What is the sphere of its homoeopathic applicability?
1. Nasal catarrh and polypi.
2. Sick headache.
3. Respiratory affections.
4. Rheumatism.
5. Climacteric disorders.
Give its nasal symptoms.
Great susceptibility to odors, which causes the patient to faint; burning and rawness in the nose, with fluent coryza which excoriates; nasal polypi which tend to bleed easily.
Give its use during the climacteric.
Flushes of heat, flatulent distension of stomach; leucorrhoea, fetid and corrosive; menses offensive, profuse; uterine polypi. Breasts sore; palpitation; acne; burning in hands and feet.
What is the characteristic sick headache?
Pains begin in the morning in the occiput, travel up over the head and settle in or over the right eye. The pains are so severe that the patient can neither tolerate noise nor light, and vomits everything; the patient buries the head in the pillow or presses it on something hard for relief. Temporal veins distended.
Give three differentiating symptoms between Sanguinaria and Belladonna in headache.
Belladonna has hot head, more throbbing, flushed face, and cold feet.
Belladonna is relieved by being propped up in bed, while Sanguinaria has relief from lying.
Belladonna has not so marked, the pain coming up over the head from the occiput; Sanguinaria is more useful in the gastric form.
What are the respiratory symptoms of Sanguinaria?
Congestion of the lungs, bright red face and flushing of one or both cheeks. Burning in the chest; dry, hacking cough and feeling of dryness in the air passages. Oppression of breathing and a tenacious, difficult expectoration, which is apt to be rust colored; there are also sharp stitching pains through the right lung.
In what disease is it most likely to be indicated?
Pneumonia; always better when lying on his back; also phthisis florida.
In case of purulent expectoration, when should Sanguinaria be prescribed?
When it smells bad, even to the patient himself.
What are the rheumatic pains of Sanguinaria?
Sharp, stitching pains, with soreness and stiffness of the muscles. Rheumatism of the right deltoid muscle, which is very painful.
Give another drug having rheumatism of the right shoulder.
Magnesia carbonica.
What drugs have rheumatism of the left deltoid muscle?
Ferrum metallicum and Nux moschata.
What are the members of the Compositae family that we make use of in our Materia Medica?
Arnica, Artemesia vulgaris and absinthium, Carduus marianus, Chamomilla, Cina, Erigeron, Eupatorium perfoliatum and purpureum, Gnaphalium, Helomas, Lappa officinalis, Inula, Millefolium, Senecio, Taraxacum, Bellis perennis and Echinacea.
ARNICA MONTANA.
Where do we find the pathogenesis of Arnica?
In Hahnemann’s Materia Medica Pura, British Journal of Homoeopathy, Vol. VI., and L’Art Medical, Vol. XLIV.
What is Arnica?
The Leopard’s bane, a native of Central Europe. Tincture should be made from the fresh root in the same manner as described under Hydrastis and Sanguinaria. It must be imported.
Why is not the tincture made from the flowers, as recommended by some, as good?
On account of the Arnica fly, which lays its eggs in the flowers, being apt to give them an irritating property resembling the effects of the Spanish fly.
Do all pharmacists make their tincture from the root?
Some seek to compromise the question by using 1/3 blossoms and 2/3 roots, thereby producing an unreliable article.
What is the general physiological action of Arnica?
It produces conditions in the system quite similar to those resulting from injuries, falls, blows, contusions. It is especially suited to cases where any injury, however remote, seems to have caused the existing trouble. After traumatic injuries, over-use of any organ, strains; limbs and body ache as if beaten, bed feels too hard. On the skin it produces an acute dermatitis.
What is the great characteristic of the drug?
A bruised, sore feeling all over the body; the patient feels as if he had been pounded.
In what general conditions is Arnica a remedy?
In mechanical injuries, sudden wrenching of muscles from strains; hemorrhages from injuries; for injuries to the soft parts accompanying fractures, bruises, ecchymoses, concussions of the brain and spine.
When in injuries, is Rhus tox. preferable?
Where the ligaments rather than the soft parts are injured, for it acts more on the fibrous tissues.
When would Hypericum be indicated?
When there is injury to the nerves. It has been called the “Arnica of the nerves.”
Give indications for Calendula in wounds.
