A Compilation of Cases of Rheumatism by our Stalwarts….

Lord X. had an attack of gout three years ago, and it fell to my lot to treat him for it. It was the classic podagra. I gave Urtica urens Q, five drops in a wine-glassful of warm water, every three hours, and his lordship was about as usual in ten days. In another attack since then the same remedy acted with equal promptitude, and to the patient’s great satisfaction. His lordship has had quite a number of attacks of gout, and has had the advantage of the services of the very greatest authorities on gout, in London, and, moreover, he has been to the leading spas for gout, and hence his opinion is of value, and this runs thus

– “I have never taken any remedy that has done so much for me as Urtica; there is no doubt about that.”

Colonel X., aged 64 came under my observation on January 15, 1889, broken down with gout and chronic alcoholism, and pretty severe bronchitis. Heart’s action irregular; liver and spleen both enlarged; and he complained bitterly of a gnawing in the pit of the stomach. His gait was unsteady and tottering, his hands quivered, and altogether he was in a sorry plight. The poor fellow had lost his wife, and had for a good while tried to rub along with the aid of a little Dutch courage, in the shape of nips of spirits, for which he was always craving. Severe windy spasms; no sugar, no albumen.

Rx : Spiritus glandium quercus Q, 10 drops in water, three times a day.

January 22. – On this day – a week from his first visit – he walked briskly into my consulting room, and brightly exclaimed, “Well, I think you have worked a miracle”; and the curious thing was that his craving for spirits was notably less, he having consumed only one-third of a bottle of whisky in the week, instead of two bottles, which was his usual allowance. The windy spasms had ceased, and his foul breath had become sweet; and finally, his spleen had gone down in size very notably. To leave off the Quercus.

February 5. – So little craving for whisky that he offers to leave it off; much less phlegm in chest; no spasms; altogether quite a different man, but is depressed.

Rx : Spiritus glandium quercus Q, 7 drops in water, three times a day.

February 19. – He is chirpy again, and has no craving for whisky.

The remedy was repeated in May, and I learned some months afterwards, from his daughter, that the colonel continued in fair health, and partook of stimulants “like other people”, and without any “craving”.

Not long since a gentleman of 60 years of age, who had lived many years in a sub-tropical country, came under my observation for gastralgia extending right up through the chest. Although he had lived in parts where ague is very common, he is not aware that he has ever had ague himself. He has many gouty deposits all over his body, mostly in the neighbourhood of the joints. His throat is gouty, and also his left conjunctiva. There is a good deal of bronchial catarrh. The gastralgia yielded quickly and completely to Urtica urens, much to the amazement of the patient, who has been under fully a score of physicians in different parts of the world for this gastralgia, but he was just back from Aix-les-Bains, which had also done his gastralgia no good.

The treatment of the constitutional basis of gout : the uric acid diathesis

The gouty attack being deposed of, we now come to the real problem, viz., to the cure of that in a given constitution which ends in the deposit of the urate of sodium in the tissues.

In the spring of 1891 I was requested to go some distance into Surrey to see a lady of 60 years of age who was bedridden for many months from a chill caught while sitting at a railway station waiting for a train. The feet were swelled, very hot, reddish, stiff, and so painful that the patient swooned when I pressed them but gently. There was persistent insomnia and great depression of spirits.

After a year’s treatment she was discharged quite well, and has since so remained, and with rather unusual activity of limb. The fact is, having been for a time deprived of the use of her feet, and recovered the same only by slow degrees, she set greater value on her power of locomotion then ever before in her life. She had the following remedies, in the order named – Urtica urens Q, Cypripedium pub. Q. Apis mel. 3x, Menyanthes trifoliata 3x, Bellis perennis Q, and Viscum album 1, and after the use of the last named, patient walked from two to four miles a day, with comfort, pleasure, and satisfaction. And the cure holds good to date.

A gentleman of 50 old years of age, now resident in London, consulted me for gout in the fall of the year 1890. He had long lived in India and suffered much from malaria. After a few weeks of Urtica, 10 drops in a wine-glassful of water night and morning, he was free from gout, and “My diarrhoeas has gone, my gout also; my digestion is better than for long, and my skin is much cleaner”.

Mr.-, subject to attacks of Rheumatism every Spring, suffered a year ago from complication

of diseases. While in the West he contracted chills and fever, and travelling over the prairies added the itch. Thus he combined rheumatism, Itch, chills and fever, and Asthma. The characteristic picture called for Sulphur.

