Category: Materia Materica

Potentized Diphtheritic Virus

Adapted to patients prone to catarrhal affections of respiratory organs, scrofulous individuals. Diphtheria, laryngeal diphtheria, post-diphtheritic paralysis. Malignancy from the start. Glands swollen; tongue red, swollen; breath and discharge very offensive. Diphtheritic; membrane thick, dark. Epistaxis; profound prostration. Swallows without pain, but fluids are vomited or returned by the nose.

Relationship.–Compare: Diphtherotoxin (Cahis) (Chronic bronchitis with rales. Cartier suggests it in the vago-paralytic forms of Bronchitis of the aged or in toxic bronchitis after grip).

Dose.–Thirtieth, two hundredth or C. M potency. Must not be repeated too frequently.

Buku-from Cape of Good Hope

Pathogenically it produces: Somnolence; nervous insomnia; night sweats. Erratic pains, with bad humor, desire to weep or fear of sickness. Violent vertigo. Cephalalgia, chiefly frontal, radiating to the occiput. Eyes brilliant, with lachrymation or itching, the conditions accompanied by a species of stupefaction, with hardness of hearing or noises from aural pressure. Earthy face with disseminated rosaceous eruption. Nausea, fetid breath, with sensation of emptiness. Sensation of meteorism, with stinging pains in the spleen. Painful sensation in the abdomen, with pubic pressure-the pressure of the clothing becomes insupportable, with emission of high-colored, bloody urine. Frequent yellow diarrhœa, worse at night. Catamenia abundant, anticipating, sometimes metrorrhagic in type; crampy pains on ingesting food. Sensation of heat or of cold in the hands, with convulsive movements of the fingers. Weakness of the legs, aggravated by sitting down.

Clinically, this pathogeny should be useful in cerebral affections with dullness or stupefaction; in convulsive or epileptiform attacks; in hysteria; in hepatitis (cirrhosis or atrophy); in hæmaturia with ovarian or uterine lesions.

In splenitis, where it should surpass Ceanothus. Mental disorders in nervous or ascetic individuals, particularly where there is constant fear of death, or erotic or maniacal attacks. Gastralgia. Gastro-enteritis. Sudden fright, with trembling and weakness of the legs (Dr. C. Leal La Rota).

Wild Yam

As a remedy for many kinds of pain, especially colic, and in severe, painful affections of abdominal and pelvic viscera; it ranks with the polychrests of the Materia Medica. Persons of feeble digestive powers; tea-drinkers, with much flatulence. Gall stone colic.

Mind.–Calls things by the wrong name.

Head.–Dull pain in both temples; better pressure, but worse afterwards. Buzzing in head.

Stomach.–Mouth dry and bitter in morning, tongue coated, no thirst. Belching of large quantities of offensive gas. Neuralgia of stomach. Sinking at the pit of the stomach; pyrosis. Pain along sternum and extending into arms. Eructations of sour, bitter wind, with hiccough. Sharp pain in epigastrium, relieved by standing erect.

Abdomen.–Pains suddenly shift to different parts; appear in remote localities, as fingers and toes. Rumbling, with emission of much flatus. Griping, cutting in hypogastric region, with intermittent cutting in stomach and small intestines. Colic; better walking about; pains radiate from abdomen, to back, chest, arms; worse, bending forwards and while lying. Sharp pains from liver, shooting upward to right nipple. Pain from gall-bladder to chest, back, and arms. Renal colic, with pain in extremities. Hurried desire for stool.

Heart.–Angina pectoris; pain back of sternum into arms; labored breathing; feeble action of heart. Especially with flatulence and pain through chest and tightness across.

Rectum.–Hæmorrhoids, with darting pains to liver; look like bunches or grapes or red cherries; protrude after stool, with pain in anus. Diarrhœa (worse in morning), yellowish, followed by exhaustion, as if flatus and feces were hot.

Male.–Relaxation and coldness of organs. Pains shoot into testicles from region of kidneys. Strong-smelling sweat on scrotum and pubes. Emissions in sleep, or from sexual atony, with weak knees.

Female.–Uterine colic; pains radiate from uterus. Vivid dreams.

Respiratory.–Tight feeling all along sternum. Chest does not seem to expand on breathing. Short-winded.

Extremities.–Lameness in back; worse, stooping. Aching and stiffness in joints. Sciatica; pains shoot down thigh; worse, right side; better, when perfectly still. Felons in beginning, when pricking is first felt. Nails brittle. Cramps in flexors of fingers and toes.

Modalities.–Worse, evening and night, lying down, and doubling up. Better, standing erect, motion in open air; pressure.

Relationship.–Antidotes: Chamom; Camph.

Compare: Colocy (differs in modalities); Nux; Cham; Bry.

Dose.–Tincture, to third potency.

