The menstrual pains are griping and colicky (Coloc.) The cervical glands enlarge and become hard; the patient suffers from gouty nodosities, especially on the fingers; condylomata, warts about the sexual organs (Thuja); pruritus vulvae with great sensitiveness to touch or pressure. It is indicated often in the first menstruation after marriage or after surgical operations upon the abdomen; a menstruation following mental or surgical shocks, or from extreme, pent-up anger. Touching the sexual organs in making an examination will often throw a Staphisagria patient into spasms (Plat). Another symptom is extreme nervousness and mental symptoms developed from sexual excesses; styes on the lower lid, very painful, or toothache during the menses. “Aggravation: “Mental affections; grief; indignation; mortification; sexual excesses; tobacco; touching affected parts” (H.C.Allen).
SILICEA
Silicea is a pseudo-psoric remedy in every sense of the word. It vies with Natrum mur., Sulphur, Arsenicum, and Psorinum in its depth of action. It searches into every cell and changes every fiber of the organism. The menses may be too early and profuse or too late and profuse. When menses are suppressed, they are followed by an acrid, excoriative milky or watery leucorrhoea (Puls). Discharge of water from the uterus instead of the menses. Milky, watery, or brownish leucorrhoea in place of the menses. Menses smell strong and are acrid. TABACUM
This wonderful remedy is more frequently indicated than we think for in dysmenorrhoea, especially about the climacteric period. The menses begin with vertigo, heaviness in the head when moving; there is qualmishness of the stomach; sinking sensation at the pit of the stomach; palpitation of the heart; coldness of the lower extremities from the knees down, deadly pallor of the face with an indescribable sickness at the pit of the stomach; terrible nausea, with vomiting, cold sweat on face and forehead (Ipecac., Lobelia, Veratrum alb.)((>)) Menstrual headache coming on early in the morning (Nat. mur. Nux vomica, Bryonia, Lac def.) growing much worse towards noon. It lasts often two or three days and is brought on by fatigue or excitement; pain as if the head would burst or was bored into; vomits mucus and bile, with great nausea, faintness and weakness as pit of stomach; painful retching; straining and gagging. Face pale, anxious, sunken; skin pale, covered with cold clammy sweat (Veratrum alb.). Case I. Sickness at stomach, violent efforts to vomit, deadly nausea, pallor, coldness; vomits sour mucus (Nux), worse from the least motion (Bryonia); dreadful faint feeling at pit of stomach. Lymphatic temperament. Sickness while on the sea.
TEREBINTHINA
Resembles Berberis in its pains in back and kidneys and its bladder symptoms although they are usually more severe. To it we may add great hemorrhages and its great power to suppress diseases. It vies with Camphor in that respect. Camphor and Turpentine are two drugs much abused; they do great harm in domestic practice; both are powerful suppressers of discharges and secretions. Menses too late, scanty, accompanied with much meteorism; great tympanitis and burning in uterus and bearing- down pain.
Concomitants: Burning in uterus and on urination; urine a violet odor, albuminous, dark, scanty, smoky, bloody, like coffee or coffee grounds; drawing pains in the kidneys; worse from motion like Berberis. Fever with red, dry tongue; mucous surfaces feel dry; much thirst; pulse hard and frequent; profuse sweat; great prostration. Passive hemorrhages, with general anasarca, etc.
USTILAGO MAYDIS
Menses too frequent, profuse and long lasting; flow dark, fluid; blood intermixed with small, black clots; flow with profuse gushes of bright red blood (Ipecac.) or a persistent long continued oozing of mahogany-colored blood, blotted or in strings (Crocus);!menses every three weeks of either dark or bright red blood; active or passive uterine hemorrhages; climacteric flooding; heavy, dragging backache during the menses and for some time after. Indicated in slim, tall, light complexioned, tubercular women. Similar to Secale.
XANTHOXYLUM
We have a very imperfect proving of this remedy. Generally speaking the symptoms of the urinary and genital organs are both very meager. In the urinary organs nothing of importance is noted; but in the sexual sphere, especially in that of women, we have a more extended proving.
Female Sexual Organs. Menses too soon; scanty; the pain extending down the genito-crural nerves. The earlier the menses appear, the more severe the pain is apt to be. Neuralgic dysmenorrhoea, with profuse flow, in tall, lean women of sedentary habits; excruciating pains in the loins and low down in the uterine region. These pains are very severe and unbearable in nervous patients; who are apt to be tubercular. They begin twenty-four hours or so before the menses appear. She fears she is going to die; is extremely nervous and sensitive to noise; pale face with dark rings around the eyes; she has dreadful headaches with sensation as if the top of the head would fly off. In this respect it is similar to Actea. Membranous dysmenorrhoea, with severe, uterine pains low down in abdomen; pains agonizing running to the knees; she screams with pain. The flow is dark, black, clotted, prolonged to ten days or two weeks. Sometimes the face or other parts of the body become oedematous.
Concomitants-Great despondency with anguish about the chest; a terrible nervous, frightened feeling, heaviness, fulness of the head, with pressure and throbbing at root of nose, and a sensation as if the top of the head would fly off. Oppression in the chest is here a nervous symptom.
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