Category: Materia Medica

Nitric Acid. (HNO3.)

Especially suited to thin persons of rigid fibre, dark complexions, black hair and eyes – the brunette rather than the blonde – nervous temperament. Persons suffering with chronic diseases who take cold easily; are easily disposed to diarrhoea; rarely to those who suffer with constipation. Old people with great weakness and diarrhoea. Excessive physical irritability. Pains: sticking, pricking as from splinters; suddenly appearing and disappearing; on change of temperature or weather; during sleep; gnawing here and there as from ulcers forming. Sensation: of a band around head, around the bones (Carb. ac., Sulph.); of a splinter in affected parts, ulcers, piles, throat, ingrowning toe nail, < on slightest contact. Ailments: which depend on some virulent poison; from mercury, syphilis, scrofula; in broken-down cachetic constitutions. After continual loss of sleep, long-lasting anxiety, over-exertion of mind and body from nursing the sick (Coc.); anguish from the loss of his dearest friend; indifference; tired of life; sadness before menses. Great anxiety about his disease; constantly thinking about his past troubles; morbid fear of cholera (Ars.); depressed and anxious in the evening. Irritable, headstrong; hateful and vindictive; inveterate, ill-willed, unmoved by apologies. Hardness of hearing > by riding in carriage or train (Graph.). Very sensitive to rattle of wagon over paved streets; headache from pressure of hat (Cal. p., Carbo., Nat.). Ozaena: green casts from the nose every morning. Diarrhoea: great straining but little passes, as if faeces remained and cannot be expelled (Alum.); pain as if rectum or anus were torn or fissured (Nat. m.). violent cutting pains after stool, lasting for hours (Rat., Sulph. – during and after, Mer.). Fissures in rectum; tearing, spasmodic pains during stools; lancinating, even after soft stools (Alumen., Nat., Rat.). Urine: scanty, dark-brown, strong-smelling, “like horse’s urine;” cold when it passes; turbid, looks like remains of a cider barrel. Ulcers: easily bleeding; in corners of mouth (Nat.); splinter-like pains, especially on contact (Hep.); zig-zag, irregular edges; base looks like raw flesh; exuberant granulations; after mercury or syphillis or both, engrafted on a scrofulous base. Discharges; thin, offensive, acrid; of a brown or dirty yellowish green color; rarely laudable pus. Haemorrhage: from bowels in typhoid or typhus (Crot., Mur. ac.); after miscarriage or post-partum; from over-exertion of body; bright, profuse, or dark. Cracking: in ears, on masticating; of the joints, on motion (Coc., Graph.). Warts, condylomata: sycotic or syphilitic; large, jagged, pedunculated; bleeding readily on washing; moist, oozing, sticking pain (Staph., Thuja). Affects especially the mucous membrane join; mouth, nose, rectum, anus, urethra, vagina (Mur. ac.).

Relations. – Complementary: Ars., and Calad. Inimical: to, Lachesis. Resembles: Ars. in morbid fear of cholera. Often difficult to distinguish from Mer.; but is adapted to black-haired people, while Mer. is more useful in light-haired persons. Relieve ailments resulting from abuse of mercury, especially, if there be erethism; bad effects of repeated doses of Digitalis. Follows well: Calc., Hep., Mer., Nat. c., Puls. or Thuja; but is most effective after Kali c.

Aggravation. – Evening and at night; after midnight; contact; change of temperature or weather; during sweat; on waking; while walking.

Amelioration. – While riding in carriage (reverse of Coc.).

Sodium Sulphate (NaOSO3,10Aq)

Ailments which are < by, or which depend upon, dampness of weather, damp houses or cellars (Aran.). Patient feets every change from dry to wet; cannot tolerate sea air, nor eat plants that thrive near water; a constitution in which gonorrhoeal poison is most pernicious; recovers slowly from every sickness. Every spring, skin affections reappear (Psor.). Inability to think (Nat. c.). Sad, gloomy, irritable; worse in mornings; dislikes to speak or be spoken to (Iod., Sil.). Depressed; lively music makes her sad; satiety of like; must use great self-control to prevent shooting himself. Mental traumatism; mental effects from injuries to head; chronic brain effects of blows, falls. Granular lids: like small blisters (Thuja); green pus and terrible photophobia; gonorrhoeal or sycotic. Nosebleed during menses (instead of menses, Bry., Puls.). Toothache > by cold water, cool air (Coff., Puls.). Dirty, greenish-gray or brown coating on tongue. Diarrhoea: sudden, urging, gushing, much flatus; on first rising and standing on the feet; after a spell of wet weather; living on working in basements. Gonorrhoea: greenish-yellow, painless, thick discharge (Puls.); chronic or suppressed (thick, green, Kali iod.). Dyspnoea; desire to take a deep breath during damp, cloudy weather. Humid asthma in children; with every change to wet weather; with every fresh cold; always worse in damp, rainy weather; sputa green, greenish, copious (greenish grey, Cop.). Sycotic pneumonia; lower lobe of left lung; great soreness of chest, during cough, has to sit up in bed and hold the chest with both hands (Nic. – right lung, Bry.). Spinal meningitis: violent crushing gnawing pains at base of brain; head drawn back; spasms with mental irritability and delirium; violent congestion of blood to head; delirium; opisthotonos.

