Homoeopathy to the rescue I S A B E L M. C A M P B E L L , M.B., Cri .B., M.r.rlOM.

I t occurs to me that the title of my paper may be a bit misleading. You may think I am praising myself for making these people better. On the contrary, what I really mean is that I could not have helped them at all without Homceopathy.

For my first case I have to take you back to the early years of penicillin. I was called to see a woman of about 35, who complained that she had a painful swelling under her right arm. She looked ill and was obviously suffering, and on examination I found a large abscess in the right axilla. As it was in such a dangerous position I thought it best to ask a surgeon to see it and called in an eminent surgeon--alas now gone. He took a look at it and said he would not touch it with a knife--" too dangerous, too near the blood vessels", and advised me to give a series of penicillin injections.

I knew nothing of penicillin and had never used it, but thought I had better take his advice and later that day gave the first injection. When I called next day to give the second, the patient said: "Now I have got new trouble. I have developed a rash-- the poison from the system must be spreading." I knew nothing of the so-called side effects of penicillin, so I asked carefully about her diet, etc., and gave the second injection. In the afternoon I got a phone call, to say that the rash was much worse. When I called to see it I realized that it was caused by the penicillin. I phoned Dr. John Paterson and asked his advice. He said Nelson's had just potentized penicillin and he would bring some out, which he did. A few hours later I had a frantic telephone call from the husband: "Please come, my wife is in a terrible state." i got there to find her almost frantic with this dreadful rash--worse than ever--great red lumps and weals and maddeningly itchy. Far worse, she said, than the abscess. As I looked at it, I thought: " I t ' s just like a gigantic nettle rash. I'll give her Urtica urens," and I did, in the 30th potency. Before I left the house she felt it was easing a bit and by morning, when I called, it had faded considerably, to my very great relief! The following day it was gone.

Now I was on my own again, and the abscess very nasty looking. My usual practice with carbuncles, boils, etc., is to give Hepar sulph, to bring things to a head and then after discharge appears to give Silica to promote more rapid discharge of pus. I gave Hepar sulph. 30 and the abscess pointed and began to discharge. Then I followed with Sil. 30. As the abscess was in such a dangerous position, I did not ask a nurse to dress it, but dressed it every day myself, and always managed to get a little extra pus out, though not a great deal coming. Then one morning the husband phoned to say that her right arm was very painful with red patches and there were three lumps on the inner side of the arm. My heart sank! And he added: "She's in a terrible temper. She's been raging at everyone all morning, the children and myself."

A paper read to the British Homceopathie Congress, Glasgow, 31 August 1967

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When I arrived he showed me in, very upset, very apologetic. The children had scuttled upstairs and were afraid to come down. There she was, raging away about all the doctors who had ever attended her all her life and the specialists. She was kind enough to exclude me- -and she finished with the words: " I don' t even know what's wrong with me." I was astonished at this outburst and said that I had told her all along what was wrong--in English, of course; but I said " I f you want it in Latin, I can easily give it to you." My gentle sarcasm was quite wasted on her, she hadn' t a vestige of humour. She looked at me expectantly--this was what she wanted, a nice big Latin name to repeat to her friends on the phone after I had gone!

I started at the beginning. She had had an abscess at the root of a tooth which her dentist had unwisely packed just before the axillary abscess started: "Alveolar abscess, gingivitis, cellulitis, with axillary abscess formation, etc.". I put in all the "-itis's" I could think of and then I said with extreme gravity, "You now have a lymphangitis and lymphadenitis." Her eyes gleamed and her memory worked overtime remembering all the big words. I was sorely tempted to add a line or two of an ode by Horace which has stayed with me since my school days in the Latin class.

"57e sit ancillae, tibi amor pudori", but she might have asked me what it meant and I would have had to confess that it meant: "Be not ashamed of the love of a handmaiden, etc.". In her present mood she might have split my head open, and after all, I was in favour. :No!, not for her the lovely euphonious phrases of Horace, she would have to be content with the mutilated Latin of the anatomy room; and she was well content. This was what she wanted.

But as I listened to her tirade I thought: "This is not Silica, this is Hepar sulph.--this unreasoning rage." I f you are greatly provoked, if I am greatly provoked, we become angry-- this is a natural reaction--but the anger of Hepar sulph, is out of all proportion to the cause, which may be quite trivial, and this was Hepar sulph. 570 one knew why she was in a temper and she did not even mention the arm. I was the one who was worrying about the arm. I decided there and then to give her Hepar sulph. CM, one dose. As the husband showed me out very apologetically, I said: "Please don' t worry. I didn' t mind a bit and it was a great help to me." He was amazed at this.

Two days later he phoned me in great excitement to tell me what a wonderful effect the medicine had had. He said each lump (gland) divided exactly into two, each half into two, each quarter into two, till it disappeared. In the days that followed the pus poured from the wound and it had a most foul odour. This, too, is a feature of the Hepar sulph, discharge--most offensive.

Finally, when the discharge was all cleared and the wound clean, I applied Calendula ointment and it healed nicely.

As I drove away from the house after my last visit I thought "What on earth would I have done without Homceopathy?" There is a sequel. Shortly afterwards, when washing a milk bottle chipped at the neck, this patient badly cut the palm of her hand. She covered it up and took a taxi to my house--in a great rush, because she had to meet her husband at midday to go to an important function and must not be late. Fortunately I had some freshly boiled water handy, poured it over the wound, approximated the edges with Elastoplast smeared with Calendula ointment, and she dashed out to the taxi, all in the space of two minutes! "57ow for it," I thought, "if the poison is not out of her system that thing will go septic." Not a bit of it. The wound healed beautifully. I had

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heard that it was difficult to judge the amount of penicillin to be given to clear up infection, and if the dose was not big enough the poison remained in the system. Hepar sulph. CM had obviously cleared it out in this case.

The next case, a man of about 60, was not my patient when the story opens. His wife and three sons had been under my care for years, he had not, for the simple reason that he was never ill. They lived in one of the Clyde resorts and one day his wife phoned me to say that she was very upset. Her husband was seriously ill in Canniesburn, the annexe to the Royal Infirmary, and she was afraid he was going to die. I could not believe it. He had looked such a very strong type when I had seen him on the occasion when he had brought the boys up to see me.

They were friendly socially with the local doctors, though they did not consult them, and at one social evening her husband had a small boil on the back of his neck. One of the doctors said: "I ' l l soon get rid of that. A few injec- tions of penicillin will do it," and called next day to start a course of five injections of crystalline penicillin.

After three injections he felt very ill. He became swollen up all over. The doctor could not reduce it and he was removed to Canniesburn. His wife described him as being like a very large swollen-up pig, with two dots where his eyes should be, the same for nose and mouth, and very ill. Various specialists had seen him and all failed to reduce the swelling. I was appalled and asked her to let me know how he fared. After some time, she phoned to say, "At last they have found something. The swelling is going down and he is not quite so weak."

Eventually he got home and vowed that he would never let a doctor touch him again! However, his wife was very concerned about him and told me that he was a wreck of his former self, both physically and mentally, and was quite unable to resume work. He was a director of one of the big shipbuilding firms and held a very responsible position.

For a long time he pottered about the house, not able to do much, and then made an attempt to go back to work part-time, his wife driving him back and forward to Glasgow. He realized he would have to give this up, because, besides his greatly reduced vitality, he had a very distressing symptom--looseness of the bowels, thin green stools, coming on without any warning at any time during the day. As he had to appear in public at times, launchings, etc., and stand for some time, this was very awkward. He refused to see the local doctors, but his wife persuaded him to come up to see me.

