INTRODUCTION
SEP – Juice of the Cuttle-Fish. See Hahnemann’s “Chronic Diseases,” V.
COMPARE WITH
Aconite, Arsenicum, Baryta, Belladonna, Calc-c., and Phosph., Carb-v., China, Ledum, Lycopodium, Mercurius, Nitr-ac., Nux-v., Phosph., Pulsatilla, Rhododendron, Rhus- t., Sarsaparilla, Silicea, Sulphur, Tart-stib., Veratrum Sepia is frequently serviceable after: Causticum, Ledum, Mercurius, Pulsatilla, Silicea, Sulphur, Sulph-ac. Afterwards are frequently suitable: Carb-v., Causticum, Pulsatilla
ANTIDOTE
Aconite, Spir.nitr.-dulc., Tart-stib., Acet-vini. Sepia antidotes: Calcarea, Phosph., China, Mercurius, Sarsap., Sulphur
CLINICAL NOTE BY DR. NEIDHARD, OF PHILADELPHIA.
“Sepia is a most efficacious remedy in disturbance of the circulation in the female sex, characterized by the following symptoms: flushes of heat, redness, swelling of the face, general determination of blood to the head and right temple; general swelling of the upper part of the body, more in the morning; swelling of the chest, stomach, and abdomen; hands and feet cold; throbbing in the sacral region; palpitation of the heart, with occasional intermittent pulse, scanty urine, costiveness. In diseases of the skin, with the following symptoms small, red pimples, producing a roughness and cracking of the skin, and from which a watery humor sometimes oozes; at other times they are dry; they principally affect the inside of the joints of the arms and legs, particularly the knee and elbow-joints, but are also, chiefly in children, to be seen on the face. In young girls, when the menses have not appeared, or only slightly, Sepia generally brings them on more fully. In diseases of the womb: with heat in the womb, bearing down after exercise, with slight pain there as well as in the back.”.
GENERAL SYMPTOMS
Affections of the female sex, particularly of feeble delicate individuals, with fine, sensitive, delicate skin. Affections of the capillary system. Nervous affections. Bad consequences of chagrin. Bad effects from onanism. Scrofulous (and rickety affections). Rheumatic affections, particularly of slender persons, or with great disposition to sweat, and alternation of chilliness and heat. Pains as if sprained, particularly when exerting the affected parts, likewise at night in the warmth of the b ed. Drawing in all the limbs. Arthritic drawing in the knees and finger-joints. Lacerating in the knees and elbow- joints. Jerking and stitching in the various parts of the body. Jactitation of the muscles. Pain in all her limbs, especially the hips. The limbs go to sleep easily. Stiffness and immobility of the joints. Uneasiness in the whole body. Anxiety in the limbs. Frequent trembling in the whole body. Seething of the blood in the body. Seething of the blood, with congestion to the head and chest. Profuse sweat when walking. Sensitiveness to cold air. Tendency to take cold, particularly in the wind. Unusual catarrhal symptoms after becoming wet. Liability to cold. Slight attacks of vertigo and palpitation of the heart when walking in the open air. Pressure in the region of the heart when walking, generally. Paroxysms. Very weak in the morning, with uneasiness in the body. Fit of vertigo with fainting. The lower limbs felt bruised and weak. Great weakness of the lower limbs. Indolence of both body and mind, with difficult breathing. Heaviness in all the limbs. Weakness of the knees. Weakness of all the limbs, with chilliness. Paroxysms of hysteric weakness. Obscuration of sight during the menses.
CHARACTERISTIC PECULIARITIES
The pains are not felt during violent exercise, as walking in the open air. Shuddering attends the pains. The pains are relieved by the application of the warmth.
SKIN
Swelling of the whole body, with great shortness of breathing, with fever every two or three days, being an alternation of chilliness and heat at irregular hours. In the evening, swelling in the wrist-joint, in the bend of the elbow, and around the tarsal-joints. Glandular and lymphatic swellings. Scirrhous Indurations. The skin of the whole body is painful as if sore. Itching, and itching pimples in the joints. Dry itch, and itch- like eruptions. Pemphigus. Claret colored spots on the neck and under the chin. Brown, red, herpetic spots on the skin. Scurfy, humid, herpes, with itching and burning. Ring worm. Soreness of the skin, in the joints, also in the children.
