– BENERJEE.P
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| Acquired syphilis |
Case no. 9
14. 6. 1913.
Mr.-; age 29 or 30. Contracted Syphilis from a prostitute when only 18 or 19 years of age. It was suppressed with injections and ointments, and the patient had the impression that he was radically cured. But, when he developed a bubo on the left inguinal region two years later, he found to his dismay that the disease was not radically cured. In the meantime, the whole thing came to the knowledge of the parents, and they brought in a reputed Allopath for his treatment. The bubo was operated upon, and when it had discharged a lot of bad product, the parents were convinced that the disease was completely cured. Some internal medicine was then prescribed for making the result of the surgical treatment permanent. But as ill luck would have it, the mucous membranes of the nose were attacked this time, and the condition looked so alarming soon, that the whole nose seemed to be going to be eaten up. All the hairs of the head had fallen off, and a fetid pus began to be discharged through the nose and mouth. Some Allopaths were consulted again, and as a further operation was decided upon by them the parents got alarmed; and as they had found out in the meantime that all the positive hopes of radical cure by operation were nothing, they contemplated Homœopathic treatment this time. Enquiries were made of me if Homœopathic treatment could do anything in the case, and I explained the matter to the father fully, and told him that his son was fast running on to leprosy, and if anything could at all be done to him, it could be done by Homœopathy and by nothing else. The father was an educated man, and I took the trouble of explaining to him some of the laws of Homœopathy from Hahnemann’s Organon, and this seemed to convince him; and he placed the boy under my treatment and declared that he would stick to it even if his boy was killed with it.
Symptoms:-
Appearance beautiful; medium build; face bright in spite of all these sufferings; neat and clean; used to get out of temper at the slightest cause. Had an aversion to cold, or rather was afraid of it, and was always on the alert to keep himself from it. Did not like cold air or cold bath. There was occasional dyspepsia, due to slight causes; this was worse in summer. It used to come on with a stitching pain in the liver 2 or 3 days before the attack, and there were loose stools then. All his sufferings were worse from lying down, and he therefore preferred to keep walking. Was of a restless type from his childhood. The head felt heavy, and there was a pain in the forehead. There was no sleep after midnight and he had to leave the bed then. In the rainy season, there was a constant stuffy cold in the nose, and he had to breathe through the mouth. There were some ulcerations in the nose and in the soft palate, and they looked red. The smell in these ulcers was horribly offensive, and the patient himself was also smelling it like that. There was a sticky, thready pus oozing out of these ulcers. There was some burning in them, and the patient seemed to have a liking for warmth. Had a dislike for the summer season. Some rheumatic pain here and there and that was all.
16. 6. 13. Kali Bichrom-1000, one dose daily, and there being some relief from the fourth day, the medicine was stopped.
28. 6. 13. No further improvement. Kali Bichrom-200, one dose every morning for 3 days, and then placebo.
14. 7. 13. Some improvement was seen on this date. The ulcers in the nose and palate were better, and the smell less offensive. No medicine, but placebo for 15 days. Some rheumatic pains were coming on.
27. 7. 13. The patient had an attack of influenza and some medicines were wanted. Placebo only.
6. 8. 13. No improvement. Kali Bichrom-200, three doses, but when no further improvement was seen even after 10 or 12 days, one dose of Kali Bichrom-1000 was given.
7. 9. 13. The ulcers had disappeared altogether, and the nose, which was about to fall off, looked better. But the rheumatic pain had increased slightly and there was some fever almost every afternoon. Ars. Album-200, four doses at the rate of twice weekly were given, and this cured the fever. The fever, however, returned again after two weeks or so, and another few doses of Ars-200 had to be given. No information was received for about 3 months, and it seemed there was no trouble. But it being explained to the father that the non-appearance of the syphilitic chancre indicated that there was no radical cure of the patient yet, I was asked to continue the treatment. I then prescribed Kali Ars-10m on the miasmatic symptoms available, but this also failed to bring out the chancre, and a dose of Sulphur in the 1000th potency was given. This brought out the chancre after two weeks or so. It ran on and then healed up of itself after about 3 weeks, without the use of any other medicines. But the mark of the ulcer did not go. Evidently there was no complete cure yet, but unfortunately the treatment had to be stopped here, as there was no further intention on the patient’s side for continuing the same.
Remarks:-
(1) There can never be a bubo, unless Syphilis combines with Psora; and there can be a radical cure of Syphilis by curing the chancre, only in such a way, as not to leave a mark, only if there has been no bubo yet. But when there has been a bubo, various complications come in, and a radical cure then means much more. In the present case, Syphilis had combined with Psora.
(2) Injections had only suppressed the Syphilis and had implanted the miasm of Syphilis on the constitution.
(3) I had to base my first prescription on the ulcers as these were the main symptoms in the beginning. But this only checked the course of the disease and there was no cure until the second prescription of Kali Ars. was made, as this last medicine only brought back the chancre. When Kali Ars. was used, it seemed, Psora was not allowing it to act to the fullest extent, and hence the use of Sulphur.
(4) The symptom of true cure in the case of an ulcer is the disappearance of its mark and restoration of usual colour and softness to the surrounding skin. So long as this does not happen, it is no certain cure. In the present case however, such a cure could not be effected as the treatment was discontinued. It is probable that Kali Ars. in still higher potencies would have done it.
(5) The above impression is correct, as the totality of symptoms was still indicating Kali Ars. But in case such a totality were not there, a fresh selection as indicated by the symptoms would have been necessary, and that would have brought about the desired effect.