FERRUM


FERRUM symptoms of the homeopathy remedy from Homeopathic Drug Pictures by M.L. Tyler. What are the symptoms of FERRUM? Keynote indications and personality traits of FERRUM…


      Iron: the Metal.

Introduction

      THE very word FERRUM suggests anaemia, and, possibly, to many of us nothing else: while perhaps few of us associate Iron, apart from anaemia, with digestive troubles. We are wrong: Iron, the Stomach, and Anaemia may form three sides of a triangle. And he eccentricities of the stomach may be causative of the most deadly form of “bloodlessness”; since pernicious anaemia is said to be curable, as we recently pointed out, when meat, digested in a normal stomach, is withdrawn and administered to a patient with that disease. In pernicious anaemia there is a deficiency of normal gastric secretions; and we are learning to regard Ferrum as one of the great stomach remedies.

One remembers in one “stomach” case, feeling surprised at having to prescribe Ferrum : but it filled the picture and therefore worked. And why not? Consider its symptoms: “After eating, heat in stomach and regurgitation of food” (Phosphorus); “spasmodic pressure in stomach after the least food and drink. After fat food, bitter eructations. After eggs, vomiting. Worse from meat, sour fruits, drinking milk, after tobacco, tea, beer. Bad effects from drinking tea. Vomiting of everything eaten, without being digested.”

As a matter of fact, one has not had a very wide clinical experience of the “virtues” of metallic Iron. In anaemia one has used Ferrum protoxalate (said to be more easily absorbed); and in early “colds” and even in pneumonias with few discriminating symptoms, one has seen rapid improvement under Ferrum phos. That being so, more will be learned from the quotations we have culled to help to its successful use.,

But, in future one will take Ferrum met. into consideration in attempting to treat varicose conditions. Here that other drug so like Iron in some of its symptoms–so unlike in others– Pulsatilla (which owes some of its properties to the iron that goes to its make-up) is also a most useful drug in varicose veins, especially when inflamed. But Pulsatilla likes cold: Iron, heat. Pulsatilla craves air, from which Ferr, shrinks. Likeness in some particulars is not identity; and, unfortunately for the easy spread of Homoeopathy among the work-shy, one drug will not do for another.

HAHNEMANN says “most of the provings of IRON were observed from the employment of a solution of the acetate of iron, yet the symptoms correspond with those of metallic iron; yet as those obtained from dry calcareous earth with those of acetate of lime.

“This metal is said by ordinary physicians to be a strengthening medicine per se, and not only innocuous, but entirely and absolutely wholesome”. But, “if iron possesses medicinal power, it must, for that very reason alter the health of human beings, and make the healthy ill, and the more ill the more powerfully curative it is found to be in disease.

“Nil prodest, quod non laedere possit idem.

“The condition of persons residing near waters impregnated with iron, might have taught them this metal possesses strong pathogenetic properties. In such localities few can resist the noxious influence of the continued use of such waters and remain quite well, each being affected according to his peculiar nature. There we find chronic affections of great gravity and peculiar character, even when the regimen is otherwise faultless. Weakness, almost amounting to paralysis of the whole body and of single parts; some kinds of violent limb pains, abdominal affections of various sorts, vomiting of food by day or by night, phthisical pulmonary ailments, often with blood-spitting, deficient vital warmth, suppression of the menses, miscarriages, impotence in both sexes, sterility, jaundice, and many other rare cachexias are common occurrences.

“What becomes of the alleged complete innocuousness, let alone the absolute wholesomeness of this metal. Those who are constantly drinking chalybeate waters, called health-springs are mostly in a sickly state.

“What prejudice, what carelessness has hitherto prevented physicians from observing these striking facts, and referring them to their cause, the pathogenetic property of iron?

“How can they, ignorant as they are of the action of iron and its salts, determine in what cases chalybeate waters are of use? Which of their patients will they send thither for a course of treatment? Which will they keep away?. Is it blind fancy? Haphazard conjecture and guess work? Fashion? Do not many of their patients come back from the chalybeate springs in a more miserable and diseased condition, showing that iron was an unsuitable remedy for them? God preserve patients from a doctor who does not know, and can give no satisfactory reasons, why he prescribes this or the other drug, who cannot tell beforehand what medicine would be beneficial, what injurious to the patient!

