A valuable general symptom in aurum cases is great desire for fresh air and to be out in open spaces.
This is often very marked in the erethistic cases under consideration. The patient, however, dislike and suffers from the cold, and in particular likes his head to be warmly covered when aching-even if it already feels hot. Asthma, however, is worse from warm air, and the bone pains from the warmth of the bed. It is by attention to minute such as these that an accurate and successful prescription is made.
Such conditions of “erethism” are not uncommon at the menopause or from anxiety or mental strain. Over dozing with mercury (in bygone days) produced a broken down condition of health (see mercurial poisoning), physical and mental, resembling gold-poisoning, m for which in minute doses gold has been used as a remedy. It has been recommended for fatty heart and though it cannot be denied that, given a close similarly of symptoms, it might benefit patients with that condition, it is more likely to help those with hypertrophy, with fibrotic interstitial changes, due to syphilis or associated with nephritis and cirrhosis of the liver and in gouty subjects. Angina pectoris is another condition for which gold has been recommended, it is more likely to be useful for the underlying condition than for the paroxysms. For cardiac asthma it may be useful but less so far bronchial.
In these cases of circulatory disturbance the mental condition is one of depression in some form, suicidal, religious or some state which may be called by that apt modern term an “inferiority complex.” When organic changes are present the double salt-aurum mur. nat.- has chiefly been used.
Kidneys.- Hughes quotes Bartholow, an (orthodox) English therapeutist of last century, as recommending the chloride for granular and waxy kidney. There are not many indications for it- diuresis, apparently passing more urine than the fluid consumed, and swelling of feet being the chief. It associated with headaches and symptoms suggesting chronic liver or heart disease, aurum must come in for consideration.
Respiratory Symptoms.- The dyspnoea of aurum cases is cardiac rather than pulmonary; it is a more of less permanent condition, with suffocative attacks at irregular intervals, brought on by excitement, slight exertion or flatulent distension, worse at night and when walking. Restlessness and “fidgets,” irritability, depression, even to desire to die, characterize the patients.
Movement.- On the whole the symptoms of aurum patients are aggravated by movement, especially bone, joint and chest symptoms. Occasionally the motion modality may conflict with the temperature modality or with the craving for open air, and sometimes one and sometimes the other may predominate, e.g., movement may relieve because it generates warmth or takes a patient into the open air: or the desire for open air may predominate and bring relief in spite of general tendency to aggravation from movement or cold.
Sleep.- The nights are restless and disturbed by anxious dreams, the patient sobs during sleep. The pains (bones) may be so great as to prevent sleep and drive to despair.
The dreams are vivid but may not be remembered; or they may be of robbers, causing the patient to cry out, of falling from a height, of people who are dead and of dead bodies, or of an erotic nature. There is drowsiness in daytime, with yawning after eating.
Alternatively there may be an excited condition-no sleep, no pain, and yet no sleepiness or tiredness the following day.
Subjects most amenable to the therapeutic influence of aurum:-
(1) It is valuable especially for the ailments of old people with a tendency top stoutness.
(2) Also for restless people, with apprehensive disposition, always in a hurry.
(3) For ailments common in sanguine people with dark complexions.
LEADING INDICATIONS.
(1) The mental state- a marked “inferiority complex” from a feeling of apprehension and inability to cope with daily duties up to desire to die; suicidal and religious melancholy.
(2) Combined with or alternating with above, irritability and peevish outbursts; opposition excites anger.
(3) A restless, hurried, nervous, fidgety condition of mind and body.
(4) General craving for open air, but aversion to cold; walking in open air, however, may cause giddiness.
(5) Hyperaesthesia of special senses and common sensation.
(6) Ailments from grief, disappointment, fright and mental strain.
(7) Pains worse at night (“from sunset to sunrise”) on the left side (except right testis and right hypochondrium); from warmth of bed and by lying still.
(8) Affections of bone and periosteum, especially those due to tertiary syphilis or mercurial overdosing.
(9) Nasal discharges: offensive, dry up and block nostrils: ozaena; caries.
(10) Excited circulation, palpitation and pulsations local and general,” organs ” of blood to head and other parts; menopausic flushes.
(11) Cardiac irregularity; cardiac asthma;cardiac myoses.
(12) Glandular indurations; lymphatic, reproductive, salivary, alimentary, thyroid.
AGGRAVATION;
Movement (bone and chest pains), but see p.218; night (bone pains); cold air (except asthma), but also warmth of bed;lying down; at menstrual periods (melancholia).
AMELIORATION:
From getting warm (except bone pains in warm bed): in the morning.
Edwin Awdas Neatby founded the Missionary School of Homeopathy and the London Homeopathic Hospital in 1903, and run by the British Homeopathic Association. He died in East Grinstead, Sussex, on the 1st December 1933. Edwin Awdas Neatby wrote The place of operation in the treatment of uterine fibroids, Modern developments in medicine, Pleural effusions in children, Manual of Homoeo Therapeutics,