Next morning the membrane was the same, pain now in left side, throat internally and externally œdematous, fauces and uvula glossy or varnished in appearance. Temperature 102, urine scanty, no thirst. Apis 30x was now given. In the evening pain back in right side again. Temperature 102.5. Membrane spreading; stiffness of neck and tongue more marked and saliva profuse. Not having seen the case till the membrane had quite generally formed, but the patient being in temperament like her brother and the pain shifting from side to side, as in his case, I decided to give her Lac caninum. Improvement began immediately and at the end of four days the membrane was entirely gone.
Case III.—The servant girl in the family where cases one and two had been, Anna B., æt. 17. In temperament the very opposite to the other cases, being fat, fair and flabby. Complained of pain in right side of throat on swallowing, neck stiff, tonsil slightly congested. Felt as if she had a bad cold. Advised her to come to the office and get some medicine. She had, however, some "dope" on hand and said she guessed she would take that first. Next evening I was called and found her with throat much worse. Membrane covering left tonsil entirely, also a narrow strip of membrane on posterior wall of pharynx, pain in left tonsil on swallowing, neck and tongue stiff, saliva quite profuse. Temperature only slightly above normal. Lac caninum 30x was given. Patient never went to bed and at the end of the second day no trace of membrane could be seen.
Now, the symptoms common to all three cases and the only ones characteristic in each case were, first, both pain and membrane shifting from side to side; second, stiffness of neck and tongue; third, profuse saliva; fourth, aching in limbs marked; fifth, entire absence of prostration; sixth, character of pain was "as if throat was burned raw." Now, the question will arise in the bacteria man's mind, was this real diphtheria; were the German's bacteria present? I will answer candidly, I don't know; I never looked for them.
LAPIS ALBUS.
Synonym. Silico-Fluoride of Calcium.
Preparation.—The residue obtained by evaporation, from the waters of the mineral springs of Gastein, Germany, is triturated in the usual way.
(It was Von Grauvogl who first called attention to this drug, the product of certain mineral springs in Germany, that have reputation for curing ulcers, cancers, tumors, etc. In the Transactions of the American Institute of Homœopathy, 1896, will be found the following by Dr. W. A. Dewey):
My experience with this remedy, and I have been somewhat interested in it, dates from about 1876. At that time a member of my own family had an enlargement of one of the cervical glands. It was nearly as large as a hen's egg, and had a soft, doughy feel. Under Lapis albus 6, prescribed, I believe, by Dr. G. E. E. Sparhawk, now of Burlington, Vt., the swelling speedily and completely disappeared. A peculiar and unusual symptom noticed by this patient while taking the medicine was a marked increase in the appetite; it became ravenous.
Since that time I have used the remedy in many cases of scrofulous enlargement of the cervical glands, and find that it is almost specific where the glands have a certain amount of elasticity and pliability about them, rather than a stony hardness, such as might call for Calcarea fluorica, Cistus or Carbo animalis.
One case in particular which I recall was a young lady, about twenty years of age, a natural blonde, skin fair, bluish white, showing prominent veins, who had a glandular enlargement in the right supra-clavicular region, nearly the size of a goose egg, and one somewhat smaller a little farther back in the interval between the sterno-cleido mastoid and trapezius muscles. These had a certain amount of hardness, but they were movable. Others of the cervical chain were also enlarged, the right side being the only one affected. As the young lady was engaged to be married, these unsightly lumps were very distressing. Lapis albus 6, a powder four times a day, in a week caused a marked diminution of the size of the glands, and in three weeks they were not noticeable, and eventually entirely disappeared. This patient also had a ravenous appetite while taking the remedy, an unusual thing for her. Her anæmic color and complexion were also greatly improved.