Category: Materia Medica

PREFACE NINTH EDITION

In preparing the ninth edition of this work, I have followed the lines laid out for all the previous editions, namely, to present in a condensed form the homśopathic Materia Medica for practical use.

The book contains the well known verified characteristic symptoms of all our medicines besides other less important symptoms aiding the selection of the curative remedy, All the new medicines and essentials of the published clinical experience of the school have been added. In its present compact form it contains the maximum number of reliable Materia Medica facts in the minimum space.

I have tried to give a succinct resume of the symptomatology of every medicine used in Homśopathy, including also clinical suggestions of many drugs so far not yet based on provings, thus offering the opportunity to experiment with these and by future provings discover their distinctive use and so enlarging our armamentarium.

I am aware that there is a difference of opinion about the advisability of further introduction of remedies, especially of such as seem obsolete or to some minds illusory. But it is not for the compiler to leave out information about any substance that has received the clinical endorsement from a reliable source.

Our Materia Medica must include all substances which have been proved and which have been used with apparent efficacy. It rests with the individual student to judge for himself the accuracy and, reliability of such observation. In this connection, I cannot forego to avail myself of the high authority of that master of Homśopathy, Dr. Constantine Hering, favoring the introduction of all remedies capable of producing reactions in the body that may guide to their medicinal employment. “Homśopathy is essentially not only many-sided but all-sided. She investigates the action of all substances, whether articles of diet, beverages, condiments, drugs or poisons. She investigates their action on the healthy, the sick, animals and plants. She gives; a new interpretation to that ancient, oft quoted saying of Paul, Prove all things–a new meaning, a new application that acts universally. Elimination of the useless may gradually take place with the growth of accurate physiological and pathological knowledge.”

Again, imperfectly proved remedies necessitate the use of names of diseases at times instead of the component symptoms that alone are the legitimate guide to the choice of the curative remedy. Here, too, I have Hering as pioneer guide for the ligitimacy of this method, which he also followed in his great work, the Guiding Symptoms. He said that he used the disease designations not for the purpose of recommending the particular remedy for that disease, but to show the great variety of remedies that may be used for any form of disease when otherwise indicated. For the same reason I have included nosological terms in the symptomatology and Therapeutic Index, as this is a practical handbook for every-day service, and any aid for finding the curative remedy ought to be utilized. As Dr. J. Compton Burnett expresses it:

“The fact is we need any and every way of finding the right remedy; the simple simile, the simple symptomatic similimum and the farthest reach of all-the pathologic similimum, and I maintain that we are still well within the line- of Homśopathy that is expansive, progressive, science fostered and science fostering.”

The dosage needs some apology. It is, of course, suggestive only; more often to be wholly disregarded. I have followed the lines of the earlier Homśopathists in this regard, and given what was then considered the usual range of potency, to which I have added my own experience and that of many observing practitioners. Every teacher of Materia Medica is constantly importuned by students to suggest the potency–something to start with at least.

The book is in no sense a treatise, and must not be considered or judged as such. It is as accurate and reliable a compilation and the fullest collection of verified Materia Medica facts and clinical suggestions as it is possible to obtain within the compass of the volume. It supplements every other work on Materia Medica, and if used as a ready reminder of the essential facts of our vast symptomatology and as an introduction to the larger books of reference and record of provings, it will fulfill its purpose and prove a useful aid to the student and general practitioner. As such it is again offered with much appreciation of past endorsement to his professional brethren.

I have been aided in seeing this edition through the press by the efficient help of Mr. F. O. Ernesty, who has lightened the labor of making the manuscript more acceptable to the printers, and I desire to express my hearty appreciation of this kind and helpful service.

BOERICK MD

  • Aesculus Hippocastanum

    Horse Chestnut (Sapindaccae.)

