CASE I. Baln R. M., aged fifty-five, thin, emaciated and irritable
temperament, has been suffering from hereditary asthma for the last
twenty-five years. For the last six or seven years he suffered from
asthmatic fits almost nightly and a troublesome cough with a good deal
of frothy expectoration. He said he had not known what sleep was for the
last six or seven years, in fact, he could not lie down in bed, as that
would immediately bring on a violent fit of coughing which would not
cease until he sat up, so the recumbent posture for him was almost
impracticable, and he used to sit up during the night and doze on a pile
of pillows. He passed his days comparatively better, but the approach of
the night was a horror to him, his struggle, commencing at 9 or 10 P.M.,
would last till the morning. He was the father of many children and was
well taken care of, but his suffering was so great that he had no
ambition to live any longer. He tried almost all systems of medicine
without much good. For the last ten years he took opium, which afforded
him slight relief at the beginning, using as high as forty-eight grains
of opium in twenty-four hours. Owing to the constant sitting posture he
became stooped, and the back of his neck stiff and painful. In April,
1889, he was suddenly taken ill with fever. The fever became protracted.
After an illness of over a month his condition became so bad that all
hope of his recovery was given up. During this illness he was treated by
an old school physician of some repute, but his condition daily grew
worse, the asthmatic attacks became very violent and almost incessant,
and the difficulty of breathing very great. He became so feeble that he
had not strength enough to enable him to bring up the expectoration; his
chest was full of it; fever was less; there was general anasarca. He was
sitting with head bent forward, almost touching the bed, as that was the
only position possible to him day and night. He had become almost
speechless, when I was sent for, at about 3 P.M. on the 23d of May,
1889. When I was entering the patient's room a medical man came out and
hinted that there was no use of my going in as the patient was just
expiring. I found the patient breathing hard; unconscious; jaws were
locked and saliva dribbling from the corners of his mouth; body cold;
cold, clammy perspiration on forehead; eyes partially opened; in fact,
to all appearance, he looked as if he were dead, except for the
respiratory movements. I felt his pulse and found it was not so bad as
the patient was looking. I examined the back of his chest, as that was
the only portion easily accessible, and noticed that the bronchial
spasms were going on with loud mucous rale. From the character of his
pulse I thought that the present state of the patient was _probably_ due
to the continued violent struggle and not deep coma, and that he had
become so exhausted that he was motionless, speechless and completely
unconscious. His bed was surrounded by many friends and relations, who
had come to bid him a last farewell; and it was with surprise that they
all looked at me when I proposed to administer medicine to a patient
whose death was expected every minute and for whose cremation
preparations were being made.
I got a big phial full of water and put in it _Blatta orientalis_ 1x
trit. a few grains and tried two or three times to give him a spoonful
of it, but in vain; the jaws were locked and I could not make him
swallow any of that medicine; then I put some powder dry in the hollow
of his lips and asked the attendants to try to give him the medicine I
left in the bottle. I was asked whether there was any hope of his
recovery, of course my answer was "_no_," and I also said he could only
live a few hours. I left the patient's house with the idea of not
visiting it again, but at 9 P.M. a messenger came with the report that
the patient was slightly better, he could swallow medicine and two doses
of it had been given. I was asked to see the patient again. I could
hardly believe what he said, however, I went to see the patient again. I
noticed there was a slight change for the better, the pulse was steady,
the jaws were unlocked, there was mobility of the limbs, he could
swallow liquid with ease and was expectorating freely, the breathing
though still difficult was slightly improved. There was the winking of
the eyelids. On the whole he was looking less lifeless, but still I
entertained no hope of his recovery. I left instructions to repeat the
same medicine once or twice during the night, if required, at the same
time to give milk repeatedly, one or two spoonfuls at a time, and to
inform me next morning if he had survived the night. Next morning I
really grew anxious to know what had become of my patient who had shown
symptoms slightly better with this new remedy. A messenger came with the
report that the patient passed a good night. I was requested to see him
again. When I arrived at his place at 8 A.M. I was surprised to see him
so much better, he had not only regained his consciousness, but was
sitting quietly in his bed, could speak slowly, the difficulty of
breathing was completely gone, but the cough occasionally troubled him
and a good deal of expectoration of frothy white or sometimes of big
yellowish lumps of mucus came up. He was given three doses of the same
medicine 2x trit. during the day. He passed a fair day, but at night his
difficulty of breathing again appeared in somewhat milder form. He had
to take two doses of the medicine. Thus the medicine was continued for a
week and his trouble daily became less and less until after the
expiration of a week he was able to sleep at night for the first time in
the last six or seven years. I treated him over a month, and his health
improved so rapidly that he not only got rid of the asthmatic trouble,
but was soon able to go out and even attend his business. The stooped
condition of his neck with slight pain and slight chronic bronchitis did
not leave him altogether. Besides _Blatta orientalis_, I also prescribed
for him _Arsenicum alb. 6_ and _12_, _Naja tri. 6_, _Ipecac 3_, and
_Antim. tart. 3_, as they were indicated. He continued well for over a
year, but in August, 1890, he had slight reappearance of the asthmatic
trouble. He again took _Blatta orientalis_ and got well.
