Opium op.

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

MIND. SENSES. NERVES: Brain. Cerebro-spinal. Sympathetic. Lungs. Respiration. Digestive tract.

Worse

EMOTIONS. FEAR. Fright. Joy. Odors. ALCOHOL. Sleep. Suppressed discharges. Receding eruptions. If heated.

Better

Cold. Uncovering.

General

Negative, torpid states; but little pain, secretion or reaction. Paralysis; painless; of brain, tongue, bowels, lungs, etc. Tremor. Twitchings; during sleep. Convulsions. Epilepsy, in sleep. Internal dryness. Hot, head; sweat; bed seems, hunts a cold place, etc. Stupid sleep, spasms, violent chills, etc., during.

Copyright © Médi-T 1999

Particulars

PLACID; says nothing ails him. Dreamy. Sluggish. Dull. Stupid. No will power. Lying. Fears; after fright. Delirium; with terror; alcoholic. Wants to go home. Carphology. Cerebral congestion; intercurrent; apoplectic. Heavy occiput. Visual hallucinations. Inactive pupils. Red, bulging, staring eyes. Dark, turgid, sweaty or hot red face or red and pale alternatly. Old look; after cholera infantum. Mouth twitches or hangs open. Cravings, without appetite. Vomiting; in peritonitis. As of a weight in abdomen. Bowels feel obstructed. Paralytic atony of bowels and bladder; after laparotomy. Hard tympany. Colic; lead. Stools of hard, black balls. Constipation. Bloody mucus oozes from open anus. Retained urine. Lively fœtal motions. Rattling, unequal breathing. Sighing. Snoring. Stertor. Tickling cough. Pneumonia. Weak heart. Crawlings here and there. General itching. Skin rough and dirty. Painless ulcers. Tired and sleepless; drunkards. SOMNOLENCY. Heavy, stupid sleep; of the aged. Full, slow pulse (Dig.). Hot, sweaty (Samb.) and drowsy; with cold limbs. Sweaty, without relief.

Related

Complementary: Alu. Bar-c. Bry. Pho. Plb. Related: Arn. Nux-m.

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

Especially adapted to children and old people; diseases of first and second childhood (Bar. c., Mill.), persons with light hair, lax muscles, and want of bodily irritability. Want of susceptability to remedies; lack of vital reaction, the well chosen remedy makes no impression (Carbo v., Laur., Val.). Ailments: with insensibility and partial or complete paralysis; that originate from fright, bad effects of, the fear still remaining (Acon., Hyos.); from charcoal vapors; from inhaling gas; of drunkards. All complaints; with great sopor; painless, complains of nothing; wants nothing. Spasms: of children, from approach of strangers; from nursing after fright of mother (Hyos. - after anger of mother, Cham., Nux); from crying; eyes half open and upturned. Screaming before or during a spasm (Apis, Hell.). Deep stetorous respiration both on inhalation and exhalation. Delirium, constantly talking; eyes wide open, face red, puffed; or unconscious, eyes glassy, half-closed, face pale, deep coma; preceded by stupor. Thinks she is not at home (Bry.); this is continually in her mind. Picking of bed clothes during sleep (while awake, Bell., Hyos.). Delirium tremens: in old emaciated persons; bloated face, stupor, eyes burning, hot, dry; with loud snoring. Sleep: heavy, stupid; with stetorous breathing, red, face, eyes, half-closed, blood-shot; skin covered with hot sweat; after convulsions. Sleepy, but cannot sleep (Bell., Cham.), sleeplessness with acuteness of hearing, clock striking and cocks crowing at great distance keep her awake. Loss of breath on falling asleep (Grind., Lach.). Bed feels so hot she cannot lie on it (bed feels hard, Arn., Bry., Pyr.); moves often in search of a cool place; must be uncovered. Digestive organs inactive; peristaltic motion reversed or paralyzed; bowels seem closed. Constipation: of children; of corpulent, good-natured women (Graph.); from inaction or paresis, no desire; from lead poisoning; stool hard, round black balls (Chel., Plumb., Thuja); faeces protrude and recede (Sil., Thuja). Stool: involuntary, especially after fright (Gels.); black and offensive; from paralysis of sphincter. Urine: retained, with bladder full; retention, post-partum or from excessive use of tobacco; in nursing children, after passion of nurse; in fever or acute illness; paralysis of bladder or sphincter. (In Stramonium we have suppression; while in Opium the secretion is not diminished, the bladder is full but fullness is unrecognized.). Opium renders the intestines so sluggish that the most active purgatives lose their power. - Hering. Persistent diarrhoea in those treated with large doses of the drug. - Lippe. Sudden retrocession of acute exanthema results in paralysis of brain or convulsions (Zinc.). Marasmus; child with wrinkled skin, looks like a little dried up old man (Abrot.).

Relations

Antidoes, for poisonous doses; strong coffee, Nux, Kali per. and constant motion. When symptoms correspond, the potencies may antidote bad effects of Opium drugging. Compare: Apis, Bell., Hyos., Stram. and Zinc.

Aggravation

During and after sleep (Apis, Lach.); while perspiring; from warmth; stimulants.

Amelioration

From cold; constant walking.

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)

Mental

Daring state of the mind; gaiety; affections of the intellect; very easy of comprehension; delirium.

Face

Bluish appearance of the face; very red; bloated; distorted.

Chest

Where there is continued and steady stertorous breathing (there may be occasional stertorous breathing as for instance, coming on and lasting a little while after a convulsion--but wait and see whether that does not presently die away; if there is continued stertorous breathing, give Opium). Respiration deep; unequal.

Stool

Obstructed evacuation; stools resemble hard, round, black balls, and are voided in succession; evacuation obstructed from indurated feces.

Sleep

Drowsiness; sleep not refreshing; deep and heavy, with stertorous respiration; with open eyes; concomitant complaints to morbid. Dreams very pleasant; amorous; fantastic.

Fever

Absence of perspiration; heat without perspiration; very hot, sweltering perspiration; complaints concomitant to perspiration i.e., those which may appear with perspiration. Intermittent fever where the chilliness is followed by heat, with perspiration which may be hot and sweltering; where there is no chill, but the fever is accompanied by this perspiration; patient may not feel cold all day, or may have only a little chill, and at night when in bed complain that, "the sheets feel so very hot."

Sensations

Feeling of numbness in the outer part; of some kind of an obstruction in the inner parts; pains like labor pains.

Generalities

Pupils dilated--may see this after cholera infantum where the brain is threatened: hardness of hearing; hunger without desire to eat. Discharge of urine too scanty. Labor pains ceasing, labor too weak. Apoplexy with stertorous breathing; blackness of outer parts; blueness of the whole skin or cyanosis. Motion convulsive; clonic spasms, especially when the stertorous breathing lasts all the time between the spells; blue-black swelling here and there over the body.

Worse

From anxiety or fear; from reproaches; with drunkards; after brandy; from spirituous liquors in general; during respiration; on rising; during sleep; after sleep; in pregnancy where the mother complains of the violent motions of the fœtus. (Sensation as though a living fœtus were moving in the abdomen, when there is nothing there, Croc. sat.)

Remedies following

Acon., Bellad., Bryon., Hyosc., Nux mosch., Nux vom., Tart. emet.

Antidote

Ipec.

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

Delirious talking, eyes wide open, face red and puffed up. Drunkenness with stupor, as from smoke in the brain, eyes burning hot and dry. Nervous and irritable, passes nothing but hard, black balls from the bowels. After a fright, with fear, convulsions, or the head hot, and twitching around the mouth. The lower lip and jaw hang down. Child makes no water, with full bladder, and has no stool, from nursing after the nurse has had furious fit of passion. Colic and other ailments from lead in paints, pipes and otherwise. Twitching, trembling of the head, arms and hands, now and then jerks as if the flexors were overactive, body cold, inclination to stupid sopor, motion of the body and uncovering the head relieves. Sleepy but cannot sleep, the bed feels so hot she cannot lie on it. Unrefreshing soporous sleep, with eyes half open, and deep snoring respiration. Sleplessness with acuteness of hearing, clocks striking and cooks crowing at a great distance keep her awake.

Homœopathic Materia Medica

William Boericke · Homœopathic Materia Medica · 9th edition

Common name

Dried Latex of the Poppy (PAPAVER SOMNIFERUM)

General

Hahnemann says that it is much more difficult to estimate the action of Opium than of almost any other drug. The effects of Opium as shown in the insensibility of the nervous system, the depression, drowsy stupor, painlessness, and torpor, the general sluggishness and lack of vital reaction, constitute the main indications for the drug when used homeopathically. All complaints are characterized by sopor. They are painless, and are accompanied by heavy, stupid sleep, stertorous breathing. Sweaty skin. Dark, mahogany-brown face. Serous apoplexy-venous, passive congestion. Want of sensitiveness to the action of medicines. Reappearance and aggravation from becoming heated. Opium lessens voluntary movements, contracts pupils, depresses higher intellectual powers, lessens self-control and power of concentration, judgment; stimulates the imagination, checks all secretions except that of the skin. Want of susceptibility to remedies even though indicated. Diseases that originate from fright.

Mind

Patient wants nothing. Complete loss of consciousness; apoplectic state. Frightful fancies, daring, gay, bright. Unable to understand or appreciate his sufferings. Thinks he is not at home. Delirious talking, with wide open eyes.

Head

Vertigo; lightness of head in old people. Dull, heavy, stupid. Delirium. Vertigo after fright. Pain in back of head; great weight there (Gels). Bursting feeling. Complete insensibility; no mental grasp for anything. Paralysis of brain.

Eyes

Half-closed, dilated; pupils insensible, contracted. Ptosis (Gels; Caust). Staring glassy.

Face

Red, bloated, swollen, dark suffused, hot. Looks intoxicated, besotted (Bapt; Lach). Spasmodic facial twitching, especially corners of mouth. Veins of face distended. Hanging down of lower jaw. Distorted.

Mouth

Dry. Tongue black, paralyzed bloody froth. Intense thirst. Blubbering op lips. Difficult articulation and swallowing.

Stomach

Vomiting, with colic and convulsions. Fecal vomiting. Incarcerated hernia. Hungry; no desire to eat.

Abdomen

Hard, bloated, tympanitic. Lead colic during colic, urging to stool and discharge of hard feces.

