Eyes.-With brain affections the eyes are very sensitive to light, and during a severe headache there may be blindness, which passes away when the headache goes. The upper lips are heavy. Conjunctivitis occurs, with pains worse at night, the inner canthi are particularly affected, there is frequent lachrymation, with burning in the eyes and lids, and a feeling of dryness and pressure in them. Zincum cures pterygium, conjunctivitis with granular lids and ectropion and ectropion with thickened eyelids. It is useful for strabismus occurring after brain troubles.
Ears.-In the ears zincum causes cracking noises and stitching pains and is useful for earache in children.
Face.-The eyelids will look bluish, and the face pale and waxy in brain affections, or redness may alternate with pallor.
Urine.-The bladder exhibits the nervous weakness produced by zincum, in that urination may be involuntary during walking, coughing or sneezing, or there may be inability to pass water though the bladder feels full the patient can pass it only while sitting leaning backwards.
Sexual.-The male sexual organs present symptoms showing mingled irritability and weakness, they are easily excited, there are long-lasting violent erections, emission during an embrace is too rapid, or difficult or almost impossible; there is copious discharge of prostatic fluid, spermatorrhoea and nocturnal emissions without dreams occur, one or other testicle is retracted and the testicles feel as if bruised. There is temporary relief after an emission, especially of the backache. Zincum is of benefit in many cases of sexual weakness with erethism and in testicular neuralgia.
In women the menses are too early and profuse, and lumps of coagulated blood pass away; the flow is most profuse at night. Leucorrhoea of bloody mucus often occurs for three days before or after the menses, or both before and after. Pruritus vulvae, associated with varicosis of the labia, is present and induces masturbation; there is present and induces masturbation; there is irresistible sexual desire at night. A characteristic of zinc in the female sexual sphere is a boring pain in the left ovarian region, which is entirely relieved during the menstrual flow (lach.); the menstrual pains of actaea are worse during the flow. Backache accompanies the uterine disturbances. A symptom indicative of zincum in affections of the sexual organs as well as in children in delirium, is that the patient is continually pressing against the pubes, or applying the hands to the genitals. Zincum is a remedy for erotomania and masturbation in women of the nervously depressed and restless type. It is useful for puerperal convulsions coming on coincidently with the disappearance of a long-standing eruption, or if the lochia suddenly cease; also for sore nipples and sore and swollen breasts occurring when the menses do not appear.
Respiration.-There is a form of asthma for which zincum is the remedy; it comes on every evening after eating, with flatulence, and is increased when expectoration stops, and decreases when it recommences. There is a nightly cough with yellow, blood-stained or sweetish-tasting sputum (stannum), worse after eating sweets, drinking wine, and during the menses. Pains in the chest are common and are mostly stitches, or as if the chest is cut to pieces or constricted. Often there is a sensation of emptiness behind the sternum.
Circulation.-In the cardiac region there is pain as if the heart is compressed. The pulse is irregular, small, and frequent, or it is scarcely perceptible. The heart has an irregular, spasmodic action-sometimes one violent thump is felt. Pulsation is present in the blood-vessels throughout the body.
Back and Limbs.-The cardiac pains are mainly due to and are associated with spinal irritation, which with the alternate condition of spinal depression gives rise to a variety of pains and sensations in the back and limbs. The neck muscles feel too weak to support the head, especially when the head is bent forwards as in reading and writing; there are burning pains between the scapulae and burning in spots all down the spine, the last dorsal vertebra is a frequent site of pain; pain in the small of the back is marked, and is felt on turning over in bed at night, and when sitting down and rising from a seat, and is better from continuous walking (rhus tox.). There is great weakness of the limbs, especially in the bends of the knees, and they are apt suddenly to give way. Trembling of the limbs, notably of the hands and feet, and numbness and blueness of the hands are common. The skin of the hands is dry and cracked, chilblains itch and swell, varices occur in the legs, and foetid perspiration collects on the feet and about the toes. There is a feeling in the toes as if they are frost-bitten, the feet are cold. Very characteristic of zincum is fidgetiness of the feet, the patient cannot keep them still but must be continually moving them, especially in the evening and at night in bed. An erysipelatous inflammation over the tendo Achillis and ulcerative, boring pains in the heels have been observed, worse while walking and relieved by sitting. The pains above the joints, which are usually sharp and lancinating, are always in a direction transverse to the limb. Twitching and jerking occur in the muscles, the whole body jerks at night in sleep. Pains seem to have their seat between the skin and the flesh. Zincum has been used in the beginning of locomotor ataxia for the lightning pains.
Skin.-Formication of the skin occurs in any part of the body. The skin is pale, shrivelled and has a bluish tinge.
The trophic nerves share in the general depression of the nervous system, and the body and its organs waste; there is great emaciation. In advanced cases there is a tendency to drowsiness and stupor, from which the patient can be roused, but into which he immediately relapses. Sleep is restless and interrupted by dreams and by jerkings in the body and limbs, and the patient wakes in fear. Zincum is useful in intercostal neuralgia and in neuralgia following herpes zoster. One of the provers developed spasmodic twitchings of the muscles of the face concerned with laughing, and fits of uncontrollable laughter in hysterical subjects have been cured with this remedy. The state of nerves, the nausea and vomiting, and its aggravation from wine have indicated zincum in chronic alcoholism, for which it has been successfully used.
LEADING INDICATIONS.
(1) Depression or irritability of brain and spinal cord.
(2) Non-appearance of eruptions and discharges that should normally occur.
(3) Heaviness, stupor and unconsciousness
(4) Emaciation.
(5) General weakness, fainting attacks.
(6) Intolerance of wine.
(7) Tremblings, jerkings, formication.
(8) Bluish tint of skin.
(9) Vomiting in connection with brain disorders.
(10) Hypersensitiveness.
(11) Increased reflexes.
(12) Fidgety feet.
(13) Craving hunger and “goneness” at 11 a.m.
(14) Burning pains in spots along the spine.
(15) Transverse direction of pains above joints.
(16) Brain fag, nervous exhaustion.
(17) Hysterical, nervous and sexual complaints.
AGGRAVATION:
From touch, jarring, riding, rest sitting, lying, motion, walking, exertion, eating and drinking, evening and night, sugar, wine, milk, 11 a.m. to 12 noon (sinking in stomach), over-heating (rheumatism), chill when heated, warm room (relieves conjunctivitis), open air (excessive headaches and drowsiness). Covering (during sweat).
AMELIORATION:
From emissions, onset of discharges or appearance of eruptions, open air (headache and drowsiness), while eating, vomiting, perspiration, menses backache and pain in left ovarian region), walking (backache).
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,