[Reported to the Onondaga County Homoeopathic Medical Society May 2d, 1865

By C. W. Boyce, M. D.

Gertrude Clark, aged seven, a perfectly healthy child, who has never been sick since she was born until the present disease. About March 12th, 1865, the pillow on which she had slept at night would be found, in the morning, somewhat stained with blood. After a few days, she began to spit bloody saliva, and on examination, March 17th, she was found to have small spots of extravasated blood all over the body. When she had the least hurt there would immediately follow a large spot in the vicinity, which would be quite black from the extravasated blood. Any little scratch bled profusely and continuously. The accidental scratch of a pin would bleed so as to saturate cloth after cloth. Little red points appeared on the tongue and on the whole buccal cavity, and these oozed continuously. Blood settled beneath the conjunctiva and the eyes appeared entirely “blood-shot.” The breath became peculiarly offensive. The discharge from the mouth of bloody saliva was filled with shreds of decomposed or disorganized blood. The pulse was regular but quick. The appetite was good and she slept well. She was inclined to play and only became exhausted after considerable exertion. She had been entirely well before, for all that her parents had seen, and, but for the blood they would not at first have known that anything was the matter. This was the condition, March 17th, 1865. It had been five or six days coming on. The appearance was frightful; even ordinary handling would leave the marks of the fingers, as though a powerful blow had been struck on the child, and these spots were inclined to extend indefinitely. A slight knock from a doll baby's head near the eye involved the whole eye and its surroundings in a black, unsightly spot. All the secretions were bloody.

On investigating the case, several remedies presented claims for use, and as there were few or no subjective symptoms there was great difficulty in choosing between them from the objective symptoms alone.

It is claimed for Erigeron that it is adapted to arterial hemorrhage. This case is not one of arterial bleeding.

Hamamelis has many hemorrhagic symptoms, but no published symptoms in the possession of the writer would lead him to prescribe it is a case like that before us. The same is the case with Turpentine.

Lachesis has some close indications but not so many as Phosphorus.

Hahnemann's great characteristic indication for Phosphorus “small wounds bleed much,” led to the investigation of this remedy; that and the following symptoms were found to correspond.

“Small wounds bleed much.

The gums bleed from small causes.

Much bleeding from the nose from exertion and especially while straining at stool.

Blows much blood from the nose.

Swelled and easily bleeding gums.

The saliva is bloody mucus.

Great discharge of blood from the rectum at stool.

Expectoration of bloody mucus.

Extravasation of blood from all tissues.

Vicarious hemorrhages.”

So many of the symptoms were found in Phosphorus that it was given in the case March 18th. Up to this time the hemorrhagic condition had grown rapidly and continuously worse. So very weak had she become that she tottered when attempting to walk, and she was obliged to sit down.

For twenty-four hours after the Phosphorus was given there was no change in the condition. This dose held the case exactly the same.

March 19th, Phosphorus was again given. Immediately the disease began to diminish and the blood disappeared as it had appeared. In fact the case was so surely under cure by Phosphorus that it was dismissed from further care as certain to get well, without further medication. Thus two doses of Phosphorus²⁰⁰ cured this really dangerous disease.

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