PRUNUS SPINOSA
Menses too early too profuse, with severe pains in the small of the back and sides; flow light colored; small of the back feels stiff as from over-straining (Rhus); severe cramps in abdomen during menses that are relieved by walking about (Pulsatilla). Fullness and distension in stomach, a little satisfies (Lycopodium) Hard, dry, scanty stool, with burning in rectum (Nux); anxious, short respiration which is < when climbing a hill or even walking; spasm of the bladder, with much tenesmus and burning in sphincter and continuous urging; pain relieved by urination; severe itching in ovaries; ((>)) by rubbing.
PHOSPHORUS
Flow too long lasting, and usually profuse; bright red blood. Indicated in tall, thin, narrow-chested women who are strongly tubercular. Face often pale, sickly, with dark circles around the eyes. Chlorotic girls who grow too rapidly; small wounds bleed much, and there are hemorrhages from the nose or lungs during menses. She is very sensitive to light, noise, odors and touch. The least exertion causes exhaustion (Tuberculinum), she is anxious and apprehensive in the evening about twilight or when alone during a thunderstorm. The nervous symptoms of Phosphorus induce hunger (similar to Sulph.). Sometimes we have a cough with spitting of blood and aphonia with weakness and heaviness in the chest, or a tight heavy feeling in the chest.
PODOPHYLLUM
Anti-psoric and pseudo-psoric. Menses often suppressed in young women, with bearing down in the hypogastric and sacral regions, relieved by lying down. Painful pressing down in abdomen and back, with a numb sensation running down the thighs. Podophyllum is adapted to blonde women who are subject to bilious attacks who have a sallow, sickly complexion, foul breath, thickly coated tongue (Mercurius); congestion and torpor of portal system with diarrhoea; severe colic and rumbling in the transverse colon; dark yellow stools; stools very offensive coming on in gushes with much flatulence and sputtering of gases. Gagging as if she would vomit when at stool; prolapsus of uterus with sever aching pains in lumbar region, with much aching pain in ovary; hemorrhoids with prolapsus ani. Aggravated, in the morning, by hot weather, or by hot days with cool nights.
PALLADIUM
Said to be a good remedy for dysmenorrhoea while nursing. Jelly- like discharge before and after menses; heaviness and weight in the pelvis as if it were sinking down; during menses pain in left hypogastrium shooting from umbilicus to pelvis; bearing down and drawing in the region of right ovary with a full feeling in the bladder; frequent urination; bladder feels full to bursting; urine scanty although it feels as if she could pass a great quantity at any time; ((>)) when lying on left side (reverse Pulsatilla); < standing or moving; aversion to work or exercise and during the flow she must lie down. Sharp knife-like pain in the uterus, ((>)) after stool (Minton).
Aggravation: Standing; motion; wounded pride; mental excitement; lying on right side during menses. ((>)) when lying on left side, from quite, and after sleep.
PLATINUM
Platinum has many symptoms of an anti-psoric and pseudo-psoric nature. I have not studied it close enough to give its true miasmatic setting. The flow is too early, too profuse, and lasting but a short time. The flow is dark, even black, thick, clotted, it may be viscid or ropy. The menstrual flow is preceded by great mental depression, backache, spasms, labor-like or bearing-down pains, and pressing towards the genitals with desire for stool. It is one of those hemorrhagic remedies in which the flow is usually dark and fluid. Dysmenorrhoea usually develops the third day of flow; pains drawing, pressing down and crampy. During the menses there is much sadness and disposition to cry; she is suspicious and jealous (Lachesis). She has great self- exaltation; fears she will die or that she will lose her senses; she is full of anguish; her limbs tremble; her heart palpitates; very changeable, weeps, and laughs alternately. she has a sensation as if her body were growing larger, as if other people were very small, or as if they were inferior to her. Nymphomania during menses, with voluptuous tingling in external and internal genitals. Sexual excitement will often bring on all her symptoms; great sexual erethism in young women. Sexual excitement is unendurable; great sensitiveness of the vagina; an examination is impossible, cannot bear the pressure of a napkin she is so sensitive; ovaries very sensitive, especially the left one; uterine hemorrhage with prolapse and bearing down or pressing down pains. Pains increase and decrease gradually (Zinc); stools constipated, soft, clay-like, adhesive; after movement weakness in abdomen and chilliness. Spasmodic yawning like Ignatia; while asleep lies on her back with her hands over her head (Puls). The pains in the ovaries are spasmodic and of a burning character. Platinum is suited to neurotic women with dark hair and rigid, A fibre; she is < when at rest,((>)) when in motion; mental and physical symptoms often alternate.
