The Science of Therapeutics - Classical Homeopathy Online

Full text of "The Science of Therapeutics: According to the Principles of Homeopath...Page 374 of 653a recumbent posture, the little sores heal very speedily, but breopen again very easily if the person has to stand a great deal, sthat the existence of such ulcers at any previous period leaves aconstant liability to their returning again at a subsequent time.In the higher walks of life, where every measure \a taken fromthe start to prevent the formation of ulcers, a peculiar cutaneouaffection is witnessed in their stead. The skin assumes a very daand bluish color, and scattered and violently itching pustules fovery frequently, or else the skin peels off in scales, leaving thface moist. This form of the varicose affection is by far the mosmalignant and distressing.Veins. 441"With an entire change in the mode of living the varicose ulcersmay heal of themselves, but this is undoubtedly a very rareoccurrence.Treatment. Painless varices, without ulceration, cannot beregarded as an object of treatment, nor do we believe that anybody can imagine the feasibility of removing them by means ofmedicines. If pains are felt, and the subcutaneous cellular tissubecomes infiltrated, it would seem as though medicines might beuseful; at any rate we have seen a rapid improvement take placeafter the use of Staphysagriay Lycopodium and Graphites. Theseare the only remedies which we can recommend as long as j^heulcers are painful. Of other remedies, of which we have had abundant opportunities of trying a large number, such as Sulphur j SepSilicea^ Mercurius, Aurum, Rhus toz., etc., we have never perceivthe least effect. \_Ha7namdis virg. is frequently used by Americaphysicians. H.] If the ulcer has become atonic, even the threefirst-named remedies are no longer of any use, and a mechanicaltreatment is the only treatment that can prove of any use. Thesethree remedies are likewise the only ones that we can recommendfor the peculiar cutaneous affection, but we must confess that thtoo will often leave us in the lurch. Our main resource in treatithese varicose disorders are external or mechanical means. Thedilatation of the veins being chiefly a passively mechanical chanit is evident that moderate compression by means of a good bandage will moderate and finally remove the varicose dilatationaltogether. If individuals with marked varicose dilatationsconstantly wear a bandage, they will never be troubled with ulcernor with any other cutaneous affection. Existing ulcers heal veryrapidly under a carefully-applied bandage, so much more rapidlyif we first cover them with strips of adhesive plaster and a layeof cotton wadding over these, so as to protect them from all contwith atmospheric air. By pursuing this course we have neverknown ulcere of any size or of upwards of twenty years' standingto remain uncured ; but we have never shunned the trouble ofapplying the bandage ourselves. The longest time it has taken usto heal these ulcers, is six months. In this case the ulcer was aa quarter of a square foot in size, the subjacent periosteum wasconsiderably infiltrated, the skin was hypertrophied from the toeto the knee as in a case of exquisite elephantiasis, and had theappearance of an enormous wart. All these deep-seated alterationsvielded to the exclusive use of the bandage. If the excessivehttp://www.archive.org/stream/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog_djvu.txt