LOBELIA
To save time and trusting that you will credit me with sufficient competency in my voca-tion, I will say that my boy was stricken with a fulminating case of naso-pharyngeal diphtheria.The serum antitoxin was exhibited promptly in sumciently large doses and repeated, but withno other result except that the child passed from an active sthenic condition, with dyspnea,into a passive collapse, with apnea. This I had witnessed before and knew it to be fatalwith certainty. Instantly I recalled the writings of the great Scudder, where he extols Lo-belia as a life-saver.
Thereupon I filled füll my hypodermic syringe with the Lobelia and gave the child theentire dose subcutaneously. Strange to say, I gave it with a confidence altogether out of pro-portion to the circumstances. However, the result proved this to be justified, for the patientresponded immediately in a marvelous manner.
All the fatal Symptoms gave way to those of returning health, the patient passing from adeath-struggle into a peaceful slumber, from which he awoke after three hours, somewhatweak. Another dose was given, which was followed by a still more pronounced reaction forthe better. The patient from that time continued to convalesce and, with the exception of apostdiphtheria pharyngeal paralysis, made a rapid recovery, the paralysis yielding to anotherdose of the same remedy.
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LATER EXPERIENCE WITH LOBELIA.
This happened nearly four years ago, and since then I have repeated in many cases thephenomenal experience with this remedy. At first I used the serum and the vegetable anti-toxin in conjunc'tion. But gradually I realized that the latter was entirely reliable, doingeven better without the serum, so that now I can teil you with absolute certainty that thevegetable antitoxin is in every respect far superior to the serum for the reason that it is morereliable because it acts quicker and with a much greater certainty than the serum and, secondly,it prevents, arrests and eures the disease promptly, irrespective of what other treatment isinstituted.
It makes no difference whether it is the first or the sixth day of the existence of the dis-ease, with the exception that in the longer-standing cases the treatment must be repeatedmore offen—every two to three hours, until the desired result is obtained.
I note that Dr. Walls of our City Health Department recommends a repetition of theserum every twelve hours in very bad cases, but it has been my experience that this is a slowand unsatisfactory method and usually of no avail.
The vegetable antitoxin (Labelia.) produces no Symptoms whatever except those ofreturning health. It is therefore preferable to the serum when we consider the unpleasantSymptoms which are often produced by the latter and which Dr. Walls takes great pains topronounce harmless, although he aptly describes them as distressing (and which are knownas the serum disease).
WHY THE REMEDY IS EFFECTIVE.
The use of the vegetable antitoxin is consistent with our motto, " Vires Vitales Sustinan-dae." It strengthens all the vital funetions, notably the circulation. It does not dispel theSymptoms of the disease at the expense of the patient's strength. It creates no other diseasebut simply eures the patient, all of which can not be claimed for the serum.
Another feature of the Lobelia is that it is so cheap that the cost need not be considered ;besides it is more uniform in quality, does not readily decompose, is easily carried around,and may be given by the doctor with as little ado as a hypodermic injeetion of morphine. Itis safe as well as harmless on aecount of its nature and origin.
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