Mary Senseman-Harris, M.D., Monticello, Illinois.

      Mr. C.W. Aged 62 years. During the twenty-two months preceding the appearance of Ulcers patient had had one prescription of Silicea and ten of Sulphur in potencies varying from 1m to 50m, and had continuously improved in general health, although the prescriptions were ordinarily made only when he had an acute cold. Finally there were present the following symptoms: Flat, dry ulcers on fingers of both hands. Colorless, except skin was darkened a little. Had the appearance of skin past the inflammatory stage of a very superficial burn. Crusty exudate between toes of right foot. Thick, stringly mucus from nose. Dry, bloody-crusts from nose. Chest examination disclosed slight whistling in the left bronchi only when coughing. Had been coughing at times, and expectorating much thick, viscid mucus. Kali bi. 1m.

      In a few days most of the ulcerated areas inflamed and discharged pus, then the skin rapidly became normal. The chest was found negative on examination.

      Mrs. S. E. Aged 50 years. Has had an ulcer on right shin for four weeks. Many varicose veins in both legs. Ulcer began as small pimple, opened, discharged much pus, then inflamed, enlarged and deepened. Now burns, stings, aggravated by hot applications, aggravated “as soon as it is dark.” Had lost considerable weight, but still fleshy. Using iodoform dusting powder on the ulcer. Thick crust almost covered the opening, yellow pus beneath. No odor detected.

      Merc. cor. 1m, October 29, 1921. Instructed to use no local applications except frequent soakings in warm water to cleanse.

      The next day there was much yellow pus discharging, somewhat offensive. Pain had become extreme at nightfall.

      Merc. viv. 10m, October 30. Wet dressing of salt water with a little calendula tincture, once daily.

      Patient reported that pain stopped within five minutes after taking powder. Very little pain on the following day or thereafter. Two weeks later the ulcer was very small and shallow. Six weeks after the case was first seen, merc. vivus 10m was repeated because there was a small, thin crust over center of old ulceration, with a little oozing pus and serum.

Miss C. P. Age 19 years. Had come to me for brief periods, each of three preceding years, for eczema on hands which had been present since vaccination at age of nine years. Last fall the areas of eruption began to suppurate. Never did so before. Very painful. Rapidly ulcerated and spread to cover both hands. Patient had to get up at night to open the abscesses to relieve the pain. Had to keep wet dressings on the hads. Pus became very offensive.

Calc. sulph. 10m, October 21. No improvement.

Syph. 200, October 23. No improvement.

      Merc. viv. cm, October 29. Offensive odor ceased. Ulceration continued. Every ulcer was heaped with crusts the rest of the skin of hands was covered with small white scales.

      Mez. 200, November 5. Not another ulcer appeared. All those present healped as fast as healing could proceed.

      November 9. Improvement had ceased. Mez. 10m.

      January 4. Skin of hands dry, scaly, cracked. No ulceration Mez. 50m.

      Febuary 25. Much nose bleed (old symptom). Headache with it. Skin of hands dry, thickened, cracked, itching. Wart on one finger. (Wart on nose had suppurated off after Thuja 1m some months before.) Thuja 1m

      April 5. Hands much better. Two small, itching areas. Wart same. Thuja 10m.

      April 18. Itching, colorless papules suddenly appeared on hands. One contained serum. Mez. 50m.

      At the present date everybody comments on the girl’s improved appearance and disposition. The hands show only a trace of eruption now and then. The old wart will have to wait for the future.

      Miss B. F. February 7. Ulcers in both nostrils. Bloody, yellow crusts. One small ulcer on hand which will not heal. Kali bich. 1m.

      February 23. Yellow crusts, some blood on them, easily removed from nostrils. Both nostrils ulcerated on septum, aggravated right. Nosebleed, aggravated left. Burning in nostrils. Emptiness in stomach on rising in morning, with lack of appetite. “Nervous,” with weak sensation in stomach. Little thirst. Cold perspiration on hands. Cold in general. Kali bich. 10m.

