REMEDY INDICATIONS AFTER VACCINATION. (Concluded).
Sulphur is one of the very frequently indicated remedies after vaccination. When, as Hahnemann would put it, the vaccination has aroused a latent psora, the symptoms of Sulphur may appear.
There is a great deal of redness about Sulphur; red orifices, red ears, eyes, nose, lips, etc. Patients who are constitutionally Sulphur are seldom of the neat, clean, spick and span type that so often describes the Arsenicum individual. Too much stress, however, should not be placed on the “ragged philosopher” type of patient for careful upbringing, a liberal education and a good home environment may overcome directional tendencies to a marked degree. We have seen Sulphur do wonders for some exceptionally clean, neat, high class individuals–just the reverse of the classical type.
When a diarrhoea sets in following vaccination and drives the patient out of bed every morning at five oclock, think of Sulphur, but do not prescribe it unless the other symptoms harmonize and complete the picture.
Itching with burning on the vertex, in and around the vaccination lesion and on the feet is a Sulphur characteristic. Itching with burning after scratching. Itching in a warm room, upon undressing and after getting warm in bed. Parks feet out from under covers. Aggravation from bathing and from woollen clothing.
The well known time aggravations of Sulphur are five a.m. and eleven a.m. Aggravation on standing is often a very conspicuous symptom. Better walking, sitting or lying but worse when standing. Often a faint, empty, weak, hungry, gone feeling if late for a meal. Must either eat or sit or lie down for relief.
Sulphur patients are often lean and stoop-shouldered, but not infrequently they are plethoric. Eats little and drinks much is a well stressed combination although often absent in many clear cut cases.
Years of unbalanced eating predispose toward the Sulphur symptomatology. Too much meat, potatoes, gravy, bread, butter and sweets, with too little fresh raw natural foods will often warp the constitution in a Sulphur direction.
Patients who were Sulphur individuals before vaccination will usually remain such after inoculation has been performed. Definitely psoric individuals seldom require antisycotic remedies following vaccination, but this is by no means an invariable rule. At the risk of repetition we condemn the routine use of Malandrinum, Thuja, Sulphur or any other remedy for the bad effects following vaccination. THUJA.
This remedy probably leads all others for the unfavorable after effects of vaccination. It is, on the average, actually indicated symptomatically in about twenty-five per cent of the cases. Empirically, it is doubtless prescribed in at least seventy-five per cent. Any homoeopathic physician who has a consistent batting average of 25 percent bulls eye prescriptions will establish a good professional reputation for himself. Any physician who is therapeutically correct 50 percent of the time is a medical wonder, an outstanding genius in the field of homoeopathic therapeutics. Criticisms of the above statements will be cheerfully received.
Some physicians perform a vaccination in the usual manner and then give Thuja or Malandrinum immediately as an antidote. This is to be condemned, not only on the grounds of routinism but because the use of any of the antidotal remedies may modify the symptom picture, and confuse the physician if the remedy prescribed was incorrect.
Thuja is indicated in patients who begin to wilt almost immediately after vaccination. A pale, pasty, transparent, almost ethereal appearance of the face. Poor reaction to vaccination, a progressive deterioration with an insidious onset. In some cases a lack of vigorous inflammatory reaction in and around the lesion. Failure of the sore to heal. Often indicated following cauterization of the vaccination ulcer, monoarthritis following vaccination and affecting especially the larger joints. The out- standing remedies for this include Medorrhinum and Natrum sulph. in addition to Thuja. Recurrence of arthritic symptoms in patients with a history of Neisserian infection.
Warts following vaccination may be an indication for this remedy. The three greatest warty medicines are undoubtedly Thuja, Nitric acid and Natrum sulph.
A very peculiar and well verified Thuja symptom is that of stiffness and brittleness of the arms, legs, wrists, fingers, ankles or toes. This symptom we have observed in many Thuja patients. Pain in the left ovarian region which precedes and is associated with menstruation and which subsides as the flow ceases is another Thuja characteristic, as is also a feeling of motion in the abdomen as if a foetus or a live animal were in there.
The hydrogenoid (sycotic) nature of Thuja causes many of the symptoms to be aggravated in damp or wet weather.
There are a number of peculiar mental symptoms listed under Thuja. Strange as it may seem, most of them, in our experience, have been conspicuous for their absence.
SYPHILINUM.
As previously stated, there certainly is such a thing as vaccination syphilis, a masked atypical form of the disease. There are two possibilities. First, the use of a vaccine virus which contains syphilitic material. For example, in stepping up the seed virus it is customary to vaccinate a supposedly healthy baby. The resulting pus and scab are triturated and added to the stock or seed virus and after that the percentage of successful takes increases to a marked degree. What if the baby should have congenital syphilis? Second: When a syphilitic individual is vaccinated the vaccine virus may “marry” the syphilis and with most disastrous consequences.
In either of these cases Syphilinum may be required to break the combination.
The great outstanding indication for Syphilinum is the characteristic aggravation from darkness to daylight. Children who develop the little dried up old man appearance after vaccination often require this nosode.
Apparently mild, almost non-inflammatory vaccination lesions which fail to heal in a reasonable time. Excessively offensive discharge from vaccination sore. Succession of abscesses following vaccination. Non-itching eruptions on body following vaccination.
TUBERCULINUM BOVINUM.
This nosode is also occasionally indicated following vaccination, especially in persons with a strong tuberculous family history.
Occasionally vaccination will arouse a latent tuberculosis or cause a flare up of an arrested case. Patients who look as if they were going into t.b. following vaccination may require Tuberculinum.
This remedy is often indicated where the tonsils and adenoids enlarge following vaccination or where the cervical and axillary glands enlarge and threaten to suppurate without inflammatory reaction.
When any of the nosodes are prescribed always be on the alert for indications for another nosode or for some remedy picture which may unfold.
Tuberculinum patients are often undecided like Pulsatilla. They usually crave the cool open air and they love change of scene. There is a certain restlessness about them and many times the longer and farther they can travel the better they feel.
Eugene passed away at his country home on Spring Hill, Tuscarora Township, Bradford County, PA. He had been in ill health for several months. His wife, the former Caroline Davis, whom he had married in Philadelphia in 1910, had passed away in 1961. They spent most of their marriage lives in Swarthmore, PA.
Dr. Underhill was a member of the United Lodge of Theosophy, a member of the Philadelphia County Medical Society, and the Pennsylvania Medical Society. He was also the editor of the Homœopathic Recorder.