    For persons with haemorrhoidal tendencies, and who suffer with gastric, bilious or catarrhal troubles. Fullness in various parts, as from undue amount of blood; heart, lungs, stomach, brain, pelvis, skin. Venous congestion, especially portal and haemorrhoidal. Despondent, gloomy; very irritable; looses temper easily and gains control slowly; miserably cross (Cham.). Mucous membranes of mouth, throat, rectum are swollen, burn, feel dry and raw. Coryza; thin, watery, burning: rawness and sensitive to inhaled cold air. Follicular pharyngitis; violent burning, raw sensation in throat; dryness and roughness of throat. Frequent inclination to swallow, with burning, pricking, stinging and dry constricted fauces (Apis, Bell.). Rectum: dryness and heat of; feets as if full of small sticks; knife-like pains shoot up the rectum (Ign., Sulph.); haemorrhoids blind, painful, burning purplish; rarely bleeding. Rectum sore, with fullness, burning and itching (Sulph.). Constipation: hard, dry stool, difficult to pass; with dryness and heat of rectum; severe lumbo-sacral backache. Stool followed by fullness of rectum and intense pain in anus for hours (Aloe, Ign., Mur. ac., Sulph.). Prolapsus uteri and acrid, dark leucorrhoea, with lumbo-sacral backache and great fatigue, from walking. Severe dull backache in lumbo-sacral articulation; more or less constant; affecting sacrum and hips. Back “gives out” during pregnancy, prolapsus, leucorrhoea; when walking or stooping; must sit or lie down. Sensation of heaviness and lameness in back. Paralytic feeling in arms, legs and spine.

    Relationship. Similar: to, Aloe, Coll., Ign., Mur. ac., Nux, Sulph., in haemorrhoids. After Coll. had improved piles, Aesc often cures. Useful after Nux and Sulph. has improved, but failed to cure piles.

    Aggravation. Motion; backache and soreness, by walking and stooping; inhaling cold air.

  • Actaea Racemosa

    Black Cohosh (Ranunculaceae.)

    Puerperal mania; thinks she is going crazy (compare, Syph.); tries to injure herself. Mania following disappearance of neuralgia. Sensation as if a heavy, black cloud had settled all over her and enveloped her head so that all is darkness and confusion. Illusion of a mouse running under her chair (Lac. c., Aeth.). Ciliary neuralgia; aching or sharp, darting, shooting pains in globes, extending to temples, vertex, occiput, orbit, < going up stairs, > lying down. Heart troubles from reflex symptoms of uterus or ovaries. Heart’s action ceases suddenly; impending suffocation; palpitation from least motion (Dig.). Menses: irregular; exhausting (Alum., Coc.); delayed or suppressed by mental emotion, from cold, from fever; with chorea, hysteria or mania; increase of mental symptoms during. Spasms: hysterical or epileptic; reflex from uterine disease; worse during menses; chorea < left side. Severe left-sided infra-mammary pains (Ust.). Sharp, lancinating, electric-like pains in various parts, sympathetic with ovarian or uterine irritation; in uterine region, dart from side to side. Pregnancy: nausea; sleeplessness; false labor-like pains; sharp pains across abdomen; abortion at third month (Sab.). During labor: “shivers” in first stage; convulsions, from nervous excitement; rigid os; pains severe, spasmodic, tedious, < by least noise. After-pains, worse in the groins. When given during last month of pregnancy, shortens labor, if symptoms correspond (Caul., Puls.). Excessive muscular soreness, after dancing, skating, or other violent muscular exertion. Rheumatic pains in muscles of neck and back; feel stiff, lame, contracted; spine sensitive, from using arms in sewing, type writing, piano playing (Agar., Ran. b.). Rheumatism affecting the bellies of the muscles; pains stitching, cramping. Rheumatic dysmenorrhoea.

    Relationship. Similar: to, Caul., and Puls. in uterine and rheumatic affections; to, Agar., Lil., Sep.

    Aggravation. During menstruation; the more profuse the flow the greater the suffering.

  • Aconitum Napellus

    Monkshood (Ranunculacea.)

