Chapter XIV. Special Remedies for the Blood.

Anemia. When by the least emotion or exertion the face becomes red, flushed, which is always better by moving about—notwithstanding that weakness obliges the patient to lie down, paleness of the mucous membranes, especially the mouth, rush of blood to the head, flashes of heat in the face, ferrum metalicum is the indicated remedy. Dose, three tablets of the first decimal trituration once in three hours. In such cases the heart is weak and the patient suffers from general debility. Give the third decimal trituration of digitalin, three tablets once in three hours in alternation with the ferrum and you have an ideal treatment for anemia. It is just the treatment needed for broken-down constitutions. When the face presents a pale hippocratic expression, eyes sunken and surrounded by dark rings, when there has been a drain upon the system from hemorrhages, diarrhea, lactation, suppuration or sexual excesses, cinchona (china) is the needed drug. Dose, add twenty drops tincture cinchona to half a glass of water and give a teaspoonful once in two hours. When the patient eats well but still looks pale and emaciated, has throbbing headaches, shortness of breath, scanty menstruation, constipation and depression of spirits natrum muriaticum is indicated. Dose, three tablets of the sixth decimal trituration once in three hours. When a woman has some form of displacement, is conscious that she has a womb, it is sore and tender; she is tired and anemic—worn out by hard work, mental or physical, back feels tired and weak, frequently albumen will be found in the urine, helonias dioica should be prescribed. It is one of the best blood makers that we have. Dose, five drops tincture helonias three times a day.

When children grow too rapidly, bones soften, there is curvature of the spine, or women have profuse menstruation and bear children too rapidly, with prolonged lactation you should not forget calcarea phos. Dose, three tablets of the third decimal four times a day.

Cerebral Anemia. When there is confusion of ideas, vertigo, mania, pallor, mental apathy, headache and mental depression, the remedy that is needed is calcarea phos. and should be given in doses of three tablets of the third decimal once in three hours. Kali phos. sixth decimal, three tablets once in three hours should be given in alternation with the calcarea phos.

Pernicious Anemia. When there is a heavy tired feeling all over the body from mental or physical overwork, which is worse from the slightest excitement, burning pains along the spine acidum picricum is the needed remedy. Dose, three tablets of the sixth decimal trituration once in two hours. The more profound the prostration the stronger is the indication for the above remedy.

When there is great restlessness of the mind, exhaustion from the slightest exertion, burning pains with clammy perspiration and cold skin that feels like parchment—white and pasty, arsenicum album is the remedy to be used. Dose, three tablets of the third decimal once in three hours. I have also had good results in my practice from the use of calcarea phos., third decimal, three tablets every three hours.

In one case of pernicious anemia that I saw in consultation there was, in addition to the enlargement of the spleen, a pain in the left side, nausea, uneasiness, pain, vomiting with inflation of the abdomen. Carduus was the remedy indicated. I prescribed tincture carduus mariae five drops three times a day. This reduced the size of the spleen. I also gave three tablets of the third decimal trituration of calcarea phos. four times a day as a tonic and blood maker. The above treatment restored the patient to health.

In another case which I saw in consultation, a former physician had given the patient castor oil until she became so constipated that the nurse was obliged to dig the feces out of the rectum with a stick. This treatment was peculiar and I cannot see the philosophy of it. Castor oil is good for some things but it was not indicated for this woman.

Scrofula. When there is glandular enlargement, the skin showing an unhealthy look—like eczema, with indigestion from a lack of gastric juice and marasmus alnus rubra is the indicated remedy. Dose, five drops tincture alnus three times a day.

When there are hard lumps in the neck, and abscesses and ulcers in a patient with scrofulous diathesis you should prescribe tincture cistus canadensis, ten drops in half a glass of water, giving a teaspoonful once in two hours. When the patient is lymphatic, light hair, and complexion, soft flabby muscles, craves strong acid food, is peevish, very sensitive nature, hepar sulph. should be prescribed. Dose, three tablets of the third decimal once in three hours. Iodine is indicated when the patients are weak, get out of breath easily going upstairs, have a large appetite but gradually become emaciated, much gas in the stomach with eructations, glands enlarged and indurated. Dose, ten drops of the sixth decimal dilution of tincture iodine once in three hours.

In children when the abdomen is distended, perspiration upon the head in large beads, open sutures and fontanelles, ankles are weak and the child is slow in learning to walk, give silicea the sixth decimal trituration. Dose, three tablets three times a day.

