Neuralgias and paralyses are among the *Calcarea effects. A remarkable case (of Dr. Mayntzer’s) improved by *Silicea and cured by Calcarea is quoted in *Hom. League Tract, vol. ii. p. 108. A girl of nineteen had for some months neuralgic pains in both arms, coming on every evening, lasting all night, and being replaced during the day with sensation of lameness and weakness. Pressure and movements aggravated. Hands trembling, numb, fingers often remained opened out stiff and could not be bent. The *Silica symptoms are: “Tearing pains in upper arm. Pain as of dislocation at wrist. Cramp pain and lameness of hand on slight exertion. Gone-to-sleep feeling of hands at night. Numbness and formication of hands. Restlessness and trembling in right arm.” The symptoms of *Calcarea are: “Bruised pain of arms on moving or grasping. Pain as if sprained in wrist, with shooting and tearing in it when moved. Tearing in whole arm, shooting, tearing pain in upper arm and elbow. Nocturnal tearing and drawing in arms. Spasmodic tearing pain on outer side of forearm from elbow to wrist. Cramp in whole of one or other arm. Cramp in hands at night until she rises in morning. Cramp-like contraction of fingers. Pain and weakness of hands, trembling of hands in morning. Weakness and a kind of lameness of arm. Fingers feel furry.” Both remedies were given, and great improvement occurred under *Silicea, but as the pain was not gone the patient took *Calcarea (which was only to be taken in case of need) on the fifth day. On the sixth day the pain was gone “as if blown away,” as the patient expressed it_and no wonder! It would be difficult to find a closer simillimum The general condition of the patient underwent a complete change for the better at the same time. Both remedies were given in globules of 6th. Dr. Van den Neucker (*H. Recorder, 1886, p. 139) once cured a baker of paralysis of both arms with Calcarea, and also a case of paralysis with many symptoms of locomotor ataxy in a lymphatic blonde girl of nineteen.
According to Guernsey *Calcarea is in general a right-side remedy. It affects specially right external head, right eye, right face, right abdominal ring, sexual organs right side, right back, right upper extremities. *Left side neck and nape of neck, left chest, left *lower extremities. Complaints prevailing in inner parts. Among the *sensations of *Calcarea are: Pain as if the parts would burst, were pressed asunder, were pushed asunder, as if cold, damp stockings were on the feet. Creeping on the limbs like a mouse. Pain as if sprained in outer parts. Sensation of dust in inner parts as the eye, bronchial tubes. Pricking, darting, jerking, trembling, itching better by scratching. It is often indicated in epilepsy, disposition to strain a part by lifting heavy things, pricking corns, polypus, cysts, occurring in leucophlegmatic constitutions. Where a cold wind strikes the body and it immediately runs to the teeth, causing them to ache. Ranula. Flatulence or gurgling in right hypochondrium. Cramp in legs at 3 a m. Hands chap from hard water.
Alexander Villers cured with *Calcarea c. 200 in rare doses a case combining many of the features of the remedy. The patient, a lady, aged 20, very despondent through long-continued depressing circumstances, became very nervous. She was companion to an exceedingly deaf lady, whose voice was high-pitched. This, with the strain on her voice to make herself heard, caused headache through temples better by rapid motion of head. Outdoor exercise was accompanied by hard pressure on chest, which only eructations seemed to relieve. Bowels constipated. Menses every fortnight, with backache and great prostration. Under the remedy, repeated at rare intervals, the menses came on monthly, headache and pressure on chest disappeared.
Among the Conditions of *Calcarea, dread of the open air ranks most prominently, the least cold air goes right through. Great sensitiveness to cold, damp air. Also cannot bear sun. The slightest change worse. Dread of bathing and water. There is inclination to stretch and put the shoulders back, but straightening worse rheumatism. *Calcarea is hydrogenoid and sycotic_sensitive to cold and damp and early morning aggravation. Warts and polypi also point to the same constitutional state. The *Calcarea patient generally feels better when constipated. The diarrhoea of *Calcarea is generally worse in afternoon. There is painless hoarseness worse in morning. “The *Calcarea pains are most generally felt while lying in bed, or while sitting, they are felt in the parts upon which the body has been lying for a time” (Teste). There is worse after midnight and in early morning, on awaking. Chill at 2 p-m. In the evening, 6 to 7, there is fever without chill, worse from working in water or bathing, worse at full moon, at new moon and at solstice. Worse After eating (smoked meats, milk), when fasting. Worse By mental exertion (writing). worse From pressure of clothes. Worse From lifting, from stooping. Worse Walking in open air, cold air, wet weather, to which he is very sensitive. Worse From letting limbs hang down. In spite of the sensitiveness to cold, cannot bear sun. Worse From light in general, from looking fixedly at any object, from looking upward, from turning the head. Some symptoms are better inspiring fresh air, and during heat, uncovers. better After breakfast, on rising, from drawing up limbs, from loosening garments. better In the dark, when lying on the back, after lying down, from rubbing, from scratching, in dry weather, wiping or soothing with the hands, from being touched. Great weakness on ascending, on walking, talking (chests feels weak), or excitement.
