Category: Materia Materica

Saffron
(CROCUS SATIA)

Is a remedy often useful in hæmorrhages that are black and stringy. Tingling in various parts. Chorea and hysterical affections. Frequent and extreme changes in sensations and mental conditions. Anger with violence followed by repentance, Laughing mania. Drowsiness and lassitude; better by literary labor.

Mind.–Vacillating; pleasant mania; sings and laughs. Happy and affectionate; then angry. Sudden changes from hilarity to melancholy. Vivid recollection from music heard (Lyc).

Head.–Throbs, pulsates, during climacteric; worse during menses.

Eyes.–Appearance as of electric sparks. Must wipe eyes as if mucus or water were in them. Feeling in eyes as after violent weeping. Sensation as if she had been looking through too sharp spectacles. Eyes feel as if in smoke. Pupils enlarged and react slowly. Lids heavy. Ciliary neuralgia, pain from eyes to top of head. Sensation as if cold air was rushing through eye (Fluor ac; Syph). Asthenopia with extreme photophobia. Threatened glaucoma; embolism of arteria centralis retinal.

Nose.–Epistaxis. Dark, stringy, clotted. Strings of dark blood hanging down the nose.

Abdomen.–Obstinate constipation due to portal stagnation. Constipation in infants. Crawling and stitches in anus. Sensation of something alive in abdomen, stomach, etc., especially on left side (Calend). Abdomen swollen, feeling of something heavy.

Female.–Threatened abortion, especially when hæmorrhage is dark and stringy. Urging of blood to genitals. Menses dark, viscid, too frequent and copious, black and slimy. Uterine hæmorrhage; clots with long strings; worse from least movement. Jerking pain in interior of left breast, as if drawn toward back by means of thread (Crot tig). A bounding feeling, as if something alive in right breast.

Respiratory.–Wheezy cough, with frothy expectoration, containing threads like fine twine; worse, lying down. Breath has offensive, sickly smell. Feeling as if the uvula is elongated in hysterical patients.

Back.–Sudden feeling of coldness in back as if cold water were thrown over him; icy-cold extremities.

Extremities.–Spasmodic contractions and twitchings of single set of muscles. Chorea and hysteria, with great alterations of feeling. Whole upper extremity fall asleep. Cracking in hip-joint and knees. Weakness in knees and legs. Pain in ankles and soles.

Modalities.–Worse, lying down, hot weather, warm room, in morning, fasting, before breakfast, looking fixedly at an object. Better, in open air.

Relationship.–Antidote: Opium; Bell.

Compare: Ipec; Trillium; Plat; China; Sabina.

Dose.–Tincture, to thirtieth attenuation.

Hawthorn Berries
(CRATAEGUS)

Produces giddiness, lowered pulse, and air hunger and reduction in blood-pressure. Acts on muscle of heart, and is a heart tonic. No influence on the endocardium.

Myocarditis. Failing compensation. Irregularity of heart. Insomnia of aortic sufferers; anæmia; œdema; cutaneous chilliness. High arterial tension. Is a sedative in cross, irritable patients with cardiac symptoms.

Chronic heart disease, with extreme weakness. Very feeble and irregular heart action. General anasarca. Very nervous, with pain in back of head and neck. Collapse of typhoid. Hæmorrhage from bowels. Cold extremities, pallor; irregular pulse and breathing. Painful sensation of pressure in left side of chest below the clavicle. Dyspepsia and nervous prostration, with heart failure. In the beginning of heart mischief after rheumatism. Arteriosclerosis. Said to have a solvent power upon crustaceous and calcareous deposits in arteries.

Head.–Apprehensive, despondent. Very nervous and irritable, with pain in back of head and neck. Mental dullness conjunctival irritation nasal discharges.

Urinary.–Diabetes, especially in children.

Heart.–Cardiac dropsy. Fatty degeneration. Aortic disease. Extreme dyspnœa on least exertion, without much increase of pulse. Pain in region of heart and under left clavicle. Heart muscles seem flabby, worn out. Cough. Heart dilated; first sound weak. Pulse accelerated, irregular, feeble, intermittent. Valvular murmurs, angina pectoris. Cutaneous chilliness, blueness of fingers and toes; all aggravated by exertion or excitement. Sustains heart in infectious diseases.

Skin.–Excessive perspiration. Skin eruptions.

Sleep.–Insomnia of aortic patients.

Modalities.–Worse, in warm room. Better, fresh air, quiet and rest.

Relationship.–Strophantus; Digit; Iberis; Naja; Cactus.

Dose.–Fluid extract or tincture, one to fifteen drops. Must be used for some time in order to obtain good results.

Pennywort
(COTYLEDON)

Marked action on heart; oppression of chest; fullness in throat. Epilepsy. Numb aching in muscular and fibrous tissue. Sciatica. Well-marked pains through the breast to scapula. Catarrh of larynx and trachea. Hysterical joint.

