Iodoformum iodof.

Homœopathic Materia Medica

William Boericke · Homœopathic Materia Medica · 9th edition

Common name

Iodoform (IODOFORMUM)

General

Should not be forgotten in the treatment of tubercular meningitis, both as a local application to the head and internally (Bacil). Tuberculous conditions. Subacute and chronic diarrhœa of children.

Head

Sharp, neuralgic pain. Head feels heavy, as if it could not be lifted from pillow. Itching of occiput. Meningitis. Sleep interrupted by sighing and cries. Very drowsy.

Eyes

Pupils, dilated; contract unequally, react poorly. Diplopia. Failing sight due to retro-bulbar neuritis, central scotoma-partial atrophy of optic disc.

Chest

Sore pain in apex of right lung. Feeling of a weight on chest, as if smothering. Cough and wheezing on going to bed. Pain in left breast, like a hand grasping at the base of the heart. Hæmoptysis. Asthmatic breathing.

Abdomen

Scaphoid abdomen. Chronic diarrhœa with suspected tuberculosis. Abdomen distended; mesenteric glands enlarged. Cholera infantum. Chronic diarrhœa; stools greenish, watery, undigested, with irritable temper.

Extremities

Legs weak; cannot stand and walk with eyes closed. Weakness of knees when going upstairs.

Dose

Second trituration. Three grains on the back of the tongue will relieve attack of asthmatic breathing.

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

Iodoform. CHI 3 . Trituration. Solution.

Clinical

Breast, pains in. Chancre. Cough. Delirium. Diplopia. Eczema. Enteric fever. Eye, affections of. General paralysis. Headache. Heart, affections of. Hydrocephalus. Locomotor ataxy. Mania. Meningitis. Tuberculosis.

Characteristics

Iodoform has been proved by Underwood and Haines. To the symptoms experienced by them have been added the recorded effects observed on patients treated with it in old-school practice. Many cases of fatal poisoning have occurred. All the symptoms of acute meningitis have been produced in some instances, and this fact has been turned to good account by homœopathists. An excellent collection of the pathogenetic effects of Idf . will be found in C. D. P ., from which I take the following: A boy of 10 had Idf . thickly applied to a point in amputated limb at which the stitches did not hold well. On the third day he was sleepy, after a restless night with frequent sighing. The dressing was renewed, and on the same day, not having eaten anything since the day before, he had several attacks of vomiting, bilious and easy. All these symptoms increased during the next few days. The child was constipated and seemed to suffer from his head. Nights very restless; sleep interrupted by sighing and cries like those of meningitis. Drowsiness during day. Pupils unequally contracted; reacted slowly to light. He was perfectly indifferent and did not recognise those about him. Later, nightly agitation was replaced by tranquil delirium. Pulse rapid and small. On the sixth day the dressing was changed, on the seventh day the symptoms began to abate, and disappeared after the ninth. W. J. Martin ( Hahn. Month ., xxxi. 799) cured two cases of tubercular meningitis with Idf . 2x. He put 4 grains in half a tumbler of water, and gave a teaspoonful every two hours. One case was that of a child, fourteen months old, and the symptoms were: Sleeps much; moves mouth constantly as though chewing or sucking; bores head back and rolls it from side to side. Had been ill twelve days. Violent convulsions followed, face distorted, eyes squinting, head retracted, neck and back stiff, automatic movement of one arm and leg. The child was expected to die that night, but Idf . was now given, and improvement set in. Fever abated, and in one week all symptoms had passed away. Drowsiness is a marked feature. In cases of medicinal poisoning the symptoms sometimes come speedily, and sometimes only after a long period of medication, when they set in with great suddenness and intensity. For instance, a woman, 26, who had taken 42 grains of Idf . in eighty days, suddenly after a hot bath felt very dizzy and weak in the legs, felt unable to knit, and diplopia set in. Symptoms of mania followed; weakness, staggering on closing the eyes. For twelve days she was unable to walk alone. These symptoms having set in suddenly after a hot bath seems to show that the " < by heat, and by damp" of Iod . is reproduced in Idf . Treves has observed evidences of poisoning develop slowly and insidiously: Malaise, loss of strength and of appetite, occasional vomiting; and the patient is weighed down with a sense of depression; moderate fever, rapid pulse; drowsiness; complete hebetude; wasting. The external use of it has set up eczema. In one case, that of a soldier ( H. W ., xxv. 292) who had had Iodoform applied to his arm, a scarlatina-like rash appeared, spreading from the arm over the body, and ending in desquamation. Scarlatina was actually diagnosed, but some doubt was raised, and, suspicion being thrown on the Idf ., a piece of silver was placed in the mouth. Immediately a garlic taste was experienced showing the presence of Idf ., which other tests confirmed. Idf . imparts a garlic odour to silver. The symptoms are < at night; by warmth; by motion; by touch; by riding in cars. > By uncovering.

