(1 Adapted from the German of Dr. Veit Meyer.)
Preparations for medicinal use. Chemically pure Platina, which is soft, and may be cut with a knife, is dissolved in aqua regia by the aid of heat, the resultant golden yellow solution diluted to a sufficient extent, and a clean smooth rod of steel suspended in it, on which the Platina precipitates, forming a crystalline coating. This precipitate, which may be easily rubbed off the rod, is several times washed in distilled water (until free from acid), and then well dried between layers of bibulous paper. One grain of this precipitate, triturated for two hours with ninety-nine grains of milk sugar, forms the first centesimal trituration of Platina. The further dynamizations are prepared in the usual manner.
Literature. Stapf and Gross, Archiv. i., 1: Hahnemann, Chronic Diseases, V.
Action. Platina develops its effects as well in the province of the brain as in that of the spinal cord, and of the great nervous branches proceeding from it. The great splanchnic nerves, distributed in the abdomen, and in particular, the nerves of the uterine system given off from the hypogastric plexus, are especially affected by Platina. From this specific action, on inconsiderable number of symptoms seem to result which are quite peculiar to this remedy, as well moral affections as many aches and pains.
Hence this remedy, as will be seen, is especially appropriate for diseases of females, such as we often meet in women and maidens. Whether Platina is suitable only for irritable, excitable females, with predominant activity of the sexual functions, as the majority of writers assume, and among them Stapf and Gross, the provers of it, who, by the way, made their provings on a very excitable young woman, I shall leave undetermined. For myself, I have had frequent occasion to administer Platina, and have obtained the very best curative results in appropriate diseased conditions, occurring in phlegmatic women of lax fiber.
This observation, too, appears to me to stand by no means in opposition to the totality of the Platina symptoms, but rather to accord most clearly with them. For, on a critical review of what has been made known concerning the action of the remedy, we find that all or by far the greater part of its symptoms bear the character of depression, but not that of erethism. A lack of energy, a lack of electric tension of the nerves, if I may so express myself, seems to me more clearly manifest in Platina than in any other remedy. And although we find, it is true, isolated phenomena which seem to indicate a contrary action, yet we regard these only as reflex or alternate effects; and, indeed, they occur in so isolated a manner as almost to disappear before the mass of symptoms which justify the view I have taken.
It may be that a farther proving of this drug, which, by the way, is very desirable, would disprove our assumption: for the present, however, we can only hold to that proving of which we are already in possession. In this proving we find, in every system on which Platina acts, the stamp of relaxation, of diminished energy, of depression, of torpor. As well in the psychical and sensuous, as in the sensitive, motor, and vegetative nervous systems, we see this character manifested by the trembling, the sensations of chilliness, the coldness and paralysis which are so frequently present.
The assertion will be demonstrated when we come to consider the passive and negative relation of Platina to the sympathetic system as the regular of the entire vascular system in the human body. But Platina presents no phenomena of hyperaemia, no independent or primary inflammation, no strikingly accelerated circulation. Hence, we find no alternations in the pulse, such as the learned and careful provers would certainly have signalized had they occurred during the proving.
We have gained, then, several general positions with reference to the sphere of action of Platina.
1. A negative position, viz.: that it does not directly affect the blood life.
2. That it exerts its greatest power upon the brain and spinal cord, and especially in several particular provinces of these nervous centers; and, finally.
3. That it depotentizes and depresses the nervous life.
Let us now seek to determine these characteristic qualities in the individual phenomena of the drug, and inquire, first, how and how far the action of Platina is manifest on the brain and spinal cord, and what changes this drug is able to effect in the individual spheres of these central organs. But, in giving a true picture of the action of Platina, I cannot be expected to adhere closely to the organic order of the individual parts of the nervous system. I shall rather bring first to view those phenomena which stand forth most strikingly among the symptoms of Platina, and arrange the others subsequently in the order of their importance. Thus, then, in surveying the isolated Platina symptoms, we encounter a pathological picture which we have not unfrequently occasion to meet in women I mean hysteria.
