Part 13

Transmissibility. Only from one bird Mammals are unaffected by to another, except the tuberculosis of birds, in the case of the and vice versa. parrot.

I have tabulated shortly their various characteristics.

Ever since this variety of tuberculosis has been distinguished, attempts have been made to inoculate or cure human tuberculosis with that of birds. In our school the thing has been attempted at the Hopital St. Jacques, where Aviaire has been administered in homoeopathic dilutions, in potions or through punctures in cases of consumption. As a matter of fact, neither allopaths nor homoeopaths have succeeded in obtaining a formula which will cure consumption with the virus of birds. Amelioration has been noted as with other remedies, but never a series of authenticated cures. Nevertheless, in every country experiments are continually being made; we must hope that they will end in a more decisive success than is at present the case.

Hoping to profit by the homoeopathicity of an active virus, I was, I think, one of the first who employed Aviaire in non-tuberculous respiratory affections on the lines of Bacillinum, and I am bound to say that up to the present my faith in the law of similars has not been shaken by my experiments.

In L'Art Medical (August, 1895) I published a number of cases in which I successfully treated localized bronchitis, generally the result of influenza, and reproducing the symptoms of tuberculosis, with Aviaire. The most characteristic of all these observations is that of which I have spoken above. The patient was restored to health as if by magic with Aviaire within three weeks. Dr. P. Jousset, anticipating my observations, thus expressed himself in the number of L'Art Medical preceding the one which contained my remarks: "A young woman entered the Hopital St. Jacques at the end of January, 1895, with feverish influenzal bronchitis. At first the patient was treated with small doses of Sulphate of Quinine, and a little later she took Ipecac and Bryonia alternately. The fever disappeared and the general condition improved considerably, and the sub-crepitant rales became confined to the top of the left lung. The patient continued to expectorate thick nummular and puriform sputa, as in the influenza. After some days the disease resumed its sway, the bodily forces diminished, the emaciation made great progress, and local and general signs indicated rapid consumption. Bacteriological analysis led to the detection of numerous Koch's bacilli. I gave over the case at this time, and some weeks afterwards I learnt with surprise that the patient was well and growing fat, and that the inoculation of the sputa had produced no effects. The cure has been maintained for three months, and the young woman has resumed her employment." I had prescribed Aviaire 100th, five drops a day, during the whole period of the disease, unaccompanied by any other remedy.

As I have said before, more than a year afterwards the young woman continued in good health.

Following this case, Dr. Jousset quoted two analogous instances in his practice, both of influential bronchitis, in which the sputa contained, for a certain period, Koch's bacillus. One was cured with Aviaire 6th and strong doses of Sulphate of Quinine, and the other with Aviaire 6th and twenty drops of Tincture of Drosera, a day.

"What conclusions must I draw from these facts?" says Dr. Jousset. "That the avian tuberculosis cured the consumption? I have failed too often in the treatment of ordinary consumption with this remedy to admit that." That is my opinion also.

Koch's bacillus has been found in the nasal secretions of healthy hospital nurses, and of students of medicine, as noted by Strauss. Would it not be possible to come across it accidentally in certain kinds of expectoration, just as the pneumococcus is found in saliva?

In one of the numbers of La Medecine Moderne of last year there appeared a short article on the "Influenzas known as pseudo-phymic." The writer remarked on the strong analogy which certain complications of pulmonary influenza presented to acute tuberculosis. He observed, among other forms: 1st, the influenzal bronchitis which affected one of the summits of the lung, the most difficult form to diagnose from tuberculosis; 2d, the broncho-pneumonic form; 3d, the pleuro-pneumonic form, bearing a close resemblance to tuberculous pleurisy. I might remark that this last form is still little known and ill-defined. The influenza microbe always imitates to a remarkable degree the microbe of tuberculosis in certain instances; and if we wish to effect a cure on the laws laid down by Hahnemann in certain forms of influenzal bronchitis, we must frequently seek for the simillimum in the virus of tuberculosis.

