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

  • PULSATILLA PRATENSIS

    Wind Flower
    (PULSATILLA)

    The weather-cock among remedies.

    The disposition and mental state are the chief guiding symptoms to the selection of Pulsatilla. It is pre-eminently a female remedy, especially for mild, gentle, yielding disposition. Sad, crying readily; weeps when talking; changeable, contradictory. The patient seeks the open air; always feels better there, even though he is chilly. Mucous membranes are all affected. Discharges thick, bland, and yellowish-green. Often indicated after abuse of Iron tonics, and after badly-managed measles. Symptoms ever changing. Thirstless, peevish, and chilly. When first serious impairment of health is referred to age of puberty. Great sensitiveness. Wants the head high. Feels uncomfortable with only one pillow. Lies with hands above head.

    Mind.–Weeps easily. Timid, irresolute. Fears in evening to be alone, dark, ghost. Likes sympathy. Children like fuss and caresses. Easily discouraged. Morbid dread of the opposite sex. Religious melancholy. Given to extremes of pleasure and pain. Highly emotional. Mentally, an April day.

    Head.–Wandering stitches about head; pains extend to face and teeth; vertigo; better in open air. Frontal and supra-orbital pains. Neuralgic pains, commencing in right temporal region, with scalding lachrymation of affected side. Headache from overwork. Pressure on vertex.

    Ears.–Sensation as if something were being forced outward. Hearing difficult, as if the ear were stuffed. Otorrhœa. Thick, bland discharge; offensive odor. External ear swollen and red. Catarrhal otitis. Otalgia, worse at night. Diminishes acuteness of hearing.

    Eyes.–Thick, profuse, yellow, bland discharges. Itching and burning in eyes. Profuse lachrymation and secretion of mucus. Lids inflamed, agglutinated. Styes. Veins of fundus oculi greatly enlarged. Ophthalmia neonatorum. Subacute conjunctivitis, with dyspepsia; worse, in warm room.

    Nose.–Coryza; stoppage of right nostril, pressing pain at root of nose. Loss of smell. Large green fetid scales in nose. Stoppage in evening. Yellow mucus; abundant in morning. Bad smells, as of old catarrh. Nasal bones sore.

    Face.–Right-sided neuralgia, with profuse lachrymation. Swelling of lower lip, which is cracked in middle. Prosopalgia towards evening till midnight; chilly, with pain.

    Mouth.–Greasy taste. Dry mouth, without thirst; wants it washed frequently. Frequently licks the dry lips. Crack in middle of lower lip. Yellow or white tongue, covered with a tenacious mucus. Toothache; relieved by holding cold water in mouth (Coff). Offensive odor from mouth (Merc; Aur). Food, especially bread, tastes bitter. Much sweet saliva. Alternations of taste, bitter, bilious, greasy, salty, foul. Loss of taste. Desire for tonics.

    Stomach.–Averse to fat food, warm food, and drink. Eructations; taste of food remains a long time; after ices, fruits, pasty. Bitter taste, diminished taste of all food. Pain as from subcutaneous ulceration. Flatulence. Dislikes butter (Sang). Heartburn. Dyspepsia, with great tightness after a meal; must loosen clothing. Thirstlessness, with nearly all complaints. Vomiting of food eaten long before. Pain in stomach an hour after eating (Nux). Weight as from a stone, especially in morning on awakening. Gnawing, hungry feeling (Abies c). Perceptible pulsation in pit of stomach (Asaf). All-gone sensation, especially in tea drinkers. Waterbrash, with foul taste in the morning.

    Abdomen.–Painful, distended; loud rumbling. Pressure as from a stone. Colic, with chilliness in evening.

    Stool.–Rumbling, watery; worse, night No two stools alike. After fruit (Ars; Chin). Blind hæmorrhoids, with itching and sticking pains. Dysentery; mucus and blood, with chilliness (Merc; Rheum). Two or three normal stools daily.

    Urine.–Increased desire; worse when lying down. Burning in orifice of urethra during and after micturition. Involuntary micturition at night, while coughing or passing flatus. After urinating, spasmodic pain in bladder.