In the delineation of this picture, we begin by the recital of those symptoms which relate to the proximate cause of this affection:
I. DISTINCTION IN THE UTERINE SYSTEM.
The following system clearly indicate this: In both groins, painful drawing, as if the menses were about to set in.
Pressing in the hypogastrium, with a feeling of weakness, as before the menses.
Painful pressing down toward the genitals, as if the menses were commencing; sometimes with tenesmus, drawing through the groins over the hips to the sacrum, where the pain continues longer.
Painful sensibility and constant pressure in the pubic region and in the genitals, with almost constant internal chilliness and external objective coldness (except in the face).
In the evening, in bed, the painful pressure as if from the menses commencing ceases immediately, but is felt again in the morning, after rising.
Cutting in the hypogastrium, as if before the menses, with drawing headache.
On the second day of the menses, cutting in the abdomen; then, pressing down in the groin, alternating with pressure in the genitals, with increased congestion and discharge of blood.
Pressing in the abdomen, and depression of spirits, with copious menstrual flow.
Menses six days too early, with diarrhoea.
Menses fourteen days too early, and very copious.
Menses six days too early, and lasting eight days, with drawing pain in the abdomen the first day.
The first day of the menses, discharge of much clotted blood. Voluptuous tingling in the genitals and in the abdomen, with oppressive anxiety and palpitation; thereupon, painful pressure low in the genitals, with relaxed feeling and sticking in the sinciput.
Leucorrhoea like white of egg, without sensation, only by day, sometimes after urinating, sometimes after rising from her seat.
If we consider these symptoms connectedly, we see that the disturbances excited in the uterine system by Platina consist chiefly in certain spasmodic affections and pains, and in the too early appearance of the menstrual discharge. This anticipation of the menses, however, does not result from an abnormal, congestive overloading of the uterus with blood, as we have heretofore seen to be the case with Aconite, and as others have observed of Pulsatilla and Crocus, in the case of which remedies the clearly marked alternations in the character of the blood discharged, in addition to many other phenomena indicative of hyperaemia, are evidence of such a condition. The too early and too long- continued menstruation of Platina depend not so much on sanguineous congestion as, rather, on atony of the nerves and vessels of the uterus, whereby a condition resembling anaemia is induced, which is indicated in the symptoms “pale and sunken face; pale, wretched aspect for several days.” (The heat and redness of face are alternate effects.) The atonic condition is evidenced, too, by the already mentioned symptom, “painful sensibility, etc., with almost constant internal chilliness and external objective coldness;” since, indeed, as we shall soon see, chilliness and coldness are peculiar to Platina.
Proceeding with the further delineation of the Platina hysteria, to which we have a good clue in the symptoms, “pressing in abdomen, with ill-humor, attending the copious menses,” we shall see what is the nature of the psychical affection.
II. DISTURBANCES IN THE PSYCHICAL SPHERE OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM.
Depression, despondency, taciturnity.
She things she is neglected, and stands alone in the world.
Anxiety, with flushes of heat trembling of the hands.
Great anxiety, with violent palpitation of the heart, whenever she would speak in company, so that speaking becomes irksome to her.
Anxiety as though she should die or lose consciousness, with trembling in every limb, oppressed breathing, and violent palpitation of the heart.
Anxiety in region of the heart, and apprehensiveness, as if she must soon die, with disposition to weep, and actual weeping.
Great restlessness of disposition, she can rest quietly nowhere, with melancholy which renders even the most joyous objects disagreeable to her. She thinks she is not fit for the world, is tried of life, but has the greatest dread of death, which she believes is at hand.
Dr. Dunham graduated from Columbia University with Honours in 1847. In 1850 he received M.D. degree at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York. While in Dublin, he received a dissecting wound that nearly killed him, but with the aid of homoeopathy he cured himself with Lachesis. He visited various homoeopathic hospitals in Europe and then went to Munster where he stayed with Dr. Boenninghausen and studied the methods of that great master. His works include 'Lectures on Materia Medica' and 'Homoeopathy - Science of Therapeutics'.