Borax bor.

Boger's Synoptic Key — Materia Medica

C. M. Boger · Boger's Synoptic Key — Materia Medica · A Synoptic Key of the Materia Medica, 1915 — the Materia Medica half

Region

Occiput. NUTRITION: NERVES. MUCOUS MEMBRANES. MOUTH. Skin. Kidneys. Bladder.

Worse

DOWNWARD MOTION. Sudden noises. Cold; wet. Least uncovering. Nurslings. Children. Fruit.

Better

11 P.M.

General

Tough, bloody mucus. Tousy persons (Med. Sul.): frowsy hair, tangles at ends. Frightened at every noise; starts from sleep, as if to fall. Restless in afternoon. Gummy, crusty eyelids and nostrils. Raw tarsi. Acrid coryza. Red nose of young women. Dirty complexion. Puffy face. Dry cracked tongue. Palate hard and wrinkled. Eructations when painful parts are pressed. Poorly nourished, soft and flabby. Aphtous, catarrhal tendency. Clear, thick, hot, biting discharges. Heat in single parts; mouth, vagina, palms, etc. Sticking or drawing pains; intercostal, in soles, etc. Shrivelled skin or mucous membranes. Marasmus.

Particulars

Nervous, anxious, fidgety, fickle. Fretful, before stool. Fears downward motion. Starts at trifles, sudden sounds, etc. Anxious cries during sleep. Hot head of babies; they cry and scream when nursing or before passing stool or urine. Entropion. Red about eyes. Dry, tender, aphthous mouth. Puffy, indented tongue. Griping toothache, < wet weather. Nausea when thinking hard. Catch in groin on coughing. Stools: turning green; like boiled starch. Mucous diarrhœa, then weakness. Loose, pappy, repulsive stools. Hot, acrid, smarting urine. Nephritis. Cystitis. Easy conception. Membranous dysmenorrhœa. Albuminous leucorrhœa. Clear, hot, pasty leucorrhœa. Empty feeling in mammæ, after child nurses. Averse to coition. Pain in opposite breast, as child nurses. Mother's milk is thick and tastes badly. Blood-streaked or mouldy expectoration. Limbs tremble, at 10 A.M. Itching on back of hands. Eczema. Weak calves. DRY SKIN; festers easily, won't heal. Sweat on stomach. Stitch in right chest, < deep breath and > hard pressure. Heart feels as if on right side. Violent palpitation.

Related

Related: Bell.

Keynotes and Characteristics with Comparisons of some of the Leading Remedies of the Materia Medica

H. C. Allen · Keynotes and Characteristics with Comparisons of some of the Leading Remedies of the Materia Medica · homeoint.org / Medi-T HTML text; edition not stated by the mirror (first edition 1898, Allen d. 1909)

Keynote

Dread of downward motion in nearly all complaints. Great anxiety from downward motion; when laying the child down on a couch or in the crib, cries and clings to the nurse; when rocking, dancing, swinging; going down stairs or rapidly down hill; horseback riding (compare Sanic.). Children awake suddenly, screaming and grasping sides of cradle, without apparent cause (Apis, Cina, Stram.). Excessively nervous, easily frightened by the slightest noise or an unusual sharp sound, a cough, sneeze, a cry, lighting a match, etc. (Asar., Calad.). Hair becomes frowsy and tangled; splits, sticks together at eh tips; if these bunches are cut off, they form again, cannot be combined (Flour. ac., Lyc., Psor., Tub.). Eyelashes: loaded with dry, gummy exudation; agglutinated in morning; turn inward and inflame the eye, especially at outer canthus; tendency to "wild hairs.". Nostrils crusty, inflamed; tip of nose shining red; red noses of young women. Stoppage of right nostril, or first right then left with constant blowing of nose (Am. c., Lac c., Mag. m.). Aphthae: in the mouth, on the tongue, inside of the cheek; easily bleeding when eating or touched; prevents child from nursing; with hot mouth, dryness and thirst (Ars.); cracked and bleeding tongue (Arum.); salivation, especially during dentition. Aphthous sore mouth; is worse from touch; eating salty or sour food; of old people, often from plate of teeth (Alumen). Child has frequent urination and screams before urine passes (Lyc., Sanic., Sars.). Leucorrhoea: profuse, albuminous, starchy, with sensation as if warm water were flowing down; for two weeks between the catamenia (compare, Bov., Con.). Skin: unhealthy, slight injuries suppurate (Calend., Hep., Mer., Sil.).

Relations

Borax follows: Calc., Psor., Sanic., Sulph. Is followed: by, Ars., Bry., Lyc., Phos., Sil. Incompatible: should not be used before or after, Acetic acid, vinegar, wine.

Aggravation

Downward motion; from sudden, slight noises; smoking, which may bring on diarrhoea; damp, cold weather; before urinating.

Amelioration

Pressure; holding painful side with hand.

Key-Notes to the Materia Medica

Henry N. Guernsey · Key-Notes to the Materia Medica · homeoint.org / Médi-T HTML text (Guernsey d. 1885; public domain)

General

The strongest characteristic of this drug is the great fear of a downward motion of any kind. Children will spring up suddenly on being laid down on the bed; patient is afraid to go downstairs; can't swing, ride horseback, or use a rocking-chair, so great is the dread of downward motion.

Easily startled by any sudden noise, as the snap of a match, fall of a door latch, rustling of a dress.

Pleurisy-like pain in the right pectoral region, so the patient can't move or breathe without a stitching pain. Children may be sleeping quietly, when they awaken very suddenly, screaming and holding on to the sides of the cradle, without any apparent cause for their so doing.

Mental

Anguish and fear; peculiar; finds fault; becomes vehement, swears. Does not wish to do anything.

Head

The hair is rough and frowzy, can't be combed smooth; gets into all kinds of snarls; splits; sticks together. Much vertigo; head aches all over, with trembling of whole body and nausea.

Eyes

Affections of the margins of the eyelids and eyelashes; the lashes become loaded with a dry gummy substance, so that they stick together in the morning; granular eyelids. The eyelids turn in upon the eye. Cutting, stitches, itching in eyes and canthi; very sore.

Ears

Affections of the left ear particularly. Itching; stitches; discharge of pus.

Nose

Mucous nasal secretion; scabs and thick crusts in; also green, thick mucus.

Mouth

Affections of the gums. Tender aphthæ, so tender as to prevent the child from nursing. Dull, griping pain in decayed teeth, in wet, rainy weather; much of this sort of feeling.

Pharynx

Much tenacious mucus causing vomiting to detach.

Gastric

Distension from flatus after every meal; pain in region of stomach, after lifting heavy weights, extending into small of back, quite incapacitating one.

Stool

Mucous stool; light colored; brown watery; green in infants. Three times a day with exhaustion. Stool before making water. Pinching in abdomen with diarrhœa.

Sexual

Female: Complaints after menstruation. Mucous leucorrhœa; transparent mucus after menses, feels as if warm water were flowing. Sterility with concomitant symptoms.

Generalities

Parts which are usually white, turn red. Dingy, unhealthy looking skin, which ulcerates easily on being injured.

Worse

In warm weather; after menstruation; from laughing: before urinating; on descending; from sudden noises even though slight; smoking (which may bring on a diarrhœa); damp cold weather.

Medicines which follow are

Calc. carb., Nux vom.

Seven Hundred Red Line Symptoms from Materia Medica

J. W. Hutchison · Seven Hundred Red Line Symptoms from Materia Medica · rewritten from Hering's and other materia medicas

Red line symptom

Dread of downward motion, as in a swing, cradle, etc. Apthae on the tongue, in the mouth, inside of cheeks, with great dryness of the mouth; child cries when nursing. Hot urine in infants, child dreads to urinate and screams before each passage.

Homœopathic Materia Medica

William Boericke · Homœopathic Materia Medica · 9th edition

Common name

Borate of Sodium (BORAX)

General

Gastro-intestinal irritation. Salivation, nausea, vomiting, colic, diarrhœa, collapse, albuminuria, casts and vesical spasm. Delirium, visual changes, hæmaturia, and skin eruptions have all been observed from over-dosing.

Dread of downward motion in nearly all complaints. For homeopathic purposes, the peculiar nervous symptoms are very characteristic, and have frequently been verified, especially in the therapeutics of children. Of much value in epilepsy. Aphthous ulceration of mucous membranes.

Mind

Extreme anxiety, especially from motions which have a downward direction, rocking, being carried downstairs, laid down. Anxious expression of face during the downward motions, starts and throws up hands on laying patient down, as if afraid of falling. Excessively nervous; easily frightened. Sensitive to sudden noises. Violent fright from report of a gun, even at a distance. Fear of thunder.

Head

Aches, with nausea and trembling of whole body. Hair tangled at tips, cannot be separated, as in Plica Polonica (Vinca min).

Eyes

Lashes turn inward. Visions of bright waves. Eyelids inflamed, lids cut against eyeball. Entropium.

Ears

Very sensitive to slightest noise; not so much disturbed by louder ones.

Nose

Red nose, of young women (Nat carb). Red and shining swelling, with throbbing and tensive sensation. Tip swollen and ulcerated. Dry crusts.