“Only a thorough knowledge of the characteristic primary effects of medicines, and whether they present a great similarity to the symptoms of the disease to be cured (as homoeopathy teaches) cold protect patients from such fatal mistakes.

“The attempt of the common run of practitioners to produce a purely strengthening effect is a capital mistake. For why is the patient so weak? Obviously because he is ill! Weakness is a mere consequence and a single symptom of his disease. What rational man could think a strengthening his patient without first removing his disease? But if his disease be removed, then he always, even in the process of the removal of his disease, regains his strength by the energy of his organism freed from its malady. There is no such thing as a strengthening remedy as long as the disease continues: there can be none such. The homoeopathic physician alone knows how to cure, and in the act of being cured the convalescent regains his strength.”

Of course Iron enters largely into, and has a most important part to play in the body: but in SCHUESSLER’S scheme of “Tissue Salts” it only appears as Ferrum phos. Iron, Schuessler tells us, “is to be found in the haemoglobin or red-blood cells, and not in such considerable quantities in any other tissue, except in the hair”. But he gives it an important place as a constituent of muscle cells. A disturbance of the equilibrium of the iron- molecules in much fibre, causes relaxation. In the muscular coats of vessels it causes therefore a dilatation and an accumulation of blood:–congestion, with increased blood-pressure, rupture of walls, haemorrhages. In the muscular coats of the intestinal villi, relaxation, with diarrhoea. In the muscular walls of the intestines themselves, peristalsis is weakened and less active, causing constipation. Anything that causes relaxation of the muscular walls of a vessel, and consequent hyperaemia, such as injury, finds its remedy in Ferrum phos., because this, in minute doses, restores equilibrium to the iron molecules, thus strengthening the muscular fibres. Also, by its power of attracting oxygen, Iron and its salts are useful remedies in anaemia.

The phosphate, with Schuessler, is “an invaluable remedy in all febrile disturbances and inflammations at their onset, before exudation commences.”

The provings bear out all these uses of iron, in varices, haemorrhages, etc.

BLACK LETTER SYMPTOMS

      VERTIGO on rising suddenly; things grew black; had to lean against something, or fall: with nausea, prostration, lethargy; as if balancing to and fro; as when on water; when walking over water, like when crossing a bridge; when descending, with disposition to tall forward.

HEADACHE: for two, three, or four days, every two or three weeks: hammering, beating, pulsating pains, must lie down in bed; with aversion to eating and drinking.

“Morbus Basedowii”: especially after suppression of menses: protruding eyes; enlarged thyroid; palpitation; excessive nervousness.

EPISTAXIS in anaemic children, with frequent changing colour of face.

Extreme paleness of FACE, which becomes red and flushes on least emotion, pain or exertion.

Face flushes easily on least excitement or exertion.

Canine HUNGER, alternating with loss of appetite.

Anorexia: extreme dislike to all food.

Vomiting only of food, immediately after eating.

After eating eructations and regurgitations of food, without nausea or inclination to vomit.

Vomiting of food immediately after midnight, followed by aversion of food and dread of open air.

Cramp-like pain in stomach.

Frequent DIARRHOEA; stools watery, with or without tenesmus, and preceded or not by pain, but always with much flatulence, and more frequent after taking food or drink.

Undigested stools at night, or while eating or drinking.

The threadworms seem to be increased by it.

Involuntary URINATION at night; also when walking about by day.

Nocturnal seminal emissions.

MENSES too soon, too profuse, too long-lasting, with fiery red face, ringing in ears; flow pale, watery, debilitating.

Vomiting of pregnancy: suddenly leaves table and with one effort vomits all the food taken, appetite not impaired thereby; can sit down and eat again.

Difficult breathing, oppression of CHEST, as if someone pressed, with hand, upon it.

Margaret Lucy Tyler
Margaret Lucy Tyler, 1875 – 1943, was an English homeopath who was a student of James Tyler Kent. She qualified in medicine in 1903 at the age of 44 and served on the staff of the London Homeopathic Hospital until her death forty years later. Margaret Tyler became one of the most influential homeopaths of all time. Margaret Tyler wrote - How Not to Practice Homeopathy, Homeopathic Drug Pictures, Repertorising with Sir John Weir, Pointers to some Hayfever remedies, Pointers to Common Remedies.