Ammoniacum Gummi ammc.

Homœopathic Materia Medica

William Boericke · Homœopathic Materia Medica · 9th edition

Common name

Gum Ammoniac (AMMONIACUM-DOREMA)

General

A remedy for the aged and feeble, especially in chronic bronchitis. Ill humor. Sensitive to cold. Sensation of burning and scratching in neck and œsophagus.

Head

Catarrhal headache due to closure of frontal sinuses.

Eyes

Dim sight. Stars and fiery points float before eyes. Easily fatigued from reading.

Throat

Throat dry; worse inhaling fresh air. Full feeling, burning and scraping sensation. Immediately after eating, sensation as if something stuck in œsophagus, causing swallowing.

Respiratory

Difficult breathing. Chronic bronchial catarrh. Large accumulation of purulent matter and feeble expectoration; worse cold weather. Mucus tough and hard. Heart beats stronger, extends to pit of stomach. Coarse rattling of chest in old people.

Relationship

Antidotes: Bry; Arnica.

Compare: Senega; Tart emet; Balsam Peru.

Dose

Third trituration.

A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica

John Henry Clarke · A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica · 1st edition (1900-02, three volumes); homeoint.org / Médi-T HTML digitization

General

Gum-ammoniac, obtained from Dorema ammoniacum. N. O. Umbelliferæ. Trituration of the gum.

Clinical

Appendicitis. Asthenopia. Asthma. Bronchitis. Eyes, affections of. Glands, affections of. Heart, affections of. Hydrocele. Panaritium.

Characteristics

Ill-humour is the prevailing mental feature of Ammoniac . It acts prominently on mucous membranes, causing first diminished and then increased secretion. There are stars and fiery points before the sight. Sees smoke in circles. Dim sight from a blow on the head. Dim sight from reading. Hydrocele. Heart beat too strong, < lying on left side. Great accumulations of mucus. Stitches are prominent in the provings. Stitches in the cæcum at 7 p.m., alternating with pains elsewhere. This should make it appropriate in some cases of appendicitis. There are many rheumatic pains in the limbs and loins. There is marked sensitiveness to cold and < in cold weather. It is suited to bronchial affections in old people brought on by cold weather.

Relations

Compare: Asaf., Coni., Cicut. (botanical relations); Ambra, Aur.; Arn. (effects of blow); Puls. ( < lying on left side); Bell. and Ruta (eyes). Antidoted by: Arn., Bry.

Mind

Temper sombre and taciturn; repugnance to everything; ill-humour, which induces discontent with everything that is done; incapacity for mental application.

Head

Head confused, with incapability of mental labour; heaviness in the head. ─ Violent pains in the head. ─ A semi-lateral pressure in the forehead; pressure over the eyebrows. ─ A sense of confusion in the forehead, with dimness of sight; tearing sensation in the right side. ─ Pressure in the occipital region. ─ Pricking in the scalp. ─ Sensation of swelling at the occiput. ─ Itching, enforcing scratching of the parts affected, and tingling; pimples at the roots of the hair.

Eyes

A sense of pressure, with tickling at the upper part of the globe of the eye; throbbing and tingling at the upper part of l. eye, followed by a sense of pressure. ─ Feeling of dryness in the eyes, and as of some foreign body under the upper lid of the l. eye. ─ Stars and fiery points floating before sight. ─ Sees smoke before him (amblyopia from a blow). ─ Dimness of sight at night, and chiefly in the morning, immediately on rising, with burning heat in the eyes. ─ Reading impracticable, at least without considerable effort. ─ Photophobia, although the weather may be cloudy.

Ears

Tearing sensation at the exterior of r. auditory passage. ─ Gurgling in l. ear, on scratching the occiput. Roaring in the ears, with difficulty in hearing.

Nose

Painful dryness in the nose on rising in the morning. ─ Increase of nasal mucus. ─ Sneezing, followed by an abundant flow of mucus from the nose. ─ Constant motion of alæ nasi.

Face

Paleness of the face, with a sensation of uneasiness, preceded by frequent change of colour. ─ Drawing sensation in l. cheek-bone, towards the temple. ─ Throbbing in the inferior maxillary region, extending into the mouth.

