[Read before the Erie County Homoeopathic Medical Society, October 12^th 1864]

By L. M. Kenyon, M. D., Buffalo, N. Y

Having been where I have not seen the Review for two years past, and lately come in possession of the back numbers, I have noticed the discussion which has been carried on in some of its numbers regarding Lachesis, and if I am not too late, would like to add my mite in favor of this potent remedy. I will do so by detailing the following case, which I take from my note-book, dated Oct. 1850, simply premising that, up to this time I had never given a remedy above the eighteenth potency, and very seldom as high as that.

Mrs. O. aged 48 years, bilious, nervous temperament, has for many years, every spring and fall, had acute pneumonia, always been under allopathic treatment, and by a physician of the old heroic school, generally salivated, always bled, blistered, and purged, and is now a perfect wreck of her former self, I hardly find all ache or pain that human flesh is heir to, that she does not have. She now resorts to Homoeopathy, at the earnest entreaty of friends, in hopes she may escape her usual fall attack. The more prominent symptoms requiring immediate attention at the present time, are as follows:

No sleep until after midnight, and frequently until daylight, great despondency and sadness, weakness of memory, headache when in the sun, with glimmering of eyes, swollen and easily bleeding gums, sore throat with sensation of fullness, or as of a plug in the throat, tonsils enlarged, constant dryness of throat, frequent entire loss of voice, burning pain in region or left ovary, menstruation irregular for ten months past, sometimes in twenty days, then passing by six to seven weeks, corrosive acrid leucorrhea for ten days after menstruation. Everything sours on the stomach, heartburn almost incessantly, violent pressing, burning pain in the top of the head, from within outwards, constant dry hacking cough, palpitation of heart from slightest causes, exercise or emotions, almost uniform constipation of bowels, coldness of limbs below elbows and knees,

This was the picture presented to my view, and in a patient who had been told by her family physician in whom she had trusted for over twenty years, that she would not probably live through another winter. After a careful investigation of her case, I selected and left her a few doses of Lachesis⁹,

In the course of two hours I was sent for in great haste, to see my patient, and found that within half an hour after taking the first dose, she was taken with violent chill, more of a nervous shuddering, than chill, yet the skin was covered, even where she was warmly clothed, with the cutis anserina, great oppression of the chest, violent palpitation of heart, beats irregular and intermittent, pulse small, weak and tremulous, entire loss of voice, sensation of throat being entirely filled up, face livid, or almost purple, head confused, slightly delirious, tongue and fauces red and dry.

I was not disposed to give Lachesis credit for this entire condition, but administered Belladonna, which in a few hours gave her relief. From this time, for several days other remedies were given, with no perceptible effect, except that under the action of Sulphur¹⁸, she would rest quietly all night. Sulphur, of course, became a favorite remedy with her.

After reviewing the whole case again, I concluded to give one dose of Lachesis¹⁸, which was the ultimatum of high potencies with me at that time, and ten days after the former dose, I gave the one dose. In half an hour or less, almost precisely the same condition as followed its former administration, ensued. Belladonna, as before relieved her, and in fourteen days, I gave again Lachesis³⁰, three globule and to my utter astonishment with the same result, only that the symptoms were more severe and urgent in their character. I could of course, doubt no longer that the remedy had aggravated the case, and having firm faith in our law of cure, determined to test the matter thoroughly. The aggravation was allowed to pass off under the administration of Sac lac., and she continued to improve for about a month, during which time I had obtained Lach.⁸⁰⁰ (Jennichen's). She had vowed she would never take the remedy again knowingly. I gave her three globules of Lachesis ⁸⁰⁰ at bed time, at the time remarking, that I was very anxious she should sleep that night, so I believed I would give her a single dose of Sulphur. She expressed gratification because she always slept so well under that remedy.

When I went in the next morning, I found her speechless; but she wrote on a slate, “You thought you were going to cheat me finely last night, didn't you, but I knew in less than fifteen minutes after taking the dose that it was Lachesis.” The aggravation was not as severe, producing only slight oppression of breathing, some dryness of throat and hacking cough, with loss of voice; no chill or palpitation of heart. This dose was allowed to act without interference, and a rapid improvement was the result, and with the repetition of the same dose three or four times during the following six months, she was restored to perfect health. She has never had pneumonia since, and is now a strong healthy woman.

I give the case as it occurred, and leave those who do not get results from Lachesis, or who do not believe in the efficacy of high potencies, to draw their own inferences. I have always found Lachesis, when well indicated, to be a quick and potent remedy. I have many times removed all the premonitory symptoms of quinsy in persons very subject to it, with a few doses of the 30th, and always find it effectual in those cases of angina, where the pain shoots up from the throat to the ear, especially so, if it is a burning pain. And I have never found a remedy that would so universally relieve the burning pressure from within outwards, in the top of the head, which is frequently the only symptom females complain of at the climacteric period.

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