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

  • PETROSELINUM SATIVUM

    Parsley
    (PETROSELINUM)

    The urinary symptoms give the keynotes for this remedy. Piles with much itching.

    Urinary.–Burning, tingling, from perineum throughout whole urethra; sudden urging, to urinate; frequent, voluptuous tickling in fossa navicularis. Gonorrhœa; sudden, irresistible desire to urinate; intense biting, itching, deep in urethra; milky discharge.

    Stomach.–Thirsty and hungry, but desire fails on beginning to eat or drink.

    Relationship.–Compare: Apiol-the active principle of Parsley–(in dysmenorrhœa); Canth; Sars.: Cannab; Merc.

    Dose.–First to third potency.

  • ONISCUS ASELLUS

    Wood-louse
    (MILLEPEDES)

    Has distinct diuretic properties; hence its use in dropsies. Asthmatic conditions, with bronchial catarrh.

    Head.–Boring pain behind right ear in mastoid process (Caps). Violent pulsation of arteries (Pothos; Glonoine). Painful pressure above the root of nose.

    Stomach.–Persistent pressure in cardiac orifice. Vomiting.

    Abdomen.–Distended; meteorism; very severe colic.

    Urine.–Cutting, burning in urethra. Tenesmus of bladder and rectum, with absence of stool and urine.

    Relationship.–Compare: Pothos foet; Canth.

    Dose.–Sixth potency.

  • KOUSSO

    Hagenia Abyssinica
    (KOUSSO – BRAYERA)

    A Vermifuge-Nausea and vomiting, vertigo, prćcordial anxiety slowing and irregular pulse, subdelirium and collapse. Rapid and extreme prostration. To expel tapeworm.

    Dose.–1/2 oz. Mix with warm water and let stand 15 minutes; stir well and administer. May be preceded by a little lemon juice (Merrell).

    Relationship.–Compare: Mallotus-Kamala-An efficient remedy for tapeworm in 30-60 minims of tincture taken in cinnamon water.

  • KAOLINUM

    KAOLINUM
    Bolus alba (China Clay) Alumina Silicate
    (KAOLIN)

    A remedy for croup and bronchitis.

    Nose.–Itching and burning. Discharge yellow. Sore, scabby, stopped up.

    Respiratory.–Soreness of chest along trachea; cannot stand percussion. Gray sputa. Capillary bronchitis. Larynx and chest sore. Membranous croup-extends down trachea.

    Dose.–Lower triturations.

  • ASIMINA TRILOBA

    American Papaw

    Produces a series of symptoms much like scarlet fever; sore throat, fever, vomiting, scarlet eruption; tonsils and submaxillary glands enlarged, with diarrhśa. Fauces red and swollen, face swollen. Desire for ice-cold things. Hoarseness. Languid, drowsy irritable.

    Acne. Itching in evening on undressing.

    Relationship.–Compare: Capsic; Bellad.

  • ZIZIA AUREA

    Meadow Parsnip
    (THASPIUM AUREUM – ZIZIA)

    Hysteria, epilepsy, chorea, hypochondriasis, come within the sphere of this remedy.

    Mind.–Suicidal; depressed; laughing and weeping moods alternate.

    Head.–Pressure on top, in right temple, associated with backache.

    Male.–Great lassitude following coitus. Sexual power increased.

    Female.–Intermittent neuralgia of left ovary. Acrid, profuse leucorrhœa, with retarded menses.

    Respiratory.–Dry cough, with stitches in chest. Dyspnœa.

    Extremities.–Unusual tired feeling. Chorea, especially during sleep. Fidgety legs (Tarant). Lameness in arms and spasmodic twitching.

    Modalities.–Worse, during sleep.

    Relationship.–Compare: Agar; Stram; Tarant; Cicuta; Aethusa.

    Dose.–Tincture, to third potency.

  • ZINGIBER OFFICINALE

    Ginger
    (ZINGIBER)

    States of debility in the digestive tract, and sexual system and respiratory troubles, call for this remedy. Complete cessation of function of kidneys.

    Head.–Hemicrania; sudden glimmering before eyes; feels confused and empty. Pain over eyebrows.

    Nose.–Feels obstructed and dry. Intolerable itching; red pimples.

    Stomach.–Taste of food remains long, especially of bread and toast. Feels heavy, like from a stone. Complaints from eating melons and drinking impure water. Acidity (Calc; Robinia). Heaviness in stomach on awakening with wind and rumbling, great thirst and emptiness. Pain from pit to under sternum, worse eating.

    Abdomen.–Colic, diarrhœa, extremely loose bowels. Diarrhœa from drinking bad water, with much flatulence, cutting pain, relaxation of sphincter. Hot, sore, painful anus during pregnancy. Chronic intestinal catarrh. Anus red and inflamed. Hæmorrhoids hot, painful, sore. (Aloe).