Foxglove
(DIGITALIS)

Comes into play in all diseases where the heart is primarily involved, where the pulse is weak, irregular, intermittent, abnormally slow, and dropsy of external and internal parts. Weakness and dilatation of the myocardium. Its greatest indication is in failure of compensation and especially when auricular fibrillation has set in. Slow pulse in recumbent posture, but irregular and dicrotic on sitting up. Auricular flutter and fibrillation especially when subsequent to rheumatic fever. Heart block, very slow pulse. Other symptoms of organic heart disease, such as great weakness and sinking of strength, faintness, coldness of skin, and irregular respiration; cardiac irritability and ocular troubles after tobacco; jaundice from induration and hypertrophy of the liver, frequently call for Digitalis. Jaundice with heart disease. Faint, as if dying. Bluish appearance of face. Cardiac muscular failure when asystole is present. Stimulates the heart’s muscles, increases force of systole, increases length. Prostration from slight exertion. Collapse.

Mind.–Despondency; fearful; anxious about the future. Dullness of sense. Every shock strikes in epigastrium. Melancholia, dull lethargic with slow pulse.

Head.–Vertigo, when walking and on rising, in cardiac and hepatic affections. Sharp, shooting frontal pain, extending into nose, after drinking cold water or eating ice-cream. Heaviness of head, with sensation as if it would fall backward. Face bluish. Confusion, fullness and noise in head. Cracking sounds during a nap. Blue tongue and lips.

Eyes.–Blueness of eyelids. Dark bodies, like flies, before eyes. Change in acuteness of perception of shades of green. Objects, appear green and yellow. Mydriasis; lid margins red, swollen, agglutinated in morning. Detachment of retina. Dim vision, irregular pupils, diplopia.

Stomach.–Sweet taste with constant ptyalism. Excessive nausea, not relieved by vomiting. Faintness, great weakness in stomach. Burning in stomach extending to œsophagus. After cold water or ice-cream, sharp pain in forehead, extending to nose. Faintness and vomiting from motion. Discomfort, even after a small quantity of food, or from mere sight or smell. Tenderness of epigastrium. Copious salivation. Neuralgic pain in stomach, unconnected with taking food.

Abdomen.–Pain in left side apparently in descending colon and under false ribs. Severe abdominal pains, pulsation in abdominal aorta, and epigastric constriction. Enlarged, sore, painful liver.

Stool.–White, chalk-like, ashy, pasty stools. Diarrhœa during jaundice.

Urine.–Continued urging, in drops, dark, hot, burning, with sharp cutting or throbbing pain at neck of bladder, as if a straw was being thrust back and forth; worse at night. Suppressed. Ammoniacal, and turbid. Urethritis, phimosis, strangury. Full feeling after urination. Constriction and burning, as if urethra was too small. Brick-dust sediment.

Female.–Labor-like pains in abdomen and back before menses. Uterine hæmorrhage.

Male.–Nightly emission (Digitalin), with great weakness of genitals after coitus. Hydrocele; scrotum enlarged like a bladder. Gonorrhœa, balanitis (Merc), with œdema of prepuce. Dropsical swelling of genitals (Sulph). Enlarged prostate.

Respiratory.–Desire to take a deep breath. Breathing irregular, difficult; deep sighing. Cough, with raw, sore feeling in chest. Expectoration sweetish. Senile pneumonia. Great weakness in chest. Dyspnœa, constant desire to breathe deeply, lungs feel compressed. Chronic bronchitis; passive congestion of the lungs, giving bloody sputum due to failing myocardium. Cannot bear to talk. Hæmoptysis with weak heart.

Heart.–The least movement causes violent palpitation, and sensation as if it would cease beating, if he moves (Opposite; Gels). Frequent stitches in heart. Irregular heart especially of mitral disease. Very slow pulse. Intermits; weak. Cyanosis. Inequality of pulse; it varies. Sudden sensation as if heart stood still. Pulse weak, and quickened by least movement. Pericarditis, copious serous exudation. Dilated heart, tired, irregular, with slow and feeble pulse. Hypertrophy with dilatation. Cardiac failure following fevers. Cardiac dropsy.

Extremities.–Swelling of the feet. Fingers go to sleep easily. Coldness of hands and feet. Rheumatic pain in joints. Shining, white swelling of joints. Muscular debility. Nocturnal swelling of fingers. Sensation in legs as if a red hot wire suddenly darted through them (Dudgeon).

Sleep.–Starts from sleep in alarm that he is falling from a height. Continuous sleepiness.

Fever.–Sudden flushes of heat, followed by great nervous weakness.

Skin.–Erythema, deep red, worse on back, like measles. Blue distended veins on lids, ears, lips and tongue. Dropsical. Itching and jaundiced.

