Chorea.

N. M. DEWEES, M. D., CAMBRIDGE, OHIO

Hoping that my experience in the treatment of chorea will benefit some one, I will give it. Fifteen years ago, my daughter, then nine years of age, after a nine months' term of school in which she was pushed to the limit in study, developed a typical case of chorea. Everyone knows the distressing character of this disease. Of course we all feel for our patients, but to bring the case home is to very largely intensify that feeling.

I prescribed the remedies and dose mentioned in our textbooks for three weeks without benefit. I consulted my neighbor physicians, but it did not seem to matter what we prescribed-the patient did not improve, in fact got worse.

Somewhere in my reading I ran across this indication for macrotys: "Inability to control the voluntary muscles." I had given that drug before with valerian, but the dose was too small. I decided that I would try macrotys alone. My prescription was as follows:

Mix. Sig. Give a teaspoonful every three hours. In three weeks the patient was well. Since then I have treated many cases of this disease. I have treated young men, young women, boys and girls, and always with the single remedy macrotys and always with the same prompt and satisfactory results. I aim to give it in such quantity as to fall a little short of producing physiological effects.

COMMENT.—Macrotys has been advised in the treatment of chorea for many years by our physicians. Occasionally one, like Dr. Dewees, is very enthusiastic, but the most of the physicians consider the remedy as applicable to only an occasional case. As in these cases the medicine is given in small doses—the fraction of a drop only—I am inclined to think that the full dose advised by Dr. Dewees is that which produced the excellent result. Prof. Whitford has always been enthusiastic in the use of macrotys, and he gives it in large doses, and often in conjunction with scullcap. He has no use, whatever, for the arsenic treatment.

I want a report from every doctor who has used macrotys in this disease. Be specific in both the peculiarities of the condition and in the dosage used.

Ellingwood's Therapeutist, Vol. 2, 1908, was edited by Finley Ellingwood M.D.