Face

Pale, earthy, with suffering expression. Swollen, with pimples on nose and lips. Feeling of cobwebs.

Mouth

Aphthæ. White fungous like growth. Mouth hot and tender; ulcers bleed on touch and eating. Painful gumboil. Crying when nursing. Taste bitter (Bry; Puls; Cup). Taste of "cellar mould".

Stomach and Abdomen

Distention after eating; vomiting. Gastralgia, depending upon uterine disturbance. Pain as if diarrhœa would result.

Stool

Loose, pappy, offensive stools in children. Diarrhœa, offensive, preceded by colic; stools mucous, with aphthous sore mouth.

Urine

Hot, smarting pain in orifice. Pungent smell. Child afraid to urinate, screams before urinating (Sarsap). Small red particles on diaper.

Female

Labor pains with frequent eructations. Galactorrhœa (Cal; Con; Bell). In nursing, pain in opposite breast. Leucorrhœa like white of eggs, with sensation as if warm water was flowing. Menses too soon, profuse, with griping, nausea and pain in stomach extending into small of back. Membranous dysmenorrhœa. Sterility. Favors easy conception. Sensation of distention in clitoris with sticking. Pruritus of vulva and eczema.

Respiratory

Hacking and violent cough; expectoration, moldy taste and smell. Stitches in chest, with inspiration and cough. Cough with moldy taste-breath smells moldy. Pleurodynia; worse upper part of right chest. Arrest of breathing when lying; is obliged to jump and catch breath, which causes pain in right side. Out of breath on going up stairs.

Extremities

Feeling as of cobwebs on hands. Itching on back of finger-joints and hands. Throbbing pain in tip of thumb. Stitches in sole. Pain in heel. Burning pain in great toe; inflammation of balls of toes. Eczema of toes and fingers with loss of nails.

Skin

Psoriasis. Erysipelas in face. Itching on back of finger-joints. Unhealthy skin; slight injuries suppurate. Herpes (Rhus). Erysipelatous inflammation with swelling and tension. Chilblains relieved in open air. Trade eruptions on fingers and hands, itching and stinging. Ends of hair become tangled.

Sleep

Voluptuous dreams. Cannot sleep on account of heat, especially in head. Cries out of sleep as if frightened (Bell).

Modalities

Worse, downward motion, noise, smoking, warm weather, after menses. Better, pressure, evening, cold weather.

Relationship

Acetic acid, vinegar, and wine are incompatible.

Antidote: Cham; Coffea.

Compare: Calc; Bryon; Sanicula; Sulph ac.

Dose

First to third trituration. In skin diseases continue its use for several weeks. Locally, in pruritus pudendi. A piece of borax, the size of a pea, dissolved in the mouth, acts magically in restoring the voice, in cases of sudden hoarseness brought on by cold, and frequently for an hour or so, it renders the voice silvery and clear.

Leaders in Homoeopathic Therapeutics

E. B. Nash · Leaders in Homoeopathic Therapeutics · homeoint.org / Médi-T HTML text (Nash d. 1917; public domain)

Leaders

Dread of downward motion; child jumps and cringes or cries when laying it down; also very sensitive to noises.

Aphthous sore mouth; greenish stools day and night; mouth very hot.

Pain in right pectoral region; enough with expectoration of an offensive, herby taste.

This remedy, although an old one, is not universally appreciated. Its action upon the nervous system is very marked. In the first place it manifests itself in what is called nervousness in regard to noises, to which the patient is very sensitive. Almost any noise, as a cough, a sneeze, restling of a newspaper, a cry, distant shot, etc. Belladonna is sometimes given for this starting at noises; when Borax would do better. Then there is another very peculiar nervous symptom, viz., fear of falling, from downward motion (Gelsem., Sanicula). The child cries out and clings to the nurse when she attempts to lay it down in the cradle. Carrying it down stairs has the same effect. It will scream and cling to the nurse as long as the downward motion continues. Adults get the same symptom. Will not sit in a rocking chair, or ride on horseback, or on the waves, or swing, or go coasting, because of this dread of downward motion. There is only one other remedy having this symptom that I know of, and that is Gelsemium, and so far I think that this has only appeared in intermittent fever.

A child may be sleeping quietly and awake suddenly screaming and holding on to the sides of the cradle, without an apparent cause for so doing, or it may start from sleep clinging to the nurse as if frightened. In such cases we might think of Apis mellifica, Belladonna, Cina. Stramonium, etc., but don't prescribe on the one symptom. Look at the child's mouth and if you should find an aphthous sore mouth it would settle it pretty surely for Borax. Then, again, Borax has a very strong action as a general remedy, even domestic, from "way back," and has been prescribed without rhyme or reason until the homœopaths took it and found its exact place. Now the choice has to be made between it and Mercurius, Hydrastis, Sulphur and Sulphuric acid. etc.

It is not necessary to draw the line between the different remedies here, but I will say that the sore mouth itself is only one symptom in every case. The rest are found outside the local affection and often have more to do with the final choice of the remedy. The nervous symptoms already mentioned are "pointers," for Borax. Not only upon the mucous membranes of the mouth is this action of Borax notable, but upon every other one. The eyelashes become gummy and stick together, or turn inward. The ears discharge. I cured a case of otorrhœa of fourteen years' standing with this remedy.

Dry crusts form in the nose and re-form if removed. Greenish stools day and night, with aphthæ. The infant cries when urinating or before, showing an inflamed condition of the urethra. If the crying spells before urinating should be followed with a deposit of sand in the diaper or vessel, Lycopodium or Sarsaparilla would be thought of.

The mucous membranes of the respiratory organs are also affected. There is cough, and expectoration of an offensive herby taste. Then we have decided pleuritis in the chest, in the right pectoral region.

Borax has also white, albuminous, starchy leucorrhœa, quite profuse, and with a sensation of warm water running down.

These altogether show the action of Borax upon the mucous membranes. Like Chamomilla, Hepar sulphuris and Silicea, Borax has ulcerations of the skin from slight injuries, which suppurate.

Text Book of Materia Medica

Adolph Lippe · Text Book of Materia Medica · homeoint.org / Médi-T HTML text (Lippe d. 1888; public domain)

Mind and Disposition

Easily frightened, and starting from the least noise. Anxiety, with sleepiness, increased towards evening. The child feels an anguish when rocked in a cradle, has an anxious countenance during the downward motion, (when carried down stairs). Parts, which are usually red, turn white.

Head

Vertigo in the morning, in bed. Headache in the forenoon, (10 A.M.) with nausea and trembling of the body. Hot head (hot mouth and hands) of the infant.

Eyes

The eyelashes turn inward into the eye, inflaming it, especially in the external canthus, where the borders of the lids are quite sore. Itching in the external canthus of the eye.

Ears

Discharge of pug from the ears, with hardness of hearing ; with roaring in the (left) ear.

Nose

Dry scabs in the nose.

Face

Tetter around the mouth. Burning heat and redness of the left cheek.

Mouth and Throat

Aphthæ in the mouth, and on the tongue, bleeding when eating. Tenacious, whitish phlegm in the throat, which can only be loosened with great exertion.

Stomach and Abdomen

Distention from flatulence after every meal. Hiccough after dinner.

Stool and Anus

Frequent soft, light-yellow, slimy stools. Diarrhœa after breakfast. Stitches in the rectum.

Urinary Organs

Frequent micturition, (acrid-smelling urine). Hot urine in infants.

Sexual Organs

Men. During coition, the semen escapes either too early or too late. Women. Catamenia too early, and too profuse. During the catamenia, spasmodic pressure and stitches in the groin. Sterility, or easy conception. Fluor albus, like the white of an egg, or acrid. Stitches in the region of the uterus. Sensation of contraction in the left mamma, while the child nurses from the right. Aphthæ on the nipples, they bleed.

Chest

Stitches in the chest, whenever he coughs, or takes a deep inspiration.

Extremities

Lower. Stitches in the solos of the feet. Suppuration of a spot in the heel, where the rubbing of the shoe had occasioned a wound. Frequent stitches in the corns. Great weakness and debility of the lower extremities.

Generalities

Restlessness and ebullitions, especially after talking, with nausea.

Sleep

Sleepiness during the day, and sleeplessness at night. The child starts from his sleep, and cries.

Fever

Chilliness, especially during sleep. Flushes of heat, (morning and evening). Perspiration during the morning sleep.

Skin

Unwholesome skin, small wounds suppurate and ulcerate. Erysipelatous inflammation on the lower leg, with chilliness, followed by heaviness and pulsation in the head ; later, bleeding of the nose.

Conditions

Consequences from getting cold when the weather in wet and cold. Bad effects from riding ; from eating fruit, (apples, pears). Aggravation after menstruation.

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

Borax veneta. Natrum biboracicum. Sodium biborate. Na 2 B 4 O 7 10 H 2 O. Trituration and Solution.

Clinical

Aphthæ . Corns. Dentition. Diarrhœa. Ear-discharge . Entropion. Erysipelas. Eyes, affections of. Finger joints, ulcers on. Herpes. Menstruation, painful (membranous). Nipple, sore. Nose, affections of . Pleurisy. Plica-polonica. Psoriasis. Screaming . Sea-sickness. Sterility . Syphilitic sore-throat. Taste, disordered . Trichiasis. Ulcers. Urine, strong-smelling. Vertigo . Zoster.

