Niccolum metallicum. Metallic Nickel.Ni. (***A.W.58.6). Trituration. Niccolum carbonicum. Carbonate of Nickel. NiCO3. Trituration.
Clinical
Asthenopia. Clavus. Cough. Dysmenia. Face, chapped. Headache, nervous, periodic. Hiccough. Migraine. Nasal catarrh. Neck, cracking in. Ophthalmia. Speech, impeded. Throat, sore. Tongue, stiff. Toothache. Vision, impaired. Whooping-cough.
Characteristics
Nickel is found associated with Cobalt. It is said to have received its name (Nickel, the devil) from the miners, who considered it “false ore” as they were mining for copper. The word Cobalt (Kobold) has possible a similar derivation. Nickel forms the chief ingredient in the alloy known as “German silver.” It was proved by Nenning, and the pathogenesis contains some striking symptoms, many of which have been confirmed. Sir James Y. Simpson used the Sulphate of Nickel (NiSO4) in “periodic headaches of a very severe character,” and the provings show that the metal and the carbonate are equally appropriate in this connection. H. Moser (*Am. H., xxiii. 61) has cured cases when the pain is: worse 10 to 11 a.m., and may be so intense as to cause the patient to cry out, appears first left side, may jump to right, disappears in evening. It has also cured dysmenia, hoarseness, and cough, and cracking in cervical vertebra on moving the head. Hering says it is *suited to: “Literary men and others who suffer from periodical nervous headaches, weak, asthenopic, weak digestion, constipation, worse morning on awaking.” It has some characteristic coughs: “Must sit up and hold head with both hands with the cough.” The child must be held up when coughing or it will go into convulsions. Mahony (*Medorrhinum *Adv. xxvi. 112) cured with *Nicc. 200 a middle-aged lady who had “loose hacking cough day and evening, and at 9 a.m., *has to put arms on thighs when coughing.” *Peculiar sensations are: As if sweat would break out. As if brain were cut to pieces. As if she had not slept enough. As if a nail was sticking in head. As if neck sprained. Abdominal pains go from left to right. ***W. A. Clausen (*Medorrhinum *Ad., xxiv. 369) has supplied a keynote fro the sore throat of *Nicc.: Right side, *with exquisite tenderness, soreness to touch externally on affected side. The symptoms are generally worse from motion. Talking and yawning worse sore throat. Coughing better roughness of throat. Heaviness of hands and feet are better by motion. Worse after midnight and on pressure. Better In open air. Cold better pain in face. Washing better burning of eyes. Cold water causes redness of eyes. Most symptoms are better after eating. Must sit up and hold the head with both hands when coughing: or has to put arms on thighs when coughing.
Relations
*Compare: Cobalt, Platina In “objects appear large,” Hy., Natrum mur., Pho. (objects appear small, Hy., Plat, Stramonium). Objects appear blue, Lycopodium, Stramonium, Zn. Diplopia, rainbow colours round light, Pho., Gelsemium Coryza, Nux-v., Sul. Red face, Ferrum Chapped face Na. c. Toothache with tearing in ear Mang. Periodical headache. Gelsemium Silicea, Sul. Emptiness in stomach, Carb. an., Ignatia, Sepia (Nicc. has it *without desire for food). Cracking in neck and stiff jaw, Petrol. Headache, menses, chilliness, Pulsatilla Feels refreshed in morning without having slept, Fl-ac., Cob. Annual hoarseness, Arsenicum Literary men, Nux. Sore throat, Lycopodium
SYMPTOMS.
Mind
Low-spirited, fears something evil will happen. Vexed and very angry from least contradiction. Anxious moroseness and inquietude. Trembling and fright with desire for solitude. Dislike to conversation. Anxiety on moving as if sweat would break out.
Head
Dulness, does not comprehend the conversation, and is unable to relate properly in conversation. Vertigo: in the morning, when rising after stooping, in evening, when awaking, with nausea and desire to vomit. Vertigo, with dizziness and staggering, as from weakness, worse on getting in up in the morning. Heaviness and painful fulness in head, principally in forehead (compelling to rub forehead with hand), with vertigo, in morning, as if she had not slept sufficiently. Heat and heaviness in forehead (afternoon). Headache all day, in forenoon with vomiting of bile. Heat in head, compelling him to seek open air, with thirst (afternoon). Headache, in a room, and after a walk in open air. Pressure on vertex as from a hand. As if a nail sticking in vertex. Pain in both sides of head, as if it were breaking. Stitches in head (when stooping). Tearing and shootings in head (and left eye in paroxysms). Periodical (every fortnight) headache.
