IODINE


IODINE. Iodine is the heaviest member of the halogen group. It has the greatest affinity for oxygen and least for hydrogen. With the increasing atomic weight the halogens show modifications in their symptomatology, but in all the halogens there is a certain strand of common symptoms which seem to be characteristic of the group. comparisons will bring out this point.


General Introduction

Iodine is the heaviest member of the halogen group. It has the greatest affinity for oxygen and least for hydrogen. With the increasing atomic weight the halogens show modifications in their symptomatology, but in all the halogens there is a certain strand of common symptoms which seem to be characteristic of the group. comparisons will bring out this point.

It is a vital element for us and it has specific influence as a catalyser. Although it is found everywhere in our body, yet the thyroid is by far the richest in Iodine contents, as it contains 1/6 to 1/7 of the total Iodine. The amount necessary for the maintenance of metabolic equilibrium is about 14 gammas a day. Thyroid is the central laboratory in the body which is responsible for the movement of Iodine in the body, its absorption and organic combination. Thyroxin is the compound to which is ascribed the chief action of Iodine. Excessive amounts of thyroxin in the blood accelerate the basal metabolism and usually Thyrotoxicosis is the result.

The picture of hyperthyroidism and the drug picture of Iodine seem to be very much alike in many ways. Emaciation, nervous and mental disturbances, anxiety neurosis and intolerance of warmth are the examples.

Drug Picture.

Iodine is one of the most deep acting constitutional drugs known to us. Although it is not frequently indicated, yet no other drug can take its place where it is constitutionally indicated. Fortunately for us, it has well defined, sharply cut features, but even then we often pass by it and fail to recognize it. The patient is usually think and lean, or has become so, although he might have looked well-fed earlier. The color of the skin often darkens under its influence. Hence the text says that it is indicated in dark persons. He or she is usually an over- active, even restless type, always doing something or other. Even when there is little energy left in him, he does not keep quiet. He becomes restless and irritable if he does not do something to occupy his mind and body. Suppose he has headache

and it hurts the eyes to read, still he would go on reading or writing; if he does not do it, he becomes uneasy. The …..

mechanical act of mere writing will give him some peace. In later stages he is easily tired by any exertion, but this peculiar restlessness forces him to attempt to do something. It is an anxiety state, and he finds an escape through work or occupation. He paces the room to and fro in his extreme anxiety. He will become restless and anxious when his meal time comes. Concentration on anything is impossible. Eating relieves him for some time. If he suffers from flatulent distension of the abdomen, he becomes anxious and restless; knows not what to do; walks about. Continued walking seems to give him relief. It may be mentioned, lest forgotten, that many of its aches and pains are better by walking or continued motion. Patient as a whole, because of his general restlessness and anxious state, is better while in motion, while he is pre-occupied with something.

A little thing, however insignificant, will start him worrying, and then comes the anxious state, ameliorated from eating or some work. At times there is a feeling that he must do something or he will go insane. Patient wants to do something, but knows not what. In its constitutional state this anxious restlessness must be present in Iodine cases. Of all the authorities only Kent has emphasised it properly.

Of the halogen group Fluoric acid comes nearest Iodine in the desire to be occupied. I remember the case of a Fluoric acid female, who would get sudden fits for doing something and would become restless. Would suddenly get up at midnight and start cleaning the house, or take up sewing, otherwise there was no peace in her mind. She could do an astonishing amount of work. Text says increased capacity for muscular work; actually it is something more. In Fluoric acid there is increased capacity for work, but Iodine, however, does not have such endurance feats to her credit.

Other Mentals.

Iodine patients are quite sparing in their habits, and seem to possess a lot of self-control. Like Phosphorus, however, they are very sensitive in every way. Very touchy, even harmless words are misconstrued. Every little worry makes him anxious and he can’t get rid of it. At times, there are violent impulses: as impulse to beat somebody without rhyme or reason; uncontrollable impulse to kill somebody; an impulse to destroy something. Perhaps they are the result of the interminable anxiety they suffer from (in my own case, I remember I would actually beat my

younger sister without any provocation. I would have sudden impulses to shoot or destroy something). These are cured symptoms.

