RADIUM


Symptoms of the homeopathic medicine RADIUM from A Text Book of Materia Medica and Therapeutics by A.C. Cowperthwaite. Find all the symptoms of RADIUM …


      Radium Bromide. Preparation. Trituration of Radium bromide of high purity.

GENERAL ANALYSIS AND THERAPEUTICS.

The general picture given in the provings is of disturbed metabolism and foreshadows the probability that radium would likely to be often indicated in the various functional disorders resulting therefrom. This has been verified over and over again in the administration of radium in drinking water, by emanations and injections, and in no small degree also by the administration of the potentized drug. It is probable that through this disturbance of metabolic processes there are developed in the provings symptoms in the muscles and joints simulating rheumatism (arthritis), these in many respects resembling those of Rhus. it is a well know fact that it is especially in rheumatism and gout that radium in its various forms of internal administration has proved a most useful curative agent, and also in neuralgia and neuritis.

The skin symptoms developed in the provings have led to the successful use of Radium bromide internally in eczema, psoriasis, pruritus, acne and seborrhoea. Useful in the treatment of cancers to arouse the reaction of the system.

It is well known that massive doses of radium produce atheroma, and also that very beneficial results have been obtained in arterio-sclerosis from the use of emanations and from radium drinking water and radium injections. Many symptoms elicited in the provings would lead one to think of arterio-sclerosis. All provers showed lowered blood pressure while taking the drug and for some time after; notwithstanding this fact, radium in the for of drinking water has proved of wonderful value in the treatment of high blood pressure whether of functional origin or due to organic disease. Probably homoeopathic dilutions would answer the same purpose.

Upon the urinary tract increased elimination of solids, particularly of chloride, is noted. Provers developed albuminuria, and one had granular and hyaline casts, indicating marked renal irritation. So far as known, there are no clinical verifications of the potencies in nephritis, but there are plenty such after the use of emanations and drinking water. Dr. Dieffenbach says, “catarrhal or intestinal nephritis, with rheumatic symptoms corresponding to the provings, has apparently been beneficial.” Enuresis has been cured and many cases of diabetes are reported as cured.

The symptoms of the male sexual organs plainly indicate sexual weakness. The virtues of radium drinking water and of the emanations in sexual impotence and sexual neurasthenia have been generally recognized. The female sexual organs showed delayed and irregular menstruation, and well defined backache.

The general lassitude and tired feeling and the mental depression exhibited by provers confirms the homoeopathicity of Radium bromide to general nervous debility, where the emanations and drinking water have already proved of curative value; especially in the approach of senile debility. Dr. Dieffenbach calls attention to symptoms of the respiratory tract, especially the persistent cough, occurring late in the provings, and suggests the use of Radium bromide in tuberculosis, whooping- cough, bronchitis and pneumonia. It is generally understood that radium in its ordinary methods of administration is of little value in respiratory diseases, unless we except asthma, which we know to be a neurosis, and with which class we might also associate whooping-cough, and except some good results.

The provings showed marked changes in the blood as one would naturally anticipate after witnessing the marvellous results obtained in the treatment of anaemia by the emanations. Haemoglobin showed an increase in three cases. Four provers showed an increase in erythrocytes, while two provers showed a loss. Two provers developed a distinct leucocytosis, and one had leucopenia. All provers, without exception, showed a marked increase of the polymorphonuclear neutrophils. On the latter fact Dr. Dieffenbach comments as follows; “The absolute scientific fact which stands out clearly in the provings, and which can unquestionably be attributed to the drug, is the marked increase of the polymorphonuclear neutrophils. These so-called policemen of the blood corpuscles are the ones which attack the invading bacteria and destroy them, and the administration of Radium bromide appears to have distinctly stimulated the organism in the elaboration and increase of these protecting organisms.”

Radium does not interfere with the action of other indicated remedies, but on the contrary seems to increase their activity and will no doubt prove of great value as an inter-current remedy.

The above general analysis of the action of Radium and the following symptoms are largely based upon the systematic provings conducted by Dr. Dieffenbach, and most of which have been repeatedly verified by the author and many others.

CHARACTERISTIC SYMPTOMS.

