“Weakness in the chest, speech difficult after a moderate walk in the open air.” “Shootings and lancinations in the chest and sides of the chest, especially when sitting with the body bent forward; speaking; breathing deeply; seldom when walking or using vigorous exertion.” “Tingling in the chest.’ “Weakness and sensation of trembling at the heart.” “Violent palpitation whilst sitting quietly.’ “Shootings in the region of the heart, with painful sensation of paralysis and torpor of left arm.” “Transient coldness in the back.”
The pulse is full and strong; accelerated and weak; irregular or intermittent.
Numbness of left arm accompanying heart affections is found in Rhus, Aconite, Pulsatilla, and Kalmia.
SPIGELIA.
Spigelia anthelmia is in the very first rank of cardiac medicines and may be called for in any kind of disorder of both heart and vessels, but as it has been fully dealt with in foregoing chapters (especially pp. 88 to 100) little need be added here. Spigelia is eminently a neuralgic medicine with a preference for the left side. Tearing and stitches in the chest. “Cutting piercing pain through left chest near sternum from front to back.” “Lacerating with constriction.” “Dull stitches in region of apex beat.” “Dull sticking and pinching from beneath left nipple to region of scapula and upper arm.” The palpitation is violent, sometimes audible, with great anxiety and breathlessness. The symptoms are worse: on sitting down; sitting down after rising from bed; bending forward; raising the arms; taking deep inspirations; exertion. Better: from lying on right side with trunk raised. Accompaniments: excessive sensitiveness and weakness; sensitiveness to cold.
SPONGIA.
“Spasmodic constrictive pains in whole chest.” “Fullness and obstruction.” “Cannot lie with head low without bringing on a fit of suffocation.”
“Frequently aroused from sleep as if smothering; sits up in bed with flushed face, anxious look and rapid hard breathing.’ “Burning sensations, which ascend into the chest.” “Ebullitions of blood in the chest, after the slightest effort and the least movement, with obstructed respiration, anguish, nausea and weakness, which induces syncope.” “Pains and anxiety in the region of the heart.” “Pulse hard and quick.’ “Palpitation violent with pain; gasping respiration; suddenly awakened after midnight.”
Spongia is useful in hypertrophy, angina pectoris, exophthalmic goitre and aneurism.
As with Iodide there is aggravation by heat and amelioration from cold. The time of aggravation is after midnight, especially from 1 to 2 a.m.
Spongia is specially suited to individuals with light hair, fair complexion and lax fibre-the opposite of its congener Iodine.
SULPHUR.
Sulphur causes great irregularity in the distribution of the circulation, flushings and local congestions. It acts predominantly on the venous system and the portal system. It causes a sensation as if the heart were too full, and also the opposite sensation, a feeling or emptiness. Sulphur is a left side medicine and produces more pains in the left side of the chest than the right. “Painful obstruction in left side of chest with anguish and inability to lie on the side affected.’
“Heaviness, fullness and pressure as from a stone on the chest and sternum, principally in the morning, also when coughing, sneezing and yawning.” “Pulsations in the chest and sternum.”
“Weakness of the chest.” “Shooting in the chest or sternum, or extending to the back, or into the left side, principally when coughing, taking a full inspiration, or lifting the arms.” “Sensation of coldness or burning in the chest, sometimes extending to the face.” “Shootings and blows in region of the heart.” “Violent congestion of blood towards the chest and heart, sometimes with ebullitions in the chest uneasiness, faintness, and trembling of the arms.” “Sensation of emptiness in the cardiac region, or pressure and sensation as if the heart had not room enough.” “Frequent palpitation, sometimes even visible, and with anxiety, principally when going up an ascent.’
These are the local symptoms. The systemic symptoms of Sulphur are well known. It is the “King of antipsoric remedies,” with the “sinking sensation” so prominent in psoric patients, well marked and occurring characteristically in the fore-noon from 10 to 12. The typical subject of Sulphur is lean, stoop shouldered, either sanguine or dark, not always very clearly since there is a marked intolerance of water in the Sulphur conditions. Water aggravates all symptoms. Tendency to itching eruptions and an unpleasant body odour.
