BY CONSTANTINE LIPPE, M.D., PHILADELPHIA.

A curious and eminently instructive case came under my notice a short time ago; it demonstrated in a forcible manner the efficacy of our remedies and the speedy action of the high potencies in the case of animals. Homoeopathy as applied to the treatment of diseases in animals has been found to be very successful, but in the case I propose to relate there is a very great analogy to a form of disease often found in the human subject, and thus the narrative of the case may be rendered interesting. I shall also give the symptoms of the remedies which bear a close resemblance to the cases and endeavor to point out how and why the remedy was chosen.

The bearing and resemblance of the different remedies pertinent to the symptoms of the case will be noted in as critical a manner as possible, and the difference between them will be shown. This manner of reviewing the medicines acting on a certain group of symptoms is the most reliable and surest mode of proceeding to select the proper remedy — in fact the only true way of selecting a remedy, according to the homoeopathic law of cure.

The case is as follows: — A mare was sent to pasture in the country, and at the expiration of two months she was brought to her stable, for two weeks she had little or no exercise, and then took cold, which manifested itself in the following manner: — the right eye was deprived of vision on account of an effusion beneath the sclerotic membrane which covered the entire eye, the entire organ was opaque, there was profuse lachrymation and agglutination of the eyelids, there was a large secretion of mucus which collected in the angle of the eyes, also there was noticed some swelling of the eye-lids. The evacuations were soft, black colored, and offensive.

We will now view the remedies which produce symptoms of the eyes analogous to the case. Calcarea, Euphrasia, Puls., Silicea, Spigelia, Sulphur.

Calc. produces violent inflammation of the eyes, the whites are quite red; in the external canthi there is much gum the whole day; the external canthi look sore and seem to ulcerate for 14 days. Swelling and redness of the eye-lids, they become agglutinated every night.

Euphrasia. Inflammation and ulceration of the margins of the eye-lids. Blueness and obscuration of, and pellicle over, the cornea. Gum in the canthi, purulent, with nightly agglutination; swelling of the eye-lids, particularly the lower.

Silicea. Agglutination at night, with smarting in the eyelids, redness first around the eyes, afterward of the white, with inflammation of the eyes, with lachrymation.

Spigelia. Inflammation of the margin of the lids with ulceration and smarting soreness. Inflammation of the whites of the eyes.

Sulphur. Purulent mucus in the eyes. Agglutination of the eyes two mornings in succession. Obscuration of the cornea.

Pulsatilla. Inflammation of the eyes. Amblyopia — almost complete blindness of the left and diminished vision of the right eye. Frequent lachrymation in the wind and light, dim cornea, whitish gray pupil. Lachrymation in the open air. Redness and swelling of the lids.

There is some indication for the administration of Calc., a it produces much gum in the external canthi, also swelling and redness of the eye-lids, and agglutination every night; if the gum were purulent, Euphr. or Sulph. would be the proper remedy.

For the obscuration of vision, Puls, or Euphr. is indicated, Euphr., if there are blueness and obscuration and pellicle over the eye, Puls., if there is Amblyopia, almost complete blindness of the left and diminished vision of the right eye, frequent lachrymation in the wind and light, dim cornea, lightish grey pupil. Sulph., also has obscuration of the cornea.

In this case the color of the eye was not blue, nor was the cornea alone obscured, but both pupil and cornea.

The color of the eye, in the case, corresponds exactly to the symptoms of Puls., the lachrymation being aggravated by wind and light is also a notable symptom of this remedy.

The redness and swelling point to Calc. or Puls., but as it was the result of cold, Calc. could not be chosen.

As regards the stools, Arsenicum produces black evacuations with uneasiness and pain in the abdomen — undigested. Mercurius, black tenacious pitch-like stools. Nux vom., large hard feces, colic succeeded by dark colored mucus causing a smarting burning in the anal region.

Puls, loose acrid stool in the morning, diarrhea with inflamed moist eyes. Stools offensive.

If there was any evidence of pain in the passage of the evacuation Ars. or Nux. would be prescribed, Ars. if the stools were soft, Nux. if hard; if there was no pain Merc. or Puls. would be the proper remedy. Merc. if black and tenacious. Puls, if black and soft, also Puls, if the stool occurred principally in the morning and if it was complicated with inflamed moist eyes.

Having viewed the case and the remedies pertinent to it in this manner Puls.²⁰⁰ was prescribed.

The next day the stools were changed, in color and odor, and in a few days were healthy and normal. On the second day the eyes manifested a decided improvement, the lachrymation was less profuse and the agglutination became less, the eye commenced to clear from the pupil to the circumference; in a few days the animal was entirely well

It is worthy of remark that the last noticed symptoms disappeared first, and it is only when this is the case that a speedy cure can be prognosticated.

The effusion over the eye also commenced to recede from the point to which it had extended, viz: — the pupil; it commenced at the circumference of the eye and extended over the pupil, it retrograded from the pupil to the circumference.

Only one dose of Puls.²⁰⁰ was given, and the medicine showed its action on the animal's spirit; for a few days after the administration the animal was actually spiritless, after which it gradually regained its usual spirit.