Stool

Obstinate constipation; no desire to go to stool. Round, hard, black balls. Feces protrude and recede (Thuj; Sil). Spasmodic retention of feces in small intestines. Stools involuntary, black, offensive, frothy. Violent pain in rectum, as if pressed asunder.

Urine

Slow to start; feeble stream. Retained or involuntary, after fright. Loss of power or sensibility of bladder.

Female

Suppressed menses from fright. Cessation of labor-pains with coma between paroxysms. Threatened abortion and suppression of lochia, from fright, with sopor. Horrible labor-like pains in uterus, with urging to stool.

Respiratory

Breathing stops on going to sleep; must be shaken to start it again (Grindelia). Hoarse. Deep snoring; rattling, stertorous breathing. Difficult, intermittent, deep, unequal respiration. Heat in chest; burning about heart. Cough, with dyspnœa and blue face; with bloody expectoration.

Sleep

Great drowsiness (Gels.; Nux mosch). Falls into a heavy stupid sleep. Profound coma. Loss of breath on falling asleep (Grind). Coma vigil. Picking at bedclothes. Very sleepy, but cannot go to sleep. Distant noise, cocks crowing, etc, keep him awake. Child dreams of cats, dogs, black forms. Bed feels so hot cannot lie on it. Pleasant, fantastic, amorous dreams. Shaking chill; then heat, with sleep and sweat. Thirst only during heat.

Fever

Pulse full and slow. Heat extending over body. Hot perspiration. Fever characterized by stupor, snoring respiration, twitching of limbs, intense thirst and sleepiness. General low temperature with inclination to stupor.

Back and Extremities

Opisthotonos. Swollen veins of neck. Painless paralysis (Oleand). Twitching of limbs. Numbness. Jerks as if flexors were overacting. Convulsions; worse from glare of light; coldness of limbs.

Skin

Hot, damp, sweating, Constant desire to uncover. Hot perspiration over whole body except lower limbs.

Modalities

Worse, heat, during and after sleep (Apis; Lach.). Better, cold things, constant walking.

Relationship

Compare: Apis; Bell; Gels; Nux mosch; Morphinum (extreme susceptibility to pain; twitching; tympanities; much itching); Codein (dry, teasing, incessant cough; twitching of muscles, especially those of eyelids); Eschscholtzia-Cal California Poppy--(a harmless soporific).

Antidote: Acute Opium poisoning. Atropin and Black Coffee. Chronic Opium poisoning. Ipecac; Nux; Passiflora. Berberis is useful to counteract opium habit.

Dose

Third to thirtieth and 200th potency.

Non-Homeopathic Preparations and Uses.--Palliative only in great pain, sleeplessness, peritonitis, and to check excess secretion in diarrhœa, diabetes, etc.

Opium (crude).--Official dose, 1 grain.

Laudanum (tincture)-Dose, 5 to 20 drops. Extract of Opium 1/4 to 1 grain.

Paregoric-Tinctura Camphora Composita. Contains in each dram 1/4 grain of Opium equal to 1/30 grain of Morphine. Dose 1/2 to 1 fluid dram for adults. For an infant 3 to 5 drops.

Dover's Powder consists of Opium, Ipecac and Sulphate of Potash. It contains 10% each of Opium and Ipecac. Dose 5 to 15 grains.

Morphine-1/8 to 1/4 grain.

Magendie's solution-16 grains to 1 oz or 5 drops equal to 1/6 grain.

Codein-1/2 to 1 grain.

Apomorphia-1/20 to 1/10 grain hypodermically.

Leaders in Homoeopathic Therapeutics

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

Leaders

Abnormal painlessness.

Want of susceptibility, trembling, lack of vital reaction.

Blunted morals, worst liars in the world.

Reversed peristalsis and fæcal vomiting.

Fright; the fear of the fright remaining.

Sleepy but cannot sleep. Hears sounds not ordinarily noticed.

Very hot skin with sweating; perspiration.

Profound stupor with dark-red face and stertorous breathing.

Bed feels so hot she cannot lie on it; moves often in search of a cool place; must be uncovered.

One of the worst abused, because frequently used, remedies of all schools of medicine. I must explain. I said all schools. The true Homœopath does not abuse it, but many members of the school calling themselves homœopathic do. A teacher in one of the homœopathic colleges defended its use in narcotic doses in many cases to produce sleep and relief from pain. I will say just here that any homœopathic physician that feels obliged to use Opium or its alkaloid in this way and for this purpose does not understand his business and had better study his Materia Medica, and the principles of applying it according to Hahnemann, or else go over to the old school where they make no pretensions to have any law of cure. In the first place Opium in narcotic doses does not produce sleep, but stupor, and it only relieves pain by rendering the patient unconscious to it. How many cases have been so masked by such treatment, that the disease progressed until there was no chance for cure? Pain, fever and all other symptoms are the voice of the disease, telling where is the trouble and guiding us to the remedy. The true curative often relieves pain even more quickly than Opium, and does so by curing the condition upon which it depends. And even in cases where it does not so quickly stop the pain, it is often far better to suffer awhile until the curative can get in its work. Probably ninety-nine in a hundred of those suffering from the terrible habit of morphine eating are first led into it by physicians who prescribe morphine to "relieve pain and procure rest and sleep." And when we take into this account the abuse of stimulants, under the name of tonics, habitually prescribed by the same class of physicians it is no wonder that they are often heard to say, I don't know whether I have done more good or harm.

It is this very narcosis which presents the leading characteristic indication for the Homœopathic use of this drug. No remedy produces such profound stupor, and it is expressed in our Materia Medica as follows: "Stupid, comatose sleep, with rattling, stertorous breathing." In addition to this the face is red and bloated, the eyes blood-shot and half open and the skin covered with hot sweat. Now this condition, which is nothing more or less than such a fullness of the vessels of the brain or head that, from pressure, a paralysis or semi-paralysis of the nerves which carry on the act of breathing, keep the lower jaw up (which drops), and close the sweat glands, takes place. There are many diseases in which this state of things may appear, such as typhoid fever, where the patient becomes totally unconscious and oblivious to all around. There is no response to light, touch, noise or anything else, except the indicated remedy, which is Opium. So in pneumonia, where Opium has made remarkable cures in Homœopathic hands; while in massive, or what they like to call heroic, doses of the old school (given to stop pain and procure sleep) it has sent many a poor victim to his long resting place. In many other diseases, in fact in any disease where these symptoms are found, we may confidently expect Opium either to cure the case or to so change the condition that other remedies will follow it to a perfect cure. Other remedies may vie with it, for instance in typhoids, such as Lachesis or Hyoscyamus. These two remedies will often claim attention in typhoid pneumonia. It often requires close discrimination to choose between them. Apoplexy often calls for Opium, but here as elsewhere the symptoms must decide.

The fact that Opium is capable of banishing pain, or, rather, I should say, rendering the organism incapable of sensing pain, is one of the chief indications for its use in homœopathic therapeutics. There is not only complete absence from pain, but as complete unsusceptibility to general drug action. You know that we are told that when the seemingly indicated remedy does not act give Sulphur. Now it may be that Opium is a better remedy to give, if all there is of the case is that there seems to be no vital reaction. Sulphur would be likely to be the best remedy if the lack of reaction were due to some psoric taint; but even here all the symptoms must be taken into account. Laurocerasus is another remedy to arouse reaction when it seems to depend upon excessively low vitality. Psorinum may succeed in psoric obstructions to vital reactions when Sulphur fails. There is nothing to be more condemned in homœopathic prescribing than routinism. This same paralyzing effect of Opium is seen in the intestines. Their irritability is lost. Peristaltic action is entirely suspended. There is no desire even for movement. The fæces lie there in the convolutions of the intestines, form into hard, black balls, which must be removed by enemas or purgatives. Again, the urinary organs come under the same action. The urine is retained from paralysis of the fundus of the bladder; can't pass water from blunting of the sensitiveness of the walls of the bladder, etc. Or the other extreme, involuntary urination or stool from paralysis of the sphincters. Everywhere Opium is a producer of insensibility and partial or complete paralysis and, other things being equal, is homœopathically indicated there.

Now we find an exactly opposite state of things under Opium to that we have been describing as indicated by the following symptoms: "Delirious, eyes wide open, glistening; face red, puffed up." "Vivid imagination, exaltation of the mind." "Nervous and irritable, easily frightened." "Twitching, trembling of head, arms, hands; jerking of the flexors, even convulsions." "Sleeplessness (Cimicifuga, Coffea), with acuteness of hearing; clock striking and cocks crowing at a great distance keep her awake." These are the secondary or reactionary symptoms of Opium. Nature has been pushed like a pendulum, clear to one side of the perpendicular or normal condition. Now, nature endeavouring to undo this mischief, like the law of gravity with the pendulum, pulls back with such force that the pendulum swings not only to its normal state, but clear over to the other extreme, and then if left to herself will continue to oscillate back and forth until the normal place is found and natural law again reigns supreme. It must be remembered here that the fist class of symptoms are drug action, the later action nature's efforts against the drug; so that such excitement, irritability and spasms never come under the homœopathic action of Opium as a remedy unless this state has been preceded by drowsiness stupor and insensibility, etc. It cannot be the homœopathic remedy to the case without this, for its perfect similarity is not to be found there This is the reason why the homœopath can make his sleepless patient sleep a natural sleep with Opium in the little dose, while the allopath forces his patient into a stupor (not a sleep) with his big dose. The one is curative, the other poisonous.

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

Vivid imagination, exaltation of the mind, increased courage, with stupefaction and dulness. Stupid indifference ; imbecility. Stupefaction of the senses. Illusions and frightful fancies ; visions. Loquacious delirium, with open eyes and red face ; furious delirium. Mania, with frightful or pleasing, delightful visions, alternating with stupor. Delirium tremens ; with diminished sensitiveness of the senses and stupor with snoring. Stupor, must lie down ; snoring sleep and half-open eyes. Complete loss of consciousness and sensation, with relaxation of the muscles. Apoplexy, with vertigo, buzzing in the ears, low of consciousness, red, bloated, hot face, red, half-closed eyes, dilated, insensible pupils, foam at the mouth, convulsive movements of the limbs, and slow, snoring breathing. Fright with fear ; is followed by heat in the head and convulsions. Grief over insults is followed by convulsions.

