Homeopathic Prevention/Treatment of Typhoid

[Sheri Nakken]

Homeopathic Prevention/Treatment of Typhoid

http://www.hpathy.com/diseases/typhoid- ... t-cure.asp

TYPHOID FEVER
Typhoid fever is an illness caused by the
bacterium Salmonella Typhi. You can get typhoid
fever if you eat food or drink beverages that
have been handled by a person who is shedding S.
Typhi or if sewage contaminated with S. Typhi
bacteria gets into the water you use for drinking or washing food.

Signs and Symptoms of Typhoid Fever

Persons with typhoid fever usually have a
sustained fever as high as 103° to 104° F (39° to
40° C). They may also feel weak, or have stomach
pains, headache, or loss of appetite. In some
cases, patients have a rash of flat, rose-colored
spots. The only way to know for sure if an
illness is typhoid fever is to have samples of
stool or blood tested for the presence of S. Typhi.
Homeopathic Medicines & Treatment for Typhoid Fever

#Baptisia. [Bapt]
Perhaps no remedy presents a clearer picture of a
typical case of typhoid fever than Baptisia, yet
it is far from being indicated in every case. Its
indication are pretty clearly marked, but it
often needs careful distinguishing from other
remedies; thus it has a drowsy, stupid state,
like Arnica, and it has a black or brownish
coated tongue, which is also found under Rhus.
Like Arnica, too the patient falls asleep while
answering question, and the bed feels too hard.
It has to be especially distinguished from these
two remedies. It suits poisoned blood conditions,
and is applicable to any stage of the disease,
unquestionably aborting the disease at times, and
the typical symptoms are these: a dull, dark
besotted countenance, as if intoxicated; this is
very characteristic. The patient feels tired and
bruised all over; again like Arnica, he is
restless, and tosses about the bed to find a soft
spot, but his restlessness is rather due to the
mental than the physical condition. The eyes are
heavy and stupid. Delirium is often present, and
here we find a peculiar and very characteristic
symptom, which is that the patient thinks he is
scattered about and this makes him toss about the
bed to collect the pieces; there is apt to be,
also profound prostration; the tongue may have a
brown streak down the center, the teeth are
covered with sordes and the breath is foetid, and
all exhalations and discharges from the patient
are exceedingly offensive. The temperature is
high, and so is the pulse, and there is
tenderness in the ileo-caecal region. If the
characteristic expression of countenance, the
characteristic mental condition and the
characteristic offensiveness of all discharges
are taken into consideration, no mistakes can be
made in the indications for Baptisia. A certainty
of death and despair of cure is mentioned by Jahr
as a prominent symptoms. It seems to have a
tranquilizing action on the brain. Mellon has
shown conclusively its value by its action on the blood.

Remember the trio:

1. Unusual foetidity.
2. Besotted expression.
3. Mental depression.

It is well to remember also that the best effects
are not in variably had from the tincture but from the 6th upwards.

#Rhus toxicodendron. [Rhus-t]

Rhus in another remedy thoroughly suitable for
the typhoid state. It comes in when a putrid
decomposition of fluids takes place. It
corresponds to any early stage as well. It has
restlessness, brown tongue and muscular soreness,
all of which are found under Baptisia, but the
restlessness of Rhus is to relieve the muscular
soreness. The characteristic triangular red tip
to the tongue found under this remedy is not
found under Baptisia, and if there be a degree to
the offensiveness of the discharges it is less under Rhus than under Baptisia.

The mental symptoms of Rhus is this disease are a
muttering delirium, and, perhaps, refusal to take
the medicine for fear of being poisoned. The
imagination is active, and the patients are
disturbed its varied phases. There is often
headache and nosebleed, which relieves the
headache. There is diarrhoea of yellowish-brown
stools of offensive odor, and like Hyoscyamus,
may be involuntary. The abdomen is tympanitic and
sensitive over the ileo-caecal region. There are
pains in the back and limbs. It is especially
indicated for backache that is severe., The
spleen is also sensitive. There is apt to be,
when Rhus is indicated, some pulmonary
congestion. The characteristic are the
restlessness, the red-tipped tongue, the
offensive discharges the trembling of the chin and involuntary stools.

Croton tiglium is one of our best remedies for
the complication of diarrhoea, with colic
preceding stool, with discharge gushing and with much gas. We use the 6x.