    Female.–Amenorrhœa (Cimicif; Senec; Polygon). Suppressed menses from wet feet, nervous debility, or chlorosis. Tardy menses. Too late, scanty, thick, dark, clotted, changeable, intermittent. Chilliness, nausea, downward pressure, painful, flow intermits. Leucorrhœa acrid, burning, creamy. Pain in back; tired feeling. Diarrhœa during or after menses.

    Male.–Orchitis; pain from abdomen to testicles. Thick, yellow discharge from urethra; late stage of gonorrhœa. Stricture; urine passed only in drops, and stream interrupted (Clemat). Acute prostatitis. Pain and tenesmus in urinating, worse lying on back.

    Respiratory.–Capricious hoarseness; comes and goes. Dry cough in evening and at night; must sit up in bed to get relief; and loose cough in the morning, with copious mucous expectoration. Pressure upon the chest and soreness. Great soreness of epigastrium. Urine emitted with cough (Caust). Pain as from ulcer in middle of chest. Expectoration bland, thick, bitter, greenish. Short breath, anxiety, and palpitation when lying on left side (Phos). Smothering sensation on lying down.

    Sleep.–Wide awake in the evening; first sleep restless. Wakes languid, unrefreshed. Irresistible sleepiness in afternoon. Sleeps with hands over head.

    Back.–Shooting pain in the nape and back, between shoulders; in sacrum after sitting.

    Extremities.–Drawing, tensive pain in thighs and legs, with restlessness, sleeplessness and chilliness. Pain in limbs, shifting rapidly; tensive pain, letting up with a snap. Numbness around elbow. Hip-joint painful. Knees swollen, with tearing, drawing pains. Boring pain in heels toward evening; suffering worse from letting the affected limb hang down (Vipera). Veins in forearms and hands swollen. Feet red, inflamed, swollen. Legs feel heavy and weary.

    Skin.–Urticaria, after rich food, with diarrhœa, from delayed menses, worse undressing. Measles. Acne at puberty. Varicose veins.

    Fever.–Chilliness, even in warm room, without thirst. Chilly with pains, in spots, worse evening. Chill about 4 pm. Intolerable burning heat at night, with distended veins; heat in parts of body, coldness in other. One-sided sweat; pains during sweat. External heat is intolerable, veins are distended. During apyrexia, headache, diarrhœa, loss of appetite, nausea.

    Modalities.–Worse, from heat, rich fat food, after eating, towards evening, warm room, lying on left or on painless side when allowing feet to hang down. Better, open air, motion, cold applications, cold food and drinks, though not thirsty.

    Relationship.–Penthorum, often indicated after Pulsatilla in later colds. Ionesia Asoca-Saraca indica–(Amenorrhœa. Menorrhagia-acts powerfully on female organs. Abdominal pain). Atriplex (Uterine symptoms, amenorrhœa; hysteria, coldness between shoulders, dislike of warm food, craves strange foods, palpitation, sleeplessness). Pulsatilla Nuttaliana, identical effects.

    Compare: Cyclamen; Kali bich; Kali sulph; Sulphur. Pimenta-Allspice–(one-sided neuralgias, parts of body hot and cold).

    Anagyris (headache, amenorrhœa).

    Complementary: Coffea; Chamom; Nux.

    Dose.–Third to thirtieth attenuation.

  • PTELEA TRIFOLIATA

    Wafer-ash
    (PTELEA)

    Is a remarkable remedy in stomach and liver affections. The aching and heaviness in the region of the liver is greatly aggravated by lying on the left side. Atonic states of stomach. Asthma.

    Head.–Feels dull and stupid. Pain from forehead to root of nose; pressing-outward pain. Frontal headache; worse, noise, motion, night, rubbing eyes, with acidity. Temples as if pressed together.

    Mouth.–Excess of saliva, with dry bitter taste. Tongue coated white or yellow; feels rough, swollen. Papillæ red and prominent (Arg n). Coating may be brownish-yellow.

    Stomach.–Weight and fullness. Griping in epigastric region, with dryness of mouth. Eructations, nausea, vomiting. Constant sensation of corrosion, heat and burning in stomach. Stomach feels empty after eating. Stomach and liver symptoms associated with pain in limbs.

