Iridium iridium

Homœopathic Materia Medica

William Boericke · Homœopathic Materia Medica · 9th edition

Common name

The Metal (IRIDIUM)

General

Intestinal putrefaction and septicæmia. Anæmia, increases red corpuscles. Epilepsy; lupus. Rheumatism and gout. Uterine tumors. Spinal paresis. Exhaustion after disease. Children who are puny, weak-limbed, and grow too fast. Nephritis of pregnancy.

Head

Difficult concentration of thought. Sensation as if mind were void. Though confused. "Woodeny" feeling in right side of head. Right side of scalp sensitive. Profuse, watery coryza, better indoors. Ozæna.

Respiratory

Hoarse cough, worse talking; posterior nares feel raw, inflamed, profuse, thick, yellowish discharge. Chronic laryngeal catarrh.

Back and extremities

Weakness in the kidney region. Spinal paresis, especially for the aged and after disease. Pressing in groin and left thigh. Tension in both thighs, especially left. Dislocated feeling in left hip-joint and dull pain toward left gluteal region.

Relationship

Compare: Iridium chloride (Produces salivation and stiffness of jaws followed by head and nervous symptoms. Congestion of nares and bronchi. Dragging pain in lower back. Headache worse right side, heavy feeling as of liquid lead).

Compare: Platina; Palladium; Osmium.

Dose

Sixth and higher.

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

The metal. Ir. (AM. 192.5). Trituration.

Clinical

Anæmia. Axilla, abscess in. Bronchitis, chronic. Cramps. Gout. Hemiplegia (r.). Neuralgia. Numbness. Rheumatism. Spinal paresis.

Characteristics

Iridium is a rare metal of the Platinum group found in platinum ore. It is one of the heaviest substances known. A. J. Tafel took gr. xx. of 3rd trituration. He experienced a number of symptoms, all within two hours of taking the dose. Prominent among them were: A sensation of numbness; in ears and throughout the body. A feeling as if the eyes were being affected from below upward. A feeling as of a triangle on face, the base formed by the two malar-bones, the apex in the vertex. The numbness, and a cramp-like contraction in right calf, show a resemblance to the action of Plat. Irid . needs and deserves a fuller proving. The majority of symptoms appeared on the left side. In the Revue Hom. Française of February, 1892 (translated New York Med. Times , November, 1892), M. Laboucher gave an account of this remedy and compared it with others. He does not mention how the symptoms were obtained. They will be found in the Schema marked with "(L)" after each. Those unmarked are Tafel's. Laboucher says it is "admirable in all cases of anæmia"; is better than China for the aged and persons exhausted by disease; for puny, weak-limbed children, and those who grow too fast. He mentions a peculiar alternation of symptoms or reaction. Painful weakness of lower limbs and renal region, followed by a favourable reaction ─ self-confidence and facilitated mental labour. It shares with Osmium , Palladium , and Platinum a place in the treatment of rheumatism and gout. Laboucher gave Irid . in the 4th attenuation, Pallad . in the 3rd, Plat . in 2nd, and Osm . in the 1st.

Relations

Compare: In uterine diseases, Aur. and Aur. mur. (Laboucher says Irid. is superior to both and to Osm. in uterine tumours). In exhaustion after disease, Chi.

Mind

Weariness in back and limbs followed by favourable reaction; feeling of aplomb and self-confidence (L). ─ Facilitates mental labour (L.).

Head

Pains in middle of occipital bone. ─ Neuralgia of head, esp. temples; drives one crazy (L.). ─ Open air and noise seem to bruise the head.

Eyes

Feeling as if eyes were being affected from below upward.

Ears

Feeling of numbness in ears and throughout the body lasting but a short time.

Face

Pain in l. malar-bone, a kind of stinging; from this place a kind of warmth spreads over whole face; the pain is also felt in r. malar-bone like a pressure.

