NAPHTHALIN.
Origin—A chemical compound procured from coal, alcohol, ether vapor, etc.
Preparation.—Trituration of the pure naphthalin.
(Two clinical cases illustrating the use of Naphthalin. The first is by Dr. W. L. Hartman, in Transaction of the Homœopathic Medical Society of New York, 1896.)
In treating children we are often disappointed in our results; in making prescriptions we think we have just the right thing in the right place, but when we come to see our case again we are confronted with the same condition that we had before. We may say the same in adults, but not so often. In whooping cough in the very young who are unable to tell us how they feel we must rely on what the mother may tell us; but how often do we find mothers who cannot tell their own symptoms, let alone those of their children? Now, what do we do? Sit and look wise and guess at our prescriptions while we hear the little fellow coughing, in fact trying to cough his head off and at the same time lose his breath.
Well, now while you are thinking and looking wise in this case, just think of Naphthalin and give a tablet triturate of the 1x every two hours, and when you are consulted the next time you will not be annoyed with the dreadful choking spell. Now in prescribing this remedy it is not necessary to wait until the child chokes to death with the cough, but give it from the first and you will be surprised how it will cut the disease short. I do not know as I have ever given this remedy without receiving benefit, and in many cases it was unnecessary to give any other remedy to cure the case; if it is, Drosera will follow best.
The grand characteristic of this remedy is long and continued paroxysms of coughing, unable to get a respiration, sometimes so violent as to cause perspiration.
This remedy is not only good in whooping cough, but in any condition where you get the above symptoms Naphthalin will cure your case just the same. Now my experience with this remedy where I have prescribed above the 1x has been very unsatisfactory, so, of late, I only use the one potency.
(The other by Dr. W. A. Weaver in Hahnemannian Monthly, 1898.)
My experience with Naphthalin in whooping cough is as yet limited, but the results obtained have very much exceeded other remedies and I wish to cite a few cases in which the alleviation of the symptoms was soon appreciable.
Case I.—Francis——, a boy of 9 months, with a severe bronchitis as a complication. The breathing was labored. The respiratory murmur was feeble and a large number of sibilant and sonorous râles were heard, when I was called to see the case. The child had become emaciated, had a cyanotic appearance, was unable to retain food for any length of time, because of the frequent paroxysms accompanied by vomiting, and was very much exhausted. Later, the moist râles became very prominent over the entire chest. The paroxysms were of great length, and accompanying was a free discharge of thick, tenacious mucus from the nose and mouth. Many of the favorite remedies employed in this disease were prescribed, but with little effect. Naphthalin was then given, four or five drops of the tincture in one-half glass of water. In a short time the paroxysms were lessened in severity and frequency, the expectoration was freer, the number of râles were lessened, and shortly convalescence was well established.