Read before the Kansas City meeting of the Southern Homoeopathic Medical Society, October 2, 3 and 4, 1944; read also the Central Pennsylvania Homoeopathic Medical Society at Hershey, Penna., March,10, 1945.
(a) Aconite. In the maddening pain of Otitis, dark redness of parts, stinging, lancinating or throbbing pains and great sensitiveness. It suits earaches from sudden changes of temperature. Worse at night, lying on effected side, is aggravated by warmth. Its influence is restricted to a brief period immediately following exposure. Temperature and pulse high, respiration hurried, burning skin and thirst. Very sensitive to noises. Sensation of a drop of water in left ear. Dont forget, restless, pain, numbness, fear, dry, red hot, no sweat.
(b) Belladonna. In acute Otitis, with digging, boring, throbbing, lancinating, beating with heart beats, tearing pains which come suddenly and are most violent. Membrane tympani is covered with inflated blood vessels and bulges. Pain comes on suddenly. Parotid and lymph glands swollen, hearing acute. Pain causes violent delirium. Child cries and jumps in sleep. Aggravation: All symptoms worse at touch, jar, noises, draught, afternoon lying down. Better by warmth and semi-erect. Dont forget, red hot with sweat, tendency to be right-sided.
(c) Ferrum Phosphoricum. Is useful more especially in anaemic patients, in acute earache, it has tinnitus, no special deafness, sensitive to sound, humming sound. Has pains in paroxysms, throbbing or stitching.
1. A tendency of the inflammatory process to be diffused instead of circumscribed.
2. Beefy redness of the parts.
3. Muco purulent discharge with tendency to haemorrhage.
4. Discharge does not relieve pain.
5. Pain in paroxysms.
6. Earache after exposure to wet.
Modalities: Better- quiet and recumbent . Worse- motion, especially the beating and hammering. First stage remedy, prevents suppuration.
(d) Chamomilla. A very definite remedy in infantile earache. Pains violent, worse from warmth. One cheek with red-hot-spot, other pale and cold, restless, fretful, hyper-aesthesia, much suffering. Suspicious, ill-humored, earache with toothache, ear symptoms worse with cold water in mouth. Swelling and heat drives patient frantic. Ears feel stopped. Fretting nd earache go hand- in-hand.
Modalities. Worse- heat, anger, open air, wind, night. Better being carried.
(e) Capsicum. Now we come to a stage where the condition has had some development. It corresponds to Otitis Media, with rupture of the membrane tympani, great soreness of mastoid portion of the temporal bone, chronic suppurations, bursting headaches, chilliness, burning and stinging, swelling, pains behind ears, pain on deep pressure on tip of petrous portion of mastoid, ears hot, pain goes to throat, drum perforated, sub-acute inflammation of the Eustachian tube and deep in ear.
Caution: Do not use this remedy below th 6x, Worse open air, uncovering, draught.
(f) Silica. Most valuable in suppurative middle ear troubles, complicated with caries or necrosis of the bone, attended with a thin, offensive discharge containing small pieces of bone. Perforations of the ear drum heal rapidly under Silica. A peculiar and leading symptoms to this remedy is an itching and tingling in the Eustachian tube, sensitive to noise, roaring in ear, shooting pains with profuse perspiration, attended with chill or chilliness, plus the sound of explosion of a percussion cap in the ear. Promotes repair of ear drum. Try 12x if an ear of this type does not want to come to an end. Of course, this remedy will work in more attenuated form, say 30x-200x. I am very fond of the 500x, it will not let you down.
Modalities: Worse new moon, in morning from washing, during menses, uncovering, lying down, damp, lying on left side, cold. Better warmth, wrapping up head, summer, in wet or humid weather.
This probably fits as the chronic of Pulsatilla.
(g) Sulphur. Is useful for a most offensive discharge, it stinketh from the ears. They are red, raw and the discharge excoriates. It may be well to think of Psorinum in the odor business. The sulphur patient is one of those dirty, greasy mortals, who has poor conception of soap and water and who is oversensitive to water. He does not like it.
Modalities: Better dry, warm weather, right side, from drawing up affected limbs. Worse left ear, when at rest, warmth in bed, washing, bathing in morning. Night; from alcoholic stimulants.
Dont forget: Burning, filthy people, feet want a cool place, early morning diarrhoea.
EYES.
(1) Aconite. Any acute inflammation, may be of traumatic origin, foreign body, eye feels full of sand, lids swollen, hard and red. Photophobia from exposure to cold, reflection to snow or acid substances. First remedy, prior to exudation.