He has violent anger and irritability, at times so great that he wants to stab anybody who comes near him. When he is anxious, he wants to be alone, shuns all company; would like to be alone in a room, and try to shut off even lights. Avoids the look of people even the best known friends. He wants to be in a dark place all by himself. He finds a peculiar pleasure when he is all by himself. In my own case I used to feel very much upset if we had visitors in the house; felt a strange joy of if everybody else had gone out of the house and myself left alone. I would shut myself in and rub my hands in sheer relief. While passing in the street would avoid meeting the best friends.

There is extreme melancholia, especially with digestive troubles (compare Natrum sulph.). Looks at the dark side of things. I did not, however, remember any impulse to suicide, although I used to have extreme blues. At times mental depression will alternate with fits of buoyancy. During depression, I felt utter lack of self-confidence. Great indecision.

From the evolution of its mentals, it is quite evident that Iodine will suit certain cases of insanity and mental disease. In its later stages of development, the anxiety reaches an extreme degree, and patient has ideas and thoughts rushing to the brain at a terrific speed. He forgets what he has just thought, and becomes anxious, but, in spite of it, the brain seems to get no rest. He wishes he could find some rest from his over active brain. The speed of thought is maddening. He actually fears that he will go insane, if this does not stop. Fear of insanity becomes quite marked. In 1940, I felt I would go mad if this did not stop. At that stage my physical symptoms were abating and mentals were getting worse. If I had not taken Iodine at that time, I would have gone insane. The only relief from this over- crowding of ideas is during meals while eating.

Then there are fixed ideas which take such a hold of him that he cannot get rid of them. He holds them with religious tenacity. He talks of funny impractical things which he never was known to talk about. He realises it, but he cannot stop if. He has ideas of grandeur about himself, a sort of megalomania. Thinks he is the most gifted and clever person. Exuberant, over- confident to a ludicrous degree. He likes to be mesmerised like Phos., Calc., Sil. He feels it better to be rubbed and massaged.

Certain Iodine types develop loquacity to a marked degree. Iodine is capable of long, interminable, voluble talks. Patient, while healthy a quiet and reticent type, becomes extremely talkative. He cannot help talking and ideas seem to come so rapidly that he can talk for hours; gives speeches. Irresistible desire to talk, although talking exhausts him very much. I remember very vividly that one of the symptoms, in the last stages of my illness, was the talkativeness. It was something quite foreign to me. I, myself, was surprised at my own capacity for volubility. But alas! I lost that faculty for extempore speeches after a few doses of Iodine.

In my diary dated 1940-41, I find the following:.

I developed a certain whimsicality,and a certain vehemence with which I put forward my ideas … a sort of bubbling enthusiasm and over-confidence; feeling of mental superiority over others. Fits of loquacity; talked and argued with great force and humoured others for hours.

In crowded places like market places, I felt ill at ease; a sort of confusion so that I would hardly think. Desire to escape at once.

In its mental evolution Iodum may induce clairvoyance. No authority so far has noted this symptom. I could foretell events quite accurately. Under the influence of high potency such symptoms were aggravated and later cured in me. I developed some remarkable but funny symptoms. Neither before nor after have I been clairvoyant in my life, but at that period I developed a definite symptom of clairvoyance. If an idea came that a particular person would see me that evening, I would actually find him paying me a visit. There were many little incidents which came true. Once I happened to go to the Railway station to receive somebody, and as I was standing on the platform waiting, a thought suddenly came to me that the carriage carrying the particular person would stop right in front of me. Five minutes later the train steamed in, and lo, my friend came out of the carriage right in front of me. This clairvoyance was not normal, but pathological with me. There were many other incidents of the same nature.

Jugal Kishore