Relations. – Compare: Nat. m. and Sulph., which are very similar; Thuja and Merc., in syphillis and sycosis occurring in hydrogenoid constitutions.

Aggravation. – Damp basements or dwellings; damp weather (Aran., Ars. i., Dul.); rest; lying.

Amelioration. – Dry weather; pressure, sitting up (cough); changing position (but > in wet weather, Caust.); open air. Must change position frequently, but it is painful and gives little relief (Caust.).

Common Salt (NaCl)

For the anaemic and cachetic; whether from loss of vital fluids – profuse menses, seminal losses – or mental affections. Great emaciation; loosing flesh while living well (Abrot., Iod.); throat and neck of child emaciate rapidly during summer complaint (Sanic.). Great liability to take cold (Cal., Kali c.). Irritability: child cross when spoken to; crying from slightest cause; gets into a passion about trifles, especially when consoled with. Awkward, hasty, drops things from nervous weakness (Apis, Bov.). Marked disposition to weep; sad weeping mood without cause (Puls.), but consolation from others < her troubles. Headache: anaemic, of school girls (Cal. p.); from sunrise to sunset; left sided clavus; as if bursting; with red face, nausea and vomiting before, during and after menses; as though a thousand little hammers were knocking in the brain during fever; > by perspiration. Headache; beginning with blindness (Iris, Kali bi.); with zig-zag dazzling, like lightening in eyes, ushering in a throbbing headache; from eye strain. Lachrymation; tears stream down the face whenever he coughs (Euphr.). Hay fever: squirming sensation in the nostril, as of a small worm; brought on by exposure to hot sun or intense summer heat. Sensation as of a hair on the tongue (Sil.). Tongue: mapped, with red insular patches; like ringworm on sides (Ars., Lach., Mer., Nit. ac., tarax.); heavy, difficult speech, children slow in learning to walk. Constipation: sensation of contraction of anus; torn, bleeding, smarting afterwards; stool, dry, hard, difficult, crumbling (Am. c., Mag. m.); stitches in rectum (Nit. ac.); involuntary, knows not whether flatus or faeces escape (Aloe, Iod., Mur. ac., Olean., Pod.). Urine: involuntary when walking, coughing, laughing (Caust., Puls., Scilla); has to wait a long while or urine to pass, if others are present (Hep., Mur. ac.); cutting in urethra after (Sars.). Seminal emission: soon after coition, with increased desire; weakness of organs with retarted emission during an embrace; impotence, spinal irritation, paralysis, after sexual excesses. Pressing, pushing towards genitals every morning; must sit down to prevent prolapsus (Lil., Mur., Sep.). Fluttering of the heart; with a weak, faint feeling < lying down (Lach.). The heart’s pulsations shake the body (Spig.). The hair falls out when touched, in nursing women (Sep.); face oily, shiny, as if greased (Plb., Thuja). For the bad effects: of anger (caused by offence); acid food, bread, quinine, excessive use of salt; of cauterization of all kinds with the silver nitrate; to grief, fright, vexation, mortification or reserved displeasure (Staph.). Hangnails: skin around the nails dry and cracked (Graph., Pet.); herpes about anus and on borders of hair at nape of neck (in bend of knees, Hep., Graph.). Warts on palms of hands (sore to touch, Nat. c.). Dreams: of robbers in the house, and on waking, will not believe to the contrary until search is made (Psor.); of burning thirst. Fever blisters, like pearls about the lips; lips dry, sore and cracked, ulcerated (Nit. ac.). Painful contractions of the hamstrings (Am. m., Caust., Guaiac.). Craving for salt (Cal., Caust.); great aversion to bread. Eczema; raw, red, inflamed, especially in edges of hair; < from eating too much salt, at sea shore, or from ocean voyage. Urticaria, acute or chronic; over whole body; especially after violent exercise (Apis, Cal., Hep., Sanic., Urt.). Intermittents: paroxysm at 10 or 11 a. m.; old, chronic, badly treated cased, especially after suppression by quinine; headache, with unconsciousness during chill and heat; sweat > pains.

