Fever
Characteristic – For the anemic and cachectic, whether from loss of vital fluids-profuse menses, seminal losses – or mental affections. Great emaciation, losing flesh even while living well (Abrotanum, Iodium), throat and neck of children emaciate rapidly during summer complaint (Sanicula).
Great liability to take cold (Calcarea, Kali carb.).
Irritability: child cross when spoken to, crying from slightest cause, gets into a passion about trifles, especially when consoled with.
Awkward, hasty, drops things from nervous weakness (Apis, Bovista).
Marked disposition to weep, sad weeping mood, without cause (Pulsatilla), but consolation from others aggravated her troubles.
Headache: of school-girls (Calcarea-p.), from sunrise to sunset, beginning with blindness (Iris, Kali bichromicum), from eye strain, with left – sided clavus, as if bursting, with red face, nausea and vomiting before, during, and after catamenia, as if beaten with little hammers in the brain, during fever, better after sweat begins.
Hay fever: squirming sensation of the nostril, as of a small worm, brought on by exposure to hot sun or intense summer heat.
Sensation as of a hair on the tongue (Silicea).
Tongue: mapped, with red insular patches, like ringworm on sides (Arsenicum, Lachesis, Mercurius, Nit.ac., Tarax.), heavy, difficult speech, children slow in learning to walk.
Fever blisters, like pearls about the lips, lips dry, sore and cracked, ulcerated (Nit.ac.).
Lachrymation, tears stream down the face whenever he coughs.
Constipation: sensation as of contraction of anus, torn, bleeding, smarting afterwards, stool hard, difficult, crumbling, stitches in rectum (see Nit.ac.), involuntary, knows not whether flatus or feces escape (Aloe, Murexac., Iodium, Oleander, Podophyllum).
Urine: involuntary, when walking, coughing, laughing, has to wait a long time if others are present, cutting after (Sarsaparilla).
Pressing, pushing toward genitals, every morning, must sit down to prevent prolapsus (Lilium tigrinum, Murex, Sepia).
The hair falls out when touched, in nursing women (Sepia – after fevers, Lycopodium), face oily, shiny (Plb., Thuja).
For the bad effects: of anger (caused by offence), acid food, bread, Quinine, cauterizations of all kinds with silver nitrate, too much salt.
Hangnails: skin around the nails dry and cracked (Petroleum), herpes about the anus, in border of hair (in bend of knees, Graphites, Hepar).
Dreams of robbers in the house, and on walking will not believe to the contrary till search is made (of robbers, danger, Psorinum), of burning thirst.
The heart’s pulsations shake the body (Spigelia).
Eczema: raw, red, inflamed, especially in edges of hair, aggravated from eating too much salt, at seashore, from ocean voyage.
Warts on palms of hands (sore to touch, Nat.c.).
“Cannot often be repeated, in chronic cases, without an intercurrent.” – Dunham.
Should not be given during paroxysm.
If vertigo and headache be very persistent or prostration prolonged, Nux vomica will relieve.
Relations – Complementary to Apis: acts well both before and after it.
Natrum muriaticum is the chronic of Ignatia, which is its vegetable analogue. Is followed by Sepia and Thuja.
Aggravation: At 10 or 11 A.M., heat of sun or stove, in summer, at seashore or from sea air, mental exertion, talking, writing, reading, lying down.
Amelioration: In open air. (Pulsatilla), cold washing, sitting up, fasting.
Type: Every type of fever belongs to Natrum muriaticum: vernal, midsummer, autumnal, midwinter, quotidian, tertian, quartan. Simple type. Anticipating tertian. Malarial.
Time: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 A.M. – 10 to 11 A.M. Like Nux vomica the characteristic paroxysm is in the morning or forenoon, the lesser paroxysm occurs in afternoon or evening. 4 to 7 p.m., 6 to 7 p.m., 5.30 to 7.30 p.m. Chilly all day, with fever all night.
Fever without chill, 10 to 11 A.M.
Cause: Exposure to emanations from salt or fresh water, living on, or in the vicinity of water, margins of streams, or ponds, in damp regions or near recently turned up soil, especially freshly ploughed fields of virgin soil. When Quinine has perverted and temporarily suppressed the original or regular paroxysm.
Prodrome: Patient dreads the chill. Languor, headache, thirst, knows the paroxysm is coming because of headache and thirst, nausea and vomiting sometimes present, if vomiting, it is water recently drunk, tearing pains in hands, feet, and kidneys.