Characteristics

Borax has some very peculiar symptoms which will serve as keynotes to many cases. Chief among them are: ( 1 ) Sensitiveness to sudden noises, as a distant shot, which causes violent starting. (It has cured "shot-shyness" in sporting dogs.) ( 2 ) Intolerance of downward motions a child screams when nurse puts it into cot, or when she rocks it symptoms are worse going downstairs; sea-sickness (when the downward motion is felt most: "Every time the ship goes down, everything in me comes up"). Restlessness with ebullitions, especially after talking, with nausea. Laughter alternating with weeping. Cobweb sensations; sore mouth; infant pale, earthy, flesh flabby; screams out in sleep, wakes frightened and clings to nurse; excessively nervous, a slight noise arouses. Starts with pain. Muco-cutaneous surfaces are sore; in the eyelids there is ingrowing of lashes. Otorrhœa and inflammation of auricle: "starts with the pains." Nostrils ulcerated; soreness, pain and swelling of tip of nose. Aphthæ; mouth of child feels hot to mother's nipple; child lets go nipple and cries with pain and vexation, or else refuses breast altogether. Diarrhœa with pain or soft yellow stools accompanying aphthæ. Child screams before urinating (from inflammation of mucous membrane). Leucorrhœa clear, copious, albuminous, unnaturally hot. Painful nursing; pain after nursing; empty feeling in breasts; they ache because they are empty, > by pressure: this is characteristic. Dysmenorrhœa (may be membranous), pain excessive during flow. Leucorrhœa preceding and following menses, albuminous, acrid. Herpetic eruptions; pleuritic symptoms (upper right chest) and cough, with expectoration of a mushy, mouldy odour. A notable symptom is: Before the easy stool in afternoon, fretful, ill-humoured, indolent, and discontented; after it, lively, contented, and cheerful. Another mental symptom is: Idles through the afternoon does not really get to work; changes from one business to another from one room to another. It is suited to the period of dentition; to persons with light hair; lax skins and muscles; wrinkled skin consequences of getting cold in cold and wet weather; riding eating fruit. Symptoms are < in warm weather, < after menstruation. Parts usually red turn white. Many Natrum symptoms appear in the proving. Stitching pains predominate.

Relations

Compare: Calc., Nux, Bry., Lyc., Merc., Puls., Rhus All. c., Sil., Sul., Ars., Bell., Graph., Ign., Kali bi., Phos. Antidoted by: Cham., Coff. Similar to: Am. c. and Mag. m. (right nostril stopped); Calc. (inclination to breathe deeply); Kali bi. (tough mucus); Aur. and Puls. (laughter alternately with weeping); Sars., Lyc., Benz. ac. (strong urine, crying before urination; but these three have gravel: with Borax it is from inflammation of mucous membrane); Arum tri. (sore mouth); Graph. (trichiasis); Bell. (hot leucorrhœa); Sep. (small ulcers about joints); Bar. c. (cobweb-sensation); Nat. sul. (cheerful after stool). Incompatible: Acet. ac., Vinegar, Wine.

Mind

Great anxiety, esp. when riding in a carriage or descending a mountain. ─ Dread of downward motion; child has anxious countenance when laid in cot, or carried downstairs. ─ Easily frightened and startled with least noise. ─ Before stool irritable, cheerful and happy after. ─ Fear of being infected by some contagious disease. ─ Strong tendency to be frightened. ─ Irritability. ─ Disposition to be angry, with ill-humour and passion. ─ Becomes vehement and swears. ─ Does not wish to do anything. ─ Dread of labour.

Head

Fits of vertigo, with fainting. ─ Vertigo, with fulness in the head, esp. when going upstairs, or to any elevation whatever. ─ Headache, with shootings in the ears. ─ Headache (all over, with trembling of the body), with nausea and inclination to vomit, mostly at ten o'clock in the morning. ─ Fulness in the head, and pressure above the eyes. ─ Aching and drawing pains in the forehead, and as far as the root of the nose and the nape of the neck, increased by writing, by reading, and by stooping. ─ Successive drawing pains in the forehead, with nausea, and acute drawing pains in the eyes. ─ Shootings in the head, esp. above the eyes and the temples. ─ Congestion in the head, esp. in the occiput, with pulsative pains. ─ Sensibility of the teguments of the head to cold and to bad weather. ─ Hair entangled, as in plica polonica; is rough and frowsy, splits; sticks together.

Eyes

Pressure on the eyes. ─ Itching in the eyes. ─ The eyes burn and are contracted on putting on spectacles. ─ Inflammation of the eyes, esp. in the canthi, with excoriation of the edges of the eyelids, trichiasis, and nocturnal agglutination. ─ Granular eyelids. ─ Sparkling before the eyes when writing. ─ Too great sensibility of the eyes to candle-light.

Ears

Shootings in the ears, with pain as of excoriation. ─ Inflammation and swelling of the ears, with discharge of pus and shooting cephalalgia. ─ Fits of stoppage of the ears and of deafness. ─ Buzzing and murmuring in the ears, with acute, drawing pains in the top of the head. ─ Affections of the l. ear particularly. ─ Itching; stitches.

Nose

Itching in the nose, with tingling. ─ Nostrils ulcerated, with swelling and pain, as of excoriation at the point of the nose. ─ Dry scabs in the nose. ─ Blood follows on blowing the nose. ─ Red shining tip of nose; red noses of young women. ─ Nasal hæmorrhage, with pulsative pains in the head. ─ Sneezing, with violent shootings in r. side of the chest. ─ Accumulation of thick and greenish mucus in the nose.

Face

Complexion (in a suckling woman) wan, pale, and earth-coloured. ─ Sensation in the r. side of the face as if it were covered with cobweb. ─ Muscular palpitation in the corners of the mouth. ─ Erysipelatous inflammation and swelling of the cheeks, with acute, drawing pains in the cheek-bone, aggravated by laughter. ─ Eruption of pimples on the face, the nose, and the lips. ─ Smarting in the lips. ─ Tettery spots round the mouth, and scabs on the upper lip. ─ Swelling of the lower lip, with burning and pain as of excoriation. ─ Red papulous eruption on cheeks and around chin.

Teeth

Pressive and cramp-like pain in teeth which are carious, esp. in damp weather, sometimes with inflammatory swelling of the cheek, or swelling of the gums. ─ Acute drawing pains in the teeth which are carious, spreading over the head, when they are touched with the tongue, or when cold water is applied to them. ─ Pressive tingling in the teeth, immediately after supper, or breakfast, > by smoking tobacco. ─ Shooting pains in teeth which are carious, with shootings in the ears, and headache. ─ Ulcers in the gums, with inflammatory swelling of the cheek. ─ Bleeding of the gums.

Mouth

Aphthæ in the mouth and on the tongue, which bleed easily. ─ Spasmodic stiffness and torpor of the tongue. ─ Skin of the palate hard and wrinkled.

Throat

Dryness in the throat. ─ Tenacious mucus in the throat, with difficult expectoration.

Appetite

Bitter taste in the mouth on eating, or on swallowing the saliva. ─ Loss of taste. ─ Thirst in the morning. ─ Desire for acid drinks. ─ Appetite moderate, esp. at supper. ─ Nausea and uneasiness during a meal. ─ After every meal inflation of the abdomen, with diarrhœa and colic. ─ Fulness and pressure in the stomach, with uneasiness and ill-humour, after having eaten fruit (pears and apples). ─ Colic, with tendency to diarrhœa after smoking tobacco.

Stomach

Nausea, with inclination to vomit, when riding in a carriage. ─ Vomiting of sour mucus, when fasting in the morning or after breakfast. ─ Pressure in the stomach after every meal. ─ Contractive pains in the stomach, or a sensation such as would follow a strain in the loins, with shootings in the vertebral column and loins. ─ Pain in region of stomach, after lifting heavy weights, extending into the small of back, quite incapacitating one.

Abdomen

Pain in the hypochondria, mostly pressive and in the l. side, and esp. when riding in a carriage. ─ Pressure and shootings in the lumbar region. ─ Pains in the hypochondria and in the lower part of the abdomen, as if hard and cutting bodies were moving in them. ─ Pinching in the abdomen, with diarrhœa. ─ Accumulation of flatus in the abdomen, and frequent escape of wind.

Stool and Anus

Evacuations frequent, soft, or loose, with pinching and borborygmi in the abdomen. ─ Greenish evacuations (in children). ─ Slimy diarrhœa. ─ Abundant flow of pale, yellowish, or brownish slime, and of blood from the anus, with pains in the loins. ─ Itching, contraction, and shootings, in the anus and in the rectum.

Urinary Organs

Ineffectual urgency to urinate, with incisive pains in the urethra, and swelling in the lumbar region. ─ Urgent inclination to urinate. ─ Frequent emission of urine even in the night. ─ Hot urine. ─ Acrid fetor of urine. ─ Soreness in the urethra after micturition, and esp. on being touched, even when not making water.

