Kaolinum

Volume I — Special Symptomatology

(Silicate of Alumina.)

Description. — Kaolin is "Porcelain clay." It is composed of Silica and Alumina from decomposing feldspar. It is found native in Europe, in the£ form of a clay, from which smoking-pipes are made.

Officinal Preparations. — Triturations to 3d x ; dilutions.

Analogues. — Bromine (f), Hcpar sulph. (?), Iodine (?), Kali bich. (?), Spongia (f), Sanguinaria (?).

(No Provings.)

° Pseudo - membranous croup — used successfully by Dr. Landsmann, of Vienna, Dr. Parker, of Philadelphia, and Dr. W. S. Searle, of New York.

(See Therapeutics, Vol. II.)

Volume II — Special Therapeutics

The homoeopathic preparation of this medicine is made from the purest u pipe-clay ” by triturations. Several physicians of our school have used it with alleged success in croup, even when supposed to be pseudo-membranous, with gratifying success. It has not been used extensively, however, nor do I think you will find any advantage in substituting this for the old and tried croup remedies.

We have in Hepar sulphur, Spongia and Sanguinaria, medicines which cover nearly all the varieties of croup.

I scarcely need inform’ you that nearly all cases of simple spasmodic or catarrhal croup run their course in three days (or nights), whether you give any medicine or not. In fact, they do just as well without it. It is only in cases when actual inflammation or exudation has set in that any treatment is necessary. A catarrhal croup rarely goes beyond congestion of the mucous membrane ; it becomes spasmodic when the laryngeal nerves are irritated ; and pseudo-membranous only when inflammation occurs, in which case inhalations of Bromine, Iodine, and Sanguinaria, according to the specific indications, with their internal administration, is usually successful.