In one case of a child brought to me for treatment where scrofula had been inherited and the child was thought to be in consumption, I found the glands under the jaw were swollen and painful. I applied as a poultice to reduce the swelling the following mixture:

Rx Pulv. Phytolacca root.
Pulv. Myrica.
Pulv. Lobelia Seed.
Pulv. Slippery Elm, a. a. ℥ss.

Mix. Make a poultice with warm water and apply to the swelling once in two hours. Internally I gave a powder composed of one grain each of the first decimal of rumin and the first decimal of ferri phos., every three hours. This treatment cured the child. Rumex crispus is a grand remedy in scrofula.

A man came to me who had been afflicted with scrofula from a child. He had swellings form in the neck break and discharge. Some doctors called it cancer, others could not tell what it was. It was a clear case of scrofula. I applied the poultice as given above and gave internally the following:

Rx Tr. Thuja.
Tr. Baptisia, a. a. ℥iss.

Mix. Sig. Fifteen drops before each meal, and at bedtime. I also gave him three tablets of the sixth decimal trituration of silicea after each meal. This treatment was followed until the man was discharged cured, and in better health than he had been before during his life. My case book will show a large number of cases of children which I have treated and cured of scrofula where other physicians had failed.

Abscess. During the forming stage of an abscess, when there is throbbing, sticking pains, hepar sulph. is the remedy needed. Dose, three tablets of the first decimal every three hours. When the abscess has discharged long enough and the suppuration does not show signs of checking, you should prescribe the second decimal trituration of calcarea sulph. Dose, three tablets once in three hours. For the pain before the pus has formed Libradol (Lloyd's) may be spread on white paper and applied to alleviate it. If the pain increases with beating and throbbing in the part, then pus is forming and a poultice should be applied made of equal parts of pulverized slippery elm, lobelia seed and flaxseed. Mix with warm water and apply to the swollen part. Change the poultice once in two hours.

The above poultice was handed down to us by the Eclectic fathers and is worth its weight in gold for swellings in any portion of the body. After the abscess has discharged freely and you wish to heal it up, apply the "yellow healing salve"—a remedy of my own which I have used for forty years as a healing salve. It cannot be excelled.

Rx Burgundy Pitch.
White Pine Turpentine.
Beeswax.
Mutton Tallow.
Olive Oil, a. a. ℥i.
Melt with heat, strain and add Cosmoline ℥v.

Mix. Sig. Spread on soft white cloth to cover the sore. Apply three times a day. It will draw all the pus out of the sore and heal it up. If it draws too hard, causing pain and smarting it should be weakened with one-third vaseline.

In one case of an old lady about sixty years of age who had a fearful looking sore on her leg that extended almost around the leg and nearly six inches in diameter, I healed it completely with this ointment. Some patients will contract the "abscess habit." One abscess follows another in rapid succession. Three tablets once in three hours of the second decimal calcarea sulph. will generally put an end to this condition. Ten drops tincture echinacea once in three hours will also prove effectual, especially if there are symptoms of blood poisoning. In elderly people the alnus rubra should be prescribed. Dose, alnunin first decimal three tablets once in three hours.

In a case of cancer which I was treating in connection with two other doctors, an abscess formed—as a complication—in the right buttock about six inches back of the anus. When it opened the outer opening was as large as my two hands placed side by side partly open. The passage extended obliquely towards the rectum which it touched—but did not enter—about eight inches above the anus. The other two physicians, who had been in practice many years said they had never seen anything like it and did not see how it could be healed. I told them I would heal it completely. Locally we used the "Eclectic Wash." (See formula under varicose ulcers.) The abscess cavity was cleansed with this wash three times a day and gauze wet with it was packed into the cavity after each cleansing. Internally we gave her echafolta (Lloyd's) in drachm doses once in three hours. In a week or ten days her stomach rebelled against the echafolta, so we substituted tincture echinacea ten drops once in three hours. The above treatment was continued until the abscess cavity was completely closed and in good condition. The patient was seventy-five years old. This is only another instance of what Eclectic remedies will accomplish even in the most desperate cases.

Boils. In the first stage of boils, abscesses and carbuncles we have a localized congestion and belladonna is the indicated remedy. Dose, five drops tincture belladonna added to four ounces of water and a teaspoonful given every hour.

When a boil first shows itself we can sometimes check its further progress by painting it with equal parts of tincture aconite, tincture hamamelis and tincture arnica. Paint the affected part with this mixture once in two hours. If it appears that the pus will form and the pain increases apply the poultice as described under abscess. I have had success in breaking up the "boil habit" with tincture arctium lappa, burdock seeds. Dose, ten drops of the tincture three times a day. Echinacea is also a good remedy for this condition. The more depraved the blood the stronger the indication for the echinacea. Calcarea sulph. second decimal should not be forgotten.

