Bacillinum burnett
Alias: Bac., Bacillinum
Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica, William Boericke
A Maceration of a Typical Tuberculous Lung introduced by Dr. Burnett (BACILLINUM)
Has been employed successfully in the treatment of tuberculosis; its good effects seen in the change of the sputum, which becomes decreased and more aerated and less purulent. Many forms of chronic non-tubercular disease are influenced favorably by Bacillinum, especially when bronchorrhoea and dyspnoea are present. Respiratory pyorrhea. The patient expectorates less.
Bacillinum is especially indicated for lungs of old people, with chronic catarrhal condition and enfeebled pulmonary circulation, attacks of suffocation at night with difficult cough. Suffocative catarrh. Tubercular meningitis. Favors falling off of tartar of teeth. Constant disposition to take cold.
Head.--Irritable, depressed. Severe, deep-in headache, also as of a tight hoop. Ringworm. Eczema of eyelids.
Abdomen.--Abdominal pains, enlarged lands in groins, tabes mesenterica. Sudden diarrhoea before breakfast. Obstinate constipation, with offensive flatus.
Respiratory.--Oppression. Catarrhal dyspnoea. Humid asthma. Bubbling rales and muco-purulent expectoration. Note. This muco-purulent expectoration of bronchitic patients is equally poly-bacillary; it is a mixture of diverse species and hence Bacillinum is truly indicated (Cartier). Often relieves congestion of the lungs, thus paving way for other remedies in Tuberculosis.
Skin.--Ringworm; pityriasis. Eczema of eyelids. Glands of neck enlarged and tender.
Modalities.--Worse, night and early morning; cold air.
Relationship.--Antimon iod; Lach; Arsenic iod; Myosotis. Levico, 5-10 drops, follows as an intercurrent where much debility is present (Burnett).
Complementary: Calc phos; Kali carb.
Compare: Its effects seem to be identical to that of Koch's Tuberculinum. Both are useful in the tubercular diathesis before phthisis had developed. In the early stages of tubercular disease of glands, joints, skin and bones. Psorinum. Seems to be its chronic equivalent. Bacillin testium acts especially on lower half of the body.
Dose.--The does is important. Should not be given below the thirtieth and not repeated frequently. One dose a week often sufficient to bring about reaction. It is rapid in action, and good results ought to be seen, otherwise there is no need of repetition.
A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, John Henry Clarke
A nosode of tuberculosis named and first described by Dr. Burnett, for whom it was prepared from tuberculous sputum by Dr. Heath. As this preparation has been experimented with separately, I think it, on the whole, advisable to give its symptoms apart from the other nosodes of phthisis.
Clinical.─Addison's disease. Alopecia. Consumptiveness Growth, defective. Hydrocephalus. Idiocy. Insanity. Joints, affections of. Phthiriasis. Pityriasis Ringworm. Scrofulous glands. Teeth, defective; pitted. Tuberculosis.
Characteristics.─This remedy has been used largely in infrequent doses (at intervals of a week or more) of the 30th and upwards chiefly on diathetic indications in the affections named above. In acute affections it has been found useful to dissolve a few globules in a wineglassful of water and administer a teaspoonful every four hours. In the provings, a severe headache, deep in, < by motion, was a constant symptom; also a slight cough with easy expectoration of phlegm. In cases of acute tuberculosis it has not done so well as in mote chronic cases. Dr. Cartier has found it particularly useful in cases where there was excessive muco-purulent bronchial secretion threatening to occlude the lungs. It must be compared with Bacillinum testium, Tuberculinum of Swan, Aviaire and Tuberculinum of Koch. Dr. Burnett has shown that ringworm of the scalp and pityriasis versicolor on the body are indications of tubercular diathesis, and they respond to this remedy. Also they are leading indications for it when present in combination with other affections. A case of insanity with pityriasis yielded rapidly to the remedy. Phthiriasis has been cured by it when all attempts to kill the body-lice by parasiticides were useless. Dr. Young has recorded the cure of several cretinous idiots. An inter-current course of Bacillinum will often make a wonderful change in patients who have a personal or family history of chest affections. I have found an eczematous condition of the margins of the eyelids a strong indication for it. < Night and early morning; < cold air. It is a diathetic remedy of vast importance. The symptoms of the schema are taken from the provings by Burnett and myself recorded in the last edition of Burnett's The Cure of Consumption by its own Virus, together with some cured symptoms, and some from a proving by R. Boocock.
Relations.─Calc. phos. goes with this remedy very well. So do Lach. and Kali c. I know of no antidote.
SYMPTOMS.
1. Mind.─Taciturn, sulky, snappish, fretty, irritable, morose, depressed and melancholic even to insanity.─Fretful ailing, whines and complains; mind given to be frightened, particularly by dogs.
2. Head.─Severe headache, deep in, recurring from time to time, compelling quiet fixedness; < shaking head.─Terrible pain in head as if he had a tight hoop of iron round it; trembling of hands; sensation of damp clothes on spine; absolute sleeplessness.─Meningitis.─Ringworm.─Alopecia areata.
