BY E. M. HALE, M. D., CHICAGO, ILL.

This valuable remedy is, with Terebinth, too much neglected by the homoeopathic school. It had been so abused by the allopathic, that the adherents of the new felt a repugnance to its use.

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.

According to Teste, the only analogues of Copavia are Sepia and Alumina. 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. I could never see any resemblance between the action of Alumina and the drug under consideration. I should arrange the analogue, of Copavia thus:

Erigeron canadense, Sepia

Cubabe, Pulsatilla,

Terebinth, Senecio gracialis,

Ura ursi, (Kali hyd. & brom.)

My reasons for this arrangement are briefly set forth.

1. They all cover acute and sub-acute inflammation of mucous membranes (primarily).

2. All cause blenorrhoea of more or less sub-acute or chronic character (secondarily).

3. All cause in excessive doses, hemorrhage from the urinary passages, diuresis, suppression of urine, etc.

4. They are capable of curing the above-named conditions. “This balsam,” says Teste, “has been employed in medicine for at least two centuries past.” 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.

The provings of our school have evolved the fact that Copav. is capable of causing all these affections. It is indeed the typical remedy of a group which exercises a vast power over all catarrhal diseases.

I propose to give briefly my experience with this drug, illustrating its action by the narration of a few cases.

CASE I. Chronic Nasal Catarrh. — A young man applied for relief of profuse, yellow and green, thick, fetid discharge from the nasal passages of several years continuance. There was no perceptible ulceration of the mucous membranes. The discharge troubled him at night by running down the posterior nares, and causing choking and other disagreeable symptoms. He had taken all manner of “catarrh snuffs,” etc., and had been treated by physicians of both schools but with no benefit.

Copavia 1/100 ten drops every four hours. 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. In two weeks he reported himself cured. Since which time, over a year, he has had no return of the disease.

CASE II. Gastric Catarrh. — Mrs. L. applied for relief of a “dyspepsia.“Her symptoms were: distention and fullness after eating; spitting up of the ingesta, with large quantities of mucus; sometimes vomiting of mucus. The stools were often coated with mucus; she had frequent attacks of mucous diarrhea.

Pulsatilla was selected as the remedy, but failed to cause more than temporary palliation. From some remote symptoms I was induced to give Copavia. Ten drops of the second, dec dil, was prescribed, to be taken one hour before and two hours after meals. In a week the improvement was great, and it continued use effected a cure.

CASE III. Bronchial and Vesical Catarrh. — Miss G., of this city, a young girl aged 15, of lymphatic-sanguine temperament, caught a severe cold sometime in the month of March. This resulted in a cough which was considered by the parents as whooping cough, and little or no treatment given. In May, after the affection had continued about six weeks, I was called in. 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. Heart's action tumultuous, pulse irritable and 100 per minute.

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. 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.

Pulsatilla and Phosphorus were given for a week with but little benefit, although apparently well indicated. Upon further questioning I ascertained that the urine was high colored, thick, and deposited an abundant reddish sediment. Spasmodic pains in the bladder occurred every morning at nearly the same hour. 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.

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.

This led me to prescribe Copavia. It was given in ten drop doses, of the first dilution, repeated every four hours. In twenty-fours hours all the symptoms were ameliorated, and in four days the cough and expectoration had entirely ceased. The mucus and blood had disappeared from the urine; the hectic fever was much lighter, and the night sweats less profuse. 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. No other remedy but the Copavia was given, and in three weeks she had regained her usual health. This case is a beautiful example of the remedial and specific powers of this remedy.

CASE IV. — A young man had “dysentery.” I saw him on the fourth day of the disease. He had taken Mercurius and Ipecac. with no benefit. The evacuations were made of thick, brown, tenacious mucus, tinged with blood. There was some tormina and tenesmus, and sensitive hypogastrium. The urine was hot and scalding, red, and deposited a thick mucous sediment. Copavia¹, ten drops every hour cured him in thirty-six hours.

By the above it will be seen that Copavia is curative in very many conditions of blenorrhagia, even when disorganizations have appeared. No drug has been more useful in my hands, and I would urge the profession to give it a more extended trial.

---