Male Sexual Organs

Absence of sexual desire. ─ Erections, with painful tension, on waking in the morning. ─ Gonorrhœa. ─ Chancres studding prepuce. ─ Stitches. ─ Sticking, sore pain, < when touched.

Female Sexual Organs

Catamenia premature and too copious, of a pale red colour. ─ During the catamenia, pulsative pains in the head, buzzing in the ears, nausea, with pains in the stomach and in the loins, or shootings and aching in the groin. ─ Leucorrhœa, corrosive, and thick, like starch. ─ Sterility. ─ Acrid leucorrhœa, appearing for two weeks between catamenia, with swelling of labia and inflamed and discharging Duverney's glands. ─ Stinging and distended feeling in clitoris. ─ During pregnancy, swelling, itching, and burning of vagina, with a discharge like gonorrhœa. ─ False pains. ─ Labour pains: spasmodic; more in stomach than in uterus; dart upwards, head of child goes back. ─ Griping and sometimes stitches in l. mamma, and when child has nursed she is obliged to compress the breast with the hand because it aches from being empty . ─ Pain in the breasts when suckling. ─ Flow of milk, which curdles speedily. ─ Aphthæ so tender they prevent child nursing.

Respiratory Organs

Acute, drawing pains in the larynx, extending to the chest, with inclination to cough. ─ Hoarseness in the throat, with drawing shootings on coughing and sneezing. ─ Dry cough, caused by a tickling and scraping in the throat, with pressure on the chest. ─ Dry, hectic cough, with shootings in the r. side of the chest, and the groins, relieved by washing with cold water, increased by drinking wine. ─ Nocturnal cough. ─ Cough, with expectoration of the smell and taste of mould. ─ On coughing, expectoration of mucus with streaks of blood.

Chest

Difficult respiration, with urgent want to inspire deeply, and shootings in the r. side of the chest. ─ Constrictive oppression of the chest, esp. on going upstairs. ─ Shortness of breath after having ascended the stairs, with shootings in the chest on speaking. ─ Feeling of congestion, with heaviness in the chest. ─ Shootings in the chest, esp. on the r. side, and principally on yawning, on coughing, on breathing deeply, on running, and during every physical effort. ─ Drawing shootings in the intercostal muscles of the r. side, extending to the groins, augmented by the least movement of the chest or arms, with inability to remain lying on the side affected. ─ Pains in the chest > , esp. when lying quietly on the back, or on walking slowly, and pressing the part affected with the hand.

Heart

Sensation as if the heart were on the r. side, and were going to be crushed. ─ Infants cyanotic from birth.

Neck and Back

Sharp and drawing pains between the shoulder-blades, on the shoulder, and in the nape of the neck, with inability to stoop. ─ Furunculus in the arm-pit. ─ Itching and crawling in the sacrum. ─ Aching and burning pains in the sacrum, esp. when seated and when stooping.

Upper Limbs

Sensation in the hands, as if they were covered with cobweb. ─ Pulsative pains in the extremity of the thumb, day and night, preventing sleep. ─ Burning pains, heat and redness of the fingers, like chilblains. ─ Pustules on the fingers, with swelling and suppuration of the affected limb.

Lower Limbs

Ulcerating vesicles on the buttocks. ─ Burning pain in the thighs. ─ Sensation as if warm water were running down thighs. ─ Erysipelatous inflammation and swelling of the leg and of the foot, principally after having danced a long time, and sometimes with drawing pains, burning and tensive, esp. when touched. ─ Great weakness and debility of the lower extremities. ─ Shootings in the soles of the feet. ─ Pain, as of excoriation, in the heel. ─ Suppuration of a spot in the heel, where the rubbing of the shoe had occasioned a wound. ─ Burning pains, heat and redness of the toes, as if from chilblains. ─ Shooting piercing in the corns, esp. in rainy weather.

Generalities

Parts which are usually white, turn red. ─ Shooting and drawing pains. ─ Commencement and aggravation of sufferings from damp and unsettled weather, or during and subsequent to a meal. ─ Sufferings from riding in a carriage or from eating fruit. ─ Uneasiness in the whole body, which does not permit one to remain long in the same place. ─ Restlessness and ebullitions, esp. after talking, with nausea. ─ Uneasiness, trembling nausea, giddiness, and vertigo, after an animated conversation, or when thinking. ─ Want of strength, esp. in the joints. ─ Attacks of syncope, with tingling, trembling of the feet, and nausea.

Skin

Skin difficult to heal; dingy, unhealthy-looking skin; every injury tends to ulceration. ─ Erysipelatous inflammations, with swelling and tension of the part affected, and fever. ─ Erysipelatous inflammation on the lower leg, with chilliness, followed by heaviness and pulsation in the head; later, bleeding of the nose. ─ Tendency of old wounds to suppurate. ─ Whitish pimples, with red areola. ─ Herpetic eruptions. ─ Purulent and phagedænic vesicles.

Sleep

Sleepiness during the day, and sleeplessness at night. ─ Inclination to sleep long before the usual hour, and too long sleep in the morning. ─ Restless sleep, in consequence of ebullition of the blood, of colic, and of diarrhœa. ─ Waking too early, with difficulty in going to sleep again, from heat and too great a flow of ideas. ─ Anxious cries of children, during sleep, with convulsive movements of the hands.

Fever

Shivering, shuddering, or cold with trembling, heaviness and weakness, or with cephalalgia and pains in the periosteum of femur, followed by heat. ─ Chilliness, esp. during sleep. ─ Flushes of heat (morning and evening). ─ Perspiration during the morning sleep. ─ Coldness, most frequently in the afternoon; afterwards heat, with headache or pain in the hypochondria, sometimes followed by sweat. ─ Thirst before or during the cold, or else after the sweat. ─ Heat in the evening in bed, with shivering on being on the least uncovered. ─ Moisture of the body during the night.

The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica

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

Mind

Alternate laughing and weeping.
Idles through afternoon, does not really get at work ; changes from one work to another, from one room to another ; without keeping to any object.
The child becomes anxious when dancing ; in one rocks it in arms it has an anxious expression of face during downward motion.
Very anxious on riding rapidly down hill, contrary to his custom he feels as though it would take away his breath.
Anxious feeling during downward motion or rocking. θ Diarrhœa.
Dread of downward motion.
Great anxiety and sleepiness ; anxiety increased until 11 P. M.
Fretful, ill-humored, indolent and discontented before easy stool, in afternoon ; after it, lively, contented, and looking cheerfully into future.
Irritability and crying of children.
Easily startled by unusual sounds ; at a distant shot, an anxious cry, hawking, sneezing, etc.
Fright ; he starts in all his limbs on hearing an anxious cry.
Reading and writing aggravate headache.
When writing in morning, flickering before eyes.
While engaged in thinking at his work, strong nausea, with trembling of whole body and weakness in knees.

Sensorium

First, heaviness of head ; later, light, clear head.
Vertigo and fulness in head on descending a mountain or stairs.
Vertigo : with tendency to fall to left side ; vertigo when driving down hill.
Giddy all the time.

Inner head

Pain across his forehead for three days, with giddiness, then it passed to top of his head.
Pressive headache in forehead.
Headache in forehead with stinging in left ear, changing at times to right.
Throbbing headache in both temples, or in occiput.
Twitching pain in forehead, with nausea and tearing in eyeballs.
Tearing ; also stitches in vertex.
Aching in whole head, with nausea, inclination to vomit, and trembling in whole body, at 10 A. M.
Fleeting stitches in left side of head, in vertex, and later in female sexual parts, followed by voluptuous, disgusting dreams.
Headache, with dulness of entire head ; stinging in left ear.
(In sick :) Fatal basilar meningitis, with constant sopor, from which child, æt. 11 months, could not be roused.

Outer head

Tearing from parietal bone to forehead.
Headache in occiput throbbing as if something would suppurate ; shuddering over whole body, lasting all night and following day.
Hot head of infants, with heat of head and palms.
Hot head and chilliness.
Hot head. θ Diarrhœa.
Sensitiveness of external head to cold and changes of weather.
Hair becomes entangled at tips and sticks together, cannot be separated ; if these bunches are cut off they form again ; the hair may split.
The hair is rough and frowsy, can't be combed smooth ; gets into all kinds of snarls.

Sight and eyes

Worse from light, particularly candlelight.
Sensitiveness of eyes to candlelight, evenings.
Flickering before eyes in morning, when writing, so that he does not see distinctly ; there seem to be bright moving waves, now from right to left, again from above downward.
Obscuration of sight in left eye.
Pain above eyes.
Tearing in eyeballs, with twitching pain in forehead and nausea.
Several stitches in succession, in left eye.
Sensation of a foreign body in eye.
Burning of eyes and contraction as soon as spectacles are put on.
Rheumatic ophthalmia.
Swelling of Meibomian glands.
Inflammation of eyes at canthi ; with irregularity of lashes ; nightly agglutination.
Lashes turn inward towards eye and inflame it, especially at outer canthus, where margins of lids are very sore.
Margin of lids affected ; eyelashes loaded with a dry, gummy exudation, stick together in morning.
Lower lids entirely inverted.
Granulated lids.
Entropion.
Difficult opening of lids.

