Clemens Maria Franz von Bönninghausen

Curative Effects of Thuja in Small-pox

I think I ought to inform you of an experience of mine during the course of this winter, as it seems to me worthy of a more extended publicity.

Since the last six months small-pox has appeared here and in the environs, in several places with considerable violence and, although in consequence of our wise laws about segregation, etc., the disease was in many cases kept secret, yet numerous cases came under my treatment.

The observation, repeatedly made, that during such epidemics malanders are frequently observed in horses, brought me to compare with the symptoms of small-pox the specific for this disease in animals (Thuja), and the result proved so decidedly favorable that I used the same in the first case of small-pox * that was entrusted to my treatment. It exceeded all my expectations. On the fourth day the pustules were all dried up; on the eighth day they had fallen off and no pockmarks were to be seen.

This decidedly favorable result caused me not only to use the same remedy with all the following small-pox patients, but to also use the same remedy in several houses where small- pox had broken out, as a prophylactic, and lo! also here the result was favorable, and no case came to my knowledge where, after using Thuja, any other member of the family had been infected.

As I have hardly used anything for five years but high potencies, and with such good results that I shall probably never again return to low potencies, I also used in small-pox cases only the 200th potency of Thuja, giving a few pellets as a dose every other evening, and only in two cases, where it seemed to be indicated, I interjected a single dose of Mercurius 200, whereby, as it seemed, the efficacy of Thuja was increased.

Most manifest was the absence of pockmarks, which otherwise are so unavoidable and disfigure so many pretty faces, and even the redness of the spots disappeared more quickly.

Whether the same results may be obtained in every epidemic of small-pox must be found out by later experience. If this should be the case, vaccine matter, which in careless hands is so dangerous, and which has doubtlessly caused an enormous infection with the scrofula-poison, might find a most valuable substitute.

Of course, none of my small-pox patients died. Although the epidemic was not one of the most dangerous a number of patients treated by allopaths died, and all the rest will carry a reminder of it in their faces; and with them the course of the disease was, as usual, long drawn out. So much at this time. *...

The following note is by the editor of the Zeitung:

"Von Boenninghausen brought up vaccination at the meeting and considered that as practiced now it is the chief cause of the disquieting spread of scrofulous diseases. All the physicians present agreed in this view and promised to give especial attention to this important subject so as to be able to follow up the matter next year. There has not as yet been any opportunity to test the discovery of Von Boenninghausen concerning the curative power of Thuja in small- pox; this has also been confirmed in France, and it is to be expected that we may have opportunities in the course of the year to test this also here."

Epistolary communication from the Royal Councilor, Dr. von Bönninghausen, in Münster, to Dr. Rummel (editor)