SOME REMEDIES USEFUL IN OBSTETRICS


SOME REMEDIES USEFUL IN OBSTETRICS. Hardening of the breasts is very troublesome. In western New York a favorite and successful procedure was to apply on brown wrapping, paper, with a hole cut for the nipple, a preparation of honey, bees wax, lard to soften, and sulphur. Likely Sulphur was the remedy. We found Sulphur in potency, Conium, Phytolacca, Phosphorus, have relieved the most stubborn cases for us; but study the indicated remedy.


Prenatal care: Examine for albuminuria. Efficient remedies:

Gels., Kalm., Thyroid. One robust woman passed only two ounces albuminous urine in two days; she was given Aristolochia serpentaria (Virginia snakeroot), a decoction of the root, and then voided about a gallon in a day, and in a day or two labor was normal, and no more albuminuria.

If they have taken drugs, then give several doses of Nux v. to antidote, unless it was quinine, then Pulsatilla.

By the way, saccharum lactis, a tablespoonful in water, several doses, usually excites the flow of urine.

For nausea and vomiting we have found Symphoricarpus rac., also Persica, relieved every case where used. Also let her eat a few mouthfuls before raising her head.

If supersensitive, consider Cham., Arnica, Bell., Mag. phos.

The Indians for ages used Caulophyllum before confinement, and we give it several times during the last several weeks. Actea racemosa is also very useful to make labor easier, and the condition is much improved generally.

Many suffer destruction of the teeth; for this consider Calc. carb., Calc., Fluor., Calc. phos. or Sepia. Sailors, according to Count Luckner, find there is nothing superior to bananas when the teeth are so loose every one can be pulled with the fingers.

Avoid white sugar; read about Sac. alb. in Clarkes Dictionary of Materia Medica. A returned missionary from Guayaquil, Ecuador, states that “the farmers there refine their own sugar, it is white and they eat it galore; and not one while sugar consumer there who is over twelve years old has any front teeth. But the Indians and poor trash who cannot afford refined sugar keep all their teeth until they go to their graves. Also there are very many cases of cataract among those who eat white sugar.

Some dentists believe that sulphuric acid used in refining is the cause. My father, Dr. J.H.S. Johnson, says that in western New York during the seventies and early eighties, before white sugar was used, there was very little for dentists to do, and he never heard of a young child having trouble with their eyes before white sugar became popular. Brown sugar and honey certainly are better.

Look for Sulphur symptoms, notice if they need bathing, also sleep. Sulphur wakes at 3 a.m., drowsy during daytime. Water is unpleasant. Get any and every symptoms you can and give what seems indicated, no matter under what heading or classification it may be.

Galium apirine is another remedy of great value for scanty urine. Its common name is “six-leaved goose grass. Soak it in water and drink it; alcoholic tinctures of it are of little value.

It may sound shocking to use crude remedies. Homoeopathic prescribing means the similimum, not the size to the dose. Try Calendula CM. locally on wounds and you will get another shock. For haemorrhoids Calc. fluor. or Aesc. hip. in high potencies applied locally work wonders.

We learned by sad experience never to use chloroform for a patient while gas is burning in an open flame in the room.

The Italians fry and eat burdock stalks after the leafy part is removed. Many people use it as a hair tonic and blood purifier. We believe burdock is responsible for almost every Italian we have delivered to have torn delivered to have torn cervix or perineum. The cervix becomes so hard it cannot be cut and a needle will not enter it. Lappa majora relieves that hardness. My mother, the late Dr. Margaret C.B. Johnson, drew my attention to these facts regarding burdock.

While my father attended Hahnemann in 1883 one of the first things he was taught was that if the position of the foetus was abnormal, give a dose of Pulsatilla 200 and wait, as there is a dysfunction of nerves and muscles and Pulsatilla will excite them to proper action so that natural version is performed by this remedy.

Be careful in giving Nux vomica as it may easily excite expulsion before dilatation is complete. Nux.v. has constant urging to stool or to urinate.

If pains are violent and there is great sensitiveness, consider Coffea or Chamomilla, maybe Arnica. If from fright: Aconite, with forebodings; Gelsemium fears some impending evil, and often the heart acts tumultuously, as if it would escape.