Relations

Antidoted by: Hep.; Sang. (skin). Compare: Iod.; Kali iod.; Merc.

Mind

Elated. ─ Excitement interrupted by broken sleep. ─ Transient irritation interrupting somnolence. ─ Excitement, melancholia, hallucinations of sight and hearing. ─ Screams out, leaves her bed but falls down after walking a few steps, talks nonsense unconnectedly, is unable to hold anything, sees everything double. ─ Talkativeness excessive; fear of death with anguish; holds fast to any person near her bed, and bemoans her approaching death. ─ Drowsiness developing into perfect coma. ─ Suddenly began to behave as if out of his mind; answered questions unwillingly and hesitatingly. ─ Delusions, dressing himself in strange costumes; imagining himself a prodigious height and growing rapidly. ─ His ideas all of an exalted kind; imagined he had the best tenor voice in the world and proceeded to hire a large concert hall. (After insufflation of Idf . into tunica vaginalis; he was sent to an asylum and recovered in four months.). ─ Apathetic, amnesia for recent events, nightly restlessness, did not recognise persons, weak-minded. ─ Forgetful.

Head

Confusion, with nausea. ─ Feeling as if he had been intoxicated the previous day. ─ Headache all night; vertigo on sitting up in bed. ─ Sudden giddiness. ─ Stitching pain in head. ─ Headache on waking. ─ Heaviness of head: on attempting to rise, with aching in vertex. ─ Head heavy at night as if he could not raise it from the pillow, heaviness next morning after waking, with intermittent pain in skull, < l. side. ─ Frontal pain; < descending stairs, with shooting in r. ear; neuralgic, < stooping. ─ Stitching in temples. ─ Neuralgic pains in nerves of temples, < r. extending to behind ears. ─ Pain in temples as from a weight. ─ Sticking in r. side of head. ─ Pain in occiput and l. lumbar region. ─ Itching of occiput.

Eyes

Eyes bloodshot and painful. ─ Smarting and burning in eyes; smarting and stinging. ─ Bruised feeling in r. eye in morning. ─ Sensitive to light. ─ Objects appear tessellated and red, > rising. ─ Sees all persons and objects as through a veil. ─ Vision double. ─ Exquisite diplopia. ─ ("In purulent ulcers of the cornea, and esp. ulcus corneæ serpens, Idf . has no equal." ─ Sattler in old-school practice.)

Ears

Sticking in r. ear; sticking, then fulness. ─ Ears feeling dry and feverish; and full. ─ Neuralgic pains in l. ear. ─ Dull hearing.

Nose

Dryness in nose, and he complains that he cannot get any discharge from it; with fulness of membrane and constant snuffing. ─ Constant sensation as if smelling fumes of iodine. ─ Smell as of decaying leaves in a swamp.