    Abdomen.–Much weight and pain in right side; heavy, aching feeling, relieved by lying on right side. Liver sore, swollen, sensitive to pressure. Retraction of abdomen.

    Respiratory.–Feeling of pressure on lungs and of suffocation, when lying on back. Asthma; dyspnœa; cramp-like pain in cardiac region.

    Sleep.–Restless, with frightful dreams; nightmare, awakes languid and unrefreshed.

    Modalities.–Worse, lying on left side; early morning. Better, eating sour things.

    Relationship.–Compare: Mercur; Magn mur; Nux; Chelid.

    Dose.–First to thirtieth potency.

  • PSORINUM

    Scabies Vesicle

    The therapeutic field of this remedy is found in so-called psoric manifestations. Psorinum is a cold medicine; wants the head kept warm, wants warm clothing even in summer. Extreme sensitiveness to cold. Debility, independent of any organic disease, especially the weakness remaining after acute disease. Lack of reaction, i.e, phagocytes defective; when well-chosen remedies fail to act. Scrofulous patients. Secretions have a filthy smell. Profuse sweating. Cardiac weakness. Skin symptoms very prominent. Often gives immunity from cold-catching. Easy perspiration when walking. Syphilis, inherited and tertiary. Offensive discharges.

    Mind.–Hopeless; despairs of recovery. Melancholy, deep and persistent; religious. Suicidal tendency.

    Head.–Awakens at night with pain as from blow on head. Chronic headaches; hungry during attacks; with vertigo. Hammering pain; brain feels too large; worse, change of weather. Dull, pressive pain in occiput. Humid eruption on scalp; hair matted. Hair dry.

    Eyes.–Agglutinated. Blepharitis. Chronic ophthalmia, that constantly recurs. Edges of lids red. Secretion acrid.

    Mouth.–Obstinate rhagades at corners. Tongue, gums ulcerated; tough mucus of foul taste adheres to soft palate.

    Nose.–Dry, coryza, with stoppage of nose. Chronic catarrh; dropping from posterior nares. Acne rosacea.

    Ears.–Raw, red, oozing scabs around ears. Sore pain behind ears. Herpes from temples over ears to cheeks. Offensive discharge from eczema around ears. Intolerable itching. Chronic otorrhśa. Most fetid pus from ears, brownish, offensive.

    Face.–Swelling of upper lip. Pale, delicate. Humid eruption on face. Sickly.

    Throat.–Tonsils greatly swollen; painful swallowing, with pain in ears. Profuse, offensive saliva; tough mucus in throat. Recurring quinsy. Eradicates tendency to quinsy. Hawking up of cheesy, pea-like balls of disgusting smell and taste (Agar).

    Stomach.–Eructations like bad eggs. Very hungry always; must have something to eat in the middle of the night. Nausea; vomiting of pregnancy. Pain in abdomen after eating.

    Stool.–Mucous, bloody, excessively fetid, dark fluid. Hard, difficult stool, with blood from rectum and burning piles. Constipation of infants, in pale, sickly scrofulous children.

    Female.–Leucorrhśa fetid, lumpy, with much backache and debility. Mammć swollen and painful. Pimples oozing an acrid fluid that burns and excoriates the glands.

    Respiratory.–Asthma, with dyspnśa; worse, sitting up; better, lying down and keeping arms spread wide apart. Dry, hard cough, with great weakness in chest. Feeling of ulceration under sternum. Pain in chest; better, lying down. Cough returns every winter, from suppressed eruption. Hay-fever returning irregularly every year.

    Extremities.–Weakness of joints, as if they would not hold together. Eruption around finger-nails. Fetid foot-sweats.

    Skin.–Dirty, dingy look. Dry, lusterless, rough hair. Intolerable itching. Herpetic eruptions, especially on scalp and bends of joints with itching; worse, from warmth of bed. Enlarged glands. Sebaceous glands secrete excessively; oily skin. Indolent ulcers, slow to heal. Eczema behind ears. Crusty eruptions all over. Urticaria after every exertion. Pustules near finger-nails.

    Fever.–Profuse, offensive perspiration; night-sweats.