Hearing and ears

Very sensitive to slightest noise, as rumpling of paper, fall of a door latch, etc. θ Diarrhœa.
Dull drumming in left ear, sounding as if over subterranean vault.
Ringing, piping, crackling, or roaring in ears, more in left.
Deafness, with tinnitus and discharge from ear.
Difficult hearing in left ear.
Smacking, and sensation as if ear opened and closed, while it contained a thick paste.
Stinging in left ear.
Inflamed and hot swelling of both ears.
Discharge of pus from both ears.
Left ear particularly affected.

Smell and nose

Bleeding from nose, morning.
Sneezing and fluent coryza.
Sneezing causes severe stitch in right side of chest.
Fluent coryza, with much crawling in nose.
Discharge of much greenish, thick mucus from nose.
Dry crusts in nose, re-form if removed.
Nostrils inflamed and crusty, tip of nose shining red.
Red and shining swelling of nose, with throbbing and tensive sensation.
Red noses of young women.
Painful pressing from above downward, through right nostril, as if brain would be forced out ; < lying ; sleepless night from suffocating dryness.
Stoppage of right nostril, with constant inclination to blow nose.
In upper and forepart of left nostril, towards tip of nose, a small boil, with sore pain and swelling of tip of nose.
Stoppage of nose, first right then left, with lachrymation.

Upper face

Anxious face during downward motion.
Sensation on right side of face, by mouth, as of cobwebs.
Sickly, pale, earthy color of face.
Face of infant looks pale, suffering, earthy.
Pale, clay-colored face. θ Diarrhœa.
Swelling, heat and redness of face, with tearing pain in malar bone.
One-sided hard swelling of face.
Erysipelas in face and on lower limbs. θ During pregnancy. θ While
nursing.
Erysipelas in face, usually left side, insupportably painful when moving muscles in laughing.

Lower face

Burning of upper lip beneath left nostril, in morning.
Transient burning in nether lip, in evening.
Sensation as if a bug was crawling over under lip, at 4 A. M.
Red inflamed swelling, as large as a pea, on lower lip, with burning soreness when touched.
Crawling, like insects, on lips.
Children have small vesicles around mouth, on forehead, fingers and hands, which burst and spread.
Herpetic eruption about mouth.

Teeth and gums

Neuralgic toothache.
Dull griping in a hollow tooth in wet weather.
Fine stinging in all teeth, intermitting, mostly in left lower decaying molar, with stinging in left ear and frontal headache ; in evening.
Inflamed large swelling on outer side of gum, which pains severely (gum-boil), with dull pain in a hollow tooth ; swelling of cheek and whole left side of face, as far as below eye, where there is formed a watery blister.
Dark redness in lower portion of gums beneath roots of teeth along lower jaw ; and toothache as if teeth were too long.
Redness of gums above roots of teeth in front of upper jaw.

Taste, speech, tongue

Taste : flat and insipid ; bitter ; food and even saliva taste bitter.
Food has no taste.
Cramp, numbness and stiffness in tongue, impeding respiration.
Aphthæ in mouth and on tongue.
Red blisters on tongue, as if surface was eroded ; they pain from every motion of tongue, or if anything salt or spiced touches them.
Aphthæ on tongue and inside of cheek, bleeding when eating. θ Diarrhœa.
Aphthæ are so tender that they prevent child from nursing.

Inner mouth

Mucous membrane of forepart of palate is shrivelled, as if burnt, pains especially when chewing.
Mouth very hot. θ Diarrhœa.
Aphthæ, with dry heat in mouth, great thirst and vomiting after drinking.
Salivation with difficult dentition.
Rapidly forming ulcers in mouth ; gangrenous.
Buccal mucous membrane highly reddened and covered with cheesy aphthæ.
Aphthæ with salivation.
Aphthæ : in mouth ; on inner surface of cheek, bleeding easily ; with great heat and dryness of mouth ; with cracked tongue ; with salivation.
Aphthæ of old people, after partaking of sour or salty food.

Palate and throat

Worse when swallowing.
Palate wrinkled ; child cries frequently when nursing.
Roughness and burning in throat.
Tough, whitish mucus in throat, which is loosened only after great exertion.
Mucous membrane of palate in front seems burnt and shrivelled, and is especially painful when chewing.
Scratching in throat, with pressure in chest and cough.
Syphilitic ulcers in fauces.

Appetite, thirst. desires, aversions

Thirst ; vomiting after drinking. θ Child with aphthæ.
Desire for acids ; for sour drinks. θ Diarrhœa.
No desire for his smoking tobacco.
Loss of appetite. θ Diarrhœa.

Eating and drinking

After eating apples with mutton, fulness in stomach, with peevishness and ill humor, also fulness in head.
After eating pears, especially morning or forenoon, pressure in pit of stomach, which disappears on walking. θ Diarrhœa.
Worse from wine, particularly chest symptoms.
Wine increased pain in right chest and inguinal region.
Renewal of symptoms on taking vinegar, particularly stitch in chest.
Hiccough : after eating ; also of infants.
After every meal, flatulent distension. θ Diarrhœa.
After eating, which he relishes, great distension, discomfort, sick feeling and ill humor.
After eating : desire for stool ; diarrhœa.
After breakfast : diarrhœa.
After smoking tobacco, sensation as if diarrhœa would set in.
Smoking tobacco > toothache.

Hiccough, belching, nausea and vomiting

Pains are accompanied by violent and frequent eructations.
Nausea : in morning ; immediately after waking, with inclination to vomit ; after drinking water, mucous and bitter vomit.
Vomiting food and mucus.
Constant vomiting.
Vomiting of sour slime after chocolate. θ Diarrhœa.

Scrobiculum and stomach

Nausea proceeding from stomach with pain in sternum, from 3 P. M. until evening.
Constricting pain in region of stomach, beginning daily at 4 A. M. and lasting until noon.
Pain in region of stomach after lifting ; pain extends to small of back and there becomes a stitching ; so severe that during night she cannot turn without pain ; > in morning.
Stomach cough, with pain extending into region of spleen ; want of appetite with indigestion.

Hypochondria

Pain in region of diaphragm after lifting a light weight ; pain extended to spine, where it became stinging ; patient could not turn all night without pain ; > in morning.
Pressure in right and left hypochondrium.
Cutting in right hypochondrium, extending downward across bowels, followed by diarrhœa ; evacuation sudden.
(OBS :) Scirrhus of liver and spleen.
Cutting in left hypochondrium on walking rapidly, as if a hard, sharp, movable piece was there, with sensation in abdomen as if hard pieces were in it, and these were in motion.

Abdomen and loins

Flatulent distension after every meal.
Pain in abdomen, as if diarrhœa would set in.
Pinching in abdomen. θ Diarrhœa.
Stinging in abdomen, evening in bed.
Stitching and pressing pain in groin.
(OBS :) Mesenteric glands hardened and swollen.
Belly soft, flabby and sunken.

Stools and rectum

Much discharge of flatus.
Urging to stool in morning : passage at first formed, then loose, with burning in anus.
Painless diarrhœa, with constant vomiting.
Diarrhœa six times, from morning till 2 P. M., without pain.
Frequent, very easy stool every day.
Stools : frequent, soft, light yellow, slimy, with faintness and weariness ; green or brown, diarrheic ; painless, at first frothy, thin and brown, later cadaverous smelling, containing bits of yellow feces ; colorless or slimy ; green, preceded by crying
(infant).
Painless stools, containing undigested food.
(In sick :) Obstinate green discoloration of stool.
Greenish stools, day and night, with pitiful crying. θ Child with aphthæ.
Summer complaint of children mostly under a year old, twenty or thirty passages a day ; occasionally vomiting ; abdomen soft and wilted ; stools brown, watery ; containing small yellow lumps and smelling cadaverously ; apathetic, refusing nourishment ;
emaciated to a skeleton ; soporous sleep.
(In sick :) After cholera infantum, thrush.
Constipation ; stool like sheep-dung.
Stool, thickness of a quill, became easy and an inch in diameter. θ Stricture of rectum.
Before stool : mental indisposition ; indolence ; urging.
Burning in rectum during stool.
Cheerful, contented mood after stool.
Several successive stitches in rectum, evenings.
Itching in anus, evening.
Chronic mucous hemorrhoids.
Stool before making water.

Urinary organs

Violent, urgent desire to urinate, can scarcely hold urine.
At night must rise several times to urinate.
Desire to urinate, without being able to pass a drop.
Infant urinates nearly every ten or twelve minutes, and screams before urine passes.
Before urinating, burning.
Worse before urination.
Frequent urination, preceded by cries. θ Diarrhœa.
Retention of urine in evening.
Hot urine in infant.
Orifice of urethra pains as if sore after urinating.
Pungent smell of urine.
Smarting in urethra after urinating.

Male sexual organs

Indifference to coition.
Impotence.
Gonorrhœa.
Chancres studding prepuce.

