Clinical Cases. Ophthalmic.
BY R. M. THEOBALD, M.A.
(1), SARAH 13 aged 22, single, Oct. 29th, 1877. Right eye inflamed, i.e., heat, vessels much enlarged, with a patch of red congestion, sometimes feeling of grit in it; eyeball aches at the back, smarts when reading; agglutination of lids in morning; when reading, smarting in internal canthus; subject to faceache and indigestion, i.e., weight after food, and spasmodic flatulent pains.
Redness of right eye.—Alum., apis., bell., calc., camph., carb-an., coccus., con., cotyl., eugen., hura, ipec., lac. f., merc.-bini., merc.-sulph., nitr.-ac., phosph., sep., stram., verat., zinc.
Heat of right eye.—Aloes., ambr., apis., bovist., cupr., dig., dros., kali.-bichr. lob-coer., natr.-s., plumb., rhus-v. sang., sep., spig., tell., teucr.
Smarting of right eye. : —Alum., anan., apis., comet., cotyl., cupr., gymnocl., kali-iod., kreas. (lach.), lobel.-coer., lobel.-infl., lyc., natr.-c., phosph., plumb., pimp., plat., ratan., rhod., ran.-bulb., rhus., sep., urtic. Of these, only apis. and sep. correspond to all three symptoms; and of these two, only sep. has feeling of sand in right eye, aching in right eye posteriorly, and smarting in internal canthus after reading. Sepia also corresponded well to the remaining symptoms. Three doses of Sepia 200 were given, two hours apart.
Nov. 1st.—All the pains were very much worse after taking the medicine, and this aggravation (probably the effect of repeating the dose) lasted twenty-four hours. Yesterday very little pain; today none, and the indigestion and general health much improved.
Nov. 15th. —Met her the other day, and she looked quite well.
(2) Emily 0., aged 39, married. Oct. 9th, 1874. Left eye inflamed; hot lachrymation, photophobia, pricking in eye, heaviness over brow, and feeling that she must sleep; stools painful, large, and difficult; dry skin. Graphites 200, three doses in first twenty-four hours.
Oct. 18th.—Improved in all respects.
Oct. 20th. —Much better, but rather more constipated; backache, low down.
Nov. 6th.—Still improving, but eyes rather weak in evening; no constipation. Sweats from a little effort. Psorinum 200, three doses in first twenty-four hours. Cured.
(3) Harriet L., aged 41. July 14th, 1871. Right eye aches when going to sleep; is much congested, bloodshot, and waters.
Irritable; urine rather turbid; always thirsty. Sweats on head, face, and neck, but only when exposed. Has had earache, and two years ago had bad eyes, healed (?) by “drops”, externally.
Symptoms of eyes on going to sleep point to coloc., con., lyc., natr.-c. Of these only con, has redness and watering of right eye. Conium 200 was given, three doses in first twenty-four hours.
July 18th.—Better, both as to eyes and generally.
The cure was subsequently reported as complete.
(4) Mrs. W., aged 34. Aug. 15th, 1871. Weak; no appetite; swelling of abdomen; sinking, especially at 11 a.m.; bad sleep; leucorrhoea; no menses; mouth and throat dry; when working on white material it looks red. Was prematurely confined last April; child still-born.
Under “White objects look red”, we find only croc. and sarsap. Of these, croc. has dryness of mouth, but not of throat; it has not swelling of abdomen, nor leucorrhea, nor suppressed menses. Sarsap. has dryness of mouth and throat, and distention of abdomen; but it has not the sinking nor the suppression of menses, but only delay thereof. Nux Moschata, however, has the dryness of mouth and throat, and distention of abdomen, as marked symptoms occurring in a great number of provers; it also causes emptiness of stomach, and leucorrhea, and clinically has proved of great service in amenorrhea and in complaints after childbirth. In addition it is found (with twenty-four others) under “Objects appear red.” This remedy was, therefore, selected as corresponding best to the totality of the symptoms, and three doses of 200 givenin the first twenty-four hours.
Aug. 22.—Better; no red color; stronger; more appetite; less sinking, but it remains at 11 a.m.; less dryness of mouth and throat.
Sept. 5th.—Improving.
Sept. 19th.—Better; for the last two days frontal dull headache; sinking at 11 a.m. Sulphur 200, one dose.
3rd.—All the symptoms cured.
The above cases were chiefly worked out from Berridge’s Eye Repertory.