#Bryonia. [Bry]
This is one of the great typhoid fever remedies,
and is sooner or later, indicated in a majority
of cases of the disease. The characteristic
symptoms are these : great soreness over the
body. Tired feeling. Every exertion fatigues. He
has a dread of all motion. A splitting ,agonizing
frontal headache,worse from motion. The face gets
red towards evening. There is a fullness of the
head in the morning, which followed by nose
bleed. The sleep is troubled, and the patient
dreams of business. There may also be a delirium
in which patient dreams of business. There may
also be a delirium in which the patient imagines
he is away from home, and consequently wants to
go home. The patient drinks large quantities at
long intervals. This thirst of Bryonia, when
present is characteristic. The bowels are
generally constipated; indeed some writers claim
that Bryonia ceases to be of value when diarrhoea
sets in; but soft, mushy stools may be present
and yet not contra-indicate the remedy. The best
place for the remedy is early, before the
vitality is greatly lowered either by
constipation or diarrhoea. Given here,it will
soothe the gastric irritation, shown by the
sensitiveness of the epigastric region, moisten
the tongue and bringing the whole condition to a
favorable turn. Jahr gave it as soon as heaviness
of limbs was felt, headache, white coated tongue,
loss of appetite, etc. Bryonia may be confounded
in the stages of the disease with Belladonna, but
the evidences of cerebral erethism are much
violent under Belladonna. Rhus and Bryonia are so
different that no comparison can be made. One
point, however, should be remembered, Rhus has
usually diarrhoea and Bryonia usually constipation.

#Arnica. [Arn]
Arnica frequently fits in this disease most
usefully. As above stated, it has many symptoms
common to Baptisia and Rhus, yet its individual
symptoms are marked. It is a remedy that is not
so likely to be indicated early as Baptisia.
There is a stupor, and indifference to
everything, patients do not know that they are
sick, and care less; they go to sleep while
answering questions; the head is hot the body
cool, and all over there is a bruised feeling;
the patient tosses about the bed to find a soft
spot; the stools and urine are in involuntary;
there are ecchymoses and bed sores, petechiae
appear all over the body; finally a condition of
stupor arrives characterized by dropping of lower
jaw. The three-legged stool of Arnica in this disease is:

1. The bruised, sore feeling all over the body.
2. The ecchymoses.
3. The involuntary stools and urine.

No other drug has this trio of characteristic.

Baehr places the remedy between Bryonia and Rhus.

#Arsenicum. [Ars]
This is one of the remedies for typhoid fever
when the case begins to looks "bad"; but it is
hardly ever indicated in the beginning of the
disease, though Dr. J. S. Mitchell advocates it
even here, and many authors recommend it from
start to finish, but such routine practice is not
Homoeopathy or even sense. The terrible
prostration so characteristic of the drug is
accompanied by an irritability and anxiety. The
patient is faint and weak, exhausted, perhaps
with cold sweat and delirium; the mouth and teeth
are covered with sordes; the mouth is sore; there
is a diarrhoea of dark, offensive stools, intense
fever and the characteristic Arsenicum thirst.
Like Rhus, there is restlessness, but it is
rather a "prostrated restlessness" than a
"rheumatic restlessness." All the symptoms of
Arsenicum are worse after midnight. An extremely
red tongue has always been a guiding and
characteristic symptoms of this remedy. When the
thirst, the prostration, the red tongue, the
picture of complete exhaustion, the diarrhoea and
the prostrated restlessness are present in any
given case Arsenicum is the only remedy to be thought of.

#Cinchona [Chin]
Has some similarity to Arsenicum in its debility,
and it has also a tympanitic condition of the
abdomen; and Colchicum should not be overlooked,
as it sometimes stand midway between Arsenicum
and Cinchona, having the great debility and
restlessness of the former remedy and the tympany
of the latter. Preponderance of abdominal
symptoms should suggest Cinchona. It is also the remedy during convalescence.

#Carbo vegetabilis. [Carb-v]
This is another low down remedy; suitable when
there is a giving out of vital forces and the
patient seems on the brink of dissolution and
lies pulseless and cold; feet and legs,
especially below the knees, are cold. The
discharges are horribly offensive and
colliquative. The characteristics are the great
prostration, the desire for air patient wants to
be fanned all the time -and the cold extremities,
which are frequently covered with cold
perspiration; the sunken hippocratic face, cyanosis, ecchymoses and bed sores.

#Lachesis. [Lach]
This is a remedy also indicated in the later
stages of typhoid, where the patient is in a
stuporous condition; lower haw dropped, perhaps a
low muttering or loquacious delirium; all showing
a tendency to cerebral paralysis; diarrhoea is
present, and, like the preceding remedy, is
offensive. The tongue is dry and catches on the
teeth when it protrudes, also it trembles, here
being similar to Apis; and in the dropping of the
lower jaw and symptoms of paralysis of brain it
should be distinguished from Opium, which has in
addition a dark red face and stertorous
breathing, and from Hyoscyamus, which is
especially characterized by muscular twitchings.
Nash places Nux moschata alongside of Opium in
the nervous and stupid varieties of typhoid
fever, giving as well known characteristics
excessively dry mouth, no thirst and a stupid,
silent, immovable condition. Another indication
for Lachesis is haemorrhages; the blood from the
bowels is dark; indeed, haemorrhages may occur
from any orifice of the body. The general
hypersensitiveness of the drug, if present, renders the choice certain.

