Worms
WORMS constitute one of the most common disorders of children and people imagine that if worms are expelled their children will be cured. Several medicines are given to the children (taken by adults too) for the removal of these worms from the stomach and bowels. They again grow and they are again removed by medicines. They are worried over these worms. Worms grow only when there is suitable condition for them to thrive, otherwise they cannot.
Dr. Hahnemann writes in Materia Medica Pura, vol. I, under Cina, '......this much is true, that when they are present in large numbers, the cause of this is always some morbid condition of the body, namely, the evolution of psora, and unless this be cured, though large numbers of lumbrici may be expelled by Cina, they are soon reproduced. Hence by such forcible expulsion of worms not only is nothing gained, but such improper treatment if persisted in often ends in the death of tortured children.'
Dr. Hering writes in Homoeopathic Domestic Physician, (pp. 292-4), '... drugs that expel worms affect the abdomen in such a manner that the consequences appear many years after. First, it is to be considered that almost all children have worms, sometimes before they are born, and that it is frequently a sign of a dangerous disease when these worms pass off spontaneously; secondly, that what these worms subsist upon in the body is more hurtful than the worms themselves. Almost all the symptoms attributed to worms may arise from some general disease in the system, which has a tendency to increase them, especially if aided by an unwise mode of living.' Read Jahr's Forty Years' Practice (pp. 140-41 and 338-40).
He gives two cases: (1) A child complained of slight pain in the bowels and was suddenly attacked by convulsions which terminated fatally. A postmortem examination revealed two large lumbrici, lodged in the cystic duct, thus causing an obstruction to the passage of bile. (Cystic duct = the gall-bladder has a duct called cystic duct, which by joining with the hepatic duct forms the common bile duct). (2) A child had dysenteric diarrhoea, on the ninth day of which a violent intestinal haemorrhage set in quite suddenly of which the patient died in 24 hours. A post-mortem examination showed no ulcers in the colon; it appeared that the haemorrhage proceeded from the duodenum and the duodenum was found to be very much distended by a small ball of lumbrici lying immediately above the coagulum and several other balls in the ileum. The worms, by gnowing through the walls of the intestine, had wounded the arterial twig. Hence there was haemorrhage, from which the patient died.
In one of the medical exhibitions arranged in the Stanley Medical College, Madras, the author had seen 376 roundworms, each 5 to 7 inches long in a glass jar. It was explained that a girl of fourteen had all these roundworms in the intestines and they were removed by operation.
We shall send such cases to surgeons. Surgery is necessary for us. We are friends of all doctors of all systems of medicine.
Causes
Psora is the chief cause. Damp unhealthy atmosphere; all circumstances which favour an accumulation of mucus in the intestinal canal; excessive acidity in the stomach; eating of mud; vegetables grown with the manure of dogs and pigs; contaminated vegetables used unwashed; drinking of polluted water; eating of spoiled meat, unripe fruits, stored food, decayed foods; using more sugar. When children are fed too much of sugar or jaggery, on cakes, or similar articles of hurtful nature; mother, whilst nursing, overloads her stomach with meat, fish, salted or fat things.
Different kinds of worms
(i) Small threadworms (Oxyuris Vermicularis). They usually occupy the rectum. It is thread-like, white, it is one-sixth to one-half inch in length, the male worm being much smaller than the female. It gives rise to an intolerable itching and burning about the anus and rectum, which prevents the child from sleeping sometimes, and makes it very cross and fretful, and almost beside itself; constipation and tenesmus; depraved appetite; rubbing and picking of the nose; foul breath, etc. The local irritation may spread to vagina in little girls or the worms themselves may crawl down there, and give rise to inflammatory state of the parts and in mucous or bloody discharge. A long threadworm, usually found in the large intestine, is about two inches in length and gives rise to few or no symptoms by which its presence can be known. Dr. Guernsey.
(ii) Dr. Guernsey writes in his Obstetrics, (pp. 896-9): The ascaris lumbricoides (long roundworm) bears some resemblance to the common earthworm. It inhabits chiefly the small intestines, but sometimes visits the stomach, and is vomited out, or the lower bowels and is voided with the stool, and even visits other situations, such as gall-bladder, oesophagus and the air passages. It varies in length from six to twelve inches. Symptoms: Diminished sleep, with tossing about, groaning, and grinding of teeth; foetid breath; great thirst; enlargement of the abdomen; now voracious hunger, and now aversion to food; diarrhoea, with slimy stools, or constipation, or alternation of these states; tenesmus; itching of the anus; sometimes nervous symptoms, even chorea and convulsions. A dry and hacking cough.'(Read pp. 358-9 of Dr. Nash's book for a perfect picture of a wormy child).
(iii) 'The tapeworm (taenia) exists in the small intestines and varies in length from five to thirty feet, being from one to five lines broad. It consists principally of a series of jointed segments. Its existence is usually not suspected until portions of the worm are passed with evacuations. There is constant craving for food, pain in the stomach, loss of flesh and debility, and itching above the nose and anus.'-Dr. Guernsey. Dr. Hartlaub writes, 'The worms (roundworms) unite in clusters in different parts of the bowels, in the walls of which, when they move or feed, they cause an irritation, which occasions pinching pains, especially around the navel.
