The palmar surface of the left forearm was torn to the bone by a buzz saw. It was dressed by adhesive plaster, which was put on so tightly that it had to be removed in 24 hours, replaced by another and a few stitches taken; but the whole hand began to swell, became very painful, gradually grew worse for 18 days, during which patient had but few hours sleep. Whole hand and forearm were enormously swollen, almost black in colour and mortification threatened. Amputation was now decided.

At this stage a homoeopathic physician found in addition to the symptoms above the patient delirious and excited; he could not lie down, for the bed was too hard, nor could he rest the arm on anything, for everything on which it lay also seemed to hard. Pyrogenium 50M. In a few hours he was sleeping quietly, temperature reduced and pain lessened. Improvement was rapid and steady to complete recovery. (Allen's Nosodes)

Case 12

Clarke quotes a case of nephritis treated by Pyrogenium which deserves careful consideration. A woman aged 50 had been under treatment for Bright's disease at various hospitals, including the Hahnemann Hospital in New York, to which she was readmitted in March 1890 under the care of Dr. D. The urine showed an enormous amount of albumin and a variety of casts. Feet and legs greatly swollen, face puffy. Throbbing headache, often accompanied by nosebleed, nausea and vomiting, worse for motion and light; abnormally bright eyes, widely dilated pupils. Bell gave temporary relief, but the condition soon became desperate. Dr. D then learned that the trouble dated from a large abscess resulting from a lanced, badly managed felon of the left thumb. She was ill six weeks with this abscess, having, as her doctor said, "blood poisoning." Soon after this her face and feet began to swell. On 31st May the condition was: feet, legs and genitals greatly swollen, frightful throbbing headache better for tight band constantly worn, or heat; very fond of hot baths. Headaches had terrible aggravations lasting two to four days, during which time she could neither lie in bed nor sit up, but was in constant motion, groaning and crying piteously for help. One dose of Pyrogenium CM was given, and although the patient on one occasion begged for something to relieve the pain nothing else was given. In the course of June she began to mend, and on the 20th October she was discharged cured.

Case 13

A boy of 18 months was admitted to the children's ward in the morning, having developed the first symptoms of bronchopneumonia during the previous evening. I put him on Lyc 200 two-hourly, but when I saw him that evening there was no improvement in his condition. In these circumstances there is almost always some sign of improvement in eight or ten hours at the most, with the right remedy. A routine throat swab taken on admission showed the presence of Vincent's angina 2. There were no other obvious symptoms pointing to another remedy, and I considered prescribing penicillin as he was quite ill. The chart showed a marked discrepancy between pulse and temperature with a relative tachycardia, and I put him on Pyrogenium 200 two-hourly, but asked the night sister to call me if there was any change for the worse, and to give him penicillin immediately. He was much better in the morning and a throat swab demonstrated that the Vincent's angina had disappeared. He had not needed penicillin. He made an uneventful recovery but was rather slow in finally clearing up. He was given Psor, which is complementary to Pyrogenium, with apparently good results. In this case there were no other symptoms such as restlessness, offensiveness, etc. Subsequently I have prescribed Pyrogenium on the basis of relative tachycardia, or a swinging temperature when a septic focus was present, when apparently indicated remedies failed, often in the absence of any other Pyrogenium symptoms, and almost always successfully.

Case 14

I have a memorable Pyrogenium case (being that of my wife) that Borland'sdescription in his Influenzas led me in the right direction.

We had gone on holiday quite far off the main roads with another homoeopath and his family. The first evening my wife tried a little piece (almost microscopic) of a fish I caught (she is vegetarian). The next morning she felt ill and by 10 am was quite sick. Vomiting and urging with scanty diarrhoea, very chilly "If only I could do a good poo I would be alright." Nux-v 200C

No help, at lunch she was still on the toilet now with cold perspiration on the forehead and chewing up all the ice cubes we could find her, though very chilly. Stool now green, vomiting but nothing left to come out except water. Rx Verat 1M

No help from the Verat, by the evening I discovered she had marked rebound tenderness over the lower abdomen. Couldn't stand to move, even passive motion was intolerable. She couldn't stand to go to the nearest town in the dark over those bumpy roads. Rx. Bry 200C as needed.

Bry helped the pains somewhat that night but the improvement wasn't satisfactory in the morning, so we left the kids with our friends and drove into town (about 1hr over gravel roads). She was now quite severely dehydrated and in pain. Diagnosis appendicitis, probably burst. She was rushed back to Auckland by ambulence and I went back to relieve our friends of the baby at least and followed.