#Muriatic acid. [Mur-ac]
Great weakness characterizes this remedy, great
foetor of the breath, and ulceration of the
mucous membrane. Salivary glands tender and
swollen, mouth very sore. It corresponds th later
stages, where putridity is prominent and the
weakness is expressed as being so marked that he
slips down to the foot of the bed. The tongue is
so dry that it rattles in the moth. The diarrhoea
is watery and often escapes while urinating; the
heart is feeble, irregular and intermits every
third beat. Bed sores are prone to form; petechiae and oedema of ankles.

Muriatic acid has many symptoms similar to Rhus;
but decomposition is much more evident than under
Rhus, and the acid rather follows than precedes Rhus.

Nitric acid and Millefolium occupy the first
place in haemorrhages from the bowels.

Hamamelis is also a valuable remedy in the haemorrhage.

Terebinth and China also.

Trinks praises Muriatic acid in erethistic
conditions too severe for Bryonia, too asthenic
for Rhus, and not cerebral enough for belladonna.

#Kali phosphoricum. [Kali-p]
Clinically, at least, this remedy deserves a
place among the great typhoid fever remedies.
Provings of this drug thus far have been, to say
the least, uncertain, having been made mostly
with fluxion potencies of uncertain strength. A
vast array of cases cured by this remedy. aside
from the Schuesslerian idea, would indicate the
following as being good Kali phosphoricum
symptoms: a dry, brown tongue, foul and putrid
diarrhoea, great debility, low pulse, offensive
breath, sordes on teeth, with great mental
depression; delirium. Tine blood seems extremely
vitiated and full of the typhoid poison. All
discharges are extremely offensive.

#Gelsemium. [Gels]
This is a remedy often indicated in the first
stage, and especially in comparatively mild
cases. The patient feels sore and bruised all
over, as if pounded, there being also a dread of
motion, headache, drowsiness, red face; the
nervous symptoms are predominant. Patient is
characteristically dull and apathetic, and looks
and feels as if he were going to have a fit of
sickness; but he does not care much, he never
worries over his condition. Drooping eyelids in
characteristic, it shows general languor and
malaise. Trembling is scarcely less prominent.
There is chilliness, full and flowing pulse, not
resisting as in Aconite. Gelsemium usually
precedes Baptisia, its symptoms being similar but
milder. Nash says Baptisia leads when soreness is
most prominent, and Gelsemium when prostration is
most marked. The mind is clouded with Baptisia,
not so much so with Gelsemium. Dr. G. J. Jones
preferred Gelsemium to Baptisia, and he used the second dilution.

#Phosphoric acid. [Ph-ac]
Under this remedy we have characteristically
sensorial depression, indifference and perfect
apathy, but out of this condition he is easily
aroused and is perfectly rational. There is apt
to be nose bleed, and abdominal symptoms are
plentiful. The abdomen is distended and bloated;
there is much rumbling and gurgling and painless
diarrhoea, stools often containing undigested
matter. There may also be present intestinal
haemorrhage. Like Arsenic, Baptisia and
Colchicum, the tongue is dry and the teeth
covered with sordes. With this remedy there is a
characteristic aversion to conversation and
patient is apt to lie with a stupid, fixed,
glassy stare. Stramonium has the opposite of this-desire to talk and wild look.

Phosphorous has more sensorial excitement and
more dryness of the tongue than Phosphoric acid.
It is to Phosphoric acid that Arsenic is to Rhus.
It is also the main remedy when pneumonia complicates.

#Hyoscyamus. [Hyos]
This remedy is quite likely to be required sooner
or later in typhoid fever, for some symptoms at
least; that is, there are times when it will
accord with totality. In the early stage of the
disease the delirium and the later the symptoms
of cerebral paralysis may call for Hyoscyamus. It
the delirium be furious or low and muttering,
with picking at the bed clothes, and especially
if subsultus tendinum be present, then Hyoscyamus
is the remedy. Still later there may be dropping
of the lower jaw, the patient being exceedingly
weak and tremulous, with muscular twitchings as a
prominent symptoms. With Hyoscyamus,too, we have
involuntary stools. In the delirium there is much
similarity between evidences of blood poisoning
than Belladonna. This fact should be borne in
mind in the treatment of typhoid fever, and drugs
selected according to the totality of the
symptoms; but the pathological condition should
be taken into consideration in making up that totality.
Typhoid vaccine, whose use has been made
officially obligatory in certain quarters and
which produces extreme malaise and fatigue, has
been employed with success by Waters in the
Massachusetts Homoeopathic Hospital in the higher
potencies, as the lower provoke aggravations in
incipient cases. It has been declared convincing
in its utility, both as preventive and a remedy
for the actual disease. There seems to be no
characteristic indicating feature, than that it is "good in Typhoid conditions".