Spongia Sulph.
(<)Touch (p. I50).-Bryonia Gratiola Ledum Lycopodium Nat.-m. Sabin.
(>)Lying (p. 143).-Bryonia Calcarea-s. Coc-c. Ferrum-i. Fl.-ac. Lachesis Lycopodium Nat.-m. Spongia Sulph.
(>)Pressure (p. 146).-Apis Argentum-n. BRY. LACH. Lilium-t. Lycopodium NAT.-M. Nicc. PULS. Sabin. Sulph. Thuja
Bryonia 814; Lachesis 8 17; Lycopodium 10 15; Nat.-m. 12 22; Pulsatilla 8 19; Sulph. 10 16.
Remarks. Nat-mur. seems to suit the case, not because it is numerically highest alone but because it corresponds to the type of the patient. Nat.-mur has marked aversion to fats, which this patient desires: but that would not rule out the drug for this reason; that, though the desires and aversions are general symptoms, they rank much lower in the scale than the mental symptoms. A strong mental symptom like the markedly(<) consolation would rule out many of lesser importance. Puls again could never suit this case, no matter how great its numerical value, because of the marked (<) from consolation. Repertory work is never mechanical, and is only a guide to the study of Materia Medica.
December 9th, 1910.-Natrum-mur. 200, three doses. December 15th, 1910.-A marked aggravation of the headache three days after taking the powders.
February 14th, 1911.-Not had a bad headache since; no heaviness or caged-in feeling. Bowels began to act naturally *These rubrics are better combined being difficult to distinguish soon after the medicine. Hardly any flushes of heat. Much better generally; got up after influenza and not felt shaky, used to take her weeks to recover. No medicine.
February 20th, 1911.-Got bad colic due to chill which caused return of headache for one day only. Natrum-mur. 200, 3 doses.
April 7th, 1911.-No real headache since last note, slight attempts; no cased-in feeling. Bowels quite regular. Bearing down with burning and distension entirely gone. No flushes of heat. No medicine.
May 16th, 1911.-A little vertigo on first lying down: goes off immediately. Headache absent despite severe thunderstorm which formerly caused her to go to bed; not once the cased-in sensation. Bowels still good.
Generally a different person in every way; brighter; more cheerful; husband declares her to be a different person to live with. Nat.-mur. 200, 3 doses.
December 27th, 1911.-may have had a slight attempt at head- ache, but never came to anything; feels a new creature; able to do much more work; very energetic; general health excellent. Had no medicine since above.
CASE III Miss C., aet. 35.-June 13th, 1910.-Sleepless since 20 years of age; brought on by excessive musical study; never taken any sleeping drugs. She lies quite wide awake at night, brain active all the time, especially after lights are out. Often kept awake by persistent tunes; hardly ever falls asleep for three hours after going to bed; readily wakened by the least gleam of light, even, if drowsy becomes sleepless immediately on getting into bed. Dreams always; nightmare.
General health has been good. Throat: painless hoarseness: all colds fly here.
Stomach: Appetite good. Averse fats, milk. Craves ices, cold food. Emptiness without hunger soon after getting into bed which might prevent sleep.(>) Eating. Emptiness at II a.m. M.P. normal.
Mental: Very excitable to music; irritable; impatient; discontented. Fears: in a crowd; being hemmed in; fire; suffocation. Indifferent to people, especially relatives. Depressed easily.
Chilly: Hates the cold; (<) thunderstorms.
CHILLY, used as an “eliminating symptom” to cut out all the warm remedies, in all the following lists.
Indifference relations (Kent, p. 55).-Helleborus Hepar Nat.-c. PHOS. SEP.
Fears crowd (p. 43).-Arsenicum Aurum Baryta carb. Calcarea Carb.-an. Causticum Conium Ferrum Ferrum-ars. Graphites Hepar Kali-ar. Kali-bi. Kali-c. Kali- p. Nat.-c. Nux-v. Phosphorus Plb. Rhus-t. Stann.
Fears suffocation (p. 47).-Carb.an. Phosphorus Stramonium
Fears fire (p. 45).-Cuprum
(<)Thunder (p. I362).-Agaricus Aurum Causticum Hypericum Kali-bi. Nat.-c. Nit.-ac. Petroleum Phosphorus PSOR. RHOD. Rhus-t. Sepia Silicea
Averse fats (p. 482).-Arsenicum Belladonna Calcarea Carb.-an. Carb.-v.
CHINA China-a. Colchicum Cyclamen Helleborus Hepar nat.-c. PETR. Phosphorus Rheum. rhus-t. Sepia
Averse milk (p. 483).-Am.-c. Belladonna Calcarea Carb.-v. Guaj. Ignatia LAC.-D. Mag.-c. NAT.-C. Nux-v. Phosphorus Rheum. Sepia Silicea
Desires cold food (p. 486).-Am.-c. PHOS. Silicea Zincum met.
Desires ices (p. 487).-Calcarea PHOS.
Emptiness II a.m. (p. 490).-Alumen. Nat.-c. Phosphorus Sepia Zincum met.
