CASE I. B.H. was seven June 23, 1946. He had mumps, a light case, early in December, 1946, but has failed to gain since. He is underweight, with scrophulous glands, extremely fair skin, pupils widely dilated, but sleepy and tired continually. There are dry parched lips, mouth breathing, and foul breath. The mumps have never really disappeared on the right. His teacher sent him in, because, although he seemed to be a very bright boy, he was not learning any more in school. He was given Baryta carb., 3x, on March 10, 1947.
April 9, 1947. Immediately after the tablets were gone (about ten tablets given) Bobby improved a little, but a day or two later, the slight swelling of the glands on the side of his neck on the right become almost as large as an orange, and very hard. Two days later he had his mumps back. Much less listless, however; he says he feels better. Rx. Cadmium calcarea fluorica 10M.
Bobby was brought in once more about a week later, but the alteration in his appearance was almost startling. The cervical swelling was completely gone, his skin was firm and moist, instead of dry and flabby, and his color clear, with pink cheeks and sparkling eyes. He said he felt just fine and grinned broadly because now he did not have to “have his tonsils out in June.” True, the tonsillar tissue has also regressed, and he ceased to breathe through his mouth. The best was his sudden spurt in school, which once more took on its old charm for him.
CASE II. R.S., aged five, was first seen in midst of a hay fever attack in July, 1945, which seemed to respond to Sabadilla 1M. The same remedy, repeated in the summer of 1946, relieved but did not completely cure his asthmatic breathing and watery nose. His parents considered that it was as good as could be done and did not return until March 18, 1947. At this time he had asthma again with sneezing, vomiting, and whooping. He had been given “shots” for whooping cough before he was a year old. He wakes up crying, hot, with a feverish hot breath. He grates his teeth a good deal at night. Rx. Sabadilla cc.
May 21, 1947. He has developed a facial contortion, blinking both eyes and twisting his mouth to one side. His head draws back in sleeping. Rx. Cicuta virosa 1M.
May 25, 1947. He was not much improved. This child had a ladder fall on his head when two years old. A large bump appeared, but no treatment was given. He has had true Jacksonian attacks. Rx. Hypericum CM.
A week later he came in without his facial contortion, much improved. His hay fever has not appeared, and his asthmatic breathing has disappeared. Rx. Hypericum 10M.
CASE III. S.A. DeM, aged four months, was first seen March 21, 1947. This baby presents an eye (left one) protruding from the socket, closed or drooping lid, with a network of fine blue veins spreading from the lid of the eye over the left side of the forehead and face, the entire left forehead having a dusky appearance, and the eye looks as if a mass behind it were pushing it forward.
This condition has been present since birth. Her father was in the South Pacific, and had malaria; her mother has developed fainting spells and haemorrhages from the uterus since her birth. This is her first baby. The labor was not unusually long, terminated spontaneously, and the baby cried immediately. some signs of hyperthyroid function present in the mother. The baby is listless. Rx. Cadmium ferrum iodide 10M.
April 5, 1947. She shows much improvement in appearance. There is suspicion of chill and fever. Rx. Cadmium mur. 10M.
May 19, 1947. The baby has lost most of the difference in the appearance of the two sides of her face. Her eye opens wider, does not protrude, and the red mark is much more faint. No bulging of the eye or forehead on the left. However, mother thought fit to give this baby diphtheria prevention “shots” and since then the child turns blue by spells, and gasps for breath (heart?). Rx. Diphtherinum 1M followed in twenty-four hours by Merc. sol. ars., 1M.
June, 1947. The baby has had two teeth, with no special fuss or trouble, and her picture does not show any sign of her previous deformity. Her eyes are about alike.
CASE I. L.K., aged six, was seen in August, 1945 for a stubborn cough following measles. she had “shots” for whooping cough before she was a year old. This cough has persisted for three months. Morbillinum 1M, followed by a dose of Drosera 200., cleared the cough in three or four days.
April 15, 1947. Lois is coughing again. She now presents some swollen cervical glands, and she did not have the mumps when all the other children in her school did. Rx. Cadmium calc., 10M.
