Squilla

Has been found useful in cough, with sneezing; watering of the eyes, and involuntary micturition. There may also be pleuritic stitches in the chest, with or without effusion. The cough is generally loose and rattling, with expectoration of much mucus, and the loose cough in the morning is more fatiguing than the dry one in the evening.

Verbascum thapsus. Cough, deep, hollow, hoarse, with sound like a trumpet. I have cured many cases and always used it low. I have never used the remedy for anything else.

Senega. Cough, with great accumulation of mucus, which seems to fill the chest, with much rattling, wheezing and difficult breathing; especially valuable with old people, but works well with others. Have also cured many cases of this kind and always use it low; no success with the high.

Illustrations.—Several years ago I was called to an old asthmatic, who was having a terrible paroxysm. After several days of intense suffering, which ordinary remedies did not relieve in the least, I gave him Senega three or four drops of tincture in one-half glass cold water, dessertspoonful doses once in two hours until relieved, with a promise to call again in the evening. Imagine my surprise when I called as he ushered me in with a smile and bow, for he was perfectly free from hard breathing and cough, and remained so for a long time after.

During September, 1900, I was called again to a lady 50 years of age, suffering the same way. She had been suffering for over a month, at times very severely, but this paroxysm was worst of all. The dyspnœa was very great; had to sit propped up in bed; chest rattling and wheezing; filled with mucus which she could not raise; face and hand purple from unoxygenized blood. Ipecac., Arsenic and Antimonium tart. were of no benefit. One evening after their failure I dropped seven drops of the tincture of Senega into one-half glass water, with directions to give teaspoonful once an hour until relieved, then at longer intervals. The next A. M. as soon as she saw me exclaimed, “O, doctor, I wish you could just realize how I slept. In one-half hour after the first dose I went right to sleep, and I have had a beautiful night.” I give these two cases to impress the value of this remedy upon the reader. I have used it many years in obstinate coughs with dyspnœa and difficult expectoration of mucus which seemed to fill the bronchial tubes.

Myrtus communis. Obstinate cough, mostly dry, with pain in upper portion of left chest, right through to left shoulder-blade. This is a gem and has, I believe, cured more than one case of incipient consumption for me. Sulphur, Pix liquida, Anisum, Arum tri., and Theridion have a similar symptom, but Myrtus leads, unless there is decided psoric taint, when Pix liquida or Sulphur would lead.

Drosera rotundifolia has a deep sounding, hoarse, barking or trumpet-toned cough, something like that of Verbascum, but there is more laryngeal trouble with Drosera, for the voice in talking has a deep base sound. Drosera is also one of our leading remedies in spasmodic coughs, whooping cough. With the cough there is great constriction of the chest and abdominal muscles, so that the patient holds them with the hands. The cough is worse after midnight.