I have mentioned oppression as one of the characteristics of Bacillinum. Now influenzal bronchitis is markedly accompanied by an incessant cough and by grave general symptoms. There is more frequently acute than passive, obstructive and dyspnoeic congestion. I am inclined to prefer Aviaire to Bacillinum in such cases, and I should like to briefly touch upon certain cases in my practice.

I have under my care a little girl of twelve years of age who has for two years developed an influenza which rapidly leads to pulmonary symptoms, always distinctly localized in the top of the left lung. The mother is tuberculous, and the child, who was born with forceps, has her left chest less developed than her right. The congestion which accompanies the influenza is sudden and severe; within twenty-four hours the lung is invaded, and fine rales are soon heard. Twice running, at intervals of a year, Aviaire 100th has stifled the symptoms in a few days. I have seen an analogous case, only with congestion of the base of the lung.

In my clinical report of the Hopital St. Jacques (in August, 1895) I note ten cases of acute influenzal bronchitis with incessant cough, fever, and expectoration, rapidly cured with Aviaire. This year I have prescribed it with the same success as at the Hopital St. Jacques in cases of influenzal bronchitis, with active congestion. I will mention two cases of the pulmonary complications of measles which were rapidly dissipated by this remedy; but I must also mention a third case of measles in which Aviaire failed and Bryonia proved successful. The child had an acute rubeolic laryngitis, and few pulmonary symptoms. Bryonia was in this case more decidedly indicated than Aviaire.

The dilution of Aviaire which I have always used is the 100th. I give usually five drops a day.

It seems that Aviaire does not act in diminishing the cough like an anodyne or a narcotic, but braces up the whole organism. The relief of debility and the return of appetite are the phenomena which I have observed in conjunction with the diminution of the cough.

I have given Aviaire 100th for weeks, and even for a month, regularly every day, without having observed excitement or aggravation. It would thus appear to be a remedy of long-lasting action, capable in certain cases of modifying the organism, and of bracing a constitution which has become enfeebled from the effects of influenza or of suspicious bronchitis.

In contrast with Bacillinum I have noted, in my observations on Aviaire, considerable cough and little dyspnoea--an acute inflammatory, extremely irritating cough, such as one meets with in acute diseases or sub-acute affections in young people; a cough which fatigues, and which leads to enfeeblement and loss of appetite--in a word, a suspicious cough. To conclude my remarks, the utility of Aviaire in suspicious bronchitis--an expression on which I again lay stress--I will recall certain indubitable examples of the cure (at the Hopital St. Jacques) of bronchitis or of pulmonary congestion at the top of one of the lungs, or of bronchitis on one side only, or of congestion predominating on one side. These localizations on one side are sufficiently grave symptoms to warrant apprehension of the hatching of tuberculosis.

If I were myself attacked, as the result of influenza or measles, or of some weakening malady, with an incessant tickling and stubborn cough, with certain closely localized pulmonary symptoms; if I lost my strength and appetite; if, in a word, I were attacked by bronchitis whose upshot was highly doubtful, and which caused apprehension of tuberculosis, I should not hesitate a single moment, with the examples which I have had before me, to try Aviaire 100th upon myself.

Such is the conclusion of my clinical observations made at Hopital St. Jacques in August, 1895.

What I said last year I can only repeat with renewed confidence in this; and I hope that the years which follow will not cause me to alter my opinion.

BELLIS PERENNIS.

NAT. ORD., Compositae.

COMMON NAMES, English Daisy. Garden Daisy. Hens and Chickens.

PREPARATION.--The fresh plant, in flower, is pounded to a pulp and submitted to pressure. The expressed juice is then mixed with an equal part by weight of alcohol.

(The following is from Thomas' Additions to the Homoeopathic Materia Medica, 1858. To it we may add Dr. J. C. Burnett's statement that Bellis is a remedy for all ills that may be traced to a sudden wetting when overheated.)