    Sleep.–Sleepless from intolerable itching. Easily startled.

    Modalities.–Worse, coffee; Psorinum patient does not improve while using coffee. Worse, changes of weather, in hot sunshine, from cold. Dread of least cold air or draft. Better, heat, warm clothing, even in summer.

    Relationship.–Complementary: Sulphur.

    Compare: Pediculus-Head-louse–(psoric manifestations in children. Eruption on dorsum of hands, feet neck. Prurigo; pellagra. Unusual aptitude for study and work). Pediculus (Cooties) transmit typhus and trench fever). In lack of reaction compare Calcarea and Natrum ars. Gaertner (Pessimistic, lack of confidence, subjective troublesome eye symptoms, fear of heights. Urticaria. Use 30th and 200th (Wheeler).

    Dose.–Two hundredth and higher potencies. Should not be repeated too often. Psorinum requires something like 9 days before it manifests its action, and even a single dose may elicit other symptoms lasting for weeks (Aegedi).

  • PRUNUS SPINOSA

    Black-thorn

    Special action on the urinary organs and head. Very valuable in certain neuralgias, anasarca, and especially œdema pedum. Ankle and foot feel sprained. Ciliary neuralgia (Spig).

    Head.–Pressing-asunder pain beneath skull. Shooting from right frontal bone through brain to occiput. Pain in right eyeball, as if it would burst. Piercing toothache, as if teeth were pulled out; worse, taking anything warm.

    Eyes.–Ciliary neuralgia. Bursting pain in right eyeball shooting like lightning through the brain to occiput. Sudden pain in left eye as if it would burst, better by lachrymation. Irido-choroiditis. Opacity of vitreous humor. Eyes feel as if bursting.

    Abdomen.–Ascites. Cramp-like pain in bladder region; worse, walking.

    Rectum.–Hard, nodular stool, with rectal pain, as if angular body were pressed inward. Burning in anus after slimy diarrhœa.

    Urine.–Tenesmus of bladder. Ineffectual effort to urinate. Hurriedly impelled to urinate; the urine seems to pass as far as glans, and then returns and causes pain in urethra. Neuralgic dysuria. Must press a long time before urine appears.

    Respiratory.–Wheezing when walking. Oppression of chest; anxious, short respiration. Angina pectoris. Furious beating of heart; worse, slightest motion.

    Skin.–Herpes zoster. Dropsy. Itching on tips of fingers, as if frozen.

    Relationship.–Compare: Lauroc; Prumus padus-Bird–cherry–(sore throat, pressure behind sternum and sticking pain in rectum); Prunus Virginiana-Wild Cherry–(heart tonic; relieves the flagging and distended ventricle; irritable heart; dilatation of right heart; cough, worse at night on lying down; weak digestion, especially in elderly people; chronic bronchitis; increases muscular tone); Pyrus-Mountain Ash–(irritation of eyes; constriction around waist; spasmodic pains in uterus, bladder, heart, cold-water sensation in stomach, coldness extends up œsophagus; neuralgic and gouty pains).

    Dose.–Third to sixth potency.

  • PROPYLAMINUM

    Distilled Herring-brine
    (PROPYLAMIN – TRIMETHYLAMINUM)

    In acute rheumatism, dissipates fever and pain in a day or two. Rheumatic prosopalgia, and rheumatic metastases, especially heart lesions.

    Extremities.–Pain in wrists and ankles; worse, slightest motion (Bry). Great restlessness and thirst. Rheumatism, needle held in fingers gets too heavy. Tingling and numbness of fingers. Pain in wrist and ankle, unable to stand.

    Relationship.–(Chenopodium vulvaria. The plant has an odor of decaying fish and contains a large amount of Propylamine. Weakness is lumbar and lower dorsal region).

    Dose.–Ten to fifteen drops, in about six ounces of water; teaspoonful doses every two hours.

  • PRIMULA VERIS

    Cowslip

    Cerebral congestion, with neuralgia; migraine; rheumatic and gouty pains.

    Head.–Sensation of a band around head; cannot keen hat on (Carbol ac). Skin of forehead tense. Fear of falling when standing up. Violent vertigo, as if everything turned around. Buzzing in ears; better in open air.