RHUS TOX.
Menses too early, too profuse and of too long duration in rheumatic individuals. Flow is light colored, or like dirty water or the washings of meat; it is also acrid, causing biting and itching of the external genitals. Menses suppressed from getting wet, especially getting the feet wet. Rheumatic dysmenorrhoea with labor-like pains, and with much lameness and stiffness in the back and limbs; very restless; especially at night during menses. Prolapsus uteri from over-lifting or straining; aching in back and limbs with a bruised feeling all over the body; better by walking and motion. Occasionally the flow is very much clotted with labor-like pains; backache is relieved by lying on something hard. The symptoms are usually < at night while at rest and ((>)) in the daytime and by heat and motion.
SYPHILINUM
Anti-syphilitic. Menses too soon and profuse, often two weeks before the regular time; flow bright red, or occasionally of a pinkish color. During flow, the uterus is very sensitive; shooting pains in uterus, and darting pains in ovaries; worse in left ovary; mammae sensitive and sore both during the menses and between; profuse, yellow leucorrhoea; it soaks through the napkin, running down the limbs (Alumn.). The menstrual pains increase and decrease gradually and are worse from dark until near morning. She dreads the night, on account of periosteal and bone pains. She has great loss of memory (Medorr., Nat. mur.); she begins to grow worse at 4 a.m. (Lycopodium, Belladonna, Kali iod.). She feel much worse after sleeping (Lachesis).
Hereditary or acquired syphilis; round or irregular shaped ulcers in the mouth at every menstrual period; < at night (Nit acid, Mercurius sol.); ulcers with salivation; lardaceous bottoms; fiery-red edges; walls straight cut; tongue shows imprint of teeth; taste putrid or metallic; herpetic eruptions about the mouth; desire for alcohol, and aversion to meat. (Desires for meat, Tuberculinum, Calcareac.). Heavy aching in the back, or neuralgic pains that begin at 4 p.m. and last all night. Sleepy at the beginning of the menstrual period (Bufo.); epileptic convulsions after each menstrual period. < at night, dreads to be alone. Asthma or cough in summer only; aching in pelvis and extremities, tibia especially, which is sensitive to touch. Syphilitic eruptions break out during the menses or in the summer time. Aggravation: Night; change of weather; heat of bed. All pains and sufferings < at night (Mercurius sol., Kali iod, Aurum, Asafoetida. (reverse Medorrhinum).
STANNUM
Pseudo-psoric. Menstruation too early and profuse, often accompanied with pain in the malar bone, or facial neuralgia of some form. Great mental distress and anxiety, which is relieved as soon as the flow begins; the menstrual pain comes in paroxysms, increasing gradually until very severe, then decreasing gradually to disappearance. Mental symptoms quite significant; anxiety, restlessness, great anguish, irritability, sadness,. despondency, aversion to men, very hysterical, weeps sings, prays. Great heaviness with trembling; her weariness comes on suddenly and is < in the morning; has to sit down to rest a number of times before she completes her toilet (tubercular people;) anus and limbs feel heavy; great weakness in the chest, which extends to the throat.
Her condition is aggravated by talking, reading, and singing (Phosphorus). Dry cough, < in the evening (Phosphorus) until midnight; expectoration is of greenish-yellow mucus with a sweet or salty taste, musty odor from perspiration and from expectoration, smell like old hay. The colicky pains are better from hard pressure or lying on the stomach (Pulsatilla, Colocy.).
STAPHISAGRIA
This remedy is anti-sycotic, but meets also those cases of mixed Syphilis or a syco-syphilitic condition which
23 are often as baffling. This will be seen by a careful study of the remedy. A syco-syphilitic taint in a pseudo psoric patient is the true field for the use of this peculiar remedy. Menstruation too soon, or absent; discharge pale at first but grows darker; the flow is often irregular, late, profuse, and affected by anger or chagrin, which often delays or suppresses it. Sharp, shooting pain in the ovaries with extreme sensitiveness to weight or pressure; nymphomania during menses, mind cannot be drawn from sexual subjects; during and before menses anger easily aroused; staphisagria wrath if pent up brings about the physical state peculiar to this remedy “The whole mind and nervous system is in a fret.” (Kent)
J.H. Allen was a student of H.C. Allen. He was the president of the IHA in 1900. Dr. Allen taught at the Hering Medical College in Chicago. Dr. Allen died August 1, 1925
Books by John Henry Allen:
Diseases and Therapeutics of the Skin 1902
The Chronic Miasms: Psora and Pseudo Psora 1908
The Chronic Miasms: Sycosis 1908