Eyes
Heat and redness of eyes, with pressing in them. The eyes are swollen and cannot be opened in morning. Agglutination of eyes in morning. Eyelids are red and swollen, with lachrymation and swelling of meibomian glands. Cold water causes redness of eyes with tension. Dryness and heat of eyes (in evening). Frequent burning and pressing in eyes (in evening. Violent twitching in eye, with lachrymation and difficulty of vision. Painful jerking in balls of eyes, with a sensation as if they were about to be violently convulsed. Vision very much impaired, especially in evening. Distant objects appear too large, the light appears double, is surrounded by the colours of the rainbow. Objects look blue (before right eyes). Cloud before eyes (morning). Stitches in edges of eyelids like electric sparks, worse on touching them.
Ears
Stinging in ears. Shootings in ears. Sudden deafness, with roaring and humming in ears, evening.
Nose
Dryness of nose. Frequent sneezing. Obstruction of nose, nose stopped up (right side) at night. Coryza, fluent during day, and dry during night. Stinging, tearing, and soreness at root of nose. Redness and swelling at tip of nose, with burning and tearing in nostrils. Eruption on nose.
Face
Right side of face red and hot. Redness of face with burning and itching like erysipelas. Sensation of heaviness in face, as if swollen. Swelling of right side of face, with sore throat. The pain in the swollen face wakes him at night, is better by cold. Painful sensitiveness and cramp in maxillary joint, which hinders mouth from being easily opened. Skin of face chapped. Itching tetters on cheeks. Eruption on lips. Twitching of upper lip at intervals.
Mouth
Abundant accumulation of sweetish saliva in mouth. Breath is offensive, of which he himself is not aware. Bitter taste in mouth in morning. Stiffness of the tongue, it is difficult to talk.
Teeth
Swelling of gums. Gnawing odontalgia, in evening. Toothache, with tearing in ears, toothache, with tearing in right ear. All teeth feel loose and elongated. When molar teeth (decayed) are sucked a sour, fetid water is drawn from them.
Throat
Pain in the (sore) throat, worse when speaking or yawning, in evening. Whole throat feels sore as if ulcerated on swallowing, worse in morning, right side of neck very sensitive, painful to pressure. Inflammation in throat, with swelling of tonsils on right side, as well as of face and neck, which are painful when touched. Spasmodic contractions, and sensation of strangulation in throat. Accumulation of thick mucus in throat, with stinging pain. Stitches in throat (uvula) on swallowing.
Appetite
Farinaceous taste in mouth on rising in morning. Aversion to meat. Risings, with taste of roasted meat. Want of appetite. Thirst in evening. Violent thirst day and night.
Stomach
Violent hiccough, esp., in evening. Hiccough (at night). Sensation of emptiness in stomach, without hunger. Sensation of great fullness in stomach after eating. Bitter and sour eructations. Nausea (morning). Pressure in stomach, better by eructations. Painful sensation of constriction of stomach. Cuttings (violent pain, like stabs with a knife) in epigastrium and hypochondria. Stitches in stomach extending to back. Burning in stomach.
Abdomen
Violent stitches, as with knives, in hypochondria. Cuttings with diarrhoea. Pinching around navel. Painless rumbling in abdomen. Tension of abdomen, and discharge of flatulence (during the menses).
Stool & Anus
Constipation: ineffectual urging to go to stool, stool very hard (tenacious)and only discharged with great effort, has to press hard to discharge the stool. Diarrhoea: with yellow mucus, expulsion with great force and much flatulence, diarrhoea after drinking milk, and tenesmus, preceded by cuttings or burning in anus. During stool, burning and stitches in rectum and anus. After stool, itching, burning and stitches at anus.
Urinary Organs
Increased secretion of urine, also at night. Burning urine. Burning at orifice of urethra during micturition. After micturition, discharge of thin leucorrhoea.
Male Sexual Organs
Erections (after dinner). Itching on a small spot of scrotum, scratching does not better it.
Female Sexual Organs
Catamenia, premature, scanty, and of too short duration. During menses, bloated abdomen, colic, pain in small of back, great debility, burning of eyes. Leucorrhoea, watery, esp., after micturition.