I was shocked at his appearance. When I had last seen him he had struck me as a very strong type, strong face, keen blue eyes, strong personality and strong voice. And here he was, terribly failed looking, puffy, too stout, congested face and eyes and a bit confused in his manner. As I looked at him I thought, "What a dreadful transformation--and all because of a small boil on his neck!" As I knew that his liver would be very much affected by all the drugs that he had had, I started him off with PodophyUum which helped quite a lot, and then I had an idea. I phoned his wife and asked her to t ry and find out from the local doctor which drug it was that had finally cleared up the swelling. She phoned later. The doctor said that he had had as much Belladonna as would have killed ten men in ordinary health! As I put the phone down I reached out for Boericke. The late Professor Glaister, of medical jurisprudence fame, used to tell us, as students, that a doctor may take notes into the witness box, "not because he has forgotten anything--a doctor never forgets anything, he merely

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refreshes his memory". So I refreshed my memory. Belladonna was not a remedy I had ever used in diarrhoea, but there it was in Boerieke: Stools "thin, greenish, dysenteric", exactly the same as my patient. I couldn't wait to send it to him. A few doses of Belladonna 30 finished the dysenteric stools, which he had had for some time, and seemed to help him in other ways, especially mentally.

I had noticed, when his wife helped him out to the car, that he was rather breathless and I was not surprised when he complained at his next visit that he was having angina-like pains in the chest. Cactus 30 relieved this a lot and I followed with Crataegus as he tired easily.

As he improved he was able to go to directors' meetings occasionally, driven by his wife. These meetings were held over luncheon and he tended to get the pain worse during them, if he walked too much, so I told him to take a light meal and no whisky, which I knew he was in the habit of taking at these meetings.

Later he phoned to say that he never had the pains now except at those lunches. So I gave him Cactus powders, to take one if pain should threaten.

At the next visit he came on his own, drove his car, a very powerful one, from the coast up to Glasgow, through the city and another seven miles out to my house. He looked more like his old self--confident, strong voice, and he told me that he had discovered that if he took a powder (Cactus) just before the business lunch, the pain did not develop. He was very proud of this and I commended him on his research, but reminded him to cut down the rich food, and to watch the whisky--under the impression that he had stopped it. He said: "You mean I am only to have oneJyou can't taste one." "No," I said, " I meant none." He was horrified--a meal without whisky! He then confessed with a broad smile that he had been having two large whiskies before the luncheon. He had certainly got his confidence back.

He is now doing well and phones occasionally for "a few of those wonderful powders". He has since flown to London and has just spent a fishing holiday in the north-west of Scotland.

The Cactus and Crataegus had obviously helped to counteract the effect the many drugs--possibly cortisone--had had on his arteries.

My next case is that of a veterinary surgeon who had been suffering from Brucellosis abortus for 24 years. It was quite by chance that I started to treat him two years ago, as he really brought his wife for treatment and she said afterwards: "He is the one who needs treatment." He had become infected with Brucellosis 24 years ago from an infected cow. Brucellosis is an intra- cellular infection which bursts out periodically and becomes a bacteraemia. His first rigor was in April 1944. He became very pale and grey, looked and felt very ill with high temperature, and profound and prolonged sweating lasting three or four days. There was a very acute and painful synovitis of the left knee joint and a blood sample taken was highly positive for Brucella abortus. Four years later the sacro-iliae joint was affected; this is the joint most commonly affected in Brucellosis. When he started undulant fever, he had attacks every five months or so--bathed in sweat for days. Then in 1951 the pattern changed. He fainted several times. Sometimes the attack would take a different form, he would get septic haematomata in the fleshy parts, very itchy and very painful, and when they burst there was an evil-smelling dis- charge. In between these attacks he would get attacks of left otitis media with offensive purulent discharge, lasting a week. These recurred at intervals.

~ 4 T H E B R I T I S H t t O M ( : E O P A T H I C J O U R : N A L

,Sometimes a rash would appear if dealing with an infected cow. Some attacks \were accompanied by abdominal discomfort and bloating.

