Aconite [Acon]
Sudden onset after exposure to cold dry air.
Pains, with formication and numbness (Chamomilla).
Rheumatic inflammation of joints; pains intolerable.
Intense bright-red swelling of parts. Sensitive to contact. High fever.
Worse at night.
With the Aconite anxiety, fear, restlessness.
Bryonia [Bry]
A “worse cold, dry weather” remedy (Aconite, Nux vomica, Hepar, Causticum).
Acute articular rheumatism; swelling; tension.
Worse slightest movement. Wants to lie still.
White tongue; dry, dark, hard stools.
Thirsty for large drinks.
Perspiration relieves (reverse of Mercurius).
The characteristic pains of Bryonia are stitching.
Affects especially synovial membranes (joints, pleura, pericardium, meninges).
Local inflammation violent, parts very hot.
Nux Vomica [Nux-v]
“Whole body burning hot, especially face red and hot, yet cannot move or uncover in the least without feeling chilly.”
“Rheumatic fever: vertigo, chilliness alternating with heat, pains in head, back and limbs; thirst; dry skin; scanty, dark urine; delayed stool. Evening fever (<) towards morning.”
Lumbago; pains drawing and spasmodic. Must sit turn over.
Attacks especially trunks of muscles and large joints; pale tensive swellings.
Worse motion (Bryonia); dread of motion.
Worse least jar (Belladonna), and cold.
Very chilly; cannot bear to uncover.
Better for warmth, hot things, getting warm.
Nux is irritable, sullen, surly.
Is worse in dry, better in wet weather (Causticum).
Causticum [Caust]
From cold dry weather (Aconite, Bryonia, Nux).
Better wet weather: warm wet (Nux).
Burning pain in joints.
Rheumatism of articulation of jaws (Rhus).
Stiffness, hips, back; rises with difficulty.
Rhus Tox [Rhus-t]
“Worse cold, wet” (Dulcamara, Colchicum, Veratrum).
Worse wet; bathing; washing; strain.
Drawing, tearing pain, especially fibrous tissues; joints; round joints.
Restlessness; must move, though first movement painful.
Better from dry, warm application.
Rhododendron [Rhod]
Like Rhus. Worse cold, wet, stormy weather.
Better motion. But pains shift more than those of Rhus. Move from above downwards.
Dulcamara [Dulc]
From a chill when hot; suppressed sweat or eruptions. From cold wet weather (Rhus.)
Sudden change to cold weather.
Neck stiff, back painful, loins sore and lame.
Better moving about (Rhus.).
Arsenicum [Ars]
Indicated by its periodicity and time aggravation: after midnight, and from 1-2 a.m.
And by its intense restlessness, mental and physical: its anxiety and prostration.
A recent very acute case, rapid onset, high fever, pain in knee that kept patient turning and twisting, though every movement provoked cries and both elbows were quickly worn through with the efforts to turn. Mouth and tongue were absolutely dry on waking, and there were night-sweats. Rhus did not help. But Arsenicum200 gave almost instantaneous relief, and patient woke the following day after fourteen hours deep sleep with dry skin and moist mouth, and pain practically gone. That ended the attack :-but it had to be recovered from.
Colchicum [Colch]
Arthritic pains; a jar makes patient scream.
Affects periosteum and synovial membranes.
Redness, head, swelling of affected joints.
Worse cold, wet weather; checked sweats.
Worse autumn. Better warmth.
Patient is cold, weak, sensitive, restless.
Loathes the smell or sight of food. (Arsenicum, Sepia).
Belladonna [Bell]
Joints swollen, red, hot, shining.
Exquisitely sensitive to touch or jar.
Red streaks radiate from inflamed joint.
Recurrent fever with pains attacking nape of neck.
Especially with brain symptoms.
Salicylic acid [Sal-ac]
Acute, inflammatory rheumatism of one or more joints, especially elbows or knees.
Great swelling and redness. High fever.
Very sensitive to least jar (Belladonna).
Motion impossible.
In potency, where symptoms agree.
Sticta [Stict]
Acute inflammatory rheumatism, esp. of knee.
Worse from motion.
Loquacity; must talk.
Levitation; limb as if not resting on bed.
Chamomilla [Cham]
Numbness with the pain. (Aconite).
“Cannot bear it” Beside himself with anguish.
Irritable to the last degree (Nux). Rude.
Stitching pains jump from place to place.
Violent rheumatic pains drive him out of bed, and compel him to walk about (Has cured Trench fever).
Lac caninum [Lac-c]
Inflammatory rheumatism; wanders from joint to joint, crosses from side to side (ankle to ankle, etc.) then comes back.)
Worse by slightest motion, by touch.
Hyperaesthesia; hypersensitive.
(? – Peculiar delusion: “Infested by snakes.”).
