General Action
A general nutrition (tissue) remedy. It seems to produce a well- marked cachexia which may develop tuberculosis, epilepsy or other chronic disorders. The functions of various organs are disturbed, but the lymphatics are most prominently affected.
Generalities
General loss of power, especially inability to go upstairs. Weakness, particularly of the limbs, on walking, with exhaustive sweat; from talking; after coition; general relief in the fresh, open air. Patients are inclined to be too fat (especially young people). General emaciation, with large abdomen, and good appetite. Easy taking cold, and special sensitiveness to cold, damp air. Easily sprained.
Clinical. Very frequently indicated in affections caused by working in water. In chronic inflammations of joints; swellings, without inflammations. Pains relieved by change of weather, especially in damp weather. Muscular rheumatism. Glandular enlargement, with suppuration, with fistulous ulcers. Various phases of scrofula. It is generally indicated in persons of a fair complexion, who are very sluggish and inclined to be fat (fair, fat and flabby). The child is not able to walk, is very backward. Epilepsy; very frequently indicated in the cachexia, which leads to the development of epileptiform spasms and it will sometimes radically cure the disease. Marasmus. A general condition of malnutrition; the patient is flabby, weak, sluggish, has profuse sweats, profuse discharges generally, and cold extremities.
Mind
Very nervous, anxious, lachrymose mood. Anxiety, particularly during twilight. Is frightened easily. Solicitude about the future, with dread. General anxiety, with palpitation. Fear that she will lose her reason, or that some misfortune will overtake her or her friends. Disinclined to make any mental effort. Children become very obstinate. Intellect dull.
Head
General confusion, as if a board were before the head. Tendency to rush of blood to the head, with heat, sometimes even with throbbing in the middle of the brain. Vertigo on suddenly turning the head, or on going upstairs; also, in the morning before breakfast. Heaviness in the forehead; a painful pressure, extending into the nose; (<) reading and writing. Icy coldness on the right side of the head. Pulsation in the middle of the brain, coming on every morning and lasting all day. General headache, (<) muscular strain or from mental effort. Much scurf on the scalp. Itching, especially at night on waking. Sweat over the head, especially in the evening while asleep (in children). (The fontanelles remain open in children, and the cranial bones are not well developed, with enlarged glands, etc.) Falling of the hair.
Eyes
A feeling of sand under the lids. Lachrymation. Eyes agglutinated in the morning. Itching of the margins of the lids. General burning and cutting pains in the eyes, especially in the evening by the light. Tendency to ulcers and spots on the cornea. Photophobia, especially in the evening, or in the morning. Dim vision when trying to look intently, like a mist before the eyes. (Obstruction of the lachrymal ducts.).
Ears
Throbbing in the ears. Heat within the ears. Cracking noises when chewing. Roaring.
Clinical. Deafness from working in water. Scrofulous inflammations of the ear, with muco-purulent otorrhoea, enlarged glands, etc. Chronic inflammation of the ear; thickening of the drum. Polypi, which bleed easily.
Nose
Offensive dryness of the nose. Inflammation, redness, swelling of the nose. Sore, ulcerated nostrils. Offensive smell in the nose.
Clinical. Coryza, clear, watery secretion or chronic ozaena, with a thick, purulent, fetid discharge, with swelling at root of nose and ulceration. Nasal polypi. Inclination to nose- bleed in fat children.
Face
Pale, puffy. Yellow. Eyes sunken, surrounded by dark rings. Upper lip swollen, Tearing pains in the bones of the face. Moist eruption on the forehead and cheeks.
Mouth
Drawing, stinging toothache, (<) cold or draft of air, especially by taking cold water or air into the mouth. Toothache after menstruation. Gums spongy and bleeding. Tongue, coated white. Pain beneath the tongue on swallowing. Burning pain at tip of tongue, (<) anything warm taken into the mouth. Tongue dry in the morning. Speech indistinct. Sour taste, not only of food, but also when not eating.
Throat
Spasmodic contraction of pharynx. Stitches when swallowing. Pain as from internal swelling, extending to the ears. A feeling as if food stuck in the throat, with nausea. On swallowing, cracking noises in the ear. Externally, the submaxillary glands are swollen and hard, with pain when chewing, and stinging when touched.
