John Drysdale was the first, in
1880, to suggest the use of this substance as a medicament (On
Pyrexin or Pyrogen as a Therapeutic Agent, Baillière, Tyndale & Cox). Burdon
Sanderson has stated (B. M. J., February 13, 1875) that
"only liquids which contain bacteria or have a marked proneness to their
production" are capable of setting up pyrexia. This remark struck Drysdale, and though,
of course, he could not endorse the "only" of the statement─many
drugs known to homœopaths set up fever─he saw that the fact might be
turned to account. Sanderson further defines Pyrogen as
"a chemical non-living substance formed by living bacteria, but also by living
pus-corpuscles, or the living blood- or tissue-protoplasms from which these corpuscles
spring." In Sanderson's experiments with Pyro. the
following effects were observed. (1) From a non-fatal
dose: The animal shivers and begins to move about restlessly. The temperature rises from 2°
to 3° C., the maximum being reached in three hours. Thirst and vomiting come on, followed
by feculent and thin mucous, and finally bloody diarrhœa and tenesmus. In five hours these
symptoms begin to subside, and the animal recovers with wonderful rapidity. When death
occurs it is from heart failure. In non-fatal cases with
gastro-enteric symptoms the temperature gradually rises for four hours, and as gradually
subsides: in fatal cases it rises rapidly to 104° F.,
then rapidly declines to below normal. (2) From a fatal
dose: There is intestinal hæmorrhage, purging, collapse, and death. After death
extravasations of blood are found in heart, pleura, and pericardium; the spleen is enlarged
and full of blood. Mucous membrane of stomach and small intestines is intensely injected
with detachment of epithelium and exudation of bloody fluid, which distends the gut. The
blood is dark, the corpuscles being in clumps instead of rolls, and many being dissolved in
the liquor sanguinis. White corpuscles partially disintegrated. Drysdale prepared a tincture
of Pyro.─which he preferred to call Pyrexin, since it is not a mere fever-producer:
others have called it Sepsin; but this is too close to Septicæmin, a name given to a related and perhaps identical
nosode: I have chosen to retain the name Pyrogen, by
which the remedy is best known in homœopathy─and put his own suggestion
into practice. His success was very encouraging, but as he continued to use the Ø tincture
and lowest attenuations the difficulty of keeping the preparation was not small; and the
remedy did not come into extensive use till Burnett published his pamphlet on Pyrogenium in Fevers and Blood-poisoning in 1888. Burnett used
chiefly the 6th centesimal dilution, which is perfectly harmless, and which will keep
indefinitely. Heath, who made one of the preparations used by Burnett, gave some of it to
Swan, of New York, who ran it up into the high infinitesimals. Much of the American
experience is with Swan's attenuations, including a proving by Sherbino (Med. Adv., xxv. 369), whose symptoms I have marked (S) in the
Schema. The remainder of the symptoms of the Schema are for the most part clinical. Yingling
(H. P., xiii. 402) collected symptoms from many reported
cases, and arranged them with the symptoms of the proving. (Yingling erroneously describes Pyro. as prepared from "pus from septic abscess." This
is Septicæmin. He refers, however, to Burnett's
pamphlet and to cases cured with Pyro., leaving the
actual substance referred to not in doubt. H. C. Allen, who published the proving and most
of the cases in Med. Adv., rightly describes Pyro. as a "Product of Sepsis"). Drysdale's original
cases include a number in which threatened typhoid was averted, a case of tabes mesenterica
cured, and one of ulceration of the colon greatly benefited. Burnett's were cases of fully
developed typhoid all cut short at the height by Pyro. 6
given every two hours. In his pamphlet is included a successful experience of Dr.