Evening spells of Asthma, with rush of blood to the chest and constriction; stinging between the shoulders; chill in the fore-noon, followed by long-lasting heat, flushes of heat in the after-noon. Rheumatic pains erratic; vesicles on the hands between the fingers itching intolerably.

All the symptoms were soon relieved, and finally removed. The prairie Itch lasted the longest.

About a month ago, just a year after his previous attack, I was summoned to visit him, the messenger stating that he was suffering from Asthma. Being engaged in the office at the  time, I sent Sulphur, as it had

relieved before. An hour later, on seeing the patient, I found not Asthma, but Rheumatism of the diaphragm. The agony was intense. Respiration jerking, numbness of the limbs, coldness. As well as he could,

he described his sensations. There was a feeling as of a cord around the hypochondria; rush of blood towards the chest; shooting pains through to the back and up each side of the chest; cannot lie down; dry tickling cough, as from dust in the throat. Sulphur had done no good. Cactus 30 relieved. Another attack in the night again yielded to Cactus 2c. On the following evening, the symptoms reappeared, though not so severely. Cactus 2c quickly relieved.

Mr. S., foreman of a large saw mill, has been afflicted with rheumatism for years, stiff neck and right arm and shoulder helpless and painful.

He wished to keep it from his chest and heart.

Malaria 1x every two hours, when better every three hours.

In three days he was better and could turn his neck and use his arm fairly well.

One week later gave him two drachms more of Malaria, to be taken six hours apart.

He has not had any rheumatic troubles since that time.

Mr. I. S., aged 55, a veteran and pensioner of the civil war, emaciated, bronzed in color; had not been able to walk for years.

After repairing his heart, chest, stomach, curing his piles and regulating his bowels he was content, yet he could not walk.

His back had been injured in the army, and his limbs would not move at will and he could not walk alone or get out of a chair.

I gave him for a week Ruta graveolens and Rhus. tox., of each the first cent., three hours apart.

This ameliorated for a time.

Concluding his trouble was due to rheumatism, caused by malaria, gave him 1x three or four times a day.

In one week he rode to my house and came up and down steps alone.

I gave him two drachms more and in five days he came to my office, having walked nearly three miles that morning alone.

I need not say I was surprised, could hardly believe it was all due to Malaria.

But it certainly was, as nothing else was taken or applied; has gained flesh and seems at least ten years younger.

A patient for three years has gout, which is the summing up of a history of suppressed chills.

He got X-ray 30th cent., which seems to have helped him somewhat.

Swelling of legs and knees disappeared, after being present for weeks.

Some of the pains were better, 1897, March 29th, 2:30 P.M., took X-ray 30 cent., one powder; at 5 P.M. , the second no symptom at 1 P.M.

the third, which produced little itching.

At 10 P.M. took a hot bath with some improvement, and 11 P.M. the fourth powder, all of the 30 cent.

After that decided glow of heat all over body with some itching.

Little rash on both legs, with decided pricking on both legs from knees to toes.

Pain in region of spleen for one hour which passed away in bed, during which time no twitching or jerking of muscles, could stretch out both legs comfortably.

Very good night’s sleep.

March 30th, 7 A.M. , slight perspiration on legs from knees to toes.

March 31st, took the remaining powder of same potency.

Some itching on left shoulder blade and arm from shoulder to elbow, with considerable

increase of pain in elbows and hands, and sensation of heat all over body, but no fever.

Stiffness of back and neck, necessitating moving of whole body to turn his head.

Slight rash on left leg above knee.

Some itching of arms and chest in bed, especially when beginning to get warm.

Could walk a little better the first two days after taking medicine.

More thirst than usual.

Had no chill since 21st, until today, when he had a slight chill from 2 to 4 P.M. ; no fever thirst or sweat.

Appetite and bowels extremely good.

Some itching or prickling pains above knees.

The swelling from legs and feet has gone down immensely, though pain does not abate.

*W. Soh. W., farmer, aged 37 years, suffered since three or four months from stitches in the left side, which grow worse when the patient moves much about, works hard, or gets excited; rest produces a beneficial influence; palpitation of the heart, particularly on washing.

In the morning, cough, with putrid, yellowish expectoration (formerly streaked black); oppressed respiration in a warm room.

