Medical lake is located in Washington State, United States of America,1 the site of the Battle of Four Lakes where Indian fighters appeared to cover the country for a distance of two miles.2 In August 2023 a wildfire of unknown origin burned 185 structures and 9,500 surrounding acres.
The tribes of Spokane3 congregated on its shores, bringing the unwell from all directions,4 which they called Skookum Limechin Chuch aka strong medicine water.5 They would "place the sick on a bed above hot stones then by throwing water from the lake on the stones, they caused the steam to engulf the sick, thereby opening the pores to allow the sickness to leave the body." A powder from the lake's salty residue would be taken to those too sick to make the journey.6
Skookum chuck is the homeopathic remedy made from the triturated salts of Medical lake.7
The following information respecting the remedy known by the Indian name, Skookum chuck is collected in Anschutz’s New, Old, and Forgotten Remedies.
SKOOKUM CHUCK The medical and curative properties of this remarkable lake were known to the Indians of the northwest as far back as they have any legends or tribal history, and it was held in such reverence by them that the country around this lake was called Sahala Lyee Illihe (Sacred Ground), and no matter how hostile the tribes were to each other no Indian journeying to or from the Skookum Limechen Chuck were ever molested.
When the Indians were considering the transfer of their lands to the government, many years ago, it is recorded, as a matter of history, that old Quetahlguin, after weeks of deliberation and consideration, with the "Sahala Lyee", or Great Spirit, through their medicine-men firmly said: "We have talked with the Great Spirit and we have slept with his words in our ears’’
‘‘The Great Spirit is our father and the earth is our mother. We have a food home and it was made for us by the Great Spirit; it is a part of us; it is our mother. In Wallowa Lake are an abundance of fish created especially for our tribe. None other of his red children have such fish. In the Skookum Chuck', we have a remedy for all our ailments. We only have to bathe in and drink its water and we are made well. If we sign the treaty we will forever offend the Great Spirit; we will sign away our mother and she will cry. Her tears will dry up these lakes and we will be hungry and sick. We will go to the Skookum Chuck only to find that its waters have disappeared."
My attention was called to Skookum chuck some time since, and I procured some of the salts and triturated a quantity, making the first second, third, and sixth potencies. I partially proved the first potency by taking two grains every two hours. The first effect produced was a profuse coryza with constant sneezing, as in day fever. This continued until the medicine was antidoted by tobacco. My appetite was greatly increased. Some rheumatic pains in limbs and heaving about the sacrum. The catarrhal effects were so severe I could not continue the remedy. I have used the third and sixth potency in my practice and have cured a number of cases of catarrh, and am confident that the remedy will be curative in hay fever.
We have many remedies brought to us in an empirical way which soon lose their prominence, first because we have no proving and second, having no provings, clinical study is not close enough. When Skookum chuck was first written up, I began to use it and watch its effects, that it might be possible to find its proper niche in practice. 8
Anschutz reported many cases of intractable skin diseases, like eczema, or any dry, scaly, scabby manifestation, were ameliorated by Skookum chuck in a 2x or 3x trituration; including sheep with scab.9
Medical lake contains in grains per gallon : Sodic carbonate 63.54, Sodic chloride 16.37, Sodic silicate 10.63, Potassic chloride 9.24, Ferrous carbonate.526, Magnesia Carbonate.237, Calcic carbonate.I86, Aluminic oxide.175, with traces of Lithic carbonate, Borax, and Potassic sulphate. Trituration of the dried salt.10
A 2010 Skookum chuck Homoeopathic Pathogenetic Trial (HPT) was conducted by the Central Council for Research in Homeopathy11 via the multi-centre double-blind placebo controlled method. Thirty healthy provers participated after pre medical examination, and routine lab investigation. The drug was proved in three potencies; 6CH, 30CH and 200CH.12
A combined Materia Medica of this HPT and existing data has been produced, below are listed the body systems revealing the most symptoms - note an absence of mind symptoms were reported.13
Head - Headache with heaviness in forehead, worse by pressure, and better.by drinking tea. Throbbing pain in forehead, temporal region aggravated by noise, reading and amelioration by pressure. Pain in temporal region and forehead extends to both eyes, relief by applying water. Sensation of dizziness, dullness, drowsiness, worse in movement, rising from bed and better by sitting, lying down.
Stomach Burning in stomach, indigestion with nausea; vomiting of undigested food. Severe burning in stomach with vomiting tendency. Eructation and dryness of mouth with thirst. Nausea with chill, fever and great thirst. Thirst associated with headache. Thirstlessness with dryness of throat. Pain in epigastrium, worse after taking food. Appetite increased.
Abdomen Gurgling sound in abdomen due to accumulation of flatulence, amelioration by passing stool and flatus. Burning pain in right hypochondrium, and around umbilicus. Pain abdomen, better by walking. Griping pain around umbilicus, relieved by passing loose stool.
