Belladonna. [Bell]
**Belladonna is, perhaps, the most frequently indicated remedy in eye troubles. It is suitable to ophthalmias where there is great inflammation, dry, injected eyes, a total absence of lachrymation; in fact, the ***intensity and violence of its symptoms are its leading indications. In the early stage of acute conjunctivitis, iritis or retinitis, with sudden violent spasms and great ***intolerance of light and iritis, will call for **Belladonna, and here its photophobia will distinguish it from **Aconite. It is also useful in affections of the eyes from overuse or from use in poor light. It corresponds to iritis of traumatic origin, retinal congestion and retinitis, recent and acute, with bright sparks before the eyes. It is a remedy, along with **Lachesis and Crot., in retinal haemorrhage.
**Aconite is to be preferred in the beginning of a conjunctivitis, or in fact any acute inflammation of the eye, when of traumatic origin, as from a foreign body, the eyes feel full of sand, there is photophobia and painful inflammation of the eyes from exposure to cold, or from the action of acrid substances in the eyes, as from wounds or burns. It is also the first remedy in other forms of conjunctivitis.
**Glaucoma; here also **Opium should be consulted in this affection, as it gives us a very suggestive picture of glaucoma, as does also **Cocaine muriate. **Spigelia has violent, sharp-cutting eye pains, but it lacks the congestion of **Belladonna. It has a sensation that the eyeballs feel too large, which is also found under **Paris quadrifolia, which is a valuable remedy in certain forms of asthenopia with inability to fix the eyes on anything steadily; it has, too, the peculiar symptoms of a sensation as if a string were drawing the eye back into the head, as if the optic nerve were too short. It is of more use than any other remedy for the sharp shooting and sticking pains accompanying glaucoma. They are worse at night and on motion **Glonoine has protrusion of the eyes and troubles from exposure to bright light, heat, argand burners, etc., producing a retinal congestion. The elements of **Belladonna are: 1. Suddenness and acuteness of symptoms. 2. Great intolerance of light.
Rhus toxicodendron. [Rhus-t]
One of our most important ophthalmic remedies, and oedematous swellings, redness and acrid discharges mark the drug. It corresponds to chemosis and produces a great tendency to the formation of pus. It is of great use in scrofulous ophthalmias and is also specific in orbital cellulitis with great intolerance of light, so much so that the eyes cannot be opened even at night. The ears are hot and scalding and cause pimples on the parts bathed in them. A gush of tears on separating the lids is a trustworthy indication. The secretion is **rather scanty and there is much pain in the eyes and often spasmodic closure of the lids. It corresponds to conjunctivitis from getting wet, rheumatic iritis, with pain shooting from eyes into head, worse at night and in damp weather. Rheumatic ptosis calls for **Rhus. **Causticum, Gelsemium and Kalmia have stiffness of the lids. **Rhus is of marked use in suppurative iritis and is often beneficial after cataract extraction to control threatened iritis and formation of pus. **Apis has oedema of the conjunctiva, and may be a useful remedy in asthenopia, staphyloma and in strumous ophthalmias. **Nux and Sepia have drooping lids and **Terebinth and Thuja have a useful in iritis.
Mercurius. [Merc]
The various preparation of mercury are of a paramount use in eye affections. **Mercurius is of use where the general catarrhal symptoms are prominent. Blepharitis and conjunctivitis from cold or in those who work about fires as in foundry men; the pains are worse at night, the lids are thickened, the eyes discharge a thin muco-pus, making the cheeks sore and pimply; superficial ulcers appear on the cornea with a tendency to spread. It is one of our most important remedies in ophthalmias neonatorum, especially if due to syphilis. No form of iritis has been noticed in workers of mercury, and though the drug has been prescribed with success in syphilitic iritis, another preparation of mercury, **Mercurius corrosivus is almost specific. Therefore, do not give **Mercurius in iritis; it is an allopathic legacy of no value.
**Mercurius has also been found useful in styes, glandular affections and rheumatic troubles of the eyes. Where the glandular swellings are excessive **Mercurius biniodide may be chosen; **Mercurius protoiodide is especially of use in corneal ulcers. Deady regards this remedy as our best in this affection; the ulcerated surface looks as if it had been chipped out by the finger nail, and there is accompanying a yellow-coated tongue and a tendency to a rapid extension of the ulceration.