8, 9. Mouth and Throat. ─ Dryness of the mouth and throat in the morning, on awaking. ─ Sensation of fulness in the back of the throat and gullet, accompanied by nausea. ─ Sensation, as of a foreign body in the throat, which incites efforts to swallow it. ─ Scraping and burning in the gullet and œsophagus.

Stomach

Frequent risings. ─ Nausea, with inclination to vomit. ─ Taste clammy, insipid, or sweetish in the morning, bitter in the gullet, with loss of taste at end of tongue.

Abdomen

Borborygmi, with sensation of confusion in the forehead. ─ Pinching pains. ─ Violent abdominal pains. ─ Painful pressure in the region of the pubis.

Stool and Anus

Stools scanty; none until evening, or during two or three days. ─ Stool relaxed, of the consistence of pap; like pap after a meal. ─ Soft, with much wind, and preceded by borborygmi in the belly. ─ Mucous stools, sometimes preceded by shivering, and colicky pains which occasion writhing. ─ Liquid stools. ─ Diarrhœa, with mucous evacuations. ─ Pressure on the rectum.

Urinary Organs

Urine profuse, containing much lactate of urea. ─ Burning in the urethra. ─ Passing drops of urine, after having micturated.

Male Sexual Organs

Shooting pains in the right spermatic cord, and in its immediate neighbourhood. ─ Drawings internally. ─ Shooting pains at the root of the penis. ─ Itching in the pubic region. ─ Hydrocele.

Respiratory Organs

Roughness of the orifice of the throat. ─ Constant tickling, without inclination to cough. ─ Bronchial affections of old people in cold weather.

Chest

Respiration short, with heaving of the chest, and anxiety; quickened. ─ During inspiration, a sense of oppression, with lancinating pains in the l. side of the chest. ─ Pressure in the side. ─ Great uneasiness at the bottom of the chest, towards the back, on r. side, followed by pressure in the deepest part of the chest.

Back

Weight and pressure in the lumbar vertebræ. ─ Darting pains in the loins, chiefly during inspiration. ─ Rheumatic pains at the l. of the pelvis.

Upper Limbs

Shooting and tearing pains in the shoulder-joint. ─ Sense of weakness in l. arm. ─ Rheumatic pain. ─ A sensation of breaking, chiefly in the elbow and l. wrist; sometimes with a tearing pain in r. hand. ─ Swelling of the fingers. ─ Dragging sensation in the middle finger of r. hand. ─ Rheumatic pain in the forefinger of the r. hand. ─ Panaritium.

Lower Limbs

Darting pains about the hips while walking, which induce limping; also in r. hip joint, on being seated. ─ Weakness in the legs. ─ Jerking pain in l. thigh, along the crural nerve. ─ Violent pain above the knee while walking. ─ Sensation of swelling in the knee, at night, on being seated, with pinching pains in the popliteal space. ─ Shooting pains in r. knee. ─ Stiffness of the joint while walking. ─ Darting and pressive pains in the l. tibia. ─ Tearing pains in the joints of the foot. ─ Sense of pressure above r. ankle. ─ Cracking of the joints on moving. ─ Tearing, burning pains, in the metatarsal bones. ─ Heaviness in r. foot. ─ A tendency to stumble on going up stairs. ─ Pinching, burning, tearing, and drawing in l. foot. ─ Tingling in r. foot. ─ Swelling of the toes. ─ Burning and shooting pains in the great toe. ─ Drawing in the middle toe.

Generalities

Swelling of the joints of the upper and lower extremities. ─ Neuralgia. ─ Lassitude after the least exertion. ─ Physical dulness and lassitude, with mental depression. ─ Inclination to sleep during the day, sometimes even on rising in the morning, with listlessness; yawning from emptiness of stomach, sometimes attended by weeping; sleep unquiet during the night, disturbed by dreams, unrefreshing; sleep delayed; numerous and sometimes painful dreams. ─ Coldness and shivering, tendency to perspire. ─ Pulse small, wiry, rapid, and hard.

The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica

Constantine Hering · The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica · 1879–91

General

Gum Ammoniac. Umbelliferæ.
A Persian gum obtained from Dorema ammoniacum, an umbelliferous plant. A drug famous since ancient times. Proved and introduced by I. G. Jahnel in 1837, proved again by J. B. Buchner in 1840, and by several others in 1847.

Mind

Anxiety, with congestion of lungs.
Low-spirited ; sluggish ; drowsy.
Indisposed to mental work.
Intellectual labor prevented by headache.

