Tuberculinum

Lecture

I want to take up the study of Tuberculinum. The preparation which I use is a little different from that which is generally found in the market. This preparation I procured through a Professor of Veterinary Surgery. In Pennsylvania there came a time when a handsome herd of cattle had to be slaughtered because of tuberculosis. Through the Veterinary Surgeon of the Pennsylvania University I secured some of the tubercular glands from these slaughtered cattle. I selected from these the most likely specimen. This was potentized by Boericke & Tafel as far as the 6th, and has since been prepared on the Skinner machine, the 30th, tooth, loooth and the higher potencies. This preparation I have been using for fifteen years. Many of my friends have been using it, as they have procured it from me.

From observing the effects of this preparation I have been gathering these notes in my inter-leaved Hering’s Guiding Symptoms, and they now guide me in the use of Tuberculinum. I do not use Tuberc, merely because it is a nosode, or with the idea that generally prevails of using nosode ; that is, a product of the disease for the disease, and the results of the disease. This I fear is too much the prevailing thought in using nosode. In certain places it prevails and is taught that anything relating to syphilis must be treated with Syphilinum; that anything relating to gonorrhoea must be treated with Meclorrhinttm, anything psoric must be treated with Psorinum, and anything that relates to tuberculosis must be treated with Tuberculinum. That will go out of use some day ; it is mere isopathy, and it is an unsound doctrine. It is not the better idea of Homoeopathy, It is not based upon sound principles. It belongs to a hysterical Homoeopathy that prevails in this century. Yet much good has come out of it.

It is hoped that provings may be made so that we may be able to prescribe Tuberc. on the symptoms of Tuberc. just as we would use any drug. It is deep acting, constitutionally deep, because it is a product of disease from a very deep-seated constitutional condition, like Silica and Sulphur. It goes deep into the life : it is antipsoric ; it is long acting, and it affects constitutions more deeply than most remedies ; and when our deepest remedies act only a few weeks, and they have to be changed, this remedy comes in as one of the remedies — when the symptoms agree — and brings a better state of reaction, so that remedies hold longer. It may well be considered a species of Psorinum.

One of the most prominent uses of this remedy is in intermittent fever. Some of our most stubborn cases of intermittent fever will relapse and continue relapsing, even when such remedies as Silica and Calcarea and the deeper-acting remedies have been indicated, have acted well, have broken the fever, mttii in a few weeks, from exposure to cold, from sitting in a draft, froHii becoming fatigued, from mental exertion, from over-eating and from disordering the stomach this ague has returned. Any of these circumstances will bring back these stubborn cases of intermittent fever when Tuberc. is needed. When a patient is travelling toward phthisis and he is exposed and intermittent comes out. He is of a feeble constitution and his complaints have a tendency to relapse, and remedies w’ell selected do not hold long, though they act well at first — they must soon be changed — changing symptoms.

It is not an indication for Tuberc. when the well selected remedy fails to act. Well selected is a relative expression and involves too much of human opinion. It may be thought to be well selected when it is not related to the case. When the well selected remedy has acted and the constitution shows a tendency to break down, and the well selected remedy does not hold, because of vital weakness and because of deep-seated tendencies ; then it is that this remedy sometimes fits in. Such a case is often tuberculous in inclination, even though no evidence is present of a pathological character.

Burnett dropped an idea, that has been confirmed many times. Patients who have inherited phthisis, patients whose parents have died of phthisis are often of feeble vitality. They do not throw off their inherited tendencies. They are always tired. They take on sicknesses easily. They become anaemic ; nervous ; waxy or pale. These conditions are sometimes met, when the finer symptoms agree, although Burnett evidently used this medicine in a sort of routine way for this kind of constitution, which he called ‘‘Consumptiveness.” Persons who had inherited phthisis, who were debilitated and anaemic.

It seems from looking over the record of many cures that this remedy has been given many times for just that state on a paucity of symptoms, and if the records can be believed it has many times balanced up to the constitution in that anaemic state, where the inheritance has been phthisis. It is not the best indication for Tuberc., but where the symptoms agree in addition to that inheritance, then you may have indications for the remedy.