Bellis perennis or daisy, formerly called consolida, on account of its vulnerary properties; the roots and leaves were used in wound drinks, and were considered efficacious in removing extravasated blood from bruises, etc. It is said to be refused by cattle on account of its peculiar taste. Lightfoot, in his Flora Scotica, says: "In a scarcity of garden-stuff, they (daisies) have, in some countries, been substituted as pot herbs." My first trial with this plant as a curative agent was in the autumn of 1856. While on a visit in the neighborhood of Bangor, a countryman, understanding that I was a "doctor," wished me to prescribe for his foot, which he had sprained very badly. Not having either Arnica or Rhus with me, I determined to try the effects of the daisy; so directed him to procure a handful of the leaves and flowers of the plant, chop them up small, boil them for a quarter of an hour in half a pint of water, and apply them in linen as a poultice round the ankle at night. The application was not made until the next morning, but in half an hour's time the ankle admitted of very fair motion. A piece of calico wetted and wrung out of the daisy water was then wrapped round the ankle, and the man put his shoe on and limped about all day, walking not less than five miles. He repeated the poultice at night, and found his ankle so much restored in the morning that he was able to walk four miles to his work without experiencing any difficulty. The success, in this instance, so far exceeded the previous use of Arnica and Rhus, especially in the time gained, that I had a tincture from the whole plant made for such uses, and have used it in sprained ankle from a fall--the ankle was well the second day. A sprain of the wrist, which had been a week ailing, yielded to the daisy in three days. I have also successfully used it in several severe whitlows; in every case the pure tincture was used externally. The only provings I have made with this remedy have been with the pure tincture in ten or twenty drop doses at a time. After taking the medicine for fourteen days without any symptoms, I suspended the use of it--in two weeks after leaving it off, for the first time in my life I had a large boil on the back of my neck (right side), commencing with a dull aching pain; some difficulty and a bruised pain in keeping the head erect; slight nausea, want of appetite, and a little giddiness in the head at times. Pain in middle finger of the left hand, as of a gathering, for a short time only; and at the same time pain in inner side of left forearm, as of a boil developing; two nights before similar pains in corresponding parts of the right arm--query, are these effects of Bellis (this was written December 11, 1856). The boil on the neck came December 7, 1856; began as a slight pimple with burning pain in the skin, increasing until in six days' time it was very large, of a dark fiery purple color, and very sore burning and aching pain in it, accompanied with headache, extending from occiput to sinciput, of a cold aching character; brain as though contracted in frontal region, dizziness, etc. (as before stated). I now set to work to cure myself, which by use of hot fomentations and lint dipped in [Greek: theta] tincture of Belladonna externally, taking at the same time 3d dil. Belladonna internally, was soon accomplished. Three days after this was cured, another made its appearance, which speedily succumbed to the same remedies. As I had never previously had a boil, and had not made any change in my diet, I suspected Bellis tincture to be the cause of the trouble. On the 12th of January, 1857, feeling my left foot somewhat strained after running, I applied Bellis [Greek: theta] to the strain, which for several days aggravated the feeling; and in five hours after the application I had another small boil (three weeks after disappearance of the last), which yielded to same treatment as the others, by January 19, 1857. On March 7, 1857, I chewed some daisy flowers. On the 11th, a small boil appeared at the angle of the inferior maxilla, right side; Belladonna [Greek: theta], externally, cured it. The last trial I made with the third centesimal dilution of Bellis, taking three drops on Tuesday, 2d March, 1858, on the following Friday a small pimple appeared a little behind the angle of left inferior maxilla; it increased very much in size and pain by Saturday, when I treated it with Belladonna [Greek: theta] externally, to which it soon yielded. As at no other time in my life have I suffered from boils, I am inclined to think these are due to the use of the daisy.

BERBERIS AQUIFOLIUM.

NAT. ORD., Berberidaceae