Mouth

Increased saliva with sensation in malar-bones, which is more perceptible on l. side.

Stomach

Cramps in stomach.

Female Sexual Organs

Swelling of ovaries without dropsy (L.). ─ Corroding and suppurating ulcers of uterus; bluish patches on uterus (L.). Uterine tumour with suppuration (L.). ─ Piercing, gnawing pains in breasts (L.).

Neck and Back

Painful weakness of lower limbs and weakness in region of kidneys, followed by favourable reaction (L.). ─ Spinal paresis followed by greatly increased strength (L.).

Limbs

Neuralgia of the limbs.

Upper Limbs

Abscess in axilla, arrests suppuration (L.). ─ Transient pain in inner side of wrists, < l., also on bend of knee-joint. ─ Painful deep red glossy swelling of thumb (L.). ─ Pinching pain in wrists and fingers (rheumatic paralysis) (L.).

Lower Limbs

Formication, scraping and smarting pains in hip-joints; sciatica preventing rest in bed (L.). ─ Transient pain in bend of knee-joint. ─ Pressing in anterior portion of l. thigh in middle of upper half, followed by pressing in groin. ─ While walking, feeling of tension in both thighs, < l.; then a dislocated feeling in l. hip-joint, and a dull pain tending towards l. buttock. ─ Cramp-like contraction in r. calf and middle of sole of foot.

Generalities

R. hemiplegia when temperature of skin remains normal (L.).

The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica

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

General

Irid. * Full
only
The metal. Ir.
One of the metals of the platinum group, among the heaviest of known substances and almost
indestructible.
Introduced by Hering in 1853.
The precipitate made by Genth was triturated by Boericke ; one ten thousandth part of it produced
a vivid black.
Twenty grains of the 3d trituration were taken by A. J. Tafel when in a state of perfect health. It is
the only proving of Iridium and not contained in Allen's Encyclopædia. All the symptoms were experienced within two hours.

Outer head

Pain in middle of occipital bone.

Sight and eyes

A feeling as if the eyes were being affected from below upward.

Hearing and ears

Feeling of numbness in ears and throughout the body, lasting but a short time.

Upper face

Pain in left malar bone, a kind of stinging ; from this place a kind of warmth spreads over the whole face ; the pain is also felt
in right malar bone like a pressure.
Feeling as of a triangle in face, the base is formed by the two malar bones, the apex in the vertex.

Inner mouth

Increased saliva with sensation in malar bones which is more perceptible on left side.

Upper limbs

A transient pain on inner side of wrists, particularly the left, also in bend of knee joint.

Lower limbs

Pressing in anterior portion of left thigh in middle of upper half, followed by pressing in groin.
While walking, feeling of tension in both thighs, particularly in left ; then a dislocated feeling in left hip joint, and a dull pain tending
toward left gluteal region.
Cramp-like contraction in right calf and middle of sole of foot.

Rest. position. motion

While walking : feeling of tension in both thighs.

Locality and direction

Right : pain in malar bone ; cramp-like contraction in calf.
Left : pain in malar bone ; sensation more perceptible in malar bone ; transient pain in wrists, < left ; pressing in anterior
portion of thigh ; feeling of tension in thigh ; dislocated feeling in hip joint ; dull pain tending towards gluteal region.
From below upward : eyes affected.

Sensations

As if the eyes were being affected from below upwards ; as of a triangle in face, the base formed by the two malar bones, the apex in
the vertex.
Pain : in middle of occipital bones.
Stinging pain : in left malar bone.
Cramp-like contraction : in right calf and middle of sole of foot.
Pressure-like pain : in right malar bone.
Dull pain : tending toward left gluteal region.
Transient pain : on inner side of wrists ; in knee joints.
Pressing : in anterior portion of left thigh, in middle of upper half ; in groin.
Dislocated feeling : in left hip joint.
Feeling of tension : while walking, in both thighs.
Numbness : in ears and throughout whole body.