DIFFERENTIAL MATERIA MEDICA


The first section shows all the symptoms shared equally by both remedies. Following this are the symptoms which, though shared by other remedies, are not shared by each other in any grade. Following these is a list of the symptoms found under no other remedy in the Materia Medica, other than the one under which they appear. To repeat, all symptoms below are first degree symptoms.


We all meet cases in which data are meager and cases where two remedies may run almost parallel, making discrimination very difficult. In bedfast cases, at times it is almost impossible to discriminate between Bryonia and Rhus and in some chronic cases, between Phos. and Puls. A tubercular case recently called for such close discrimination between the last two.

We have well under way, a very fascinating instructive, reliable and full Materia Medica, based on Kents Repertory, but as it takes in too much territory for our immediate wants, we got out a characteristic one also based upon Kents Repertory, giving the highest degree symptoms only, thus enabling us to get a better grasp on the unabridged Materia Medica. It is from this second work, that we do our differentiating.

If the editor of THE RECORDER will kindly give this space, we will append an example of how it works out, using Phos. and Puls. for illustration. All the symptoms given are of the first or highest grades only.

The first section shows all the symptoms shared equally by both remedies. Following this are the symptoms which, though shared by other remedies, are not shared by each other in any grade. Following these is a list of the symptoms found under no other remedy in the Materia Medica, other than the one under which they appear. To repeat, all symptoms below are first degree symptoms. This is our idea of differential materia medica and how to study the remedies, by first reading what they have in common in equal grade and then referring to the same division, in the section where they differ.

Section I.–Phosphorus and Pulsatilla.

Mind: Anxiety. Dullness, sluggishness, difficulty of thinking and comprehending. Excitement, excitable. Ailments from fright. Indifference, apathy, etc. Irritability. Sensitive, over- sensitive. Inclination to sit. Indisposed to talk, desire to be silent, taciturn.

Vertigo: Vertigo; mornings on rising; look up; lying down necessary; on rising from a seat; while sitting; While walking.

Head: Pain; > open air; < hot drinks; nervous; > walking in open air; < in warm room ; on wrapping up head ; in forehead. Perspiration on scalp. Warm covering on head <.

Eyes: Lachrymation. Paralysis of optic nerve. Halo of colors around light. Vision foggy; dim. Myopia.

Ears: Pain. Hearing impaired.

Nose: Coryza. Epistaxis. Obstruction. Smell wanting.

Mouth: Taste wanting.

Throat: Dryness.

Stomach: Appetite increased ; ravenous; wanting. Aversion to warm drinks; to warm food. Desires cold food. Emptiness. Eructations; of food. Nausea from warm drinks. Pain ; a. eating; b. warm food; pressing. Pulsation. Vomiting; bile: food; mucus; sour.

Abdomen: Emptiness. Pain. Rumbling.

Rectum: Diarrhoea, a. slightest indiscretion in eating. Flatus. Hemorrhoids. Itching.

Stool: Green; mucus; watery.

Urinary Organs : Urination involuntary; d. cough. Urine bloody.

Genitalia: Male: Sexual passion increased. Female: Sexual desire increased. Leucorrhea acrid, excoriating. Menses scanty. Metrorrhagia.

Larynx and Trachea: Irritation in Larynx. Scraping, clearing larynx. Tickling in larynx. Voice rough.

Respiration: Anxious, Difficult; a. eating; from walking rapidly. Rattling.

Cough: Morning. Dry; nights. From irritation in larynx. Racking. Must sit up. From tickling in larynx. Violent.

Expectoration: Morning. Bloody. Copious. Greenish. Mucus. Taste salty. Viscid, Yellow.

Chest: Catarrh. Inflammed bronchial tubes; Lungs. Oppression. Pain d. cough ; sore, bruised. Palpitation of heart; anxiety ; lying on l. side. Phthisis pulmonalis: incipient.

Back: Pain; on rising from sitting; in Lumbar region, on rising from a seat.

Extremities: Coldness of upper; of feet, from mental exertion. Heat of hands. Heaviness of feet. Pain as if sprained in joints. Tingling, prickling, asleep.

Sleep: Dreams anxious. Sleepiness, Sleeplessness; b. midnight; with sleepiness. Waking frequently.

Chill: Evenings. Internal. Shaking.

Fever: Heat in general. Afternoon. Evening. Night ; with perspiration. Burning heat; evening; night. Continued (typhoid) evening. Perspiration with heat.

Perspiration: > a. waking.

Skin: Dry, burning. Eruptions: Discharge yellow; pimples. Hard swelling. Ulcers fistulous ; with suppurative pain.

Generalities: Morning. Evening. Night; b. midnight. Anemia. General physical anxiety. Chlorosis. Cold, a. becoming. Congestion of blood, A. eating, Warm blood <. Hemorrhage. Sensation of heat from eating warm food. Heaviness externally ; internally. Inflammation internally. Lying <; in bed <; on l. side. Mucus secretions increased, Pain burning internally; pressing externally; stitching internally. Pulsation internally. Sensitive externally; to pain. < while sitting; and b. sleep. Swelling: Bone. Tension externally ; internally. On waking. Walking fast <. Weakness, nervous. Weariness. Wind.