3. Eyes.─Eczematous condition of eyelids.
6. Face.─Indolent, angry pimple on l. cheek, breaking out from time to time and persisting for many weeks.
7. Teeth.─Aching in teeth, esp. lower incisors (all sound), felt at the roots esp. on raising or projecting lower lip; very sensitive to air.─Grinds teeth in sleep.─Imperfectly developed teeth.
9. Throat.─Tickling in fauces, compelling cough.
11. Stomach.─Windy dyspepsia, with pinching pains under ribs of r. side in mammary line.
12. Abdomen.─Fever, emaciation, abdominal pains and discomfort restless at night, glands of both groins enlarged and indurated; cries out in sleep; strawberry tongue.─Tabes mesenterica; talks in sleep; grinds teeth; appetite poor; hands blue; indurated and palpable glands everywhere; drum belly; spleen region bulging out.─Inguinal glands indurated and visible; excessive sweats; chronic diarrhoea.
13. Stool and Anus.─Sudden diarrhoea before breakfast, with nausea.─Severe haemorrhages from bowels, cough.─Obstinate constipation.─Passes much ill-smelling flatus.─Stitch-like pain through piles.
14. Urinary Organs.─Increased quantity of urine, pale, with white sediment.─Has to rise several times in night to urinate.
17. Respiratory Organs.─Slight, tedious, hacking cough.─Hard cough, shaking patient, more during sleep but it did not waken him.─Pricking in larynx with sudden cough.─Single cough on rising from bed in morning.─Cough waking him in night; easy expectoration.─Expectoration of non-viscid easily detached, thick phlegm from air passages, followed after a day or two by a very clear ring of voice.─Sharp pain in precordial region arresting breathing.─Very sharp pain in l. scapula, < lying down in bed at night, > by warmth.
20. Neck and Back.─Glands of neck enlarged and tender.
23. Lower Limbs.─Pain in l. knee whilst walking; passed off after persevering in walking for a short distance.─Tubercular inflammation of knee.
24. Generalities.─Great weakness, did not want to be disturbed.
26. Sleep.─Drowsy during day; restless at night; many dreams.
27. Fever.─Flush of heat (soon after the dose), some perspiration, severe headache deep in.
Keynotes and Characteristics with Comparisons of Some of the Leading Remedies of the Materia Medica (Allen's Keynotes), Henry Clay Allen
Pus (with bacilli) from tubercular abscess (A Nosode)
Adapted to persons of light complexion; blue eyes, blonde in preference to brunette; tall slim, flat, narrow chest; active and precocious mentally, weak physically; the tubercular diathesis. When the family history of tubercular affections the best selected remedy fails to relieve or permanently improve, without reference to name of disease. Symptoms ever changing; ailments affecting one organ, then another - the lungs, brain, kidneys, liver, stomach, nervous system - beginning suddenly, ceasing suddenly. Takes cold easily without knowing how or where; seems to take cold "every time he takes a breath of fresh air" (Hep.). Emaciation rapid and pronounced; losing flesh while eating well (Abrot., Calc., Con., Iod., Nat.). Melancholy, despondent; morose, irritable, fretful, peevish; taciturn, sulky; naturally of a sweet disposition, now on the borderland of insanity. Everything in the room seemed strange, as though in a strange place. Headache: chronic, tubercular; pain intense, sharp, cutting, from above right eye to occiput; as of an iron hoop round the head (Anac., Sulph.); when the best selected remedy only palliates. School-girl's headache: < by study or even slight mental exertion; when using eyes in close work and glasses fail to >; with a tubercular history. Acute cerebral or basilar meningitis, with threatened effusion; nocturnal hallucinations; wakes from sleep frightened, screaming; when Apis, Hell., or Sulph., though well selected, fail to improve. Crops of small boils, intensely painful, successively appear in the nose; green, fetid pus (Sec.). Plica polonica; several bad cases permanently cured after Bor. and Psor. failed. Diarrhoea: early morning, sudden, imperative (Sulph.); emaciating though eating well (Iod., Nat.); stool dark, brown, watery, offensive; discharged with great force; great weakness and profuse night sweats. Menses: too early; too profuse; too long-lasting; tardy in starting; with frightful dysmenorrhoea; in patients with a tubercular history. Tubercular deposit begins in apex of lungs, usually the left (Phos., Sulph., Ther.). Eczema: tubercular over entire body; itching intense, < at night when undressing, from bathing; immense quantities of white bran-like scales; oozing behind the ears, in the hair, in folds of skin with rawness and soreness; fiery red skin. Ringworm.
Relations. - Complementary: Psor., Sulph. When Psor., Sulph., or the best selected remedy fails to relieve or permanently improve; follows Psor. as a constitutional remedy in hay fever, asthma. Belladonna, for acute attacks, congestive or inflammatory, occurring in tubercular diseases. Hydrastis to fatten patients cured with Tuber.
Note: *The potencies of Fincke and Swan were prepared from a drop of pus obtained from a pulmonary tubercular abscess or sputa. Those of Heath from a tuberculous lung in which the bacillus tuberculosis had been found microscopically; hence the former was called Tuberculinum and the latter Bacillinum. Both preparations are reliable and effective.