Relations. – Complementary: to, Apis, acts well before and after it. Natrum mur. is the chronic of Ignatia, which is its vegetable analogue. Is followed by Sepia and Thuja. Cannot often be repeated in chronic cases without an intercurrent, called for by the symptoms. Should never be given during fever paroxysm. If vertigo and headache be very persistent, or prostration be prolonged after Natrum, Nux will relieve.

Aggravation. – At 10 or 11 a. m.; at the seashore or form sea air; heat of sun or stove; mental exertion, taling, writing, reading; lying down.

Amelioration. – In the open air (Apis, Puls.); cold bathing; going without regular meals; lying on right side (on painful side, Bry., Ign., Puls.).

Carbonate of Soda (Na2CO3,10H2O.)

Constitutions with aversion to open air and dislike to exercise, mental or physical; imbecility. Great debility: caused by heat of summer (Ant. c.); exhaustion from least effort, mental or physical; ready to drop after a walk; chronic effects of sunstroke. Chronic effects of sunstroke; now, with the return of hot weather, suffers from headaches. Emaciation with pale face and blue rings around the eyes, dilated pupils; dark urine; anaemic; milky, watery skin and great debility. Inability to think or perform any mental labor, causes headache; feels stupefied if he tries to exert himself; comprehension slow, difficult. Intolerable melancholy and apprehension; is wholly occupied with sad thoughts. Attacks of anxiety and restlessness during a thunder storm (Phos.); < from music (Sab.). Headache: from slightest mental exertion; form sun or working under gaslight (Glon., Lach.); with tension in nape or occiput before menses; head feels too large, as it it would burst. Face pale, with blue rings around eyes; eyelids swollen; catarrh; mucus in throat and posterior nares; constantly hawking to clear throat; dropping into the throat from posterior nares. Catarrh: extends to posterior nares and throat; hawking much thick mucus from throat; profuse discharge during day, stopped at night (Nux). Thick, yellow, green, offensive, musty, hard discharge from nose; often ceasing after a meal. Aversion to milk; diarrhoea from it. Bearing down as if everything would come out (Agar., Lil., Mur., Sep.); heaviness, < sitting, > by moving. Discharge of mucus from vagina after an embrace, causing sterility. Easy dislocation and spraining of ankle (Led.); so weak that it give way; foot bends under (Carbo an., Nat m.).

Relations. – Compare: Nat s., for yeast-like vomiting; Cal., Sep. Follows well: after, Sep., in bearing down.

Aggravations. – From music; in the sun; excessive summer heat; mental exertion; a thunder storm.

Cobra virus. (Elapidae.)

Suicidal insanity, broods constantly over imaginary troubles (Aur.). Simple hypertrophy of heart. For restoring a heart damaged by acute inflammation, or from relief of sufferings of chronic hypertrophy and valvular lesions. Irritating, dry, sympathetic cough in the acute stage of rheumatic carditis, or chronic organic lesions (Spon.). Threatened paralysis of heart, post-diphtheritic. Pulse irregular in force, but regular in rhythm. Inability to speak with choking, nervous, chronic palpitation, especially after public speaking; pain < by carriage riding or lying on side. Severe stitching pain in region of heart.

Relations. – Compare: Ars., Cac., Crot., Lach., Myg., Spig.

A Mollusk (Muricidae)

Persons of a melancholy temperament. For the sufferings during climacteric (Lach., Sep., Sulph.). Great depression of spirits. Sinking, all gone sensation, in stomach (Sep.). Least contact of parts, causes violent sexual excitement (excessive sexual irritation driving to self abuse, Orig., Zinc.). Violent excitement in sexual organs, and excessive desire for an embrace (rev. of Sep.). Sore pain in uterus; a distinct sensation of womb (Helon., Lys.). Bearing down sensation, as if internal organs would be pushed out, must sit down and cross limbs to > pressure (but no sexual desire, Sep.). Menses: irregular, early, profuse, protracted, large clots. Leucorrhoea: < mental depression, happier when leucorrhoea is worse.

Relations. Compare: Lil., Plat., in nymphomania; Sep. in bearing down sensation, but has no sexual erethism.