Carbuncle. Echinacea is the first remedy to be thought of in this condition. Dose, ten drops tincture echinacea once in two hours. Also apply it locally full strength. The quickest way to get rid of a carbuncle is to use the following method. Apply a large cupping glass to the swelling and exhaust the air until all the pus has been drawn from the cribriform cells into the glass. Then remove the glass and wash the place with a solution of carbolic acid (one part to eight parts of water). Keep cloths saturated with the solution on the carbuncle. When it becomes painful apply the glass again. Upon the first application the patient will complain some of the pain, but as soon as it begins the peculiar throbbing pain, he will ask for the glass to be applied again. Two or three applications of the glass will exhaust the pus. Place the glass each time in the same indenture round the carbuncle. One day's using the glass will remove more pus than three days' poulticing. In three days you will conquer the disease. Internally give the indicated remedy. Echinacea will prove useful as will also strychnia sulph. one-thirtieth grain after each meal and at bedtime. With all the good remedies at our command no person ought to die of this disease. Hepar sulph., sixth decimal should be given when the carbuncle begins to discharge. Dose, three tablets once in two hours. Kali mur., third decimal is the indicated remedy to be given in the first stage to abort the disease. Dose, add five grains of the third decimal to a cup of hot water and give a teaspoonful every half hour. When the carbuncle has a purplish color and there are burning, stinging pains, gangrenous appearance, tarantula cubensis third decimal is the remedy. Dose, add fifteen drops tincture tarantula to half a glass of water and give a teaspoonful every two hours. Try this remedy in felons or swellings of a bluish color with intense burning pain. It soothes the patient and gives them sleep. The dose should not be less than the third decimal and be given as specified above.

Chlorosis. In this condition, if we go back over the history of the case, we will find that the female contracted a cold at the menstrual period. If Pulsatilla had been given at that time it would have saved the patient further trouble. When there is a pale, dirty looking skin, oppression of the chest, palpitation of the heart, head aches, worse from sunrise to sunset, nausea and vomiting, before, during and after the menses, natrum muriaticum sixth decimal should be prescribed. Dose, three tablets once in three hours. In chlorosis when there are symptoms of dropsy, urine is scanty, face bloated, abdomen enlarged, feet edematous, frequent desire to urinate day and night, tincture senecio aurens first decimal dilution is the indicated drug. Dose, ten drops once in two hours. When the patient is weak, pale, tired—must sit down to rest, menses scanty, delayed, pale colored, patient much exhausted after the flow, often a profuse leucorrhea takes the place of the menstrual period and soiling her clothing badly if she does not wear a napkin, the third decimal trituration of alumina is the needed remedy. Dose, three tablets once in three hours.

When there is weakness and relaxation of the whole muscular system, together with emaciation and coldness of the extremities, the patient has vertigo, palpitation of the heart and dyspnea, indigestion, vomiting of food after eating, at the least exertion face becomes red, I like ferrum metalicum first decimal as the remedy. Dose, three tablets every three hours. In alternation with this remedy you should prescribe the third decimal trituration of digitalin, giving three tablets every three hours. These two remedies will cure the majority of cases of chlorosis.

Scurvy. (Vitamin C deficiency - eat your fruit'n'vegs. -Henriette.) Fortunately we have one remedy which is especially adapted to the symptoms of this condition. The tender spongy gums, poor appetite, diarrhea, bloated abdomen, calls for rhus glabra. It should be used in connection with an iron preparation. I like the following:

Rx Rhus Glabra 1x. grs. v.
Ferri Carbonas, grs. ss.

Mix. Make one powder. Sig. Give one of these powders every three hours followed by a teaspoonful of lemon syrup after each powder. A mouth wash may be made by adding one drachm tincture rhus glabra to one ounce of glycerine. Mix and apply to the tender swollen gums. There is no other remedy which will accomplish what this drug will do in this disease.

Purpura. In the hemorrhage of dark, clotted, venous blood, hamamelis has rendered good service in purpura. Dose, tincture hamamelis ten drops once in three hours. Ergotin, one grain every three hours is also a good remedy for this condition. My choice of a drug for this condition, however, would be Iachesis. It seems to be especially adapted to this disease. Dose, add twenty drops of the sixth decimal dilution to a glass of water and give a teaspoonful every two hours.

Leucocythemia. For the great prostration found in this disease, picric acid is the first remedy to be considered. Dose, three tablets of the third decimal once in three hours. For patients that are pale, weak, easily tired by any form of exertion, are disposed to become corpulent with muscles that are soft and flabby, calcarea carb., first decimal, is the remedy. Dose, five tablets three times a day. Where there is a gonorrheal anamensis thuja will prove of value. Dose, tincture thuja, three drops three times a day.

