By C. Schaefer, M. D., South Bend, Ind.

The following case was suggested by reading the interesting article of Dr. Wesselhoeft, as also the article on Apis, published in a previous number of the Review. I also intended to give a few cases from practice, showing symptoms characteristic of Apis in Intermittent fever, as well as of Ipecac (of which vomiting is not characteristic) and Helleborus; old remedies it is true, but from which we nevertheless may yet learn something new. Time, however, will not permit at present.

Mrs. O -, about thirty-six years old, of strong constitution, mother of three children, the youngest three weeks old, was taken with nursing sore mouth, as soon as she had recovered from her confinement with her first child. After three months fruitless allopathic treatment, being reduced to a skeleton, and her life despaired of, she was obliged to wean her babe to cure herself. The birth of the second child caused but a repetition of the state she was in with her first, only that she was determined to wear out the disease, and continued to nurse and suffer six months. Suffering and failing strength necessitated her to forego the important office of nursing her babe, and her mouth got well without further treatment, which during lactation had been of no avail.

The last confinement, myself in attendance, passed off without anything noticeable, excepting that metritis set in a day or two after confinement, also phegnmesia alba dolens (she had, some weeks previous to confinement, noticed painful stiffness and lameness of this limb); both were promptly relieved by homoeopathic treatment. About the third week I was called onto do battle against her old enemy, nursing sore mouth, which had appeared at its usual time, about the second week. Although she had recovered more rapidly from this than any previous confinement, I found her attending to her domestic duties, being a hard worker - portions of her tongue were entirely denuded of epithelial covering, red and shiny; in the same condition was the soft palate, and as far as I could see into her throat. Smarting, stinging pains, profuse salivation, no appetite, feverish.

The good reputation of Homoeopathy being at stake, I did not feel at all easy about this case, especially as the patient had declared the disease incurable. A prompt effect was necessary to encourage the patient to continue treatment. But what remedy would do this, was the query. She was thoroughly Mercurialized. Hesitating between Nitric acid and Apis mellifica, I gave the latter the preference, as being better adapted to the general feverish condition of the patient. Apis mel⁵, a few pellets in a tumbler half full of water, a teaspoonful every four hours. On the third day less pain, less salivation; denuded surfaces red, shiny as before, nor were they less in extent. A few days after, sent for more medicine, and reported improvement. The medicine was now alternated with unmedicated pellets. Saw her a week after and found her cured. A few weeks after, intermittent fever, cured by Nux vomica, but no return of nursing sore mouth.

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