Part 59

PREPARATION.--Trituration of the pure naphthalin.

(Two clinical cases illustrating the use of Naphthalin. The first is by Dr. W. L. Hartman, in Transaction of the Homoeopathic Medical Society of New York, 1896.)

In treating children we are often disappointed in our results; in making prescriptions we think we have just the right thing in the right place, but when we come to see our case again we are confronted with the same condition that we had before. We may say the same in adults, but not so often. In whooping cough in the very young who are unable to tell us how they feel we must rely on what the mother may tell us; but how often do we find mothers who cannot tell their own symptoms, let alone those of their children? Now, what do we do? Sit and look wise and guess at our prescriptions while we hear the little fellow coughing, in fact trying to cough his head off and at the same time lose his breath.

Well, now while you are thinking and looking wise in this case, just think of Naphthalin and give a tablet triturate of the 1x every two hours, and when you are consulted the next time you will not be annoyed with the dreadful choking spell. Now in prescribing this remedy it is not necessary to wait until the child chokes to death with the cough, but give it from the first and you will be surprised how it will cut the disease short. I do not know as I have ever given this remedy without receiving benefit, and in many cases it was unnecessary to give any other remedy to cure the case; if it is, Drosera will follow best.

The grand characteristic of this remedy is long and continued paroxysms of coughing, unable to get a respiration, sometimes so violent as to cause perspiration.

This remedy is not only good in whooping cough, but in any condition where you get the above symptoms Naphthalin will cure your case just the same. Now my experience with this remedy where I have prescribed above the 1x has been very unsatisfactory, so, of late, I only use the one potency.

(The other by Dr. W. A. Weaver in Hahnemannian Monthly, 1898.)

My experience with Naphthalin in whooping cough is as yet limited, but the results obtained have very much exceeded other remedies and I wish to cite a few cases in which the alleviation of the symptoms was soon appreciable.

CASE I.--Francis----, a boy of 9 months, with a severe bronchitis as a complication. The breathing was labored. The respiratory murmur was feeble and a large number of sibilant and sonorous rales were heard, when I was called to see the case. The child had become emaciated, had a cyanotic appearance, was unable to retain food for any length of time, because of the frequent paroxysms accompanied by vomiting, and was very much exhausted. Later, the moist rales became very prominent over the entire chest. The paroxysms were of great length, and accompanying was a free discharge of thick, tenacious mucus from the nose and mouth. Many of the favorite remedies employed in this disease were prescribed, but with little effect. Naphthalin was then given, four or five drops of the tincture in one-half glass of water. In a short time the paroxysms were lessened in severity and frequency, the expectoration was freer, the number of rales were lessened, and shortly convalescence was well established.

CASE II.--John----, 3-1/2 years, with an accompanying bronchitis. Symptoms worse at night. Paroxysms very long and severe; would hold his head to relieve the pain from coughing. Great difficulty experienced in breathing. A number of rales heard over portion of the chest, with little expectoration. After Naphthalin had been given for a short time improvement began, and terminated without further complications.

CASE III.--Patrick----, a man 23 years of age, large physique and healthy appearance, contracted pertussis from other members of the family, and, although not accompanied by the whoop, the paroxysms were very severe. They were not frequent during the day but many during the night. He would wake the entire house by coughing and would become purple in the face. He had been suffering a week or two before I saw him. I prescribed Drosera, Corrallium rub., Ipecac and Hyoscyamus, without appreciable improvement. He gradually grew worse until Naphthalin 1x in pellets was given. The spasmodic condition was relieved very shortly, and although the cough remained for a short time it never became severe and soon entirely disappeared.

NARCISSUS.

NAT. ORD., Amaryllidaceae.

COMMON NAME, Daffodil.

PREPARATION.--The young buds, stems and leaves are macerated in two times their weight of alcohol.

(The following is from the Homoeopathic Recorder for May, 1899):

"Agricola," one of the Homoeopathic World's oldest contributors, has the following to say of this very old, yet little known, remedy. After stating how he prepared it, he continues as follows:

"A case of bronchitis (a continuous cough) has from Narcissus 1-3x obtained such prompt marked relief, where a most varied selection of the standard remedies had hitherto failed, as to induce me to write these few lines in hope that as this beautiful flower is about to be found in most cottage gardens the prevalent bronchitis, whooping and other coughs may meet with prompt cures. Dr. Charge's work, Maladies de la Respiration, quotes the great Laennec, M. D., as an authority in re Narcissus."

There is no proving whatever of this drug, although in the Encyclopaedia (Allen) a case of poisoning from the bulbs eaten as a salad is given; but the remedy as prescribed by Agricola was prepared from the young buds, stems and leaves, so the case in the Encyclopaedia is not apropos, nor is the old tincture from the bulbs of use.

The name of the plant, Narcissus, is not from that of the fabled youth who fell in love with his own image reflected in the water, but is from the Greek Narkao, "to be numb," on account of the narcotic properties of the drug. The classic Asphodel and the Narcissus are the same, from which it may be seen that the plant dates back as far as man's records go. Fernie, in his excellent Herbal Simples, from which we gather the preceding, also says: "An extract of the bulbs applied to open wounds has produced staggering numbness of the whole nervous system and paralysis of the heart. Socrates called this plant the 'Chaplet of the Infernal Gods,' because of its narcotic effects."

Fernie also says that a decoction of the dried flowers is emetic, and when sweetened will, as an emetic, serve most usefully for relieving the congestive bronchial catarrh of children. "Agricola's" experience, quoted above, however, seems to disprove the notion that the beneficial action in bronchial catarrh is the result of the emetic properties of the drug, but demonstrates rather that it is peculiarly homoeopathic to this malady and long-continued coughs, especially of nervous origin, as may be inferred from the following, the concluding paragraph in Fernie's section on the Narcissus:

"The medicinal influence of the Daffodil on the nervous system has led to giving its flowers and its bulb for hysterical affections, and even epilepsy, with benefit."

The National Dispensatory says practically the same, i. e., "The emetic action of Narcissus has been used to break up intermittent fever and relieve bronchial catarrh with congestion or obstruction of the air tubes. Like Ipecacuanha, it has also been prescribed in dysentery, especially of the epidemic form. Its influence upon the nervous system, is attested by the vogue it has enjoyed in hysteria, chorea, whooping cough and even epilepsy."

It is still the emetic action that is looked to here, but any good homoeopath will see beyond that, in Agricola's experience, and perceive a strong homoeopathic action in the drug to the conditions named, for if it were the emetic action only that is efficacious then, certainly, one emetic would do as well as another, but there is something more, and the curative action can be obtained from homoeopathic doses without the emetic action. The tincture should not be prepared from the bulb, as has been the case in the past, but from the fresh buds and leaves. From such a preparation considerable benefit in obstinate bronchial coughs should be confidently expected.

NEGUNDO.

NAT. ORD., Sapindaceae.

COMMON NAMES, Box Elder. Ash-leaved Maple.

PREPARATION.--The bark of the root is macerated in twice its weight of alcohol.