Emptiness without hunger (p. 490).-Agaricus Alumina Arsenicum Baryta-c. China Cocc. Dulcamara Helleborus Mur.-ac. Phosphorus Rhus-t. Silicea Sul.-ac.
Sleepless after going to bed (p. I2I7).-Borax Carb.-v. Mag.-c Phosphorus Ph-ac.
Same idea (tune) always repeated (p. I220).-Baryta-c. Calcarea Coffea Graphites Petroleum
Hoarseness painless (p. 754).-CALC. CARB.-V. Causticum Phosphorus =Calcarea 6 II; Nat.-c. 6 10; Phosphorus 12 24; Sepia 5 10.
Remarks. The larger rubrics such as sensitive to noise, impatience, etc., are left out, as all the competing remedies are in them.
Phos not only best indicated, but it has the important peculiar symptoms-indifference to relations; all the fears (except fire); and the marked craving for ices.
June 16th, 1910.-Phosphorus 10M. 3 doses, 6 hours apart.
July 4th, 1910.-She writes “been sleeping better, and have been much quieter mentally at night.’ No medicine.
July 27th, 1910.-“Very much better generally; sleeping better, even with worrying times. Not half so tired as usual; no emptiness even at II a.m.; not restless mentally at night; no persistent tunes or thoughts; not dreaming so much; extra- ordinarily better.” No medicine.
Oct. 10th, 1910.-Abroad, tiring journey, so took Phosphorus 10M, 3 doses 6 hourly.
January 27th, 1911.-Been sleeping perfectly well and much better in every way; no persistent tunes at night; hardly ever dreams. No medicine.
January 14th, 1912.-“Still sleeping quite well; have absolutely nothing to complain about.” No medicine.
CASE IV.
Mr. B., aet. 28.-May 6th, 1910.-Pain and distension abdomen for last three years, especially 6 a.m. or 4 p.m.; felt like bubble inside; been taking Sod.-bicarb. all the time. Distension, not for some time after eating.
(>)Escape flatus (offensive); (>) hot drinks. Sleeps well till wakened at 6 a.m. by pain.
Appetite good; no special desires or aversions; some heartburn.
Rheumatic pains general; no special modalities.
Weather conditions do not affect him.
Mental:-(<)In himself if angry. Neither care nor worry. Quick tempered but controls it. weak concentration.
Lycop. IM, 4 doses, 6-hourly.
May 19th, 1910.-Not had slightest effect. Gave additional symptoms. Pain especially at 6 a.m. comes in waves or spasms; has to draw up knees on abdomen, causes him to roll in discomfort.
(<)If he gets angry. (>)Coffee.
Gets cramps in arms readily when rowing.
Abdomen.
Pain (<) 6 a.m. (Kent, p. 556).-Coloc. Ox.-ac.
(<) 4 p.m. (p. 556).-Caust Coloc. Belladonna LYC. Mag.-m. Phys.
(<)anger (p. 557).-Chamomilla Cocc. Coloc. Nux-v. Staphysagria Sulph.
(>)coffee 9p. 557).-COLOC. Coloc. IM, 4 doses, 6-hourly.
May 27th, 1910.-Been practically well last few days. No medicine.
June 3rd, 1910.-“Nothing wrong with me.” No medicine.
June 29th, 1910.-Not wakened at 6 a.m. now; never feels pain at 4 p.m.; sleeping perfectly; but some flatulence still about; no heartburn; distension hardly present; rheumatic pains gone. Almost but not quite well. No medicine.
Coloc. 10M, 4 doses, 6-hourly.
June 18th, 1911.-Mother reports that the medicine upset him some what at first, but since then and now is perfectly well; not least trouble.
Remarks. We had here nothing but particulars to work with, but they were so definite; though not obtained till second visit. Lycop. had the 4 p.m. aggravation, also generally (<)after anger, and the(>) escape flatus. We thus see the great difficulty of prescribing on particulars. We had Hering’s “three legs to our stool”, but that was not enough.
CASE V A.M., -September. 30th, 1911.-(An outpatient case.) Headache vertex and eye all his life. Getting much worse. Lasts from three days to three weeks. So severe, hardly knows what to do. Worse sleep. Head very tender, can’t bear being touched. Sickness last ten hours, and vomits every ten minutes. Always got a headache. Can’t eat, therefore very weak.
Feels well before attack.
Good family history; also general history good. No better for anything. Burrows head in pillow. Eyes good, tested lately. Tongue indented. Feels as if suffocated after eating, which greatly aggravates the headache.
Averse: Fats, milk.
Very sleepy at 8 p.m. Dreams exciting. Alopecia areata. (<)Heat; thunder; sleep. Depressed, (<)Consolation. Wants to be alone.
Worse heat is used as an eliminating symptom to cut out all the cold remedies from the following lists.
(<)Consolation (p.16).-Lycopodium MercuriusNAT.-M. Platina Thuja
(<)Thunder (p. I362).-Aurum Bryonia Kali-bi. Lachesis Lycopodium Nat.-m Pulsatilla Sul. Thuja Tuberculinum
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