Relations.
*Antidoted by: Camph., Ip., nitricum acidum, Nit-s-d., Nux-v., Sulphur *Antidote to: Bism., China, Chin-s., Digitalis, Mez. (headache), Nit- ac., Phosphorus *Follows well: Chamomilla, China, Conium, Cuprum, nitricum acidum, Nux-v., Pulsatilla, Sulphur (especially if the pupils dilate). *Followed well by: Lycopodium, Nux-v., Phosphorus, Platina, Silicea Hahnemann says that Calcarea must not be given before nitricum acidum, or Sulph. *Complementary: Belladonna *Incompatible: Bryonia *Compare: Alumina and Am- m., (tightness of chest), Arnica (strains, etc.), Arsenicum (swollen mesenteric glands). Calc-o-t., Calc-ar., Calc-p., and other Calcareas. In ardor. urine (Sepia, burning and cutting, Cantharis, cutting), losses of fluids (China, Sulphur), left tonsil (Baryta carb., Sulphur, Lachesis), nausea when fasting (Pulsatilla, Lycopodium, Silicea), leucorrhoea, acrid or bland (Graphites, Sulphur, Alumina), glandular enlargement, alcohol, effects of (Arsenicum, China, Nux-v., Lachesis), acid stomach (China, Lycopodium, Sulphur, Pulsatilla, Rob.), menses too copious and too early (Belladonna), one side of tongue (Laur., Silicea, Thu.), waking at 3 a m. (Bellis, Nux-v., Kali-c., Arsenicum, Sepia), swelling and painfulness of breasts before menses (Conium) Conium is an anti-fat, like Calcarea, precedes and follows it well, suits well Calcarea subjects who have scanty menses, Belladonna corresponds otherwise), dread of losing senses (Lycopodium, Nux-v., Sulphur), levitation, as if raised from the ground (Silicea, Cannabis indica, Stict, Gelsemium, Asarum europaeum, Thu., Ph-ac. has feeling as if legs were raised above the level of head), Prosopalgia better by warm fomentations (Pulsatilla), sinking immediately after meals (Arsenicum, Cina., Lycopodium, Staphysagria, Uran-n.), cough when eating or in open air (*after eating, Nux-v., Ip., worse change of temperature, Lachesis, worse current of cold air, Silicea, Nat-c.), ravenous hunger (Arsenicum, Calcarea, Cina., Iodium, Silicea, Staph), hot breath (Sulphur, Rhus), aversion to darkness (Am-m., Carb-an., Stroph., Valer., Stramonium), better uncovering (Aconite, Camph., Ferrum, Iodium, Lycopodium, Pulsatilla, Secale, Sulphur, Veratrum), vertigo on turning head or looking up (Pulsatilla, looking up, Sulphur, looking down), vomits milk (Aethusa, Ant-c.), tightness of chest (Alumina, Am-m.), child chews and swallows in sleep (Amyl-n., Bryonia, Ignatia), convulsions, scarlatina, headache (Belladonna), weak from talking (Cocc., Stann., Sulphur, Veratrum), epilepsy (Cuprum), naevus (Fl-ac.), diarrhoea, cholera infantum (Ip.), constipation, intertrigo, gout, ophthalmia, gonitis, epilepsy, typhus (Lycopodium), intertrigo, etc. (Chamomilla), canker sores, quinsy, heart, stool, sweat, especially on chest with old people (Mercurius compare the *Hydrang. cum creta of the old school), burning on vertex (Phosphorus, Sulphur), rheumatism from damp, ophthalmia, inflamed glands from strains (Rhus_Rhus is a very close analogue of Calcarea, Belladonna, Dulcamara, Nux-v., Pulsatilla, and Rhus may be regarded as the acute satellites of Calcarea), desire to be mesmerized (Phosphorus, Silicea), naevus, mesenteric glands (Silicea), epilepsy, aura of mouse running up arm (Sulphur Should be given first, and if it does not cure, then Calcarea), polypus (Teucrium), scarlatina (Zinc)., sunstroke and sun headaches (Aconite, Gloninum, Lachesis, Lycopodium, Sulphur, Nat-c., Natrum mur. headache better by heat of sun, Stroph.). Teste puts Calcarea in the Pulsatilla group of remedies. He says there is a “sort of negative relation between the symptoms of Mercurius sol., or rather between those of nitricum acidum and the symptoms of Calcarea This contrast has struck me several times, and it is the most remarkable for this reason, that Nit- ac. is one of the best antidotes to Calcarea”.