The lumbricoides (roundworms) - sometimes pass into the nasal passages. It enters the bile duct and obstructs the flow of bile, causing jaundice. In typohoid fever they make ulcers in the intestines. Dr. Nash cured a case of typhoid fever with Cina.
The diet should be carefully regulated, easily digestible, and nutritious. Pastry and sweetmeats should be avoided.
Treatment : biochemic
Dr. Schuessler in his Abridged Manual (25th ed.) writes, 'Natrum phos. is of use in the case of threadworms by destroying the excess of lactic acid which is the cause of these worms. For roundworms, Natrum mur.'
Dr. Carey writes, 'Natrum phos.: the principal remedy for all kinds of worms to destroy the excess of lactic acid upon which the worms live. Symptoms of acidity, in children with pain in the bowels, picking of the nose, itching of the anus, restless sleep or grinding of the teeth are all signs of worms. A steady course of this remedy is necessary. Alternate Natrum phos. with Kali mur. Kali mur is for small white threadworms, with itching in anus, white tongue, etc.'
Ferrum phosphoricum
Intestinal worms, with passing of undigested food. Fever in worm troubles.
Dr. Boericke and Dr. Dewey in their book, Twelve Tissue Remedies, (p. 346) write: Calcarea fluor. Intestinal, long, round or threadworms with characteristic symptoms of acidity, or picking of the nose, occasional squinting. Pain in the bowels, restless sleep. Itching of the anus, especially at night in bed, face white about the mouth or nose. Grinding of the teeth in children. Pinworms. This remedy probably acts by destroying the excess of lactic acid which seems to be necessary for the life of these worms.
Homoeopathy
Cina maritima 200
Cina produces a perfect picture of the wormy child. The patient is cross, irritable, has a sickly pale face with dark rings about the eyes. The child grinds its teeth during sleep. It also picks or bores at the nose with its finger. The sleep is restless and attended by crying out. It has a tendency to convulsions. There is canine hunger. There is jerking of the hands and feet and a milky urine. Cina is most powerful for the elimination of roundworms. Cina so far corrects abdominal organs and so far tones up the abdominal ganglia that the mucous membrane of the alimentary tract pour forth a normal secretion, and the worms, no longer having a proper food on which to subsist, die and are expelled. Dr. Farrington.
Dr. Hahnemann's Materia Medica Pura, Part 1, (p. 481), symptom 75: Cina - Several lumbrici come up through the child's mouth. Dr. Lippe: Cina - Discharge of lumbrici and of ascarides. Dr. Allen writes that Cina works on ascarides (threadworms).
Sulphur 200
As there is no use of merely expelling the worms and as the disordered condition of the system which is favourable for the development and support of the worms has to be corrected, we have to treat them with anti-psoric remedies. After giving two doses of Cina 200, Sulphur 200 may be tried. Dr. Hahnemann's Chronic Diseases (p. 1568), symptoms 891-6: Ascarides pass with the stool. Frequent passage of single ascaride. The ascarides cause itching in the rectum. Lumbrici pass off after violent pains in the abdomen, with a hard stool. Tapeworm discharged with a hard stool, etc. Then after eight days, give Calcarea carb. 200, which has double the action of Cina. Calcarea removes the excessive acid condition. So it improves the condition of the patient and worms disappear. Never give Sulphur after Calcarea carb., as it works havoc. If they have to be repeated, give a dose of Lycopodium and repeat Sulphur first and after six weeks, Calcarea carb. Calcarea is a very valuable remedy to eradicate the disposition to worms. Even Calcarea carb. can remove ascarides and tapeworm.
Lycopodium clavatum
Worms, with much rumbling in the bowels or red sand in the urine. Itching about the anus.
Mercurius solubilis
Worms creep out of the anus, and can be seen on the perineum and buttocks, at night in bed. Lumbricoides escape easily and freely; the abdomen is hard and distended.
Sabadilla
Itching of the anus, nose and ears; much pain in the abdomen. It removes lumbrici and tapeworms.
Spigelia anthelmia
For worms when the child refers to the navel as the most painful part. The action of the heart seems unusually violent. Very pale face and yellow margin around the eyes.
Teucrium marum verum
Crawling in rectum after stool. Crawling and violent sticking in anus, in evening in bed. Ascarides, with creeping and itching and nightly restlessness.
Stannum metallicum
stupefies the worms. The child has spells of abdominal pain, during which it wishes to lean over something hard for relief. This is a reliable keynote for Stannum.
There are other remedies -Aconite, Caladium, Nux vom., etc.
Santoninum
- is the alkaloid of Cina. It is also a remedy for roundworms. Dr. Dewey writes that it is not a safe remedy as Cina and is not more efficacious. He further writes that he had observed convulsions produced by its use in low potencies. Dr. Allen writes that Santonine cures worm affections when Cina fails.
courtsay - Dr Ravindra Saraswat
