A CASE OF ORCHITIS

CHAPTER XI. A CASE OF ORCHITIS

Orchitis is a most agonising complaint in which the testicles swell, and sometimes become ulcerated. It may be caused by injury, by gonorrhoea, or it may occur during an attack of mumps. In its most severe form, however, it is a comparatively rare disorder in this country (England). The doctor who was called in took a very serious view of this case, and gave the victim only a few days to live. When, after a journey away from home, I first saw the victim ‐ aged 19 ‐ his bowels had not functioned for a week, and his kidneys for 72 hours. One side of his body was swollen as though someone had placed half a football under the flesh. His testicles were as large as tennis balls, and the glans penis was 14 inches in length, as solid as a lead pencil and twisted round like

a corkscrew; moreover, it had turned black. The victim's groans and writhings in agony were heartrending. Although for three days he had eaten nothing and had merely drunk pints of plain water, the swellings and distortions had only increased, As he had passed no urine of his own to drink, I was obliged to give him a pint of mine to take.

Two hours after the first draught, the glans penis showed signs of becoming so far normal that he was able to pass some urine in small drops ‐about two egg‐cups full in all. It was thick, muddy and as concentrated as gruel mixed with blood., very dark and exceedingly malodourous. Nevertheless he drank it without a grimace or a murmur. Four hours later he passed nearly a pint of the same evil‐looking and evil ‐smelling water; which he also drank without a grimace. He Two hours after the first draught, the glans penis showed signs of becoming so far normal that he was able to pass some urine in small drops ‐about two egg‐cups full in all. It was thick, muddy and as concentrated as gruel mixed with blood., very dark and exceedingly malodourous. Nevertheless he drank it without a grimace or a murmur. Four hours later he passed nearly a pint of the same evil‐looking and evil ‐smelling water; which he also drank without a grimace. He

Two hours later the patient had a very copious and offensive stool, the equal of which I have not seen in all the 27 years' experience I have had in treating diseases. During the evacuation some urine was passed which the patient subsequently drank. Having carried him back to bed, we found that he could now lie comfortably stretched out, whereas, previously his knees had been drawn up to his abdomen, like people suffering from peritonitis or appendicitis. He was now nearly free from pain, precisely eight hours after he had taken the first draught of urine.

I now laid cloths soaked in old urine on his abdomen, chest and head, and bound up his feet and hands in a similar manner. He passed more and more water, and drank every drop. His bowels responded to the treatment and worked freely and painlessly, the evacuations being not unlike discoloured water.

On the 4th day he passed 22 pints of urine in 24 hours; all of which he drank immediately.

And now came a set‐back. On the fifth day I was called to Manchester on business, and in my absence a friendly doctor induced him to take a tablespoon of ground wheat in water. The result was disastrous. All flow of urine ceased, and in 16 hours all the previous symptoms had returned, though in a slightly less aggravated form. There was nothing for it but to begin the whole treatment over again.

The patient finally broke his fast on the 17th day with the juice of one orange at noon, one whole orange at 2 p.m. and one whole orange at 4 p.m. At 8 p.m. a full glass of fresh milk. He slept soundly that night.

From the 18th to the 25th day his diet consisted of such foods as cold beef, steamed fish, potatoes in their jackets, scrambled and poached eggs, pears and other fresh fruits, salads, tomatoes‐and nothing else.

On the 26th day the patient was.back at his work, completely cured. That was many years ago. He is now a man of forty, lives on a well‐ balanced diet, drinks his own " water of life, " and enjoys perfect health.

I may mention that the late Dr. Rabagliati was so impressed with this case that he wrote a detailed account of it which was sent to four medical journals in England and U.S.A. Not one of thera would publish it. Allusions to cures effected by laymen are not welcomed by medical journals. Medical publications have policies just like daily papers The fact that a thing may be true or useful to the helping of their fellows seem to play a secondary part with editors of medical papers of the orthodox variety. This is unfortunate, as it is of course obstructive to progress and medical enlightenment, a matter which was recognised by the Health Practitioners' Association. Indeed, in the Health Practitioners' Journal, we find articles by homoeopaths, naturopaths, herbalists, osteopaths, yoga practitioners, biologists, biochemists, etc., etc. ‐the laudable belief being that there are many roads to health and many means of treating disease.