Haemotoxylon in taking cold

British homeopathic review, 1907, volume one, page 163. Clinical cases, Berridge

CASE 5.—Hæmatoxylon. -July 9th, 1887. Miss E., aged 45, has nearly lost her voice from getting overheated. It began with hot, sore patch in larynx yesterday afternoon. This morning, on waking, could scarcely breathe. Ever since she could remember has been subject to throat attacks from the least damp, and the slightest cold always attacks this part. These attacks last for a week badly, and continue less severely for two or three weeks more, her voice not returning fully till the end of this time. Has now soreness of throat on swallowing saliva. Feeling of a bar across center of chest about level of clavicles; the bar feels heavy and hot, and is very burning on waking in morning; it feels like a solid square bar with sharp edges. Always has this feeling of a bar in these attacks; and later there is a feeling of fluttering of a feather there, causing constant, irritating cough, which does not relieve it; but this symptom has not yet had time to appear. Has to fetch her breath over the bar by an exertion. Both parents died of phthisis; her two sisters are very rheumatic.

Diagnosis of the Remedy.—The keynote in this case was the feeling of a bar across chest, which is found solely under Hæmatoxylon (50); (Bar of iron around chest, argent.-nitr.), and the provings, though scanty, show a further similarity to the case (29, 30, 49). I gave the patient at once a dose of Hæmatoxylon 200; and told her to dissolve a few pellets in water, and to take a spoonful of the solution every three hours till better.

July 14th.—Reports very much better. After the fourth dose the feeling of a bar was less; it felt less heavy and with less sharp an edge, and the smarting and soreness were more diffused over chest; voice has now returned. On the first night after my prescription the upper part of throat felt inflamed and looked inflamed and glassy. The bar feeling had quite gone by evening of 10th; at the same time cough become looser, and nose began to run, which it very seldom does in these attacks. The feather sensation hardly came on at all. Says the medicine has cut the attack short.

August 2nd. -Reports that she soon recovered; has had one other cold, but it quickly ceased without medicine.

February 20th, 1888.-- Has had no bad cold since till now, when there was excessive irritation in upper throat, worse evening and night; feeling of great weakness in throat; hoarseness; a threatening of the bar sensation last night. Prescribed one dose of Hæmatoxylon 5 m. (F.C.), prepared by Dr. Tyrrell, of Toronto, and it soon cured Comments.—(I) This case adds several new symptoms to the Materia Medica, and defines and enlarges others. The remedy deserves a thorough proving.

(2) The remedy caused the cough to become looser, and the nose to run. These are always indications of improvement. When in catarrh the symptoms leave the chest and go to the nose, the remedy should be allowed to act without repetition or interference; to prescribe a new remedy for the nasal catarrh would be liable to throw the disease back upon the lungs. (3) The lasting cure by this remedy of chronic catarrhal symptoms, with a history of phthisis, suggests that Hæmatoxylon may be an antipsoric.