet warmer; back improved since first prescription: gained in weight. {{anchor:s27}}Prescribed the //Silicea// 50 M (Swan).

{{anchor:s28}}This patient remained well up to Feb. 1880, when she came to office on account of a slight gastric trouble.

{{anchor:s29}}Comments: I do not know how to classify this disease, pathologically. {{anchor:s30}}I treated the patient’s symptoms. {{anchor:s31}}It was a chronic case, in which allopathic medicine, dieting, etc. were tried and //failed//; I gave nothing below //Silicea// 200th, yet my patient recovered, notwithstanding the microscope, the spectroscope, chemistry, etc. can detect nothing therein.

----
====== DOCUMENT DESCRIPTOR ======

^ Source: | The Homoeopathic Physician Vol. 01 No. 02, 1881, pages 69-71 |
^ Description: | CHRONIC CONSTIPATION --SILICEA |
^ Remedies: | Silicea |
^ Author: | Nash, E.B. |
^ Year: | 1881 |
^ Editing: | errors only; interlinks; formatting |
^ Attribution: | Legatum Homeopathicum |