Warmth aggravates all symptoms, which are worse at night and in the morning. Consequently the sleep is bad; and yet there is great drowsiness in the daytime. Many headaches, full and heavy head, frontal and occipital, with great heat of the vertex. Hot head and cold feet. There is also-hot, sweaty hands and feet; or burning feet, the patient in vain tries to find a cool place for them at night. Acidity. Eructation of mouthfuls of food, very acid, some time after it has been taken. Constipation, haemorrhoids. In the mental sphere there are-“Melancholy and sadness; uneasiness respecting his condition and prospects; about business affairs so as to become exceedingly unhappy, disgusted with life and despairing of salvation.’ “Strong tendency to religious and philosophical reveries with fixed ideas.” “Fits of anguish; timidity, and great tendency to be frightened.” “Irritability.” “Indecision.” “Great weakness of memory especially for proper names.” A history of suppressed eruptions or discharges is a strong indication for Sulphur.
In the case of a gentleman who suffered from a greatly hypertrophied heart, the result of indulgence in alcohol, occasional doses of Sulphur 1m, F.C., produced a wonderful change for the better. There was a history of previous kidney disease, and when he came under my care he could not bear any exertion, and was unable to lie down in bed at night.
He had fits of breathlessness from exertion or worry. He had a sinking sensation at the pit of the stomach at 11 a.m. and 4 and 7 p.m. It was also brought on when he was in a hot room. A hot room aggravated all his symptoms. He was very nervous and his sleep was bad.
His family doctor told him he might get over Christmas (it was then near the end of November, 1893), but he would not live longer than that. Under Sulphur, chiefly, he became vastly improved in health, and, in addition, he lost all desire for drink.
Sulphur is in close relation to Aconite, Nux vomica Pulsatilla and Psorinum.
TABACUM.
“Palpitation of the heart when lying on left side, better from turning on right side; in attacks at night with tightness of the chest.” “Sudden precordial anguish.” “Angina pectoris; pallor; features drawn; cannot speak or walk; coldness all over; sudden precordial anxiety; violent constriction in throat.” “Dilated heart; frequent pallor; lividity of face; muscae volitantes; tinnitus aurium; dry cough.” “Pulse : quick, full, large; small intermittent; exceedingly slow; soft, full, feeble; feeble and irregular; imperceptible.” The mental symptoms of Tabacum are : “Melancholy.” “Anguish and inquietude, generally in afternoon, better by weeping.”
“Restlessness which prompts continual change of place.”
Faintness and nausea are additional indications for Tabacum.
THYROIDIN.
This medicine and its sphere I have so fully dealt with already that I merely mention it in its place here.
VANADIUM.
In his Fifty Reasons for Being a Homoeopath (Reason the Seventh), Dr. Burnett gives a case of neuralgia corresponding to the course of the basilar artery, which he cured with an ammonium salt of Vanadium. There was fatty disease of the liver and atheroma of the arteries, and Dr. Burnett was led to give the medicine on these indications. Vanadium is found most abundantly in lead ores in combination with that metal, which it resembles in producing degeneration of the arterial walls.
VERATRUM ALBUM.
“Violent palpitation of the heart which pushes out the ribs, with choking and severe fits of anxiety.” “Palpitation: in the anaemic; nervous; agony of death, legs cold, difficult breathing; better from rest or lying down; with anxiety, and rapid, audible respiration, at night; with prostration of fainting, driving the patient out of bed.”
“Angina pectoris; periodical attacks of pain in left chest, or cutting with excessive agony extending to shoulders; general prostration, skin cold and clammy; difficulty of breathing; suffocating constriction of chest, so distressing that he sweats from agony; cramp in limbs.” “Pulse: frequent, small, hard; slow, soft, intermittent; very small, irregular; imperceptible.”
Cold clammy sweat on forehead indicates Veratrum. “Amorous and religious mania.” In rheumatic and other fevers there is delirium with constant talking; “wants to kiss everybody.” “Mania, desire to cut and tear everything.” “Violent outbreaks, desire to strike.” “Great fearfulness; easily frightened; fainting after a fright; consequences of injured pride or honour.”