    It is generally indicated in acute or recent cases occurring in young persons, especially girls, of a full, plethoric habit who lead a sedentary life; persons easily affected by atmospheric changes; dark hair and eyes, rigid muscular fibre. Complaints caused by exposure to dry cold air, dry north or west winds, or exposure to draughts of cold air while in a perspiration; bad effects of checked perspiration. Great fear and anxiety of mind, with great nervous excitability; afraid to go out, to go into a crowd where there is any excitement or many people; to cross the street. The countenance is expressive of fear; the life is rendered miserable by fear; is sure his disease will prove fatal; predicts the day he will die; fear of death during pregnancy. Restless, anxious, does everything in great haste; must change position often; everything startles him. Pains; are intolerable, they drive him crazy; he becomes very restless; at night. Hahnemann says: “Whenever Aconite is chosen homeopathically, you must, above all, observe the moral symptoms, and be careful that it closely resembles them; the anguish of mind and body; the restlessness; the disquiet not to be allayed.”. This mental anxiety, worry, fear accompanies the most trivial ailment. Music is unbearable, makes her sad (Sab., during menses, Nat. c.). On rising from a recumbent position the red face becomes deathly pale, or he becomes faint or giddy and falls, and fears to rise again; often accompanied by vanishing of sight and unconsciousness. Amenorrhoea in plethoric young girls; after fright, to prevent suppression of menses. For the congestive stage of inflammation before localization takes place. Fever; skin dry and hot; face red, or pale and red alternately; burning thirst for large quantities of cold water; intense nervous restlessness, tossing about in agony; becomes intolerable towards evening and on going to sleep. Convulsions; of teething children; heat, jerks and twitches of single muscles; child gnaws its fist, frets and screams; skink hot and dry; high fever. Cough, croup; dry, hoarse, suffocating, loud, rough, croaking; hard, ringing, whistling; on expiration (Caust. – on inhalation, Spong.); from dry, cold winds or drafts of air. Aconite should never be given simply to control the fever, never alternated with other drugs for that purpose. If it be a case requiring Aconite no other drug is needed; Aconite will cure the case. Unless indicated by the exciting cause, is nearly always injurious in first stages of typhoid fever.

    Aggravation. Evening and night, pains are insupportable; in a warm room; when rising from bed; lying on affected side (Hep., Nux m.).

    Amelioration. In the open air (Alum., Mag. c., Puls., Sab.).

    Relationship. Complementary: to Coffea in fever, sleeplessness, intolerance of pain; to Arnica in traumatism; to Sulphur in all cases. Rarely indicated in fevers which bring out eruptions. Aconite is the acute of Sulphur, and both precedes and follows it in acute inflammatory conditions.

  • Acetic Acid

    Glacial Acetic Acid. (CH3COOH.)

    Adapted to pale lean persons with lax, flabby muscles; face pale, waxy (Fer.). Haemorrhage; from every mucous outlet, nose, throat, lungs, stomach, bowels, uterus (Fer., Mill.); metrorrhagia; vicarious; traumatic epistaxis (Arn.). Marasmus and other wasting diseases of children (Abrot., Iod., Sanic., Tub.). Great prostration; after injuries (Sulph. ac.); after surgical shock; after anaesthetics. Thirst; intense, burning, insatiable even for large quantities in dropsy, diabetes, chronic diarrhoea; but no thirst in fever. Sour belching and vomiting of pregnancy, burning water-brash and profuse salivation, day and night (Lac. ac., salivation < at night, Mer. s.). Diarrhoea; copious, exhausting, great thirst; in dropsy, typhus, phthisis; with night sweats. True croup, hissing respiration, cough with inhalation (Spong.); last stages. Inhalation of vapor of cider vinegar has been successfully used in croup and malignant diphtheria. Cannot sleep lying on the back (sleeps better on back, Ars.); sensation of sinking in abdomen causing dyspnoea; rests better lying on belly (Am. c.). Hectic fever, skin dry and hot; red spot on left cheek and drenching night sweats.

    Relationship. It antidotes anaesthetic vapors (Amyl.); fumes of charcoal and gas; Opium and Stramonium. Cider vinegar antidotes Carbolic acid. Follows well; after Cinchona, in haemorrhage; after Digitalis, in dropsy. It aggravates; the symptoms of Arn., Bell., Lach., Mer., especially the headache from Belladonna.