Female sexual organs

Sexual desire too weak.
(In sick :) Engorgement of uterus, with bearing down pains.
Menses too early, too profuse, and attended with colic and nausea.
At time of menses, pain in groins like stitching and pressing.
Before menses : oppression ; catching of breath ; rushing sound in ears ; stitch-pain in right pectoral region ; pain from pit of stomach to small of back.
Menses four days too soon and very profuse, with griping in abdomen ; nausea and pain in stomach, extending into small of back.
Too profuse menses, and she is very nervous, starts at least noise, and dreads a downward motion, like going down-stairs, or downward motion of a swing or rocking-chair.
During menses : throbbing in head and rushing in ears ; nausea ; pinching and griping in abdomen ; pain extending from stomach into back ; bearing down and stinging in groin ; lancinating pain in groin ; tired ; sweat after midnight.
After menses : pressing in region of liver, extending into r. shoulder blade ; cramplike pain in stomach and back, and vomiting afterwards.
Leucorrhœa like white of egg, with sensation as if warm water was flowing down.
Leucorrhœa thick as paste and white for five days.
(In sick :) Profuse, clear, glutinous, albuminous leucorrhœa, relieving all other genital symptoms.
White albuminous or starchy leucorrhœa.
Acrid leucorrhœa, appearing for two weeks, between catamenia, with swelling of labia and inflamed and discharging Duvernis glands.
Leucorrhœa white as mucus, without any other ailment, a fortnight after menses.
Stinging and distended feeling in clitoris.
(In sick :) Prolapsus by increased heat of vagina.

Pregnancy. parturition. lactation

Sterility.
During pregnancy, swelling, itching and burning of vagina, with a discharge like gonorrhœa.
False or spasmodic labor pains.
Labor pains accompanied by violent and frequent eructations.
Labor pains spasmodic, more in stomach than in uterus.
Labor pains dart upward, head of child goes back.
Griping and sometimes stitches in left mamma, and when child has nursed she is obliged to compress breast with hand, because it aches on account of being empty.
Disagreeable sensation of emptiness in mamma after suckling child.
Contractive pains in left breast when child nurses right.
Aphthous nipples.
Galactorrhoea ; milk coagulating.
Milk is too thick and tastes badly ; often curdles soon after it has been drawn.
Milk too copious or too thick.
The infant's palate was wrinkled, and it cried frequently when nursing. θ Diarrhœa.
The child at breast sleeps more than usual, but wakes frequently.
Aphthæ so tender that they prevent child from nursing.
Colic in infants ; they scream out if laid down, or show signs of vertigo when carried down-stairs.
Loathing of breasts in infants. θ Diarrhœa.
Green stool in infant preceded by crying.
The infant becomes pale, nearly earth-colored ; the previously firm flesh becomes soft and flabby ; he cries a great deal ; refuses the breast, and frequently screams out anxiously in his sleep.
Child throws up its hands when an attempt is made to put it down.

Voice and larynx. trachea and bronchia

Tearing in larynx extending to chest, exciting cough.

Respiration

Anxious feeling in chest in evening in bed.
Shortness of breath after ascending steps, so that he cannot speak a word ; later when he speaks he has a stitch in right side of chest ; also on running or on any exertion of body, which hurts him.
Tension in chest, with inclination to deep breathing ; similar to Calcar.
Pressure in lower left lateral region of chest, increased by exertion or a long breath.
Every three or five minutes he is obliged to take a quick, deep breath, which is each time followed by a stitch in right side of chest, with a subdued, painful sigh, and slow expiration.
Respiration difficult.
Arrest of breath when lying in bed ; he is obliged to jump and catch for breath every time he has a stitch in r. side of chest.
When taking a deep breath, sensation in hypochondrium as if something pulled from region of spleen into chest, which sinks back again during exhalation ; sometimes pressure and burning in part.
When taking deep breath stinging pressure in sternum ; drawing stitch in right chest ; stinging in chest ; stitches into left side of chest, as with a knife.
When yawning, coughing and breathing deeply, stitches in chest and pain in right inguinal region.
When coughing or sneezing : roughness in throat pit and drawing-stinging.

Cough

Dry cachectic cough, especially in morning when rising and evening when lying down ; with stitching pain in right chest and right flank, > by pressure ; washing chest with cold water affords most relief ; after drinking wine, pains are aggravated.
Violent cough, with pain through right chest, has to press chest with both hands ; cough is dry, occasionally raises small white or yellow lumps. θ Phthisis.
With every paroxysm of cough sticking in right side of chest, in region of nipple, in evening.
When coughing, is obliged to press right side of chest and flank with hand, whereby pains are tolerable.
Cough with mucous expectoration during day ; < in morning ; pain in hepatic region.
Hacking and violent cough, with slight expectoration of a mouldy taste and of same smell, from chest, with every paroxysm of cough.
Musty expectoration, with pain through chest to back.
Cough, with expectoration of white mucus streaked with blood.
Cough after cold bathing.
Stinging in right breast near nipple, with each cough.

Inner chest and lungs

Tightness in chest.
Pressing in chest, with scratching in throat and cough.
Stitches in chest when yawning, coughing or breathing deeply.
Stitches in right side of chest in region of nipple, with every paroxysm of cough.
Knife-like stitches in left chest with every inhalation.
Pleurisy.
Stitches between ribs of right side, so that he cannot lie on that side on account of pain, with sensitive drawing and obstruction of breathing, so that he has to catch for breath ; if he lies upon painful side pains immediately awaken him from sleep.
Pleuritic pain in right pectoral region ; patient cannot move or breathe without a stitch.
During cough : stitches in chest and lumbar region, lessened by pressure ; mouldy taste in throat.
Sudden stitching from within outward in right side of chest, on raising arms.
Stitching pains in right lung, but mostly drawing stitches.
Stitching or darting pain from without inward through upper right lung, posterior to second rib.
Fine prickings, extending from back into chest, evenings.

Heart, pulse and circulation

Cyanosis of infants from birth.
Circulation irregular ; face bluish, especially around mouth, nose and eyes, with blue look of finger ends and feet ; with attacks, during which child became prostate and as if suffocating.
Sensation as if heart was on right side and being squeezed.
Pulse somewhat accelerated.

Outer chest

Stitches between ribs of right side ; cannot lie upon that side on account of pain, with sensitive drawing and obstruction of breathing, has to catch for breath ; if during sleep he lies on painful side, pains awake him immediately.
Aching in pectoralis major, as from lying on a hard mattress ; painful to touch.
Soreness over front of chest and in middle of sternum to its end.
Little pricking pains all over chest, with difficulty of breathing and cough.

Neck and back

Rheumatic drawing pains in nape of neck, extending to left shoulder and then into scapula ; evening when walking in open air.
Soreness of both sides of neck.
Pain in back : when walking ; like from pressure, when sitting or stooping.
Backache extending into feet.

Upper limbs

Pressure in shoulders.
Drawing and tearing pain in and between shoulders, so that he cannot stoop.
Burning pain on upper arm, a hand's breadth around whole arm.
Tearing and breaking sensation in right wrist.
Stinging in palm of hand ; whole hand numb to above wrist.
Bran-like herpes on hands and arms.
Burning, heat and redness of fingers during slight cold, as if frost-bitten.
Throbbing pain in tip of thumb, day and night, frequently waking from sleep, at night.
Hot palms. θ Diarrhœa.

Lower limbs

Burning pain on left thigh, a hand's breadth around whole limb.
Transient tearing pain in middle of right femur, extending up and down.
Weak feeling in feet when ascending steps.
Great prostration and lassitude, with weakness in lower limbs.
Pain in calves.
Erysipelatous inflammation and swelling of left leg and foot, after violent dancing, with tearing, tension and burning in it ; increased burning pain when touched ; on pressure redness disappears for a moment.
Stitches in soles.
Burning, heat and redness of toes during slight cold, as if frost-bitten.
Pain in heel as if sore from walking.
Sensation as if warm water was running down thighs. θ Leucorrhœa.

Limbs in general

Phagedenic ulcers on joints of fingers and toes. Compare Sepia.

Rest. position. motion

Lying : pressure in nostril < ; arrest of breath ; cannot lie on right side. See 28 .
Downward motion : child anxious ; women dread it during menses.
Dancing : anxious ; inflamed left leg.
Motion : stitches in chest worse.
Exertion : pressure in left chest.
Restless, cannot sit or lie long in one place.

Nerves

Twitching.
Trembling in whole body, especially in hands, with nausea and weakness of knees.
Weakness, especially in abdomen and limbs.
She is very nervous ; she does not sleep well.
Debility. θ Diarrhœa.

Sleep

When yawning : stitches in chest.
Sleeps more than usual.
Lascivious dreams ; she dreams of coition.
Disturbed, restless sleep, with ebullitions.
Sweat increased during sleep.
Child cries out during sleep, as if frightened.
A child, æt. 5, turns about, cries whole night, till 4 in morning, and in morning is in a whining mood ; infant frequently cries out in its sleep, and anxiously grasps its mother, as if it had been frightened by a dream.
She wakes uncommonly early, at 3 o'clock, she cannot fall asleep for two hours on account of heat of whole body, especially in head, with sweat on thighs.
Children may be sleeping quietly, and awake suddenly, screaming and holding on to sides of cradle without any apparent cause for so doing.
Starting from sleep with anxious screams, throwing hands about, seizing things, or clinging to mother. θ Diarrhœa.