Sensorium

Aching in forehead with confusion of whole head, and such drowsiness that any effort or labor was impossible.
Forehead confused, with weakness of sight and heaviness in loins.
Confusion of head and sleepiness, with a sensation as if bruised in limbs, and pains in course of crural nerve.

Inner head

Pains throughout whole forehead ; increasing all day till evening, preventing intellectual labor.
Severe headache continuing during night, preventing sleep.
Aching in forehead, with confusion of whole head, and such drowsiness that any effort or labor was utterly impossible.
Pressive pains in whole forehead, and over eyes.
Transient, stitching pains in left temporal region.
Tearings in left side of head.
Pressive pain in whole head, especially in supraorbital region and occiput.
Stitching pains through head.
Heaviness of the head.

Outer head

Itching, mostly on border of hair in nape of neck.
Pimples on border of scalp.
Frequently returning knifelike stitches in middle of hairy scalp.
Stitching in occiput, on edge of hair ; under hair pustules formed.
Numbness in occiput.

Sight and eyes

Stars and fiery points floating before his eyes.
Beams of light and sparks proceeding from eyes.
Candlelight surrounded by brilliant colored rings.
Glaring as from melted metal before eyes ; sparks and streaks < in evening.
Sees things through a thick mist or a cloud of dust.
Dim sight after a blow on head.
Eyes fatigued from reading ; they become injected and throb.
Dimness and obstruction of sight in evening, amounting almost to blindness.
He sees before him smoke, which, taking flight of small birds, forms a large circle and is most distinct at twenty paces, on a white ground. Generally smaller circles are present ; in which case the smoke seems only an appendage to these circles. The appearance and motion of these circles depend upon the unsteadiness of the look and correspond to an appearance of congestion at internal corners of eye. The margins of the circles are always grey, and become black on sudden motion. On first looking at an object, circles appear above lens, but on looking steadily they sink to middle and remain floating there. They are clearer in clear weather and dimmer in dark weather. Sometimes he also sees a black spot which becomes larger as night advances. θ Amblyopia, after a blow.
Daylight hurts his eyes.
Aching in upper part of eye.

Hearing and ears

Buzzing, roaring in ears, with hardness of hearing.
Pain in ears, with toothache.
Large secretion of earwax.

Smell and nose

Mucous discharge from nose with frequent sneezing and mucous expectoration. θ Coryza.
Dry nose on waking.
Constant motion of alæ nasi. θ Congestion of lungs.

Upper face

Pale face, feels sick ; frequent change of color.
Drawing in right malar bone towards temple.
Dark face, anxious, parched look. θ Congestion of lungs.

Lower face

Darting from region of lower jaw to interior of mouth.

Teeth and gums

Toothache, pain extending into ear.

Taste, speech, tongue

Insipid taste.

Inner mouth

Darting from region of lower jaw into mouth.

Palate and throat

Bitterish unpleasant taste in throat.
After swallowing, a sensation in throat as from a dry cough.
Sensation of sharpness and burning in throat and œsophagus.
Dryness of throat, most troublesome in morning, always increases by inhaling fresh air.

Appetite, thirst. desires, aversions

Want of appetite.

Eating and drinking

Belching after eating.

Hiccough, belching, nausea and vomiting

Disgust, with inclination to vomit.
(OBS :) Vomiting and purging.

Scrobiculum and stomach

Aching in pit of stomach.

Hypochondria

Induration of liver.
(OBS :) Infarcts of liver, spleen and pancreas.

Abdomen and loins

Slight pains in belly with borborygmi.
Chilliness and wandering pain in abdomen, followed by an abundant mucous stool.
Dull, shooting, jerking pain in region of cecum ; < when turning on to right side.
Pressure and heaviness in pubic region.

Stools and rectum

Constipation.
Abundant mucous stool, after chilliness and wandering pain in abdomen.
Stools sometimes fluid.
Fetid flatulence with papescent stool.
Chronic diarrhœa, with cutting pains, weakness, discharges bilious or mucous.
Summer complaint of children.

Urinary organs

After a few days many torulæ were formed in urine.
Lactate of urea much increased.
Burning in urethra.
Dribbling after urination.

Male sexual organs

Heaviness and aching in pubic region.
Itching in pubic region.
Shooting and drawing in right spermatic cord and penis.
Indurated testicles.
(OBS :) Hydrocele.