Face

Pains in malar-bones; in zygomatic muscles, < motion and bending forward. ─ Drawing in malar-bones, with pressing. ─ Stiffness of zygomatic muscles. ─ Twitching of facial muscles. ─ Aching in r. lower jaw, increasing to pain as from a weight. ─ Lips and throat dry; lips dry and stinging.

Teeth

Sharp pain in upper teeth. ─ Aching in sound teeth; in decayed teeth, < upper and r., coming and going quickly, toothache in afternoon quickly changing to temples. ─ Teeth feel sore and too long.

Mouth

Metallic taste.

Throat

Stitching in r. side of throat. ─ Dryness of throat, with bitter taste; dryness, with rawness on swallowing.

Stomach

Nausea; at times.

Abdomen

Rumbling in abdomen. ─ Scaphoid abdomen. ─ Flatulent colic. ─ Cutting in abdomen. ─ Warmth in abdomen and rectum, with nausea and desire for stool. ─ R. inguinal region, sharp pain; cutting, with desire for stool; sore pain.

Stool and Anus

Desire for a liquid stool. ─ Stool delayed; with feeling as if anus were drawn up into rectum.

Urinary Organs

Urine very yellow; and smelling like saffron. ─ Albumen and casts in urine.

Respiratory Organs

Aphonic disturbance of voice. ─ Cough from dryness of throat. ─ Cough on going to bed, with wheezing from mucus in throat. ─ Smothering sensation. ─ Respiration irregular; deep inspirations alternating with apnœa.

Chest

Sticking in r. chest, extending to lower angle of scapula. ─ Pain in l. chest. ─ Sharp pain in r. chest. ─ Ulcerative pain in l. breast, to r. of nipple at night, then grasping at base of heart, next day aching in l. breast. ─ Soreness on taking a long breath. ─ Soreness in lungs. ─ Sore pain in apex of r. lung, on breathing sensation as if two ulcerated surfaces were in contact. ─ Feeling in lungs as from a heavy cold. ─ Feeling as if a weight rested on chest, preventing free expansion.

Heart and Pulse

Sticking through heart. ─ Pulse rapid; 150 to 180.

Neck and Back

Contraction of muscles of neck. ─ Bruised sensation in nape. ─ Spine sore, does not wish it touched. ─ Pain along spine; along r. side of dorsal vertebræ; in lumbar region, with weakness and straining. ─ Sharp pain in angle of scapula.

Limbs

Pain in l. arm and l. leg, < lower half of tibia and fibula, then extending into foot. ─ Bruised feeling in l. arm and leg, as the pain increases the muscles feel ulcerated.

Upper Limbs

Sticking in l. shoulder; and arm. ─ Pain in median nerve of l. arm. ─ Pain in l. humerus, with bruised pain in muscles around the bone. ─ Rheumatic pain in r. arm; < using it. ─ Bruised pain in l. arm in morning on touch. ─ Pain in l. elbow; in nerves of l. hand. ─ Sharp pain in nerves of l. hand.

Lower Limbs

Pain along l. crural nerve. ─ Pain in inside of knees. ─ Neuralgic pain in l. knee. ─ Weakness of knees on ascending stairs. ─ Weakness < standing, with pain. ─ Rheumatic pain in gastrocnemii; rheumatism of flexor muscles of legs. ─ Cutting in l. ankle on walking in open air. ─ Sticking in r. instep. ─ Pain in l. foot, < walking.

Generalities

Sudden dizziness; weak in the legs. ─ Body in constant spasmodic motion, twitching of facial muscles, deep inspirations alternating with apnœa; every movement made slowly and without energy; on closing eyes cannot stand or walk straight. ─ Constantly wearied and tired. ─ Rapid collapse ending in coma and death. ─ Sphincters paralysed. ─ Stiffness of certain limbs, convulsive movements. ─ Screams as if suffering from meningitis; draws up legs a good deal; twitching and rolling.

