Ferrum Fever Symptoms


Allen gives the therapeutic indications of the remedy Ferrum in different kinds of fevers like: Continued, Bilious, Intermittent, Malarial, Remittent, Pernicious, Typhoid, Typhus, Septic fever, etc…


Fever

Characteristic – Adapted to persons of sanguine temperament, pettish, quarrelsome, disputative, easily excited, least contradiction angers (Anacardium, Cocculus indicus, Elaps), women who are weak, delicate, chlorotic, yet have a very red face.

Hemorrhagic diathesis, blood bright red, coagulates easily (Ferrump., Ipecac., Phosphorus).

Extreme paleness of the face, which becomes red and flushed on the least pain, motion or exertion, blushing (Amyl, Cocculus indicus).

Irritability: slight noises, like crackling of paper, drive him to despair (Asarum europaeum, Theridion).

Always feels better by walking slowly about, although weakness obliges the patient to lie down.

Erethic chlorosis, worse in winter.

Red parts become white, lips, face, tongue.

Menses: early profuse, protracted, with fiery red face, ringing in the ears, intermit two or three days and then return, flow pale, watery, debilitating.

Vertigo, with balancing sensation as if on the water, on seeing flowing water, when walking over water, as when crossing a bridge (Lyssinum), when descending (Borax, San.).

Headache: for two, three, or four days, every two or three weeks, hammering, beating, pulsating pains, must lie down in bed, with aversion to eating or drinking.

Regurgitation and eructation of food in mouthfuls (Alumina), without nausea.

Canine hunger, or loss of appetite, with extreme dislike for all food.

Vomiting: immediately after midnight, of ingesta, as soon as food is eaten, leaves table suddenly and with one effort vomits everything eaten, can sit down and eat again, sour, acid (Lycopodium, Sul.ac.).

Diarrhea: undigested stools at night, or while eating or drinking (Crot.t.), painless with a good appetite, of consumptives.

Constipation: from intestinal atony, ineffectual urging, stools hard, difficult, followed by backache or cramping pain in rectum, prolapsus recti of children, itching of anus at night.

Relations – Complementary to: Alumina, Cinchona, the latter the vegetable analogue follows well in nearly all cases.

Aggravation: While at rest, sitting still, night.

Amelioration: Walking slowly about, in summer.

Type: Tertian. Morning chill. Afternoon chill.

Time: 7 A.M. – 12 Morning – 3 p.m. – 4 A.M. – Lippe. Fever, without chill, 3 to 8 p.m.

Prodrome: Vomiting of ingesta as the chill is coming on. Loose stool in early morning (Sul.)

Chill: With thirst. Chilliness with headache in the morning. General coldness of the body, hands and feet very cold. Chilliness and trembling all over. Chilliness in frequent short attacks. In the afternoon, violent chill for half an hour, then thirst, must go to bed, followed by heat with perspiration. Cold sweat from the beginning of chill for 12 hours. During the chill his face got glowing hot (Arnica). Hands and feet cold and numb (Ced., Cimex, Sepia), chilly all over, does not go off by walking. Feet cold and numb all night, as after skating. Feet very cold, toes cold as ice, fingers stiff. Feet and ankles feel as if in snow.

Heat: Without thirst. Heat in the body, with red cheeks, but the head is cool (but head aches, Belladonna ). Sensation of heat all over the body, which was cold to the touch, with sensation in the face and around the eyes, as if swollen and bloated (reverse of Baryta, coldness of body which was hot to the touch). Flushes over the whole body, as if perspiration would break out. Heat of head, feet cold. Great heat of palms of hands and soles of feet. Heat in the stomach (relieved by eating), vomiting of the ingesta. Dry heat, worse towards evening, inclination to uncover (Secale), ameliorated by moving about, eating, speaking. Face very red.

Sweat: From early morn till noon every other day, preceded by headache. Sweat profuse, long – lasting, whether by day at every motion, or night and morning in bed. Strong – smelling, clammy, debilitating night – sweat. Sweat stains yellow, and is fetid on going to sleep. Sweat ameliorated while speaking and after eating. All the symptoms are aggravated while sweating (all the symptoms are ameliorated by sweating, Nat., Psorinum ). “Nausea during sweat.” – C. Pearson.

Tongue: Coated white. Lips, gums, tongue and mucous membrane of entire buccal cavity pale and bloodless (Secale). All food tastes bitter, dry, woody and insipid. Taste like rotten eggs (Aconite, Arnica). Anorexia, extreme dislike to all food.

Pulse: Hard and full at beginning of paroxysm, or weak, small and scarcely perceptible during apyrexia, great ebullition of blood.

Apyrexia: Prostration, debility and great loss of muscular power. Anemia. Edema of feet and face, especially upper and lower eyelids ( Apis, Arsenicum – of upper eyelids, Kali carb. ). Headache, vertigo, swelling of the cutaneous veins, splenic region swollen and sore on pressure (Apis, Arnica). Vomiting of everything eaten without being digested. Constipation or chronic diarrhea with lienteria. Cadaverous, jaundiced complexion. Yellow spots on the face (Sepia). Very weak and tired, but always better when walking slowly about (better from being perfectly still, Bryonia ). Cases maltreated by Quinine.

“Iron is evidently one of the most precious remedies against the cachectic condition, but I admit that its action is due to neither the chemical reasons that have been imagined and which have been current even on the lips of our school, nor the massive doses which naturally flow from these considerations, it is by its dynamic virtues that Ferrum acts and confers all its benefits. – A. Charge.

Intermittent fever after abuse of Quinine, congestions to head and face, veins distended, vomiting ingesta, swelling of spleen, anemia marked by pseudo – plethora, skin transparent when it is not earthy. The totality of the characteristic symptoms.

Analysis. – A history of anemia, chlorosis, and general constitutional weakness.

Pale face, flushed during chill or heat.

Feet cold, as if in snow.

Profuse, long – lasting, debilitating sweat, clammy and cold at night.

Maltreated by Quinine.

H. C. Allen
Dr. Henry C. Allen, M. D. - Born in Middlesex county, Ont., Oct. 2, 1836. He was Professor of Materia Medica and the Institutes of Medicine and Dean of the faculty of Hahnemann Medical College. He served as editor and publisher of the Medical Advance. He also authored Keynotes of Leading Remedies, Materia Medica of the Nosodes, Therapeutics of Fevers and Therapeutics of Intermittent Fever.