Skookum chuck comes to us from the North American Indians, as do Hydrastis, and Hamamelis.14 Some of our very great remedies - Gelsemium, Baptisia, Caulophyllum, Cimicifuga - were learnt by homoeopathic doctors from the North American Indians.15 Others (proven or otherwise) within materia medica include:
The Blue Flag is in great repute as a remedy among the Indians of North America. It was introduced into homoeopathic practice by Kitchen, of Philadelphia, by whom it was proved, as well as by that heroic prover, Burt, and others, of all of whose experiences Hale gives an excellent account.16
There is a certain piquancy in the fact that gunpowder is a remedy for the accidents of warfare; but some instinct put into the minds of our soldiers of long ago that gunpowder could cure as well as kill. The Indians of North America and Canada have found in it a remedy for snake-bites.17
Some time ago, seeing a paper written by Assistant-Surgeon Miles, of the Royal Artillery, on the efficacy of the North American plant, called the Sarracenia purpurea, or pitcher-plant, in the treatment of small-pox among the Indians, my colleague, Mr. Agnis, and myself have given this remedy.18
It was the chief ingredient in Lady Mary Douglas's specific; and Elder-flower water and Elder-flower ointment were in every domestic medicine case; the North American Indians make an eye-water from the young leaves of the Elder.19
Chimophila maculata the Indians declared it to be poisonous. Both the maculata and umbellata are old Indian and popular medicines. They are proved by Jeanes and G. Bure as long ago as 1840 and 1856. It was particularly the latter prover who began to separate the symptoms of two. The Indian doctors used only the umbellata and avoided the maculata, which they thought poisonous, a difference which to us would be a recommendation. Darlington, Flora Cestrica, says, " maculata possesses properties similar to the umbellata, but in a lesser degree." Rafinesque, a good authority, regards the effect in sickness, preferring maculata (mentioned in his book as a Pyrola), and gives each to a different sub genus, calling the maculata Chimophila and the umbellata Pipsissewa.20
A remedy known to the North American Indians and to the negroes for strangury in humans or animals is a tea made by steeping 10 or 12 honey bees in boiling water and giving the tea thus made to the patients. The tincture of Apis mellifica will answer the same purpose. The knowledge of the aboriginal race of the therapeutic virtues of the honey bee antedates that of the white race.21
The Central Council for Research in Homeopathy (CCRH) has conducted over one hundred and ten Homoeopathic Pathogenetic Trials. The data has been published in Drug Proving volumes, Monographs and Drug Proving articles in CCRH Quarterly Bulletins, and the Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy.22
https://revisitwa.org/waypoint/medical-lake/
N. W. Durham, History of City of Spokane and Spokane County, Washington, Vol. 1, (Spokane, Chicago, Philadelphia: S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1912.
https://www.historylink.org/file/10231
Rev. Jonathan Edwards, An Illustrated History of Spokane County (Spokane: W.H. Lever Publishing Co., 1900
Jim Dullenty, "Medical Lake is Now 100," Spokane Daily Chronicle, September 5, 1972, p. 25; "Oldest of Pioneers in Spokane," Spokane Daily Chronicle, July 3, 1929, Section Two, p. 1
The Story of Medical Lake, a supplement to the Cheney Free Press, 1972;
Anschutz. Therapeutic By ways. Miccant, 2015. Isis Vision [computer program]. Nottingham.
Anschutz. New, Old, Forgotten. Miccant, 2015. Isis Vision [computer program]. Nottingham.
Anschutz. Therapeutic By ways. Miccant, 2015. Isis Vision [computer program]. Nottingham.
Clarke. Dictionary. Skookum Chuck. Miccant, 2015. Isis Vision [computer program]. Nottingham.
Central Council for Research in Homeopathy. Ministry of AYUSH. Government of India. https://www.ccrhindia.nic.in/index1.aspx?lsid=81&lev=2&lid=83&Regid=0&langid=1
Manchanda et al, 2020. Homoeopathic drug proving researches (1996–2018): A scoping review. Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy. 14:1. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340506206_Homoeopathic_drug_proving_researches_1996-2018_A_scoping_review/link/5e913b254585150839d232ed/download?_tp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6Il9kaXJlY3QiLCJwYWdlIjoicHVibGljYXRpb24iLCJwcmV2aW91c1BhZ2UiOiJfZGlyZWN0In19
Schwabe News. 2017. Proving & clinical verification Skookum chuck. Available from: https://www.schwabeindia.com/doctornews/schwabe-news-jan-to-june-2017-proving-clinical-verification-skookum-chuck/
Anschutz. Therapeutic By ways. Miccant, 2015. Isis Vision [computer program]. Nottingham.
Tyler. Homeopathy Introductory Lectures. Miccant, 2015. Isis Vision [computer program]. Nottingham.
Clarke. Dictionary. Miccant, 2015. Isis Vision [computer program]. Nottingham.
Clarke. The constitution and therapeutic power of gunpowder. Miccant, 2015. Isis Vision [computer program]. Nottingham.
Hale. Therapeutics of New Remedies. Sarracenia purpurea. Miccant, 2015. Isis Vision [computer program]. Nottingham.
Hamilton. Flora Homeopathica. Miccant, 2015. Isis Vision [computer program]. Nottingham.
Hering Guiding Symptoms. Chimophila maculataMiccant, 2015. Isis Vision [computer program]. Nottingham.
Anschutz. New, Old, Forgotten. Miccant, 2015. Isis Vision [computer program]. Nottingham.
Central Council for Research in Homeopathy. Ministry of AYUSH. Government of India. Concluded studies. Available from: https://www.ccrhindia.nic.in//admnis/admin/showimg.aspx?ID=12795