Modalities.–Worse, when sitting erect, after meals and music. Better, when stomach is empty; in open air.

Relationship.–Antidotes: Camph; Serpentaria. Incompatible: China. Compare: Nerium odorum (resembles in heart effects Digitalis, but also has an action like Strychnia on spinal cord. Spasms appear more in upper part of body. Palpitation; weak heart will be strengthened by it. Lock-jaw). Adonia; Cratægus (a true heat tonic); Kalmia; Spigel; Liatris; Compare also; Digitoxinum (Digitalis dissolved in Chloroform; which has yellow vision very marked, and distressing nausea, aggravated by champagne and aerated waters). Nitri spir dulc increases action of Digit. Ichthyotoxin. Eel Serum (Experiments show great analogy between the serum and the venom of vipera. Indicated whenever the systole of the heart is insufficient, decompensated valvular disease, irregular pulse due to fibrillation of the auricle. Assytole, feeble, frequent, irregular pulse, dyspnœa and scanty urine. Liver enlarged, dyspnœa, albuminuria. No œdema). Convallaria (heart disease with vertigo and digestive disturbances). Quinidin-Isomeric methoxyl compound.–(Restores normal rhythm in auricular fibrillation, often supplements the action of Digitalis. Two doses of 3 grains each, three hours apart-if no symptoms of cinchonism develop, 4 doses 6 grs each daily (C. Harlan Wells). Paroxysmal tachycardia. Establishes normal heart rhythm at least temporarily, less in valvular lesions).

Dose.–The third to thirtieth attenuation will bring about reaction when the drug is homeopathically indicated; but for palliative purposes the physiological dosage is required. For this purpose, the tincture made from the fresh plant, in doses of five to twenty drops, when the cardiac stimulation is desired, or the infusion of 1 1/2 per cent. Dose, one-half to one ounce if the diuretic action is wanted. The tincture may be given on sugar or bread, and nothing liquid be taken for twenty minutes before or after its administration. Of the powdered leaves, 1/2 to 2 grains in capsules. Digitoxin 1-250 grain. No matter what form of digitalis is given the dose should be reduced as soon as the pulse rate has been lowered to 80 beats a minute and the normal rhythm has been partially or completely restored. Under such conditions a good rule is to cut the dose in half and still more if there be a sudden falling off of the urinary output.

Spurge Laurel

Acts on lower tissues, muscles, bones and skin. Sudden, lightning jerks in different parts of the body. Craving for tobacco. Burning in stomach. Parts of the body feel separated (Bapt). Fetid breath, urine, sweat.

Head.–Feels as if skull would burst; as if head were separated from body. Heat in head, especially in vertex. Tongue coated on one side only (Rhus). Foul-smelling, ptyalism hot.

Urine.–Thick, turbid, yellowish, like rotten eggs.

Extremities.–Right toe swollen, painful. Pain shoots upward into abdomen and heart. Rheumatic pains in thighs and knees. Cold feeling on buttocks. Shooting pains, shift rapidly worse, cold air.

Sleep.–Entire inability to sleep; sometimes caused by aching in bones. Dreams, with nightmare. Dreams of cats, black cats. Starting on falling to sleep with chilliness and clamminess.

Relationship.–Antidotes: Bry; Rhus.

Compare: Fluor ac; Aur; Mez; Staph.

Dose.–First to sixth attenuation.

Turnera
(TURNERA)

Said to be of use in sexual neurasthenia; impotency. Sexual debility from nervous prostration. Incontinence of old people. Chronic prostatic discharge. Renal and cystic catarrh; frigidity of females. Aids the establishment of normal menstrual flow in young girls.

Dose.–Tincture and fluid extract-ten-to forty-drops doses.

Laburnum
(LABURNUM)

All parts of this shrub are poisonous, producing inflammation of stomach and intestines, with vomiting, diarrhœa, headache, paleness of face and cold skin. Widespread anæsthesia, and convulsions are some of the chief effects of this drug. Cerebrospinal meningitis. Great prostration, sense of constriction in throat, stiffness of nape, tearing from nape into occiput, lusterless eyes.

Head.–Stupefaction; indifference (Phos ac). Unequally dilated pupils; giddiness; twitching of facial muscles (Agaric). Hydrocephalus. Constant vertigo, intense sleepiness.

Stomach.–Excessive thirst. Constant nausea, vomiting; burning pain in epigastrium.

Tenesmus and erections. Grass-green urine.

Extremities.–Numbness and pain in hands. Difficulty in moving them.

Compare: Nux; Gels. Cystine (produces motor paralysis resembling that of curare and death through respiratory paralysis).

Dose.–Third potency.