    Respiratory.–Cough, with burning and pricking in respiratory tracts. Weak voice.

    Urinary.–Urine smells strongly of violets (Terebinth).

    Extremities.–Right axillary muscles painful. Weight and lassitude in limbs, especially the shoulders. Burning in hollow of right hand. Drawing pain in thumb and big toe.

    Relationship.–Compare: Cyclamen; Ranunc; Œnothera–Evening Primrose–(exhausting, watery diarrhœa; cholera infantum; hydrocephaloid); Primula farinosa-the wild Primrose–(dermatitis, especially on index fingers and thumbs).

    Dose.–Third potency.

  • PRIMULA OBCONICA

    Primrose

    The poison of the Primrose occurs in its glandular hairs, which break easily and discharge an irritating fluid which is absorbed into the skin.

    But skin symptoms of poisoning appear in sensitive patients even without coming in direst contact with the plant, mere nearness being sufficient, just like Poison ivy. Intermittency of symptoms; worse right side. Pain in liver and spleen. Deep infiltration and tension of tissues; blisters. Paralyzed sensation. Weakness. Pharyngeal soreness alternates with diminished facial irritation.

    Face.–Moist eczema. Papular eruption on chin. Burns at night. Urticaria-like eruption. Eyelids swollen.

    Extremities.–Eczema on arms, wrists, forearms, hands, papular and excoriated. Rheumatic pain around shoulder. Palms dry and hot. Cracking over joints and fingers. Eruption between fingers. Purple blotches on back of hands, palmar surface stiff. Blisters on fingers.

    Skin.–Great itching, worse at night, red and swollen like erysipelas. Tumefied. Small papules on a raised base. Skin symptoms accompanied by febrile symptoms.

    Relationship.–Compare: Rhus; Fagopyrum (Antidotal). Humea Elegans, similar skin symptoms.

  • POPULUS CANDICANS

    Balm of Gilead

    Seems to have a remarkable power over acute colds, especially when accompanied by a deep, hoarse voice, or even aphonia. General insensibility of surface (worse, back and abdomen); rubbing and pounding borne without pain, and is grateful on account of warmth produced. Finger-ends thickened, horny; insensible to pinching and pricking. Instantaneous voice-producer (Coca).

    Head.–Discusses her symptoms with every one. Hot head with cold extremities. Cold-sores on lips (Nat mur). Tongue feels thick and numb. Burning irritation of eyes, nose, mouth, throat, and air passages.

    Respiratory.–Acute hoarseness. Throat and nostrils burn. Sits bent forward with dry cough. Pharynx and larynx feel dry, and the voice weak and toneless. Rawness and soreness of chest and throat. Cough of children caused by naso-pharyngeal catarrh; mucus drops from posterior nares.

    Doses.–Tincture.

  • POPULUS TREMULOIDES

    American Aspen

    The gastric and urinary symptoms point to its usefulness in dyspepsia and catarrh of the bladder, especially in old people. Good remedy in vesical troubles after operations and in pregnancy. Cystitis. Fullness of head, and sensation of heat of the surfaces of the body. Night-sweats. Ague.

    Stomach.–Indigestion, with flatulence and acidity. Nausea and vomiting.

    Urine.–Severe tenesmus; painful scalding. Urine contains mucus and pus. Prostate enlarged. Pain behind pubis, at end of urination.

    Relationship.–Compare: Nux; China; Cornus flor; Cannabis; Cantharis.

    Dose.–Tincture or Populin trit, 1x.

  • POLYPORUS PINICOLA

    Pine Agaric

    Useful in intermittent, remittent and bilious fevers, with headache, yellow tongue, constant nausea, faintness at epigastrium, and constipation. Similar to its botanical relative, Polyp officinalis, or Boletus laricis, q.v. Deep dull, severe pain in shin bones, preventing sleep.

    Fever.–Great lassitude, congestion of head, with vertigo, face hot and flushed, prickling sensation all over; restless at night from pain in wrists and knee; rheumatic pains; profuse perspiration. Headache about 10 am, with pain in back, ankles and legs increasing until 3 pm, then gradually better.