Female sexual organs

Menotasia, dysmenorrhœa from obstructions in portal system.
(OBS :) Irregular menstruation, amenorrhœa from chlorosis.

Voice and larynx. trachea and bronchia

Rough throat.
Tickling without cough.
(OBS :) Chronic bronchitis.

Respiration

Short, loud, accelerated breathing, with anxiety.
Oppression and stitches in left chest, when inspiring.
Difficult breathing. θ Congestion of lungs.
Oppression of chest relieved by raising tough phlegm.
(OBS :) Spasmodic asthma.

Cough

Mucous expectoration.
(OBS :) Asthenic pulmonary complaints.
Promotes power of ejecting sputa if sick have not the strength.
Mucus tough, profuse and hard.
(OBS :) Chronic pulmonary and bronchial catarrh, with nauseous thick fluid, puslike sputa.
(OBS :) Large accumulation of purulent or viscid matter, with feeble or difficult expectoration.
Aged people suffer in cold weather from bronchial affections, with accumulation of mucus and much difficulty in raising it.

Inner chest and lungs

Pressure in chest.
Dull and numb feeling in posterior part of right chest, followed by pressure deep in.
Lungs congested ; dulness on both sides ; great difficulty in breathing and anxiety, constant motion of alæ nasi ; face dark with anxious and parched look ; no expectoration ; with this an attack of asthma. θ Suppressed eczema following vaccination.

Heart, pulse and circulation

Heart-beat stronger, but not more rapid ; extends into pit of stomach ; < in evening when lying down and when lying on back or l. side.
At night, when lying down, heart and arteries throb ; eyes weary after reading ; cannot get to sleep.
Pulse small, corded, quick and hard.
Pulse quickened, frequent and hard.
Pulse tense.

Neck and back

Weight and pressure in lumbar vertebræ, with stitches in loins during inhalation, and rheumatic pain in left pelvis.

Upper limbs

Lancination in shoulder joints.
Left arm weak.
Rheumatic pain, as if bruised, most in elbow joint and l. wrist, with tearing in right hand.
Pain in left shoulder joint and arm.
Panaritium.

Lower limbs

Stitches in right hip when sitting.
Stitches over hip when walking, he limps.
Cannot walk from pain in right hip joint.
Darting pain in left thigh along crural nerve.
Violent pain over knee when walking.
Knee swollen in evening, while sitting, with pinching in bend of joint.
Stitches in right knee, in tibia and tarsal joint.
Gouty pain in left big toe.
Itching on soles of feet.
Tingling in right foot.
Pinching, tearing, drawing, burning in left foot.
Swelling of toes.

Limbs in general

Tearing pain in wrist and ankles, followed by swollen toes and fingers.
Tired feeling and heaviness in limbs, even after slightest exertion.

Rest. position. motion

Lying down on back or on left side ; heart symptoms worse.
Turning on right side : increases pain in cecum.
Sitting : stitches in right hip ; knee swollen, pricking in bend of joint.
Walking ; stitches over hip ; pain over knee.
Cannot walk : from pain in right hip joint.
After slightest exertion : tiredness and heaviness of limbs.

Nerves

Uneasiness ; weariness.
(OBS :) Hysteria with weakness.

Sleep

Drowsiness all day, sleep full of dreams.
Drowsiness with headache, making labor impossible.
Gaping because stomach is empty, brings tears in eyes.
On awaking : nose, mouth and throat very dry.
On getting up in morning : lazy, drowsy and depressed in spirits.

Time

Night : headache continues ; heart and arteries throb.
Morning : dryness of throat < ; lazy, drowsy and depressed on rising.
All day till evening : pain throughout whole forehead.
All day : drowsy.
Evening : glaring before eyes ; sparks and streaks before eyes < ; dimness of vision ; heart symptoms < ; knee swollen.
As night advances : sees a black spot. θ Amblyopia.

Temperature and weather

Fresh air : inhaling it makes dryness of throat worse.
Cold weather : increase of bronchial troubles.
In clear weather, objects look clearer ; in dull weather, dimmer. θ Amblyopia.

Fever

Chilliness followed by slight fever and headache.
A running chill from feet up over back.
Disposition to sweat.