(About eighteen months ago the patient got wet through in the fields, which was the original cause of his illness; subsequently, last summer, he had a fever, after which he felt tolerably well for a few months.) Feels worse in the limbs in the evening; cold makes him feel worse. Itching on the shoulder-blades and on the chest. The patient can give no account of the allopathic preparations he has taken.

March 10th, 1851. -1, Rhus toxicodendron; 2, Bryonia; 3, Rhus tox. 2c (i. e., of each remedy to globules, moistened with the 200th dynamization of the centesimal scale). One dose every fifth morning,

March 30th.-Amelioration of all the symptoms, but without complete removal of any. 1, Calc. carb. 2m (Jen.); 2 to 4 § (Sacch. lact.-the symbol § was the one Hahnemann used to employ for this substance). One dose to be taken every fifth evening.

April 18th.-Considerably better. 1 to 4, Sac. lac. One dose every fifth evening.

May 8th.-No further improvement. Anxiety and oppression when lying down after meals. Sleeplessness in early part of the night. 1,Lycopodium 2m (Jen.). 2 to 4, Sac. lac. One dose every fifth evening.

May 30th.-A few boils on the arms; in other respects quite well. 1 to 4, Sac. lac. One dose every fifth evening. Perfectly cured.

**Miss S., an unmarried girl, aged 21 years, living in L., had overlifted herself three weeks ago, and in consequence of this she had violent pains in the liver, and dyspnoea, which was worse in the evening and when lying in bed, worst when lying on the left side (where there was no pain), but better when lying on the right (the painful) side; but she feels easiest while lying on the back. It is also worse when sitting (and walking). The pain then crosses through the abdomen even to the left side. Constipation. Her menses are very copious. Everything is aggravated in the evening.

Several plasters that had been applied, had brought no improvement.

January 3, 1852. 1 and 3, Bryonia 200, 2, Rhus 200, 4 §†, every third evening one of the powders was to be taken in its sequence.

Complete cure.

***Karl R., a dyer in H., 43 years of age, after lifting a sick person three weeks ago, was seized with violent pains in the small of the back, as if sprained, and a tensive pain there, aggravated from stooping and when sitting in his chair and stooping forward. Frequent stitches in both the hypochondria. During the last two years, he frequently had colicky pains, always improved in a warm room, and especially when getting warm in bed. Much inclined to perspiration. Otherwise well.

Rubbing his back, especially with Camphor and Opodeldoc, did not help it any.

Dec. 27, 1852. 1 and 3, Rhus 200, 2, Nux vom. 200, 3, § a powder every three evenings.

It was cured quickly and needed no other remedy.

A light-haired music teacher, aged thirty-seven years, has chronic lumbago; never free from pain and soreness since the first attack in August, 1894. She has two or three acute attacks every year when she will be in bed from three to ten weeks. Allopathic treatment always.

Acute attacks come on with stitches in the lumbo-sacral muscles, then soreness as if the flesh were torn from the bones.

She must lie flat on the back without the power of moving the legs or body.

Present symptoms:

Pain and soreness in the lumbar muscles.

Aggravation from false (unnatural) position, during wet weather, while resting, on beginning to move, on awaking in the morning.

Amelioration from exercise until she gets tired.

Mild, cheerful disposition.

Mouth dry and sticky in the morning and while fasting (before eating).

Pharyngeal and post-nasal catarrh; yellow crusts.

Always has a good appetite and feels best after eating.

Constipation, with ineffectual urging to stool.

Urine strongly acid and burning.

Always cold from the hips downward.

Skin unnaturally dry.

Restlessness, with heat and nightmare after midnight.

Sleepy and exhausted in the morning.

Subject to urticaria in hot weather, relived by cold bathing.

1897, Aug. 25. Pulsatilla CM Fincke, one powder.

1898, Feb. 4. A succession of severe head colds followed the prescription, for which she took placebos ad libitum****.

On September 7th an acute attack of lumbago came on, which passed off in a few days with a general eruption over the person. This was treated with saccharum lactis and was followed by a great improvement in health. Now for three weeks some lameness is felt in the lumbar region.

Pulsatilla 3M Fincke, in four tablespoonful of water, one tablespoonful morning and night until it is gone.

This was followed in a few days by another acute attack not severe, lasting a few days only.

Note-1915. since then her health has been excellent with no return of lumbago.

ENCYCLOPAEDIA HOMEOPATHICA, Version 2.x, Archibel S.A. Medical Software, Belgium, 1995-2007 (All cases have been compiled from the Radar Software from the Following books)