To what climacteric symptoms does Lachesis correspond?
The headache, and the fact that non-appearing discharges make the patient worse; flushes of heat during the day.
CROTALUS HORRIDUS.
Who is introduced Crot.?
Dr. Constantine Hering. See, British Journal of Homoeopathy, Vol. XXXIV.
What is the Crot.?
It is the poison of the Rattlesnake, prepared by trituration.
What is the characteristic action of Crot.?
It causes a yellowness of the skin from disintegration of the blood. Tendency to hemorrhages.
In what disease is Crot. often indicated?
In yellow fever, in the stage of black vomit, where there is low delirium, yellow skin, and oozing of blood from every orifice of the body. It produces a perfect picture of this disease.
NAJA TRIPUDIANS.
Who introduced Naja?
Dr. Constantine Hering.
What is the Naja?
It is the poison of the Cobra prepared by trituration.
What are its chief applications?
In valvular diseases of the heart with a dry, teasing cough; there is tremulous action; it also acts on the left ovary, causing a pain there during the cough.
ELAPS CORALLINUS.
What is Elaps?
The poison of the Coral snake triturated with sugar of milk. Introduced by Dr. Mure, of Brazil.
What are some characteristic indications of Elaps?
Catarrhal snuffles in children, nose stuffed up; also the great sense of coldness that cold water leaves in the stomach.
Give the characteristic indications for Bufo rana, a South American toad, sometimes used in medicine.
For masturbation, where the patient seeks solitude to perform the act; epilepsy caused by sexual intercourse, the aura seeming to start from sexual organs.
SEPIA SUCCUS.
Where is the pathogenesis of Sepia found?
In Hahnemann’s Chronic Diseases; Transactions of American Institute of Homoeopathy, 1875; British Journal of Homoeopathy, Vols. XIII and XIV.
What is Sepia?
It is the inky secretion of the Cuttle fish, which it ejects when pursued by its enemies.
How is the tincture prepared?
The pure powdered Sepia is prepared as described under Coccus cacti, allowing it to stand 8 days instead of 14 days.
What class of patients does Sepia suit?
Tall, slim females with narrow pelvises. “Tall women, Sepia; tall men, Phosphorus.”
What is the general action of Sepia?
Sepia causes a venous plethora, first in the portal systems then throughout the body. This venous congestion accounts for many of its symptoms. It also acts prominently on the uterine organs, producing here many symptoms of value.
Give five characteristics of Sepia.
1. Weakness.
2. Yellow complexion.
3. Bearing down sensation.
4. Violent motion relieves symptoms.
5. Amelioration in the middle of the day.
What are the mental symptoms of Sepia?
Weak memory; sense of helplessness and great susceptibility to excitement, and still more to terror; dispair, she dreads to be alone, wants company, but has an aversion to her own and is indifferent to her household affairs.
What are the characteristic head symptoms of Sepia?
Headaches, commence in the morning and increase, relieved by sleep or violent motion; the patient is sad and tearful with the headache, and they are better in the open air. Menstrual headache with scanty flow.
What are the stomach symptoms of Sepia?
White-coated tongue; sour or putrid taste in the mouth; an all gone feeling in the stomach which is not relieved by eating; nausea at the sight or smell of food; great longing for acids or pickles; sensation of a lump in the stomach.
What drug has nausea at the thought of food?
Colchicum.
Mention the characteristic symptom of Sepia on the face.
A yellow saddle across the nose.
Give the constipation of Sepia.
No desire or urging for days and days; the stools are hard and large; inactivity of the rectum, and a sensation of a ball in it; patient cannot strain and consequently cannot expel stool.
What are the urinary symptoms of Sepia?
Irritable bladder, involuntary escape of urine during first sleep. Red sediment in the urine, which is acid and fetid.
How does Causticum compare?
Both have enuresis in first sleep. Causticum is generally more often indicated in boys, and also in all male sexual disturbances. In Causticum the urine is involuntary in the daytime as well as at night. There is a paralytic weakness of the sphincter vesicae and great sensitiveness to cold air, which is not marked under Sepia.
What are the symptoms about the male organs?
Weakness of sexual organs. Gleet, with scanty discharge in the morning.
What are the characteristic symptoms of Sepia in the female organs?
Weakness and bearing-down sensation as if everything would protrude from the vulva, compelling patient to sit with limbs crossed. Sharp, clutching pains, as if clutched with a hand; enlargement and hardening of the uterus.