Head

Stupefying vertigo when rising, compelling one to lie down. Dulness and stupefaction of the head, as from drunkenness. Congestion of blood to the head, with pulsation in it. The headache is aggravated on moving the eyes. Great heaviness of the head.

Eyes

The lids hang down as if paralyzed. The eyes are half open and are turned upwards. The pupils are dilated and insensible to light. Staring look. Glassy, protruded, immovable eyes. Swelling of the lower lids. Obscuration of sight. Sensation as if the eyes were too large for the orbits.

Face

Face bloated, dark (brown) red, hot. Face pale, clay-colored, sunned countenance and eyes, with red spots on the cheeks. Bluish (purple) face. All the muscles of the face are relaxed and the lower lip hangs down. Trembling, twitching and spasmodic movements of the muscles of the face. Corners of the mouth twitch ; distortion of the month. The veins of the face are distended. Hanging down of the lower jaw. Lock-jaw.

Mouth and Throat

Dryness of the mouth. Ptyalism ; spitting of blood. Ulcers in the mouth and on the tongue. Paralysis of the tongue and difficult articulation. Black tongue. Feeble voice, and requires a strong effort to talk loud. Dryness of the throat. Inability to swallow ; daily attacks of distention and strangulation.

Stomach and Abdomen

Violent thirst ; aversion to food, or canine hunger without appetite. Vomiting, with violent colic and convulsions ; of green substance ; of blood. Vomiting of feces and urine. Heaviness and pressure in the stomach. Inactivity of the digestive organs. Hard, bloated abdomen. Tympanitis. Heaviness in the abdomen, as from a weight. Lead-colic. Incarcerated inguinal hernia.

Stool and Anus

Constipation from inactivity of the intestines. Spasmodic, retention of the feces, especially in the small intestines. Black fetid stool. Involuntary discharge of offensive stool ; involuntary stools after fright. Fluid, frothy, diarrhœic stools, with burning in the anus and violent tenesmus. Suppression of urine, as from contraction or paralysis of the bladder. Scanty, dark-brown urine, with brick-dust sediment. Hæmatorrhœa.

Sexual Organs

Men. Excitement of the sexual organs and violent erections ; or impotence. Women. Spasmodic, labor-like pain in the uterus. Suppressed, false or spasmodic labor-pain. Puerperal spasm, during and after parturition, with loss of consciousness and drowsiness or coma between the paroxysms. Violent movements of the fœtus.

Respiratory Organs

Hoarseness, with dry mouth and throat and white tongue. Difficult, intermitting breathing, as from paralysis of the lungs : Pneumonia notha. Rattling breathing. Deep snoring breathing, with open mouth. Tension and constriction of the chest. Suffocative attacks during sleep, like nightmare. Cough, with dyspnœa and blue face. Cough, with frothy expectoration of blood and mucus. Heat in the chest. Burning about the heart.

Back and Neck

Pulsating arteries and swollen veins on the neck. The back is (spasmodically) bent backwards.

Extremities

Upper. Twitching and spasmodic movements of the arm. Paralysis of the arms. Trembling of the arms and hands. Distended veins on the hands. Lower. Twitching and spasmodic movements of the legs. Weakness, numbness and paralysis of the legs. Heaviness and swelling of the feet.

Generalities

Numbness and insensibility of the body and limbs. Trembling of the whole body, with external coldness and jerking and twitching in the limbs. Trembling of the limbs after fright. Convulsions, with sudden loud cries. Buzzing through the whole body. Want of sensitiveness against the effects of medicines, with want of vital reaction. Increased excitability and action in the voluntary muscles, with diminution of it in the involuntary muscles. Paralysis without pain. Convulsions and spasmodic motions, with foam at the mouth. Convulsions, with sleep after the paroxysms. Rigidity of the whole body. Tetanic spasms, with bending the head or back backwards. Epileptic convulsions, particularly at night or towards morning, with suffocative paroxysms.

Sleep

Drowsiness, great inclination to sleep ; dreams, and cannot be roused. Coma vigil. Stupefying, unrefreshing sleep. Stupefying sleep, with the eyes half open and snoring. During sleep, picking of bed-clothes (floccilegium) ; groaning ; voluptuous dreams.

Fever

Pulse varies very much ; full and slow, with difficult, snoring breathing ; quick and hard with heat, with quick and anxious breathing. Chill and diminished animal heat, with stupor, and weak, scarcely perceptible pulse. Rigidity and coldness of the whole body. Coldness only of the limbs. Heat with damp skin predominates, extending itself from the head or stomach over the whole body. Burning heat of the whole body, which is in a perspiration, with great redness of the face, followed by sleep with snoring. Heat, with inclination to be uncovered. Profuse perspiration over the whole body, which is burning hot, with sleep and snoring. In the morning, profuse hot perspiration, with desire to be uncovered. Perspiration of the upper part of the body, with dry best of the lower part. Cold perspiration on the forehead. Intermittent fever; first shaking chill, afterwards heat with sleep, during which he perspires much. Falling asleep during the cold stage and no thirst ; during the hot stage thirst and general copious perspiration. Fever with stupor ; snoring with the mouth open ; twitches through the limbs and perspiration on the hot body. Fever with sopor.

Skin

Dropsical swelling of the whole body. Redness and itching of the skin. Blue spots on the skin.

Conditions

Painlessness with all ailments ; complains of nothing and asks for nothing. Especially suitable for children and old persons. All ailments are accompanied by sopor. Reappearance and aggravation from becoming heated. Suitable very often to persons addicted to drinking and aged persons. Bad effects from fright. Aggravation from brandy, wine ; while perspiring ; on rising ; during and after sleep.

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

Papaver somniferum. Poppy. N. O. Papaveraceæ. (Opium is the gummy exudation of the unripe capsule of the poppy.) Tincture.

Clinical

After-pains. Apoplexy. Bladder, paralysis of. Brain, affections of. Cancer. Catalepsy . Chilblains. Colic. Constipation. Diabetes mellitus. Dreams . Dysmenia. Epilepsy. Fear, effects of . Fœtus, movements of, excessive. Hernia, incarcerated. Hystero-epilepsy. Ileus. Intestines, obstruction of. Labour pains, abnormal. Lead colic . Marasmus. Measles. Melancholia . Meningitis. Paralysis . Puerperal convulsions. Sighing. Sleep, abnormal . Snoring. Starting . Sunstroke. Tympanitis. Uræmia. Urine, suppression of; retention of . Uterus, inertia of. Veins, fulness of. Whooping-cough .