If the patient takes cold easily, is worse in damp weather, symptoms return at precisely the same time each day, aranea diadema is the indicated remedy. Dose, add ten drops of the third decimal to half a glass of water and give the patient a teaspoonful once in three hours. Menispermin (con) is especially indicated in this disease, as it stimulates the entire vascular system, also the lymphatic glands, increases the appetite, aids digestion, promotes absorption and assimilation. Dose, two grains four times a day.

Erysipelas. I am of the opinion that rhus tox is as great an antidote to the poison of erysipelas as quinine is for malaria. In a case of erysipelas the burning, stinging, itchy feeling of the part and the red, shiny appearance of the skin calls for rhus tox. In this disease, when it affects any portion of the face, there will usually be head symptoms which call for belladonna, so in such cases I usually combine the two remedies.

Rx Tr. Belladonna.
Tr. Rhus Tox, a. a. gtts. x.
Aqua, ℥iv.

Mix. Sig. Teaspoonful every hour.

Locally I apply equal parts of warm water and distilled extract hamamelis. Bathe the parts frequently with this solution and keep cloths saturated with it in constant contact with the affected portion. It feels good to the patient and is the best local application. (I have had erysipelas myself in the face; I used this wash and know how it feels.) When the skin becomes moist, the pulse soft and the tongue begins to clean you should give the patient two grains of quinine once in three hours.

I have never had a relapse or a second attack of the disease in a patient that I have treated. I have seen the disease in all its forms but have never lost a case in forty years' practice. At one time I treated a baby ten days old who fell out of bed and developed a case of erysipelas. It manifested itself in the head and went all over the body. The child lay in convulsions for a week; as it was the first child whose birth I had witnessed I determined that it should live and it did. In a middle-aged lady in New Hampshire I met with another severe case of erysipelas. This case settled in her stomach so that she could not retain any food or drink on her stomach. Small pieces of ice were given in teaspoonful doses and the rhus tox and belladonna were given as in the two preceding cases. She recovered perfectly. Another case was where a young man had erysipelas in his arm. He had been treated for rheumatism by three doctors. All kinds of liniments had been used but he continually grew worse. When I saw him the arm was swollen to twice its usual size and was very painful. The first thing I did was to apply the "poultice powder" (see abscess) once in two hours. Internally I gave him a teaspoonful Elixir Iodo Bromide Calcium (Tilden & Co.) three times a day. At my second visit I lanced the swelling in the arm and obtained a pint of pus. The man recovered although many people expected that he would surely die. I have had erysipelas arise as a complication in twelve cases of cancer on the face. It had about as much effect on the cancer as so much water, thus exploding the foolish theory of the Old School that the inoculation of cancer by erysipelas would cure the former disease. It is about time that they stopped theorizing about cancer and learned how to cure it. The fathers of the Eclectic School of Medicine taught their students that cancer was a blood disease and how to cure it.

Glanders. Bi-chromate potash seems to cover the nasal symptoms. Dose, three tablets of the third decimal once in three hours. For the constitutional symptoms you should prescribe tincture echinacea. Dose, ten drops once in three hours. Quinine should be given as it is needed to act as an antiseptic and to keep up the vitality of the patient.

Septicemia. The chills, high temperature, and weak, rapid pulse are the warning symptoms of blood poisoning. To prevent suppuration give kali mur., third decimal, five grains in a cup of water; of this mixture give a teaspoonful every hour. If suppuration has already taken place prescribe the following: Tincture echinacea, an ounce and a half, glycerine one ounce, water three and a half ounces. Mix. Give a teaspoonful once in two hours. Give also the second decimal calcarea sulph. three tablets every three hours. To the wound apply equal parts of echafolta and water.

Keep cloths saturated with this mixture in constant contact with the infected portion. Remember that the more foul the odor the stronger is the indication for echafolta and echinacea. Administer two grains of quinine once in three hours to keep up the vitality of the patient. If the pulse does not respond to the tonic action of the quinine you should prescribe 1/250 grain of glonoin every fifteen minutes, until the head feels full and the face is flushed. Watch the pulse and give the glonoin if the pulse goes down and there is faintness. Sometimes at the crisis when patients are very weak it is necessary to give two granules of glonoin 1/250 grain once in three hours. If feet or hands swell from the wound of a rusty nail or some other blunt instrument apply the powder poultice (see abscess) to aid the wound to discharge freely. When the skin turns purple or bluish as if mortification were impending do not forget lachesis. Dose, two grains, sixth decimal, once in two hours.