What are the menses of Sepia?
Almost any combination, though late and scanty, is the most frequent; they may be early and scanty, or early and profuse.
What is the cough of Sepia?
Cough seeming to come from the stomach or abdomen; a cough with salty expectoration, attended by stitches in the epigastrium. Whooping cough with vomiting of bile and soreness of chest during cough; relieved by pressure.
Give indications for Sepia in sciatica.
Aggravation from sitting, from getting up from a seat; often after violent exertion, though at times this relieves. Lancinating stitches, must get out of bed for relief.
What are the characteristic eruption produced by Sepia?
Vesicular eruptions around mouth and chin; ringworms; yellow spots, liver spots on abdomen and chest; herpetic conditions about knees and ankles.
What is another useful remedy for ringworm?
Tellurium, which has offensive discharge.
Give the main characteristic symptoms of Murex purpurea, a member of the same family as Sepia.
Sensation as if something were pressing on a sore part in the pelvis; the secretions are profuse, such as the menses and urination, and it differs from Sepia in having great sexual excitement; otherwise its symptoms are very similar.
SPONGIA TOSTA.
Where are our data concerning Spongia found?
In Hahnemann’s Materia Medica Pura.
How do we prepare this drug?
A tincture is made from the Turkey sponge roasted brown, in the same manner as that of Sepia is prepared.
What is its general sphere of action?
The glandular system and mucous membranes are the special sphere of Spongia. It produces enlargement of the former and inflammation of the latter, especially the mucous membrane of the larynx and trachea.
Give the indications of Spongia in orchitis.
Where there is hardness and squeezing pains in the testicles and cord, worse from any motion; great enlargement of the testicles.
In acute laryngitis when should Spongia be given?
Where the cough is harsh and barking, where there are suffocative spells during sleep with external sensitiveness to the touch.
What are the indications for Spongia in croup?
The breathing is harsh and hard as if the patient were breathing through a sponge; hard, barking, ringing cough with scanty expectoration; the cough seems to get tighter every minute; threatened suffocation.
Is Spongia ever indicated in phthisis pulmonalis; if so, with what symptoms?
Hard, ringing, metallic cough worse from deep breathing, with a sensation of weakness as if the patient would fall, worse from deep breathing, talking and dry, cold winds; flashes of heat, which return when thinking of them.
What are the heart symptoms of Spongia?
Organic affections, cannot lie on the back with head low without suffocating; arouses from sleep as if smothering with blowing sounds over some valve.
What is the temperament of Spongia?
Fair, light complexion and light blue eyes.
Give an indication for Badiaga, another variety of sponge.
Indurated buboes. Palpitation of the heart from unpleasant news.
APIS MELLIFICA.
When was Apis introduced into our Literature?
Metcalf’s Materia Medica; Wolf’s Monograph; British Journal of Homoeopathy, Vols. XI and XII; Hering’s American Provings etc.
What is Apis mellifica and how does if differ from Apium virus?
Apis mellifica is made from the whole honey bee, treated in the same manner as Spongia. Apium virus is simply the clear poison of the bee triturated.
What is the general action of the poison of the bee?
Rapid swellings with redness, burning and stinging pains. OEdema of any part of the body. OEdematous infiltrations and inflammations are met by this remedy. Serous inflammations and dropsies.
Give seven characteristic symptoms of Apis.
1. Drowsiness.
2. OEdematous swellings.
3. Thirstlessness.
4. Intolerance of heat.
5. Stinging pains.
6. Afternoon aggravation, from 4 to 6.
7. Bruised sensations.
What are the mental symptoms of Apis?
The patient is fidgety and awkward; drops things; is very clumsy, or is silly, laughing and jealous.
What are the head symptoms?
In meningitis it is indicated by the shrill outcries in sleep, and especially if due to a suppressed eruption.
How does it compare here with Belladonna?
The nervous agitation is more marked under Apis, and the cephalic cry belongs especially to Apis.
What are the characteristic eye symptoms of Apis?
Asthenopia and chemosis, a puffiness of the conjunctiva showing oedema. OEdematous swelling of the eyelids and especially under eyes.
Professor of Materia Medica in the University of Michigan Homeopathic Medical College. Member of American Institute of Homeopathy. In addition to his editoral work he authored or collaborated on: Boericke and Dewey's Twelve Tissue Remedies, Essentials of Homeopathic Materia Medica, Essentials of Homeopathic Therapeutics and Practical Homeopathic Therapeutics.