Skin

Red rash over loins, back of arms and elbows (from application to inflamed bursa patellæ. The rash was cured by Sang.). ─ Fine eruption of macules, papules, and vesicles on face, neck, hands, and wrists; diffuse redness with œdema followed; worst on hands and between fingers, vesicles running together and epithelium separating; back of hands desquamated (in a nurse who had been applying it to a patient). ─ Horrible irritation all over body (from application to wound).

Sleep

Sleepiness. ─ Intermittent sleepiness ending in coma. ─ Wakefulness. ─ Jerks and shocks in nerves when trying to sleep. ─ Restless sleep, full of dreams. ─ Restless, < after 2 a.m. ─ Sound sleep till l.30 a.m., then sudden waking, restlessness and sleeplessness till 4.30, then partially conscious sleep for an hour and a half, then heavy sleep and difficult arousing. ─ Confused dreams; of accidents.

Fever

Susceptible to hot weather. ─ Heat at night, keeps laying off covers. ─ Temperature may be elevated to 104° or more. ─ Sweats easily from motion. ─ Sweat on head.

The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica

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

General

Iodoform. CHI 3 .
Provings by Underwood and Haines. See Allen's Encyclopædia, vol. 5, p. 116 .
CLINICAL AUTHORITIES.
- Sphacelous chancre , Windelband, B. J. H., vol. 36, p. 367.

Mind

Feels happy and elated.

Sensorium

Confusion of head, with slight nausea.
Head feels as if he had been intoxicated the day previous.

Inner head

Dull pain in forehead, with shooting in right ear ; < coming down stairs.
Sharp, neuralgic pains in forehead, < stooping.
Dull, pressing pain in both temples, following the pain in r. maxillary bone ; temples felt as if something heavy was pressing on them.
Sharp, neuralgic pain in temples, < right side, extending to back of head, behind ears.
Stitches in temples.
Stitch pain in right side of head.
Heavy feeling in head, and a dull aching in top of head.
Stitching pains in head.
Head felt heavy, as if he could not lift it from pillow.
Headache on awakening.

Outer head

Violent itching of occiput.

Sight and eyes

Eyes sensitive to light.
Objects appear tesselated, red.
Pain in eyes ; eyes bloodshot.
Smarting, burning, stinging in eyes.
Right eye felt sore and as if bruised.

Hearing and ears

Hearing dull ; must be spoken to quite loudly.
Ears feel full, dry and feverish.
Shooting in right ear.
Stitches in right ear.
Neuralgic pain in left ear.

Smell and nose

Sensation as of smelling fumes of Iodine.
Peculiar smell, like the odor arising from decaying leaves in a swamp.
Membrane of nose feels full and dry ; constant snuffing, yet no discharge.

Upper face

Dull pain in malar bones.
Drawing and pressing in malar bone.

Lower face

Feeling of stiffness in zygomatic muscles.
Slight pain in zygomatic muscles, < from motion and bending forward.
Dryness and stinging of lips.
Dull aching, increasing to a heavy pain, like something pressing heavily in right lower maxillary bone.

Teeth and gums

Teeth feel sore and as if too long.
Toothache ; pain leaving teeth and going quickly to temples.
Sharp pains in upper teeth.
Toothache in decayed teeth.

Taste, speech, tongue

Metallic taste in mouth.

Palate and throat

Dryness of throat and lips.
Dryness of throat, with rawness on swallowing ; with bitter taste.
Stitch pain in right side of throat.

Hiccough, belching, nausea and vomiting

Nausea.

Abdomen and loins

Abdomen
Rumbling in bowels.
Flatulent colic.
Cutting pain in bowels.
Feeling of warmth in bowels and rectum, with slight nausea and desire for stool.
Sharp cutting in right inguinal region, with desire for stool.
Sore pain in right inguinal region.

Stools and rectum

Desire for stool with cutting in right inguinal region.
Desire as for a liquid stool.
Bowels not moved as usual ; anus felt as if drawn up into rectum.

Urinary organs

Urine very yellow and smelling like saffron tea.

