Fever
Characteristic – Adapted to persons of a rheumatic diathesis.
Bad effects of getting wet, especially after being overheated.
Ailments: from spraining or straining a single part, muscle or tendon (Bellis, Calcarea, Nux), overlifting, particularly from stretching arms high up to reach things, lying on damp ground, summer bathing in lake or river.
Affects the fibrous tissue especially (Rhododendron – the serous, Bryonia), right side more than left.
Pains: as if sprained, as if a muscle or tendon was torn from its attachment, as if bones were scraped with a knife, aggravated after midnight, in wet weather, affected parts sore to touch.
Great restlessness, anxiety, apprehension, cannot remain in bed, must change position often to obtain relief from pain (restlessness from mental anxiety, Aconite, Arsenicum).
Muscular rheumatism, sciatica, left side (Colocynthis), aching in left arm, with heart disease.
Great sensitiveness to open air, putting the hand from under the bed – cover brings on the cough (Baryta, Hepar).
Great apprehension at night, fears he will die of being poisoned, cannot remain in bed.
Headache: brain feels loose when stepping or shaking the head, sensation of swashing in brain, stupefying, as if torn, from beer, returns from least chagrin, aggravated from sitting, lying in cold, ameliorated by warmth and motion.
Vertigo when standing or walking, is worse when lying down (better when lying down, Apis), aggravated rising from lying (Bryonia).
Dream of great exertion, rowing, swimming, working hard at his daily occupation (Bryonia).
Corners of mouth ulcerated, fever – blisters around mouth, exanthema on chin (Hepar, Nat.).
Back: pain between the shoulders on swallowing, pain and stiffness in small of back aggravated or lying, ameliorated by motion or lying on something hard.
Relations – Complementary: to Bryonia.
Inimical: to Apis, must not be used before or after.
Aggravation: Before a storm, cold, wet, weather, at night, especially at midnight, anything cold. Rest.
Amelioration: Warmth, warm, dry weather, wrapping up, warm or hot things, motion, change of position, moving the affected parts.
“The great characteristic of Rhus is that, with few exceptions, the pains occur and are aggravated during repose and are ameliorated by motion. This statement, however, requires some explanation. In addition to the symptoms of Rhus, which resemble paralysis, there are also groups of symptoms resembling muscular and articular rheumatism. These rheumatic symptoms come on with severity during repose and increase as long as the patient keeps quiet, until they compel him to move. Now, on first attempting to move, he finds himself very stiff, and the first movement is exceedingly painful. By continuing to move for a little while, however, the stiffness is relieved and the pains decidedly decrease, the patient feeling much better. But this improvement does not go on indefinitely. After moving continuously for a longer or shorter period, and finding comfort therein, paralytic symptoms interpose their exhausting protest, and the patient is compelled, from a sensation of lassitude and powerlessness, to suspend his movements and to come to repose. At first this repose after long-continued motion, is grateful, since it relieves, not the aching and severe pains, but only the sense of prostration. Before long the pains come on again during this repose and the patient is forced to move again as before.”- Dunham.
The pains of Rhus are aggravated by rest, while the pains of Bryonia are relieved by rest. It is the languor and paralysis of Rhus that are relieved by rest, not the pains.
Type: Every type. Quotidian, tertian, double tertian, quartan, double quartan. First two stages often irregular. Remittent, continued, endemic and epidemic typhoid and typhus, dengue, mountain, yellow fever.
Time: 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 P.M. All periods except forenoon. Morning fever without chill 6 to 10 A.M. Evening paroxysm predominant, that at 7 P.M. lasts all night (Nux vomica, Lycopodium, Pulsatilla), every seventh day.
Cause: Rheumatic exposure, especially getting wet when overheated, after a drenching from rain and neglecting the precaution of changing the wet clothes, too frequent cold bathing in ponds or streams, “going in swimming” too often in mid-summer. Living in damp rooms, sleeping in damp beds, fevers occurring in damp, wet weather.
Prodrome: Yawning, stretching and aching of the limbs, increase of saliva in mouth, burning in the eyes and painful weariness of the limbs. ” A dry, teasing, fatiguing cough, coming on first sometimes hours before, and continuing during the chill (Sambucus). I have often cured intermittents with Rhus, guided by this symptom alone.” Dunham.