Ferrum phos.[Ferr-p]
“Like an acutely developed rheumatism in a Phosphorus patient.”
Acute articular rheumatism; attacking one joint after another; joints puffy, but little red; high fever. Or red, swollen, and very sensitive. Worse from slightest movement.
Kali bichrom.[Kali-bi]
Wanders from joint to joint (Mang., Pulsatilla, Lac caninum).
Alternates with digestive troubles.
Pulsatilla [Puls]
Changeable, every way.
Pains shift rapidly from part to part.
Now intensely severe; now mild.
Also with redness and swelling of joints.
From wet weather; wet feet (Silicea).
Chilliness increases with the pains: yet worse from heat-at night-in bed.
Better uncovering; cold drink; cool open air.
Sensitive to jar, touch, pressure.
Can hardly give symptoms for weeping.
Changeable moods; irritable-then tearful-the smiling.
Dry mouth but thirstless (Mercurius moist mouth with intense thirst).
“Drawing, tearing pains in limbs, better motion and after motion; worse warm room; better cold applications.” (Compare kali sulph.).
Ledum [Led]
Like Pulsatilla, worse from heat; better form cold.
“Pulsatilla, but even more so”
The patient that has been found “kicking ice about in a tub to relieve pains in feet”
Worse warm in bed.
Always chilly, yet pains worse heat, and better cold.
Worse moving, especially joints (Pulsatilla is better slow motion).
Starts in feet and travels up (reverse of Kalm.).
Affected joints worse the least jar.
“Ledum is bloated and purple.”.
Phytolacca [Phyt]
Acute rheumatism which is prolonged; worse at night.
Worse from warmth of bed, and warm applications.
Restlessness; pain unbearable (Chamomilla).
Gonorrhoeal rheumatism (Medorrhinum, Thuja).
Medorrhinum [Med]
Acute gonorrhoeal rheumatism with intense pain and tenderness in affected joints.
Veratrum alb.[Verat]
Pains very severe, driving the patient to delirium. Worse wet weather.
Keynote: cold sweat, face, esp. forehead.
Eupatorium perf.[Eup-per]
Feels bruised-broken-dislocated.
Bones as if broken.
Rheumatism with perspiration and soreness of bones.
Chills and high fever. Much shivering.
Joints especially affected, hip, shoulder, inside knee, foot, great toe, elbow.
Sharp pains in hip, ankle and shoulder.
Pains worse 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wants to keep still, but must move.
Arnica [Arn]
Soreness, numbness, swelling of affected joint.
Dreads touch.
“Bed too hard” (Pyrog.). Worse moving the part.
Intercostal rheumatism, simulates pleurisy. (Here acts like a charm.)
Worse damp cold weather (Rhus, Dulcamara).
Heart affected, with dilatation and dyspnoea.
Gelsemium [Gels]
Rheumatic pains with heaviness and loss of power in limbs. With trembling.
Fever with chills up and down the back.
Illness begins in warm weather.
Mercurius [Merc]
Profuse and persistent sweating without relief.
Worse for sweat.
Drenched in offensive sweat; offensive mouth.
Worse night; from heat of bed (reverse of Nux.).
Creepy chills; creepy chills of affected parts.
Hepar [Hep]
Sweats day and night without relief.
Sweats from slightest motion.
Dread of, and extreme sensitiveness to contact (Arnica) out of proportion to actual pain.
(<) Cold: Draught.
Actea rac (Cimicifuga). [Cimic]
Rheumatic pains in joints, with heat and swelling.
Affects the bellies of muscles; cramping, stitching pains.
Extreme muscular soreness.
“A heavy black cloud has settled all over her.
Kalmia [Kalm]
Migratory rheumatism, with the heart affected.
Pains extend downwards, and shift suddenly.
Often remarkable slowness of pulse.
Cactus [Cact]
Inflammatory rheumatism with heart trouble.
Constriction, everywhere.
Constriction of the heart, as if an iron band prevented its normal movement; or as if caged.
Anacardium [Anac]
Rheumatic affections of pericardium.
Sharp stitches through cardiac region. (Sulphur, Spigelia).
Stitches being “double”, i.e. one stitch quickly followed by another; then a long interval.
China [Chin]
Has cured acute inflammatory rheumatism with every- other-day aggravation of symptoms.
Drosera [Dros]
“A case of acute rheumatism, following whooping- cough, cleared up rapidly after Drosera.”
Gnawing and shooting in the shafts of the long bones, arms, thighs and legs: with severe stitches in the joints.
Ankle bones are specially affected.
Pains as if dislocated: great stiffness.
“Bed too hard” sensation (Arnica, Pyrogen.).
Shivering when at rest: when moving, no shivering (reverse of Nux.).
Febrile rigor all over body, with heat in face, but cold hands: without thirst.
Sweats. Night-sweats.
(But the disease-product remedies must not be forgotten.).
