Alumina


Dr. S.R. Phatak describes the clinically confirmed symptoms of the homeopathic remedy Alumina in his Concise Materia Medica, published in 1977….


Generalities

      It affects me CEREBRO SPINAL Axis causing Disturbance in co- ordination, and paretic effects. Paraesthesia. In mental sphere the consciousness of reality and judgement is disturbed. It is suitable to old people, with lack of vital heat, or premature old age, with debility. It causes DRYNESS of skin and mucous membranes; eyes, throat, rectum etc., or irritability and relaxation. Mucus discharges profuse. Discharges are thin, acrid and scanty. Tendency to induration. Functions become sluggish, actions are delayed, e.g., prick of needle will be felt with delay, impressions reach consciousness slowly. Patient is thin, inactive, wants to lie down, but it increases the fatigue. It is useful in delicate children, products of artificial baby foods. Pulsations are felt in various parts; and pains go upwards. Patient gets better entirely for sometime, then without apparent cause gets worse. Chronicity. Exhaustion; after talking; after menses. Degeneration of spinal cord. Unable to walk, with closed eyes. Involuntary movement of single parts. Girls, dried up and wrinkled, at puberty. Ill effects of disappointments. Sensation of constriction. Trembling, convulsive movements, spasms, with tears and laughter or alternately.

Worse

      WARMTH OF ROOM; of bed. Food; artificial, potatoes, starch, salt. Speaking. Dry weather. Early on awaking. Sitting. After menses.Periodically; on alternate days. Coition. Tobacco smoke. Lifting. Exertion. Full and new moon.

Better

      Evening. Open air. Moderate exertion and temperature. Damp weather, cold washing.

Mind

      Illusions; of being larger; numb; smooth; heavy. Hasty but slow of execution, hence makes mistakes in speaking and writing. Depressive mental states. Timorous. Fears; his own impulses; sight of knife, of blood, fears loss of reason. When he sees or states something, he has the feeling, as though another person had said or seen it or as though he was placed in another person and could see only then. Time passes too slowly. Always groaning, moaning, worrying, fretting. Memory bad, variable mood. Depressed on awakening. Peevish. Everything is viewed in sad light. Alternating moods. Sensation as if he would fall forwards, which he greatly fears. Things seem unreal. Laughs and talks between paroxysms of spasms. Sneers at everything. Grumbles. Suicidal tendency on seeing knife or blood.

Head

      Vertigo; worse talking, on closing or opening eyes, before breakfast. Vertigo; with white stars before the eyes, when eyes suddenly went out of focus; one has to wait for normal vision, better wiping eyes. Violent stitches in the brain, with nausea. Headache, as if one were dragged by the hair. Falling of hair; scalp itches and is numb. Headache better by lying quiet in bed. Dry hair.

Eyes

      White stars before the eyes, with vertigo. Eyelids; weak, falling, thickened, dry, burning, smarting. Double squint, worse teething. Objects look yellow. Eyes; inflamed, burning; agglutination at night, lachrymation during day. Eyes feel cold.

Ears

      Heat and redness of one ear. Eustachian tube seems plugged. Crackling noises and buzzing in ears when, chewing or swallowing.

Nose

      Nostrils sore and red. Point of nose cracked. Scales with thick yellow mucus.

Face

      Old look; dusky, wrinkled. As of white of egg or a cobweb on face. Blood-boils, and pimples. Involuntary spasmodic twitchings of the lower jaw. Maxillary joints feel tight, while chewing or opening mouth.

Mouth

      Musty bad odour from mouth. Teeth; feel long; pain extends to other parts down larynx, neck, shoulders. Mouth feels dry with increased saliva. Tingling, itching on tongue.

Throat

      Dry, feels full of sticks, or constricted, food cannot pass. Throat sore from eating onions. Constant inclination to clear the throat. Uvula hangs down. Swallowing painful, worse solids better empty swallowing, warm drinks. Tightness from pharynx down to stomach as if food could not pass; can swallow but small morsels at a time. Clergyman’s sore throat. Feels food, whole length of oesophagus.

