Apis Mellifica; or, The Poison of the Honey-Bee, Considered as a Therapeutic Agent

by C. W. Wolf

PANARITIA

Apis proves the same invaluable remedy.

Genuine panaritia only spring up in psoric ground, and in regard to extent and intensity of development, depend altogether upon the existing psoric taint. Hence it is indispensable to extinguish this taint by appropriate remedies. This is most effectually accomplished by at once giving Sulphur, the most powerful of our anti-psorics. Sulphur seems to attack the evil at its very foundation, and we feel perfectly satisfied with its action, except that we would like to hasten the course of the disease still more, in order to abbreviate the tortures inherent in this malady. This result is most certainly accomplished by means of Apis.

If panaritia are the result of excessive doses of Sulphur, Apis meets our case perfectly. In hundreds of cases panaritia spring up and will continue to spring up from such a source, as long as the world continues to live in darkness, and to reject the rays of truth which the genius of Hahnemann has sent forth among the benighted understandings of his fellow beings. Notwithstanding Hahnemann's teachings concerning the medicinal power of Sulphur, which the world has now been in possession of for years, and which the most thoughtful minds have accepted as a truth, the true friend of man has still to weep over the quantities of Sulphur which all apothecaries sell to any one at his option; hæmorrhoidal patients continue to swallow Sulphur from day to day; almost every body, from the child up to the old man, who is affected with catarrh, swallows the so-termed pulmonary powders which contain Sulphur, and of which relief is expected; whole legions repair every year to the Sulphur Springs; young and old use sulphur-baths at home; all over the world, the itch, which is a very common disease, is removed by means of a sulphur ointment, &c. One of the evil consequences of this ignorance, which particularly oppresses the laboring class, is the artificial development of panaritia; the more frequently these occur, the more necessary it is to employ speedy and safe means for their extermination. In such a case we can no longer depend upon Sulphur, of which we cannot possibly know how far it has already poisoned the organism, and to what extent it may still be able to rouse a reaction; in which case, even those who know, may be led to make dangerous mistakes. In all such cases Apis is of the best use to us; it is even sufficient to arrest the disorganizing process, and to bring about a satisfactorily progressing cure.

The curative indications contained in the "American Provings," have been confirmed by my own experience. We read in Nos. 903-911, "the phalangeal bones are painful; burning jerking, like a stitching, contracting sensation, in the right numb, from without inwards; drawing pains reaching the extremities of the fingers; distinct feeling of numbness in the fingers, especially in the tips, around the roots of the nails, with sensation as if the nails were loose, and as if they could be shaken off; burning in the tips of fingers, as from fire; fine burning stinging in the tips of the fingers; burning around a hang-nail, on the outside of the fourth finger of the right hand, with pain internally, without redness and without aggravation from pressure, with continual burning in the tip; swelling of the fingers, which remained painful for several days; 915, blister at the tip of the right index, discharging a bloody ichor when opened, and afterwards a milky pus, with violent burning, throbbing, and gnawing pains, continuing to spread for two days."

From all this we deduce the highly important practical rule: In a case of whitlow, first ascertain whether and how far Sulphur has been abused by the patient. Unfortunately the non-abuse of Sulphur is an exception to the rule, whereas the abuse of Sulphur is quite common even in our age. Would that in this respect the ancient darkness might yield to the new light.

In case Sulphur had been abused by the patient, we mix a few drops of Apis 3 in twelve tablespoonfuls of water, giving a tablespoonful every hour, or every two or three hours, according as the pains are more or less violent. This treatment has to be continued until the pains cease. They cease either because the inflammation has been dispersed, and the morbid process is terminated, or else a healthy suppuration has been set up, so that the swelling will discharge of itself, and a cure will be effected as speedily as the nature of the panaritium will admit. In either case the medicine need not be repeated, and the organic reaction will be sufficient to complete a cure without the interference of surgery. A simple bread and milk poultice may be used as soothing palliative, especially if the external skin is of a firm, hard texture. Resolution may be depended upon in every case, where Apis has been resorted to in time. A healthy suppuration will always set in after the exhibition of Apis, provided Sulphur or a psoric taint do not gain the ascendancy. If the Sulphur miasm gains the ascendancy, there will be no marked improvement during the first days of the treatment. In such a case we have at once to resort to a very high potency of Sulphur. A single globule of Sulphur 6000 would frequently ameliorate the worst aspect of the case as by a miracle, after which a few more doses of Apis 3, a drop morning and evening, would so improve the symptoms, as to render all further medication unnecessary.

If the psoric miasm should be the cause of the retarded improvement, as may easily be determined by the predisposing circumstances of the case, and if no Sulphur should have been administered previously, it is expedient to discontinue the use of Apis, and to at once exhibit a globule of Sulphur 30, which may be allowed to act for twenty-four hours, after which Apis is to be resumed in the same manner, until a cessation of the pain manifests the cure of the disease.

These explanations likewise point out the true course to be pursued, in case we should at the outset find that a whitlow owes its existence to the psoric miasm.

Ever since homœopathy has enabled us to treat this dreaded affection with positive and specific remedies in a most satisfactory manner, the horrible pains which characterize this trouble, and the mutilations to which it so frequently leads, only exist in quarters where egotism, the love of lucre and the absence of all conscientiousness prevents physicians from inquiring into the merits of our superior mode of treatment. Is not this unpardonably wicked?