BY DR. T. PELLICER.

Translated from El Criterio Medico, Madrid.

BY EDWIN M. KELLOGG, M. D., NEW YORK.

On the 4th of October, 1862, a young lawyer consulted me about a form of disease which was new to me, and which may be classified as a palpebral neuralgia. He was of rather feeble constitution and of a lymphatic temperament, and was profoundly depressed in spirits by the persistent continuance of this affection.

Four months before, in consequence perhaps of some slight mental excitement, he suddenly experienced a spasmodic closure of the eyelids, which caused complete blindness for the time being. These attacks would occur four, six, or more times a day, the same in-doors as out, and were accompanied by a pungent smarting pain in the eyes, and intolerable mental irritation and restlessness. The attack lasted some minutes, and would even be prolonged to a considerable length, if he had no one near to relieve him by stroking the eye-brows from within outwards.

When the attack disappeared, there remained no vestige of any trouble, either in the eye-ball or in the vision; but he suffered greatly from general malaise, lowness of spirits, and a sleeplessness which allowed him no rest at all at night.

He had already tried, without relief, both the allopathic and homoeopathic methods of treatment. In prescribing for him, I took into account the fact that the distinguished physician who last treated him had given him the remedies most homoeopathic to the case; and as these had produced only slight benefit, I gave him a single dose of the highest attenuation of Sulphur. The third day after, his general condition was better, and the attacks less in number; the sixth day, a slight improvement continued; the twelfth day, he was as bad as ever. Carefully studying out his case, I gave him, in succession, Sepia, Caust., Alum, Plumb., and other remedies that appeared to be indicated. All were of no avail, and the patient despaired, more than ever, of a cure. At this time, I discovered, by more closely investigating the conditions of his suffering, that although an attack might seize him at any. time, one was sure to be brought on, whenever he bathed or washed, even if it were only his hands. There waft no doubt about the remedy most homoeopathic to this rare and curious symptom (fenomeno raro o extravagante). Calcarea carb. was most strongly indicated after the patient had taken Sulphur. Calcarea answers to the closure of the eyelids in the morning (Jahr); it produces pungent heat in the eyelids, and smarting pain in the eyes, and its symptoms are aggravated by wetting or washing oneself (Boenninghausen).

The patient took four doses of Calc. carb.²⁰⁰ in two days. On the third day, the improvement was so great that he believed himself cured. He had recovered his cheerfulness, slept well and felt hardly the sign of an attack. I gave him two doses more and told him to return in eight days. Six days passed without any relapse; but in lieu thereof, he experienced some attacks of palpitation of the heart so severe as to compel him, if he was walking in the street, to slop or seek support. A single dose of Nux removed the trouble. But on the eighth day, the palpebral neuralgia began to develop itself again. Two doses of Calc.²⁰⁰ were sufficient to cure this relapse, and entirely to remove this singular disease. The patient has continued perfectly well up to the present time.

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