Chapter XI. Special Remedies for the Feet.
It is the little things in a physician's practice that often make or break his reputation. Therefore we should look after the different troubles of the feet. Standing or walking on the feet will sometimes cause a burning of the soles of the feet that is very annoying. Bathe the feet twice a day in one drachm of muriate ammonia to a pint of warm water. Burning of the feet after a person gets in bed so they have to stick their feet out from under the covers is an indication for sulphur. (or of a B-vitamin deficiency. - Henriette) Give sulphur, third decimal trituration, two grains once in three hours.
I used to think that rheumatism settled in the feet was the worst form of rheumatism to cure until I learned how to cure it. When the rheumatism begins in the feet and travels upwards, Ledum Palustre is the remedy. Put fifteen drops tincture Ledum in a glass of water, give teaspoonful every hour. In a case of cancer under my treatment, she had rheumatism settle in her feet; it almost made a cripple of her. It seemed determined to stick there. I had no Ledum, so I fell back on oil gaultheria, ten drops on sugar once in two hours. In twenty-four hours she could walk as well as anybody.
Old people are sometimes troubled with corns and callosities on the soles of the feet; they are very tender. The patient can hardly walk on account of this tenderness. Give antimonium crudum, third decimal trituration, three tablets once in two hours. In rheumatism of the feet, with this tenderness of the soles of the feet, do not forget the above remedy. Tingling of the toes and burning of the feet is a symptom of spinal irritation and belladonna is the remedy. Give five drops of tincture belladonna first decimal dilution three times a day. For weak ankles, calcarea phos., third decimal trituration, is the remedy, three tablets three times a day.
For bunions apply tincture vir., with camel-hair brush night and morning. In old people with edema of the feet, apocynin is the remedy. Give apocynin one-twelfth grain, three granules every three hours. For numbness of the feet, feel as if they were going to sleep, give alumina, third decimal trituration, three tablets once in three hours. For chilblains of the feet give agaricus musca, second decimal, three tablets three times a day. The oil of cajeput is a good local application. When the feet are "fidgety," twitching, can't keep them still, give zincum metalicum, third decimal, three tablets once in two hours. For offensive sweating of the feet, bathe the feet with chlorate potash, five grains to the ounce of water, two or three times a day. Silicea, the sixth decimal trituration, three tablets three times a day is the internal remedy for the above condition. When the feet feel cold and damp calcarea carb. is the remedy, three grains of the first decimal trituration three times a day. Cramps in the feet and legs in bed call for sulphur first decimal trituration, two grains four times a day (it's a mineral deficiency - magnesium, calcium and/or potassium. -Henriette). In women at the menopause, when with grief and worriment of mind we have persistent coldness of the feet and legs, ignatia is the remedy. Fifteen drops, six of tincture ignatia to four ounces of water, teaspoonful every two hours.
For ingrown toe nails, scrape the top of the nail thin, cut off the sides of the nail. Then paint on tincture chloride iron along the sides of the nail and on all the inflamed surface; apply this once a day until the soreness is all gone. Then lift up the edges of the nail on the sides and press cotton wet with the tincture chloride iron under the nail. I have used the above treatment for forty years, and it will cure it. In one case a doctor had been treating a case of this kind ten weeks until the toe was covered with unhealthy granulations. She could not wear any kind of a shoe, and was almost a cripple. In two days under my treatment she could dance on her feet. When the feet feel weak, heavy, can hardly lift them from the ground, picric acid is the remedy. Give it in the sixth decimal trituration, three tablets every three hours. In my old latin grammar I remember a sentence, "Little things are little things, but to be faithful in little things is great." Let the young physician look out for the little details of every-day practice. Sometimes a cure of what looks like a very simple case will be the means of bringing many dollars to the doctor.
In irregularity of the circulation when the feet are cold and the hands hot or vice versa the sixth decimal trituration of sepia will prove useful. Dose, three tablets once in three hours.
In convulsions where every muscle in the body twitches from the eyes to the toes hyoscyamus is the needful remedy; dose, five drops tincture hyoscyamus once an hour. In convulsions when the spasms begin in the fingers and toes, the third decimal trituration of cuprum is indicated. Dose, three tablets once an hour.
In senile gangrene when the feet and toes are cold as iron, but the patient cannot bear to have them covered up, secale cornutum is the remedy. Dose, five drops, tincture secale, in a little water once in two hours.
When the toe nails grow out of shape and become thick graphites is the remedy. Dose, three tablets of the sixth decimal trituration once in three hours. If there are drawing pains in the right leg and foot, right foot cold as ice, the other being natural, you should prescribe tincture chelidonium. Dose, five drops in a little water, once in three hours. If the ankle joints are swollen and the soles of the feet are so painful that the patient can hardly step on the ground, pain is worse when warm in bed, do not forget tincture ledum palustre. Dose, add fifteen drops tincture ledum to a half glass of water and give the patient a teaspoonful of the mixture every hour.
Definite Medication, 1911, was written by Eli G. Jones, M.D.