My mother had a case, a young colored woman, who was very ugly and mean. Pains sudden but lasted long, then suddenly stopped; cervix not relaxed; seemed as if nothing were accomplished except to bother the patient and everyone else; throbbing carotids; dryness of mouth, throat and vagina; great sensitiveness. After several hours she administered Belladonna and the labor was soon over.

Belladonna create applied to the cervix is commonly used to deliver.

Ergot is dangerous. Be careful to get symptoms for it: useful for thin scrawny women; wants to be covered, cold to touch but feels warm; spasms of cutting pains in abdomen.

Dreads everything, fear of death, consider Aurum; black thin fluid blood, adhered placenta. Many advice its use after delivery if blood or discharges are foetid.

Natrum mur. has very unpleasant forebodings.

Phosphorus has prevented bleeding when given before surgical operations, so why not give several doses of high potency before labor?.

Chamomilla when the pains are unbearable; extremely sensitive.

Carbo veg. for troublesome rumbling of gas; also if respiration be greatly impeded, cannot get enough air, it acts wonderfully.

China or Quinine for great weakness or inaction, clotted blood, throbbing in abdomen, loss of much blood.

If great weakness or exhaustion we find they rally from Kali phos. 6x.

Pains great in back, Kali carb.

When pains are irregular and spasmodic, great relief will usually follow Magnesia phos. 6x., given in warm water.

Beat the whites of fresh eggs and apply as a lubricant; it affords great relief to the patient and keeps some of the women busy so they will not trouble the doctor so much with faultfinding and advice.

Adherent placenta: Bell., Puls., Secale, are most often indicated, but study and consider the symptoms.

Postpartum haemorrhage: the eclectics use mostly Secale or Erigeron and Cinnamon, also China. If sudden and severe, a weak solution of vinegar and water; if severe, a small piece of ice.

Learn what sex is wanted, but be very careful to tell the sex at once as sometimes the shock is harmful. If any deformities do not let the mother know right away. Often putting the babe to the breast will stop a haemorrhage. The indicated remedy should be studied. The eclectic physicians usually use Erigeron and Cinnamon successfully.

If there be lacerations, remember Calendula, high.

All wounds heal faster if no meat be eaten. Chicken should be avoided in all febrile conditions; it is the worst meat for the sick.

Hardening of the breasts is very troublesome. In western New York a favorite and successful procedure was to apply on brown wrapping, paper, with a hole cut for the nipple, a preparation of honey, bees wax, lard to soften, and sulphur. Likely Sulphur was the remedy. We found Sulphur in potency, Conium, Phytolacca, Phosphorus, have relieved the most stubborn cases for us; but study the indicated remedy. Kneading and binding the breasts often relieve.

To increase the flow of milk, Calc. carb. is most often indicated, or Silica. Cocoa shells in place of coffee as a drink, cooked the same as coffee, also almond nuts, increase flow and quality; and malted milk. China if weak from loss of fluids; consider Iodine, Nitric acid.

We found that bacon added to the diet improved quality of the milk; also that a walk outdoors every day helped.

For cracked nipples: Aurum sulph., Graphites, Hydrastis, Phosphorus, Sulphur, Phytolacca, Castor equi. If the babe refuses it: Silica, Calc. carb., Merc., Lachesis. CHICAGO, ILL.

DISCUSSION.

DR. MOORE: I notice the advice of using Calendula in potency for local application. That is something that has come through from Margaret Tyler at different times, and if anyone has any experience, I would like know about that. There were a number of names there that I could not recognize.

It makes me think of a young fellow who was being examined by a physician a while ago, and the physician, at the end of the examination, said to him, “You had some trouble with angina pectoris”.

The fellow said, “Doctor, that is true, but I didnt get her name just right.”.

DR. STEVENS: I noticed in one case the doctor spoke of using several doses of Phosphorus. It seemed to me it would be a good deal after to use one dose and stop.

DR. BOND: I have heard that chicken is undesirable for people who have latent tuberculosis. Dr. Grimmer has done quite a lot of work on cryptogenic tuberculosis. I would like to hear his opinion on chicken as a meat in that disease.

DR. GRIMMER: It is pretty well established by those who have made a study of fowls, especially the chicken, that they are all tuberculous. There is an underlying tuberculous miasm running through the chicken family. I presume that may be a good reason. With that we have a remedy, Tuberculinum aviaire, which is a very wonderful remedy in many of our human complaints. Many cases of difficult and prolonged flu, obstinant flu, will yield to.

Virginia M. Johnson