Pyrogenium Pyrog.
The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.
[Linus Pauling]
Signs
Artificial Sepsin. Product of decomposed lean beef.
SUBSTANCE Introduced into homoeopathy by Drysdale in 1880, pyrogenium was obtained by the following mode of preparation: Half a pound of chopped lean beef is put into a pint of tap water and macerated on the sunny side of a wall for two or three weeks, so that a pellicle may form and the maceration fluid assume a reddish, thick, and fetid appearance. Then: strain through muslin and filter; evaporate the filtered liquid to dryness in a water bath at boiling heat. The dry residue, which forms a brown, caky mass, rub up in a glass mortar with 2 ounces of rectified spirit, and allow to digest for two hours; boil for five minutes this spirituous maceration, filter, and thoroughly dry in the warm chamber the residue that is on the filter, which forms a hard, brownish mass, weighing 54 grains. Rub this with 540 minims of distilled water; allow to stand an hour an a half, and then filter. This clear amber-coloured liquor which passes through is the watery extract or solution of sepsin. 1
CONSTITUENTS The exact composition of ‘artificial sepsin’ is obscure. Modern analysis of this ‘brown, viscous, horridly stinking mass’ has shown it, aside from a veritable cocktail of anaerobic and aerobic bacteria, to contain ammonia, mercaptans [thiols, organic compounds containing sulphur with a strong disagreeable odour], indole and skatole [both produced from tryptophan by bacterial action in faeces] and the extremely toxic amino-compounds cadaverin and putrescin [both belonging to the ptomaine group and formed from putrefying animal tissues]. 2
HISTORY “Burdon Sanderson has stated [British Medical Journal, February 13, 1875] that ‘only liquids which contain bacteria or have a marked proneness to their production’ are capable of setting up pyrexia. This remark struck Drysdale, and though, of course, he could not endorse the ‘only’ of the statement – many drugs known to homoeopaths set up fever – he saw that the fact might be turned to account. Sanderson further defines Pyrogen as ‘a chemical non-living substance formed by living bacteria, but also by living pus-corpuscles, or the living blood- or tissue-protoplasms from which these corpuscles spring.’ In Sanderson’s experiments with Pyrog. the following effects were observed. [1] From a non-fatal dose: The animal shivers and begins to move about restlessly. The temperature rises from 2o to 3o C., the maximum being reached in three hours. Thirst and vomiting come on, followed by feculent and thin mucous, and finally bloody diarrhoea and tenesmus. In five hours these symptoms begin to subside, and the animal recovers with wonderful rapidity. When death occurs it is from heart failure. In non-fatal cases with gastro-enteric symptoms the temperature gradually rises for four hours, and as gradually subsides: in fatal cases it rises rapidly to 104o F., then rapidly declines to below normal. [2] From a fatal dose: There is intestinal haemorrhage, purging, collapse, and death. After death extravasations of blood are found in heart, pleura, and pericardium; the spleen is enlarged and full of blood. Mucous membrane of stomach and small intestines is intensely injected with detachment of epithelium and exudation of bloody fluid, which distends the gut. The blood is dark, the corpuscles being in clumps instead of rolls, and many being dissolved in the liquor sanguinis. White corpuscles partially disintegrated. Drysdale prepared a tincture of Pyrogenium – which he preferred to call Pyrexin, since it is not a mere fever-producer: others have called it Sepsin; but this is too close to Septicaemin, a name given to a related and perhaps identical nosode. … His success was very encouraging, but as he continued to use the ø tincture and lowest attenuations the difficulty of keeping the preparation was not small; and the remedy did not come into extensive use till Burnett published his pamphlet on Pyrogenium in Fevers and Blood-poisoning in 1888. Burnett used chiefly the 6th centesimal dilution, which is perfectly harmless, and which will keep indefinitely. Heath, who made one of the preparations used by Burnett, gave some of it to Swan of New York, who ran it up into the high infinitesimals. Much of the American experience is with Swan’s attenuations, including a proving by Sherbino. Most of the symptoms of Pyrogenium are clinical. Yingling collected symptoms from many reported cases, and arranged them with the symptoms of the proving. … Drysdale’s original cases include a number in which threatened typhoid was averted, a case of tabes mesenterica cured, and one of ulceration of the colon greatly benefited. Burnett’s were cases of fully developed typhoid all cut short at the height by Pyrogenium 6c given every two hours…. Pyrogenium is one of the germinal remedies of the materia medica. When once the idea of its essential action is grasped an infinity of applications become apparent. As Drysdale put it, ‘The most summary indication for Pyrog. would be to term it the Aconite of the typhus or typhoid quality of pyrexia,’ and wherever poisoning by bacterial products [e.g., in the hectic of phthisis] is going on Pyrog. will be likely to do good. Sepsis is the essence of the action of Pyrog.”3
PROVINGS •• Probably none. Sherbino’s proving was conducted with the potencies made by Swan. According to Kent, these were made from the content of a human septic abscess and were not run up, as Clarke maintains, from the preparation made by Heath. Kent: “Swan’s potencies of Pyrogen were made from septic pus. Sherbino’s proving was made with Swan’s potencies, and therefore with septic pus.” In his New, Old, and Forgotten Remedies, Anshutz has included Pyrogenium under the name Sepsin. Below, symptoms from Sherbino’s proving are marked [S]. The remainder concerns clinical symptoms.
