CHRONIC GASTRITIS.

BY M. MC. COLLUM, M. D., NEW YORK.

Albert S., aged 38, has been troubled with impaired digestion for nearly two years. He had enlisted in the Union army where he was treated by an old school physician, pronounced incurable and discharged from the ranks, the brigade surgeon alleging that he was insane. He came home to this city and entered the hospital and was under treatment for three months, but with no success.

On the 6th of April he came under my care. He had never been treated homoepathically to any extent. I found him rapidly sinking. The system was fast losing its vitality, and my hopes of his ultimate recovery were few. I could learn nothing definite concerning the cause of his disease, nor as to what remedies he had taken. I inquired carefully into the case, and found, as near as I can recollect, the following symptoms. Excessive prostration, much anxiety, small pulse, violent vomiting immediately after eating or drinking, great thirst with desire to drink but a small quantity at a time, burning pain in the stomach and epigastrium, brownish and cracked tongue, and most obstinate constipation. I was not long in selecting my remedy. Every symptom pointed to Arsenicum. I accordingly administered it in the third potency five drops in a tumbler full of water, a teaspoonful to be given every two hours.

Two days after I returned, but found my patient no better. The medicine had produced no impression whatever, unless it was an aggravation of the existing symptoms. Still I could not convince myself that there was any other remedy which would reach the conditions of the case so well as that one which had been given. I resolved to try the thirtieth potency. This was done, but with no better effect than before. I doubted whether I should be able to afford the the patient any relief. I reviewed the diagnosis, and came to the conclusion that I would give Arsenicum one more trial. I took eight globules of the two hundredth potency and divided them in two doses, one dose to be given at night and the other in the morning. This was on Sunday. He took one dose, and about three hours after he had a slight attack of vomiting. On the following morning, he took the other dose, and to my surprise he has not had a return of any of the afore-mentioned symptoms since that time. His strength is increasing, his appetite good, his bowels better, and, to use his own words, 'he feels better than he has done for the past six months.“ I considered him cured. It is now nearly four weeks since he began to recover, and he is now able to attend to his business.


DOCUMENT DESCRIPTOR

Source: The American Homoeopathic Review Vol. 03 No. 12, 1863, pages 570-571
Description: Chronic Gastritis.
Remedies: Arsenicum album
Author: Collum, M.Mc.
Year: 1863
Editing: errors only; interlinks; formatting
Attribution: Legatum Homeopathicum