CASE II. Mrs. Nundy, a thin lady, aged twenty-three, mother of three
children, came from a village for the treatment of asthma, from which
she had been suffering for the last eight years. For the first two or
three years she used to get two or three attacks in the year, but
gradually they were repeated more frequently, though the character of
the attack remained the same throughout. It would last two days and two
nights, whether any medicine was given to her or not. Nothing would
alleviate her suffering during an attack--too much interference would
increase her sufferings and prolong the duration of the attack, so,
practically speaking, almost nothing was given to her during an attack.
The great oppression of breathing, restlessness, profuse perspiration,
inability to move or lie down and loud wheezing would be the most
prominent symptoms in each attack. These would remain almost with equal
violence for nearly forty hours, when the spasms would cease with slight
cough and expectoration, and she would be perfectly at ease as ever,
and there would be no trace of disease left, except slight wheezing
sound on auscultation. But latterly these attacks were very frequent,
almost every week or ten days. In August, 1890, she was brought here for
treatment. It is worth while to mention that she took both allopathic
and native drugs during the interval of attacks to prevent their
recurrence, but without any effect. I saw her first on the morning of
the 5th of August, during an attack. I prescribed _Blatta Orientalis_ IX
trit., one grain every two hours. It was to their surprise that this
attack subsided unlike all others by the evening; that is, it
disappeared within twenty hours. This encouraged the lady and her
husband so much that she wanted to have regular course of treatment
under me. I put her under tincture of _Blatta Orientalis_ IX, one drop
per dose, twice daily. She continued this medicine till the time of the
next attack was over; that is, for ten days. After the expiration of
this period she began to complain of a sensation of heat all over her
body, so I changed it to 3x, one drop morning and evening. She kept
well, and after a month she went home thinking she got well. A month
after her going home she had an attack of asthma at night and took
_Blatta Orientalis_ IX as before, and by the next morning she was well.
This was in October, and after two months of the last attack. She had
another attack in winter and none since.
CASE III. A young man, aged thirty-four, had been suffering from asthma
for some years. He was invariably worse during the rains and the winter,
and a chronic bronchitis was almost a constant accompaniment. He tried
allopathic and lots of patent drugs, with only temporary amelioration of
the trouble. At last, in November, 1888, he came to my office. On
examination of his chest I found there was a chronic bronchitis. He said
that slight difficulty of breathing with hacking cough used to trouble
him every night, besides a cold would be followed by a severe attack of
asthma, so its periodicity of recurrence was irregular. I treated him
with _Ipecac_, _Arsenicum alb._, etc. The first-named medicine did him
the most good, but he never got entirely well. So in July, 1889, I put
him under tincture _Blatta orientalis_ 3X, drop doses, three or four
times daily. Under its use he began to improve steadily, and had only
two or three attacks of asthmatic fits since he used this drug, which
were promptly relieved by the same drug in 1x potency. _Euphrasia off._
was prescribed for his cold whenever he had it. He is free from all
trouble for the last year and a half. His general condition is so much
changed that there is no apprehension of the recurrence of his former
illness.
CASE IV. Baln Bose, an old, corpulent gentleman, aged sixty-two, has
been suffering from asthmatic attacks for some years. He never took any
allopathic medicine, but had always been under treatment of native
kabiraj (medical men), under whose treatment he was sometimes better and
worse at others. Latterly he became very bad and passed several
sleepless nights. He used to pass his days comparatively better, and it
was at night and in the morning he used to be worse. On the 24th of
July, 1890, at 9 A.M. I saw him first--there was a slight touch of
asthma even then. I made him try to lie down in bed; this he could not
do, owing to the coughing fit it excited while in that posture. On
examination the chest revealed chronic bronchial catarrh, and there was
also a harassing cough, with very little expectoration after repeated
exertion. I prescribed _Blatta orientalis_ IX trit., one grain every two
hours. He passed the night without an attack, and the next morning when
I saw him he complained that only the cough was troublesome last night
and no fit of asthma. The cough was somewhat troublesome even when I saw
him in the morning. I gave him tincture _Blatta ori._ 3x, one drop dose
every two hours. He passed the day and night well. He continued the
treatment for a fortnight and then went home, where he has been keeping
good health, with the exception of an occasional bronchial catarrh.
CASE V. A shoemaker, aged forty-two, robust constitution, has been
suffering with asthma for three or four years. He came to my office on
the 6th of November, 1890. He had been getting asthmatic fits almost
every night since October last. During the day troublesome cough, with
slight expectoration and hurried breathing made him unable to attend his
business. Tincture _Blatta orientalis_ IX, one drop doses, six times
daily, was given. The very first day he perceived the good effect of the
medicine and continued the same for a month, when he got well and
discontinued the medicine. He has been keeping well ever since.
