In headache and neuralgia, study among others the following remedies:-
Aconite. In headache or neuralgia, accompanied by vertigo on rising up in bed. Crampy sensation in the root of the nose. Sensation as if the whole brain would press out at the forehead. She fears to be in a place of excitement or confusion.
Belladonna. Flushed face and injected eyeballs. Cannot bear noise or bright light. She seems to be in a stunned or stupid condition.
Bryonia. A splitting headache; she wishes to keep very still. Dryness of the lips and mouth.
Calcarea c. Headache with an unusual accumulation of dandruff on the scalp.
Cocculus. Her head feels worse after eating or drinking.
Coffea. Intense pain, -the head feeling contracted or too small.
Magnes. c. Much worse from talking or mental exertion. She feels sad and disconsolate.
Nux v. Headache in the forehead, with large, difficult stools. Especially suited to persons addicted to highly-seasoned food; much coffee; wines; sedentary life; keeping late hours, & c.
Pulsatilla. In mild, tearful women. Semilateral headache.
Platina. The pain causes weeping. Objects appear smaller than they really are.
Sepia. Headache with an aversion to all food; sensation of great emptiness in the pit of the stomach.
Sulphur. Heat on the top of the head; flashes of heat all over; cold feet; fainty spells.
Veratrum a. Headache causing delirium, dementia and cold sweat on the forehead.
ODONTALGIA frequently appears in connection with pregnancy, – being in fact only a particular form of neuralgia, – and in many cases it forms the earliest symptom from the presence of which the pregnant state is suspected. Leadam, (*Diseases of Females, p.102) strongly advises against extracting the teeth in such cases, since abortion has been known to follow the operation. Tyler Smith states that they ought only to be extracted with caution under such circumstances. But those having in their hands the Homoeopathic remedies and blest with even a moderate amount of skill in administering them, will never be tempted to resort to a practice at once barbarous and dangerous. Still it must be borne in mind that neither local applications nor remedies selected with reference to the teeth alone will suffice, in many cases, to remove an affection which it is at once painful, sympathetic and constitutional, – that is connected with some individual idiosyncrasy. Here, as in all other cases of disease, the remedy must be selected in accordance with the totality of all the symptoms.
In odontalgia or toothache, study the following among other remedies.
Alumina. Drawing toothache, extending to other parts, as down to the larynx, neck, shoulder, & c.
Belladonna. Pains as if ulcerated; worse after lying down at night; or in the cold air. The pain causes moaning and weeping.
Calcarea c. The pain is aggravated by the slightest change, – as from a current air, cold or warm; drinking any thing cold or warm; noise; excitement of the mind, & c.
Hyoscyamus. Violent tearing and pulsating pain, – causing spasmodic jerks of the fingers, hands, arms, facial muscles, eyelids, spasms in the throat, & c.
Magnesia c. Insupportable pains during repose; she must get up and walk about.
Mezereum. Pain extending to the bones of the face and temples; particularly where they run along the let malar bone to the temple.
Nux mosch. Pains in the front of the teeth on inhaling cool air, or taking warm drinks; feeling as if the teeth were grasped to be pulled out.
Nux v. In females who live on exciting or stimulating food or drinks. She feels cross.
Pulsatilla. Better from cold things; worse form warm.
Rhus. Better from the application of external heat.
Staphysagria. The teeth grow black; become carious and brittle. She is very sensitive.
CHOREA.
Where this affection occurs in connection with pregnancy, the spinal system of nerves is affected secondarily, through the ganglionic. The symptoms of this disorder are too strongly marked and too well understood to need to be repeated here. the following conclusions arrived at by an Allopathic writer, Dr. Lever, twenty years ago, fully represent the present state of our knowledge in respect to most of the points mentioned.