Chill: Begins in one thigh, only on one side, the right by preference (Bryonia, Thuja) sometimes, though rarely, between the scapulae, or with severe rheumatic pains over whole body. The arm and leg of this side first feel the cold. Shaking chill about 5 P.M., even in a warm room or by a hot stove, with thirst and salivation, relieved by covering up in bed (not relieved by covering, Nux ), salivation and all symptoms disappeared during sleep or on rising. Stretching and pain of the limbs, shivering over the whole body, with much thirst, cold hands, heat and redness of the face, in the evening in bed shivering, in the morning perspiration over the whole body. Chill, with intense muscular pains, must walk about for relief. Chilliness and heat in the evening, the face every hot, though the cheeks were cold to touch and pale, with very hot breath. Shaking chill on going from the open air into a warm room without thirst (reverse of Pulsatilla Shivering heat and perspiration over body at the same time. Chill and heat alternating or simultaneously, Ant., t., Arsenicum, Calcarea), without thirst. Shaking chill in open air, not relieved by covering. Internal coldness of limbs (like falling asleep) but no trace of external coldness. Extremely cold hands and feet. Chill in all the limbs for an hour at 6 P.M., with diarrhea (without thirst), then violent heat and profuse perspiration lasting three hours, with thirst. Severe chill at 7 P.M., as though dashed with ice cold water (Ant.t.), or as if the blood were running cold through the vessels, cold when he moves, increased by eating and drinking, became hot by lying down and covering, pain between the shoulders and stretching of the limbs during fever at night, sweat in morning. Chill at 8 P.M. without thirst, with diarrhea and cutting pains in abdomen with the heat, for several hours, with thirst, followed by light sweat, sleep and morning diarrhea. Cough during chill, dry, teasing, fatiguing (dry, racking with pain and pleuritic stitches in chest, Bryonia ) Great restlessness in chill (in all stages, Arsenicum ) The restlessness is because he finds that tossing about relieves, not from mental anguish, as in Arsenicum.
Heat: With thirst. General heat at 10 a.m., with yawning, drowsy, tired feeling as if dashed with hot water, excessive heat, as from hot water running through the blood vessels, without thirst, but with throbbing, dull headache, pressure and swelling at pit of stomach, and diarrhea with cutting pain in abdomen, may last all night. No cough in heat, but urticaria breaks out over entire body with violent itching, increased by rubbing, with great heat and thirst drinks little and often, lips dry. (Urticaria as chill passes off, Apis – before and during chill, Hepar – during heat and sweat, Rhus – during heat only, Ignatia). She was too hot internally and chilly externally. Head and hand hot, rest of body chilly, or vice versa. Heat on the left side and coldness of right side of body. Hot, flushed face and burning heat of skin, yet not warm to the touch. Heat, after the chill, with sweat, which relieves, or chill in some parts and heat in others, both at the same time. Restless, constantly changing position (Arsenicum ) Shuddering on moving or uncovering.
“The urticaria is intolerable, appears in spots or weals over the whole body, even the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, driving the patient frantic.” Clement Pearson.
Sweat: Profuse sweat, odorless and not exhausting (Sambucus). Morning sweats, not debilitating. Urticaria, with violent itching, which passes off with the sweat. Sweat, with violent trembling. Night – sweat, sometimes sour, musty, putrid (rare). Sweat over whole body, except face (reverse of Silicea ) or vice versa. Sleep during sweat (Podophyllum). Sweat does not relieve all pains (like Nat. ) Sweat may be profuse and debilitating in old cases, after frequent suppression by Quinine and “ague cures.”
Tongue: Coated white, often on one side only, takes imprint of teeth ( Mercurius, Podophyllum ), with red, triangular tip, sore, cracked. Bread tastes bitter, after eating. Hunger, without appetite, craving for milk, cold water, beer, to relieve the dry mouth. Aversion to alcoholic liquors and meat (reverse of Pulsatilla ).
Apyrexia: Not characteristic. Symptoms of the paroxysms continue in a modified form, particularly of the skin. Continual motion only relieves. Constant restlessness, cannot sit quiet, turns in bed frequently without finding an easy place (because bed is so hard, Arnica, Pyrogen ). Hydroa on upper lip, not as pearly, but as characteristic as Natrum.
