1. I am somewhat loath to report a case not yet cured, but the chairman of the Bureau of Surgery requested me to do so and I have little doubt but that the patient will make a complete recovery. The case is one of felon of the distal phalanx of the left thumb, the patient, a Christian Scientist. For six months she had gone from bad to worse until she had come to the end of her “science” rope, only to find herself within an inch of the surgeons noose. In short, she was in such straits that she had been advised to consult a surgeon and he had recommended immediate amputation. then it was that she sought homoeopathy.
There had been a discharge of pus all these months; pain, very pronounced, now involving the whole arm; thumb swollen to double its normal size; later a considerable piece of bone was discharged, showing the deep-seated, necrotic nature of the inflammatory process. The patient was without general or local symptoms decidedly indicating a remedy, except for one. The edge of the opening, or ulcer, was as clean-cut, as if punched out. She has had Kali bi., in the 1m. and cm. potencies.
At this writing the discharge has almost ceased, the pain has gone, the thumb has resumed its normal size. I think that a cure can confidently be predicted. Should operation be eventually necessary, most certainly it will not be an amputation.
Now, a few days before this meeting, I can add with much satisfaction, that healing is complete.
2. The following case of epistaxis, though not strictly surgical, will hardly be out of place in this bureau.
The patient was seized with a profuse nosebleed, which, with occasional remission, kept on for hours and was becoming alarming. Several remedies were given on scanty indications and other measures were employed to stop the bleeding, but to no purpose. Finally the surgeons help was sought and the posterior nares thoroughly plugged. While this checked the profuse flow, a steady trickle continued for several days.
With the increasing weakness of the patient, a tingling numbness now showed itself in the extremities, especially in the hands and feet. Secale 500th was given with almost immediate improvement and in a few hours entire cessation of the bleeding. By this time the plugging had become intolerably uncomfortable, but I feared to remove it quite yet. However, I took the hazard and fortunately with no return of the bleeding.
The small but steady flow of blood, together with the tingling in the extremities, were good indications for Secale. What a pity they could not have shown themselves earlier, or some other aspect of the drug appeared sooner. As it was, the barn door was closed, only in time to save the stolen horse.
