In appearance she is "the picture of health;" good complexion, fairly ruddy cheeks, sparkling eyes--in a word, she is an incarnated protest against "single blessedness."
In the latter part of July, 1886, had her first "fit." She had arisen with a headache, which kept on increasing in severity. Just after a light meal had the attack; "Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" and fell insensible.
Stiffened at first, then had clonic spasms. Neither bit the tongue nor frothed at the mouth. No micturition or defecation. On coming to, did not remember that she had fallen, but recollected being borne up stairs.
Had a "dreadful nosebleed" after the attack. Left her very weak; could hardly lift her feet from the floor. Before the "fit" the headache had become unbearably severe.
Had her second "fit" on August 7th, 1887. Headache came on and kept growing worse; was in temples, beating and throbbing, and in eyes, "light hurt"--also on vertex, "pressing-down" pain. At 4 P.M. suddenly fell down insensible. No cry. Tongue bitten. Slight frothing at the mouth. First "stiff all over," then clonic spasms. After the "fit" knew that something had happened to her. Was prostrated for nearly a month, but not so much as after first attack.
December 10th, 1887, third "fit." On the night of the 9th her mother had been very ill, and she herself was very uneasy and alarmed. Had the attack before breakfast. Blurred vision, headache, fall; no biting of tongue, nor frothing. First rigid, then clonic spasms; after attack, nose bled profusely, head ached all day, face flushed and dark.
Prostrated as usual.
In none of the attacks was there any involuntary micturition or defecation, nor was it ever necessary to use any force to hold her on the bed.
One other fact I gathered from her brother, namely: during her "fits"
her abdomen bloated so rapidly and to such a degree that the family had learned to remove her clothing as soon as possible after she fell.
Of course, Thacher"s case, wherein the "abdomen was remarkably tumefied and tense," came into memory at once. The old volume was taken down, and that case re-read. Then followed the _Encyclopaedia_, and then the English _Symptomen Codex_. No pathogenetic light or corroboration _there_. Then Curie"s "Jahr." Ah! "_Inflation and tension in the abdomen._" Only a straw, but a pathogenetic, and I grasped it thankfully. I found also, "_aching in the temples with violent arterial pulsation_."
It was an open winter; my son dug some skunk cabbage roots in a swamp; a tincture was made; ten-drop doses, four times daily, were taken until six ounces had been consumed.
No "fit" up to date; no epistaxis; only once a slight headache.
I never made a diagnosis in this case; have not reached one yet, nor am I grieving over that omission. I did rashly declare that it was not epilepsy, because Sauvages _tympanites intestinalis_ is a feature of hysteria, but not of epilepsy. But not a word of this was said to the patient. It was not a "mind cure," for I have no "mind" to spare; nor was it "Christian science," for I am not up to that. I had an _amnesis_ in which grand-mother and grand-daughter partic.i.p.ated. Nature had put the "key-note" in italics, not only in the patient but also in the drug.
Thacher stumbled upon it empirically; Hering found it pathogenetically, and that led to its application under the guidance of the only approximation to _a law_ in therapeutics that has yet been discovered by any of woman born: _similia similibus curantur_!
(Anent the foregoing paper Dr. W. C. Campbell sent the following to the same journal:)
POTHOS FOETIDA, HYSTERIA.
November 6, 1889, was called in haste to see Miss N----, aged 19 years.
Found her lying upon the floor, exhibiting all the phenomena of epilepsy, clenched hands, frothing at the mouth, clonic spasm, etc.
On questioning the family, I learned that she had been subject to such seizures for about two years, and that they were increasing in frequency. She had been dismissed from the various cotton mills in which she had been employed because of them. The father had been informed that she had epilepsy, and she had been treated accordingly by three old school physicians.
The sister informed me that although she had frequently fallen near the stove she had never struck it. Further questioning elicited the fact of her never having injured herself more seriously than to bite her tongue.
It was then I became suspicious, and later felt convinced that it was hysteria and not epilepsy with which I had to deal.
I remembered having read in _The Recorder_ an article by Dr. S. A.
Jones, of Ann Arbor, on _Pothos foetida_, with the record of a case in some respects similar to mine. After again reading it up, I made a tincture of the roots and tendrils gathered at the time, of which I gave her a two drachm phial, directing her to take ten drops three times per day.
On the second day she had a slight seizure while at dinner. After two months she again resumed her place in the mill, where she has since been steadily employed, and is strong and well in every way.
Have used _Pothos_ in epilepsy, also in dropsy, with negative results.
PRIMULA OBCONICA.
NAT. ORD., Primulaceae.
COMMON NAME, Primrose var. obconica.
PREPARATION.--The entire fresh plant in flower with root is macerated in twice its weight of alcohol.
(Dr. E. V. Ross, of Rochester, N. Y., thus summarizes the various papers that have appeared on this remedy--sources of papers named in his article:)
The following summary of the pathogenetic effects of _Primula_ were produced from handling and in otherwise coming in contact with the plant, and so far as known the poisonous properties are wholly confined to the leaves.
The effects bear a close resemblance to _Anacardium_, _Euphorbium_, _Ranunculus_, _Rhus_, etc. It is evidently deserving of a thorough proving, and it is our intention to attempt one as soon as a reliable preparation can be had.
References: (1) _Syme, British Medical Journal_; (2) _London Lancet_; (3) _h.o.m.oeopathic World_, March, 1892; (4) _American h.o.m.oeopathist_, 1897, p. 429; (5) _New York Medical Journal_, January, 1898, p. 68.
(1) 1. Eczema on face.
2. Eczema on face and arms.
3. Moist eczema on face and forearms, papular and excoriated.
4. Severe cracking over joints and fingers as from frost.
5. Great itching of the skin.
6. Eruption appears at night.
7. Eruption and itching worse at night.
8. The itching was intolerable at night.
(2) 9. Irritable papular eruption on both hands, followed by desquamation.
10. Papular eruption on chin.
11. Eruption of small papules on a raised base with intolerable itching.
(3) 12. Papular eruption (eczematous) on hands, wrists and fingers.
13. Skin red and swollen and itching violently.
14. At night she became feverish, hands and face would burn, then intolerable itching followed by erythema with small papules becoming pustular.
15. Papular eruption itching violently.
(4) 16. Confluent blotches on face resembling urticaria.
17. Eruption between fingers which resembles scabies.
18. Desquamation.
19. Purple blotches on dorsal surface of hands.
20. Palmar surface of hands and fingers are stiff and unusable.