I had blood poisoning, myself, about twenty years ago. I was inoculated by a cancer. It began in my right hand on the third finger. The whole hand swelled to twice its size. The severe pain extended up the arm, the most severe pain I ever experienced. The finger was so swollen that it broke open. I treated it, myself, according to the treatment given above and cured it. The hand was weak for many years afterwards. I have had many cases of blood poisoning in my own practice and have been called in consultation to several others. As yet I am not forced to record any fatal terminations. I have treated them in accord with the plan indicated above and "fight it out on that line."

Aneurism. For the pain from the aneurism iodide potash is the remedy. Dose, ten grains three times a day. When there is hardness and tension of the pulse, tincture veratrum viride is indicated. Dose, five drops of the first decimal dilution three times a day. As a curative agent chloride barium is the best remedy. Dose, three grains of the third decimal three or four times a day.

Calcarea flouride, third decimal has also made some good cures. Dose, three tablets every three hours. A compress should be kept constantly applied, wet with Epsom salts—one ounce to the pint of warm water.

Rheumatism. When the patient screams out when touched on the affected part, limbs weak, stiff and feverish, pains shift from place to place, worse at night, colchicum is the needed remedy. Wine of colchicum may be given in five drop doses three times a day, or colchicine (Merck). If you use the latter make a solution (one grain to the ounce) and give five to ten drops once in three hours. Some eighty cases were treated with the above remedy, with the following results. "Relief of pain within twenty-four hours; within forty-eight hours the patient is generally comfortable; swelling, pain, perspiration much diminished. In three or four days the disease is under control." When the muscles feel stiff and sore, when they have been strained, in exposure to rain or damp sheets, lameness, stiffness and pain when first begins to move, better after he gets "limbered up," rhus tox is the remedy. Dose, add five drops tincture rhus tox to four ounces of water; mix and give a teaspoonful every hour. The rhus tox is the remedy for lumbago, and should be given as directed above. For local application apply a liniment composed of equal parts of collodium, tincture iodine and aqua ammonia. Mix. Sig. Apply over the affected part with a camel's hair brush. For lumbago I have found the following prescription valuable:

Rx Tr. Cimicifuga.
Tr. Gelsemium.
Tr. Bryonia, a. a. ℥ss.

Mix. Sig. Ten drops once in half an hour.

When there is a bruised pain, stiffness and lameness, soreness and a bubbling sensation in the region of the kidneys, when patient is sitting he rises with difficulty, kidneys are usually affected, you should prescribe tincture berberis vulgaris. Dose, put twenty drops in half a glass of water and give teaspoonful every two hours. Do not forget the "back pains" of this remedy. When the pains of rheumatism are worse at the approach of a storm and when the patient is at rest, also when the pain is of a drawing tearing character, rhododendron is the remedy needed. Dose, add twenty drops tincture rhododendron to four ounces of water; of this mixture give the patient a teaspoonful once in two hours. Cascara sagrada is indicated in rheumatism when there is headache, constipation, foul breath, and broad flabby tongue. Dose, add two ounces tincture cascara to the same quantity of glycerine; mix and give teaspoonful doses every three hours.

In articular rheumatism with serous effusion, aggravated by moisture and touch, profuse perspiration, pains are shifting, and burning, worse at night, the remedy needed is acidum salicylicum. Dose, five grains every three hours. When the patient is very thirsty, drinks large quantities of water, at long intervals, pains are tearing, stitching, worse on motion and at night, bryonia is the needed drug. Dose, add ten drops tincture bryonia to four ounces of water, and give the patient a teaspoonful every hour.

As a liniment for rheumatism I like the following prescription:

Rx Tr. Capsicum, ℥ii.
Oil Origanum.
Oil Sassafras, a. a. ʒii.
Tr. Opium.
Spts. Ammonia, a. a. ʒiii.
Tr. Camphor, ʒi.

Mix. Sig. Rub well into the affected parts three times a day. This cannot be excelled as a liniment for rheumatism. (See Chapter on "Feet, Arms and Legs" for other remedies for rheumatism.)

Obstinate cases of chronic rheumatism will often yield to Comp. Tr. Cimicifuga made as follows:

Rx Tr. Cimicifuga, Oi.
Juice of Phytolacca berries, ℥ii.
Holland Gin, Oi.
Tr. Guiacum, ℥i.

Mix. Sig. Teaspoonful four times a day.

Definite Medication, 1911, was written by Eli G. Jones, M.D.