The appendix was taken out and all the pus cleaned up but the appendix was normal. Now the drama starts, next diagnosis (textbook) is STD. I was absolutely convinced that this was not a possibility, which I stated (to their suprise), and refused to take my course of antibiotics. Anyway when I went to visit that evening she was feeling much better with the fluid replacement. Her fever was still very high but she was very bright, loquacious and chatty (Borland). This made me think of Pyrogenium. The next day I came with a 10M of Pyrogenium and she told me her strange dream of the night before. (Was in a hospital but she was so large that she filled it all like a dolls house,and was busy working to fill the rooms with fresh vegetables). The temperature graph was spiking up and down, her pulse while not slow was anything but fast. Rx Pyrogenium 10M.

Within half an hour she had a stool and felt much better after that. The next day the temperature was still a little high, though even, a vaginal discharge had set in and her feet were burning constantly, had to uncover them. Her constitutional remedy has always been Puls though I waited another few days to give it and after that the feet stopped burning immediately the bowels improved further and her energy and depression improved. Went on to a rapid and complete recovery.

They hadn't taken a swab when they did the operation but the small town GP took a swab of the uterus which turned up a very resistant strain of streptococcus, my son had brought this back from a school camp, in a cut foot, which had the city waste water running into the bay nearby. While we all had got a nasty tonsillitis a month before my wife only had a cut on her leg go septic. It seems that it got into the uterus via the bath water. (John Wilmshurst, New Zealand)

Case 15

Hi Ian, was talking to John Wilmshurst about your Pyrogenium project. He reminded me of the first time I used this remedy.

My daughter, about 4 yrs old developed an abscess in her R upper teeth. Complained of a pain off and on then started swelling. Swelling became quite extreme, whole R side of face, very painful to touch, couldn't eat and drinking difficult, tongue dirty coating and breath offensive. Almost a besotted expression on her face. Gave Hep and Heckla over a couple of days with no effect, the problem just got worse. Face red and swollen, noticed a darker line on the face moving up towards the eye one evening before bed, gave Pyrogenium and worried all night and resolved that it was time for antibiotics.

In the morning the pain was almost completely gone and the swelling down about half of what it had been, red streak gone. Took about another 2-3 days for the swelling to go completely. Face had been so swollen, she was really unrecognisable from normal appearance. Very violent but with the correct remedy almost instant relief.

I was with John when his wife got ill, that story he has recounted to you. This is an easy remedy to overlook and little understood. I have been meaning to do some work on it for a long time.

Hope this helps, John Summerville, NZ

Case 16

Elderly lady presenting with a very bad chronic ulcer on her R.leg. Has had bad circulation for years. Edges look thick and hard, it discharges constantly, thin and again highly offensive.Her breath also is offensive. The ulcer makes her physically restless. Decided to give her Pyrogenium, the ulcer itself seemed very putrid. Pyrogenium 6, tds for 10 days.

Discharged a lot more after 3 days, very smelly. Now discharge has gone, smell had gone. Ulcer is beginning to heal. Main problem is poor circulatiuon, so now is the time to give a deeper remedy Calc 30 given 2 months ago. Ulcer looking lots better.

Apart from the relationships of remedies mentioned in the Materia Medicae, it seems to be like Merc, as noted with Jeni T. (Case 17). (Lorraine Hart, RSHom)

Case 17

Started after a pilaenoidal sinus(?)  — a huge abscess at the base of the spine. This had taken months to develop, it was chronic, after this was operated on she started with a history of abscesses. Constant boils and abscesses. burning. itching. Sometimes blind, sometimes they ooze sticky, clear blood-stained fluid. Painful. Very offensive. Under arms and groin most affected. She gets feverish with them and is very restless from the pain. The rest of the case fitted Pulsatilla very well. But because I remembered Pyrogenium in NBWS serious infection. and the high level of toxicity (the oozing fluid from the abscesses was highly offensive), the restlessness and the burning nature of the abscesses, I decided to give Pyrogenium first to clear the way for the deeper remedy. Pyrogenium 6, tds for 10 days.

Four weeks later, following the Pyrogenium, there was a big eruption of lumps and bumps which were very painful and sceptic, but which but resolved really quickly. Also, they smelled foul. She has had no abscesses for two weeks. But still lots of pimples. Gave Pulsatilla next. No abscesses since.