Chorea.

J. M. WELLS, M. D., VANCEBURG, KY.

Responding to your request in the July THERAPEUTIST under "Chorea" I report some cases treated with macrotys; none however with this remedy alone. The first case reported to me from Augusta, Ky., some fifteen years ago, was a young man sixteen years of age, the only marked symptom given was inability to feed himself. When he attempted to place food in his mouth, he would throw it over his head; (inability to coordinate muscular movements). I gave the following: Specific macrotys drs. 2, water ozs. 4. Mix sig.: A teaspoonful every four hours, to alternate with specific gelsemium drs. 2, water ozs. 4. A teaspoonful every four hours. This case had been under treatment for two years, and was not at all improved when reported to me.

The father of the boy had the druggist at the above named place order the medicine in four ounce bottles for him and dispensed it himself, using a teaspoonful for a drachm. The young man took treatment about two months and was permanently cured.

Miss P., age 14 years, a slender, tall, poorly nourished girl had chorea six months. Beside having the choreaic movements in the arms, face and neck, she had the "kicks," that is, when lying on her back, her legs would kick up, sending the covering to the ceiling, and at times when standing, the same act would land her on her back on the floor; in addition to these muscular antics she had garrulous delirium, chattering incoherently for two or three hours at a time. For this last symptom, she had hyoscine in doses sufficient to slightly dilate the pupils, and keep them so for a few days, together with macrotys and gelsemium the same as in the first case. This case was cured in three months. Additional cases could be reported, but these suffice to show that no one remedy will cure every case of chorea, and the treatment must be applied to the case in hand according to specific symptomatology.

Ellingwood's Therapeutist, Vol. 2, 1908, was edited by Finley Ellingwood M.D.