Attacks, periodicity

Right : drawing in malar bone ; dull and numb, posterior part of chest ; tearing in hand ; stitches in hip ; stitches in knee ; tingling in foot.
Left : transient stitches in temple ; tearing in side of head ; stitches in chest ; rheumatic pains in pelvis ; arm weak ; rheumatic pains in wrist, arm and shoulder joint ; darting pain in thigh ; gouty pain in big toe ; pinching, tearing, drawing and burning in foot.
Below upward : running chill from feet up back.

Sensations

Stitches : in left temporal region ; through head ; in hairy scalp ; in occiput on edge of hair ; in left chest when inspiring ; in loins during inhalation ; in shoulder joints ; in right hip when sitting ; over hip when walking ; in right knee, tibia and tarsal joint ; as from dry cough in throat after swallowing.
Lancination : in shoulder joints.
Darting : from region of lower jaw into mouth ; in left thigh along crural nerve.
Shooting : in right spermatic cord and penis.
Tearing : in left side of head ; in right hand ; in wrist and ankles ; in left foot.
Cutting pain : with diarrhœa.
Sharpness and burning : in throat and œsophagus.
Drawing : in right malar bone towards temple ; in spermatic cord and penis ; in left foot.
Burning : in urethra.
Aching : in forehead ; in upper part of eye ; in pit of stomach ; in pubic region.
Bruised feeling : in limbs ; in upper limbs.
Pinching : in bend of joint ; in left foot.
Heaviness : of head ; in loins with headache ; in pubic region ; in lumbar vertebræ ; in limbs.
Itching : on border of hair in nape of neck ; in pubic region ; on soles of feet.
Tingling : in right foot.
Numbness : in occiput ; in posterior part of right chest.
Dryness : of nose ; in throat.
Chilliness : in abdomen with wandering pain.
Pain : in forehead ; in course of crural nerves ; in ears ; in left shoulder joint and arm ; over knee.
Stinging, tearing, pricking pain, here and there, mostly in lower limbs.
Tired feeling and heaviness : in limbs after slight exertion.
Dull shooting jerking pain : in region of cecum.
Toothache extending into ears.
Pressure : in chest ; in pubic region ; in lumbar vertebræ.
Rheumatic pain : in left pelvis ; in elbow joint and left wrist.
Gouty pain : in left big toe.
Pressive pains : in forehead ; in whole head.

Tissues

(OBS :) Hemorrhages.
(OBS :) Causes abundant serous discharges.
(OBS :) Dropsical complaints.
(OBS :) Gout not developing in usual form of attacks, but disturbing general health.
(OBS :) Scrofulous tumors or enlarged joints.

Touch. passive motion. injuries

Blows with a stick over the head, followed by dim sight. θ Amblyopia.

Skin

Red rash over whole body.
After itching, little blisters like rash in typhus, but containing a yellow fluid ; afternoon, violent fever with swelling of face, more like a red rash.
Suppression of eczema following vaccination. θ Congestion of lungs.

Stage of life, constitution

Constitution. Man, æt. 26, fair haired, robust frame. θ Amblyopia.
Aged people suffering during cold weather. See bronchial affections .

Relations

Similar to its relatives : the umbelliferæ, especially Conium (glands, eyes, etc.) ; Opoponax ; Asaf . (asthma) ; Cicut . (eruption in whiskers) ; Galban. ; Sagap. ; Sumbul (heart-throb too strong). Also : Acon . (heart) ; Ambra (asthma) ; Arnic . (traumatic amblyopia) ; Arsen . (heart ; asthma) ; Aurum (congestion to eyes ; heart ; indurated testicle, etc.) ; Bellad . (eyes ; heart ; Ammoniac in asthenopia, stands between Bellad. and Ruta.) ; Chelid . (strong, but not quickened heart-throb) ; Cotyl . (strong heart-throb) ; Fagopyr . (strong throb of heart and arteries) ; Iber . (strong heart-beat) ; Lycop. ; Myrrh. ; Natr. mur . (asthenopia, eruption at nape, etc.) ; Nitr. ac . ( See 27 ) ; Oliban. ; Phosphor . (strong heart-throb ; eyes ; asthma) ; Pulsat . (styes ; heart < when lying on l. side) ; Sulphur (congestive palpitation and throbbing all over at night, etc.) ; Seneg . (asthma from mucus ; heart-beat too strong, etc.).
Antidoted by : Arnic . and Bryon .