Time

Morning : pain in stomach > ; child is in a whining mood.
At 3 A. M. : awakens with heat of whole body.
At 10 A. M. : trembling in whole body.
Afternoon : idles time away ; fretful, discontented ; stool ; chill <.
At 4 P. M. : as if a bug was crawling over under lip.
Evening : stitches in chest ; stool ; chill <.
At 11 P. M. : anxiety increases till then.
Night : pain in stomach < ; child cries out.
Day and night : greenish stools.

Temperature and weather

Warm weather : symptoms worse.
Cold : head sensitive.
Damp cold weather : generally worse.
Change of weather : head sensitive.
Wet weather : toothache.
Open air : rheumatism in neck and shoulder.
Washing with cold water : cough better when chest is washed.
Inclination to uncover with the fever heat ; sometimes shuns it.

Fever

Chill and chilliness mostly during sleep.
Chill predominating, especially in afternoon and evening.
Chill and heat alternating.
Chill from uncovering.
Chill passing downward.
Thirst not constant ; is generally wanting during chill.
Flushes of heat, morning and evening.
Hot head, mouth and palms, of infant.
Heat or sweat, with inclination to uncover.
Sweat during the morning sleep.

Locality and direction

Right : stitches side of chest when sneezing ; pressure through nostril ; stoppage of nostril ; stitches in chest ; pain in inguinal region when yawning, coughing, etc.
Right to left : stoppage of nostril.
Left : ear especially affected ; erysipelas of side of face ; contractive pain in breast when child nurses the right ; pressure in chest.
Upper right, lower left.
Above downward : pressing through right nostril.
Without inward : stitches in chest.

Sensations

As of a foreign body in eye ; as if ear opened and closed ; as if all the brain would be forced out through right nostril ; as of cobwebs in right side of face, on hands ; as if hard pieces were in abdomen ; as if a bug was crawling over under
lip ; as if teeth were too long ; as if diarrhœa would set in ; as if something pulled from spleen into chest ; as if heart was on right side and squeezed ; as if warm water was running down thighs.
Cutting : in hypochondria.
Lancinating : in groin.
Darting pain : through lung.
Stitches : in vertex ; fleeting in left side of head ; in female sexual parts ; in left eye ; in right side of chest ; in small of back ; in groin ; in rectum ; in left mamma ; in soles.
Drawing stitch : in right chest.
Stinging ; in left ear ; in teeth ; in abdomen ; in sternum ; in chest ; in right breast, near nipple ; in palm of hand ; in groin ; in clitoris.
Pricking : from back into chest ; all over chest.
Tearing : in eyeballs ; in vertex ; from parietal bone to forehead ; in molar ; in larynx ; between shoulders ; in r. wrist ; in middle of right femur ; in left leg and foot.
Twitching : in forehead.
Pinching : in abdomen.
Griping : in a hollow tooth ; in abdomen ; in left mamma.
Drawing : between shoulders.
Rheumatic drawing : in nape of neck ; to left shoulder, into scapulæ.
Pressing : in forehead ; downward through right nostril ; in chest ; in hypochondria ; in groin ; in left chest ; in sternum ; in region of liver.
Breaking : in right wrist ; in shoulders.
Burning : of eyes ; of upper lip ; in nether lip ; swelling on lower lip ; in throat ; in anus ; in rectum ; of vagina ; of fingers ; on left thigh ; in left leg ; of toes ; of orifice of urethra ; of upper arm.
Smarting : in urethra.
Soreness : of tip of nose ; over front of chest ; in middle of sternum ; both sides of neck ; in heel.
Aching : in whole head ; in pectoralis major.
Contractive pains : in left breast.
Constricting pain : in region of stomach.
Cramp : in tongue.
Cramplike pain : in stomach and back.
Dull pain : in hollow tooth.
Undefined pain : across forehead ; above eyes ; in swelling on gum ; in right chest ; in inguinal region ; in region of stomach ; in spleen ; in diaphragm ; in calves.
Roughness : in throat ; in throat pit.
Scratching : in throat.
Fulness : in head ; in stomach.
Emptiness : in mamma.
Throbbing : headache in temples ; in occiput ; in swelling of nose ; in tip of thumb.
Tension : in chest ; in left leg.
Stiffness : in tongue.
Contraction : of eyes.
Numbness : in tongue ; of hand.
Crawling : over under lip ; on lips ; in nose.
Heat : of mouth ; palms of hands, of fingers ; of palms ; of toes ; of vagina.
Shuddering : over whole body.
Weakness : in feet ; in lower limbs.
Itching : in rectum ; of vagina ; on back of finger joints.
Dryness : of mouth.

Tissues

Sensorium affected by downward motion.
Aphthous affection of buccal mucous membrane.
Parts which are usually red turn white.
Emaciation ; flabby muscles. θ Diarrhœa.
The anxious feeling on downward motion is the chief distinction between Borax and Bellad.

Touch. passive motion. injuries

Riding down hill : anxious ; vertigo.
Rocking : anxious.
Touch : swelling on lip burns and feels sore ; burning in lower limbs worse.
Pressure : chest pains relieved.
Lifting : pain in stomach.

Skin

Sensation as if a cobweb were lying upon skin of face or hands.
Severe itching on back of finger joints ; must scratch them violently.
Red papulous eruption on cheeks and around chin.
Herpetic eruption on nates.
Furfuraceous peeling off of epidermis.
Skin getting callous.
Skin pale or livid. θ Diarrhœa.
Wilted, wrinkled skin. θ Children with aphthæ.
Liver spots.
Unhealthiness of skin ; slight injuries suppurate.
Old wounds and ulcers are inclined to reopen and suppurate.
Dingy, unhealthy skin, which ulcerates easily on being injured.
Ulcer in left axilla.
Phagedenic ulcers and boils.
Ulcerated places on feet from rubbing of shoe or boot.

Stage of life, constitution

Light hair ; skin and muscles lax.
Period of dentition and infancy. θ Aphthæ. θ Diarrhœa.

Relations

Antidotes to Borax : Chamom., Coffea .
Compare ; Calc. ostr ., Nux vom ., Bryon ., Lycop., Mercur., Pulsat., Rhus tox., Sepia, Silicea, Sulphur , Arsen .,
Bellad., Graphit., Ignat., Kali bichr ., and Phosphor .
Similar to : Amm. carb . and Magn. mur . (stoppage of right nostril) ; Calc. ostr . (inclination to breathe deeply).
Incompatibles : Acet. ac ., vinegar, wine.

Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica

James Tyler Kent · Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica · homeoint.org / Séror HTML text (Kent d. 1916; public domain)

Lecture

Borax is one of those domestic remedies that has been long used for local conditions as a soothing substance and for a healing purpose.

In "nursing sore mouth" of mother or child Borax has been used in the families of old, in the form of Borax and honey, as a wash.

The extensive use that has been made of it would make the homoeopath wonder if the people had not hit upon something, and it is a fact that Borax will rapidly heal up a sore mouth.

It is not strange that it does so, for Borax, in its proving, produces aphthous conditions of the mouth, which extend to the throat and even into the stomach. It cures where the genitalia and anus are covered with these aphthous appearances.

Mind

Anxiety, fidgetiness, and sensitiveness are prominent in Borax. He is anxious about trifles. He starts at every noise, on hearing unexpected news, from music, from excitement.

This anxiety or nervousness, this indescribable feeling that is within him, is aggravated from upward or downward motion.

Such a motion as going up in one-of our elevators nearly drives him to distraction, but he is made worse going down. All complaints are aggravated from downward motion.

It has been said in routine practice, that in all cases of sore mouth in children, when the child is worse from downward motion, Borax is the remedy.

When the mother is in the act of laying the child down on the bed it often rouses up in its sleep and cries out in fright. The anxiety may be better appreciated if you will go to the top of one of these high buildings and go down in the elevator.

It is natural for every one to feel, with the rapid motion, an anxious feeling in the Stomach, a sensation of falling; that is natural to the healthy man, but if you exaggerate that intensely you have the Borax condition in which the slightest downward motion, of even riding down hill or walking down stairs, or, in the child, when being carried down stairs in the mother's arms, produces a violent aggravation. All the nerves are in a fret.

We notice that Borax has an intensified activity throughout the body; all of his senses are made more acute.

His hearing is intensified, he is oversensitive to his surroundings, over-anxious. He has an excitable spirit throughout. Riding down hill produces vertigo.

On nervous excitement, fear and apprehension. This is a strong feature of Borax. It has many such symptoms, but the nervous elements, partake of this type.

As we go through the remedy many other things will be called out; but this may be said to be the principal feature of the mental state, and it is to a great extent the key to Borax cases.

"Anxious feeling during downward motion or rocking."

The diarrhoea will be cured when that state is present. Aphthae will be cured when that state is present. The rheumatism, menstrual troubles and numerous other complaints will disappear upon the administration of Borax, when this key is present.

It has hysterical manifestations.

"Changes from one work to another."

It has a restless, nervous, anxious, excitable state that runs through his body. The child screeches and screams when it is dandled and tossed up and down.

The motion of the brain, the upward and downward motion, as in swinging, rocking, etc., makes the patient lose himself, he hardly knows where he is; confusion and vertigo come over him. If one rocks the child, it has an anxious expression of face.

