Arsenicum. [Ars]
The more purely nervous the affection the more effective is **Arsenicum. It has the well-known intermitting burning, stinging, hot needle-pain, the distressed countenance, the restlessness and the periodicity. It holds the first place in miasmatic neuralgias, especially of malarial origin, neuralgias from influenza or simple debility with great aggravation at approach of night, and relief from external heat. The pain are severe and drive the patient from place to place. It suits especially infra-orbital forms with a Hippocratic countenance during the attack. Its effect is rapid, and sometimes rivals a powerful dose of **Opium. Among other remedies for malarial neuralgias are:
**Natrum muriaticum. Neuralgias worse at seashore; ciliary neuralgias worse at midday, affections from abuse of quinine.
**Cedron. Periodicity, appearing every evening with clock-like regularity. Supra-orbital pains worse on left side with burning in eyes. It especially suits the trigeminal form due to malarial poisoning.
**Sulphur, China and Chininum sulphuricum are also useful remedies in malarial neuralgias.
**Capsicum has fine, acute, penetrating, burning neuralgic pains in the right malar bone, worse by contact and by draft of air, and is especially severe just as the patient is about to go to sleep.
In prescribing **Arsenicum in neuralgia one must be careful not to give too low a potency, even the 6th will often aggravate, as the nerves are apt to be specially irritated. Baehr says Arsenicum quiets nervous pain better than any other medicine.
Platinum. [Plat]
A useful remedy where there is a constrictive pain, numbness, profuse lachrymation, worse at night and at rest. The pains are cramping, causing numbness and tingling; pain at the root of the nose or in the other part of the body as if squeezed in a vise. The pains also increase gradually and decrease gradually, as in **Stannum.
**Mercurius. Neuralgias from amalgam feelings in teeth, worse at night.
**Staphisagria. Neuralgias from hollow teeth, especially suitable to old people with a mouth full of hollow stumps, which pain violently at times.
**Platinum suits especially hysterical subjects who have profuse, thick, black exhausting menses.
Mezereum. [Mez]
This remedy is indicated by the spreading character of the pains, and the aggravation from warmth; they are accompanied with chilliness and sensitiveness. There is a stupefying pressure and the pains are worse at the midnight hours. Especially useful in mercurial and syphilitic subjects. After the attack there is a numbness remaining. It is a chief remedy in intercostal neuralgia setting in with zona or shingles.
**Ranunculus bulbosus is the remedy for intercostal neuralgia with sharp stitching pains following the course of the nerves; stitches in chest on every change of weather, sore spot in chest. Among other remedies having chest pains are: **Gaultheria, pains in anterior mediastinum; **arnica, sore, bruised feeling; **Rhus radicans, pains shoot to shoulder blade; Senega, pain and soreness; **Cimicifuga, etc. a psoric or arthritic soil will demand as a systemic remedy an antipsoric such as **Sulphur or Lycopodium, and if of syphilitic origin high dilutions of **Syphilinum will clear the field.
**Mezereum is most useful in ciliary neuralgia when there is a cold feeling in the eye, and it is one of the best remedies for neuralgias which are reflex from decayed teeth.
Verbascum. [Verb]
Pressure, tensive pain in the zygomatic bones worse from pressure, mastication and cold air. The parts feel crushed, as if squeezed between tongs; aggravated by talking and sneezing.
**Kalmia has a neuralgia brought on by exposure to cold, involving the teeth of the upper jaw, rending pains, worse from worry or mental excitement, worse on right side. It has cured some of the most severe and long lasting cases. The tincture is recommended by Cowperthwaite, but other observes find the higher potencies quite as useful. The neuralgia is not confined to the facial nerve, but extends to the sides of the neck and shoulders.
Magnesia phosphorica. [Mag-p]
This remedy has an excellent clinical record in neuralgias. It is curative in a typical facial neuralgia where the pains are intermitting, darting and are relieved by warmth, this relief from warmth being the guiding symptom; neuralgias involving whole of side of head and neck.
**pulsatilla is one of the best remedies for acute facial neuralgias of rheumatic origin.
**Allium cepa. Neuralgias of stumps after amputation, also Hypericum.
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.