Section II.

Phosphorus.

Mind: Abstraction. Answers irrelevantly; refuses; slowly, Anxiety; when alone; hypochondriacal; d. a thunderstorm. Desires company,< when alone. Delirium muttering. Dullness, unable to think long; on waking. Ecstasy. Fear; of impending disaster; that something will happen; of a thunderstorm. Deficiency of ideas. Indifference to loved ones; to relations; to her children. Senses acute. Sensitive to light. Shamelessness. Slowness in motion. Somnambulism. Speech incoherent. Starts easily. Aversion to thinking. Pulsatilla.

Mind: Anxiety; as if in hot air; in house. Confusion; > walking in open air; in warm room. Delirium with sleepiness Doubtful of souls welfare. Forsaken feeling. Grief. Introspection. Moaning d. heat. Praying. Restlessness d. heat; > walking in open air. Sadness > open air; in warm room. Sensitive d. heat. Sits still. Transient unconsciousness ; in warm room. Weeping > in open air; causelessness; d. chill; d. heat ; involuntary ; while nursing; when telling of her sickness.

Phosphorus

Vertigo: Morning a. rising. Loss of fluids. Odor of flowers. Periodical. With staggering. Odor of gas.

Pulsatilla

Vertigo: Mornings, compelled to lie down. Lifting a weight. Objects seem to be too far off. Head: Anemia of brain. Caries. Dandruff. Exostoses. Falling of hair; in handfuls. Heat > in open air. Heaviness from mental exertion. Itching of scalp < scratching. Pain from daylight; sneezing; b. a thunderstorm; in forehead > open air, > a. sleep ; in occiput a. sexual excesses; in sides in room, > walking in open air; burning, > in open air, < in warm room, in brain, in forehead > open air, in occiput, in sides, in temples; bursting > rubbing; pressing in forehead > cold applications, downwards. Perspiration on forehead. Sensitiveness of brain. Tired feeling.

Head: Congestion in warm room. Fullness > walking in open air. Heaviness on stooping. Pain > binding head; < blowing nose; a. overeating; a. fright; a. ice cream; from looking upward; from suppressed menses or a. their cessation; from running; while standing; in summer, from exposure to sun; vaults, cellars, etc.; while walking rapidly, > slowly; extending to eyes; in forehead > pressure, pulsating, while standing, pulsating above eyes; in temples, evenings; bursting in forehead; dull pain; pressing, pulsating, in warm room, in forehead, evenings; sore in forehead. Perspiration on scalp, one sided. Pulsating in forehead > open air, d. menses.

Phosphorus

Eyes: Atrophy of optic nerve. Bleeding from eyes. Cancer; fungus. Pain b. sleep, > sleep; stitching on going to sleep. Blurred vision a. emissions. Floating black colors or spots. Dark specks. Green colors; halo around light. Red color; objects seem. Dim vision a. coition. Vision of a sea of fire on closing eyes. Flashes in the dark. Illusions of vision; when falling asleep. Lightening when falling asleep. Sparks nights on falling asleep. Spots.

Pulsatilla

Eyes: Yellow discharge; from inner canthi, mornings. Dryness in warm room. Fistula lachrymalis; discharging pus on pressure; suppurating. Inflammation acute; catarrhal from cold; > cold; gonorrhoeal; of infants; mercurial > in open air; scrofulous; pustular; of lachrymal canal, and sac. Itching > open air; of lids, evenings. Lachrymation with cough. Arcus senilis. Pain, evenings; aching, evenings; burning > open air, itching, must rub, in warm room. Scrofulous affections. Sties of upper lid. Lachrymal sac swollen. Dim vision while walking fast, when warm from exertion, from exertion of body or in warmth. Foggy vision > rubbing. Loss of vision d. menses.

Phosphorus

Ears: Hearing impaired for human voice.

Pulsatilla

Ears: Discharge a. measles; sequelae; thick; yellowish green. Redness; meatus. Pustules. As if frozen. Inflammation; erysipelatous; eustachian tube; media. Itching, external. Rushing synchronous with pulse. Pain nights; pressing, outward. Pulsation nights. Swelling inside. Black wax; hardened. Hearing impaired a. a cold; a. measles.

Phosphorus

Nose: Coryza one sided; with sore throat. Redness. Epistaxis persistent; with perspiration ; with purpura hemorrhagica. Inflammation inside. Pain sore to touch, dorsum. Shiny. Smell acute d. headache; sensitive to odor of flowers; gas causes vertigo. Swelling of bones.

Alfred Pulford
Alfred Pulford, M.D., M.H.S., F.A.C.T.S. 1863-1948 – American Homeopath and author who carried out provings of new remedies. Author of Key to the Homeopathic Materia Medica, Repertoroy of the Symptoms of Rheumatism, Sciatica etc., Homeopathic Materia Medica of Graphic Drug Pictures.
Pulford T.