Calcarea Carb. – Scrofulous constitution, chronic indigestion, milky leucorrhoea, glandular swellings of the neck, vertigo, chronic headache, cold extremities, and cough, worse in the morning, are symptoms often present in cases requiring this remedy.
Cimicifuga. – Deficient nervous energy in the ovaries with excess in other organs, manifested by extreme nervousness, hysteria, heavy headache restlessness, sleeplessness, “sinking” sensation, chorea, pain under the left breast, and in the left side generally, and rheumatic pains.
Conium – This medicine is particularly suitable for women with tight, rigid fibres, and who are easily excited. Pain or swelling in the ovaries, with leucorrhoea of a white acrid character, are strong indications for this remedy.
Ferrum. – Debility, languor, palpitation, indigestion, sometimes Leucorrhoea, sickly complexion, puffiness of the face or ankles, and other anaemic and chlorotic symptoms. (See the Section on “Chlorosis.”)
Iodine. – Scrofulous patients, with enlarged glands and a lymphatic constitution, corrosive leucorrhoea, an feeling of much weakness on going upstairs.
Nux vomica. – Congestive morning headache, constipation, frequent acute indigestion, spasms, etc. Nux V., is suited to patients of dark complexion, energetic, vehement, and irritable disposition, and to those who teak too little out-of-door exercise.
Phosphorus. – For delicate constitutions, with sensitive lungs, and a predisposition to disease of those organs. Sometimes, in such cases, instead of the menstrual discharge, expectoration of blood in small quantities occurs, with cough, and pains in the regions of the chest.
Pulsatilla. – Pains in the abdomen and across the back; hysterical symptoms, alternate laughing and crying, nausea and vomiting, palpitation of the heart, indigestion, and loss of appetite; Anaemia – Pulsatilla is chiefly suitable for patients of light complexion, fair hair, and timid, easily vexed, yet uncomplaining disposition.
Senecio. – This remedy, administered during the inter menstrual periods, has proved eminently successful, and seems to possess alike the power to restore the secretion when suppressed, of augmenting it when deficient, and of diminishing it when excessive, as also of alleviating the pains of Dysmenorrhoea. It may be stated to act as a uterine tonic, invigorating the catamenial function, and restoring equilibrium of action.
Sepia. – Delay of the period in persons at the proper age (from venous congestion), with distention or pain in the abdomen, giddiness, nervous headache, easily-flushed face, fine sensitive skin, retiring, melancholic disposition.
Sulphur – Scrofulous patients, troubled with Leucorrhoea and itching of the genital organs.
Veratrum – Cold hands and feet; hysteric and fainting fits; nausea, vomiting, and tendency to diarrhoea.
ADMINISTRATION. – The selected remedy may be administered in the morning on rising, one or two hours before dinner, and on retiring to bed. When the symptoms are urgent, every one, two, or four hours. In chronic cases, morning and night.
ACCESSORY TREATMENT. – The feet should be kept warm and dry, comfort, rather than fashion, should determine the entire clothing arrangements. Delayed menstruation is often the consequence of exposure to cold or defective circulation in the surface, which warm clothing would obviate. It is especially necessary that the abdomen be kept warm; the necessity for wearing drawers, to protect it from cold, must, therefore, be obvious. Too studious and sedentary habits should be corrected; exercise taken out-of-doors, particularly in the morning, including walking, running, and the games of skipping rope, battledore and shuttlecock, trundling the hoop, etc., as they are powerful auxiliaries in obtaining health of body and vigour of mind. These exercises are likely to be yet more efficacious if practised in the country, on a dry, sandy soil, and in pure and bracing air. If pleasant company can be added to the charms afforded by diversity of scene, the advantages will be still greater. All these means should be aided by a carefully selected nourishing diet, taken at regular hours, three times a day, consisting of easily digestible food, in due proportions from the animal and vegetable kingdoms. All made dishes, high seasoning, spices etc. should be especially avoided; also, except in great moderation, the use of tea and coffee.
THE COLD SITZ-BATH – In Amenorrhoea this is a powerful means of stimulating the menstrual function, but is not advisable when the patient is very feeble, or anaemic, or when there is reason to suspect constitutional disease as the cause of the dormant function.
