In the subsequent list of antipsoric remedies no isopathic remedies are mentioned, for the reason that their effects upon the healthy organism have not been sufficiently ascertained. Even the itch miasm (psorinum), in its various degrees of potency, comes under this objection. I call psorin a homoeopathic antipsoric, because if the preparations of psorin did not alter its nature to that of a homoeopathic remedy it never could have any effect upon an organism tainted with that same identical virus. The psoric virus, by undergoing the processes of trituration and shaking, becomes just as much altered in its nature as gold does, the homoeopathic preparations of which are not inert substances in the animal economy, but powerfully acting agents. Psorinum is a similimum of the itch virus. There is no intermediate degree between idem and similimum; in other words, the thinking man sees that simillimum is the medium between simile and idem. The only definite meaning which the terms “isopathic and aequale” can convey is that of similimum; they are not idem. Hitherto syphilis alone has been to some extent known as such a chronic miasmatic disease, which when uncured ceases only with the termination of life. Sycosis (the condylomatous disease), equally ineradicable by the vital force without proper medicinal treatment, was not recognized as a chronic miasmatic disease of a peculiar character, which it nevertheless undoubtedly is, and physicians imagined they had cured it when they had destroyed the growth upon the skin, but the persisting dyscrasia occasioned by it escaped their observation. Incalculably greater and more important than the two chronic miasms just named, however, is the chronic miasm of psora, which, whilst those two reveal their specific internal dyscrasia, the one by the
Characteristics
Especially adapted to the psoric constitution.
In chronic cases when well selected remedies fail to relieve or permanently improve (in acute diseases, Sulphur); when Sulphur seems indicated but fails to act.
Lack of reaction after severe acute diseases. Appetite will not return.
Children are pale, delicate, sickly. Sick babies will not sleep day or night but worry, fret, cry (Jalap.); child is good, plays all day; restless, troublesome, screaming all night (rev. of, Lycopodium).
Great weakness and debility; from loss of animal fluids; remaining after acute diseases; independent of or without any organic lesion, or apparent cause.
Body has a filthy smell, even after bathing.
The whole body painful, easily sprained and injured.
Great sensitiveness to cold air or change of weather.
Stormy weather he feels acutely; feels restless for days before or during a thunderstorm (Phos); dry scaly eruptions disappear in summer, return in winter.
Ailments: from suppressed itch or other skin diseases when Sulphur fails to relieve; severe, from even slight emotions; never recovered from typhoid.
Feels unusually well day before attack.
Extremely psoric patients; nervous, restless, easily startled.
All excretions – diarrhoea, leucorrhea, menses, perspiration – have a carrion-like odor.
Anxious, full of fear; evil forebodings.
Religious melancholy; very depressed, sad suicidal thoughts, despairs of salvation (Melilotus), of recovery.
Despondent: fears he will die; that he will fail in business; during climaxis; making his own life and that of those about him intolerable.
Driven to despair with excessive itching.
Headache: preceded, by flickering before eyes; by dimness of vision or blindness (Lac-d., Kali bichromicum); by black spots or rings.
Headache: always hungry during; amel. while eating (Anacardium, Kali-p.); from suppressed eruptions, or suppressed menses, amel. by nosebleed (Mel).
Hair, dry, lusterless, tangles easily, glues together (Lycopodium) Plica polonica (Baryta, Sarsaparilla, Tub).
Scalp: dry, scaly or moist, fetid, suppurating eruptions; oozing a sticky, offensive fluid (Graphites, Mez.).
Intense photophobia, with inflamed lids; cannot open the eyes; lies with face buried in pillow.
Ears: humid scurfs and soreness on and behind ears; oozing and offensive viscid fluid (Graph).
Otorrhea: thin, ichorous, horribly fetid discharge, like decayed meat; chronic, after measles or scarlatina.
Acne: all forms, simplex, rosacea; agg. during menses, from coffee, fats, sugar, meat; when the best selected remedy fails or only palliates.
Hungry in the middle of the night, must have something to eat (Cina, Sulphur).
Eructations tasting of rotten eggs (Arnica, Ant-t., Graphites).
Quinsy: tonsils greatly swollen; difficult, painful swallowing; burns, feels scalded; cutting, tearing, intense pain to ears on swallowing (painless, Baryta carb.); profuse, offensive saliva; tough mucus in throat, must hawk continually. To not only amel. acute attack but eradicate the tendency.