"Very anxious on riding rapidly down hill."

"Anxiety increased until 11 P.M."

That I have noticed in Borax as a peculiar time of aggravation of the anxiety. I have noticed it in women who had periods of insanity, whose nervous trouble and mental state would keep up until 11 P.M. You will notice sometimes in insane people that it seems as if they were possessed of the devil; and at once a lucid interval will come and they will talk just as if nothing had happened.

So it is in Borax that a great change may occur at 11 P.M.; this state of anxiety and nervous excitement may stop at that hour.

"Fretful, ill-humored, indolent" state increased until there is a stool and relieved by stool.

"He starts on hearing an anxious cry;" on hearing an unexpected noise, on bearing something drop from a chair to the floor, or if a door opens unexpectedly.

This is all in keeping with the nature of Borax. If you compare Borax with other Natrums you will find an astonishing likeness in the nervous excitability; Natrum carb. and Natrum mur.

Aggravation from noise, oversensitiveness to noise and overexcitement of the nerves run through all the Sodium family. They are wonderfully intense people.

"While engaged in thinking at his work, strong nausea."

Borax has many times cured this kind of trouble. I have seen it come up in this way; from any sort of meditation he becomes nauseated and excitable and must leave his work and rest a little while, and then he goes at it again until be becomes sick at the stomach and so must rest again.

With the aggravation from mental exertion, from noise, from excitement, from downward motion, we get the mental aspect of Borax.

A further examination of the sensorium shows:

"Vertigo and fullness in head on descending a mountain or stairs."

This is a form of the same anxious feeling. This remedy has a good deal of vertigo, sometimes constant vertigo, which is made so intense on downward motion that be must sit still, and do nothing.

It has many congestive headaches, pressive headaches and much beat in the head.

Eyes

There are many eye symptoms.

"Granular lids."

"Lashes turn inward towards eye and inflame it. Entropion."

Granulation and thickening of the mucous membrane of the lid; contractions and scars and drawing inward.

"Lower lids entirely inverted."

"Difficult opening of lids"

Nose

Like all the salts of Sodium the nose suffers from chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane, a catarrhal state, with copious discharge, and crusts in the nose; stoppage of the nose. The whole Natrum family has these dry crusts in the nose, and copious discharges from the nose.

Natrum mur. predominantly produces white discharge, and so does Borax; Natr. sulph . produces yellow discharge, and so does Borax; Natr. sulph. produces yellow discharge from the nose, even yellowish-green.

Borax is laid down as producing greenish discharge; its characteristic discharge, which is a general of the remedy, is a white discharge.

Face

The face of the infant is pale, and clay-colored.

"Children have small vesicles around the mouth, and on the forehead."

Natr. mur . produces herpetic eruptions around the mouth in all of its febrile states, and when the patient takes cold. Borax is sometimes forgotten, and Natr. mur. is thought of because it is better known.

When the Natrum constitution is present, then it becomes a process of individualization to determine which one of the Natrums is indicated.

"Aphthae in mouth and on tongue."

"Aphthae on tongue and inside of cheek."

This alone is not an indication for Borax, although Borax is one among many medicines when the mouth is so sore that the child lets loose its hold of the nipple or bottle. Many prescribers give Borax on that indication alone; but the constitutional state ought to be hunted up, so that there may be constitutional foundation for the remedy.

Sulph. ac. is more frequently indicated.

"Red blisters on tongue."

"Vomiting after drinking."

This leads one to expect that this aphthous state has traveled down the oesophagus into the stomach. There are many stomach symptoms present that are likely to be the result of some such condition.

"Buccal mucous membrane highly reddened."

The sore mouth, such as mothers have and such as infants have, can be cured with Borax.

"After every meal flatulent distension."

"Constant vomiting."

"Vomiting of sour slime."

The Borax patient with stomach aphthae will gag and retch and cough, and that is what is called a "stomach cough."

Mothers say,

"It is a stomach cough," because the child gags and retches with it.

"Stomach cough with pain extending into region of spleen."

Anus and stools

Little ones often get summer complaints when they need Borax. All around about the anus you will see the aphthous appearances. Great slimy stools are passed day and night; the child keeps up a pitiful crying; the mouth is aphthous, child is emaciating, and holds its head back.

"Stools; frequent, soft, light yellow, slimy."

Quantities of fluid like boiled starch are emitted from the anus; Borax has that as well as Argentum nitricum.

There are also conditions of the rectum producing thickening of the mucous membrane, with stricture, growing, smaller and smaller until finally a long thin stool is passed, no larger than a pencil. This inflammatory stricture has been cured by Borax.

Urines

In this over-sensitive child when the catarrhal state is general the urine burns so when it passes that with the first urging (which causes the child to realize it must soon urinate) it screams out; screams with the desire to urinate.

That is what it means when it says

"Worse before urination."

it is not that the state of the urinary organs is worse before urinating, but the child in realizing that it must urinate screeches and screams.

"Frequent urination preceded by cries."

The urine burns and you may know that the child must soon urinate because it commences to cry.

"Orifice of urethra pains as if sore, after urinating."

"Desire to urinate without being able to pass a drop."

This remedy has cured gonorrhoea. Wherever there is mucous membrane you may expect to find the aphthous patches. There is another feature like Natr. mur. and Natr. Carb .; in both male and female it takes away sexual desire; it benumbs the patient, and hence the mind and sexual organs are in a state of indifference.

Females, mothers and children

Then we come to the most striking feature of Borax in regard to the female sexual organs; in the menstrual flow will be found membrane.

Borax cures the most violent forms of membranous dysmenorrhoea, when there are violent labor-like pains before and during the flow and it seems as if the uterus would expel itself from the vagina.

The flow starts slightly, but the same violent pains keep on, until the expulsion of the membrane. I have known Borax to cure when the membrane was a cast of the uterus. Such patients are easily startled from downward motion; let that be your guide to Borax in membranous dysmenorrhoea.

She dreads downward motion, and motions like swinging and rocking.

"During menses; throbbing in head and rushing in ears."

"Pinching and griping in abdomen;"

that word does not describe it exactly, for it is like the pain in labor;

"pain extending from stomach."

Pain like the stabbing of a knife in the groin, and that may occur either before or during menstruation.

"Tired; sweat after midnight."

But, remember, with such things you must have the mental state, the nervous, ex citable state and then Borax will cure this dysmenorrhoea.

Another grand feature of Borax I read in the next sentence.

"Leucorrhoea like the white of eggs."

It has albuminous leucorrhoea which feels like a hot fluid, and flows down the legs.

"White albuminous or starchy leucorrhoea."

"Acrid leucorrhoea appearing for two weeks."

"Leucorrhoea white as mucus, without any other ailment."

Now from this acrid leucorrhoea, from the menstrual state, this false membrane forming and being thrown off, it is no wonder that women are sterile.

All these women are sterile, all who have such symptoms are sterile and Borax has cured sterility when this condition was the cause. You will find routinists prescribe Borax for all women who are sterile, regardless of the state. When a remedy is given for sterility, the state must be looked into which is peculiar to the remedy given such a state as that remedy can produce upon the healthy woman.

Another feature. Many times I have used Borax when the mother could not nurse the child; she talks about always having a little, thick milk.

"The milk is too thick and tastes badly."

This condition of the milk prevents the mother from nursing her child. This is a constitutional state, and Borax, if given in the beginning of pregnancy, to a Borax patient will so change the milk as well as the rest of the constitution that the mother will be able to nurse the child.

I have a number of times, when a mother has brought forth several children that she was unable to nurse, given Borax and it has so affected the case that she could nurse the next child. This remedy also has loathing of the breast in infants, due to the fact that the milk tastes bad and not due to any defect on the part of the child.

You might think of prescribing for the infant, but if you examine into the case you will find that the child will not take the milk, because it is loathsome. The mother needs a dose of Borax, which will cure the child of its diarrhoea and loathing of milk.

"The infant becomes pale, nearly earth-colored."

"The child throws up its hands when an attempt is made to put it down."

If the mother was a Borax mother, the child very likely is a Borax child; it is not an uncommon thing for the mother and baby to need the same remedy; many times I have medicated the child through the mother's milk if both needed the same remedy.

Another peculiar feature is that when the child is nursing, there is pain in the opposite breast. Borax is not necessarily limited to the state of confinement; there is a practical use for Borax among nervous women in all states of life.

Borax has cured pleurisy that very much resembled Bryonia, especially on the right side like Bryonia; stitching or darting pains from without inward as if through the upper right lung posteriorly

the stitching pains might make you think of Bryonia.

"Wilted, wrinkled skin."

"Skin pale or livid."

Emaciated; flabby child becomes emaciated. Children become marasmic along with the aphthous condition; they cannot digest. They vomit or have diarrhoea; aphthous condition that extends the whole length of the intestines; involving all mucous membranes. Oversensitive child, screams from downward motion. The aphthae involve a good many other symptoms; crying before urination, because the bladder is involved.

The aphthous condition and worse from downward motion; the oversensitiveness to noise, easily startled, anxious feeding, etc., are the most striking and characterizing features.