SLEEP
Excessive yawning and stretching. Drowsiness in the daytime. Wide awake at night. Sleepless night, without pain. Restless sleep, mingled with dreams, and tossing from side to side. Great uneasiness in the limbs, at night. Frequent waking at night. Sleep disturbed by many disagreeable dreams. Loud talking during sleep. Moaning and groaning at night while asleep. Restless sleep with vexatious dreams. Attacks of anxiety at night. Oppressive seething of the blood when going to sleep. Seething of the blood, at night. Heat and consequent uneasiness at night. Febrile heat at night, with anxious fancies and dreams. Nightly sleeplessness, and fanciful ravings while asleep. Violent lacerating from the hip-joint to the foot, at night, hindering sleep. Jerking of the limbs, at night. Drawing and pressure in the pit of the stomach, at night. Painful pressure in the abdomen, and pain as if bruised, at night, waking her. Violent throbbing headache, at night. Pressure in the eyes at night. Vertigo at night. Violent palpitation of the heart, in the evening when in bed, and beating of all the arteries. Disturbed night’s rest, with pain in the small of the back. Dry titillating cough, with a sort of spasm in the chest, at night. Sleep is disturbed by frequent coughing, and aching in the feet. Unceasing cough the whole night. Great pain as if bruised, at night, while asleep, and sense of exhaustion in the thighs and upper arms; the pain disappeared immediately on waking. He wakes with a shriek and start. Long unrefreshing sleep.
FEVER
Waking in the morning with much chilliness and internal uneasiness. Feverish, faint; hot urine. Shivering, without chilliness. Constant chilliness, day and night, with pinching in the abdomen. Feverish shiverings, with alternation of heat, until night. Alternation of the heat in the head and chilliness in the lower limbs. Febrile heat mingled with feverish shuddering, accompanied with dullness and heaviness in the forehead, preceded by luminous vibrations before the eyes, with
much nausea, great oppression of the chest. Almost uninterrupted heat of the whole body, with redness of the face and sweat about the head and body, and violent headache; with palpitation of the heart and trembling over the whole body. Intermittent fever, with thirst during the chilliness. Fever and ague, at frequent, but indefinite periods of the day. Violent chills for one hour, followed by violent heat and inability to collect one’s senses; after which, violent sweat in the evening. Fever, with pressing in the temples, at intervals of some minutes, and with shortness of breath during the night. Continual dry febrile heat, with redness of the face, great thirst, painful deglutition. Flushes of heat. Attacks of heat every afternoon. Profuse general night-sweat. Cold night-sweat on the chest, back, and thighs. Morning-sweat over the whole body. Sourish night sweat. Sweat when walking, particularly in the open air, also with exhaustion. Sweat from the least motion. Sweat when sitting.
MORAL SYMPTOMS
Desponding, sad. Great sadness, weeps frequently. Trembling with fearfulness, cold sweat on the forehead. Paroxysms of oppressive anxiety. Great anguish in the blood. Great internal restlessness, for many days, accompanied with hurriedness. Complete discouragement. Extreme loathing of life. Inclines to start and is very fearful. Melancholy and peevish. The nerves are very sensitive to every noise. Inclines to be out of humor. Laziness of mind and despondency. Great indifference, even to his own family. Apathy.
SENSORIUM
Weak memory. Absence of mind. Gloominess, and inability to think. Sensation of stupidity in the head, in paroxysms, with shuddering and momentary arrest of breathing. Dullness of the head, as in catarrh, with a reeling sensation. Dullness of the head, with pressure in the eyes. The whole head feels dull and vacillating. Painful gloominess in the head, especially the forehead. Dimness and dullness of the head, with whirling sensation. Dizziness and stupid feeling in the head. Stupefaction of the head, with tightness of the chest and weakness of the whole body. Vertigo. Vertigo only when walking in the open air.
HEAD
Intense headache in the morning, on waking. Headache every morning, with nausea. Headache in the forehead and vertex; afterwards anxiety in the it of the stomach, with trembling. Headache, with great desire for an embrace. Headache, with photophobia and inability to open the eyes, on account of the pain. Paralytic feeling in the forehead. Headache, most violent towards evening. Paroxysms of hemicrania, with nausea, vomiting, and boring sticking, extorting cries. Rush of blood to the head. Heat in the head, with a burning sensation through the ears. Painful heat in the head. Violent headache, with intolerance of external warmth. Beating headache in the evening. Violent beating headache in the temples. Painful beating in the occiput. Beating headache at every motion. Violent painful jerking in the forehead. Aching over the eyes. Violent pressure in the head, the whole day, with vertigo, weeping mood, and profuse coryza. Deep-seated headache, with aching pain in the molars. Pressure and tension in the forehead and eyes, with burning. Oppressive weight of the head, in the temples and over the forehead, as if the head were congested with blood. Heaviness of the head. Compressive sensation in the upper part of the head, the whole day, with great dyspnoea. Headache, as if the eyes would fall out. Violent headache, as if the head would burst. Contractive headache in the forehead. Headache in the forenoon, as if the brain were crushed. Stitching headache. Stitches in the forehead, with inclination to vomit. Frequent drawing pain. Lacerating in the head. Lacerating over the eyes. Pain of the scalp when touching it. Great falling off of the hair. Involuntary shaking of the head. A good deal of itching of the hairy scalp. Corrosive itching of the scalp. Coldness on the head. Humid scalp. A number of scabs on the scalp. Swelling above the temple. Swelling on the forehead. Small red pimples on the forehead, rough forehead.