Yellow Lady’s Slipper
(CYPRIPEDIUM)

The skin symptoms correspond to those of poisoning by Rhus, for which it has been found an efficient antidote. Nervousness in children; from teething and intestinal troubles. Debility after gout. Hydrocephaloid symptoms, result of long, exhausting diarrhœa. Sleeplessness. Cerebral hyperasthesia in young children often the result of overstimulation of brain.

Head.–Child cries out at night; is wakeful and begins to laugh and play. Headaches of elderly people and during climacteric.

Relationship.–Compare: Ambra; Kali brom; Scutellar; Valerian; Ignat. Skin relatives: Grindelia; Anacard.

Dose.–Tincture, to sixth attenuation. For Poison Oak, 5 drops of tincture per dose, also locally.

Sow-bread
(CYCLAMEN)

Large doses produce violent purging and vomiting; disturbed digestion with very salty saliva. Anæmic and chlorotic conditions. Affections of uterus. Gastro-intestinal and genito-urinary tracts affected, inducing secondary anæmia and various reflexes. Sleepiness, moroseness, and lassitude. Cough at night while asleep without waking, especially in children (Cham; Nitr ac).

Head.–Terrors of conscience. Grieves over duty neglected. Depression, with weeping desire to be alone. Aching in morning, with flickering before eyes; sneezing with itching in ear. Vertigo; things turn in a circle; better in the room; worse, open air. One-sided headache. Frequent sneezing with itching in ears.

Eyes.–Dim vision, worse on waking, with spots before eyes. Flickering of various colors. Convergent strabismus. Sees countless stars. Diplopia. Disturbance of vision, associated with gastric disturbances.

Stomach.–Salty taste; hiccough-like eructation worse, fat food. Diarrhœa after every cup of coffee; hiccough. Satiety after a few mouthfuls. Disgust for meat, especially pork. Desire for lemonade. No thirst all day.

Rectum.–Pain about anus and perineum, as if a spot were suppurating, when walking or sitting.

Female.–Menses profuse, black, membranous, clotted, too early, with labor-like pains from back to pubes. Flow less when moving about. Menstrual irregularities with megrim and blindness, or fiery spots before eyes. Hiccough during pregnancy. Post-partum hæmorrhage, with colicky bearing-down pains, with relief after gush of blood. After menses, swelling of breasts, with milky secretion.

Extremities.–Pains in parts where bones lie near surface. Burning, sore pain in heels. Cramp-like contraction of right thumb and index finger. Pains in periosteum. Chilblains.

Skin.–Acne in young women, pruritus better scratching and appearance of menses.

Modalities.–Worse, open air, evenings, sitting, standing, and cold water. Better, during menstrual flow, by moving about, rubbing parts; in warm room, lemonade.

Relationship.–Compare: Ambra; Pulsat; Cinchona; Fer cit et Chin.

Dose.–Third attenuation.

Arrow-poison
(WOORARI)

Muscular paralysis without impairing sensation and consciousness. Paralysis of respiratory muscles. Reflex action diminished. Debility of the aged (Baryta) and from loss of fluids. Catalepsy. Nervous debility. Trismus. Glycosuria with motor paralysis. Curare decreases the output of adrenaline. Vomiting of bile in cirrhosis of liver. Diabetes mellitus, 4th dilution (Dr. Barkhard).

Mind.–Indecision; no longer wishes to think, or act for herself.

Head.–Lancinating pains all over head. Head drawn backward. Falling out of hair. Brain feels full of fluid.

Eyes.–Sharp, stitching pains over right eye. Black spots before vision. Ptosis of right side.

Ears.–Noises; unbearable earache. Lancinating pains start from ears; extending down to legs. Swelling of lobes of ear.

Nose.–Ozæna. Tubercles on nose; fetid lumps of pus.

Face.–Facial and buccal paralysis. Tongue and mouth drawn. Red face. Tongue and mouth drawn to right.

Female.–Dysmenorrhœa. Menses too early, during menses, colic, headache, kidney pain. Leucorrhœa, thick, purulent, offensive.

Respiratory.–Threatened paralysis of respiration on falling asleep. Short breath. Short dry cough; provokes vomiting, followed by fainting. Chest sore to pressure. Very distressing dyspnœa.

Extremities.–Tired pain up and down spine. Arms weak, heavy. Cannot lift the fingers. Weakness of hands and fingers in pianists. Legs tremble; give way in walking. Debility; paralysis. Catalepsy. Favors development of corns. Reflexes lessened or abolished.

Skin.–Leprosy. Dirty-looking skin. Boils. Tubercles on nose. Liver spots. Blood oozes through. Itching.

Modalities.–Worse, dampness, cold weather, cold wind; 2 am; right side.

Relationship.–Compare: Cystisin (motor paralysis); Conium; Causticum; Crotalus; Nux. Curare antidotes Strychnin.

Dose.–Sixth to thirtieth potency.