    Urinary.–Frequent desire tu urinate. Stinging, burning in orifice. Yellow discharge from urethra. Urine thick, turbid, of strong odor, suppressed. Complete suppression after typhoid. After urinating, continues to ooze in drops.

    Male.–Itching of prepuce. Sexual desire excited; painful erections. Emissions.

    Respiratory.–Hoarseness. Smarting below larynx; breathing difficult. Asthma, without anxiety, worse toward morning. Scratching sensation in throat; stitches in chest. Cough dry, hacking; copious morning sputa.

    Extremities.–Very weak in all joints. Back lame. Cramps in soles and palms.

    Relationship.–Compare: Calad.

    Antidote: Nux.

    Dose.–First to sixth potency.

  • ZINCUM VALERIANICUM

    Valerinate of Zinc
    (ZINCUM VALERIANUM)

    A remedy for neuralgia, hysteria, angina pectoris, and other painful affections, notably in ovarian affections. Epilepsy without aura. Hysterical heart-pain. Facial neuralgia, violent in left temple and inferior maxillary. Sleeplessness in children. Obstinate hiccough.

    Head.–Violent, neuralgic, intermittent headaches. Becomes almost insane with pain, which is piercing and stabbing. Uncontrollable sleeplessness from pain in head with melancholy.

    Female.–Ovaralgia; pain shoots down limbs, even too foot.

    Extremities.–Severe pain in neck and spine. Cannot sit still; must keep legs in constant motion. Sciatic neuralgia.

    Dose.–First and second trituration. Must be continued for some time in treatment of neuralgia.

  • ZINCUM METALLICUM

    Zinc
    (ZINC)

    The provings picture cerebral depression. The word “fag” covers a large part of zinc action. Tissues are worn out faster than they are repaired. Poisoning from suppressed eruptions or discharges. The nervous symptoms of most importance. Defective vitality. Impending brain paralysis. Period of depression in disease. Spinal affections. Twitchings. Pain, as if between skin and flesh. Great relief from discharges. Chorea, from fright or suppressed eruption. Convulsions, with pale face and no heat. Marked anæmia with profound prostration. It causes a decrease in the number, and destruction of red blood corpuscles. Repercussed eruptive diseases. In chronic diseases with brain and spinal symptoms, trembling, convulsive twitching and fidgety feet are guiding symptoms.

    Mind.–Weak memory. Very sensitive to noise. Averse to work, to talk. Child repeats everything said to it. Fears arrest on account of a supposed crime. Melancholia. Lethargic, stupid. Paresis.

    Head.–Feels as if he would fall to left side. Headache from the smallest quantity of wine. Hydrocephalus. Rolls head from side to side. Bores head into pillow. Occipital pain, with weight on vertex. Automatic motion of head and hands. Brain-fag; headaches of overtaxed school children. Forehead cool; base of brain hot. Roaring in head. Starting in fright.

    Eyes.–Pterygium; smarting, lachrymation, itching. Pressure as if pressed into head. Itching and soreness of lids and inner angles. Ptosis. Rolling of eyes. Blurring of one-half of vision; worse, stimulants. Squinting. Amaurosis, with severe headache. Red and inflamed conjunctiva; worse, inner canthus.

    Ears.–Tearing, stitches, and external swelling. Discharge of fetid pus.

    Nose.–Sore feeling high up; pressure upon root.

    Face.–Pale lips, and corners of mouth cracked. Redness and itching eruption on chin. Tearing in facial bones.

    Mouth.–Teeth loose. Gums bleed. Gnashing of teeth. Bloody taste. Blisters on tongue. Difficult dentition; child weak; cold and restless feet.

    Throat.–Dry; constant inclination to hawk up tenacious mucus. Rawness and dryness in throat and larynx. Pain in muscles of throat when swallowing.

    Stomach.– Hiccough, nausea, vomiting of bitter mucus. Burning in stomach, heartburn from sweet things. Cannot stand smallest quantity of wine. Ravenous hunger about 11 am (Sulph). Great greediness when eating; cannot eat fast enough. Atonic dyspepsia, feeling as if stomach were collapsed.

    Abdomen.–Pain after a light meal, with tympanitis. Pain in spot beneath navel. Gurgling and griping; distended. Flatulent colic, with retraction of abdomen (Plumb). Enlarged, indurated sore liver. Reflex symptoms from floating kidney. Griping after eating.

    Urine.–Can only void urine when sitting bent backwards. Hysterical retention. Involuntary urination when walking, coughing or sneezing.

    Rectum.–Hard, small, constipated stool. Cholera infantum, with tenesmus; green mucous discharges. Sudden cessation of diarrhœa, followed by cerebral symptoms.

    Male.–Testicles swelled, drawn up. Erections violent. Emissions with hypochondriasis. Falling off of hair (pubic). Drawing in testicles up to spermatic cord.

