Mouth.—Flat ulcers in the mouth and throat.
Gastric: Stomach, Abdomen and Stool.—Continuous bitter taste, disturbing the rest, especially nights; heavily covered tongue, which does not become clean in spite of the use of anti-gastric remedies, and only cleanses itself at the return of abundant urinating; chronic catarrh of the bowels; diarrhœa, with scanty, dark urine; dysentery; costiveness; sensation of pain in the abdomen on both sides of the navel, upon deep pressure; physconia of the abdomen by gases; severe pricking in both hypochondria to the region of the kidneys, reaching to the lower extremities, with continued bitter taste in the mouth, especially at night, with very scanty brown and sour urine.
Female Parts.—Hæmorrhage, chronic leucorrhœa, in connection with copious, watery urine and sediments of mucous particles and uriniferous tubules; epithelium.
Respiratory Organs.—Heavy expectoration in coughing; croup, with little blotches on the hands and diminished urine; chronic catarrh of the lungs; continuous dyspnœa; periodical asthma, with nightly dysuria.
Trunk and Lower Limbs.—Rheumatism of the intercostal muscles; chronic pains in the loins; limping, dragging gait; rheumatic pains in the legs; pains in the thighs; the legs can be moved horizontally, but when moved perpendicularly they feel lame.
In connection with these symptoms the description of a few cases of sickness, in which Virga-aurea proved itself, might be of some interest.
CLINICAL.
During the spring of 1886 scarlet-diphtheria appeared in this place. On March 28th I was called to attend the 8-year old son Matthias, of Wernerus, a weaver, in the hamlet of Niepert, that showed symptoms of the above disease. Cynanche was at high degree, and the throat was filled with diphtheritic coating, so much so that I had reason to fear the worst, on account of the accompanying fever and of the choked-up condition and weakly (scrofulous) habit of the patient. But the well-known remedy of Viller, given alternately with Belladonna, proved itself also in this case, and the symptoms in the throat assumed, after a few days, a less dangerous character. Not so with the fever, which gradually assumed the form of typhoid, and ran very high, while the scarlet-rash grew quite pale. On the morning of April 5th, his temperature was 42.5°, the patient unconscious, the pulse weak and intermittent, the feet swollen. Upon inquiry the parents told me that the boy urinated very little. His urine, of which I had taken a quantity the day previous for examination, contained a considerable amount of albuminous sediments. I prescribed Kali arsenicosum in the fourth centesimal potency, which had been recommended in similar cases by Dr. Hock in the international homœopathic press; but, although the temperature decreased after using this remedy, the dropsical swelling of the feet increased more and more, and after a few days the entire body of the patient was swollen very much. The discharge of urine grew continually less. Under these circumstances I examined the patient again thoroughly, and found great sensitiveness of the kidneys against pressure, in spite of his otherwise apathetic condition. These symptoms reminded me of Virga-aurea. This remedy was immediately applied, and I had no reason to regret it. Within one day the urinal discharge became profuse, the general condition improving at the same time; the peeling off took place without further trouble, and after the patient had taken Virga-aurea for two weeks, and, on account of anæmia, for one week three times a day, a dose of Ferrum peroxydatum in the 2d trituration, he had so far recovered that I did not consider it necessary to give further medicine.
In 1885 a 45-year-old Belgian mine official (his work was office-work) consulted me on account of sleeplessness and pain in the back. The patient had no other complaints, only he carelessly added it sometimes took him a long time to urinate, because of want of the necessary pressure. He considered this weakness as the result of gonorrhœa, from which he had suffered years ago. The sleeplessness, for which he had tried all remedies possible, would make itself known from the time he went to bed until 3 o'clock in the morning, at which time he could get sleep, but not a refreshing one, and on arising he would feel very tired, especially in the upper part of the thighs, and then would commence the pain in the back, which extended to the loins, and lasted until he went to bed in the evening, without being prompted by external influences (warmth, cold, rest, motion). Also sleeplessness nights, pain in the back daytimes. At first I considered Nux vom. proper, and I prescribed the same for the patient, in the 3d decimal potency, four drops twice a day. At the same time I requested the patient to bring a sample of his urine at his next visit. After some time he came back with the sample, and declared that the prescribed remedy had not shown the least effect.
The urine was dark and slimy, reddish, slightly acid, and had at the bottom of the bottle brick-dust settlings. Heat did not show albumen, but by heating it the dark urine became clearer, and contained also salts of uric acid. I examined the kidneys of the patient, found them sensitive against pressure, and the diagnosis pointed to chronic catarrh of the kidneys. Sleeplessness, pain in the back and the tired feeling in the upper parts of the thigh were additional symptoms of this malady, and I determined to use Virga-aurea. The patient took this for three months three times a day, after which he wrote me that he was entirely well. About a year afterwards he had a relapse, but not in the form of former symptoms, but in the form of ischias, against which disease Golden Rod proved itself beneficial.