Mind.–Lost, confused feeling. Could not articulate for some time on awaking. Pressing vertex headache. Ailments from suppressed emotion. Feeling as if a part of the body were absent.

Breast.–Pain under left nipple, and aching in right breast. Pain through to scapula from region of left breast. Pain at angles of scapulæ. Full, bursting feeling, as if from obstruction at heart. Choking fullness in throat. Breathing oppressed.

Extremities.–Aching in back and thighs. Aching in all joints. Skin sensitive, rubbing of trousers causes an acute sting. Legs and arms feel heavy and sore.

Relationship.–Compare: Ambra; Asafoet; Hepatica; Ignatia; Laches.

Dose.–Tincture to third potency.

Turkey-pea
(CORYDALIS – DICENTRA CANADENSIS)

Syphilitic affections. Ulcers of mouth and fauces. Cancer cachexia pronounced. Gummata and night-pains. Chronic diseases, with atony. Tongue clean, broad, and full. Tissues flabby, doughy, cold. Gastric catarrh (Hydrast).

Skin.–Dry, scaly scabs on face of old people. Lymphatic glands swollen.

Relationship.–Nit ac; Kali iod; Fluor ac.

Dose.–Tincture, twenty drops three times a day.

Red Coral
(CORALLIUM)

The provings of coral develop much coryza and epistaxis, and even ulceration within the nostrils. It is to be thought of for whooping and spasmodic coughs, especially when the attack comes on with a very rapid cough, and the attacks follow so closely as to almost run into each other. Often preceded by sensation of smothering, followed by exhaustion. Congestion of face after dinner. Patient becomes purple in face. Violence of paroxysm, even with expectoration of blood. Feeling as if cold air were streaming through skull and air-passages. One is too cold when uncovered and too hot when covered; relieved by artificial heat.

Head.–Feels very large; violent pain as if parietal bones were forced apart; worse stooping. Eyes hot and painful. Deep-seated frontal headache with severe pain back of eyeballs. Pain aggravated by breathing cold air through nose.

Nose.–Odors of smoke, onions, etc. Painful ulcer in nostrils. Post-nasal catarrh. Profuse secretion of mucus dropping through posterior nares; air feels cold. Dry coryza; nose stopped up and ulcerated. Epistaxis.

Mouth.–Food tastes like sawdust. Bread tastes like straw. Beer tastes sweet. Pain in articulation of left lower jaw. Craves salt.

Respiratory.–Hawking of profuse mucus. Throat very sensitive, especially to air. Profuse, nasal catarrh. Inspired air feels cold (Cistus). Profuse secretion of mucus dropping through posterior nares. Dry, spasmodic, suffocative cough; very rapid cough, short, barking. Cough with great sensitiveness of air-passages; feel cold on deep inspiration. Continuous hysterical cough. Feels suffocated and greatly exhausted after whooping-cough.

Male.–Ulcers on glans and inner prepuce, with yellow ichor. Emissions and weakened sexual power. Profuse perspiration of genitals.

Skin.–Red, flat ulcers. Coral-colored, then dark red spots, changing to copper-colored spots. Psoriasis of palms and soles.

Modalities.–Worse in open air, changing from a warm too cold room.

Relationship.–Complementary: Sulph.

Compare: Bellad; Droser; Mephit; Caust.

Dose.–Third to thirtieth attenuation.

Round-leaved Dogwood

Chronic malaria, hepatitis, jaundice. Weakness in morning. Pain in pit of stomach, with distended abdomen. Vesicular eruption associated with chronic liver disease or aphthous stomatitis.

Mouth.–Ulceration of tongue, gums and mouth; aphthæ. Burning in mouth, throat and stomach.

Stool.–Loose, windy, dark stool, immediately after dinner. Burning in anus. Dark, bilious, offensive diarrhœa, with sallow complexion.

Skin.–Vesicular eczema of face in infants, with nursing sore mouth.

Relationship.–Compare: Cornus alternifolia-Swamp Walnut–(Weak and tired; disturbed sleep, fever, restlessness, eczema; skin cracked; chest feels cold, as if full of ice); Cornus florida (chronic malaria; indigestion and distressing acid heartburn; general debility from loss of fluids and night sweats; neuralgic pains in arms, chest, and trunk, and sensation as if broken in two; intermittent fever, with drowsiness; feels cold, but is warm to touch; great exhaustion in intervals; general clammy sweat. Chill is preceded by drowsiness, heat is associated with drowsiness. Headache after quinine).

Dose.–Tincture to sixth attenuation.

Crawley Root
(CORALLORHIZA)

Hectic fever, coming on 9 to 10 am, and lasting till midnight. Intensely nervous and restless, burning of palms and soles; no thirst, chill or perspiration. Can bear only slightest covering.