May 19, 1947. The baby has lost most of the difference in the appearance of the two sides of her face. Her eye opens wider, does not protrude, and the red mark is much more faint. No bulging of the ye or forehead on the left. However, mother thought fit to give this baby diphtheria prevention “shots” and since then the child turns blue by spells, and gasps for breath (heart?). Ex. Diphtherinum 1M followed in twenty-four hours by Merc. sol. ars., 1M.
June, 1947. The baby has had two teeth, with no special fuss or trouble, and her picture does not show any sign of her previous deformity. Her eyes are about alike.
CASE IV. L.K., aged six, was seen in August, 1945 for a stubborn cough following measles. she had “shots” for whooping cough before she was a year old. This cough has persisted for three months. Morbillinum 1M, followed by a dose of Drosera 200., cleared the cough in three or four days.
April 15, 1947. Lois is coughing again. She now presents some swollen cervical glands, and she did not have the mumps when all the other children in her school did. Rx. Cadmium calc., 10M.
June 6, 1947. Lois returns with genuine whooping cough. She coughs every minute all night long until no one can rest. Rx. Cocqueluchin, 30., one dose. Lois never coughed again. That night, all slept.
CASE V AND VI. Two children were brought in by their mother with a previous diagnosis of carcinoma of the cervical glands from Hurley Hospital in flint, where the mother was being treated by deep x-ray therapy for general carcinosis at the age of thirty. Biopsy of the cervical glands of the children was dine at the hospital, and x-ray treatment recommended for malignant cells found therein by the pathologist. The mother declined the advice on account of the great increase of suffering she had experienced from the treatment, discontinued her own treatments, and brought all three to me instead.
April 11, 1947, Elaine, aged eight years, complains of continual stomachache, and refuses to eat. She is pale, thin, poorly nourished, about the proper height, but tired. Her only other definite symptom is enuresis, very obstinate case. Rx. Conium mac., 1M.
April 28, 1947. The bedwetting has improved but the stomachache has not. Rx. Feldspar, 1M.
June 1, 1947. no bedwetting. no stomachache. Color and appearance improved and some weight gain (four pounds). Perhaps she is not cure,d but she feels better.
April 11, 1947. Tommy, aged four years, had the largest swelling of the cervical glands. Intermittent fever is present (undulant?). Rx. Baryta iodide, 3x.
April 28, 1947. He shows softer, smaller cervical glands, but they are still large enough to see easily. Rx. Niccolexin, 1M.
June 1, 1947. The glands appear normal and he has gained weight. Color has changed from sallow to clear, with some pain in cheeks. His play shows the most marked change for the better.
I would not care to go on and on, but these few cases are only a sample, and the truth dawns with a certainly. Carcinoma has moved into the pediatrics department to stay. A generation of preventive medicine has demonstrated that the child who is given “shots” may develop the only really dangerous sequel of diphtheria, heart damage. And notwithstanding the continued presence of these old, well-known diseases of childhood, we may look out into our offices anytime and see a group of little children, sallow, with drawn expressions on their faces, listless, losing flesh and energy, with all the classical signs and symptoms of that disease of old age, cancer.
One looks for etiology. Here it is wise to recall that dictum of the ancients which gave origin to our great school of medical thought, namely, what ailments any drug can cause in large doses, that it can cure, if given in single, minute, potentized homoeopathic doses. There was a long series of experiments carried out by Dr. Mary Stark at the New Medical School with fruit flies. These flies lived on the pulp of bananas which were salvaged from extinction by the liberal use of arsenical sprays.
They developed a carcinomatous tumor of the head ganglion, which was bred out of the strain by the use of Arsenicum alb. in potency. Arsenic is the most frequently indicated remedy in cancerous states, perhaps, but there are others. The cadmiums, gold, and that combination, merc-sol-ars., called for, perhaps, when the treated syphilis of the parents becomes the early tumorous formation in the child. These children develop lesions in the brain and nervous system as all know.
