Aconite [Acon]
When the attack comes on suddenly after an exposure to a cold, dry wind, with chilliness, followed by fever, Aconite will be the remedy. It should be administered just as soon as the patient realizes that he is taking cold. There is as yet no discharge, but from the congestion the nose is swollen, hot, dry and stopped up, and this stoppage is apt to change from side to side; there is tingling and burning in the nose and a throbbing frontal headache; there may be sneezing also. These symptoms are all better in the open air.
**Nux vomica has colds caused by cold weather, with a dry, stuffed up nose and rough, scrapy throat.
**In Belladonna there is more cerebral excitement and swelling in the throat is a prominent symptom.
**China has headache with pains, worse in open air, not better, as in Aconite.
**Ferrum phosphoricum is very similar to Aconite and may be used when the onset is less sudden and violent and when there is no anxiety and restlessness. It is also, like **Nux and **Calcarea carbonica, excellent for predisposition to take cold.
Arsenicum [Ars]
Is especially useful in winter colds where there is a thin, watery discharge from the nostrils which excoriates the upper lip, yet in spite of this fluent discharge the nose feels stopped up. There is a dull, throbbing frontal headache and sneezing, photophobia, and contrary to what one would expect, the ***sneezing does not relieve in the slightest and the irritation continues as before and is worse on going into air. It corresponds well to patients who are rarely without a cold. These symptoms of watery discharge and sneezing place **Arsenic in the front rank in the treatment of hay fever. Catarrh based upon a malarial miasm in poorly nourished subjects calls for the remedy.
**Arsenic iodide may be found indicated when burning in nose and throat is marked. **Allium cepa has this excoriating nasal discharge also, but, if anything, there is more lachrymation, which, by the way, is bland. **Sinapis nigra resembles
**Arsenicum in the heat in the nose, but with **Sinapis there is dryness and no discharge. The discharge of **Mercurius, though excoriating and acrid, is thicker. The cold of **Arsenic always settles in the nose, that of **Phosphorus in the chest. The **Arsenic patient is chilly and wants to be near the fire all the time; the nose burns both externally and internally.
Allium cepa. [All-c]
One of our best remedies for cold in the head, indeed, is said by come to be the best, and probably it is when indicated. The discharge is profuse, thin and acrid, with great smarting in the nose and eyes, and the distinguishing feature between this remedy and **Euphrasia is the profuse lachrymation which here is bland, and under **Euphrasia is excoriating, while the opposite condition obtains in the nose. Under **Allium the edges of the eyelids burn and the eyes are red and sensitive to light. The nasal discharge is thin and flows constantly, excoriates the upper lip, and there is prolonged sneezing. A peculiarity of **Allium is that the discharge ceases when the patient goes into the open air, but returns when entering a warm room again. It is a drug Which should be given early, and if there be a splitting laryngeal cough, causing the patient to wince and crouch with pain, it is all the more indicated. Farrington, however, claims that **Allium is apt to drive the trouble to the chest, and adds that when it reaches the chest **Phosphorus is the remedy. **Arsenic, too, is similar, but **Arsenic has sneezing in the cool air after leaving a worm room, and it lacks the laryngeal symptoms so common in **Allium. The **Mercurius discharge is acrid, and not as thin as that of **Allium.
Euphrasia. [Euphr]
Here the upper part only of the respiratory mucous membrane is affected. Like **Allium cepa it has a copious, fluent discharge from nose, and copious lachrymation, the latter being most acrid, excoriating the cheeks, and being so profuse as to keep them wet all the time. It differs from **Allium, as we have seen, in the character of the discharge, from the eyes excoriating, from the nose bland. **Euphrasia is often well indicated in the coryzas which precede measles, when there is a cough which sounds decidedly measly. **Eruptions on the wings of the nose.
Arum triphyllum. [Arum-t]
Under **Arum all of the secretions are acrid, and there is a discharge if ichorous fluid from the nose; the nostrils and lips are sore. There may be a discharge from both nose and eyes which is yellow and acrid. There is thirst, but drinking causes pain. The nostrils are sore, and there is constant desire to bore the finger into the nose. The nose may be completely stopped up, and at the same time there is a fluent acrid discharge. Drowsiness and an inclination to sneeze accompanies. **Lycopodium has complete stoppage of the nose night and day, with some discharge, which may be excoriating. Dryness posteriorly and discharge anteriorly is also characteristic of **Lycopodium.
Professor of Materia Medica in the University of Michigan Homeopathic Medical College. Member of American Institute of Homeopathy. In addition to his editoral work he authored or collaborated on: Boericke and Dewey's Twelve Tissue Remedies, Essentials of Homeopathic Materia Medica, Essentials of Homeopathic Therapeutics and Practical Homeopathic Therapeutics.