Respiration

Felt as if something heavy was resting on chest, preventing free expansion ; after half an hour less intense, and appeared to diffuse itself to extremities.
Felt as though smothering ; room felt too close, although freely ventilated.

Cough

Cough from dryness of throat.
Cough and wheezing from mucus in throat, going to bed.

Inner chest and lungs

Chest feels sore when taking a long breath.
Dull sore pain in apex of right lung ; on breathing lung felt as though two ulcerated surfaces were in contact.
Both lungs felt as if a heavy cold had settled there.
Severe pain concentrated in left breast, a little to right of nipple ; at first felt as if a deep ulcer had formed there, then became like a hand grasping base of heart ; aching in left breast at times, < night.
Sharp pain in right chest.
Stitch in right chest, through to angle of shoulder blade.

Heart, pulse and circulation

Occasional stitches through heart.

Neck and back

Back of neck sore as if bruised.
Sharp pain in angle of shoulder blade.
Pain in back along spine.
Spine feels sore, does not wish it touched.
Pain along right side of dorsal vertebræ.
Continued pains in lumbar region, with weakness when straining.

Upper limbs

Stitching pain in left arm and shoulder.
Severe aching in left humerus ; muscles around bone feel as if severely bruised ; < from touch.
Pain in course of median nerve of left arm.
Sharp pains in nerves of left arm and back.
Rheumatic pain in right arm, < when using it.
Pain in left elbow.
Sharp pain in nerves of left hand.

Lower limbs

Rheumatism in flexor muscles of legs.
Pain along course of left crural nerve.
Weakness of knees when going up stairs.
Weakness and pain in knees, < standing.
Pain in inside of knees.
Neuralgic pain in left knee.
Rheumatic pain in both gastrocnemii.
Cutting pain in left ankle, when walking in open air.
Pain in left foot, < walking.
Stitch pain in right instep.

Limbs in general

Left arm and leg pain as if bruised ; as pain increases muscles feel as if ulcerated.
Severe pain in left arm and leg, < at lower half of tibia and fibula, extending into foot.

Rest. position. motion

Pain renewed in bed : right side of head, right shoulder, right arm, hand and fingers, thigh, leg, foot and toes.
Stooping : neuralgic pain in forehead <.
Bending forwards : pain in zygomatic muscles.
Standing : weakness and pain in knees <.
Motion : pain in zygomatic muscles < ; perspires easily.
When using right arm : rheumatic pain <.
Coming down stairs : dull pain in forehead and shooting in ear <.
Going up stairs : weakness of knees.
Going to bed : cough and wheezing from mucus.
Walking : cutting pain in left ankle ; pain in left foot.

Nerves

Jerks and shocks in nerves when trying to sleep.
Susceptible to the heat of the weather.
Feeling of faintness.
Pain seems to sharply define course of nerves.
Neuralgic pains in various parts of body.
Neuralgic pains flying all over him at times.

Sleep

Very drowsy.
Slept soundly until 1.30 A. M., then awakened suddenly ; restless and unable to sleep any more till 4.30 ; then slept about an hour and a half, being partially conscious, and then followed a deep, heavy sleep ; on awaking it seemed as though he could not get aroused.
Wakefulness.
Restless sleep, tossing, turning, full of dreams.
Dreams : confused ; of accident.

Time

Night : aching in left breast <.
At 1.30 A. M. : awakened suddenly, restless and unable to sleep until 4.30.

Temperature and weather

Lays covers off the bed.
Open air : when walking, cutting pains in left ankle.
Heat of weather : susceptible to.

Fever

Shuddering after urination.
Heat, lays covers off the bed.
Perspiration on head.
Perspires easily from motion.

Attacks, periodicity

At times : neuralgic pains flying all over him.

