Membrane of the Shell of a Hen’s Egg. The fresh membrane is triturated in 95 alcohol, allowed to digest several days, and then potentised (Swan).
Clinical
Amenorrhoea. Catarrh. Coryza. Heart, oppression of. Hip, left, pain in. Leucorrhoea. Menstruation, irregular. Ovaries, pains in. Post-nasal catarrh. Pruritus vulvae. Throat, sore. Uterus, misplacements of, prolapse of, retroverted (?) Vertebra, pain in. Vulva, soreness of.
Characteristics
This preparation was made by Swan, and proved by a young lady, a patient of ***J. C. Boardman. Swan’s paper was read before the Denver Homoeopathic Club, and published in a number of *Medorrhinum *Visitor, the date of which I have lost, with additions from *H.P., xiii. 323. Under *Calcarea *ov. *test. I have given an account of the action of Egg-shells in leucorrhoea, and Swan adds that it has an ancient reputation for “immoderate flux of the courses” (like our *Calcarea *c.), and for nocturnal enuresis. The Egg-shells were anciently used powdered fresh or roasted, and as such were and are much used in the treatment of oxyuris vermicularis. Swan prepared the membrane. As an ovarian product it might be expected that all parts of the egg should have an action on ovaries. It is recognised that as an article of diet in some forms eggs have a stimulating effect on the sexual functions. The provings of *Ovi. *g. *p. bear out this Relation. The first prover was a young lady who was known to be unable to bear any extra exertion, but the details of this were not known until after she had taken the first dose of the c.m. sent by Swan. This had the effect of removing suddenly the whole of the trouble which prevented her from exerting herself-a left ovarian pain extending down the left limb, brought on some years before, when she felt something “give way” in the groin while shovelling snow. The sensitiveness to exertion never returned, though the dose created much disturbance of the generative functions before it had finished its action. The symptoms of the second prover, a married woman who took the 30th, confirmed the symptoms, both cured and pathogenetic, experienced by the first. This prover had also haemorrhage from the rectum, incontinence of urine while sneezing or coughing, post-nasal catarrh. Yingling contributed this case to *Hahn. *Adv. (quoted *Amer. *Hom., xxii. 412): ***H. E., 42, blonde, had these symptoms: A dull, hard, heavy aching in region of heart, generally about apex, extending at times to left ovarian region. Occasionally a cutting which extends to base of heart and prevents breathing, after the cutting a sensation as if something went “thud,” after which pain seems to recommence at apex. At times heavy aching in base of heart, which makes breathing very difficult. Only bending backward better respiration. *Ovi. *g. *p. (a preparation of Fincke’s) one dose, dry on the tongue. In a very few minutes the pain was all gone. “Feels splendidly since taking the remedy.” Without knowing what it was, said she had “a taste of fresh eggs in the mouth since taking the powder.” Among the noteworthy features of the provings are: *Suddenness of onset and ceasing, both provers manifested these. Jerkings on going to sleep and in sleep, heat in sacrum, the rest of the body being cool. The bearing-down sensations in the uterus were very marked. Pushing and rushing feeling in womb, as if blood might rush out in torrents (which sometimes happened and sometimes did not). Sensation as if something turned over inside. The symptoms were worse by movement, reaching, lifting arms, over-exerting. worse At menses: before, during, and after, though some symptoms were better when flow appeared. better Bending backward (dyspnoea in cured case). better Jarring or beating breast (dyspnoea). worse Pressure and touch (abdomen, breasts, ovaries), intolerance of pressure of clothing. worse Descending stairs. worse At full moon.
Relation
*Compare: Calc-ov. test. (leucorrhoea, etc.). In pains in heart and left ovary, Naja. Clinkers in catarrh, Kali-bi. Sensitiveness to touch and pressure, Lact., Lycopodium Suddenness of pains, etc., Belladonna, Lycopodium Symptoms better by flow, Lachesis
Causation
Over-exertion. Strain.
SYMPTOMS.
Mind
(Deep melancholy, in connection with ovarian pain.) _ Depression before menses. Hopeless, tearful mood. Profound melancholy, without knowing cause, passing off like a cloud.
Head
Whirling sensation in head and sense of depression. Dizziness, fear of falling, and catching her breath on descending stairs, or walking on anything narrow when raised above the ground. Fullness of head with great pressure outward in mastoid region, with headache in occiput (cured). Occipital headache. Aching pain, afternoon, from back of left ear, extending down towards shoulders half-way from neck.
Eyes
Sharp darting pains in left eye though to occiput, very violent, compelling him to press eye to prevent its leaving its socket, which it seemed as if it would do (Ballard). Sensation of a shade over eyes. Sunken eyes, haggard look.