    Female.–Ovarian pain, especially left; can’t keep still (Viburn). Nymphomania of lying-in women. Menses too late, suppressed; lochia suppressed (Puls). Breasts painful. Nipples sore. Menses flow more at night (Bov). Complaints all better during menstrual flow. (Eupion; Lach). All the female symptoms are associated with restlessness, depression, coldness spinal tenderness and restless feet. Dry cough before and during menses.

    Respiratory.–Burning pressure beneath sternum. Constriction and cutting in chest. Hoarseness. Debilitating, spasmodic cough; worse, eating sweet things. Child grasps genitals during cough. Asthmatic bronchitis, with constriction, of chest. Dyspnœa better as soon as expectoration appears.

    Back.–Pain in small of back. Cannot bear back touched (Sul; Therid; Cinch). Tension and stinging between shoulders. Spinal irritation. Dull aching about the last dorsal or first lumbar vertebræ; worse sitting. Burning along spine. Nape of neck weary from writing or any exertion. Tearing in shoulder-blades.

    Extremities.–Lameness, weakness, trembling and twitching of various muscles. Chilblains (Agar). Feet in continued motion; cannot keep still. Large varicose veins on legs. Sweaty. Convulsions, with pale face. Transverse pains, especially in upper extremity. Soles of feet sensitive. Steps with entire sole of foot on floor.

    Sleep.–Cries out during sleep; body jerks; wakes frightened, stared. Nervous motion of feet when asleep. Loud screaming out at night in sleep without being aware of it. Somnambulism (Kali phos).

    Skin.–Varicose veins, especially of lower extremities (Puls). Formication of feet and legs as from bugs crawling over the skin, preventing sleep. Eczema, especially in the anæmic and neurotic. Itching of thighs and hollow of knees. Retrocession of eruptions.

    Fever.–Frequent, febrile shiverings down back. Cold extremities. Night-sweat. Profuse sweat on feet.

    Modalities.–Worse, at menstrual period, from touch, between 5 to 7 pm; after dinner, from wine. Better, while eating, discharges, and appearance of eruptions.

    Relationship.–Compare: Agaric; Ign; Plumb; Argent; Puls; Helleb; Tuberc. Inimical: Nux; Cham. Compare in amelioration by secretions: Lach; Stan; Mosch.

    Compare: Zincum aceticum (effects of night-watching and erysipelas; brain feels sore; Rademacher’s solution, five-drop doses three times a day in water, for those who are compelled to work, on an insufficient amount of sleep); Zinc, bromatum (dentition, chorea, hydrocephalus); Zinc oxydatum (Nausea and sour taste). Sudden vomiting in children. Vomiting of bile and diarrhœa. Flatulent abdomen. Watery stools with tenesmus. Debility after grip. Fiery red face, great drowsiness with dreamlike unrefreshing sleep. Similar to effect of night watching. Mental and physical exertion (Rademacher). Zinc. Sulph, not repeated frequently (high potency) will clear up opacities of the cornea (McFarland). Corneitis; granular lids; tongue paralyzed; cramps in arms and legs; trembling and convulsions. Hypochondriasis due to masturbation; nervous headaches; Zinc cyanatum (as a remedy for meningitis and cerebro-spinal meningitis, paralysis agitans, chorea, and hysteria, it has received some attention); Zinc ars (chorea, anæmia, profound exhaustion on slight exertion. Depression and marked involvement of lower extremities); Zinc carb (post-gonorrhœal throat affections, tonsils swollen, bluish superficial spots); Zinc phos (herpes zoster 1x); Zinc muriat (disposition to pick the bedclothes; sense of smell and taste perverted; bluish-green tint of skin; cold and sweaty); Zinc phos (neuralgia of head and face; lightning-like pains in locomotor ataxia, brain-fag, nervousness, and vertigo; sexual excitement and sleeplessness); Ammon valerian (violent neuralgia, with great nervous agitation); Zinc picricum (facial paralysis; brain-fag, headache in Bright’s disease; seminal emissions; loss of memory and energy). Oxide of zinc is used locally as an astringent and stimulant application to unhealthy ulcers, fissures, intertrigo, burns, etc.

    Dose.–Second to sixth potency.

  • YUCCA FILAMENTOSA

    Bear-grass

    So-called bilious symptoms, with headache. Despondent and irritable.

    Head.–Aches as if top of head would fly off. Arteries of forehead throb. Nose red.

    Face.–Yellow; tongue yellow, coated, taking imprint of teeth (Merc; Pod; Rhus).

    Mouth.–Taste as of rotten eggs (Arnica).

    Throat.–Sensation as if something hung down from posterior nares; cannot get it up or down.

    Abdomen.–Deep pain in right side over liver, going through back. Stool yellowish brown, with bile.

    Male.–Burning and swelling of the prepuce, with redness of meatus. Gonorrhœa (Cann; Tussil).

    Skin.–Erythematous redness.

    Dose.–Tincture, to third potency.