Lycopus Virginicus seems to be a specific for bringing back an old (but long disappeared) hæmorrhoidal flux in persons with light eyes. I gave, a week ago, the first decimal dilution to a gentleman (sixty years) for noise and throbbing in the head during the night (which prevented the quietness of sleep); because neither Cactus (which helped quickly when he had blood-spitting) nor Kalmia, nor Gelsemium helped radically. The night after taking Lycopus, he was a little better, and in the forenoon came a bleeding from the rectum (about three tablespoonfuls after defecation) with great general relief. There was chronic catarrhus bronchialis. Two days afterwards, I gave an elderly lady (sixty years), who had glycosuria, cataract of the left eye, and every third night was very restless, Lycopus Virginicus 1 decimal dilution, one drop in the evening. The following night was excellent, and in the morning came an abundant bleeding from the rectum, with great relief. Both patients are tall, very irritable, have weak innervation of the heart, without decided organic disease of the heart; both are hypochondriacs; have light eyes; noise in the left ear. Both had, years ago, hæmorrhoidal flux, which stopped suddenly.
MALARIA OFFICINALIS.
Preparation.—It is prepared in three degrees of strength:
No. I. Is the water that stood on decomposed vegetable matter for one week at a temperature of 90° F.
No. II. Is the water that decomposed vegetable matter for two weeks.
No. III. Is the water that decomposed vegetable matter for three weeks.
(The following is an abstract of a paper on this peculiar remedy, by Dr. G. W. Bowen, that appeared in the Transactions of the Indiana Institute of Homœopathy, 1895):
In the summer of 1862 vegetable matter of different forms was decomposed in my office in glass jars, and malaria was freely generated. Persons were hired to inhale the gas evolved in its different stages of decomposition, and a careful observation of its effects on them was made that gave me a clue to its future use, and the only reliable guide for combatting its effect when acquired naturally.
Not only did the gaseous form demonstrate, but subsequent use of the liquid product proved it capable of producing not only the three leading types that the past years had made me conversant with, but also others of a minor grade yet of unsuspected parentage.
The miser made delight of added gain, Was like a pebble on the shore again,
In comparison to the satisfactory consolation that came as a realization of the comprehension of the producing cause. Henceforth the battle need not be carried on mid the gloom of the night.
The decomposition of the vegetable matter passed through three stages or degrees. The first gave off gases freely, yet of not so offensive odor as later. After ten days or two weeks the expense of securing inhalers was more than doubled, even for one moment of time. After three or four weeks not much gas was generated, for it seemed only capable of lying still and sending its fearful odor heavenward. Inhalation of the gases evolved produced for the first week or ten days a headache, nausea, distress in the stomach, coated the tongue white, and this in from one to two hours time generally; and there, if not carried too far, would generally pass off in two or three days. Inhalations after ten days or two weeks did not produce results in less than twelve or twenty-four hours, according to time and amount inhaled. Then there was fearful headache, nausea, aversion to food, distress through the hypochondriac region, first in the spleen, the liver and stomach, and on the third day chills that would doubtless have continued on indefinitely if not interfered with.