Mind. Apprehensive, depressed; fear of being alone in the dark, great desire to be with people. Tired and irritable.

Head. Vertigo; with pain in back of head. Dizzy with great weakness. Occipital and vertex pain accompanying severe lumbar aching. Severe pain over right eye, spreading back to occiput and to vertex, better in open air. Head feels heavy. Dull headache. Headaches better in open air, from cold, from pressure; worse from lying down. Frontal headache. Hair becomes gray.

Eyes. Aching in the eyes; shooting pains. Stocky feeling in the eyes. Paretic weakness of the muscles, ptosis. Conjunctivitis with feeling of dryness; yellow discharge.

Ears. Tickling in the ears, worse at night.

Nose. Itching and dryness of nasal cavities; better in the open air. Formation of hard crusts or mucous particles.

Face. Aching pain at angle of right lower jaw. Violent trifacial neuralgia.

Mouth. Metallic taste. Mouth and throat parched and dry, temporarily relieved by sipping cold water; difficult speech. (Prickling sensation on end of tongue. Tongue bluish white, thick, feels swollen.

Teeth. Teeth painful; feel too long.

Throat. Rawness and dryness of throat, with hawking of small amount of white stringy mucus, relieved by a drink of cold water and swallowing.

Stomach. Empty feeling in stomach. Warm sensation in stomach. Aversion to sweats, ice-cream. Nausea and sinking sensation, belching of gas. Relieved by eating, but a small amount of food satisfies.

Abdomen. Pain, violent cramps, rumbling, full of gas; pain over McBurney’s point, and at location of sigmoid flexure. Much flatulence.

Rectum and Stools. Constipation; alternating constipation and diarrhoea. Stools come with a gush (Aloe), with much flatulence. Passage of stool relieves abdominal and rectal pains.

Urinary Organs. Increased elimination of solids; particularly of chlorides. Renal irritation; albuminuria; granular and hyaline casts. Difficulty in starting urine. Enuresis.

Male Organs. Sexual desire lessened. Seminal emissions; with dreams.

Female Organs. Delayed and irregular menstruation and backache. Aching pains in abdomen over pubes when flow comes on. Right breast sore, relieved by hard rubbing. White, cheesy leucorrhoea.

Heart and Blood. Tight, constricted sensation. Sharp pains in the region of heart. Lowered blood pressure. Increased haemoglobin. Increased erythrocytes. Leucocytosis. Leucopenia. Increase of polymorphonuclear neutrophils.

Respiratory Organs. Persistent cough with tickling in supra-sternal fossa, as from dust. Dry, spasmodic cough, worse at night, and when lying down; better in open air. Throat dry, sore; chest constricted.

Neck and Back. Aching in back of neck. Pain and lameness in cervical vertebrae, worse drooping head forward, better standing or sitting erect. Lumbar and sacral backache, pain appears to be in bone; continued motion relieves. Backache between shoulders and lumbar-sacral region, better after walking. Lameness in lumbar region; desire to stretch muscles, which gives relief. Paretic weakness from the lumbar region down. Lumbago.

Limbs. Severe pain in all the limbs and joints, especially in the knees and ankles. Sharp pains in shoulders, arms, hands and fingers. Lameness in shoulder and joints. Arms feel heavy. Cracking in shoulder. Legs, arms and neck feel brittle as if they would break, Pain in toes, calves, hip-joint, popliteal spaces. Muscles of legs and hips sore. Great toe joints especially painful. bunions and corns inflamed and tender.

Generalities. Severe aching pain all over the body; comes on gradually and wears away slowly. Sharp pains come and go suddenly. General lassitude and tired feeling; wants to lie down and rest. Great prostration. Itching all over the body. Dryness of all mucous membranes. Feeling as if muscles would break if they were moved. Intolerance of summer heat. Craving for, and relief in, open air.

Skin. Small pimples. Eczematous eruptions. Erythema and dermatitis with itching, burning, swelling and redness. Necrosis and ulceration. Itching all over body, burning of skin, as if on fire. Dry, bran-like, scaly eruption (Arsenicum), without sensation. Sebaceous cysts. Brown spots.

A.C. Cowperthwaite
A.C. (Allen Corson) Cowperthwaite 1848-1926.
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).