Chill: With thirst. Paroxysm at 8 A.M., violent chill till noon, then heat till evening, without perspiration or thirst during the chill or heat, unconscious, with violent headache, sensation as if the head would fly into fragments, is stupefied, knows not where he is. Great chilliness every morning between 3 and 4 o’clock, with languor, headache, great dyspnea, followed by great heat and thirst, and terminated by profuse perspiration. Long and severe chill from 10 to 11 A.M., beginning in the feet, fingers, and toes, or small of the back (Gelsemium)., with blue lips and nails (Nux.). Thirst, drinking often and much at a time (drinking often and large quantities, but it produces vomiting, Eup. – drinks little and often, Arsenicum ). Bursting headache, nausea and vomiting, and sometimes complete unconsciousness. Frequent creeping chills about 5.30 p.m., followed by heat and perspiration that lasted till 7.30. Violent chill, especially in a warm room, from 4.30 to 7 p.m., relieved in the open air. Chilliness over the whole body between 6 and 7 p.m., with great sleepiness, was able to keep awake only by a great effort. Chill over the whole body in a warm room, between 4 and 7 p.m., with frequent yawning, though warm to the touch, except in the face.
Internal shivering from 4 to 7 p.m., she is generally chilly, each night suffers excessively from rigors, followed by heat and profuse perspiration, as rigors come on, and during continuance, excessive languor, with headache and dyspnea “almost indescribable.” Chill predominates, mostly internal, hands and feet icy cold, could not be warmed. Chilliness, great thirst, tearing in the bones, blue nails, chattering of the teeth, at 10 A.M. Chilliness, with increasing headache in the forehead every day from 9 A.M. till noon, afterwards heat with thirst, and gradual appearance of sweat, the headache decreasing gradually as the sweat increases until 5 o’clock in the evening. Chill of right side ( Bryonia – left, Causticum, Carbo vegetabilis ).
“Icy coldness about the heart (Arnica, Camph., Helod., Kali carb., Oleander, Petroleum), continuing after the paroxysm, blindness and unconsciousness during the chill, with great prostration, worse after chill, slight fever (Arsenicum).” – Lippe.
“Chill predominates, chilliness internally, as from want of natural heat, with icy coldness of hands and feet. Continuous chilliness from morning till noon.” – Lippe.
Heat: With increased thirst, intolerable hammering headache (as if beaten with a thousand hammers), with stupefaction and unconsciousness (Belladonna, Cactus grandiflorus, Opium), or obscuration of sight and fainting.
Long severe heat, with excessive weakness, which compels him to lie down (weakness and prostration during chill, Lycopodium – great prostration after paroxysm, Arsenicum ). Great thirst for large quantities of water, drinks much and often, which refreshes (Bryonia – drinks little and often, but it produces vomiting, Arsenicum ). Nausea and vomiting. (Ipecac.).
“Fever blisters cover the lips like pearls.” – Raue.
Hydroa, especially on upper lip (Rhus – see Ignatia, Nux.).
“Continuous heat in the afternoon, with violent headache and unconsciousness, they are gradually relieved during the perspiration which follows.” – Lippe.
Sweat: With thirst, profuse, gradually relieving all pains, except headache, which may continue during and after sweating stage (Sambucus – headache is increased, Eup. ). Profuse sweat breaks out easily during motion, although he is very chilly (Bryonia, Psorinum), over whole body at night and in the morning (over whole body, except legs, Lycopodium ), sour – smelling sweat.
Tongue: Thin, yellowish – white coating on dry tongue, blisters on the mapped tongue or looks like ringworm (herpes) on the sides (Lachesis, Tarax.). Taste: water tastes putrid (water tastes bitter, Arsenicum ), bitter, salt, sour, food has no taste at all. Longing for salt or bitter things. Aversion to bread.
Pulse: Irregular intermission when lying on left side, at one time rapid and weak, at another full and slow, every third beat intermits (Mur.ac.). The heart’s pulsations shake the body.
Apyrexia: Never clear, emaciation, languor, debility, livid, sallow complexion, stitches about the liver and spleen, urine muddy, with red, sandy sediment (Lycopodium), loss of appetite, loss of taste, aversion to bread (aversion to meat, Arnica ), hiccup, after suppression by Quinine, hydroa, like beads on the lips (Ignatia, Nux vomica, Rhus), ulceration of labial commissures, sensation of fullness of the stomach after eating ever so little. (Bryonia, Lycopodium), sexual desire diminished, or entirely lost, in men.