Stomach
Frequent, ravenous hunger, especially in the morning. Thirst great. At times complete loss of appetite, but with constant and great thirst; after beginning to eat, food relishes. Extreme thirst at night. General aversion to meat. Aversion to customary tobacco. Longing for eggs. Desire for sweets and pastry; also, for indigestible things, such as chalk, coal, etc. Eructations of food; tasting of food; of tasteless fluid in the evening. Nausea in the morning; after drinking milk; in the morning, fasting. Vomiting sour water at night; of food which has a sour taste. Swelling of the epigastric region. This region is sore to touch. Pressing pain as from a lump. Burning, extending from the stomach to the throat after eating.
Abdomen
Distention; with hardness. Cutting colic in the upper abdomen. Distention about the hypochondria; cannot endure tight clothes. Swelling of the inguinal glands.
Clinical. Enlargement of liver, which is sore, with jaundice. Gallstone colic, terrible darting pain, profuse sweat, intolerance of garments about the waist. Tendency to great increase of fat in the abdomen and flatulent distention, enlarged mesenteric glands; abdominal dropsy. Umbilical hernia.
Rectum and Stool
Protrusion. Pressure and heaviness. Crawling as from worms. Haemorrhoids protrude and become painful. Burning in the anus during a stool.
Clinical. Diarrhoea of undigested stools; of sour odor, large in quantity, sometimes fetid. Ascarides and chronic diarrhoea, with great appetite and distention of stomach, which is sore to touch. Cholera infantum, with vomiting of sour food or curdled lumps, ravenous appetite.
Urinary Organs
Frequent micturition; at night. Urine dark colored, offensive, with a white sediment: sour smelling at night. Burning in the urethra during and after micturition.
Sexual Organs, Male
Increased sexual desire. Diminished sexual power. Emissions too quick, followed by weakness, irritability, etc. Impotency.
Sexual Organs, Female
Unnatural sexual desire. Great prostration after coition. Menstruation too early, and too long continued. Leucorrhoea milk- like.
Clinical. Hydrocele in children. Profuse menstruation is the rule in women who require Calcarea. General weakness of women, with exaggerated desires. Membranous dysmenorrhoea, with cold, sweaty extremities and sensitiveness to cold air ( see Calc, acet.). Endocervicitis. Often indicated in girls whose menses do not come on, but, instead, congestion of the head, dyspnoea, palpitation, haemorrhage from the lungs, night cough, general anaemia, unnatural appetite, etc. Constant aching in vagina. Leucorrhoea like milk, very profuse, with general Calcarea symptoms. Excessive flow of milk in nursing women; it is thin and does not satisfy the child; with itching of vulva, with swollen veins or sometimes glandular swellings. The milk of a nursing woman is disagreeable to the child, who refuses it and does not thrive on it, though the secretion be very great.
Respiratory Organs
Whistling in the larynx in the evening after lying down. Painless hoarseness; could not speak; worse in the morning. Violent, dry cough at night, (<) on inspiration; caused by a sensation of a plug in the throat, and moved up and down; or by tickling, as of a feather in the throat; at times, a feeling as if something were torn loose from the larynx. Cough in the morning, with profuse, yellow expectoration, which is sometimes purulent, sometimes offensive. Expectoration of blood, which leaves a sore, rough feeling in the chest. Respiration very short on going up the slightest ascent. Need to breathe deeply, which causes stitches in the sides of the chest or hypochondrium. Chest, internally, sore; sometimes, also, sore externally under the clavicles. Lancinating pains through the chest, frequently from before backward, more rarely, from side to side.
Clinical. Chronic inflammation of larynx and bronchi, and hoarseness, chronic cough. Extreme dyspnoea on going up the slightest ascent (one of the most marked indications for the drug). Chronic inflammation of the larynx, especially in the upper part. Asthmatic attacks in children, from suppressed eruptions. Ulcers in the lungs, with purulent expectoration. Haemorrhage from the lungs. Calcarea is very generally indicated in the general cachexia leading to various forms of consumption. The cough is usually troublesome at night and dry, with free expectoration in the morning. The patient perspires easily, and frequently has enormous appetite, though the emaciation is rapid.
Born in 1837in Westminster, Vermont. . He was an orthodox doctor who converted to homeopathy
Dr. Allen compiled the Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica over the course of 10 years.
In 1881 Allen published A Critical Revision of the Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica.