The case of paralysis that I spoke of, whose staggering gait was called
to my mind by my feelings, is now taking _Heloderma_.
In the following case, Mrs. Ford, eighty-one years of age, has been my
patient several times during the last four years. She suffered from
erysipelas and dropsy in the legs. In September I was again called in
for the same old trouble; the usual remedies were effectual. In October
she caught cold, and had also a bad fall; her symptoms were those of
pneumonia, fever, delirium and cough, pain in chest and hard work to
breathe, blueness of lips, tongue and cheeks, cold extremities and was
very low in appetite, and appeared to be sinking. Pulse, fifty;
temperature, ninety, and to all human appearance was rapidly dying; all
said so, and I fully believed so, but left _Heloderma horridus_, one
powder in water, and ordered her tongue to be moistened with a feather
dipped in this every half hour. I did not call the next day until
evening. I was waiting to be notified of her death, but no such notice
coming called to see, and, to my surprise, found everything changed. I
then gave _Helo. hor._ 200, every four hours, with placebos. All the bad
symptoms gradually disappeared, breathing became natural, heart gained
strength, pulse increased to seventy, temperature to ninety-eight and
appetite became better, asking frequently for food. This continued so
long as she was taking this medicine. She was so well that I ceased to
attend, she having no aches or pains, was eating and sleeping well,
bowels moved regularly and night watching was given up. All who saw the
recovery were pleasingly surprised, and so was I, and have frequently
asked myself could anything else have done this. _Lachesis_ has changed
a slate colored tongue, and has aroused those who appeared to be dying
for a short time, but to extend the life of one as good as dead for
thirty days is a triumph for the _Helo. hor._
(To the foregoing we may add that some have thought that
the proving was too sensational, but other evidence that
has not appeared in print leads to the conclusion that it
is essentially true, and that the proving was made by one
peculiarly susceptible to the remedy. We know of one
gentleman who laughed at it and in bravado took a number
of doses during an afternoon. He felt no immediate
effects, but during the night awoke with some very
peculiar feelings that he could attribute to nothing but
the _Heloderma_, and they were of such a character that
he refused to take any more. It would be well to use the
remedy with caution until the practitioner has gauged its
powers.)
(Dr. Charles E. Johnson wrote as follows to Dr. Boocock
concerning the remedy):
"I have had under treatment a case that has been pronounced incurable by
many physicians. She has had most of the symptoms developed in your
proving, that awful coldness being most pronounced. She has had two
doses of the 200th. I learn through a neighbor that she is delighted
with the result of the last medicine. The coldness has nearly
disappeared, leaving a comfortable glow upon the body. She tells her
neighbors this without having been informed by me what results I
expected from the medicine."
(Dr. Erastus E. Case contributed the following detailed
clinical case to the _Medical Advance_, July, 1897):
An auburn haired woman, 55 years of age, had numbness in the feet two
years ago. It has gradually extended upward until it now includes the
lower part of the abdomen.
Tingling, creeping sensation on the legs as if from insects.
Worse when lying in bed at night.
Worse from exposure to cold air.
Worse from touch; she cannot endure to place her bare feet together.
Legs insensible to an electric battery.
Legs wasting away, skin very dry and inelastic.
Ankles turn easily when trying to walk.
Numbness of the arms from the hands to the elbows.
Forgetfulness.
Melancholy with weeping.
Worse in stormy weather.
Worse when thinking of her ailments, cheered by company.
Pain in the forehead in the morning, aggravated by turning the eyes.
Tongue dry and cracked in the morning.
Swallowing difficult.
Empty eructations, especially before breakfast.
Empty, gone sensation in the stomach.
Dislikes sweet things and worse from taking them.
Sensation of constriction about the whole abdomen.
Constipation from torpor of the rectum.
Hemorrhoids and itching of the anus.
Burning in the urethra during and after micturition.
Burning and dryness of the vagina.
Palpitation and dyspnoea from slight exertion.
Drawing sensation in all the extremities.
Yellow skin.
April 11, 1895. _Heloderma horridus_ four powders, one every four hours.
April 23, 1895. Decidedly more cheerful and memory is better.
Bowels more active.
Legs more reliable, with the numbness and tingling.
No medicine.
April 26, 1895. Alarmed because the palms and soles are swollen and
itching.
No medicine.
May 22, 1895. She gained rapidly in both flesh and strength, until a
week ago.
_Heloderma horridus_ one powder.
Soon after this an itching eruption came all over her, which subsided
without any further medication. She was restored to a fair degree of
health so that she has taken care of her house and family up to the
present time.
(The following arrangement of Dr. Boocock's proving was
made by Dr. Lilienthal):
_Mind._--No inclination for exertion in any way.
Difficulty in remembering the spelling of simple words.
Depressed, feels blue.
_Head._--Sensation of heat in head; heat on vertex.
Headache over right eyebrow.