Hawks up cheesy balls, size of a pea, of disgusting taste and carrion-like odor (Kali-m.).
Diarrhoea: sudden, imperative (Aloe, Sulphur); stool watery, dark brown, fetid, smells like carrion; involuntary, agg. at night from 1 to 4 A.M.; after severe acute diseases, teething; in children; when weather changes.
Constipation: Obstinate, with backache; from inactivity of rectum; when Sulphur fails to relieve.
Enuresis: from vesical paresis; during full moon obstinate cases, with a family history of eczema.
Chronic gonorrhea of year’s duration that can neither be suppressed nor cured; the best selected remedy fails.
Leucorrhea: large, clotted lumps of an intolerable odor; violent pains in sacrum; debility; during climaxis.
During pregnancy: most obstinate vomiting, fetus moves too violently; when the best selected remedy fails to relieve; to correct the psoric diathesis of the unborn.
Profuse perspiration after acute diseases, with relief of all suffering (Caladium, Natrum mur.) Asthma, dyspnoea: Agg. in open air, sitting up (Laur.); amel. lying down and keeping arms stretched far apart (rev. of Arsenicum); despondent, thinks he will die.
Cough returns every winter.
Hay fever: appearing regularly every year the same day of the month; with an asthmatic, psoric or eczematous history. Patient should be treated the previous winter to eradicate the diathesis and prevent summer attack.
Cough: after suppressed itch, or eczema; chronic of the years duration; agg. mornings on waking and evenings on lying down (Phosphorus, Tuberculinum); sputa green, yellow or salty mucus; pus-like; coughs a long time before expectorating.
Skin: abnormal tendency to receive skin diseases (Sulphur); eruptions easily suppurate (Hepar); dry, inactive, rarely sweats; dirty look, as if never washed; coarse greasy, as if bathed in oil; bad effects from suppression by Sulphur and Zinc ointments.
Sleepless from intolerable itching, or frightful dreams of robbers, danger, etc. (Natrum mur.).
Psorinum should not be given for psora or the psoric diathesis, but like every other remedy, upon a strict individualization-the totality of the symptoms-and then we realize its wonderful work.
Relations
Antidoted by Coffea, Nux-v. (if agg. when too frequently repeated or over-dose).
Compatible: Carb-v., Cinchona, Opium, Sul., Tuberculinum (if want of susceptibility to medicinal action).
Followed by well by: Alumina, Borax, Hepar, Lycopodium, Sul., Tuberculinum
Complementary: Sul., Tuberculinum; after Lact-ac. and Nux-v. (vomiting of pregnancy); after Arnica, Bellis, Hamamelis (in traumatic affections of the ovaries); Sulph. follows Psorinum in mammary cancer.
Inimical: Apis, Crot., Lachesis and the serpent poisons.
Compare: Chamomilla, Jalap (sick babies, fret day and night); (happy all day, scream at night) (Lycopodium) cry all day, sleeps at night; nervous effects of electric storms (Phosphorus, X-ray); Gelsemium, Lac-d., Kali bichromicum (headache preceded by dim vision and dark spots); Anacardium, kali phos. (headache with hunger amel. while eating); Melilotus (headache relieved by nose-bleed); Baryta-c., Lycopodium, Sarsaparilla, Tuberculinum (plica polonica); Kali mur. (offensive cheesy balls from the throat); Calcarea, Nat-mur. (all symptoms amel. by lying down and keeping arms stretched far apart; (Arsenicum, must sit up and lean forward); Phosphorus, Tuberculinum (cough and affections of the respiratory tract agg. mornings on waking, and evenings lying down); Graphites, Hepar, Silicea (eruptions and slight injuries of the skin easily suppurating); Digitalis (drinking agg. cough ); Bryonia, Nat., Mal. (earthy, sallow, greasy face); Pulsatilla, Tuberculinum (erratic shifting pains agg. from fats and pastry agg. evening); Sanguinaria, Tuberculinum (sensation as if tongue were burned); Arsenicum, Baptisia, Pyrogen (sensation as if parts were separated, Arsenicum body at waist, Baptisia the brain and limbs); Kali-c., Pyrogen, Tuberculinum (profuse sweat during convalescence); Amb., Caps., Cinn., Laur., Opium, Val. (lack of susceptibility to best selected remedy); Gelsemium, Kali Iodium Sabina, Cin-n. (hay-fever); Cina, Chin-s., Ignatia, Lycopodium, Sul., Tuberculinum (hungry at night, can’t sleep until they eat.).