(2) Euphrasia. Inflammation of the lids which are red injected, ulcerated, profuse excoriating discharge, photophobia, cannot bear artificial light. Pustules near border of cornea. Close work brings on pain in eyes, catarrhal conjunctivitis. The eyes water all the time, granular ophthalmia and its acute exacerbations. Blurring of vision, relieved by winking, thus wiping the eyes. 12x is a useful potency. Lower and higher potencies work well.
(3) Allium Cepa. Profuse bland lachrymation.
(4) Ambrosin. 200x. Itching eyes.
(5) Kali carb. Eyes swollen in morning.
(6) Belladonna. Perhaps the most frequently indicated remedy in eye troubles. Dry injected eyes, total absence of lachrymation, the intensity and violence of its symptoms are its leading indications. The early stage of conjunctivitis, iritis, retinitis, sudden violent spasms, great intolerance of light, affections of eyes due to overuse or from use in poor light. Symptoms of bright sparks before eyes, retinal haemorrhage, apoplexy of retina, throbbing deep in the eye, pupils dilated, staring, deep in the eye, pupils dilated, staring, brilliant conjunctiva red, shooting in eye, illusions sees double, squinting, spasms of lids. Better in the dark.
(7) Gelsemium. A most valuable remedy in eye troubles. It has an abundance of paralytic symptoms, diplopia, vision and ptosis. These symptoms are associated with soreness of the eye-balls, dark red face and general symptoms of the drug. Double vision is very characteristic, giddiness and pains in the eyeballs are sure indications for the remedy. Intra-ocular inflammations, where serous exudations occur, dull pains,double vision and vertigo will indicate Gelsemium. In serous iritis, choroiditis where there is a gradual impairment of vision and heavy lids, it is the remedy. It produces also an inability to accommodate quickly. It has been used for detachment of the retina and some forms of asthenopia and in astigmatism with considerable success. Strabismus from weakening of the muscles is also characteristic and therapeutically it has been found useful in strabismus and ptosis following diphtheria.
Gelsemium is one of the most valuable remedies in glaucoma, often palliating the severe pains and improving the neurotic symptom of the disease. Gelsemium dilates the pupil through its paralyzing effect on the third nerve.
One pupil contracted, the other dilated. Albuminuric retinitis.
Modalities: Worse damp weather, fog, before thunderstorm, emotion, thinking of his ailments, at 10:00 A.M. Better bending forward, by profuse urination, open air, continued motion, stimulants.
(8) Bryonia. Is much similar to Gelsemium. Its modalities are different. More rheumatic in character.
Modalities: Worse motion, morning, eating, hot weather, exertion, touch, cannot sit up, gets faint and sick. Better lying on painful side, pressure, rest, cold things.
(9) Rhus Toxicodendron, oedematous swellings, redness, acrid discharge, orbital cellulitis, intolerance of light so that eyes cannot be opened at night, tears hot and scalding, causing pimples on parts bathed with tears. A very important symptom. Gush of tears separates eyelids, secretion rather scanty, more profuse in morning and open air. Ptosis from getting wet, rheumatic iritis, erysipelas or eczema of lids, old injured eyes.
Modalities: Worse when quiet. Exhausted on little exertion, cold, weather, after rain. Right side. Rest on back or right side. Better warm, dry weather, motion, change of position, rubbing, warm applications.
(10) Mercurius. Important in Ophthalmia Neonatorum and Keratitis, especially if of syphilitic origin. Profuse burning acrid discharge, floating black spots after exposure to glare of fire, foundry-men, iritis with ……….. Styes and rheumatic troubles.
(11) Mercurius Biniodide. Where glandular swellings are excessive.
(12) Mercurius Protoiodide. I corneal ulcer. Ulcer has appearance as if the ulcer has been chipped out by the fingernail. Accompanied by yellow-coated tongue.
(13) Merc. Cor. Violent symptoms, severe burning, agonizing pain, lids swollen, profuse excoriating, lachrymation which takes the skin off the cheeks, ulcers of the cornea with tendency to perforation. If there is any ” best remedy” for iritis it is Merc. Corro. Iris muddy in color, neither contracts nor dilates. Choroiditis pain, stops immediately upon injection of 1/1000 solution under conjunctiva. Retinitis albuminuria also finds a remedy in Merc. Corro. Syphilitic iritis, of course. A wonderful remedy.
Calcutta
Chief Editor, Homeopathic Herald