Stomach

      Abnormal craving; for coarse food, chalk, charcoal, dry food, clean white rags, tea or coffee grounds, fruits, vegetables, dry rice and indigestible things. Constriction of oesophagus. Pain lasting 3 hours after meals. Big bellied children. Aversion to potato, to meat, which disagrees.

Abdomen

      Left sided abdominal complaints. Pressing in both groins, towards sexual organs. Pains from rectum to ankle. Inactive rectum, even a soft stool is passed with difficulty, hard stools cause severe cutting. Stools of small balls, hard knots or bright clots of blood. Evacuation is preceded by painful urging, long before stool, then straining at stool. Constipation; of sucklings, old people and women of sedentary habits. Can only pass stool when standing.

Urinary

      Muscles of the bladder paretic must strain at stool to urinate. Renal pains worse dancing. Frequent desire to urinate in old people; slow flow. Fears he will wet the bed. Retention, with dribbling. Smarting while urinating. Feeling of weakness in bladder and genitals.

Male

      Sexual desire increased. Voluptuous itching or tickling in genitals. Involuntary emission; while straining for stools, followed by old symptoms. Pains in the perineum, during coition and while the erection continues. Priapism at night.

Females

      Menses, too early, short, scanty, pale followed by great exhaustion. Leucorrhoea; acrid profuse, runs to feet worse during daytime; before menses better by washing with cold water. Intolerable bearing down pain. Tickling and itching in genitals; with strong desire for embrace. Nipples itch, burn, look angry (during pregnancy). It takes a woman all her time to recuperate from one menstrual period to the next.

Respiratory

      Cough, constant, dry, hacking interrupts breathing, with sneezing; worse after waking in the morning; from elongated uvula; from condiments or eating irritating things, talking or singing. Sudden loss of voice; on taking cold. Chest feels constricted, worse sitting bent or stooping. Soreness of chest; on talking; on lifting.

Heart

      Palpitation and shocks at heart. Wakes at 4 to 5 a.m. with anxiety at heart, better after rising.

Neck and Back

      Pain in the back, as if hot irons were thrust through lower spine. Violent stitches in back. Back feels bandaged by a cord.

Extremities

      Pain in the arms and fingers, as if hot iron penetrated. Arms; feel heavy, as if paralyzed; short; go to sleep. Lower limbs heavy. Staggering on walking. Legs feel numb, especially when sitting cross legged. Heels feel numb, when stepping. Festination. Locomotor ataxia. Nails brittle or thick. Gnawing under nails. Inability to walk except when eyes are open or in daytime. Totters if eyes were closed. Soles; painful, on stepping on them, as if they were too soft and on walking; cramps when crossing legs. Bones feel squeezed.

Sleep

      Anxious, restless, with confused dreams; about thieves, ghosts, of boats foundering.

Fever

      Chilliness better open air. Heat with itching.

Skin

      Intolerable itching, when getting warm in bed. Dry, rough, cracked skin. Itching, burning, over seat of pain. Must scratch, until it bleeds. Eczema. The slightest injuries of the skin smart and become inflamed. Skin symptoms, worse winter, full and new moon.

Related

      Bry; Plb.

Complementary

      Bryonia

S.R. Phatak
A pioneer of Homoeopathy in Maharashtra, Dr Shankar Raghunath Phatak was born on 6th September, 1896. He did his MBBS from Grant Medical College, in 1924. Started his practice but somehow not satisfied with Allopathic Treatment.

He was convinced about Homoeopathy while going through Sir William Osler's writings on 'History of Medicine' so switched over to an entirely Homoeopathic Practice in 1932. He also started working on Homoeopathic literature along with his Practice.

He has contributed immensely to homoeopathic literature. He was an ardent follower of Dr Boger. His Repertory is based on Boger's ''A Synoptic key to Materia Medica'.