Introduction
Franz, one of Hahnemann’s followers, first introduced this metal into our Materia Medica. He was assisted by five of his associates in the proving. Hahnemann’s own contribution consists of 753 symptoms, which are believed to be simply the symptoms observed on patients of his who were taking the 18th dilution as a medicine.
The old school use many of the zinc salts, internally and externally, but they do not use the metal.
Symptoms
“Zincum met. produces a marked derangement of the whole cerebrospinal system,” and we find “delirium, spasms, violent neuralgias, tremblings, extreme hyperaesthesia and paralysis. There seems no doubt that is affects not only the meninges of the brain and cord, but also the nerve-structure itself. Its action on mucous membranes is particularly seen in the eye, gastro- intestinal canal and bronchi. Its action on the blood is well established,” producing like Plumbum, “marked anaemia (deficiency of red corpuscles) with profound prostration” (Allen).
We find in Zincum met. aggravation towards evening and from wine (5) or stimulants; amelioration in the open air (9), from discharges, as from the chest, uterus, etc., and on the appearance of eruptions.
Physical and mental exhaustion (155) are noticeable in the Zincum met. patient and they are often associated with acute sensitiveness of all cutaneous nerves (166) and with muscular unsteadiness. In many of the conditions calling for the remedy we find twitching of various muscles, especially of the feet (193).
Zincum met. is useful for convulsions from suppression of the menses (36), for convulsions from suppression of eruptions (35) and from fright (36).
It is to be thought of in epilepsy (66) in anaemic infants and children, and for chorea (31), with incessant movement, mostly of the feet and legs, and especially during sleep. It is indicated in delirium, accompanied by great exhaustion, with subsultus tendinum (183), coldness of extremities (71) and trembling of hands (192).
The mental condition in Zincum met. is generally lethargic stupid, with weakness of memory, or great forgetfulness (133) and is associated with tendency to convulsions, sometimes with a feeling of paralysis, so that the extremities have to be rubbed. It is useful in brain-fag (93), from cerebral anaemia (90), with neuralgic headache, vertigo, blurring of one half of vision (104) and photophobia.
For melancholia, Talcott speaks of it as follows: “When prolonged mental overwork and close confinement have produced a state of forgetfulness, mental weakness, inability to apply the mind, broken and unrefreshing sleep, Zincum becomes a valuable remedy, aided by rest and change of scene. Many cases of melancholia present mental exhaustion as their immediate cause, and are helped by its administration; and it is used when defective reaction and lack of trophic power retard recovery.” It may prove useful as a palliative in general paresis (149).
It is said that a suicidal tendency (183) or fear that one is to be arrested on account of a crime (53) is a marked indication for this remedy in mental alienation.
There is vertigo in Zincum met., often preceded by pressure at the root of the nose and a sensation as if the eyes were being drawn together by a cord (77). Vertigo with sensation as if he would fall to the left when walking (207).
Headaches are common under Zincum met. and we find as a prominent symptom, headache caused by, or worse from, the least amount of wine (98). The headache may extend from the forehead to the vertex and occiput, with relief from hard pressure (92) on the sides of the head, always with aggravation from alcoholic stimulants (98), and associated with soreness of the scalp (91), photophobia and restlessness (160). With the headache we often find a sensation of a heavy weight pressing downward on the top of the head (103); sometimes there is a feeling of a heavy weight dragging the occiput backward or downward (107). It is useful for violent headaches in school children (95) who are overtaxed mentally, and Hering speaks of it for “chlorotic headaches, especially in patients whose blood has been saturated with iron.”
Zinc is a valuable remedy in the different forms of hydrocephalus (119), either following cholera infantum (60), or idiopathic and apparently tubercular (119), with the general indications of roaring in the head, starting up in fright, tremulousness of the muscles (192) and constant motion of the feet; it is sometimes curative even after convulsions have set in. Also of value in meningitis (133), whether caused by suppressed exanthemata (133) or during teething, always characterized by the peculiar hyperaesthesia of all the special senses, with twitching, trembling, squinting and even convulsions.
