Preparation. Triturations of the Carbonate or Acetate of Manganese.
GENERAL ANALYSIS.
Acts powerfully upon the motor nervous system, producing paralysis, beginning with paraplegia. It differs from Mercury in first affecting the lower extremities, and in not exciting tremors, and from Lead in not causing colic and constipation. Trough its nervous influence, Manganum produces irritation of various organs, even extending to inflammation.
CHARACTERISTIC SYMPTOMS.
Mind. Moping mood (Pulsatilla); fretful; ill-humored.
Head. Head feels heavy, with sensation as if it were larger, could hardly hold it up. Congestion of blood to the head, with throbbing in the head (Aconite, Belladonna, Gloninum); better in open air. Drawing, stinging or tensive headache, in the open air; better indoors. Jarring of the brain from motion of the head. Contractive, stitching in open air. Frequent rising of heat in the head, with thirst. Headache arising in the room; better in open air, and vice versa.
Eyes. Burning heat and dryness of the eyes. Eyelids pain on moving, and become dry on looking at bright light. Pupils much dilated or contracted.
Ears. Dull shooting pain in ears when speaking. Deafness, as if the ears were stopped (Coccus.). Loud cracking noise in ears, when blowing the nose or swallowing (Graphites). Swelling in left parotid, with a reddish hue, in typhus.
Nose. Dry coryza, with obstruction of the nostrils (Nux v.); in evening, with red, sore, painful nose and upper lip. Sometimes dry, and sometimes fluent coryza.
Face. Suffering expression; face pale and sunken. Eruptions and ulcers at the mouth (Antim crud., Graphites Lycopodium).
Mouth. Violent pains in the teeth, which pass rapidly to other parts.
Throat. Throat dry; scratching feeling, as if the trachea were closed with a leaf. Sore throat, with cutting pain, as from excoriation, when not swallowing.
Stomach. Absence of thirst (Apis., Pulsatilla). Heat and burning in the stomach, ascending to the chest (Arsenicum), with nausea.
Abdomen. Cutting in umbilical region during deep inspiration.
Stool and Anus. Constrictive pain in the anus while sitting. Constipation; difficult, dry, knotty evacuation (Plumb., Magnesia muriatica).
Urinary Organs. Frequent desire to urinate (Aconite, Apis, Apocynum); during the day.
Male Organs. Sensation of weakness in the genitals, with burning and drawing in the spermatic cord, extending to the glands.
Female Organs. Menses too early and too scanty; lasting two days.
Respiratory Organs. Dry cough from loud reading or talking, with painful dryness, roughness and constriction of larynx, causing sensation to cough, with which mucus was loosened after long hawking. Inclination to cough mornings. Deep cough, without expectoration; ceasing on lying down. Obstinate hoarseness and roughness, especially in the morning (Causticum, Nux v.), and in the open air; better from smoking. Warm constriction, extending from the middle of the abdomen to the chest, with nausea.
Heart. Sudden shocks as the heart and in the left side of the chest, from above downward. Pulse irregular, sometimes rapid, sometimes slow, but constantly weak and soft.
Limbs. Tensive pain in the joints of the arms and hands. Rheumatic, tearing pains, extending from the shoulders to the fingers. Tension and drawing stitches in the thigh.
Generalities. Weakness. Paraplegia. Paralysis, first of the lower limps (Arsenicum). Tension or cramp-like drawing and worse at night (Mercurius). Insupportable digging pains in bones and periosteum; worse at night (Mercurius, Phosphorus, ac.). All bones, particularly in lower limbs, sensitive to touch; in typhus.
Skin. Excoriations and fissures in the bends of the joints (Graphites, Squilla.). Voluptuous itching; relieved by scratching (Sulphur). Itching in the hollow of the knee and on the shin.
Sleep. Vivid, anxious dreams, which are well remembered.
Aggravation. At night; from changes of weather (Ranunc.), which sometimes also amelioration; symptoms coming on indoors are better in the open air. and vice versa.
Compare. Ammonium carb., Arsenicum, Coffea c., Coni., Ferrum, Lycopodium, Platina, Pulsatilla, Thuja, Veratrum alb.
Antidote. Coffea
THERAPEUTICS.
Manganum has been mostly used in laryngeal affections, laryngeal catarrh with symptoms above given, and especially in anaemic persons with tubercular deposits in lungs. Said to be very useful in boys and girls when the voice is changing, and remains harsh and hoarse, with continual catarrh and clearing of the throat. Hoarseness and cough from reading aloud, with dryness and rawness of the larynx, and efforts to detach mucus from the throat. Laryngeal phthisis, with rawness and hoarseness. General anaemia, especially in tuberculous patients with profuse menstruation and metrorrhagia. Chronic nasal catarrh with obstructed and sore nostrils. Chronic rheumatism shifting from place to place. Otalgia. Earache with cracking in ears when blowing the nose, ears stopped up, worse from change of weather. Periostitis. Has been used in psoriasis and other skin diseases.
ALLEN CORSON COWPERTHWAITE was born at Cape May, New Jersey, May 3, 1848, son of Joseph C. and Deborah (Godfrey) Cowperthwaite. He attended medical lectures at the University of Iowa in 1867-1868, and was graduated from the Hahnemann Medical College of Philadelphia in 1869. He practiced his profession first in Illinois, and then in Nebraska. In 1877 he became Dean and Professor of Materia Medica in the recently organized Homeopathic Department of the State University of Iowa, holding the position till 1892. In 1884 he accepted the chair of Materia Medica, Pharmacology, and Clinical Medicine in the Homeopathic Medical College of the University of Michigan. He removed to Chicago in 1892, and became Professor of Materia Medica and Therapeutics in the Chicago Homeopathic Medical College. From 1901 he also served as president of that College. He is the author of various works, notably "Insanity in its Medico-Legal Relations" (1876), "A Textbook of Materia Medica and Therapeutics" (1880), of "Gynecology" (1888), and of "The Practice of Medicine " (1901).