As an illustration of the baneful effects of the sycotic poison, the following case was among several that have come under notice in the past several years , will serve to give emphasis to what has been written before on this subject.. five years ago a young woman aet , seventeen years , came for treatment for painful menses especially . The previous history , as told by her mother , was that she had always seemed to lack strength . Up to her fifth year she had appeared well , but from that time she always complained of being tired from the lest exertion , she would awake in the morning feeling worm out . A lose cough without expectoration , was the only other noticeable symptom . in appearance she seemed perfectly well . She attended school regularly and had no other symptoms until she arrived at puberty , when the lassitude became more prominent , particularly before and after the menses
The menses first appeared during her fifteenth year , and for a few months there was little or no trouble , except the prostratics , Then she began to have more or less pain for the first two days of the period , with weakness in the uterine region and a feeling as though the pelvic organs would fall out
This continued and after a few months more , with the pain during menses more were slight convulsions , which increased from month to month until she came under my notice
At each menstrual period there would precede the flow , for a few hours , much pain in the uterine and ovarian regions which would disappear about four hours after the flow cameon.
Remedies were given which gave much case at the nest period and then I would hear nothing from her
At last there arose , in connection with the pain at each period , symptoms indicated more than a simple dysmenorrrrhea . the menses would preceded several hours by terrible convulsions , which would continue until the flow appeared . There were jerking of the head from side to side , opisthotonus , and forcible flexion of the fingers – in other words , tonic spasms.
Considering these symptoms in connection with the marked debility, I asked her father how long it had been since he had gonorrhoea . he was surprised at my question , but acknowledged that before marriage he had two acknowledged that before marriage he had been treated by injections , which he said was correct . there was now on doubt of the nature of the difficulty . I informed her mother that it would require some years to make her well , but I could promise she would be better in a few months , if she would follow my advise . This they promised to do . she began to improve at once
The period following the remedy given for the convulsions, the pain , the debility and the other symptoms , was much easier than many of the prceeding , and she conyinued to come for treatment for about three months . Then I saw nothing more of her several months . Then I saw nothing more of her for several months . Then I saw nothing more fof her several months , when she re-appeared with the statement that she thought she was cured but that now her old symptoms had returned . she again improved under treatment , and again failed to appear for several months . At last her father came one day in great haste and said; can you do nothing for my daughter ?i have just left her and I have never seen her such suffering . she had an awful convulsion , which lasted two hours , and I am anxious to know whether she can be helped
He was told that help had been given , and it was promised to be more permanent , provided my advice was followed . That was to continue treatment for two years .the improvement following the renewed treatment was as marked before and she has continued to come until the present
In febrauvary last the menstrual period was delayed and with out consulting me she took from a small vial which had been given her two years ago , several doses in quick succession . then followed symptoms from which she had been from several months
Her mother wrote; my daughter had a spasm while sitting up in bed at 11 o’clock . the flow appeared at 9’o’clock . the pain across the abdomen was not severe as formerly and she said she felt as though her back would break , the spasms were very severe she gritted her teeth until I was afraid she would break them off , clenched her hands , and twisted her arms completely around ; her head was drawn back and every part of her body affected . she was much exhausted and then fell into sleep . she had a wake full night and complains now of her head feeling as though spikes had been driven through it and is passionate and irritable and has spells of crying’
The remedy she had taken without advice and which had been formerly given one dose each day two days before the time for the menses , was cuprumacet 45m
A reference to its pathogenesis will show that it produces such symptoms as she had
The symptoms for which it had been given had disappeared and dd not return until the remedy was taken , when not necessary strmonium was given as an anti dote . After this I went over her symptoms again and the following were noted
Great despondency , feels like crying all the time , but has no cause for it . is afraid to be alone , paricularly at night , fear of going into a crowded place , does not want to go to church . constant anxiety . dislikes to write a note , for fear she can not concentrate her thoughts ; thinks there is in reading . for she can not remember any thing
Pain and soreness in region of left ovary . is better able to walk without fatigue , but is still averse to doing any thing . loose rattling cough , worse on rising in the morning , later her mother informs me that times she seems quite bright and cheerful , but is mostly lamenting her condition , and thinks it a hardship that she should be in valid , she complains of having a weak , nervous feeling constantly is easily started but is not now afraid to go about alone
Medorrhinum dmn , is the remedy that has been acting since recovered from the effects of the cuprum taken in February
DISCUSSION
Dr Farley – I should like to hear how the doctor decided that the case was sycotic
Dr Clarke – I decided after I learned the father had sycosis I had several cases precisely the same as this , which were sycotic , but I did not decide in this case positively until I had asked the father , I knew her father very well , he had been an invalid for forty years , he had been Dr Hering’s patient . in walking he appeared to suffer from loss of the ligaments of the head of the head of the femur . once when his daughter was very sick . Dr. Lippe was called in consultation , then Dr Fellinger . Fellinger said there was loss of the capsular ligament and also the ligamentation teres and also that the father must have had some venereal disease . I then concluded that it must be sycotic dysmenorrhoea in the daughter . since then I have had several cases . As I said yesterday , medorrhinum was a very disappointing remedy to me I have prescribed it in cases where it was certainly indicated with temporary relief only
Dr. Tompkins – I should like to know whether this group of mental symptoms is to be held as characteristic of sycosis . one of our members gave me that impression . While Dr Clarke was reading his paper , I could almost have sworn he was reading from notes of a case of my own , as far as the mental symptoms go .sepia was the sufficient remedy for the constipation , the head ache and the mental symptoms
Dr. Farley- His that fishy odor been observed as particularly characteristic of Medorrhinum.