  • Abrotanum

    Southernwood. (Compositae.)

    Alternate constipation and diarrhoea; lineteria. Marasmus of children with marked emaciation, especially of legs (Iod., Sanic., Tub.); the skin is flabby and hangs loose in folds (of neck, Nat. m., Sanic.). In marasmus head weak, cannot hold it up. (Aeth.). Marasmus of lower extremities only. Ravenous hunger; loosing flesh while eating well (Iod., Nat. m., Sanic., Tub.). Painful contractions of the limbs from cramps or following colic. Rheumatism; for the excessive pain before the swelling commences; from suddenly-checked diarrhoea or other secretions; alternates with haemorrhoids, with dysentery. Gout; joints stiff, swollen, with pricking sensation; wrists and ankle-joints painful and inflamed. Very lame and sore all over. Itching chilblains (Agar.). Great weakness and prostration and a kind of hectic fever with children; unable to stand. Child is ill-natured, irritable, cross and despondent; violent, inhuman, would like to do something cruel. Face old, pale, wrinkled (Op.).

    Relationship: After Hepar in furuncle; after Acon. and Bry. in pleurisy, when pressing sensation remains in affected side impeding respiration.

  • Citrullus colocynthis (Colocynthis, Colocynth, Bitter Cucumber)

    Spasmodic conditions in the smooth gastrointestinal musculature, causing periodic and sudden colics with stabbing pain independent of rest or movement. The animal assumes an extremely hunched position, arching the pack and avoiding any stretching of the body. The clinical symptomatology is that of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis with acute and recurrent pain and a copious diarrhea, occasionally with blood. The animals are extremely nervous (nervous irritability) and startle easily. Tendency to develop a post- prandial meteorism. Aggravation of symptoms when moving and when frightened. Amelioration after defecation, when warm, at rest and with pressure on the affected region.
    Atropinum compositum ad us. vet.
    Berberis-Homaccord® ad us. vet.
    Berberis-Homaccord®
    Carduus compositum QP ad us. vet.
    Diarrheel® SN
    Discus compositum ad us. vet.
    Hepeel® N
    Nux vomica-Homaccord® ad us. vet.
    Nux vomica-Homaccord
    Spascupreel®

  • Zincum metallicum (Zinc)

    This agent is for treatment of nervous exhaustion and restlessness. Chief symptom is unrest of the legs, which are continually in movement. Weakness and pain in the back with hypersensitivity in the region of the first lumbar vertebra. Horses tend to stumble easily as a result of paralytic symptoms in the limbs. Amelioration through exercise in fresh air.
    Discus compositum ad us. vet.
    Echinacea compositum forte S

  • Viscum album (Mistletoe)

    Geriatric medicament acting through the parasympathetic system, arteriosclerosis, dis- solves atheromatotic foci, anti-dedifferentiation factor.
    Arteria-Heel®

  • Vincetoxicum (Vincetoxicum hirundinaria, Swallow Wort)

    Stimulation of the body’s defense system with activation of the vessels and sympa- thetic influence. Appropriate, e.g., for febrile virus affections. Discovered empirically, the effect is ascribable to the constituents vincetoxin and asclepia acid, the former act- ing in a manner similar to aconite (monkshood), while the latter affects the vessels and sympathicus. The toxic symptoms displayed in proving are hypersalivation, regurgita- tion, diarrhea, and brief central excitation ensued by ascending paralysis of the central nervous system. This is a classic agent, employed, for example, in Mongolian medicine as an anti-febrile agent. As the name suggests, Vincetoxicum is utilized to combat toxins.
    Engystol® ad us. vet.
    Engystol® N

  • Viburnum opulus (European Cranberry)

    Cramps within the musculature of the uterus with great nervous unrest in older ani- mals. Threat of miscarriage ensuing traumata.
    Lilium Compositum (Gynäcoheel® N)
    Hormeel® QP ad us. vet.
    Hormeel® SN
    Hormeel® S