Characteristics

Opium is one of the most complicated substances in the materia medica. Besides mucilage, albumen, fat, sugar, and salts of Ammonia, Calcium , and Magnesia , it contains "seventeen or eighteen alkaloids, and two neutral substances, as well as a peculiar acid ─ meconic acid" (Brunton). Among the alkaloids of Opium, Apomorphinum, Codeinum, Morphinum have their several places in the homœopathic materia medica. As the prince of pain-killing palliatives Opium has played a very prominent part in old-school therapeutics, and by its seductive properties has reduced many who have sought its help to become its slaves. The effects observed in persons brought under its influence in this way, in opium-smokers and in persons poisoned with massive doses, have produced a large part of the pathogenesis; provings and clinical observations have added the rest. The effects of a poisonous dose of Opium are scarcely to be distinguished from a fully developed attack of apoplexy ─ absolute unconsciousness; complete muscular relaxation; pupils contracted to a pin-point aperture; turgid, bloated, very red, or bluish face; stertorous breathing; pulse slow and full. Death takes place by asphyxia, the heart continuing to beat after breathing has ceased. Minor degrees of the Opium influence give: Deep sleep; pleasant, fantastic, or frightful dreams; delirium like delirium tremens. On waking from this stage there is severe headache, nausea, furred tongue, loss of appetite. In still smaller doses (or in the large doses of Opium habituées ) there is: ( 1 ) Excitement of circulation, pulse fuller and quicker, surface warm and flushed; increased power of directing energies. If he wishes to sleep, "an agreeable languor followed by sleep comes on. He can be easily aroused from this sleep; and after a few hours the effect passes off, leaving, however, slight headache and languor, with dryness of mouth and slight nausea. If, on the other hand, he wishes to work, he can do this with increased energy; or if he desires to exert the mind, he will find his imagination more vivid, his thoughts more brilliant, and his power of expression, greater" (Christison, quoted by Brunton). In my student days I had the good fortune to be in the skilful hands of Dr. Angus Macdonald through a severe attack of peritonitis (apparently induced by a chill one very severe winter). The treatment was: Opium , in pills, two or three times a day; the object being to keep the intestines inactive till such time as the inflammation should subside, and at the same time to relieve me of the pains. The treatment was on perfectly rational grounds, and was completely successful. The inconveniences of it were persistent vomiting, distressing dreams, a state of irritability almost of the Chamomilla type, and constipation. This last was the feature which gave me more anxiety than anything else, and, in spite of my doctor's assurances, I could not help fearing that obstruction had taken place. It lasted long after the Opium was discontinued, and at last, without any medicinal help, ended, to my great astonishment, in diarrhœa. There had been neither stool nor flatulence pass for many days. Flatus began to pass before the diarrhœa set in. Hahnemann ( M. M. P .) sums up the action of Opium thus: "In the primary action of small and moderate doses, in which the organism passively, as it were, lets itself be affected by the medicine, it appears to exalt the irritability and activity of the voluntary muscles for a short time, but to diminish those of the involuntary muscles for a longer period; and while it exalts the fancy and courage in its primary action, it appears at the same time to dull and stupefy the external senses, general sensibility and consciousness. Therefore the living organism in its active counteraction produces the opposite of this in the secondary action: Diminished irritability and inactivity of the voluntary and morbidly exalted excitability of the involuntary muscles, and loss of ideas and obtuseness of the fancy, with faintheartedness along with over-sensitiveness of the general sensibility." It is right to say that Hahnemann prefaces the above with the remark that, "It is more difficult to estimate the action of Opium than of almost any other drug." This is quite true if we conceive it necessary to divide the effects of the drug into primary and secondary. For my part I have never yet been able to turn to practical account this division into primary and secondary in respect of any drug; and, except for the occasional purpose of arranging the actions of a drug in rememberable form I do not attempt it. I find that whether an Action is "primary" or "secondary" depends on the prover or the patient. I know some people who are made absolutely sleepless by Opium in all sorts of doses; and Op . 30 has helped me in case of sleeplessness as often as Coffea . My experience goes to show that whether the drug-effect is primary or secondary, it is a drug-effect and is good for prescribing on. Hahnemann describes as a rare and transient effect of Opium in excitable subjects, occurring primarily but really a sort of reflexion of the secondary state: "Deathly paleness, coldness of the limbs and whole body, cold perspiration, timorous anxiety, trembling and despair, mucous stools, transient vomiting and short cough, and very rarely certain kinds of pain." The last remark is to be taken in connection with a previous one to the effect that Opium "does not cause in its primary action one single pain." Here again Hahnemann's negative must be taken with caution. No doubt abnormal painlessness is a grand keynote for Opium ; but in the pathogenesis many acute pains will be found, and among them this recorded by Hahnemann himself: "Horrible labour-like pains in uterus, which compelled her to bend the abdomen double, with anxious, almost ineffectual urging to stool." Whether this be "primary" or "secondary" I know not; but in one of the worst cases of painful menstruation I have ever had to treat Op . 30 gave greater and more lasting relief than any other remedy. In one patient to whom I gave Op . 30 for constipation, it caused with the onset of the next period "sharp pain which caused vomiting and a desire to sit doubled up and keep warm." J. P. Willard ( H. W ., xxxii. 168) has repeatedly given permanent relief in cases of suffering with Op . 2x without producing any narcotic effect. Opium can cause cramps and even tetanus as well as the opposite state, the tetanic properties chiefly existing in the alkaloid Thebain . Opium causes tetanus in frogs but has no effect whatever on birds. The grand characteristic of Opium is the drowsiness, inertia, torpor, absence of sensation, absence of reaction, which appears is its general effects. In all complaints with great sopor; painlessness; complaining of nothing and wanting nothing, Opium may be required. I remember reading of the cure of an ulcer of the leg. There were no sensations on which a remedy could be diagnosed, but the absence of sensations indicated Opium , and Opium cured. "Want of susceptibility, trembling," is another feature of the same state; lack of vital reaction. Inertia of the intestines results in constipation; of the bladder, in retention; of the uterus, in suspension of the menses. Generally speaking, all secretions are checked except that of the skin, which is excited. This arrest of action seems to explain the sensation of obstruction which occurs in inner parts; and in intestinal obstruction Opium has won many triumphs. It was part of Owen Thomas's treatment of intestinal obstruction to give drop doses of Op . Ø, and feed the patient on meat soups only ─ no milk, farinaceous foods, or solids. His idea was to keep the intestines quiet, but the action was clearly homœopathic. In ileus and strangulated hernia it has been given with success and reversed peristalsis and fæcal vomiting are leading indications here. It is equally indicated in the involuntary and unconscious passage of urine and fæces from paralysis of sphincters. Also in uterine inertia during labour Opium is often needed. On the other hand, Opium , which is a very dangerous remedy to give to children, has this effect on the fœtus in utero, that instead of making it quieter it makes it more lively; hence Opium is one of the chief remedies for fœtal movements when they become excessive. Opium also follows Acon . as a remedy in the asphyxia of the new-born, and in puerperal convulsions. In the cerebral complaints calling for Opium there is generally the deep red face, the stertor, and stupor to guide. These are found in apoplexy; in insensibility, and partial or complete paralysis resulting from fright, the fear still remaining; from charcoal vapour; from inhaling gas; from alcohol. The apoplexy of drunkards is accurately pictured in Opium poisoning. The spasms of children occur at the approach of strangers, from nursing after the mother has had a fright; from crying; eyes half open and upturned. Screaming before and during a spasm. Epileptic attacks occurring during sleep. Sleep follows the convulsions. Loud snoring. The delirium of Opium is marked by: Great loquacity; visions of animals starting out of various parts of the room. Delirium tremens of old sinners; very little drink is sufficient to bring on an attack. The face has a constant expression of fright. If he sleeps the sleep is stertorous. On the other side of the sleep picture, partly mixed up with sleep phenomena, is the exalted sensitiveness and timidity; sensitiveness to fright and other emotions. Sleepy but cannot sleep, sleepless with acuteness of hearing disturbed by sounds ordinarily not heard at all. Twitching trembling of head, hands, and arms. In tetanus Opium is called for when the spasms are ushered in with a loud shriek. Nervous and irritable, tendency to start. Opium is a great fever remedy. The Opium habit is very common among inhabitants of the fen districts of Lincolnshire, possibly contracted to palliate the debility and depression left by ague. Sweat as a concomitant is a characteristic of Opium ─ complaints appearing with perspiration. The skin is hot and damp. An opium-eater's face glistens with fine perspiration. "Very hot, sweltering perspiration." Another condition is described by Guernsey thus: "Patient may not feel cold all day, but may have only a little chill, and at night, when in bed, complain that the sheets feel so very hot ." T. F. Allen ( H. R ., xiv. 481) remarks that Opium fever may be closely allied to that of Aco . (The Ranunculaceæ are not far removed from the Papaveraceæ.) The Opium fever may have high temperature without distinct inflammatory process. It is characterised by intense thirst and great sleepiness, and is without the anguish, fear, and restlessness of the Aco . fever. The Opium fever may be periodic ─ intermittent or remittent. Gels. fever is like Opium fever but without thirst . In regard to the almost universal use of Opium or its alkaloids in cases of cancer in old-school practice, Snow contends that it has a certain degree of power over the cancer process. From what we know of its botanical relatives, Sang . and Chel ., this may be true. ─ Villers cured with Op . 200 a case of hystero-epilepsy having these characters: Attack preceded by sensation of swelling of body. Veins protrude; face bluish red. Complete unconsciousness. C. N. Payne ( Med. Adv ., xxv. 198) relates the case of a little girl, aged two, who had never slept properly since birth. She went to sleep at usual time and slept till 10 p.m., when she waked moaning, crying, and tossing about; seems frightened; almost falls asleep again but wakens with a start, screaming and keeping in motion one arm and one leg after waking. Seems sleepy but cannot sleep. Usual naps during day. Nux, Bell., Cham . were given in succession in vain. It then transpired that before the baby was twelve hours old it had had four different medicines put into its stomach, one of them being Paregoric , which had also been given since, as well as "quieting medicine." During the early months it had colic, with constipation, stools in dark, hard, round balls. Clearly, it was a proving of Opium . Op . 200 was given. The first night she slept much better, and rapid improvement and cure followed. Seward ( Med. Adv ., xxviii. 367) relates the case of a man who had been given an allopathic dose of Opium for diarrhœa, with the result that it made him "raving, fighting crazy, with red face, glistening eyes." He struck out to hit the men who, he said, were after him to kill him, one of them being a butcher with a cleaver. It took two men to hold him on the bed. He did not recognise those about him. Camph . was given in repeated doses, and he soon became quieter and would talk and laugh in a very lively manner. He said, "Didn't I give it to them?" He soon after fell asleep, and slept all night, remembering nothing of what had happened when he awoke next morning. Among the Camph . symptoms indicating it in the case are: "Great excitement almost amounting to frenzy"; "most furious delirium, being with difficulty restrained in bed by two men." Peculiar sensations are: As if from smoke on the brain. As if flying or hovering in air. As if drunk. As if eyes too large for orbits. As if sand or dust in eyes. As if eyelids paralysed. As of a band round chest. As if intestines would be cut to pieces. As of a stone in abdomen. As if something was forced through a narrow space in abdomen. Rolling as of a hard body in right hypochondrium. As though anus closed. As if lower limbs severed from body. Opium is specially suited to : persons of light hair, lax muscles and want of bodily irritability; persons insensitive to well-chosen remedies. Childhood and old persons (first and second childhood). Drinkers. J. B. S. King ( Med. Adv ., xxvii. 112) noticed that in seven Opium -eaters (all that had come under his observation), there was marked arching of the back, especially of the upper part of the back. In as many Morphia takers he had not met with a single case of arched back. The symptoms are: < During and after sleep. < While perspiring. < From stimulants. < From anxiety and fear; reproaches. < During respiration. < On moving. < During pregnancy. Touch < (bed feels hard); abdomen sensitive. There is great susceptibility to cold air, but > uncovering head. Laboured breathing > by cold air. Bed feels hot, > by cold, < from heat. Symptoms reappear or are < on becoming heated. Drinking water > dryness and cough. Getting cold = bronchitis. > Constant walking.

Relations

Antidoted by: Strong Coffee; Kali permang. solution (about 1 gr. to the pint of water; the patient is made to swallow half a pint every five minutes, and then caused to vomit; later, a somewhat stronger solution may be given and retained); Oxygen inhalations, Camph.; (patient must be kept walking about; if allowed to sleep it may be impossible to wake him again); Bell., Ip., Nux, Vinum., Vanil. Nervous irritability, Cham.; marasmus, Sul., Arg. n., Sars., Camph. Antidote to: Bell., Dig., Lach., Merc., Nux, Strych., Plb., Stram., Ant. t. Followed well by: Aco., Bell., Bry., Hyo., Nux, Nx. m., Ant. t. Compare: The alkaloids, Apomorph., Cod., Morph.; Chel., Sang. (botan.). In first and second childhood, Bar. c., Mill. Apoplexy of drunkards, Bar. c. Lack of vital reaction, Pso. (despair of recovery), Ambra, Chi., Lauro. (chest), Val., Sul., Carb. v. (Op. is sluggish or drowsy). Spasms in infancy after fright of mother (Hyo. ─ from anger, Cham., Nux). Effects of fright, the fear still remaining, Aco., Hyo. Diarrhœa from fright, Gels., Pul., Ver. (chronic effects of fright, Phos. ac., Nat. m., Sil.). Effects of sudden joy, Coff. Loss of breath on falling asleep, Grind. Sleepy but cannot sleep, Bell., Cham. Bed feels so hot she cannot lie on it, Arn., Bry. Constipation of corpulent, good-natured women, Graph. Stool in round (black) balls like marbles, Chel., Plb., Thuj. Retrocession of exanthem to brain, Zn. < During and after sleep, Lach., Ap. Violent movements of Fœtus, Sil., Thuj., Sul., Croc. (Croc. also has: Sensation as if a living fœtus were moving in abdomen when there is not). Uterine inertia, Morph., Chloral., Secal. Heat in heart, Croc., Lachn., Rho. Loquacity, Cup., Hyo., Lach., Stram., Ver. (gossiping, babbling, Ver., Hyo.; religious subjects, Ver.). Congestion, Ver. v. Apoplexy with convulsions, Bell., Hyo., Lach.; followed by paralysis, Arn. (left side), Bell., Lach., Nux, Rhs. Delirium tremens (Op. old sinners, easily set off; terror; animals start from corners; if sleep, stertorous), Lach. (sees snakes, sensation in throat as of choking; springing out of sleep suddenly as if from a dream), Stram. (symptoms violent, starts from sleep in perfect horror; visions of animals coming from every corner of room; tries to escape; face bright red), Can. i. (errors of perception as to space and time), Ars. (fear of death, won't be left alone); Calc. (the moment he closes his eyes he gets visions which compel him to open them again). Drowsiness with cough, Ant. t. (cough with drowsiness and gaping). Constipation of inertia (little, hard, dry, black balls), Alm. (inertia even with soft stools), Pb. (hard, black balls with spasmodic constriction of anus), Bry. (large stools). Tympanites, Lyc., Carb. v., Colch., Raph. (passes flatus neither up nor down for days). Charcoal vapour, effects of, Bov., Arn. Spasm of lungs, Mosch., Ip., Dros. Sudden effects of emotions, Ign. (Ign., deathly pale or at times flushed; Op., dark red face, bloated; Op., loud screams, more fright. Both correspond to sudden effects of emotions only; after punishment, body stiffens out, muscles of face twitch). Cerebral congestion, Hell. (Op., breathing loud, stertorous, pulse full, slow; Hell., pulse weak, almost imperceptible). Constriction of anus, Lach., Pb., Nat. m.