When the wounds are ragged and there is loss of substance with great soreness and pain; it reduces inflammation and promotes healthy granulation.
When should Staphisagria be thought of?
In symptoms traceable to surgical operations; smooth, cleans cuts, etc.
What is the remedy for injuries to the bones?
Symphytum officinalis.
What are the indications for Arnica in typhoid fever?
Indifference to everything; patients do not know or care that they are sick; go to sleep while answering questions; hot head, cool body and a bruised feeling all over the body; complain that the bed is too hard and toss about to find a soft spot; involuntary stools and urine; petechiae all over the body; ecchymoses and bed sores; later a condition of stupor in which the lower jaw drops.
What are the rheumatic symptoms of Arnica?
Rheumatism resulting from exposure to dampness, cold and excessive muscular strain combined; the parts are sore and bruised; gout, with extreme soreness.
What are the dyspeptic symptoms of the drug?
Throbbing headaches and drowsiness after a meal; tendency to putrescence, foul breath, shiny tongue, belching of gas which tastes like rotten eggs; tympanitic distension of the abdomen, foul smelling stool and a great deal of weakness.
What is the action of Arnica on the skin?
It produces a peculiar form of erysipelas-a dermatitis with much itching and soreness, dark blue in color. Boils with great soreness.
What is remedy antidotes the skin symptoms of Arnica?
Camphor.
Why should Arnica be diluted before being applied externally?
Because the tincture is resinous and not only liable to produce the condition above referred to insensitive skins, but interferes with its easily absorption.
BELLIS PERENNIS What is this plant?
The English daisy. Tincture from the whole fresh plant.
What are its uses?
The proving show it to be similar to Arnica in sprains, bruises, and concussions. It is especially useful in the effects of traumatism upon the uterus, such as laceration of the cervix. The parts are enlarged, soft and bleeding, and a sore bruised feeling in the pelvic region and abdominal muscles.
CHAMOMILLA
Where is the pathogenesis of this drug found?
In Hahnemann’s Materia Medica Pura. British Journal of Homoeopathy, Vol. VI. An excellent study is also found in Hartmann’s Practical Observations.
Where do we obtain this drug?
It grows in Europe, our tincture is made from the whole plant in flower, and in the same manner as described under Aconite, and imported.
What is the general action of the drug?
Chamomilla seems to act on the sensory nerves given off from the spinal cord, producing a state of excessive hyperaesthesia. This over-sensitiveness is accompanied by a corresponding mental state, a snappish irritability. It acts prominently also on the digestive tract, and is especially suitable for many complaints of children during teething period.
What are three pervading characteristic of the drug?
1. The mental state, intolerance of pain, etc.
2. Aggravation by warmth.
3. Aggravation in the evening and at night.
What are the great mental characteristics of the drug?
Crossness and irritability; the child is impatient and restless; wants to be carried about and petted; wants and cries for things and when it gets them it throws them away; children that are especially sensitive to pain, snappish, short and cannot be civil, consequences of anger.
Mention two other drugs for the bad consequences of anger.
Staphisagria and Bryonia.
Give the indications for Chamomilla in the sleeplessness of children.
They start during sleep, the muscles of the hands and face twitch, there my be colic, and the face is red, especially one cheek.
What should be given if in addition there is delirium?
Belladonna.
Give symptoms of Cypripedium in sleeplessness.
Children awake in the night and are lively and full of play; this indicates impending cerebral trouble.
What of Passiflora incarnata in sleeplessness?
It has proved useful in nervous sleeplessness. A clean tongue seems to be an indication, as well as mental irritation and pain. Also a useful remedy in convulsions and tetanus.
What is there characteristics about the rheumatic pains?
They drive the patient out of bed and compel him to walk about; the pain almost drives him crazy.
Three other drugs, Rhus toxicodendron, Ferrum metallicum and Veratrum album, have rheumatic pains relieved by moving about; how are they distinguished from Chamomilla?
They all lack the feverishness, excitement and irritability of Chamomilla.
What are the nasal symptoms of Chamomilla?
The nose is stopped up yet runs a watery mucus; sneezing and inability to sleep; a dry, teasing cough, keeping the child awake, or else a rattling cough, as if the bronchi were full of mucus.
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.