(From the British Homoeopathic Journal).
I RECEIVED a letter from a lady, aged fifty, December 11th, 1931:.
“Bought aluminium saucepans and kettle, Christmas, 1930. A few weeks later, severe neuralgic pains head and eyes, mainly centred over left frontal eminence. Intractable to all treatment, even local injections. Frequently took six aspirin tablets without effect. In despair contemplated suicide.” Stopped aluminium cooking six weeks ago. First week pains shifted down to left side of face and ear, but were just as intense as ever. From then onwards the pain began to lessen in severity, till now only faint sensations left on that side.
Told to wait and see if all pains entirely went.
March 13th, 1932. Came to see me because still a faint trace left, now affecting left frontal eminence; so slight would not mind if it continued no worse. Alumina 3, repeated weekly.
Pains still continued in slighter form till June 20th, when Alumina 1m given (single dose).
July 5th. “Last remedy did more good than anything.”.
Feels wonderfully better. Former shoulder, arm and hand stiffness all gone, as well as the “dying feeling in the fingers.”.
July 19th. All pain completely gone.
RHEUMATIC ARTHRITIS.
September 24th, 1931. Lady, aged sixty-five. Enlarged puffy painful and tender knees for years (left the worst). Unable to sit in chair with legs bent. Has to constantly sit and rest when walking a short distance. Burning pains left thigh and leg, chiefly in anterior and posterior thigh. Has used aluminium cooking freely for years, and started aluminium teapot five years ago.
Examination – Knees very swollen and tender, especially over internal semilunar cartilages. Two marked egg-like popliteal swelling in each knee. Stopped all aluminium cooking and gave Alumina 200 every third day.
June 8th, 1932. Steady reduction in knees. Can sit with them bent. Can walk a mile without having to sit down. Tenderness only very slight over left internal semilunar cartilage. Egg- like swellings very greatly reduced.
ACUTE ALUMINUM COLITIS.
May 9th. Insurance agent, aged 68. Recurring attacks of abdominal pain for years. all teeth removed for pyorrhoea four or five years ago. Bowels constipated, but a little laxative causes diarrhoea. Mucus passes from bowels. Abdominal pains have increased lately; they affect the left iliac region chiefly, coming on in the early morning with “feeling of great weight”. Some relief when the bowels act.
Pain worse on empty stomach, relieved by food. Much drowsiness. Great uncertainty of bowel action; unable to receive invitations as they may act insistently at any time without warning. Frequent calls with often no result; want of expulsive power, great straining, felt chiefly in the left groin, as if he would burst something. Feeling always of “something left behind.”.
Examination: Intense abdominal tenderness all over colon. Peculiar “numb” feeling in left leg. Alumina 200 every third day.
May 30th (three weeks later). Feeling very much better. Not disturbed by bowels so much, which act much more regularly. No longer has to get up with useless calls at night. “Difficulty of expulsion” has now quite gone, says “it was awful before.” Motions six inches, formerly in little bits. (Has not altered his diet in any way.) Is definitely less “stiff” and left leg numbness is less.
Examination: General tenderness completely gone, leaving now only typical “aluminium tender spots,” viz., over gall bladder, pylorus, and McBurneys point. These are well marked.
July 12th. Practically all tenderness gone, and he has only trifling discomfort in the abdomen. Bowels acting very well without laxatives. Feels he can now empty the bowel perfectly.