Causation

Fear. Fright. Anger. Shame. Sudden joy. Charcoal fumes. Alcohol. Lead. Sun.

Mind

Carelessness, or great anxiety and uneasiness. ─ Inconstancy and fickleness. ─ Strong tendency to take alarm, and timorous character. ─ Rash and inconsiderate boldness. ─ Tranquillity of mind, with agreeable reveries, and forgetfulness of sufferings. ─ Stupidity and imbecility. ─ Loss of consciousness. ─ Great flow of ideas, with gaiety and a disposition to indulge in sublime and profound reflections. ─ Vivid imagination, exaltation of the mind, increased courage, with stupefaction and dulness. ─ Very easy comprehension. ─ Illusions of the imagination. ─ Mania, with fantastical or fixed ideas; patient believes, contrary to fact, that he is not at home. ─ Delirium with frightful visions, of mice, scorpions, &c., and with desire to run away. ─ Mendacity. ─ Rambling speech. ─ Loquacious delirium, with open eyes and red face; furious delirium. ─ Fright with fear; is followed by heat in the head and convulsions. ─ Grief over insults is followed by convulsions. ─ Drunkenness with stupor as from smoke on the brain; eyes burning, hot and dry.

Head

Confusion in head, with sensation of heat in eyes, and necessity to shut them. ─ Great confusion, dulness and heaviness of head making thought and writing difficult. ─ Head bewildered, as after intoxication. ─ Dizziness as during intoxication. ─ Vertigo, on sitting up in bed, which compels the patient to lie down again. ─ Vertigo, after a fright. ─ Attacks resembling apoplectic fits, with vertigo, buzzing in ears, loss of consciousness, face red, hot, puffed, eyes red and half shut, pupils dilated and insensible, foam at mouth, convulsive movements of limbs, slow, stertorous respiration; before the fits, sleeplessness or sleep, with anxious dreams; ebullition of blood and general heat; after the fit, nervous excitability, laughter, and trembling speech. ─ Felt as if he had bees in a great hollow in his head. ─ Aching above r. frontal eminence when reading, with heat, then pinching in r. temple. ─ Pressing pains in temples. ─ Cold sweat on forehead. ─ Headache, < by moving eyes. ─ Headache, with pressive tension throughout head. ─ Sensation as if brain were being torn. ─ Great heaviness of head. ─ Congestion to head, with strong pulsation.

Eyes

Eyelids hanging, as if paralysed. ─ Sensation as if eyeballs were too large. ─ Eyes red, inflamed. ─ Quivering of eyes and lids. ─ Eyes half open and are turned upwards. ─ Staring look. ─ Swelling of lower lids. ─ Eyes fixed, half closed, convulsed, prominent, glassy. ─ Pupils dilated (insensible to light), and immovable. ─ Pupils contracted. ─ Cloudiness of sight. ─ Sensation of dust in eyes. ─ Scintillations before eyes.

Ears

Buzzing in ears. ─ Tinkling in ears. ─ (Tinnitus like sea roaring, continual, coming at uncertain times for three or four days, in man, 48, who suffers from drowsiness, and was subject to epistaxis. ─ R. T. C.)

Face

Face pale, earthy, wan, with hollow eyes, and red spots on cheeks. ─ Face deep red, sometimes brownish, hot and bloated. ─ Bluish (purple) face. ─ The face of a suckling was like that of an old man. ─ Alternate paleness and redness of face. ─ Swelling of veins in face and head. ─ Relaxation of all the muscles of the face, the lower lip and jaw hang down. ─ Trembling, shocks, and convulsive movements of the muscles of the face. ─ Lips swollen. ─ Twitching in corners of mouth. ─ Disfigurement of mouth. ─ Cramps in jaw. ─ Lockjaw. ─ Features distorted.

Teeth

Looseness of teeth.

Mouth

Dryness of mouth, with violent thirst. ─ Copious salivation. ─ Hæmoptysis. ─ Ulcers in mouth, and on tongue. ─ Tongue purple; white. ─ Black tongue. ─ Paralysis of tongue (and difficult articulation). ─ Voice weak, low, with inability to speak loud without great exertion.

Throat

Dryness of throat. ─ Swelling and movements in throat, with fits of obstructed deglutition and strangulation, which recur daily. ─ Inability to swallow.

Appetite

Loss of appetite. ─ Bitter or sour taste in throat. ─ Violent thirst. ─ Burning thirst, esp. for beer. ─ Attacks of bulimy, with want of appetite and repugnance to all food. ─ Slowness and weakness of digestion.

Stomach

Nausea, with inclination to vomit, and retching. ─ Vomiting, with violent pains in stomach, and convulsions. ─ Vomiting of blood, or of greenish matter. ─ Vomiting of fæcal matter, and of urine. ─ Painful sensitiveness, and inflation of stomach and epigastrium. ─ Constrictive pressure at stomach, with excessive anguish. ─ Heaviness and pressure in stomach. ─ Compression of diaphragm.

Abdomen

Abdomen hard, and distended, as in tympanites. ─ Tympanites. ─ Lead-colic. ─ Incarcerated inguinal hernia. ─ Inactivity of digestive organs. ─ Intestines sluggish, strongest purgatives, lose their power. ─ Distension, but no power to expel contents. ─ Accumulation of much flatus, with rumbling in abdomen. ─ Weight in abdomen, as of a load. ─ Tension in hypogastrium, with pain on touch. ─ Pressive pains in the abdomen, as if the intestines would be cut to pieces. ─ Pulsation, pressure, heaviness, and pullings in abdomen.

Stool and Anus

Constipation from inactivity of the intestines. ─ Spasmodic retention of the fæces, esp. in the small intestines. ─ Constipation, sometimes of long standing. ─ Constipation: of children; of good-natured women; of lead-poisoning; fæces protrude and recede. ─ (Confined bowels with bleeding, furred tongue and drowsiness.). ─ Offensive black fæces. ─ Frothy (whitish pasty) and liquid diarrhœa, with burning pain in anus, and violent tenesmus. ─ Involuntary evacuations (of offensive Stool). ─ Involuntary stools after fright. ─ Anus spasmodically closed during the colic, with difficult emission of flatus. ─ Stool composed of hard, round, black balls; grey; crumbling. ─ Cholera infantum, with stupor, snoring, convulsions. ─ Evacuation obstructed from indurated fæces.

Urinary Organs

Retention of urine, as from inactivity of the bladder. ─ Retention of urine: from paralysis of fundus of bladder; from spasm of sphincter; from nursing after passion of nurse. ─ Acute, spasmodic constriction of urethra, with passage of bloody urine. ─ Scanty, deep-coloured (dark-brown) urine, with sediment like brick-dust. ─ Emission of blood in urinating.

Male Sexual Organs

Increased sexual desire, with frequent erections and pollutions. ─ Amorous ecstasy. ─ Diminished sexual desire, and impotence.

Female Sexual Organs

Great excitement of sexual organs, with sexual desire and orgasm. ─ Perfect loss of sexual desire from lack of nutrition. ─ Softness of uterus with fetid discharge. ─ Prolapsus uteri from fright. ─ Severe labour-like pains in uterus; with urging to stool; > bending double (and by warmth). ─ (Bearing down with r. groin pain, bloated abdomen, apathetic and drowsy, confined bowels, menses too soon, aching all over. R. T. C.). ─ Menses: irregular; profuse; violent colic forcing her to bend over; urging to stool; suppressed. ─ Mucous discharge. ─ Fetid leucorrhœa. ─ Suppressed, false, or spasmodic labour-pains. ─ Puerperal spasm, during and after parturition with loss of consciousness and drowsiness or coma between the paroxysms. ─ Violent movements of the fœtus.

Respiratory Organs

Troublesome hoarseness, as if caused by an accumulation of mucus in trachea, with great dryness in mouth, and white tongue. ─ Rattling breathing. ─ Respiration deep; unequal. ─ Deep snoring breathing, with open mouth. ─ Dry cough, with tickling and scraping in larynx; > from drink of water, with gaping, drowsiness, yet cannot sleep. ─ Laryngismus stridulus. ─ Cough with profuse sweat on whole body. ─ Weak and low voice. ─ Violent, dry, hollow cough, < after repose. ─ Cough during deglutition, or when taking an inspiration, with suspended respiration and blue colour of the face. ─ Cough, with expectoration of blood, or of thick, frothy, mucus. ─ Noisy, stertorous, and rattling inspiration. ─ [Where there is continued and steady stertorous breathing (there may be occasional stertorous breathing, as, for instance, coming on and lasting a little while after a convulsion-but wait and see whether that does not presently die away; if there is continued stertorous breathing, give Opium ). ─ H. N. G.]. ─ Difficult, slow, and intermittent respiration, as from paralysis of the lungs: pneumonia notha. ─ Obstructed respiration and stifling, with great anguish. ─ Spasmodic asthma. ─ Fits of suffocation on making an effort to cough.