In the eye, Zincum met. is useful for catarrhal conjunctivitis, especially when confined to the inner canthi, and for pterygium (a vascular triangle thickening of a portion of the conjunctiva, that may spread to the pupil), especially that form that extends from the inner canthus, with smarting as from sand (77), burning, itching and lachrymation. We can keep in mind that Zincum met. has as marked an affinity for the inner canthus as Graphites has for the outer.
Zincum met. may prove useful in difficult dentition (187); the child is weak, bores the head into the pillow, is inclined to squint, cries out in sleep, and in particular has restless feet (71). In the throat it can be thought of for globus hystericus (119), with a sensation of a ball rising up from the pit of the stomach.
It has been found useful in atonic dyspepsia (178), with a feeling of goneness (179) or sinking at 11 A.M. (179). Whatever gastric or abdominal troubles the Zincum met. patients may have to do not offer them sugar, or for which there is an aversion (6), or wine (176), as it causes nausea and increases the flatulence with which they are often troubled. It is useful for flatulent colic, with much rumbling and gurgling (11), “worse wine towards evening and during the night, and at rest” (Hering), for lead colic (126) and for neuralgia of the bowels, with retraction of the abdomen (11). It has sometimes relieved some of the abdominal symptoms, flatulent colic especially, due to movable kidney.
While not often indicated in the early stages of diarrhoea, it is frequently useful in the “latter stages of diarrhoea, dysentery” or cholera infantum, “when the cerebral symptoms indicate approaching hydrocephaloid; deficient nerve power, convulsions” or boring of the head into the pillow, “pale face and without any rise of temperature” (Hering). The stools are green (59) mucous, sometimes associated with tenesmus (61). It is useful when sudden cessation of the diarrhoeaic discharge is followed by cerebral symptoms.
Zincum met. is the only remedy mentioned in the Handbook for hysterical retention of urine; it is also useful for paralysis of the bladder (22), with the resulting retention (22) and later with dribbling from the over-distention; they can urinate only when sitting, or “when sitting bent backward” (Hering).
In the male sexual organs we find under Zincum met., seminal emissions (167), with hypochondriasis (168) and general irritability, or easy excitability, with premature emission (167), It is useful for neuralgia of either testicle (188), with drawing pains and aggravation when walking.
As a rule, under Zincum met. women are relieved of their complaints during the menstrual flow (134). We find especially general restlessness (160), depression of spirits, tendency to coldness and in particular the restlessness of the feet (71), “the fidgets” preceding the flow. We may find neuralgia of the l. ovary (147) preceding the menses, better from the flow (134).
It is to be thought of in vicarious menstruation (138), with the general symptoms of the remedy, and in nymphomania (146), especially when caused by pruritus of the vulva (156), with aggravation at night.
We may have cough, worse before and during the menses and “worse from wine” (Hering).
Zinc is to be thought of for children with a spasmodic cough, or with whooping cough, worse during the evening and at night. It is said to be characteristic of the remedy when during the spasms of cough the child grasps the genitals. It is to be thought of in bronchitis, with easy, profuse, frothy expectoration (69), the cough worse at night on lying down (41), with necessity to sit up (41).
It is of value for asthmatic bronchitis or asthma (19), with constriction or oppression of the chest (29) and dyspnoea due to the accumulation of the mucus which is not easily raised, and with relief from expectoration.
Zincum met. has been used in locomotor ataxia (127), with trembling, unsteadiness of the extremities and lightning-like pains. It is of frequent use in spinal irritation (171), the whole body sensitive to touch (166), especially the last dorsal vertebrae, with aggravation from sitting still and from stimulants.
It is useful in lumbago, with pains running down the thighs (128), with aggravation when sitting, on rising from a chair and on stooping. It is also of value in sciatica, with restlessness of the feet (71), the pain extending the whole length of the leg worse at night (164) and from exertion.
