The treatment of influenza and its complications as seen in the present epidemic.” The British Homoeopathic Journal. December 1918, No.12.Vol. V111 (click on the link for a PDF file of the original article)

synopsis  by Sally Tamplin 

·        Special references to homeopathic Belladonna, Baptisia Gelsemium, Phosphorus and Sulphur.

·        The success of early treatment.

·        Slow pulse out of proportion to the temperature.

·        The role of temperature in acute disease.

·        The role of isopathic treatment in pneumonia cases.

·        The influenza diet: citrus fruit.

The reader may be interested to note that the name influenza is of Italian derivation. It is said that the disease received this name because it was attributed to the “influence of the stars.” In 1658 Willis wrote, “about the end of April, suddenly a distemper arose, as if sent by some blast of the stars, which laid hold on very many together; that in the space of a week, above a thousand people fell sick together.”

Dr.C.E.Wheeler, of London introduced the discussion. He thought that the severity of the epidemic had been due to some extent to the tension that everyone had been under over the years, “The greatest powers of resistance of the peoples of the world must to some extent be lowered by the terrible experiences they had been going through.”

In Dr.Wheeler’s own experience the cases that were treated early progressed satisfactorily.Baptisia and Gelsemium had proved extremely useful. Among complications in quite a large number of cases there had been hemorrhage of the nose. He had seen some cases where the nasal hemorrhage was so great that plugging of the nostrils had been necessary. This symptom had suggested using the homeopathic remedy, Phosphorus.

Dr.F.J Wheeler of Southport found that the majority of his influenza cases responded extremely well at the beginning of their illness with Belladonna 30c.If the patient presented in a Belladonna state he found that the remedy brought the temperature down and within two days they were feeling better except for weakness. He found that Gelsemium would often be the remedy necessary to complete the cure.”

Dr. R.Stephenson, working on a troop ship carrying service men from New Zealand, observed that Baptisia and Gelsemium were called for in some cases, and as generally noted by other physicians, if taken early appeared many times to abort the illness.

The most important of all sequelae was pneumonia.Dr.Wheeler noted that when influenza cases were treated early pneumonia, was in most cases, prevented. In every case that he had personally seen, the lower lobe of the left lung had been affected. Cases that came in late were the most difficult to handle.Dr.kyle had used a lot of Phosphorus in the hospital; he had had a few successful cases where this remedy had been used although it is thought of specifically suitable for right – sided cases.

Dr.Mc Lachlan found that Gelseminum was the main homeopathic remedy for many of his cases (he was seeing 50 – 60 people a day) and in pneumonia cases he found that Phosphorous, Lachesis and kali- bichromium of great use. In one pneumonia case he arrived and found that the patient’s expectoration was not merely “rust colored” but rather like “prune juice”, as if composed of dark venous blood and little else. He associated such expectoration with threatened failure of the right ventricle of the heart. He gave Phosphorous both for the lung condition and because it is the “digitalis” of the right side of the heart.

Dr.Barlee from Tunbridge Wells noted that in his cases of influenza complicated with pneumonia that he had found homeopathic Sulphur in high potency of the greatest value.

Dr.Edith Neild, of Tunbridge Wells worked with some severe pneumonia cases and used a dilution of the patient’s own sputum with tremendous success. The improvement was quite marked and immediate in all cases. The sputum is diluted to three with normal saline. “I give three doses the first night, and if the temperature rises again the second night also. I have sometimes had to give it a third time.” The indicated homeopathic remedies have been continued during the day; although there had been no previous improvement traceable to their use. The improvements noted in practically all cases were as follows: 

·        Immediate fall of about two degrees of temperature, usually with perspiration.

·        Increase of cough, which however, became looser.

·        The sputum changing from a sticky, bloody character, to muco – purulent in about two days.

·        Cleaning of the tongue

·        General feeling of betterment.

·        The pneumonic signs clear quickly; any bronchitis present takes much longer.

·        Diarrhoea, if present, stops.

·        The pulse rate, which is often abnormally slow in these cases, does not seem to be much affected.”

Dr.Robertson Day also noted how his attention had been drawn to the slowness of the pulse in this influenza epidemic. He considered it to be a constant occurrence and was a point of great diagnostic value – the slow pulse out of proportion to the temperature. He said that it may be so extreme that the rate was reduced to 40 -50 beats per minute. Hence the frequency of fainting attacks where work is resumed too soon after the illness and a weak and dilated heart may persist.

Dr. John Mc Lachlan from Oxford observed that in his home town 1 in 14 cases died. He found that the 1918 epidemic differed from previous outbreaks of influenza in a number of different ways. There was a tendency for the virus to attack the young, especially school age children between the ages of 8 and 16 years. There was also a special liability to a particular virulent form of lobar pneumonia that was extremely rapid, like a lightening strike. He was amazed at how quickly strong men succumbed and also many young mothers, many of them pregnant.Dr.Mc Lachlan noted that until this epidemic there had never been any trouble treating influenza cases, they all recovered. In previous outbreaks pneumonia cases were rare, and even when present they never caused any concern, everyone eventually recovered. In the present situation he noted that people would go to bed and within a few days no matter what they did, they died. He also observed that the temperature did not always resemble the pneumonia type.

Dr. Mc Lachlan endeavored to find some explanation for such high mortality rates in the 1918 – 1919 pandemic. He noted that fruits of all kinds are the diet for influenza patients. “Such patients will nearly always eat fruit, when every other kind of food is repugnant to them.” He speculated whether or not the influenza was due to a specially virulent micro- organism, other than the usual influenza bacillus; or if it was the old influenza bacillus running riot in a population with low resistance due to the first world war rationing orders, especially the absence of fat and sugar from the diet and an absence of a free supply of fruit, especially fruits containing citric acid.

Dr. Robertson Day indicated that the best prophylaxis was to eat well, sleep well, and avoid overwork and fatigue. He noted that patients who were having isotonic sea - water treatment proved singularly immune to influenza. Either they escaped entirely or had a very slight attack.

Dr. Mc Lachlan was careful to teach all of his patients not to concern themselves about the height of the temperature:

 “that it is necessary, and under the circumstances, only beneficial to the patient; that to do anything to lower it forcibly is to do great injury to the patient, and may be the means of causing him to lose his life. I tell them that the temperature is merely the heat of conflict between the powers that make for health an those that are making for death; and that to lower the temperature forcibly while all the other symptoms of the disease are untouched is playing into the enemy’s hands – in other words, helping the forces that are making for death. I tell them that ,within common sense limits, the higher the temperature the better, as it shows that powers in the body fighting against death are still strong…….It would be well for the health and life of the nation were the great and growing army of antipyretic drugs sunk for ever to the bottom of the sea.