Chest

Aching in chest, with shootings in sides during inspiration. ─ Tension and constriction in chest. ─ Heat and burning pain in chest, esp. in region of heart. ─ Suffocative attacks during sleep like nightmare.

Heart

Burning about heart. ─ Pulsating arteries and swollen veins on neck. ─ Palpitation after alarming events, fright, grief, sorrow, &c. ─ Pain in cardiac region with great anxiety, trembling, sleeplessness, talkative delirium. ─ Pulse: full, slow, quick, hard; irregular; imperceptible.

Neck and Back

Swelling of veins, and beating in arteries of neck. ─ Bending backwards (spasmodically) of the back.

Limbs

Trembling of all the limbs, esp. arms and hands after fright. ─ Spasmodic jerkings and numbness of limbs. ─ Coldness of the extremities.

Upper Limbs

Jerks and convulsive movements in arms. ─ Paralysis of arms. ─ Trembling of arms and hands. ─ Distended veins on the hands. ─ Chilblains on fingers. ─ Swelling of veins of hands.

Lower Limbs

Jerks and convulsive movements of legs. ─ Weakness, torpor, and paralysis of legs. ─ Heaviness and swelling of feet. ─ Chilblains on toes.

Generalities

General insensibility of whole nervous system. ─ Want of sensitiveness against the effects of medicines, with want of vital reaction. ─ Great uneasiness in limbs. ─ Trembling of limbs after fright. ─ Trembling in whole body, with shocks, jerks in limbs, and general coldness; > by motion of body and uncovering of head. ─ Convulsive fits, esp. in evening towards midnight, with sleep, involuntary movements of head and arms, with fists closed. ─ Pupils dilated ( e. g ., after cholera infantum where the brain is threatened); hardness of hearing; hunger without desire to eat; discharge of urine too scanty; labour pains ceasing; labour too weak. ─ Apoplexy with stertorous breathing; blackness of outer parts; blueness of the whole skin or cyanosis. ─ Feeling of numbness in the outer parts; of some kind of obstruction of inner parts; pains like labour pains. ─ Clonic spasms, esp. when the stertorous breathing lasts all the time between the spells; black-blue swelling here and there over body. ─ Epileptic convulsions at night, or in morning, with fits of suffocation, loss of consciousness and of sensibility, and violent movements of limbs. ─ Sleep, after every convulsive attack. ─ Relaxation of all muscles. ─ Convulsions, with sudden loud cries. ─ Convulsions and spasmodic motions, with foam at the mouth. ─ Sensation of buzzing and vibration in whole body. ─ Absence of pain during attacks. ─ Excessive irritability of voluntary muscles, and diminished irritability of all the others. ─ Persons, who take Opium in excess, become prematurely old. ─ Tetanus. ─ Bending backwards of (head or) body. ─ (Tetanic spasms and opisthotonos begin with loud screams.). ─ Rigidity of whole body. ─ Paralysis. ─ Lead colic. ─ Paralysis without pain. ─ Sensation of strength and vigour; or fainting and great weakness. ─ General emaciation. ─ Dropsical swelling of whole body. ─ Intercurrent remedy in chlorosis (R. T. C.). ─ Aggravation and renewal of sufferings, when over-heated. ─ Face dark red and hot. ─ Bed feels so hot she cannot lie on it.

Skin

Skin bluish, with blue spots. ─ Redness and continued itching of skin, with small, round, and colourless elevations. ─ Erythema; scarlatina-like eruptions; furfuraceous desquamation, or else in large plaques. ─ Desquamation of epidermis. ─ Chilblains. ─ Dropsical swelling of whole body.

Sleep

Lethargy, with snoring and mouth open, eyes open and convulsed, face red, and puffed, jaw hanging, loss of consciousness, difficult, slow, or intermittent respiration, pulse slow, or even suppressed, and convulsive movement of muscles of face, corners of mouth, and limbs. ─ Urgent inclination to sleep, with absolute inability to go to sleep. ─ Incomplete sleep, without power to wake. ─ Uneasy sleep, with anxious dreams. ─ Sleeplessness with acuteness of hearing; clocks striking and cocks crowing at a distance keep her awake. ─ Sleeplessness, with anxious tossing, restlessness, and delirium. ─ Stupefying, unrefreshing sleep. ─ During sleep, picking of bedclothes; groaning. ─ Moaning (whining) during sleep. ─ Terrific shocks in limbs, during sleep. ─ Nightmare. ─ Lascivious, frightful, and anxious dreams. ─ Dreams and cannot be roused. ─ Coma vigil. ─ Pleasant, fantastic dreams.

Fever

General coldness of skin, esp. of limbs. ─ Coldness and rigidity of whole body. ─ Chill and diminished animal heat, with stupor, and weak, scarcely perceptible pulse. ─ Coldness only of limbs. ─ Burning heat in body, with great redness of face, anxiety, delirium, and agitation. ─ Pulse, generally full, slow and intermittent, or quick and hard. ─ Absence of perspiration; heat without perspiration; very hot sweltering perspiration; complaints concomitant to perspiration: i.e ., those that may appear with perspiration. ─ Intermittent fever where the chilliness is followed by heat, with perspiration which may be hot and sweltering; where there is no chill, but the fever is accompanied by this perspiration; patient may not feel cold all day, or may have only a little chill, and at night when in bed complain that "the sheets feel so very hot" (H. N. G.). ─ Fever, with lethargic sleep, snoring, convulsive movements of limbs, suppressed excretions, and hot perspiration (with quick and anxious breathing). ─ Heat with damp skin predominates, extending itself from head or stomach over the whole body. ─ Heat with inclination to be uncovered. ─ Perspiration of upper part of body, with dry heat of lower part. ─ Cold perspiration on forehead. ─ Intermittent fever; first shaking chill, afterwards heat with sleep, during which he perspires much. ─ Falling asleep during cold stage and no thirst; during the hot stage thirst and general copious perspiration. ─ Whole body burning, even when bathed in sweat. ─ Fever, sometimes with loss of consciousness, or delirium.

The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica

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

Mind

Confusion of mind.
Dulness of head ; has no mental grasp for anything and cannot comprehend the sense of what he is reading.
Imbecility of will, as though annihilated.
Insensibility, accompanied by complete apoplectic respiration.
Unconscious, eyes glassy, half closed ; face pale ; deep coma.
Stupid indifference.
Drunkenness, with stupor ; as if from smoke in brain ; eyes burning, hot and dry.
Sopor : painless, complains of nothing, wants nothing ; with delirium ; depression of lower jaw ; dilated pupils ; general symptoms of paralysis of brain.
Profound coma ; cannot be aroused from stupor ; pupils greatly contracted or widely dilated ; face puffed, with dark red or cherry brown appearance ; stertorous breathing ; pulse full and labored or slow and feeble.
Talkative ; glistening eyes and mental activity ; inclines to gayety.
Thinks he is not in his own house ; imagines himself living in a locality three hours distant from his house ; detains all passers-by and wishes to take them into his house ; will brook no opposition, meets force with force, face
flushed ; stupor, forgetfulness, he does not at once recognize friends ; anxiety ; wildness ; inclination to sleep without being able to do so ; constipation with meteoric distension of abdomen ; urine retained, a paretic condition apparently preventing
evacuation ; while smoking forgets to draw ; lively and cheerful, yet very drowsy.
Said many disconnected things and pointed to masked people who seemed to approach him.
Sees frightful ghosts ; easily frightened.
She appears to see most frightful animals and other objects.
Vivid imagination, exaltation of mind.
Imagines parts of body very large.
Thinks she is not at home.
Delirious talking, eyes wide open, face red, puffed up.
Delirium : muttering ; violent, with red face, glistening eyes and great physical activity.
Constant delirium day and night ; declares he is not alone in bed ; when spoken to answers intelligently, but at once becomes delirious again ; frenzy ; desires to escape ; says a regiment of horsemen are upon his bed and that
he fears to be trodden upon ; when told that horses are very careful, answered that he feared he would be crushed by the wagons that followed them. θ After pneumonia.
Mania a potu : with dulness of senses, at intervals sopor, with snoring ; in old, emaciated persons ; sees animals coming towards him ; people want to hurt him, execute him ; creeping under covers or jumping out of bed ;
in "old sinners" whose long lives of excess have thoroughly destroyed their constitutions ; in those who have had the disease repeatedly, it taking but a small quantity of liquor to throw them again into delirium ; face wears a constant expression of fright and
terror ; preceded by epileptiform fits ; imagine they see frightful objects and are in great fear ; believe themselves to be murderers or criminals to be executed ; want to run away ; staring look ; twitching of muscles of face and mouth ; lockjaw ;
tremor.
Fantastical insanity with frightful visions ; talks in a confused manner ; commits indecent actions ; cheerfulness and feeling of great strength ; contempt of death ; riotous hilarity with buffoonery and subsequent angry savageness or tearful
sorrow ; instability and imbecility of will ; indifference to joy and suffering ; complete dementia, does not recognize his own relatives ; excessive debility, stupor, frequent sweats and eruptions on skin ; diminished secretion of urine. θ Mental
derangement.
After practising masturbation for many years fell into a state of despair respecting his health, this degenerated into complete idiocy.
Nervous and irritable ; tendency to start.
Ailments from excessive joy, fright, anger or shame.
After fright, fear of the fright still remaining.
Anxiety ; apprehension ; fear of impending death.
Started at least noise ; a fly upon any part of body was a burden to him.
After a fright with fear, convulsions, or a hot head, with twitching about mouth.
Grief over insults is followed by convulsions.
Mendacity. [Obs. "Opium eaters are chronic liars."]
Screaming before or during spasm.
Dislikes to talk during sweat.