Balsam of Copaiva
(COPAIVA)

Acts powerfully on mucous membranes, especially that of the urinary tract, the respiratory organs, and the skin, here producing a well-marked nettle-rash. Cold and catarrhs.

Head.–Excessive sensitiveness; pain in occiput. Dull, frontal headache, passes to occiput and back again, with throbbing, worse right side and motion. Scalp sensitive. Sensitive to sharp sounds.

Nose.–Rawness and soreness of nostrils with stopped-up feeling; dryness of posterior nares. Profuse, thick, fetid discharge from nasal passages, running down throat at night. Burning and dryness, crusts on turbinated bones. Marked catarrhal condition in upper respiratory tract.

Stomach.–Food seems too salty. Gastric troubles during menstruation or following urticaria. Gas and intestinal flatulence, urging to stool and difficult passage with pain.

Urinary.–Burning pressure; painful micturition by drops. Retention, with pain in bladder, anus, and rectum. Catarrh of bladder; dysuria. Swelling of orifice. Constant desire to urinate. Urine smells of violets. Greenish, turbid color; peculiar pungent odor.

Rectum.–Mucous Colitis. Stools covered with mucus, with colic and chilliness. Burning and itching of anus, caused by piles.

Male.–Testicles sensitive and swollen.

Female.–Itching of vulva and anus, with bloody purulent discharge. Profuse, strong-smelling menstrual discharge, with pains radiating to hip bones, with nausea.

Respiratory.–Cough, with profuse, gray, purulent expectoration. Tickling in larynx, trachea, and bronchi. Bronchial catarrh, with profuse greenish, offensive discharge.

Skin.–Hives, with fever and constipation. Roseola. Erysipelatous inflammation, especially around abdomen. Circumscribed lenticular patches, with itching; mottled appearance. Chronic urticaria in children. Bullous eruptions.

Relationship.–Antidotes: Bell; Merc.

Compare: Santalum–(aching in kidneys); Cannab; Canth; Barosma; Cubeb; Apis; Vespa; Erig; Senecio; Sepia.

Dose.–First to third attenuation.

Lily of the Valley

A heart remedy. Increases energy of hearts’ action, renders it more regular. Of use when the ventricles are overdistended and dilatation begins, and when there is an absence of compensatory hypertrophy, and when venous stasis is marked. Dyspnœa, dropsy, aneuric tendency. Anasarca.

Mind and Head.–Dull intellect. Grieves easily. Dull headache; worse, ascending, hawking. Scalp sensitive. Irritability. Hysterical manifestations.

Face.–Hydroa in nose and lips; raw and sore. Epistaxis. Sees imaginary gray spot about three inches square.

Mouth.–Grating of teeth in the morning. Coppery taste. Tongue feels sore and scalded; broad and thick with heavy, dirty coating.

Throat.–Raw feeling in back of throat when inspiring.

Abdomen.–Sensitive. Clothes feel too tight. Gurgling and pain on taking deep breath. Movement in abdomen like fist of a child. Colicky pains.

Urinary Organs.–Aching in bladder; feels distended. Frequent urination; offensive; scanty urine.

Female.–Great soreness in uterine region, with sympathetic palpitation of heart. Pain in sacro-iliac joints, running down leg. Itching at urinary meatus and vaginal orifice.

Respiratory.–Pulmonary congestion. Orthopnea. Dyspnœa while walking. Hot feeling in throat.

Heart.–Feeling as if heart beat throughout the chest. Endocarditis, with extreme orthopnea. Sensation as if heart ceased beating, then starting very suddenly. Palpitation from the least exertion. Tobacco heart, especially when due to cigarettes. Angina pectoris. Extremely rapid and irregular pulse.

Back and Extremities.–Pain and aching in lumbar region; aching of legs; in big toe. Trembling of hands. Aching in wrists and ankles.

Fever.–Chilly in back and down spine, followed by fever, little sweat. Thirst and headache during chill. Dyspnœa during fever.

Relationship.–Compare: Digit; Crataeg; Lilium; Adonis (feeble heart action due only to functional disturbance).

Modalities.–Better, in open air. Worse, in warm room.

Dose.–Third attenuation, and for symptoms of heart failure, tincture, one to fifteen drops.

