– Pierce W.I.
Introduction
(Kreosotum- kreas, flesh; soler, preserver.) Kreosotum is spelled in various ways, the first letter being a C or K, and the fourth letter an a or o. We spell it as above. It was first proved for us either by Dr. Syrbius, of Germany, of by Dr. Wahle, of Italy, and women took part in the latter proving. Boenninghausen’s opinion that this remedy “has not received from practitioners the attention which it merits,” holds good even to-day, and while its use is growing, especially along certain lines, I believe that Kreosotum is asked for by the symptoms much oftener than it is given by the physician. Even Dunham apologizes for the little he has to give concerning it, by saying that it “has but little used in practice, and few of its symptoms have been verified by clinical experience.” The old school, who recently took up the use of Kreosote internally, have dropped it as an antiseptic about as quickly as they did the antiseptic treatment of typhoid. To say that they no longer think well of it is not, strictly speaking, correct, for the many who depend upon the literature of the manufacturing pharmacists of their knowledge concerning therapeutic advancement, still prescribe it; the following, however, on the medical treatment of phthisis, hardly sounds like a eulogy on its use. Loomis-Thompson, 1897, say : “The good effects of Kreosote depend very much upon the amount the patient is able to take. Patients who are tolerant of large doses do better, and 10, 15 or 20 minims, or even half a drachm, three times a day my be taken Kreosote has no direct action on the tubercle bacilli, but under its use, in some cases, the cough lessens, the expectoration diminishes, the sweats disappear, and the general nutrition improves.” The above quotation is not wholly reassuring, but the next sentence knocks every prop from under it when it says: “It,” Kreosote, “constitutes the least unsatisfactory drug in the treatment of the disease.” If they have not abandoned the use of Kreosote in phthisis, it is because they have nothing new to offer, for we must not forget their slogan, the Regulars have nothing to learn from Homoeopathy. We use Kreosotum made from beechwood tar and our strongest preparation correspond to the 1st centesimal.
Symptoms
Kreosotum is an irritant poison, disorganizing the blood and producing an irritating effect on the mucous membranes and the skin; and besides the latter, we find that it affects the respiratory and gastro-intestinal tracts and the female genito- urinary organs in particular. There is a general tendency to haemorrhage of dark blood, and to decomposition of all fluids and secretions, so that fetid discharges and secretions stand out prominently as characteristics of the remedy. Another characteristic is in reference to the pains, which are described as burning and likened to a burning from red-hot coals. Kreosotum has been used for blenorrhoea of the conjunctiva, with profuse discharge and smarting in the eyes, and for chronic blepharitis, with swelling (79) and with acrid, scalding lachrymation, especially in the morning and from “a bright light” (Hering). On the face and about the ears we have moist, offensive eczemas with intense itching at night, and it has been used with success, for lupus (128) of the face and nose, with burning pain. Kreosotum is a valuable remedy for difficult dentition (187) with dark, infiltrated gums. The child is very restless and of course cries, as it is justified in doing, Dr. H. N. Guernsey saying , “the sufferings are usually aggravated from 6 P.M. to 6 A.M.” (31). The teeth, when they do appear, show dark specks on the surface, soon grow black (186) and crumbly (186) and begin to decay (186). Along with this condition the gums are spongy and bleed easily. (84). There is no questioning the action of this remedy on children’s teeth that grow black, decay quickly and break off. It has startled, as well as converted, more than one dentist whose first experience with homoeopathy has been to watch the administration of Kreosotum on teeth in his condition. It is also of value for toothache caused by a decayed tooth (187). In diphtheria, Kreosotum is a valuable remedy and a leading indication for its use would be the very foul odor. Allen, to emphasize it perhaps, speaks of it as “a most putrid odor from the mouth” (62). Attacks of nausea and vomiting, either of water or of food, often accompany the symptoms calling for Kreosotum. Hughes considers it “specific in sympathetic vomiting, or where the irritation starts from some other organ than the stomach” and be cites, as illustrative of its efficacy, “vomiting of phthisis, of hepatic and uterine cancer and of chronic kidney disease.” It is also to be thought of in the vomiting of pregnancy (153). There are two especial times for the vomiting of infants or adults when calling for this remedy ; first, where the food is neither retained nor digested, and second, or what is looked upon as more characteristic of the remedy, where there is vomiting of undigested food several hours after the meal. The diarrhoea of Kreosotum is, as might be expected, very offensive and cadaverous-smelling (59), with dark brown, undigested stools (60), and accompanied by nausea and perhaps vomiting. It is of value for cholera infantum, with the above stool and great restlessness, and especially when the condition of the teeth calls for the remedy. During the latter part of typhoid, the remedy would be of value with the fetid and bloody stools (193) associated with great prostration (58). Micturition is always the result of a “hurry call,” with a large amount voided each time. It is indicated in nocturnal enuresis (198) where the patient thinks he is urinating in a proper manner and before the proper receptacle, and wakes to find it all a dream. On the female sexual organs Kreosotum is frequently indicated, and too often a neglected, remedy, and many a cure might be made on relief obtained if we would only give it when the symptoms ask for it. Menstruation is too early and too profuse (135), often of dark (136) and offensive blood (137) and the flow is followed by (136) an acrid (126), putrid leucorrhoea (126). A symptom of Kreosotum, as given by Minton, is that “all uterine pains and complaints are greatly aggravated after menstruation.” Sometimes the menstrual discharge reappears after it has stopped entirely (136), or it gradually changes into an ichorous, excoriating leucorrhoea. It has removed sterility that was due to an acrid leucorrhoea. In a woman who was proving Kreosotum 6th, and who had never had leucorrhoea, we read that this symptom developed: “The discharge from the vagina frequently looks white and then has the odor of green corn.” The peculiarity of this symptom is that no one ever forgets it and no one has ever met with it outside the covers of the Materia Medica. Kreosotum is to be thought of for pruritus of t he vulva (156), with burning and an offensive moisture, and it is of value after parturition, for offensive lochia (153). It is a valuable remedy for a variety of disease of the female generative organs, characterized in a general way by inflammations, with ulcerations, offensive excoriating discharges and burning pains. We have ulceration of the cervix and so- called cauliflower excrescences of the uterus (202), with terrible burning pains and profuse, excoriating discharges. It has been found of value (certainly as a palliative) in scirrhus of the uterus (202) and epithelioma of the pudenda, with the characteristic burning pains as from red-hot coals, and offensive discharge. In the chest the burning pains, as from red-hot coals (28) and the offensive expectoration (69) are the leading indications for the remedy, and it is of value in interstitial pneumonia, phthisis and gangrene of the lungs (29). Kreosotum is of value for pruritus (156) and urticaria after menstruation (139), with itching and burning. Remember Kreosotum in foul-smelling ulcers, with tendency to gangrenous degeneration, and in senile gangrene (82), with horrible odor and terrible burning pain. Carbo beg. is said to be incompatible with Kreosotum. I use Kreosotum 30th.
Introduction
(Kreosotum- kreas, flesh; soler, preserver.) Kreosotum is spelled in various ways, the first letter being a C or K, and the fourth letter an a or o. We spell it as above. It was first proved for us either by Dr. Syrbius, of Germany, of by Dr. Wahle, of Italy, and women took part in the latter proving. Boenninghausen’s opinion that this remedy “has not received from practitioners the attention which it merits,” holds good even to-day, and while its use is growing, especially along certain lines, I believe that Kreosotum is asked for by the symptoms much oftener than it is given by the physician. Even Dunham apologizes for the little he has to give concerning it, by saying that it “has but little used in practice, and few of its symptoms have been verified by clinical experience.” The old school, who recently took up the use of Kreosote internally, have dropped it as an antiseptic about as quickly as they did the antiseptic treatment of typhoid. To say that they no longer think well of it is not, strictly speaking, correct, for the many who depend upon the literature of the manufacturing pharmacists of their knowledge concerning therapeutic advancement, still prescribe it; the following, however, on the medical treatment of phthisis, hardly sounds like a eulogy on its use. Loomis-Thompson, 1897, say : “The good effects of Kreosote depend very much upon the amount the patient is able to take. Patients who are tolerant of large doses do better, and 10, 15 or 20 minims, or even half a drachm, three times a day my be taken Kreosote has no direct action on the tubercle bacilli, but under its use, in some cases, the cough lessens, the expectoration diminishes, the sweats disappear, and the general nutrition improves.” The above quotation is not wholly reassuring, but the next sentence knocks every prop from under it when it says: “It,” Kreosote, “constitutes the least unsatisfactory drug in the treatment of the disease.” If they have not abandoned the use of Kreosote in phthisis, it is because they have nothing new to offer, for we must not forget their slogan, the Regulars have nothing to learn from Homoeopathy. We use Kreosotum made from beechwood tar and our strongest preparation correspond to the 1st centesimal.