Sensorium

Great sensibility to sound, light and faintest odors.
Apoplexy : vertigo, congestion to head, with great roaring in ears ; eyes open, pupils dilated ; face red, muscles twitching ; sinking of jaw ; tongue drawn to one side ; speech impeded ; inability to swallow ; slow,
irregular, stertorous breathing ; limbs cold, paralyzed ; drowsiness ; in persons addicted to spirituous liquors or oppressed by care or grief ; convulsive motions of extremities or tetanic stiffness of whole body ; hot sweat on head ; after consciousness is
restored cannot retain what he reads and forgets connection of consecutive thoughts ; paralysis of right side.
Coma : incomplete insensibility ; will be aroused for a moment when addressed in a loud tone of voice and then relapse into stupor ; extremities and face bluish or livid ; loud, stertorous inspirations ; coldness of skin ; uremic.
Sunstroke ; unconsciousness ; deep coma ; eyes glassy and half closed.
After sleeping in sun during afternoon could not be awakened following morning ; she slept quietly and normally, pulse regular, skin cool. θ Sunstroke.
Passive cerebral congestion, with somnolence after meals in patients predisposed to apoplexy.
Fainting turns with vertigo whenever he attempts to rise from bed, with sudden return of animation on lying down.
Vertigo : with anxiety and delirium ; when rising ; after typhus ; from injuries to head ; as after intoxication ; with darkness before eyes ; with dulness of head and stupefaction ; sympathetic, accompanying diseases
of precordial organs, suppressed hemorrhoids, menstruation, heart affections, etc. ; after fright ; with sensation as if he were flying or hovering in air.
Sensation in head like that following sleep after excessive debauch.
Great heaviness of head, making thought and writing difficult.
Dull, stupid, as if drunk.
Congestion of blood to head, with pulsations in it.

Inner head

Headache : pressing pain in temples ; vertigo, red face, sleepiness ; < on closing eyes ; congestive, nervous, abdominal.
Throbbing of arteries ; rush of blood to head.
Cerebro-spinal meningitis : stupor ; spasms ; drawing body backward and rolling from side to side ; deep, slow, stertorous breathing ; very quick or very slow pulse ; after violent emotions, fear, grief, fright, which acted like a blow, stunning whole
nervous system.
Meningitis, particularly if caused by insulation or when child has slept near hot stove.
Traumatic encephalitis.
Hydrocephalus acutus : early and late stages ; heavy and stupid sleep, with red face ; stupid even after waking ; extremely acute hearing ; child seems to be afraid of something and starts as if frightened ; constipation, stools resemble small, black
balls ; chronic.

Outer head

Head hot and covered with hot or cold sweat. θ Apoplexy.
Occiput feels heavy as lead, head falling back constantly. θ Apoplexy. θ Cerebro-spinal
meningitis.

Sight and eyes

Obscuration of sight ; amblyopia.
Scintillations before eyes.
The pupils are dilated and insensible to light, contracted or sluggish.
Sensation as if eyes were too large for orbits.
Eyes : glassy, protruded, immovable ; staring look ; half open, balls turned upward ; red, half closed, burning hot and dry ; red, glistening and prominent.
Sensation of sand or dust in eye, with burning.
Swelling of lower lids ; lids hang down as if paralyzed.
Total paralysis of accommodation, with impaired sensibility of right retina, and partial paralysis of accommodation of left eye ; supposed to be due to use of cosmetic which probably contained carbonate of lead ; almost constantly frontal headache, vertigo with darting pains
from occiput to forehead, distressing feeling of emptiness in stomach, especially in morning, bowels constipated, and a sensation of pain and constriction as of a band encircling her chest in line of pleura.
Embolism of central artery of retina ; arteries blood-less, veins engorged and stagnant, and hemorrhagic spots on disk ; after a severe attack of neuralgia ; face very red and drawn to right side, tongue protruded to right side, speech imperfect, nearly voiceless, except
with effort ; pain in back ; all pains on right side.

Hearing and ears

Acuteness of hearing ; clocks striking and cocks crowing at a great distance keep her awake.
Buzzing, humming and violent roaring in ears.
Congestion to ears ; hematorrhœa.

Smell and nose

Loss of smell.
Stitches in right nostril on taking a long inspiration.
Stoppage of nose ; dry coryza.

Upper face

Face : flushed ; red, bloated, swollen ; livid ; pale, earthy, eyes weak, full of water ; pale, clay-colored, sunken countenance and eyes, with red spots on cheeks ; bluish (purple), swollen ; of sucklings three or four
weeks old, like that of an old man ; affrighted, mania a potu ; debauched, distorted.
Trembling, twitching and spasmodic motions of facial muscles.
Muscles of face relaxed, lower lip hangs down ; veins distended.
Cold sweat on forehead.

Lower face

Corners of mouth twitch ; distortion of mouth.
Lips livid ; foam at mouth.
Lower lip and jaw hang down.
Lockjaw.

Taste, speech, tongue

Taste : lost ; bitter ; sour ; disagreeable, sweet (lead colic).
Paralysis of tongue and difficult articulation.
Unable to talk with mouth open ; answered in a stammering manner with interrupted articulation.
Tongue : quivering ; coated dirty yellow, or white ; unctuous ; purple black.

Inner mouth

Dryness of mouth, thirst and want of appetite.
Saliva lessened or ptyalism ; spitting of blood.
Ulcers in mouth and on tongue.

Palate and throat

Dryness of throat.
Inability to swallow ; daily attacks of distension and strangulation.
Dysphagia becoming true aphagia, a from paralysis of muscles.

Appetite, thirst. desires, aversions

Appetite ravenous or lost.
Disgust at food, or food is desired, but no sooner is first morsel swallowed than it is followed by oppression.
Violent thirst or absence of thirst.
Desire for spirituous liquors ; costive.
Longing for beer or brandy.

Eating and drinking

Aggravation from brandy or wine.

Hiccough, belching, nausea and vomiting

Hiccough ; sour eructations.
Nausea and inclination to vomit when moving and after eating.
Retching which has come on in consequence of a moral emotion, as loathing.
Unsuccessful vomiturition in drunkards.
Vomit : green, bloody or bitter ; putrid ; stercoraceous ; intussusception, with violent colic and convulsions ; first of food then of fecal-smelling substance (hiccough), great thirst, cold limbs, distorted face (ileus, incarcerated hernia) ; of enormous
masses of mucus intermixed with large bubbles of air, occasionally greenish, accompanied by great nausea, pressure in stomach, constipation, etc.

Scrobiculum and stomach

Painful swelling in precordia.
Violent cutting in epigastric and umbilical region.
Constrictive pain in stomach.
Heaviness and pressure in stomach.
Fulness and oppression in stomach, with shortness and difficulty of breathing.
Digestion slow, disturbed, weakened, with sensation of fulness, heaviness, pressure, constriction and pain in stomach and præcordium ; inactivity of digestive organs ; atonic dyspepsia of drunkards ; subacute gastritis.

Hypochondria

Swelling of spleen.

Abdomen and loins

Rumbling in abdomen ; griping, grumbling.
Abdomen tense, distended, tympanitic, hard, swollen, sensitive to touch.
Pressive pain in abdomen, as if intestines would be cut to pieces.
Tension in hypogastric region, which is extremely painful to touch.
Pressure and heaviness as from a stone or weight in abdomen, in umbilical region.
Accumulation of gas in stomach and intestines, causing painful swelling ; > for a time by motion ; if gas passes off it is immediately renewed.
Anxious sensation in epigastrium ; colic, with great pressure downward upon rectum and bladder, without any discharge of gas, feces or urine.
Colic : transient, very violent ; griping, with constipation (in sucklings) ; cutting ; flatulent ; as if intestines were cut to pieces ; from lead poisoning.
Intestinal spasms ; child cried day and night and could not be pacified ; after each attack pale and collapsed ; thirsty, vomits after drinking ; stools hard, lumpy, colorless, or thin, yellowish or greenish ; passed much
urine ; great fearfulness, especially at night ; eyes wide open ; he crouched up and perspired ; whenever he cried scrotum and penis wrinkled up, testicles were drawn up within abdominal ring, and penis completely disappeared.
Squeezing pains as if something were forced through a narrow space ; shooting pains into testes and bladder ; restless, anxious, changing position ; face hot ; pulse slow. θ Nephralgia.
Severe vomiting, with pains in stomach and obstinate constipation ; great confusion of head ; tongue coated ; metallic taste in mouth ; intolerable pains in abdomen, as if stabbed with a knife ; umbilicus spasmodically retracted ; pulse tense, hard,
slow ; skin dry. θ Colic.
Very severe twitching-tearing or lightning-like pains shooting in all directions through abdomen, even extending down to testicles and at times involving bladder ; pains do not remain long in one place, but constantly change locality, and are not < from external pressure ;
no indications of inflammation ; stool and urine normal ; pulse normal. θ Colic.
Flatus accumulates in upper part of bowels, causing distension of abdomen, especially in umbilical region, with antiperistaltic motion, belching and vomiting.
Constant severe constricting pain in abdomen, day and night, compelling him to bend double ; constipation ; loss of appetite ; great lassitude ; lower limbs heavy as lead. θ Lead
colic.
Delirium, with severe convulsions ; complains of no pain ; skin very hot ; pulse 120 ; pupils greatly dilated, sensitive to light ; at night complains of sudden loss of vision ; later, pain and sensation of lameness, in lower limbs, with constriction in
abdomen. θ Lead colic.
Colic in a printer from handling type ; pain so severe as to compel him to lie on floor and make a great outcry ; constipation.
Painter's colic.
Crampy intestinal motions ; rolling up as of a hard body in right hypochondrium. θ Ileus.
Strangulation of bowels ; violent colicky pains and fecal vomiting.
Digestive organs inactive ; peristaltic motion reversed or paralyzed ; bowels seem closed.
Paralysis of intestines from lead poisoning.
Laxness of abdominal organs.
Incarcerated umbilical and inguinal hernia ; fecal vomit.