The patient should sit in a hip-bath containing water at a temperature of 50* to 60*, sufficient to cover the hips, the legs and feet being not immersed, but kept warm by means of flannel wraps, or a hot foot-bottle or bath; the shoulders also being covered. The bath should be taken at bedtime, and last from five to fifteen minutes, gradually increasing the time as the patient can bear it. On leaving the bath, the patient should be well rubbed with a bath-sheet or large towel till warm, and instantly retire to bed. if chilly, a hot-water battle may be applied to the feet. But should she remain uncomfortable, the bath should be discontinued, or given for a very short period. In suitable cases it may be continued every night for a week or two. The spinal ice-bag is also a valuable accessory.
AMENORRHOEA AND GENERAL ILL HEALTH. – It is most important as may be inferred from preceding observations, to recognise the connection, as cause and effect, between general deranged health and the absence of menstruation. The function of menstruation, like the other functions of the body, is best performed when the system is in health. Now, health is not prompted by redundancy or excessive action, any more than by debility or enfeebled action; consequently, the administration of stimulants will rarely hasten the menstrual function, even in cases of debility, unless attention be paid to the restoration of the general health of the patient.
With these views we have prescribed Pulsatilla, Ferrum, Phosphorus, Cimicifuga, etc., not as mere emmenagogues, but rather as efficient and well-tired agents for aiding in the removal of that defect in the health, or general functional inactivity of the body, which is the real cause of the evil. The experience of all homoeopathic physicians proves that the first effect of our treatment in cases of delayed menstruation is the improvement of the general health and spirits of the patient, the Amenorrhoea at length disappearing as evidence that the cure is complete.
CAUTION. – Here let it be observed, once for all, that the attempt to remedy any defect in menstruation by spirits, decoctions of herbs, by the pills which are procured with such fatal facility at druggists’ shops, or by any so called emmenagogues, deserves the strongest reprehension. The practice is fraught with life-long danger to the system, and is therefore to be emphatically condemned. Unless it be abandoned, the patient must be prepared for-an ultimate increase in the very sufferings from which she thus vainly seeks relief.
MARRIAGE AND AMENORRHOEA – A suggestion may here be offered concerning cases in which the menses have been delayed years beyond the usual period, and for which marriage has been recommended as a cure. Under certain conditions, this step is sometimes successful, such cases having occurred with in the author’s observations. But before such a course is adopted, a professional opinion, carefully formed, should be taken; for should the general health be at fault, as is often the case, or the sexual organs be imperfectly developed, disappointment will inevitably follow.
9. – SUPPRESSION OF THE MENSES (Amenorrhoea)
When the menstrual low has been fairly established as part of the economy, it is yet liable to be suppressed, or to be greatly diminished. It is necessary to distinguish between suppression and retention. The former indicates its arrest from non- secretion of the catamenial fluid; the latter that, although secreted into the uterine cavity, there is some obstruction to its escape.
CAUSES. – Suppression may arise from a physiological cause, such as pregnancy; frequently, however, it is the consequence of weakness from sedentary, indoor occupations, combined with want of fresh air and sufficient rest; excessive loss of blood; chronic and acute disease; sexual excesses; and mechanical obstruction; or it may occur suddenly, during the flow, from exposure to cold and damp, such as getting the feet wet, sitting on the ground, eating ices, violent emotions-anger, terror, fright, etc.-or from any other cause which abruptly shocks the system. Suppression, for two or three periods, without pregnancy. Sometimes occurs after marriage, simply as the consequence of excessive excitement. Wearing thin-soled shoes is a fruitful source of the decay of female beauty, and the decline of female health; injury from tight-lacing, although considerable, being nothing in comparison with that resulting from the fatal habit of wearing thin-soled shoes in all kinds of weather.
LICENTIATE OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS; MEMBER OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS; LICENTIATE IN MIDWIFERY, LONDON AND EDINBURGH, ETC. PHYSICIAN TO THE READING AND BERKSHIRE HOMOEOPATHIC DISPENSARY.
Author of "The Stepping Stone to Homeopathy and Health,"
"Manual of Homoeopathic Treatment". Editor of "The Homoeopathic World."