If Tuberculinum bovinum be given in lom., 50m. and cm. potencies, two doses of each potency at long intervals, all children and young people who have inherited tuberculosis may be immune from their inheritance and their resiliency will be restored. It cures most cases of adenoids and tuberculous glands of the neck.

The nodes that have guided me to its use 1 will attempt to explain. The mental symptoms that I have seen give way while the patient was under treatment, and the mental symptoms that I have seen crop out under the provings, and the mental symptoms that I have so often seen associated when the patient is poisoned by the tubercular toxines are such as belong to many complaints and are cured by Tuberc. Hopelessness in many complaints. Aversion to mental work. Anxiety evening, until midnight. Anxiety during fever. Loquacity during fever. Weary of life. Cosmopolitan, Tormenting, persistent thoughts during the night. Thoughts intrude and crowd upon each other during the night. These I will say are the common mental features, and have often yielded when the remedy has been prescribed. Anyone who has inherited phthisis, anyone who has been in a state of debility, who has had intermittent fever with continual replaces, and these mental symptoms are present, you may think of Tuberc. Loquacity during fever is a common feature in hectic fever when the patient is decidedly affected by the toxines of tuberculosis. A person gradually running down, never finding the right remedy, or relief only momentarily ; has a constant desire to change, and travel, and go somewhere, and do something different, or to find a new doctor. The desire to travel, that cosmopolitan condition of the mind belongs so strongly to the one who needs Tuberc. It comes out so often in clinical experience, is found so often in the Calcareas, and especially in Calc, phos, always wanting to go somewhere.. Such is -the condition of those about to go into insanity, about to go into some lingering disease. Persons on the border-land of insanity. It is true that phthisis and insanity are convertible conditions, the one falls into the other. Many cases that are treated and cured, and phthisis of the lungs has just been turned aside, finally become insane. Persons who have been cured of insanity go into phthisis and die, showing the deep-seated character of their nature. The intellectual symptoms and the lung symptoms arc interchangeable.

Tuberculinum cures the most violent and the most chronic periodical sick headaches, periodical nervous headaches. Coming every week ; every two weeks ; and the irregular periodicity coming under certain conditions, in damp weather, after overwork, from mental excitement, from overeating, disordered stomach — Tuberc. breaks up the tendency to this chronic periodical headache when the symptoms agree.

It has been observed in the hands of good prescribers that when chronic constitutional headaches have been broken up sometimes the patient has a tendency to lose flesh and become feeble. An entire transformation scene takes place ; a cough sets in ; the headache has been removed, but the patient is feeble. Whenever that takes place Tuberc. is a most useful remedy. A new manifestation comes ; a new organ is affected.

Sore bruised feeling all over the body. Aching of the bones. Sore bruised condition of the eyeballs, sensitive to touch, and on turning the eye sideways. Persons who have long felt the weakness of tuberculosis, tubercular conditions, and are subject to cold sweat on the head. This was brought out in the provings? of Calcar ca and those about to go into phthisis have many times been cured by Calcarea, The relationship between Tuberc. and Cc, is very )close. They are interchangeable ,* that is, the one may be indicated for a while, and then the other. They are both deep-acting remedies — also Silica is closely related to Tuberc., on the same plane of action, going deep into the life in a similar way ; Calcarea, Tuberc. and Silica, and the Silicates.

In the Guiding Symptoms is a record, “Pain in the head, as if the head had a tight hoop of iron around it,” an iron band.

Headache, with frequent sharp cutting pains. Headache, worse from motion. In the Guiding Symptoms, “A sullen, taciturn, irritable” condition of mind. “Screams in his sleep. Is very restless at night. Sister died of tubercular meningitis.” That symptom was given by Burnett. It has cured hydrocephalus.

Many years ago Doctor Bigger cured a case of tubercular meningitis with Tuberc. In many instances it has cured tubercular meningitis and tubercular diseases of the brain in the early stages.

The face becomes red, even to purple, during the chill, and during the heat. Aversion to all foods, Such aversion to meat that it bell the senses ; great nervous restlessness All these general symptoms come on during rest, and are relieved by motion and moving about. Fainting easily. Slight exertion brings on symptoms. Complaints change about, and pains wander from place to place. It is a great remedy for the numerous nondescript nervous manifestations that come in spinal irritation when there is amelioration by motion and aggravation by much exertion. Exertion brings on headache in these cases. Stitching pains all over the body during rest.