      Areas continued to heal steadily, except when patient took an acute cold, necessitating Sulphur, followed by Pulsatilla, for a few days. Ulcer became a little worse, but resumed healing as soon as Kali bich. Was repeated. There was complete healing within four months. Patient also stated she felt much better in general, and chapping of the skin, which had distressed her, had entirely ceased.

      J. K. Aged 8 months. This case is one in which I might have been longer finding the remedy if I had not been having some experience with Kali bich. At the time the baby was brought to me.

      February 23. Eruption on face since age of three months. Oozing, inflamed, scaling discharged blood and yellow pus which excoriated. Baby sometimes scratched it and mother supposed it itched. Eruption began just in front of right ear, then another area on right cheek, one on left cheek, some on anterior surface of left leg. Child plump, pale. Entire face was swollen. Nursing infant. Was creeping. Had one upper incisor tooth. No unusual perspiration. Wanted to sit quietly and did not want to be touched by a stranger. Sulphur 1m.

      February 25. Less inflammation, less crusting of one area, more of another. Discharged blood at night. Pus exuding.

      February 28. Ulcers more inflamed at circumference. No bleeding. Thick, gayish-yellow crusts on left side of face. Apparently no itching. Discharge acrid. Merc. vivus 1m.

      March 3. Ulcers healing. Little inflammation. Crusts coming off.

      March 9. More crusts, more pus. Ulcers large on face. Eruption appearing on anterior surface of right leg. Calc. carb. 1m.

     March 11. Crusts coming off. Less pus. Some eruption appearing on back. Baby more active. Color of unaffected skin better.

      March 18. Crusts on face less thick, but still present. No bleeding. Some pus from most of the large areas. Inflammation increasing around the ulcers.

      Note that three remedies had done a little, then each failed. Kent’s Repertory (third edition) gives Kali bi. High under “corrosive” ulcers (skin) and Mezereum in italics under. “ichorous.” Under “crusty” there are several important remedies, including, in highest degree, the three already used. “Bleeding” ulcers does not include Kali bi. at all.

      I mentally excluded some fascinating remedies that are “crusty,” and gave Kali bi. 200. In ten days there were no crusts, no pus, nothing but some redness where the trouble had been of long standing.

      March 29. Kali bi. 10m. The discoloration gradually disappeared.

      June 16. There were a few small vesicles coming and going. The boy was in fine general health.

     Mrs. A. J. Aged 47 years. January 17. Five years before had “infection” of right leg, below knee. Varicose veins. Much pus, leg very dark brown – a black-brown – dry scales over a large area across anterior surface. Entire leg to knee swollen, brown looked as if on verge of dry gangrene. Ever since the septic attack, during cold months she had an itching eruption scattered over body, especially on arms, aggravated by warm water. Had been “drying it up” with witch hazel. Had taken Fowler’s solution for three months, and used local applications of various kinds on leg. Patient fleshy. Had much stomach distress unless very careful of her diet. Always chilly during the spring. Complexion bluish-white, mucous membranes cyanotic. Sulphur 10m.

      January 26. Eruption increased, except that on arms has disappeared. Right leg covered thickly with a red rash, which itched intensely. Leg more swollen. No stomach distress. Color of skin and mucous membranes improved.

      February 16. Pus discharge from old ulcer.

      March 1. No eruption. Sulphur 10m.

      March 29. Eruption gradually ceasing. Pus discharge continues. Swelling of leg disappeared. Dry scales on old sore came off easily. The brownish-black color changed to purple. General health fine. No coldness this spring.

      April 5. Eruption returning on forearms, face, leg. Sulph. 50m.

      The discharge continued, color of area improved steadily, shrunken area became normal, offensive odor of discharge ceased, entire patient seemed renewed. Sulphur 50m was repeated June 7, when some eruption was again returning. The patient is sure she is saving the leg from amputation.