Nose
From a slight change of underclothing, severe cold and coryza, with much mucous discharge from nose, came suddenly, lasted three days, ceased as suddenly, much mucus discharged from nose (quite different from usual colds). Sensation of severe cold, sneezing catarrh, cracked lips.
Face
Looks haggard, eyes sunken, skin discoloured, dark. Eruption of small pustules on forehead and chin. Slight soreness and stiffness of jaw (passed off in a few hours).
Mouth
Exceedingly and peculiarly offensive breath during menses (a lady near said it was indescribable, seemed to enter her mouth and pass directly to her womb). Taste of fresh eggs in the mouth. Exceedingly acid saliva (cm).
Throat
Sore throat left side as if it had been scalded, lasted several days, only at night, catarrh with hard clinkers hawked back, which would invariably shoot down the throat. Sore throat with sensation of a lump on left side low down causing cough, throat looked inflamed, tonsils swollen. Sensation of dryness causing cough, tonsils inflamed on one side (*Kalm. better).
Stomach
Nervous dyspepsia, low spirits, very weak, sleeplessness occurring every week. Sensation of lump between lower end of sternum and back as if a hard potato had been swallowed, with this severe sacral pain (relieved with cm). Burning and heaviness in pit of stomach (cured). Vomited three gall-stones.
Abdomen
Suddenly a pain in epigastrium passing down in middle line, then pain in left ovary to left limbs. Distended almost to bursting, before menses, with bearing-down pain. Heavy pressing down in lower abdomen. Between periods, left side of abdomen very sore, with sharp pains occasionally darting through it, and bearing down in womb as if weight hanging to it. Pain in hypogastrium, worse on side lain on, and in sacrum when lying on back.
Stool and Anus
Constipation, stools irregular, from five to eight days. Stool mixed with a sand-like substance that fell heavily to bottom of vessel and was voided with much pain. Diarrhoea with cutting colic pains (was icy cold), in a collapsed state. Increased peristalsis. Diarrhoea mixed with corrugated skins. Griping cramps and diarrhoea coming suddenly, at night. While riding in cars, sudden (bright) haemorrhage from rectum, severe pain across sacrum. During menses, followed by burning at anus, haemorrhage from bowels.
Urinary Organs
Every time she sneezes or coughs the urine spurts out (after cessation of menses). Urine scalds vulva, especially right side. which itches intensely. Urine dark yellow-red.
Female Sexual Organs
(At age of sixteen, while shovelling snow, felt something give way in left groin, causing great pain, extending down thigh to knee, feet, and toes, compelling her to keep in bed, afterwards always set up afresh by any slight extra exertion, using arms, reaching up, lifting, also and especially while menstruating when the ovarian pain was worse, and severe bearing-down pains were added, entirely better by keeping quiet and idle. Took *Ovi p. *g. cm (Swan) while in the middle of an attack from over- exertion. In about an hour the pains *left suddenly, she got up and dressed, and was never affected by exercise again.) _ During menses excessively and peculiarly offensive breath. Night before menses, awaked 1 a.m. with pushing sensation downward in lower abdomen as though the blood might rush out in torrents, suffering intense, but no blood appeared or any fluid, till following night, when menses came on, during the sensation abdomen was distended as if it would burst. Four days later, while playing banjo, seized with whirling sensation in head, sense of depression, weakness, giving-way feeling in lower limbs and knees, followed by a pushing down (no pain), rushing feeling in womb followed immediately by a profuse flow of blood, rushing out, lasting an hour and then ceasing, during flow other symptoms completely better. At 8.30 a.m. seized with a pin in epigastric region passing down middle line, then pain in left ovarian region, then left hip, then back of left thigh to hollow of knee, with weakness of left side, and especially left limb, then another discharge of blood, coming on alternate days. Heavy pressing down in lower abdomen. Sensation as if menses coming on (but they did not). After menses, leucorrhoea, thick, white, cream-like, preceded by sharp pain in womb as during menses, leucorrhoea lasted as long as menses, occurring every morning and not on alternate days as menses did. While stooping had a pain in left lower abdomen, and a sensation as if something within her turned or rolled over, ever since has felt exceedingly well, more joyous and happy and more free from attacks of depression, no pain, no blood, no leucorrhoea. Pains and aches in uterine region and left ovary as if menses coming on (eighteen days before due). Itching of right labia extending outwards to edge. During menses very sleepy. After menses: slight pain in front of left thigh, sore spot on pressure in left ovary, breasts sore, sensitive to pressure. Menses flowed all night, colourless, profuse, penetrating clothing, in morning began to be red, profuse, painless. Before menses for twenty-four hours, depression, dull, digging pain in lower abdomen. Between periods bearing down as if weight hanging to womb. After menses cannot bear pressure of clothes, has to suspend them from shoulder (passed off suddenly).