Symptoms
Kreosotum is an irritant poison, disorganizing the blood and producing an irritating effect on the mucous membranes and the skin; and besides the latter, we find that it affects the respiratory and gastro-intestinal tracts and the female genito- urinary organs in particular. There is a general tendency to haemorrhage of dark blood, and to decomposition of all fluids and secretions, so that fetid discharges and secretions stand out prominently as characteristics of the remedy. Another characteristic is in reference to the pains, which are described as burning and likened to a burning from red-hot coals. Kreosotum has been used for blenorrhoea of the conjunctiva, with profuse discharge and smarting in the eyes, and for chronic blepharitis, with swelling (79) and with acrid, scalding lachrymation, especially in the morning and from “a bright light” (Hering). On the face and about the ears we have moist, offensive eczemas with intense itching at night, and it has been used with success, for lupus (128) of the face and nose, with burning pain. Kreosotum is a valuable remedy for difficult dentition (187) with dark, infiltrated gums. The child is very restless and of course cries, as it is justified in doing, Dr. H. N. Guernsey saying , “the sufferings are usually aggravated from 6 P.M. to 6 A.M.” (31). The teeth, when they do appear, show dark specks on the surface, soon grow black (186) and crumbly (186) and begin to decay (186). Along with this condition the gums are spongy and bleed easily. (84). There is no questioning the action of this remedy on children’s teeth that grow black, decay quickly and break off. It has startled, as well as converted, more than one dentist whose first experience with homoeopathy has been to watch the administration of Kreosotum on teeth in his condition. It is also of value for toothache caused by a decayed tooth (187). In diphtheria, Kreosotum is a valuable remedy and a leading indication for its use would be the very foul odor. Allen, to emphasize it perhaps, speaks of it as “a most putrid odor from the mouth” (62). Attacks of nausea and vomiting, either of water or of food, often accompany the symptoms calling for Kreosotum. Hughes considers it “specific in sympathetic vomiting, or where the irritation starts from some other organ than the stomach” and be cites, as illustrative of its efficacy, “vomiting of phthisis, of hepatic and uterine cancer and of chronic kidney disease.” It is also to be thought of in the vomiting of pregnancy (153). There are two especial times for the vomiting of infants or adults when calling for this remedy ; first, where the food is neither retained nor digested, and second, or what is looked upon as more characteristic of the remedy, where there is vomiting of undigested food several hours after the meal. The diarrhoea of Kreosotum is, as might be expected, very offensive and cadaverous-smelling (59), with dark brown, undigested stools (60), and accompanied by nausea and perhaps vomiting. It is of value for cholera infantum, with the above stool and great restlessness, and especially when the condition of the teeth calls for the remedy. During the latter part of typhoid, the remedy would be of value with the fetid and bloody stools (193) associated with great prostration (58). Micturition is always the result of a “hurry call,” with a large amount voided each time. It is indicated in nocturnal enuresis (198) where the patient thinks he is urinating in a proper manner and before the proper receptacle, and wakes to find it all a dream. On the female sexual organs Kreosotum is frequently indicated, and too often a neglected, remedy, and many a cure might be made on relief obtained if we would only give it when the symptoms ask for it. Menstruation is too early and too profuse (135), often of dark (136) and offensive blood (137) and the flow is followed by (136) an acrid (126), putrid leucorrhoea (126). A symptom of Kreosotum, as given by Minton, is that “all uterine pains and complaints are greatly aggravated after menstruation.” Sometimes the menstrual discharge reappears after it has stopped entirely (136), or it gradually changes into an ichorous, excoriating leucorrhoea. It has removed sterility that was due to an acrid leucorrhoea. In a woman who was proving Kreosotum 6th, and who had never had leucorrhoea, we read that this symptom developed: “The discharge from the vagina frequently looks white and then has the odor of green corn.” The peculiarity of this symptom is that no one ever forgets it and no one has ever met with it outside the covers of the Materia Medica. Kreosotum is to be thought of for pruritus of t he vulva (156), with burning and an offensive moisture, and it is of value after parturition, for offensive lochia (153). It is a valuable remedy for a variety of disease of the female generative organs, characterized in a general way by inflammations, with ulcerations, offensive excoriating discharges and burning pains. We have ulceration of the cervix and so- called cauliflower excrescences of the uterus (202), with terrible burning pains and profuse, excoriating discharges. It has been found of value (certainly as a palliative) in scirrhus of the uterus (202) and epithelioma of the pudenda, with the characteristic burning pains as from red-hot coals, and offensive discharge. In the chest the burning pains, as from red-hot coals (28) and the offensive expectoration (69) are the leading indications for the remedy, and it is of value in interstitial pneumonia, phthisis and gangrene of the lungs (29). Kreosotum is of value for pruritus (156) and urticaria after menstruation (139), with itching and burning. Remember Kreosotum in foul-smelling ulcers, with tendency to gangrenous degeneration, and in senile gangrene (82), with horrible odor and terrible burning pain. Carbo beg. is said to be incompatible with Kreosotum. I use Kreosotum 30th.