Hecla Lava hecla.

Homœopathic Materia Medica

William Boericke · Homœopathic Materia Medica · 9th edition

Common name

Lava Scoriæ from Mt. Hecla (HEKLA LAVA)

General

Marked action upon the jaws. Of great use in exostosis, gum abscess, difficult teething. Nodosities, caries of bone, etc. Osteitis, periostitis, osteosarcoma; rachitis. Tumors in general. Bone necrosis. Necrosis and sinus after mastoid operation.

Face

Ulceration of nasal bones. Facial neuralgia from carious teeth and after extraction. Toothache, with swelling about jaws. Abscess of gums. Enlargement of maxillary bone. Cervical glands enlarged and indurated.

Relationship

Compare: Silica; Mercur; Phos; Conchiolinum--Mother of pearl (diaphysis of bone affected; parts extremely sensitive to touch).

Amphisbæna-Snail-like lizard (great affinity for the jaw bones, worse by air and dampness).

Slag--(Great itching of parts).

Dose

Lower triturations.

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

Heclæ lava. The finer ash from Mount Hecla, falling in distant localities. Trituration.

Clinical

Antrum of Highmore, tumour of. Bones, affections of . Breast, tumours of. Dentition, difficult. Exostoses . Glands, affections of. Jaws, tumours on. Milk, deficient. Neuralgia. Osteitis deformans. Osteomalachia. Osteosarcoma. Periostitis. Rickets. Syphilis. Teeth, caries of. Toothache. Tumours. White swelling. Whitlow.

Characteristics

I have chosen the single word Hecla in preference to Heclæ lava , as being simpler and more convenient. The ash and scoriæ of this volcano contain Silica, Alumina, Lime, Magnesia , with some Oxide of Iron . When travelling in Iceland, Garth Wilkinson noticed that the sheep in the vicinity of Hecla had immense exostoses on the jaws. Another effect noticed was the drying up of the milk both in sheep and cows. The finer ash which fell on pastures at a distance, was the most deleterious; the gross ash near the mountain was inert. In cows, post-mortem examination showed the intestines filled with ashes, hardened to a mass, and stomach coated over with a pitch-black membrane spotted with brown, and difficult to remove by washing; the jaw teeth were covered with a shining metallic crust. Several young horses died from lumps on the jaw-bones, so large as to cause dislocation. Sheep, when slaughtered, were found to be of bluish hue internally, and the intestines were friable. In many cases worms from two to three inches long, with pale grey bodies and brown heads, and a little thicker than a horse-hair, were found in the bronchia. In sheep the osseous and dental systems were much affected. The head-bones, and especially the jaw-bones, swelled and became so friable that when boiled they fell to pieces. The thigh, and especially the shin bones, swelled and bulged. The jaws were sometimes covered with large swellings, which spread and were looser of texture and darker in colour than the bone; these could be separated from the bone without injuring it; but in some fatal cases a hole going down to the marrow was discovered under the swelling. Garth Wilkinson adds to the above that he has used Hecla with excellent effect in toothache, gum abscess, swellings about the jaws and in difficult dentition. Clinical experience has shown the power of Hecla to arrest many forms of bone disease, including osteo-sarcoma, scrofulous and syphilitic osteitis and exostoses. The swellings amenable to it are painful and sensitive to touch; < from touch and pressure. The glands are affected almost as much as the bones: "induration and infiltration of cervical glands, studding neck like a row of pearls." The right side has been more predominantly affected. The subjoined schema is compiled mainly from cured symptoms.

Relations

Compare: Conchiol., Silic., Calc., Slag, Phos., Stilling., Sulph., Kali iod, Amphisb., Symphyt., Ruta.

Causation

Injury to bone.

Head

Vertigo, everything goes up, down and sidewise. ─ Chronic headache.

Nose

Destructive (syphilitic) ulceration of nasal bones.

Face

Facial neuralgia or headache dependent on irritation of dental nerves or carious tooth. ─ Polypoid growth commencing in antrum of Highmore, deforming face, forcing eyeball upward and everting lid, obstructing nostrils; extending downward into mouth, impeding breathing and mastication; epistaxis; headache.

Teeth

Toothache, esp. if teeth are very sensitive to pressure; with swelling about jaws. ─ Neuralgia, from carious tooth; in cavity from which tooth has been extracted. ─ Abscess; or enlargement of bone remaining after tooth extraction. ─ R. cuspid of upper jaw very sensitive to slight pressure on crown; swelling and indurated tumour as large as a pea under r. ala nasi, very sensitive to touch; conjunctivitis of r. eye. ─ Difficult dentition in scrofulous and rachitic children.

Female Sexual Organs

Dries up the milk (sheep and cows).

Chest

Myalgia, esp. of intercostal muscles.

Neck

Induration and infiltration of cervical glands, studding neck like a row of pearls.

Lower Limbs

Hip disease. ─ Exostoses of tibia; severe continuous pain incapitating from work.

The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica

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

Sensorium

Vertigo, everything goes up, down and side-wise.

Inner head

Chronic headache.

Smell and nose

Destructive (syphilitic) ulceration of nasal bones.

Upper face

Facial neuralgia or headache dependent on derangement of dental nerves, or where the irritating cause is a carious tooth.
Polypoid growth commencing in antrum Highmorii and from thence encroaching upon adjacent structure so as to deform face, forcing eyeball upwards and everting lid, and obstructing nostrils ; downward into mouth, so that breathing and mastication were seriously impeded ; epistaxis ; headache.

Teeth and gums

Toothache, particularly if teeth are very sensitive to pressure.
Toothache with swelling about jaws.
After extraction of carious wisdom tooth pain in wound, and at times in various localities in head and face, so severe that he cannot eat or sleep.
Neuralgia, when irritating cause is a carious tooth.
Neuralgic pains in cavities from which teeth had been extracted.
After extraction of molar tooth violent pain in upper jaw which is sore, swollen and painful to touch.
Since extraction of inferior molar of right maxilla two years ago, tissues have not healed ; continuous slight discharge of bad tasting pus, at times containing small particles of a soft, gritty substance.
Right cuspid of upper jaw very sensitive to slight pressure on crown ; swelling, and indurated tumor as large as a pea under right alæ nasi very sensitive to touch ; conjunctivitis of right eye.
After extraction of sore tooth gradual enlargement of lower jaw near cavity of tooth finally becoming as large as a hickory nut, causing cheek to bulge.
Gum abscesses from decayed teeth.
Toothache caused by abscesses of gums, injuries to alveolar process, or diseases of antrum Highmorii.
Enlargement of maxillary bone from injury.
Injury to inferior maxillary of a scrofulous girl, which produced an immense abscess, and afterwards great enlargement of maxillary bone.
Difficult dentition in scrofulous or rachitic children.

Outer chest

Myalgia, especially of intercostal muscles.

Neck and back

Induration and infiltration of cervical glands, studding neck like a row of pearls.

Lower limbs

Hip disease.
Exostoses of tibia ; nodosities very large ; severe, continuous pain, incapacitating him from work ; the exostoses and portion of periosteum, which had become carious and soft, were removed by operation ; necrosis of whole bone had been diagnosed ; three days after administration of Hekla lava the pain, which still continued after operation, subsided, and by end of second week wound had healed.
Caries of bones of feet.