Calcarea Phosphorica

The phosphate of lime is more particularly adapted to scrofulous affections of bones, ramollissement, curvatures of the vertebral col- umn, spina bifida.

Frank mentions a number of cases where large quantities of the phosphate of lime effected cures in these affections ; particularly craniomalacia (softening of the skull-bones) ; spinal curvatures ; spina bifida. A case of this last-named disease is sufficiently inter- esting to be related :

The child was eleven days old. At the lower extremity of the vertebral column, a little above the os sacrum, a blue-red, fluctuating tumor was seated on the vertebral column ; it had a broad base and two hard elevations on each side. Pressure on the tumor caused -violent manifestations of pain, and twitchings of the cold extremities which were excoriated by the acrid urine and the diarrhceic stools. Shortly after, the tumor discharged a bloody ichor, and the fissure, which was about an inch wide, became distinctly visible.

Under the internal use of the phosphate of lime, the child began to nurse and the stools became less frequent and assumed a bilious tinge. On

CALCAREA SULPHURATA. 627

the third day, the opening of the tumor closed, the skin became normal, except that it still looked bright-red ; it was painless and the tumor had entirely disappeared. Gradually the fissure closed, and the child got perfectly well without the least trace* of convulsions or paralysis of the lower extremities. The preparation which was used in this case, and in all the other cases of rhachitis reported by Frank, consisted, of pulverized calcined bone, of which a teaspoonful was given three or four times a day, mixed with a similar quantity of loaf-sugar.

ULCERS. — Scrofulous ulcers, with considerable loss of substance, on the legs, in the parotideal region, on the scalp, even on the cornea, have yielded to the phosphate of lime, administered three times, in doses of half a grain or even one grain.

PSOAS-ABSCESSES have been cured by means of the internal use of the phosphate of lime in half-grain doses, three times a day.

ARTHROCACE, scrofulous ulceration of joints, has been very advantageously treated with this agent.

Many successful experiments have shown that phosphate of lime facilitates the reunion of bones in cases of fractures, by promoting the deposition of callus.

CALCABEA SULPHUBATA.

HEMICRANIA. — The sulphuret of lime or hepar sulphuris calca- reum has been employed by homoeopathic practitioners for periodical attacks of chronic hemicrania, with boring pain.

OPHTHALMIA. — It has likewise been found useful for blephar- ophthalmia and scrofulous ophthalmia, when disorganizations, and more particularly ulcerations of the cornea had to be removed.

OTORRHCEA. — In scrofulous otorrhcea, it has effected much good ; likewise in scrofulous ozoena, illusions of smell accompanied or occasioned by ulcerations of the Schneiderian membrane.

PTYALISM. — It antidotes to some extent mercurial ptyalism, and lias been used with good effect for chancrous ulcerations on the prepuce, especially when mercurial complications existed.

CROUP. — Its principal range of action has been found to be affec- tions of the respiratory organs, more particularly croup, when the false membrane has begun to form, with excessive wheezing, hoarse- ness, agonizing distress for breath, and occasional expulsion of strings of tenacious, ropy mucus.

CHRONIC BRONCHITIS, with tickling in the terminal ramifica- tions of the air-passages, paroxysms of a violent cough ; dyspnoea, retching, stinging pains in the chest, sensation as if hot water were

628 CALENDULA OFFICINALIS.

trickling through the bronchia, expectoration of bloody froth and sometimes of hard, little tuberculous masses. In

CAPILLARY BRONCHITIS, with extreme oppression of breath- ing and wheezing, so that the patient seems almost unable to get any air through the apparently closed terminal ramifications of the bronchial tubes, hepar sulphur will prove a most efficient remedy.

ABSCESSES In the treatment of abscesses and of suppurating surfaces, hepar sulphuris has been used with good effect. But it should be stated, that these disorganizations are terminations of some anterior pathological process, which, when considered in its totality, may point to and require some other remedy for its cure. The same remark applies to the use of hepar sulphuris as an absorbent of the effused fluid in the pleural cavity in cases of pleurisy, for which pur- pose it has been recommended by leading homoeopathic practitioners, and where sulphur, according to the late Dr.

Wurm, competes with other remedies.

In exanthematous diseases, we mav recommend this agent for herpes of the prepuce and scrotum ; chronic erysipelas; tinea capitis melliflua, groups of pustules secreting a quantity of humor, accom- panied with glandular swellings ; chronic glandular abscesses, as a symptom of general scrofulosi?