Tellurium. An element, (generally considered non-metallic). Tell. (A. W. 125). Trituration of the precipitated element.
Clinical
Axilla, offensive sweat of, tumour of. Barber’s itch. Cataract. Conjunctivitis. Coryza. Eczema. Entropion. Eyes, inflammation of. Foot-sweat, fetid. Gleet. Herpes. Hoarseness. Levitation. *Pityriasis versicolor. Post-nasal catarrh. *Ringworm. *Sacrum, pain in. Sciatica. *Spinal irritation. Worms. Yawning.
Characteristics
*Tellurium occurs in the native state and in combination with gold, silver, lead, and antimony. It resembles *Sulphur and *Selenium in its chemical reactions. It was proved and introduced into homoeopathy by Hering in 1850. The most notable feature of the proving was the irritation of the skin, including skin of eyelids and ears, of spinal column and of some nerves. The most characteristic form of the skin irritation of *Tell. is herpes circinatus, and it has probably cured more cases of ringworm, especially of the face and body, than any other remedy. (I cured with *Tell. an Indian officer home on furlough whose body was covered over with a ringworm-like eruption.) The odour of the body and of the sweat is offensive and garlic-like. The prover had to sit apart from the rest of the class during a whole session on account of this. In parts where the skin forms openings, as the ear, the effect of *Tell. is intensified. The characteristic odour of the ear discharge is that of fish brine. The discharge is so acrid it vesicates any part of the skin it touches. *Tell. is one of the most important remedies in otorrhoea. Nash cured several cases of post-scarlatinal otorrhoea, using the 6th, higher attenuations having failed. Eyelids are inflamed, and the vesicating property extends to the eye itself, setting up phlyctenular conjunctivitis. Other parts of the skin affected by *Tell. are the hair-roots, the breasts, the perineum, and the anus. There is itching in the rectum after stool. *Tell. has caused expulsion of threadworms. The offensiveness of *Tell. appears in the breath and in the flatus, and it is a leading remedy in offensive foot-sweat. In addition to the inflammation of the eyes caused by *Tell. it has pains over the eyes. Skin and nerves are closely allied, and *Tell. is a remedy in many neuralgic conditions, notably sciatica. The right side is most affected, and these are characteristic Conditions: the pain is worse coughing, sneezing, or straining at stool, worse lying on painful side.Many of the pains and symptoms of *Tell. come and go suddenly. The ears are suddenly stopped. There are sudden rushes of blood to the head. *Tell. has great sensitiveness to touch. This is shown in the neuralgic hyperaesthetic state of the spine. It has also a vulnerary action as shown in a case of Kent’s (quoted *A. H., xxiii. 439). A boy, 4, slid down banisters and struck his head on a tiled floor. He became unconscious and a surgeon was summoned, who found him in that state and with a clear, watery discharge from the ear, which the surgeon pronounced to be cerebrospinal fluid. This condition lasted three days, and the case had been pronounced hopeless when Kent first saw the boy. Kent noticed that the discharge was acrid, and reddened whatever part it came in contact with. One dose of *Tell. was given. In two hours the child vomited, a sign of reaction, and in two weeks was well. Shelton (*H. R., vii. 103) relates three cases: (1) Widow, 50, had pain and soreness upper part of back for a long time. She shrank from the slightest touch on the part. The sensitiveness was so acute that *when touched the pain extended into the occiput and all over the upper region of the back. Tell. 6 cured in eighteen days. (2) Miss X., 45, had a fall, striking a severe blow on the sacrum. She suffered for some weeks from concussion, with one point of great soreness in the sacral region, just above the spot where the blow was received. She was kept in bed for some weeks and improved generally, but the painful spot remained and sensitiveness appeared over the back, especially its upper third. *Tell. 6 cured all completely. (3) Miss ***Y., 29, who had severe spinal meningitis ten years before, consulted Shelton for a burning, pressing pain at base of brain. He diagnosed the condition as pachy meningitis. The patient grew worse, and gradually ptosis, and then right and then left hemiplegia set in. Finally hyperaesthesia of the back became so distressing that it was a question of finding any support that did not intensify the pain. She could not bear the slightest touch, complaining that *it not only hurt her at the point of contact, but she felt it in the head and in remote parts of the body. *Tell. cleared up the case. Skinner (*H. W., xviii. 