**Mercurius dulcis also a remedy for eye troubles in scrofulous children.
**Mercurius corrosivus. This remedy is marked by violent symptoms, burning, agonizing pains, profuse excoriating lachrymation, which takes the skin off from cheeks, tearing pains in the bones of the orbit, ulcers of cornea with tendency to perforation.
If there is any “best remedy” for iritis it is **Mercurius corrosivus. It is almost a specific for simple and syphilitic iritis, accompanied with pains in the eyes, extending over the top of the head. The exudation is rather serous than plastic.
Retinitis albuminurica also finds a remedy in **Mercurius corrosivus. **Jaborandi is an excellent internal remedy in iritis; it allays inflammation, controls spasms of the muscles and will absorb adhesions.
**Cinnabaris has inflammation and pain in the eyes and its indicating symptom is pain going from one canthus around the eyebrow to the other.
**Kali bichromicum is a prominent remedy for ulceration of the cornea where there is a tendency to perforate, especially in the circumscribed ulcers with clear cut edges, as if cut out with a punch. It is indicated by indolent inflammation, swollen and agglutinated lids in the morning, little photophobia, the indolence is marked, eyes not very red; in fact, there is with this remedy an absence of inflammatory redness and proportionate absence of photophobia. It is use in catarrhal and strumous ophthalmias with tendency to granulation.
**Clematis follows **Mercurius corrosivus well in iritis, and Hughes speaks highly of it in the syphilitic variety. Great sensitiveness to cold is one of its leading indications It should therefore be remembered in inflammation of the iris from cold, with pressing pain, great photophobia, lachrymation and heat in the eyes, with the sensitiveness to cold air. The eyes are so sensitive to the air that the patient covers them. It is closely allied to **Rhus toxicodendron in its action. Buffum claims **Gelsemium to be the most valuable remedy for the serous variety of iritis.
Ferrum phosphoricum. [Ferr-p]
The tissue remedies have taken an important place in the therapeutics of eye affections. Two or three of them have proved themselves almost indispensable, thus, **Ferrum phosphoricum is especially useful in acute catarrhal troubles in their early stages accompanied by the burning sensation, aggravated by motion, and red, congested, inflamed appearance. There is no secretion of mucus or pus. It is especially adapted to conjunctivitis with great relaxation of that membrane, and surpasses **Aconite in the majority of acute superficial inflammations about the eye.
**Kali muriaticum is another tissue remedy that has proved itself useful in eye affections. It corresponds especially to corneal troubles, inflammation and ulceration, and especially in the ulcers of an asthenic type, tedious cases with no special redness of the conjunctiva, lachrymation, pain or photophobia. It is suitable to the non-vascular variety of parenchymatous inflammation of the cornea.
**Kali sulphuricum is sometimes most useful in ophthalmias neonatorum, in gonorrheal ophthalmias and in abscess of the cornea, also **Calcarea sulphurica. **Calcarea fluorica has a noticeable influence in diminishing opacities of the lens, partial blindness from cataract; it is worthy of extensive experimentation in cataract. Also useful in cysts of the eyelids.
Gelsemium. [Gels]
A most valuable remedy in eye troubles. It has an abundance of paralytic symptoms, diplopia, double vision and ptosis. These symptoms are associated with soreness of the eyeballs, dark red face and general symptoms of the drug. Double vision is very characteristic, and giddiness and pains in the eyeballs are sure indications for the remedy. Intra-ocular inflammations, where serous exudations occur, dull pains, double vision and vertigo will indicate
**Gelsemium. In serous iritis, choroiditis where there is a gradual impairment of vision and heavy lids, it is the remedy. It produces also an inability to accommodate quickly. It has been used for detachment of the retina and some forms of asthenopia and in astigmatism with considerable success. Strabismus from weakening of the muscles is also characteristic and therapeutically it has been found useful in strabismus and ptosis following diphtheria **Gelsemium is one of the most valuable remedies in glaucoma, often palliating the severe pains and improving the neurotic symptom of the disease. **Gelsemium dilates the pupil through its paralyzing effect on the third nerve.
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.