The mental state is often ecstatic or hysterical. The mind undergoes rapid changes in disposition and ideas. The mental symptoms come on at night ; sees images, animals and men. The mental state is one of extreme activity — tension, excitement, passes from one subject to another. Erroneous ideas ; thinks she is some one else, moves to the edge of the bed to make room ; imagines animals lying near her which she fears she may hurt. Fear in the evening in the dark. Symptoms aggravated in the dark. Great sadness and irritability. Morose, easily exasperated. Mental symptoms come on during rest, while sitting and lying, and go off on walking about. Vertigo when stooping. Feels light as if floating in air.

Violent nervous headaches in evening during rest, ameliorated by motion. Stupefying pains in head. Stitching, tearing pain. Sensation of great coldness in head. Headache from exposure to the heat and light of the sun. Aggravated in the open air and from a draft. Pain in forehead and through the eyes. Tension and constriction of the scalp. Icy coldness in vertex.

Wild look in the eyes. Flashes of light before the eyes in the dark. Pressure in the eyes in the morning. Smarting in the eyes. Vision very sharp. Hearing acute. Jerking pains Hissing and ringing in ears.

Face red and hot in open air. Stitching in face and teeth. Sudden jerking pain in the face. Twitching in the muscles and drawing pain in face. Neuralgia of face, aggravated during rest. Thickly coated tongue ; rancid taste. Flat taste in mouth on waking.

Sensation as if a thread were hanging down the throat with salivation and vomiting.

Voracious hunger with nausea. Symptoms aggravated when stomach is empty, ameliorated after breakfast. Complaints from fasting. Eructations, like spoiled eggs, morning. Eructation of rancid fluid. Nausea, faintness, body ice cold. Child vomits as soon as it nurses after mother has been angry. Child vomits curdled milk in lumps.

Distended abdomen. Cutting pain in abdomen. Colic. Cramps in hysterical women, in evening in bed and after dinner.

Watery diarrhoea with curds in infants. Greenish papescent stool and blood with cramp in abdomen and tenesmus, in children. Worms in the stool. Prolapsus of the anus when straining to pass uriiic.

Copious frequent urination in nervous women. Sediment of urine red and white. Menses late and scanty.

Choking in throat pit on falling asleep ; wakens as if suffocating. Inspirations grow less deep and more rapid until they cease : then she catches her breath by a sobbing effort, in spells. (Compare Ignatia, Ox. ac.). Paroxysmal respiration in hysterical and very nervous w’omen. Globus hystericus.

Jerking stitching pain in chest. Oppression of the chest with lump in the throat. Stitching in right side of chest and liver. Stitching in heart with pulse quick, small and weak.

Pain in small of back during rest, ameliorated by walking. Rheumatic pains in scapulae.

Rheumatic pains in all the limbs, aggravated during rest after previous exertion, ameliorated walking. Drawing, jerking of limbs, and twitching of muscles during rest. Heaviness in limbs, drawing, feels as though must move the limbs but cannot. Darting pains in arms and shoulders. Drawing in the muscles with stitching pains in arms. Hysterical contractures in hands and arms. Crampy darting, tearing, like an electrical shock, repeatedly through the humerus, intensely painful. Cramp in biceps when writing. Pain along the sciatic when standing, ameliorated walking. Tearing pain in thigh upward to hip. Tearing in calf when crossing lim. Tearing in muscles of thighs during rest. Violent drawing, jerWng pains in lower limbs during rest. Drawing in thighs, legs and tendo-Achillis when sitting, ameliorated walking. Pain in ankles after exertion, ascending stairs, ameliorated walking. Drawing in tarsal joints when sitting. Pains in heel during rest. Violent drawing, jerking pains in lower limbs and hip, aggravated standing. Hysterical cramps in lower limbs, calves and feet.

Sleepless before midnight. Cramps in hands and feet prevent sleep. Vivid dreams. Symptoms aggravated on walking.