535) cured two sporting dogs of ringworm with *Tell. 1M ***F. C. The irritating property of *Tell. is shown again in the coryza, post-nasal catarrh, tickling in larynx, hoarseness, and cough. There is a good deal of drowsiness with *Tell., yawning after retching, drowsy after eating. I once gave *Tell. to a child for an eruption, and cured it incidentally of constant yawning, with which it had been troubled. The eruption improved at the same time. *Peculiar Sensations are: Fear of being touched on sensitive places. As if in air on going to sleep. Brain as if beaten. As if lashes were turned in. As if air whistled through left Eustachian tube. As if strapped together in epigastric region. As if fluid wanted to discharge in lobe of right lung. There is periodicity about some of the symptoms. One prover has a return of them every Tuesday for several weeks. More symptoms appear on the left than on the right side. The symptoms are: worse by touch, touch causes bleeding from ear, spine sensitive to touch. Pressure causes lump in axilla to be painful. Rest aggravates. Lying: better vertigo, on left side causes throbbing over right ribs and *vice versa, on left side causes pain in heart. Better lying on back. Lying on affected side worse sciatica. While sitting up: vertigo, face red. Stooping, coughing, laughing, straining at stool aggravates. Many symptoms are worse in morning, on being wakened, and at night, eating causes drowsiness. Eating rice causes vomiting. Eating and drinking better sore throat.
Relations
*Antidoted by: Nux (epigastric oppression). *Compare: Tetradymite, which contains Tellur. Restlessness, garlicky odour, Arsenicum Coryza, All-c. Otitis, Pulsatilla, Belladonna, Ter. Ringworm, Bac., Sepia, Natrum mur. Ringworm in clusters Sepia, Calcarea Threadworms, Teucrium Pains come and go suddenly, Belladonna, Lycopodium Worse laughing, Phosphorus Worse straining at stool, Ind. Cough and skin, Osm.
Causation
Falls. Rice (vomiting).
SYMPTOMS.
Mind
Forgetful. Fear of being touched in sensitive places. Excitable, disposed to fly into a passion. Rough, angular disposition. Mind depressed.
Head
Vertigo, when going to sleep, morning after rising, worse walking, sitting up, or turning head, better lying perfectly quiet. Brain feels as if beaten on slightest movement. Heaviness and fulness of head in morning. Violent linear pain in small spot over left eye, pain, short, sharp, and defined. Congestion to temples and forehead on waking in morning. Sudden rush of blood to head. About 10 A.M. pain above left eye, came and went suddenly. Sensation of numbness in occiput and nape. Red spots and fine blisters on occiput, neck, and behind ears, and on posterior surface of ears.
Eyes
Deposit of chalky-looking white mass on anterior surface of lens (cataract). Pterygium. Herpes conjunctivae bulbi, phlyctenules near edge of cornea, worse from crying. Pustular conjunctivitis with eczema impetiginodes on lids and much purulent discharge from eyes, offensive discharge from ears. Scrofulous inflammation, worse left upper lid, lachrymation, itching, and pressure in lid. Eyelids: thickened, inflamed, covered with pustules, pale red, oedematous, oozing. Feeling as if lashes of lower lid were turned in. Palpebral swelling of left upper lid, ulceration on outer surface of lid, near outer canthus, pain worse at night.
Ears
Left ear began to itch, burn, and swell, aching and throbbing pain in meatus, followed by a copious, watery, acrid discharge. Dull, throbbing pain in ears, day and night, thin, watery, excoriating discharge. Ears suddenly stopped in forenoon, worse left Sometimes, for an instant, sensation as if air catches itself in, or whistled through left Eustachian tube, when snuffing or belching air passes through. Vesicular eruption on membrana tympani, suppurating and perforating. Itching and swelling, with painful throbbing in external meatus, in three or four days discharge of watery fluid smelling like fish-pickle, which causes vesicles wherever it touches, ear bluish red, edematous, hearing impaired. Waked during night with dull aching deep in right ear, continued three days with depression of spirits. Eczema behind ears, with formation of thick crusts, scrofulous conjunctivitis, blepharitis, and catarrh of middle ear.
