The mucous membrane is infiltrated and hard, and the eyelids cannot be opened. They spasmodically close, they cannot be pulled apart except by violence. It is a blepharitis, with thickening and infiltration.
Copious discharge. Now, as we strike this as a catarrhal region, let me say that all through the remedy we will find passive catarrhal discharges. In some instances thick and yellow, but at the same time passive, a passive state of the mucous membrane. But the characteristic, the principal discharge of Argentum met. is gray, thick, tenacious mucus.
He expectorates from the lungs-and from the air passages, from the trachea and from the larynx, gray mucus. Gray mucus from the vagina, gray mucus from the urethra, gray mucus from the eyes. Only in a few instances does it have yellow discharges.
When ulceration takes place, as in the larynx and on the eyelids, we have from this ulceration thick, yellow discharges; but from the ulcerated mucous surfaces it will generally be found to be gray, except in the urethra.
It has cured old cases of chronic gonorrhoea. If we get the general character of the remedy we know what to expect when it goes to each region. If we do not know the general character of a remedy we do not know what to expect; and if we get into a region where we have the very opposite of it we know then that that is a particular, and does not conform to its generals.
But first of all we have to single out what is general, what may be expected, what belongs to the nature of the remedy, so that when we see its opposites we may recognize it and know it as an opposite, as a particular, and as an exception. Here is one of the characteristic features of Argentum itching.
“Scratching until bleeding in the ear”.
Now, this itching involves the whole outside ear and extends into the ear, so he scratches the ear until it is red, and swollen, and bleeds.
The cartilage of that ear is lumpy and nodular; is infiltrated. The cartilages of the nose are also infiltrated. Argentum met. cures many of these cases that are operated on when they have some portion of the inside of the nose removed by the surgeon, so that the patient can breathe better.
“Thickening of’ the bones in the nose, the thickening and building up of the mucous membrane and the cellular tissue in the nasal passages.”
Argentum met. is often indicated in such cases. This remedy has a very decided action. Infiltrations go on thickening and hardening, and then we have serum in joints. This is one of the most important remedies to know in the necrosis of cartilages every where in the body.
But with it must go such nervous and mental symptoms as the remedy has, such as I have described. The patient looks sickly, pale, careworn, tired. A broken down patient. An Argentum met. patient is a sickly one who should have had a homoeopathic doctor years ago, but one who can, be patched tip and benefited now if be has not gone too far.
“Painful tension and drawing in the throat. Throat feels raw and Painful sore during expiration. This is extended into the larynx. soreness from breathing. Rawness from coughing in the larynx. Great quantities of gray mucus expectorated easily. Tension in the fauces on the right side.”
Abdomen: Argentum met. has abdominal troubles. Bruised, sore feelings in the abdomen. If these progress from a catarrhal inflammation of the mucous membranes to a general congestion of all the tissues in the abdomen, diarrhea comes on, or constipation of the most inveterate character, tuberculosis of the mesenteric glands, emaciation, weakness, trembling.
Paralytic feelings here and there in the body. Painful soreness, in the whole abdomen in connection with the urinary troubles. It has a low form of tissue making, such as tuberculosis, cancerous affections, infiltrations, such as we have mentioned.
Dry stool, like sand. Undigested stool; very offensive. Catarrhal inflammation of the mucous membranes of the urinary passages, the whole urinary tract. It cures albuminuria; it cures diabetes, with sugar in the urine; and many of the broken-down conditions of the kidneys. Low, broken-down constitutions. Enormous quantities of whey-like urine. A copious flow of urine. Children lose the urine in sleep. Broken-down, nervous constitutions lose the urine in sleep.
Genitals: It has a very decided action upon the genitalia of both male and female. In the male it especially affects the testes and the mucous tract. It, infiltrates the testes, producing hardness. In the text it reads;
“crushed pain the right testicle.”
“Clothing increases pain on walking.”
Inflammation with infiltration. Chronic orchitis. It has cured a very suspicious testicle believed to he a cancerous affection, which began in the epididymus, following a gonorrhoea. Inflammation, great hardness, pain, swelling, burning and stinging.
