THE telephone bell rang: 2 p.m. on Sunday !.
Mrs. X. spoke with great agitation: “Are you alone” ?.
On being assure that I was alone she proceeded with “Oh, then do give me some advice.”: By that time I was beginning to wonder what was the matter that required such great secrecy, and replied that I was very willing to help in any way I could if she would tell me what was her trouble. Than it all came at once. She was afraid she was going to have a baby ! At her age it was impossible !! Not on account of years, because I knew she was about 46 to 47 years of age.
It was useless of try to reply as she went on rapidly. Her doctor would do nothing to help her which she thought was unkind and most unreasonable of him. I endeavoured to explain that naturally he could not and must not do anything; however, it was quite hopeless as Mrs. X. continued talking. She did not think it fair to her daughter, a girl in her teens; the money that was needed to complete her education could not be spent on doctors a bills etc., which would be entailed in having a new baby: nether was Mrs. X. going to be seen pushing a pram about to the amusement of her friends and neighbours ! She must do something to get rid of it: she would do anything, everything, if her doctor would do nothing !.
I dont think I had very heard a women so worked up, so I calmly enquired if her husband was at home ! On being told he was there I suggested he should bring her in he car and have tea with me. Anyway that would give me time to think…. it was the first time I had ever been faced with such a problem.
On referring to a very well known Homoeopathic Materia Medica I found, under Lachesis, “Aggravation from nonappearance of an expected discharge, and it is this which is the foundation of the appropriateness of Lachesis to the climacteric state.”.
Would this the present situation ? I had read and heard much of the value of Lachesis in womens complaints and particularly of its great use at the “Change”. Fortunately I had one powder of Lachesis 30 among my homoeopathic remedies, which was really in readiness for a girl whom I was treating for painful menstruation. By the time I had looked this up and ordered tea, Mr. and Mrs. X. duly arrived. Almost in the doorway I was greeted with “Do give me something” !
However, I listened to the long list of trouble patiently and then asked how long it was since had seen anything: to my surprise she had only missed one period. I at once suspected that it was merely the “change” playing her tricks and no baby, so told them so. Her husband looked just as worried as his wife and I felt sorry for both of them as thy were both convinced she was pregnant and apparently their doctor thought so too.
Mrs. X. said she was going to some women who would get rid of it, even she had to pay L 50 or L 100. Mr. X. who is very found of his wife said he would not allow her to risk her life under any consideration whatever. Mrs. X. went on to say she had heard of a women who solved the problem, without instruments, but merely by douching with something mild and absolutely harmless. Personally I was not convinced by this statement, knowing a good deal about maternity work. I told her firmly not to be so silly as to think of doing anything violent or stupid but she was to take a powder which I would give her and it would probably bring on a period as I was convinced it was her age causing the alarm.
Finally I was told that her doctor had taken a blood test which was being sent away to be tested on some poor, wretched little animal to prove whether she was pregnant or not but that it would take some few days before he received the result of the experiment. At this point tea was brought in; Mrs. X. didnt think she wanted any tea, but I insisted on her having it and tried to get her attention on to a different subject, but although she drank her tea and ate some food, she talked on all time without ceasing, on the same tale of woe. The loquaciousness of Lachesis surely ? Also the over-excitement and nervous irritability.
Before she left Lachesis 30 had been given dry on the tongue. For days later the phone rang again: this time it was Mrs. X. bubbling over with joy, the period had arrived satisfactorily, so there would be no wheeling of a pram !.
What a lost of worry and danger had been saved by Homoeopathy.