[1] Ashwell, Companion to the British and American Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeias. [2] Flury, Pyrogenium; Zeitschrift für klassische Homöopathie, 1972 Heft 4. [3] Clarke, Dictionary, Vol. III.
Affinity
BLOOD. Heart. Circulation. Muscles.
Modalities
Worse: Cold damp. Becoming cold. Passing flatus. Night.
Better: Motion [change of position; rocking, hard]. Heat. Hot bath. Pressure.
Main symptoms
M Loquacity; can think and talk faster than ever before [during fever]. [S]
• “I never talked so much in one day in all my life. I could think faster than I ever could.” [S]
Brain active during the night, could not sleep,
was making speeches and writing articles.
• “Most of the Pyrogenium influenza patients that I have seen have been overactive mentally. They tend to be very loquacious and chatter away readily, and become definitely excited in the evening, may be even delirious. They are very much troubled with sleeplessness, due to again to excessive mental activity.” [Borland]
M All over the place.
• “Sensation as if she covered the whole bed; knew her head was on pillow, but did not know where the rest of her body was.”
• “Feels when lying on one side that she is one person, and another person when turning on the other side.”
• Sensation as though crowded with arms and legs.” [H.C. Allen]
M Distinct consciousness of heart. [S]
• Tired feeling about the heart; “feels like taking it out to let it rest; it would be such a relief to stop it, let it lie down, and stop throbbing.” [S]
• “In Sherbino’s proving he was cured incidentally of a consciousness of the heart and its working, and palpitation from least excitement or anxiety, < beginning to move; congestion to head, as if apoplexy would ensue." [Clarke] G < COLD in general. Violent attacks of sneezing from a cold draught. Fond of a HOT BATH. G Sweat without relief. G Thirst for cold water. • "A dry mouth is always found in a Pyrogenium case, with a good deal of thirst for small quantities of cold water. The tongue tends to become dry, the mouth offensive." [Borland] G PROSTRATED, yet restless. G RESTLESSNESS. Must move constantly to > soreness of parts.
> Warmth and motion [Rhus-t.].
> Motion.
G BRUISED SORENESS.
Bed seems too hard.
Sore pain in parts lain on.
Sore pain > motion.
G FOUL secretions.
[stools, urine, sweat, odour of body, breath, menses, vomit]
G SEPSIS [almost specific for puerperal fevers].
G Bone pains.
G Quickly oscillating temperature.
HIGH FEVER.
• “In ALL cases of fever commencing with pain in the limbs.” [Swan]
G PULSE QUICK, OUT OF ALL PROPORTION TO TEMPERATURE.
Or the reverse.
G NEVER WELL SINCE an infection attended with suppuration.
• “Latent pyrogenic processes, patient continually relapsing after apparent simillimum.”
• “When in septic states the best selected remedies fail to relieve or permanently improve.” [H.C. Allen]
REMOTE effects that date back to septic conditions: typhoid fever, empyema, severe sinusitis, blood poisoning, dissecting wounds, puerperal fever, miscarriage, food poisoning, sewer gas poisoning, ptomaine poisoning, dental extraction.
• “Another well tested use of Pyrogen is in chronic ill health after abortion or a severe labour, even without any obvious pelvic pathology, and in the absence of offensive odours or any other symptoms of Pyrogen.” [Foubister]
Succession of BOILS.
Rubrics
Mind
Confusion, as to his identity, sense of duality [2]. Delusions, body occupies whole bed [1/1], body was scattered about, he tossed about to get the pieces together [1], crowded with arms and legs [2; Pyrus], identity, she is someone else [1], he himself seems to large [1], of wealth [2]. Disgust of the odour of one’s own body [1/1]. Loquacity during fever [1]. Mental activity increased at night [1*]. Rocking > [1]. Thoughts rapid during fever [1; Cham.].
Head
Pain, > external pressure [2]; pressing, like a cap [1].
Ear
Noises, synchronous with pulse [1].
Nose
Sneezing from uncovering hands [1].
Stomach
Vomiting as soon as water becomes warm in stomach [2].
Rectum
Diarrhoea, after ice cream [1], from septic conditions [2].
Chest
Coldness in region of heart [1], icy coldness during chill [1].
Perspiration
Odour, cadaverous like carrion [1]. On single parts [2].
Generals
Cold feeling in blood vessels [1], in bones [1]. Pain, bones as if broken [2]; sore, > motion [2]. Touching cold things < [2]. Weakness from perspiration [2]. * Repertory addition [Sherbino]. Food Aversion: [1]: Hot food; warm drinks. Worse: [2]: Spoiled fish; bad meat. [1]: Hot drinks; warm drinks. Better: [1]: Cold food.
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