Hydrochloric Acid. (HCl)

Adapted to persons with black hair, dark eyes, dark complexion. Irritable, peevish, disposed to anger and chagrin (Nux); restlessness and vertigo. Diseases of an asthenic type, with moaning, unconsciouness, fretfulness. Ulceration with fungus-like growths and pseudo-like membranous deposits of intestinal tract. Great debility: as soon as he sits down his eyes close; lower jaw hangs down; slides down in bed. Mouth and anus are chiefly affected; the tongue and sphincter ani are paralyzed. Malignant affections of mouth; studded with ulcers, deep, perforating; have a black or dark base; offensive, foul breath; intense prostration; diphtheria, scarlatina, cancer. Cannot bear the thought or sight of meat (Nit. ac.). If the anus be very sensitive either with or without haemorrhoids; anus sore during menses. Haemorrhoids: swollen, blue, sensitive and painful to touch; appear suddenly in children; too sore to bear least touch, even the sheet is uncomfortable. Prolapse while urinating. Diarrhoea: stool involuntary while urinating; on passing wind (Aloe); cannot urinate without having the bowels move at the same time. Urine passes slowly; bladder weak, must wait a long time; has to press so that the anus protrudes. Cannot bear least touch, not even of sheet on genitals (Murex). Typhoid or typhus; deep stupid sleep; unconscious while awake; loud moaning or muttering; tongue coated at edges, shrunken, dry, leather- like, paralyzed; involuntary fetid stools while passing urine; sliding down in bed; pulse intermits every third beat. Palpitation of heart is felt in the face. Freckles; eczema solaris.

Relations. – Follows well: after, Bry., Mer., Rhus. Cures the muscular weakness following excessive use of opium and tobacco.

Yarrow. (Compositae.)

Ailments: from over-lifting, over-exertion, or a fall. Vertigo; when moving slowly, but not when taking violent exercise. Haemorrhages: painless, without fever; bright red, fluid blood (Acon., Ipec., Sab.); from lungs, bronchi, larynx, mouth, nose, stomach, bladder, rectum, uterus; of mechanical origin (Arn.); of wounds (Ham.). Wounds which bleed profusely, especially after a fall (Arn., Ham.). Haemoptysis: after injury; in incipient phthisis; in haemorrhoidal patients; from a ruptured blood vessel. Painless drainage, from nose, lungs, uterus; after labor or abortion; after great exertion; after miscarriage. Preventive in post- partum haemorrhage. Menses: early, profuse, protracted; suppressed, with colic pain in abdomen. Leucorrhoea of children from atony (Cal.). Cough: with raising of bright blood; in suppressed menses or haemorrhoids; with oppression and palpitation; after a fall from a height (Arn.); after violent extertion; with blood, daily at 4 p. m. (Lyc.).

Relations. – Compare: Erecht. in epistaxis and haemoptysis, blood bright red. Follows well: after, Acon., and Arn., in haemorrhages.

Daphne Mezereum. (Thymelaceae.)

For light-haired, irresolute persons of a phelgmatic temperament. Eczema and itching eruptions after vaccinations. Hypochondriacal and despondent; indifferent to everything and every one; angry at trifles and perfectly harmless things, but is soon sorry for it. Toothache: in carious teeth (Kreos.); feel elongated, dull pain when biting on them and when touched with tongue, < at night; > with mouth open and drawing in air; roots decay (rev. or Mer.). Headache, violent after slight vexation; painful on the slightest touch; right sided. The head is covered with thick, leather-like crust, under which thick and white pus collects here and there; hair is glued and matted together; pus after a time is ichorous, becomes offensive and breeds vermin. Ulcers with thick, yellowish-white scabs, under which thick, yellow pus collects. Vesicles appear around the ulcers, itch violently, burn like fire (Hep.); shining, fiery-red areola around. Linen or charpie sticks to the ulcers, they bleed when it is torn away. Eczema: intolerable itching, < in bed and from touch; copious, serous exudation. Neuralgic burning pains after zona. Bones, especially long bones, inflamed, swollen; nightly pains going from above downwards; after abuse of Merc., after venerial diseases; caries, exostosis, tumors soften from within out. Pain in periosteum of long bones < at night in bed, least touch, in damp weather (Mer., Phyt.). Child scratches face continually, which is covered with blood; eruptions moist; itching worse at night; inflammatory redness of face.

Relations. – Compare: Caust., Guaiac., Phyt., Rhus.

Aggravation. – Cold air; cold washing; at night; touch or motion; bad effects of mercury or alcohol. Epidemics occurring in January or February often call for Mezereum.

Sulphate of Mercury. (HgSO4.)

Hydrothorax, if occurring from heart or liver diseases; dyspnoea, has to sit, cannot lie down. Extremities swollen; stool loose, watery, causing severe burning and soreness; burning in chest. “When it acts well it produces a profuse, watery diarrhoea with great relief to the patient; it is as important as Arsenicum in hydrothorax” – Lippe.

Relations. – Compare: Ars., Cinnab., Dig., Sulph.