Spongia tosta

LARYNGITIS.

Spongia, Acute form with burning and tickling in the larynx; swelling of larynx with sensation of a plug in the throat; great hoarseness with sawing respiration, especially in threatened laryngeal phthisis.

CROUP.

Aconite will relieve nine-tenths of the cases of catarrhal laryngitis or croup as it occurs in our northern latitudes. It generally occurs as the result of exposure to dry, cold air, attacking the child in the evening or first part of the night, with great excitement, high fever, tossing and gasping for breath. A little of the 12th or 30th dilution in water in teaspoonful doses once in ten or 15 minutes, until the child becomes more quiet, and then at longer intervals until the fever subsides, will be all that is necessary if administered early in the disease. If, however, the cough persists with a rough, croupy sound, as of a “saw driven through a pine board,” and the stridulous breathing continues between the paroxysms Spongia is apt to be the next remedy. If the cough becomes more rattling, but still croupy, as if the mucus would come up but does not, and the aggravations are in the latter part of the night or morning, and especially if all the symptoms are made worse by cold air striking the patient, Hepar sulphur. comes in. These three were Bœnninghausen’s great remedies, and with them he had success never before his time attained. He gave them in the 200th. They are still as useful as then, and must always be, because Homœopathy is always the same. But there are cases that will not respond to this treatment, which proves that routinism won’t do.

PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS.

Drosera and Spongia are especially to be remembered in laryngeal cases. They with Hepar sulph. and Causticum (already considered) form a quartette of which the homœopathist may well be proud. The old school do not know their great value. With Drosera there is hoarseness, voice hoarse, deep, requires exertion to speak, only able to speak in a deep bass voice. Tickling in the larynx causing cough, hurts so that the patient supports the larynx on coughing or swallowing. Soft, hard or green expectoration. Laryngeal phthisis, with hoarseness and emaciation. Deep sounding, trumpet-toned cough (Verbascum). Sometimes spasmodic with retraction of the muscles of the abdomen; must hold on with the hands. The cough is < by lying down, laughing, singing, talking and after midnight. There may be stitching in the chest when sneezing or coughing, like Bryonia. The most characteristic symptoms are the deep bass sound of voice and cough, and the constriction of the muscles of the chest and abdomen. Drosera is particularly useful in those cases of consumption, which come on after measles.

Spongia has also great hoarseness. The cough is croupy in character. Everything seems perfectly dry and tight. There is difficulty in speaking, the voice is hollow, and gives out when singing or talking, and the larynx is sensitive to touch (Lach.). There is often burning in the larynx. Eating and drinking warm things relieves. The three

COUGH.

Character—Dry, hoarse, barking, like a saw driven through a board.

Aggravation—< in evening, talking, singing, laughing, hot room or lying.

Ameliorated—> eating or drinking, especially warm things.

Concomitants—Great hoarseness with soreness and burning in the larynx; larynx sensitive to touch; breathing, wheezing, anxious < inhalation; blood seems to rush to chest; dyspnœa, > bending forward, < lying down; goitre. Acts on apex of left lung. Acts best on blondes.

Reference to our article on croup or laryngitis will further define its sphere. It is best known in this disease where its efficacy is unquestioned, but it is also very useful in the first stage of bronchitis and pneumonia. A cardiac cough where the patient awakens suddenly out of sleep with great suffocation, alarm and anxiety is often wonderfully relieved by this remedy even in incurable valvular disease, and I have several times observed the bellows sound of long standing consequent on acute inflammatory rheumatism entirely disappear after its use in the 1,000th potency (B. & T.). In laryngeal affections it ranks with Iodine, Bromine, Kali bichromicum, Causticum, Drosera and Verbascum.