SPHERE OF ACTION
This remedy so influences the great vegetative nervous system, as to produce a depressing and disorganizing action upon the osseous, lymphatic, and mucous systems. Dr. Hughes says: Silicea influences the nutrition,
EE.
rather than the functional activity of the tissues, which come within its sphere of action; it is hence suited to organic changes, rather than to functional disorders. Its deep and slow action, moreover, makes it appropriate to chronic rather than acute diseases. Silicea has an extraordinary control over the suppurative process, seeming to mature abscesses when desired, and certainly reducing excessive suppuration to moderate limits.
Its main sphere is in the diseases of the vegetative tissues and organs. I regard it as a remedy even more important than Calcarea for rachitis in children. Like most of the vegetative medicines, it acts powerfully upon the lymphatic glands; promoting, when they are enlarged, either their maturation or their dispersion.
It has probably some power over the nutrition of the nervous centres, and has proved curative in some forms of paralysis, and perhaps also of epilepsy.
Silicea acts especially upon the venous capillary vessels.
GRAND CHARACTERISTICS
Sanguine lymphatic temperaments, and to children with large bellies, weak ankles, much perspiration about the head, and disposition to uncover.
Adapted to chronic, scrofulous, suppurative diseases; especially to rachitic children, where the nutrition of an organ is assailed rather than the functions.
Chronic suppuration of joints.
Induration and suppuration of the lymphatic or glandular system in any part of the body.-.
Diseases brought on by exposing the back to any slight draft of air.-.
Want of vital warmth, even when taking exercise.-.
Has an extraordinary control over the suppurative process; seeming to mature abscesses when desired, and certainly reducing excessive suppuration to moderate limits.-.
Head.–Affects the cerebro-spinal nervous system, more especially the upper portion of the spinal cord; causing headache, from nervous exhaustion, aggravated by noise and motion; relieved by heat.–DR. DUNHAM.
Vertigo, falling forward after stooping, riding, or looking up; rises from the neck into the head with nausea.-.
Yielding mind, faint-hearted, anxious mood.-.
She is occupied with pins, counts them, hunts for them, and is always worse during the increase of the moon.
Dreams about corpses and dead persons generally.–GAHR.
Open fontanelles.
Much perspiration in children about the head, is very CHARACTERISTICS of Silicea.
The head is wet from sweating, particularly at night; likes wrapping up.-.
Digestive Organs.–Scrofulous children during dentition keep grasping at their gums continually.
Hungry but cannot get down the food.
Water tastes badly, vomits after drinking.-.
After a meal, load as of a stone in the stomach, or like lead.–W.E. PAYNE.
Particularly indicated where there are spinal affections, and constipation of difficult stools, as if the rectum had not power to expel them; the stool recedes after having been partially expelled.
Always great costiveness immediately before and during the catamenia.-.
Generative Organs of Women.–Paroxysms of icy coldness over the whole body, at the appearance of the menses, and icy cold feet during the menses.
Constipation before and during menstruation, of hard lumps, which remain long in the rectum, as if it had no power to expel them.
Increased menses, with repeated paroxysms of icy coldness over the whole body.-.
Discharge of white water from the uterus instead of the menses.
Pure blood is caused to flow from the uterus, every time the babe nurses.
Nipples ulcerate easily.
Fistulous ulcers of the mammae; the substance of the mammae seems to be discharged in the pus; one lobe after another seems to ulcerate and discharge into one common ulcer, often with great pain, or there may be several orifices, one for each lobe.
Skin.–Spongy, readily bleeding ulcers, with torpid callous edges.–FRANKLIN.
Fistulous ulcers, secreting a thin, ichorous, fetid, yellow fluid.–FRANKLIN.
Fistula lachrymalis.–RAUE.
Caries of bones, with fistulous openings, and discharge of thin pus and bony fragments.–FRANKLIN.
Ailments following vaccination, abscesses, &c., even convulsions.-.
Specific for whitlow.
Small foreign bodies under the skin or in the larynx.-.
Lymphatic swellings, with suppuration, inflammation, swelling of bones, caries, suppurating ulcers in membranous parts, ulcers of all kinds.-.
Foot-sweat with rawness between the toes, or a bad odor; also complaints after checking it.-.
Debilitating night sweats.
Profuse night sweats, 6000th.–HOLCOMBE.
Scrofulous cutaneous eruptions, if they occupy more the hairy parts and at the tip of the nose.–DR. NOACK.
Suppurative processes, massive and repeated doses are indicated, if we have to do with (scrofulous). glandular swellings without suppurations. But where there is actually suppuration, or even a tendency thereto, only high dilutions (30th) help.–DR. NOACK.
In chronic cases we are in the habit of giving Silicea once a day, (and even less often); in subacute cases, morning and evening, and in acute cases from two to three hours.–DR.
GOULLON.
(1836-1897)
Characteristic materia medica Published 1873
Physiological materia medica, containing all that is known of the physiological action of our remedies; together with their characteristic indications and pharmacology. Published 1881