He got Pyrogen during one of these attacks from a doctor who was on holiday "in his to~-a. This helped during the attack, gave him more strength and brought his colour back, but did not get at the cause of the trouble. A few years ago a severe depression set in and since then he had irregular but frequent attacks .during which he did not sweat, but his complexion went grey and he was often too weak to drive. The otitis with evil-smelling otorrhoea was a fairly constant feature.

There he was in the north of Scotland, with a very large and extensive practice involving long journeys, often in bad weather, while suffering those attacks.

I had never treated Brucellosis and indeed had no knowledge of it, but as there did not seem to be any successful orthodox treatment for it I felt this was a challenge. After all, this was an infection, with tendency to suppuration in boils, haematomata, oti t is--and what better than my substitute for penicillin: Hepar sulph.

As my patient had to go back up north I carried on with treatment by post, always careful to test radiesthetically to confirm my choice of remedy and to get the correct potency; a blood spot or a few hairs can be used for this. I s tarted with Hepar sulph. 200, three four-hourly. A month later Hepar sulph. 1M, four four-hourly. After that there was a definite improvement in his state

o f well-being. His wife wrote: "This is the first expression of hope I have heard since he first had undulant fever in 1944. Much less tired."

Gave Hepar sulph. 10M, three four-hourly. Next report: Much better, the awful depression is lifting. I t ' s a pleasure after working in the garden to be able to sweat again, and after treating a case of contagious abortion he had no recurrence of Brucellosis--this was unprecedented; previously it would have brought on a bad attack.

Gave Hepar sulph. CM. Report in December (i.e. four months after the first treatment), to say otitis media disappeared. Been calving and removing after- births and although off colour for a day or two, symptoms passed off. This used to cause a bad attack, and even if caught a cold it caused attack. Had a cold recently, but it passed off quickly.

Then I thought of giving the nosode and got Brucella abortus from Nelson's, giving one dose of the 30th potency. After this the ear discharged for a bit and was very itchy, otherwise well. Gave Hepar. sul~h. CM in February I966.

April 1966: Generally feeling better, no symptoms. May 1966: Overworked, otherwise would be well. Typical boil on right arm, but much smaller and less trouble than usual. End of June 1966: No Brucellosis attacks since started t reatment last autumn. Normally would have had three or four bad bouts in that time. And no recurrence of otitis. Bloated abdomen gone.

6 October: Ear discharging after jagging finger with live Brucellosis vaccine. Hepar sulph. 1M/3. February 1967: Bad attack after cutting off horns of cows. Ear discharging, depressed, re-infection? Appetite poor, but wants cold acid drinks. (Hepar sulph, has this.) Hepar sulph. 200/4. April 1967: Generally better, no recurrence of ear trouble or other symptoms, very slight recurrence of fever. Hepar sulph. CM. A fortnight later: much improved. Well.

So that apart from one attack after dehorning infected cows he has had no �9 attack of Brucellosis for two years.

Dr. Westlake of London was interested to hear of this case. He told me

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that there is no allopathic treatment for Brucellosis. This patient advised another vet in England to write to me for treatment. Already after two treat- ments (Hepar sulph.) he feels much better. Formerly he was very lethargic and depressed with no inclination to do anything extra. Now he finds himself doing odd jobs he has put off for years! He came up to see me last week and told me that he is subject to colds and sinusitis, but I think they are his own particular manifestation of Brucellosis and I hope to clear this.

I have now given him Brucella abortus 30. I t has not been indicated radies- thetically till this month. He is not such a severe case as the previous patient, though his blood test is positive for Brucellosis. He told me that a colleague of his, who also suffers from Brucellosis, takes tetracycline at each attack. This helps during the attack, but the attacks recur just the same.

I am sure Homceopathy can do better than this. I expect to hear from another two vets any day now!

The last case is a woman of 57 who came with a most unusual history. Her bowels were always loose and had been for twelve years! She had been confined to bed for 13 weeks with enteritis twelve years ago, passing blood and mucus. She had had an operation "down below" twelve years ago and the bowels had been loose since. She went out a s a daily help about three days a week, but could not go any farther than ten minutes in a bus in case of loose stool, and had not been able to go to pictures, theatre or church for twelve years. Whenever she gets up in the morning, she has to rush to stool with diarrhoea and any food causes loose stool.

She could only take half a slice of toast and half a cup of tea in the morning and nothing all day till she took a small meal in her own home in the evening, and, of course, loose stool after it. I f she tried to take medicine for diarrhoea she vomited it.

She had tried many treatments and doctors including Homceopathy. Nothing helped, so she had had no treatment for years and was putting up with this kind of existence. I t was amazing that she could keep going and work on this kind of diet, or rather lack of it, and amazing that she was so uncomplaining-- quite willing to accept it and thole it (a good Scots word). My own weekly help met her and bullied her into coming to see me.

I gave her Sulph. 30 because of the early rush to stool, then Podophyllum 30, which helped, but I felt that I should do better. I went over the history again. She had no idea what was done at the operation and had no memory of the symptoms preceding it. She knew they stopped her menstrual periods. Then I asked if she had had deep X-ray therapy; she had. And on further questioning I found that the loose bowel had started after this and although she got treat- ment for it nothing helped it. I gave her Radium bromide 30, three doses, one each week.

Report one month later: Greatly improved, only morning stool and then free for the day. First time for twelve years. Stools formed and brown for first time for years. Complexion much better--cold. Next month, took a bad cold. This caused one or two bouts of diarrhoea with pain. Gave her Mere. cot. 30. Later, Radium brom. 30, three, one each week. Only two bouts in three weeks. Only loose occasionally in morning now, and hungry in the evening. Gave Sulph. 30. Later Radium brom. 30, one dose each month for three months.

Later a letter, to my surprise, from England, to say: "Keeping house for my son while wife in hospital. Enjoying food, really hungry, taking all fruits, soups, eggs and no sickness." Eggs used to make her sick. "Stools formed and

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normal." And, what delighted her most, taking porridge for the first time for twelve years with no ill effects.

I have not seen her since 1956, but my lady help sees her often and tells me she is very well. My help, I am sure, feels tha t she is par t ly responsible for her recovery, as indeed she is, and shines in the reflected glory! She is never tired of saying to all and sundry tha t m y medicines "get to the root of the t roub le" - - and what bet ter description of Homceopathy could you have?

So now you see from these cases just how helpless I would be without Homceopathy.

Correspondence

To the Editor, B R I T I S H H O M ( : E O P A T H I C J O U R N A L

Dear Sir,

Dr. Pra t t ' s interesting letter in the Ju ly 1967 issue about the patient who complained of a "horrible tas te" of a tablet of Senega 30 recalled to mind a somewhat similar case some years ago.

A young married woman in her first pregnancy was given Tabacum 12c, t.d.s., for three days for morning sickness. This cured the morning sickness, but left the pat ient with a peculiar taste in the mouth, described to my astonish- ment as being "like tobacco". She had no idea what remedy she was having.

She was a non-smoker, but six months previously had a t tempted a cigarette and had been violently sick. Thereafter she always experienced a tingling of the skin in the presence of tobacco smoke.

Patients do frequently detect a difference in taste and smell in medicated, as distinct from unmedicated tablets, due to the alcoholic content of the diluent, but this could scarcely explain either this case or Dr. Prat t ' s .

This case is not strictly comparable with Dr. Pra t t ' s case, since there would still be some molecules of the remedy in 12c, whereas it is unlikely that there would be any molecule of the remedy present in the 30c used by Dr. Prat t .

I agree tha t it would be interesting to know if other readers have had similar experiences.

Yours sincerely, 10 Herne Hill Mansions J . C . MAcKILLOP Herne Hill London, S.E.24

11 September 1967