“In conclusion, says this writer, “I venture to submit the following proposition: 1. That pregnancy is occasionally associated with chorea, or convulsive movements; with paralysis of various parts of the body, of the extremities, and of the nerves of special sense; and with mania. 2. That the varying symptoms of such complications may be produced at any period of pregnancy; but when produced, although modified by treatment, are rarely removed during the existence of gravity. 3. That the patient in whom these complications exist are women of a highly nervous temperament, of great irritability, or whose constitutional powers have been reduced by some long-continued, but serious cause of exhaustion. Lastly: That, although in most instances the symptoms will continue so long as pregnancy exists, yet, in a majority of cases, we are not justified in inducing a premature evacuation of the uterine contents.
To these views of the Allopathic school, let us add what our own teaches in one most important respect. In those cases in which chorea, or epilepsy, appears for the first time during pregnancy, we must regard this latter state as having sufficed to develop a certain morbid element of the constitution which had hitherto remained latent; and we should seize upon the opportunity thus afforded to endeavor, by the exhibition of the appropriate remedies, to radically cure this morbid taint, and thus, at the same time, prevent the continuance of the convulsive disorder after delivery, and provide against its return in a succeeding pregnancy. In those cases in which women become pregnant who have been subject to either of these nervous affections, the pregnancy may either render the convulsive attacks less frequent, cause them, during the continuance of this state to cease entirely, – or even render them to much more frequent occurrence than before. But, while it is believed that no instances are recorded of epileptic patients having been permanently benefited by pregnancy, – M. Malgaigne* (*Traite Theorique et Pratique, p.368.) cites a singular case in which the first attack of epilepsy was developed during pregnancy in an unfortunate young woman, who retained this fearful malady through all her subsequent life. Similar is the case quoted from a German author, by Dr. Davis, Plus ( Plus Obstetrics, ii., p.900) of a lady twenty-six years of age of a bilious constitution, and the mother of three children, who was attacked with periodical epilepsy whenever she conceived, and who sustained a paroxysm of this malady once a fortnight, during the whole of her gestation. But as soon as she was delivered the disease left her. Its occurrence, therefore, was always a sign to her that she had become pregnant.
HYSTERIA. – This affection constitutes one of the most frequent comprehensive, and complicated of all the nervous derangements which may arise in consequence of pregnancy. But in this place we need to little more than refer the reader to the very full discussion of the general subject of hysteria, in the preceding portion of the present work, – similar indications being present and similar remedies called for in the pregnant as in the non- pregnant condition. Still, in cases of pregnant women, the remedies should be selected, if possible, with still greater care, since, for obvious reasons, much greater importance must be attached to the hysterical condition in the pregnant state.
Dr. Burrowes* (*Commentaries on Insanity, p.364) states that he has seen two cases in which hysterical symptoms attended during pregnancy, and the patients in each case became insane almost immediately after delivery.
Romberg instances among the debilitating influences which are the most fertile sources of hysteria, “repeated miscarriages, and a rapid succession of pregnancies and lactations. Plus ( Plus Diseases of the Nervous System, Sydenham, ed. ii., p. 86) In most cases of women subject to hysteria, or any other form of general disorder of the nervous centres, the occurrence of pregnancy serves rather to aggravate than to ameliorate the pre-existing morbid condition. and in very many cases the influence which pregnancy exerts in developing the latent disposition to nervous or mental disorders, corresponds in a remarkable manner to that exerted by scarlatina in developing the hitherto latent psoric or scrofulous miasm in young children.
DISTURBANCES OF THE INTELLECTUAL FACULTIES. – Pregnancy is sometimes accompanied with a partial mental derangement, which may become complete insanity. Esquiral mentions the case of a young woman of a sensitive habit, who had an attack of madness in two successive pregnancies, commencing immediately after conception, and lasting fifteen days. Dr. Montgomery states that he knew a lady who was attacked with insanity in eight successive pregnancies; and another who was similarly affected three times soon after conception, and remained so until within a short time after labor, when she became sane and continued so until the next pregnancy(++) (++)Vide Churchill, Diseases of Women, Bk. ii., chap. i)