Pressure in head and scalp; pressure in skull as if too full.
Soreness and stiffness in occiput, extending down neck; sore spot in
various parts of head.
Intense pain over left eyebrow, through eye to base of brain and down
back.
Aching at base of brain.
Sharp, digging pains.
Benumbed feeling all over head.
Burning feeling in brain.
Throbbing on top of head; head sore and bruised.
Sensation of band around head.
Cold band around head.
Sensation as if scalp was drawn tight over skull.
Bores head in pillow.
Vertigo and weakness when moving quickly.
Dizziness, with inclination to fall backward.
_Eyes._--Itching of eyelids, lachrymation.
Weight of eyelids, difficult to keep them open.
_Ears._--Pressure behind left ear; pressure in ear from within outward.
Copious flow of wax.
Ears dry and scurfy.
_Nose._--Left nostril sore; ulcerated.
Dry, itching scurfs in nostrils.
Severe attack of sneezing. Fluent discharge.
_Face._--Sensation of heat. Flushes of heat.
Cold, crawling feeling from temple down right cheek.
Sensation as if pricked with points of ice.
Sensation as if facial muscles were drawn tight over bones.
Stiffness of jaw.
_Mouth._--Dryness of lips.
Soreness.
Very thirsty.
Tongue tender and dry.
_Throat._--Dryness; parched sensation.
Tingling.
Soreness, tenderness to touch.
Stinging, sore feeling in right tonsil.
_Stomach._--Acid burning in stomach.
_Hypochondria._--Gurgling in region of spleen.
_Abdomen._--Sharp shooting pain in bowels, more on left side.
Pain across pubic bones, extending down into left testicle.
Stitching pains in bowels.
Throbbing in bowels.
Rumbling in bowels.
_Stool._--Loose, copious stool, lumpy, preceded by stitches in abdomen.
Stool loose, mushy with considerable flatus.
Stool soft, dark, difficult to expel.
Haemorrhoids swollen, itch and bleed.
_Urinary Organs._--Bladder irritable, frequent urging to pass urine.
Tenderness in urethra, with sensation of discharge.
Urine not as free as usual, muddy.
Intermittent flow.
Urine, specific gravity, 1010; greenish-yellow, fetid (decaying fruit).
_Sexual Organs._--Erections.
Cold penis and testicle, with gluey discharge.
Pain and enlargement of left testicle.
_Female._--
_Respiratory Organs._--Slight, hacking cough, with pain in left scapulae.
Fulness in chest, requiring an effort to inflate the lungs.
Oppressed for breath from least exertion.
_Chest._--Sharp stitch through right nipple to inside of right arm.
Cold feeling in right lung.
_Heart._--Pressure at heart.
Tingling around heart.
Trembling and coldness around heart.
Oppression around heart.
Sticking pains, shooting from left to right.
Stitches in heart.
Soreness in heart, more under left nipple.
Pulse, 56-72; full and jerky.
_Back._--Stiff neck; aching in bones of neck.
Painfulness of upper neck.
Coldness across scapulae.
Chill in back from base of brain downwards.
Pain in back; pain in lumbar muscles awakening him.
Aching in right kidney; stitch pain in right kidney.
_Upper Extremities._--Numbness of right arm and hand with trembling.
Tingling in arms and hands.
Tingling in palm of left hand and along fingers.
Drawing in left hand, followed by tingling and prickling.
Pains in hands, if holding anything for some time.
Trembling of hands.
Hands blue, cracked and rough.
_Lower Extremities._--Numb feeling around and down left thigh.
Pain in left thigh and calf as if bruised.
Numb feeling down right leg.
Coldness extending from knee to calf.
Coldness of legs and feet.
Boring sharp pain on tibia of right leg.
Sensation of tight hand around left ankle.
Trembling of limbs. Jerking of limbs.
Tingling and burning of feet as if recovering from being frozen.
Burning in feet, preventing sleep, had to put them out of bed.
Sensation as if walking on sponge and as if swollen.
Staggering gait.
Tendency to turn to right when walking.
When walking lift feet higher than usual and put down heel hard.
_Skin._--Itching of skin as from insects.
_Sleep._--Drowsiness, but inability to sleep.
Restless sleep; awakens at 3 A.M.
Awakened from sleep by jerking in head; trembling of limbs; pain in
lumbar muscles.
_Fever._--Internal coldness.
Severe chill ran down back.
Cold rings around body.
Cold waves ascend from feet, or downward from base of brain.
_Nerves._--Startled easily. Trembling.
Tired feeling; very weak and nervous.
Intense aching in bones and all parts of body.
Trembling of left side; hands shaky.
Trembling can be controlled by effort of will.
_Generalities._--Stretching relieves pains in muscles and limbs.
Stitch pains going from left to right.
Weak, giddy, making it difficult to stand.
Unable to balance myself.
Movement does not increase the pain.
Throbbing all over body.
Bone pains.