Another symptom here is of great importance:
“Yellowish-greenish gonorrhea of an indolent character from the beginning, of eight months’ standing.”
That clinical symptom has been verified.
Now, it is a natural feature of gonorrhoea for the discharge to be yellow, or yellowish-green, and thick in the early stage, for it then to become lighter and lighter until it is whitish thick or thin, growing lighter in character until it becomes white and gleety. Argentum met. is the remedy when the discharge remains yellow.
The pain has all ceased, and generally when the pain ceases the discharge soon begins to be lighter, but in the Argentum met. cases pain ceases, it becomes a passive discharge, the urethra loses its sensitiveness to pain, and the mucous membrane loses its sensation to a great extent, but the thick greenish or yellowish discharge remains. Now, in these thick passive discharges that are long-standing, old cases, we are very much troubled to find remedies.
These old stubborn cases that still remain yellow, and still remain thick. They will not yield to ordinary remedies-they come under a peculiar class of remedies. Argentum met., Alumina, Alumen, Sulphur. Ones not usually thought of in the early period, but the general constitutional state of the patient forms the character of his symptoms.
In the female we have ovarian troubles, infiltration, hardness, cystic troubles, cystic ovaries, that are cured by this remedy; ovarian tumors; very large, hard indurated ovaries-especially the left. The right testicle, the left ovary. Pain in the left ovary and back. Prolapsus, with pain in left ovary. Pain in the small of the back while sitting. The cures have been predominantly of the left ovary, although, it cures complaints of both.
Another grand feature – found in-this remedy is weakness, relaxation of muscles through the whole body; trembling; and now, if that thought is applied – if that feature of the remedy is observed in the pelvic organs – it will be seen that those muscles that hold up the uterus, the broad ligament, etc., are in a state of relaxation, they allow the uterus to sag. In other words, we get prolapsus.
Prolapsus: You will be astonished to know that homoeopathic remedies are wonderful in their ability to create tonicity, and thereby restore the prolapsed uterus to its normal position, and to remove the dragging down feeling women generally describe, a sensation as if the inner parts were being forced out.
All of these are sensations that accompany a prolapsus. Argentum is one of the medicines. In fact, the whole pelvic system is engorged increased in weight; tissues infiltrated likely to be hardened. Cervix congested and indurated. Takes on ulceration.
Greatly enlarged, congested. It has been a palliative medicine in epithelioma of the cervix, with burning, stinging pains, copious, putrid, yellowish-green and bloody discharge. It has cured a tendency to menorrhagia, copious menstrual flow; the relaxation that must be present in hemorrhages will soon be overcome when the symptoms agree, when the general state is present. Ulcer of the uterus; discharge purulent, ichorous.
“Sometimes bloody water, with unbearable stench.”
It is a medicine increased in weight; tissues infiltrated likely to be hardened. Cervix
“Neck of the uterus very much swollen, presented a spongy mass, deeply corroded with ulcers in different directions.”
Where it was given in case of scirrhus of the uterus it says.
“In less than three days foul smell was lost entirely.”
When a remedy acts in that manner it actually stops the growth. In fact, a cancerous state that would go on to its termination in fourteen to sixteen months will go two or three years and the patient remain comfortable.
The remedy that is indicated stops the ulceration, it checks the destruction, and keeps the patient comfortable and with her friends for years. In cancerous affections the state of life is very low. The state of order is generally beyond restoration.
Voice and larynx: Then we come to a state of the larynx. It is a wonderful laryngeal medicine. Loss of voice with inflammation, from overuse of the voice such as occurs in singers and talkers. One who is compelled to use the larynx much. It is then a paralytic weakness of the vocal cords. Running all through this remedy there is aggravation from any little prolonged exertion – a paralytic tendency wit aggravation from exertion.
In 1881, Kent accepted a position as professor of anatomy at the Homeopathic College of Missouri, an institution with which he remained affiliated until 1888. In 1890, Kent moved to Pennsylvania to take a position as Dean of Professors at the Post-Graduate Homeopathic Medical School of Philadelphia. In 1897 Kent published his magnum opus, Repertory of the Homœopathic Materia Medica. Kent moved to Chicago in 1903, where he taught at Hahnemann Medical College.