Poison Hemlock
(CONIUM)

An old remedy, rendered classical by Plato’s graphic description of its employment in the death of Socrates. The ascending paralysis it produces, ending in death by failure of respiration, shows the ultimate tendency of many symptoms produced in the provings, for which Conium is an excellent remedy, such as difficult gait, trembling, sudden loss of strength while walking, painful stiffness of legs. etc. Such a condition is often found in old age, a time of weakness, languor, local congestions, and sluggishness. This is the special environment that Conium choose to manifest its action. It corresponds to the debility, hypochondriasis, urinary troubles, weakened memory, sexual debility found here. Trouble at the change of life, old and bachelors. Growth of tumors invite it also. General feeling as if bruised by blows. Great debility in the morning in bed. Weakness of body and mind, trembling, and palpitation. Cancerous diathesis. Arterio-sclerosis. Caries of sternum. Enlarged glands. Acts on the glandular system, engorging and indurating it, altering its structure like scrofulous and cancerous conditions. Tonic after grippe. Insomnia of multiple neuritis.

Mind.–Excitement causes mental depression. Depressed, timid, averse to society, and afraid of being alone. No inclination for business or study; takes no interest in anything. Memory weak; unable to sustain ‘any mental effort.

Head.–Vertigo, when lying down, and when turning over in bed, when turning head sidewise, or turning eyes; worse, shaking head, slight noise or conversation of others, especially towards the left. Headache, stupefying, with nausea and vomiting of mucus, with a feeling as of foreign body under the skull. Scorched feeling on top. Tightness as if both temples were compressed; worse after a meal. (Gels.; Atropine.) Bruised, semilateral pains. Dull occipital pain on rising in morning.

Eyes.–Photophobia and excessive lachrymation. Corneal pustules. Dim-sighted; worse, artificial light. On closing eyes, he sweats. Paralysis of ocular muscles. (Caust.) In superficial inflammations, as in phlyctenular conjunctivitis and keratitis. The slightest ulceration or abrasion will cause the intensest photophobia.

Ears.–Defective hearing; discharge from ear blood colored.

Nose.–Bleeds easily-becomes sore. Polypus.

Stomach.–Soreness about the root of tongue. Terrible nausea, acrid heartburn and acid eructations; worse on going to bed. Painful spasms of the stomach. Amelioration from eating and aggravation a few hours after meals; acidity and burning; painful spot the level of the sternum.

Abdomen.–Severe aching in and around the liver. Chronic jaundice, and pains in right hypochondrium. Sensitive, bruised, swollen, knife-like pains. Painful tightness.

Stool.–Frequent urging; hard, with tenesmus. Tremulous weakness after every stool. (Verat.; Ars.; Arg. n.) Heat and burning in rectum during stool.

Urine.–Much difficulty in voiding. It flows and stops again. (Ledum.) Interrupted discharge. (Clematis.) Dribbling in old men. (Copaiva.)

Male.–Desire increased; power decreased. Sexual nervousness, with feeble erection. Effects of suppressed sexual appetite. Testicles hard and enlarged.

Female.–Dysmenorrhœa, with drawing-down thighs. Mammæ lax and shrunken, hard, painful to touch. Stitches in nipples. Wants to press breast hard with hand. Menses delayed and scanty; parts sensitive. Breasts enlarge and become painful before and during menses. (Calc. c.; Lac can.) Rash before menses. Itching around pudenda. Unready conception. Induration of os and cervix. Ovaritis; ovary enlarged, indurated; lancinating pain. Ill effects of repressed sexual desire or suppressed menses, or from excessive indulgence. Leucorrhœa after micturition.

Respiratory.–Dry cough, almost continuous, hacking; worse, evening and at night; caused by dry spot in larynx with itching in chest and throat, when lying down, talking or laughing, and during pregnancy. Expectoration only after long coughing. Want of breath on taking the least exercise; oppressed breathing, constriction of chest; pains in chest.

Back.–Dorsal pain between shoulders. Ill effects of bruises and shocks to spine. Coccyodynia. Dull aching in lumbar and sacral region.

Extremities.–Heavy, weary, paralyzed; trembling; bands unsteady; fingers and toes numb. Muscular weakness, especially of lower extremities. Perspiration of hands. Putting feet on chair relieves pain.

Skin.–Axillary glands pain, with numb feeling down arm. Induration after contusions. Yellow skin, with papular eruption; yellow finger-nails. Glands enlarged and indurated, also mesenteric. Flying stitches through the glands. Tumors, piercing pains; worse, at night. Chronic ulcers with fetid discharge. Sweat as soon as one sleeps, or even when closing eyes. Night and morning sweat, with offensive odor, and smarting in skin.

Modalities.–Worse, lying down, turning or rising in bed; celibacy; before and during menses, from taking cold, bodily or mental exertion. Better, while fasting, in the dark, from letting limbs hang down, motion and pressure.

Relationship.–Compare: Scirrhinum-Cancer nosode- (cancerous diathesis; enlarged glands; cancer of breast; worms); Baryt.; Hydrast.; Iod.; Kali phos.; Hyos.; Curare.

Dose.–Best in higher potencies given infrequently, especially for growths, paretic states, etc. Otherwise sixth to thirtieth.