Locality and direction

Right : pain in maxillary bone ; pain in temple < ; stitch pain in side of head ; shooting in ear ; stitches in ear ; heavy pain in maxilla ; stitch pain in right side of throat ; sharp cutting in inguinal region ; sore pain in inguinal region ; cutting in right inguinal region ; dull, sore pain in apex of lung ; sharp pain in chest ; stitch in chest ; pain alongside of dorsal vertebræ ; rheumatic pain in arm ; stitch pain in instep.
Left : neuralgic pain in ear ; severe pain in breast ; aching in breast ; stitching pain in arm and shoulder ; severe aching in humerus ; pain in course of median nerve of arm ; sharp pain in nerves of arm ; pain in elbow ; sharp pain in nerves of hand ; pain along course of crural nerve ; neuralgic pain in knee ; cutting pain in ankle ; pain in foot ; arm and leg pain as if bruised ; severe pain in arm and leg.

Sensations

Feels strangely.
Thinks he has taken a bad cold.
Fine, sharp pains all over.
Head feels as if he had been intoxicated the day previous ; temples feel as if something heavy was pressing on them ; head as if he could not lift it from pillow ; right eye felt sore as if bruised ; sensation as of smelling fumes of Iodine ; as if something was pressing heavily on right lower maxillary bone ; teeth as if too long ; anus felt as if drawn up into rectum ; as if something heavy was resting on chest ; felt as though smothering ; on breathing lung felt as though two ulcerated surfaces were in contact ; both lungs felt as if a heavy cold had been taken ; breast felt as if a deep ulcer had formed there ; as if a hand was grasping base of heart ; base of neck sore as if bruised ; muscles around bone feel as if severely bruised ; left arm and leg as if bruised ; muscles of left arm and leg feel as if ulcerated.
Pain : in right maxillary bone ; in eyes ; in teeth extending to temples ; in decayed teeth ; in back along spine ; along r. side of dorsal vertebræ ; in lumbar region ; in left elbow ; in course of median nerve of left arm ; along course of left crural nerve ; in knees ; in inside of knees ; in left foot ; in l. arm and leg.
Severe pain : concentrated in left breast ; in left arm and leg.
Sharp cutting : in right inguinal region.
Cutting pain : in bowels ; in right inguinal region ; in pharynx ; in left ankle.
Sharp pain : in upper teeth ; in right chest ; in angle of shoulder blade ; in nerves of left arm and back ; in nerves of left hand.
Shooting : in ear.
Sharp, neuralgic pains : in forehead ; in temples, extending to back of head behind ears.
Stitches : in temples ; in right ear ; in right chest through to angle of shoulder blade ; through heart.
Stitching pains : in head ; in left arm and shoulder.
Stitch-like pain : in right side of head ; in right side of throat ; in right instep.
Severe aching in left humerus.
Neuralgic pain : in left ear ; in left knee.
Rheumatic pain : in right arm ; in flexor muscles of legs ; in both gastrocnemii.
Aching in left breast.
Drawing and pressing : in malar bones.
Dull, pressing pain : in both temples.
Smarting, burning, stinging : in eyes.
Dull pain : in forehead ; in malar bones.
Sore pain : in right inguinal region.
Heavy pain : in right lower maxillary bone.
Slight pain : in zygomatic muscles.
Dull, sore pain : in apex of right lung.
Dull aching : in top of head ; in right lower maxillary bone.
Sore feeling : in teeth ; in chest ; in base of neck ; in spine.
Dryness and stinging : of lips.
Feeling of stiffness : in zygomatic muscles.
Weakness : in knees.
Rawness : of throat.
Dryness : of throat and lips.
Feeling of warmth : in bowels and rectum.
Heavy feeling : in head.
Violent itching : of occiput.

Tissues

Relieves pain of cancerous tumors, (locally).
Sphacelous chancre (locally).

Touch. passive motion. injuries

Touch : muscles around bone feel as if severely bruised.
Pains renewed : when riding in cars.

Relations

Antidoted by : Hepar .
Compare : Iodium , and the iodides ; Mercur.