This case is of a very common complaint. Most doctors in general practice, call in a surgeon for consultation when they find a potential gallstone,or a gastric, or duodenal ulcer case, and often, too, find themselves eliminated from the case and the surgeon in complete control. Perhaps it is because I combat their surgery that I have so many of these cases. There is still minority of people who will only accept surgery after the internist has railed to conquer the trouble.
My reason for reporting this case is because it is usual in as much as I was unable to use any of her acute symptoms because they were all common to her disease. The woman had been through a nationally known clinic, and a diagnosis of gastric ulcer had been made, and operation advised.
All the symptoms of gastric ulcer were present,but nothing strange or peculiar on which the keynote prescriber could base a prescription. All symptoms were common to the disease mentioned,therefore,nothing was found on which to base a homoeopathic prescription.
The lady,age 37, born in Switzerland, the wife of a successful business man, was wearing her first for coat, you know the type, and had not yet learned that money cannot buy health., It was necessary to use time,tact,and patience to explain why I was more interested in finding general symptoms than those pertaining to the sick stomach. After much questioning and explaining. I finally had the following five rubrics:.
Tendency to take cold.
Desire for open air.
Aggravation from heat.
Thirstless.
Cold feet.
Not a very strong case is it? Every symptoms that predicates the patient is a common one as you can readily see the six of the rubrics in Kents Repertory.
In running her chart I find five remedies that appear in all five rubrics, Arg. nit., Lyc., Natr.mur., Puls, and Sulphur.
Sulphur is lowest numerically and Puls. is highest,with Lyc. just one point lower.
Puls 2c was given the patient and all food forbidden. when she asked for food we gave he a glass of hot water and five minutes later another glassful. There is a bit of philosophy involved in giving the water this way which I wish to explain. a stomach that is not functioning properly needs a rest; likewise, regardless of quantity; a stomach has to work just as long to digest a spoonful of food as if does a cupful. So I do not allow anything but water, and if two cupfuls are given close together, it excites a peristalsis which empties the stomach and washes it out.
Water alone will sustain the a patient. strength for an unbelievable length of time (I have not allow anything but water, and if two cupfuls are given close together, it excites a peristalsis which empties the stomach and washes it out. Water alone will sustain the patients strength for an unbelievable length of time.(I have kept them on it for a fortnight more than once) these case are usually toxic to a great extend,and the “water cure” is fine for reducing the toxemia,and that, too, without the use of physic,which I never allow.
Now to return tot he patient. My record shows Puls. 2c. repeated in the 1M. She was up and doing he work one week after we began to feed her. The first dose of Puls. was given on jan. 4th, 1927. On June 5th, she visited me at my office and I decided to start her on her second remedy. Lyc. I which cleared up the remaining symptoms. She has been in perfect health for the past three and one-half years, and I do not anticipate any recurrence of ulcer which so often do occur in these stomach cases.
An interesting comment on this case would be”: Was Lyc. the remedy from the first? Would it have done faster work? Of course nobody can positively say now,nut I have learned to to start my chronic cases of on lyc. especially if there is a suitable complement like puls., such as we had in this case. AKRON, OHIO.
Akron, Ohio
President, I.H.A.