CASE VI. Mr. G., aged forty, healthy constitution, had an asthmatic fit
on the 4th of August, 1890, preceded by a violent attack of cold, from
which he frequently used to suffer. He had this severe cold in the
morning, and in the afternoon he began to experience a great difficulty
of breathing and slight oppression and lightness of the chest--this, by
9 P.M., developed into a regular fit of asthma. I was sent for. On my
arrival, at 10 P.M., I found he was sitting before a pile of pillows
with elbows supported on them, and struggling for breath. There was also
a great tightness in the chest, occasional cough, and inability to
speak. I at once put him under _Blatta orientalis_ IX trit., one grain
every fifteen minutes, and less frequently afterwards if he felt better.
On my visit next morning I found him much better, but he said his
trouble at night continued, more or less, till 2 A.M., after which he
got some rest. Now, there was a troublesome cough, slight oppression of
the chest and great apprehension of a second attack in the night. The
same medicine, 3x trit., was given to him during the day, and a few
powders of 1x were left with him in case he was to get an attack at
night. There was a slight aggravation of those symptoms at night, and he
had occasion to take only two powders of 1x. The next morning he was
every way better, except the cough, for which four powders of 3x were
given daily. In four or five days he got entirely well and had no
relapse.
CASE VII. Mrs. D., aged twenty, a healthy, stout lady, mother of one
child, had been always enjoying good health, was suddenly attacked with
a violent fit of asthma on the 8th of August, 1890. This was the first
occasion she had a fit of asthma, the result of a severe cold. At about
2 A.M. she was suddenly seized with difficulty of breathing and a great
oppression in the chest. She could not lie down any longer in bed and
had to sit up, being supported on a pile of pillows. In the morning at 8
A.M. I saw her first. I noticed she was in great agony and almost
speechless. On examination I could not detect much loud wheezing--the
characteristic of an asthmatic attack--though the rapid movements of the
walls of the chest were even quite visible to the bystanders. The
patient was feeling almost choked up, and could not express what was
going on. She only pointed out a point, a little over the pit of the
stomach most painful. There was no cough--perspiration was pouring over
her body. I could not at once make out whether it was a case of pure
asthma, especially as she never had it before. However, I made up my
mind to give her _Blatta orientalis_ IX trit., a grain dose every
fifteen minutes, and watch the effect myself. Three doses of it were
given without much change for the better. I left a few more doses to be
repeated half hourly and promised to see her again within a couple of
hours. On my return I found her in a much better condition, and she had
taken only one of those powders I had left, and they were not repeated,
as she felt better. Now I thought it must have been an attack of asthma,
and I continued the medicine unhesitatingly. There was no aggravation at
night, but on the next morning she was better, and the usual asthmatic
cough began with slight expectoration. There was pain in the chest and
head with each coughing fit. _Blatta orientalis_ 3x trit., four to six
doses, was continued for a few days, when she got well. Again in
November she had a slight tendency to an asthmatic fit, took two or
three doses of the same medicine and got well. Since then she had not
been troubled again.
CASE VIII. A gentleman, the keeper of a common shop, aged forty-four,
belonging to a village, had been suffering from asthma for the last
eight years and had always been under treatment of native kabiraj
(medical men). In June, he came to the city, and I was called to see him
on the 14th of June, to treat him for his asthma. The day previous he
had an attack, for which he took no medicine. Each of his attacks
usually lasted four or five days. I gave him _Blatta orientalis_ IX
trit., one grain every two hours, and left him six such powders to be
taken during the day. He took them and felt better the next day. He
stayed here two or three days more, and when well he wanted to proceed
home, which was some couple of hundred miles. He took with him two
two-drachm phials of _Blatta orientalis_, one of IX and the other of 3x
trit. He continued the 3x, one grain doses, two or three times daily,
for a month, and discontinued afterward. He had no more asthmatic fits.
In January last, 1891, I had a letter from him, thanking me for his
recovery and asking for some of the same medicine for a friend of his,
who had been suffering from asthma. The friend of his who used the same
drug, _Blatta orientalis_, was equally benefited.
CASE IX. Mrs. Dalta, a thin lady, aged thirty-eight, mother of several
children, had been exposed to cold, which brought on an attack of
bronchitis with fever. This, in the course of a fortnight, developed
into a regular fit of asthma. She was all this time treated by an
old-school physician, but when the husband of the lady saw that she was
daily getting worse, and a new disease crept in, he made up his mind to
change the treatment. I was called to see her in the morning of the 8th
of June, 1890. She became very much emaciated, could not take any food,
had fever with acute bronchitis, hurried respiration, difficulty of
breathing; this she was complaining of bitterly, owing to which she
could not lie down in bed, but had to sit up day and night. There was a
prolonged fit of spasmodic cough at short intervals, with slight
expectoration, but these coughing fits would make her almost breathless.
This was the first time I prescribed _Blatta orientalis_ IX in a case
of asthma with fever and acute bronchitis. It answered my purpose well.
She had only ten powders during the day and passed a comparatively
better night. Next morning when I saw her she was better, except the
coughing fits, which were continuing as before. The same medicine was
repeated. On the 10th of June she had no asthmatic trouble at night, but
there was not much improvement in her cough--_Anti. tart._ and _Bryonia_
were needed to complete the cure.