Shouldham's with Pyro. 6 in two cases of diphtheritic
sore threat. I have had ample opportunity of observing the power of Pyro.
over typhoid fever, and typhoid and hectic states, including one of discharging abscess
connected with Pott's disease of the spine. T. M. Dillingham reports (Med. Adv., xxvii. 367) the case of a young German Jewess who had
been under treatment at various hospitals for Bright's disease, and at the Hahnemann Hospital of New York among Others. To this she was
readmitted on March 14, 1890, when she first came under Dr. Dillingham's care. The urine
showed an enormous amount of albumen and a variety of casts. Feet and legs greatly swollen,
face puffy. Throbbing headache, often accompanied by profuse nose-bleed, nausea, and
vomiting; < motion and light; abnormally bright eyes,
widely dilated pupils. Bell. gave temporary relief; but
on May 31st the condition was desperate. Dillingham then learned that the trouble dated from
a large abscess resulting from a lanced, badly cared-for felon of the left thumb. She was
ill six weeks with this abscess, having, as her doctors said, "blood poisoning."
Soon after this her face and feet began to swell. On May 31st the condition was this: Feet,
legs, and genitals greatly swollen. Frightful throbbing headache, >
by tight band constantly worn. > By heat; very fond
of the hot bath. 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. Pyro.
cmm, Swan, one dose was given, and no other medicine, although the patient on one occasion
begged for something to stop the pain. In the course of June she began to mend, and on
October 20th was discharged cured. In Sherbino's proving he was cured incidentally of a
consciousness of the heart and its working, and palpitation from least excitement or
anxiety, < beginning to move; congestion to head as
if apoplexy would ensue. Cactus had done no good.
Sherbino cured: (1) a case of puerperal fever with Pyro., being led to its selection by the very high pulse rate. (2) Relapse of typhoid, pulse 140, temperature 102° F.; both were
normal in twenty-four hours. (3) Young lady, 17, fever,
aching bones, bed felt very hard. Numb, paralytic feeling. As the
fever left the pulse kept mounting up. Pyro.
cmm, Swan, repeated as often as effect ceased, cured.─Pyro. is one of the germinal
remedies of the materia medica. When once the idea of its essential action is grasped an
infinity of applications become apparent. As Drysdale put it, "The most summary
indication for Pyro. would be to term it the Aconite of the typhous or typhoid quality of pyrexia," and
wherever poisoning by bacterial products (e.g., in the
hectic of phthisis) is going on Pyro. will be likely to
do good. Sepsis is the essence of the action of Pyro. H. C. Allen gives this indication for its use in septic
states: "When the best selected remedies fail to relieve or permanently improve "─analogous
to the action of Pso. and Sul.
in other conditions. Also: "Latent pyogenic process, patient continually relapsing
after apparent simillimum." As Pyro. is a product
of carrion, the carrion-like odour of bodily emaciations, secretions, and excretions is a
keynote for its use. Other leading indications are: Restlessness; must move constantly to > the soreness of parts. "Constipation, from impactum of
fæces in fevers; stool large, black, carrion-like." "Chill begins in back,
between scapulæ." "Severe general chill of bones and extremities." In all
cases of fever commencing with pains in the limbs," Swan. Pulse abnormally rapid, out
of all proportion to temperature." Pyro. 5, five
drops in water night and morning, assisted in the cure of a case of anal fistula in a case
of Burnett's (On Fistula, p. 66). Under its action a
sweating at the seat which the man had had for many years disappeared; and the skin of his
hands, which were subject to dry eczema, assumed a much cleaner aspect. J. S. Hunt (H. W., xxxi. 54) reports five cases of varicose ulcers, all of
which healed quickly under Pyro. Bellairs (H. W., xxxiv. 298) gave Pyro.
200 to an elderly woman who suffered for years with an ulcerated leg, which was riddled with
deep, burrowing wounds, extremely painful and discharging freely. Hep.,
Sil., Ars., Ham., did no good. Under Pyro.
once or twice a day "a large boil" formed on the calf of the leg and discharged
its contents, after which the various ulcers healed up directly. The symptoms are > by heat (drinking hot water; hot bath). > Tightly binding head. >
Stretching out limbs; walking about; turning over or changing position. Heart's action and
cough < by motion. Eyeball <
moving eye. Cough < motion and in a warm room. < Sitting up in bed; rising. (Cough >
sitting up; < lying down.)
