Generalities
The seeds of Ignatia contain a larger proportion of strychnine than those of Nux vomica, yet there is a great difference between the characteristic features of the two drugs. Though it affects the MIND; EMOTIONAL element is profoundly influenced and co-ordination of function is interfered with; causing ERRATIC; contradictory; paradoxical mental and physical EFFECTS; which change rapidly, and are opposite to each other. NERVOUS SYSTEM is affected causing SPASMODIC EFFECTS; often violent with rigidity, twitching and tremors. It is adapted to the persons of nervous temperament esp. women of sensitive, easily excited nature, mild disposition, quick to perceive and rapid in execution. SENSE OF LUMP, foreign body or sharp pressure. Jerks run through the whole body. Tendency to start. Globus. Clavus. Hysteria. Chorea; after fright, from grief worse after eating, better lying on back. Convulsions of children; during dentition; after punishment; after fear or fright; return at the same hour daily. Spasms, with cries or involuntary laughter. Tonic spasms of single parts, with frothing at the mouth. Spasms alternating with oppressed breathing. Pain in spot worse close attention. Oversensitive to pain. Pains change their locality, come gradually, abate suddenly, or come and go suddenly. Symptoms pass after profuse urination. Plague; preventive and curative. Nervous shuddering, with pain. Paralysis; after great mental emotions and night watching, in sick chamber. Suitable to persons who had been starving either from want or other causes. Ill effects of grief, fright, worry, disappointed love; jealousy; old spinal injuries. Catalepsy with opisthotonos. (Natrum mur. should follow in chronic conditions).
Worse
EMOTIONS. GRIEF. Chagrin. WORRY. Fright; shock, after losing persons or objects that were very dear. Air; open, cold. Odours. Touch. Coffee. Tobacco. Yawning. Stooping, walking; standing. At the same hour and day.
Better
Change of position. Lying on affected part. Urination. If alone. Pressure. Deep breathing. Swallowing. Eating. Near a warm stove. Sour things.
Mind
ALERT; OVERSENSITIVE AND NERVOUS. Highly emotional Moody. Brooding GRIEF. Silent and sad. SIGHS, weeps or laughs by turns, laughs when she ought to be serious. Changeable moods. Unhappy love. Inward weeping; enjoys being sad. Angry with himself. Desire to be alone. Everything irks her. Intolerant of contradiction; of reprimands. Anguish; shrieks for help. Capricious. Delicately conscientious. Fear; of thieves; of trifles, of things coming near him. Introspective. Faints easily, girls who faint every time they go to church; or who fall in love with married men. Sensation as if she had been fasting for a long time. Hurried during menses; no one can do things fast enough for her. Looks about the bed as if to find something. Delights to bring on her fits and produce a scare or a scene. Thinks she has neglected her duty. Sighing and sobbing. Not communicative. Fear of robbers at night.
Head
Ache as if a nail were driven out through the sides; end in yawning and vomiting; alternate with backache. Headache worse or better by stooping. Throws head backwards; from weight at occiput; or during spasms. Vertigo, with sparks before the eyes. Loud talking worse headache. Headache; from abuse of snuff, tobacco smoke, coffee, from close attention.
Eyes
Asthenopia; with spasms of the lids, and neuralgic pains around the eyes. Flashes of light, from violent coughing. Eyelids seem dry. Flickering, zigzags before the eyes.
Ears
Roaring better by music. One ear red and hot. Deafness, except for human voice.
Nose
Sensitive to inspired air. Pain over the root of the nose. Sneezing attacks. Cold, with hot knees.
Face
Twitching of the muscles of face and lips. Redness and heat of one cheek; red and pale alternately. Masseters stiff and hard. Emotional trismus. Changes colour often when at rest. Facial muscles distort on attempting to speak.
Mouth
Spasmodic closing of the jaws; bites inside cheek or tongue when talking or chewing. Corners twitch. Taste sour. Toothache worse after drinking coffee and smoking. Sudden attacks of salivation.
Throat
Inflamed, hard swollen tonsils, with small ulcers on them. Follicular tonsillitis. Feeling as of a lump, when not swallowing or that cannot be swallowed; better eating solids. Tendency to choke_globus hystericus. Stitches extend to ear; between acts of swallowing. Submaxillary glands painful when moving the neck. Cramps in gullet. Goitre.
Stomach
Hunger, with nausea. Craves raw or indigestible things; sour things, bread esp. rye bread. Appetite for various things, but when offered appetite fails. Aversion to warm food, meat, alcohol, tobacco. Empty sinking or spasmodic ache in stomach not better by eating; better by taking a deep breath. Hiccough; with eructations empty or bitter; after eating, drinking, smoking. Nausea or vomiting better indigestible things.
Abdomen
Colicky griping pain in one or both sides of the abdomen. Stools_painful, difficult although soft. Constrictive sore pain in the rectum, like from blind haemorrhoids, remains one or two hours after stools. Obstipation of neurasthenics. Pain shoots up in rectum. Piles better sitting; worse coughing. Prolapsus of rectum; from moderate straining at stools. Pressure as of a sharp instrument from within outwards. Painless contractions of anus. Haemorrhage and pain worse when stool is loose. Constipation; from taking cold; from riding in a carriage; urging to stool with erection.
Urinary
Frequent, profuse, watery urine. Urging to urinate, with inability to pass urine.
Male
Erection during stool. Sweat on scrotum. Penis; contracted, becomes small.
Female
Menses; irregular; black, too early, too profuse, or scanty; Suppressed from grief. Chronic leucorrhoea, with sexual desire. Sexual frigidity.
Respiratory
TAKES DEEP BREATH; for relief. Choking, spasms of glottis. Dry, hacking, spasmodic cough in quick successive shocks; shutting of the breath; cough, as from dust or sulphur fumes. Coughing increases the desire to cough. Cough, everytime he stands still during a walk. Constriction of the chest, feels as if too small. Whispering voice, cannot speak loudly. Sleepy after coughing. Stitches in nipples on deep inspiration.
Heart
Palpitation, during menses. Anxious feeling in the region.
Neck and Back
Stiffness of the nape of the neck. Convulsive bending backwards of the back.
Extremities
Jerking in limbs. Warm sweat on the palms. Cramps in calves. Heavy feet. Dislocative pain in joints. Knees are involuntarily drawn upwards, when walking. Trembling of hands when writing in anyone’s presence. Burning in heels on placing them near one another, when they come in contact they are cold to touch; worse at night. Sciatica worse in winter; better in summer. Corns painful as if sore. Knees hot with cold nose. As if flesh was loose on bones from a blow.
Sleep
Violent spasmodic yawning, with running from eyes. Sleep light; every sound wakes. Jerking of limbs on going to sleep. Somnambulism from wounded honour. Dreams; same horrid dreams over and over again. Child awakes from sleep with piercing cries and trembles all over. Hiccough, chewing motions of mouth in sleep (children).
Fever
Chill with red face. Shaking chill with thirst. Sweat worse on eating; often on a small spot on the face. Heat, with aversion to uncover but no thirst. Chill, during pains. Feeling as if sweat would break out, but does not.
Skin
Painful better pressure. Nettle rash over the whole body with violent itching (during fever).
Related
Cimic; Nux-v; Sepia
Complementary
Aur; Nat-m; Ph-ac; Sepia
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'.