Stools and rectum

Stool : involuntary, especially after fright ; pasty ; fluid, frothy, with burning in anus and tenesmus ; excessively offensive ; watery ; black, fetid ; unsatisfactory, hard ; hard, preceded by griping ; hard,
dark-brown or grey ; hard and crumbly ; hard, round, black balls ; in small hard knots, accompanied by bearing-down pains, or with sensation as if rectum were closed ; hard, dry, in black balls, like sheep dung ; in large masses ; hard, alternated with liquid,
frothy stools ; come down and recede ; retained spasmodically.
Diarrhœa : occasioned suddenly by fear, a cold, or other slight causes ; after sudden joy ; persistent, in those treated with large doses of the drug ; last stage of infantile, with characteristic stools and convulsions ; during
typhoid.
Dysentery : patient drowsy and stupid ; urine scanty and retained ; no appetite ; rapid emaciation ; strong resemblance to second stage of typhus.
Cholera infantum : with stupor, snoring and convulsions ; contracted pupils ; tonic spasms ; face pale or red ; fatally advancing stupor ; pupils react very sluggishly or not at all ; disease seems to begin by involving
brain, as yet there is neither vomiting nor diarrhœa, child appears as if drugged ; lack of vitality ; well-selected remedy refuses to act ; patient either sluggish or drowsy.
Cholera Asiatica : from emotional causes, fright at seizure or death of relatives ; after failure of Verat. or Arsen. ; when too large doses of Camphor have been given, and there is great congestion to head and threatened apoplexy ;
typhoid symptoms ; asphyctic stage ; icy coldness and blueness of surface ; pulseless ; no reaction ; disturbances in circulation and respiration in consequence of violent and sudden implication of solar plexus, with cyanosis and threatened suffocation.
Constipation : from fright or fear ; nervous and irritable, passes nothing but hard, black balls from bowels ; from arrested secretions ; from ileus or paresis from intestines ; almost unconquerable ; for weeks with loss of appetite ; not more than one
motion a week ; from inactivity of intestines ; the most active purgatives have lost their power ; decreased peristaltic motion ; paralysis of intestines in consequence of a protracted attack of diarrhœa in subjects leading a sedentary life and also in robust, healthy
men ; associated with incarcerated hernia ; want of sensibility, hardly any inconvenience is felt from accumulation of feces ; of corpulent, goodhumored women and children ; from spasmodic retention in small intestines, with feeling of pressing asunder ; from lead
poisoning ; after abuse of cathartics ; bowels impacted with feces ; resulting from pressure upon rectum in consequence of a gravid uterus or abdominal tumors ; of nursing infants, aged persons, and those of a torpid or plethoric habit ; absence of expulsive
efforts ; accompanied by hysterical symptoms ; at one time, after stool had remained absent eleven weeks, fecal vomiting occurred.
Before stool : no desire, or with desire to go to stool there is a sensation as if anus were closed.
Proctitis during course of peritonitis (metritis) ; anus greatly retracted.
Sensation of occlusion of anus ; constriction, anus spasmodically closed during colic, with obstinate constipation ; very difficult emission of flatus.

Urinary organs

Diabetes mellitus ; dulness, sadness, weak memory ; after mental shocks or injuries ; renal colic ; pressing squeezing pains as though something had to force its way through a narrow
space ; shooting pains from different places into bladder and testicles ; vomiting of slime and bile ; obstinate constipation ; dysuria ; greatest anxiety and restlessness ; constantly changing position ; face hot ; pulse slow.
Hematorrhœa.
Urine retained : from fright ; from contraction of sphincter or paralysis of fundus of bladder ; bladder full ; post-partum ; nursing children after passion of nurse ; in fever or acute illness ; chiefly caused by blunting of lining of membrane of neck
of bladder so that fulness is not recognized by patient.
Urine : suppressed ; passes with difficulty, as from atony ; seldom and scanty, dark brown, brickdust sediment ; red and cloudy ; lemon colored, with much sediment ; bloody.
Frequent interruption of stream of urine, which commences to flow after waiting a long time, on account of a cramp in sphincter vesicæ.
Cutting in urethra.
Strangury and retention of urine from excessive use of tobacco.
Involuntary urination.
Nocturnal enuresis ; urinates very often.

Male sexual organs

Excitement of sexual organs with violent erections ; impotence.
Voluptuous fancies, with erections during sleep and impotence after waking ; nightly emissions with amorous dreams.
Emissions without erections, followed by debility and great relaxation of parts.
Spasmodic stricture after drinking poorly-fermented liquor ; also in drunkards.
Painful sensation in testicles.
Inflammation and sloughing of scrotum following attacks of malarious fever.

Female sexual organs

Great excitement of sexual organs, with sexual dreams and orgasm.
Perfect loss of sexual desire from lack of nutrition.
Softness of uterus, with fetid discharge. θ After metritis.
Prolapsus uteri from fright.
Severe labor-like pains in uterus, with desire to go to stool.
Menses : irregular, profuse, violent colic forcing her to bend over ; urging to stool ; suppressed by fright.
Amenorrhœa from fright ; irresistible drowsiness ; eclampsia.
Menorrhagia, or metrorrhagia ; great sleepiness, yet she cannot sleep ; sheets so hot that she has to change to a cooler place every little while ; constipation.
Menses suppressed by great fright ; violent epileptiform convulsions followed by very profuse menses.
Prolapsus of vagina with strangulation ; very sleepy ; lies in a soporous condition.
Leucorrhœa : fetid.

Pregnancy. parturition. lactation

During pregnancy : insomnia ; retention of stool ; continued hiccough ; frequent nausea and vomiting after eating.
Violent or painful movements of fetus.
Abortion threatening after great fright, especially if in latter part of pregnancy.
Labor pains : spasmodic, extremely painful, but ineffectual ; great pain in small of back ; false or suppressed ; from fear or fright ; twitching and jerking of muscles ; sopor, red face, injected eyes, retention of stool and urine.
Puerperal convulsions, after cathartics, not ceasing after child was born ; pulse 120 ; pallor ; sunken eyes ; pupils much dilated ; muttering ; borborygmus ; coma ; spasm ; throws arms and legs about ;
stretching arms and legs at right angles with body ; trembling ; pulse working rapidly ; eyes turned inward and upward ; head bent back over to left ; left hand and foot turned to left side ; tongue quivering, coated dirty yellow, unctuous ; the spasm would
scarcely relax, when it would run into another, more than thirty having occurred, finally stopping very suddenly for ten minutes.
Puerperal convulsions ; spasms commenced with rigidity of muscles and distortion of features, drawing mouth down and to one side ; head turned far back and to right side ; then there was jactitation of limbs and body, with lividity of face and frothing at
mouth ; this condition would subside and be followed by stertorous breathing ; tongue much swollen and bloody.
During and after labor, spasm, with loss of consciousness and drowsiness, open mouth ; coma between paroxysms.
Puerperal fever, especially when caused by fright ; overexcitement of all the senses ; every distant sound annoys her ; very fetid discharge from uterus ; case approaches a condition of stupor.
Extremely severe after-pains, particularly in very sensitive women.
After parturition, retention of urine.
Suppression of lochia from fright, with sopor.
Newborn children, pale, breathless, cord pulsates ; after Acon., if pulse remains imperceptible, face purple.
Suckling of a few weeks, had not grown, but was like an old man ; limbs lax, skin wrinkled ; bones of skull had lapped over during birth, the parietals over each other and over the occiput.

Voice and larynx. trachea and bronchia

Aphonia, occasioned by fright.
Hoarseness, dry mouth and throat, white tongue.
Feeble voice, it requires a strong effort to speak loud.
Laryngismus stridulus.
Tickling in larynx, with violent, dry, racking cough ; dryness and cough > by drinking water.

Respiration

Breathing : frequent, involuntary, deep ; laborious and drawn at long intervals ; short inspiration, long, slow expiration, epigastrium drawn in ; fine rales, constant cough, sopor, face bluish ; great anguish and dread of
suffocation ; looks as if dying ; slightly > from cold air and bending forward ; < from smoking or wine ; difficult, intermittent, as from paralysis of lungs ; difficult, oppressed, especially at night ; loud, difficult, rattling ; long and
sighing ; snoring ; deep, stertorous ; puffing ; snoring, with wide open mouth ; irregular ; moaning, slow ; four respirations to the minute.
Asphyxia neonatorum ; pale and breathless ; cord still pulsates.
Nightly asthma, with whizzing and rattling during expiration, which is long and attended with retraction of epigastric region ; inhalation short without noise.
Attacks of difficult breathing, with noisy, stertorous respiration ; on taking an inspiration respiration would appear to be suspended and child would struggle to get its breath. θ Asthma
Millari.
Asthmatic form of hay fever ; paroxysms of suffocation come on during sleep and are apt to be followed by violent fits of dry, racking cough > for a time by drinking water.
Loss of breath on going to sleep.
Suffocative attacks during sleep, like nightmare.
Tightness of breath and oppression, with great anguish, tightness and spasmodic constriction of chest.

Cough

Cough : spasmodic, dry, tickling, paroxysmal, < at night ; with gaping, drowsiness, yet cannot sleep ; with spasm of lungs and blue face ; when drinking ; with difficult sputa, followed by gaping ; suffocative, with
bluish-redness of face ; with profuse sweat ; severe, with difficult expectoration, followed by yawning ; < on swallowing (hæmoptysis).
Sputa frothy, containing blood and mucus.
Gaping after coughing.

Inner chest and lungs

Tension and constriction of chest.
Heat in chest.
Bronchitis after catching cold or getting wet, with high fever, dyspnœa, bloodstreaked expectoration and pressure on chest ; constant cough ; at night must sit up on account of shortness of breath and dread of suffocation.
At times feels as if he were not in his house, which he expresses by saying, "I wish I could be in the house with my family ;" although in a desperate condition he is not much alarmed and wants to sit up a great part of time, because bed feels too hot ; whole body,
except lower extremities, perspires profusely ; sweat is very hot ; perspiring parts covered by a heavy crop of sudamina ; gropes with his hands about bed as though hunting something ; whole left and considerable part of r. lung hepatized. θ Double
pneumonia.
Infantile pneumonia, where the pulmonary inflammation is disguised by symptoms of cerebral congestion and oppression ; cyanotic color of upper part of body, with slow, stertorous breathing ; pneumonia senilis et potatorum, with similar
symptoms ; difficult intermitting breathing, as from paralysis of lungs.
Suppuration of lungs occurring in those greatly addicted to use of intoxicating liquors ; breathing labored, with rattling and snoring ; cough very difficult and attended with smothering spells ; face becomes blue during cough.
Congestion of blood to chest, or pulmonary spasms, with deep, stertorous, rattling breathing.
Hæmoptysis : absence of all pain ; blood thick, frothy, mixed with mucus ; great oppression ; burning about heart, tremor, feeble voice ; anxious sleep, with starts ; legs cold, chest hot ; especially for drunkards.

Heart, pulse and circulation

Burning about heart.
Pulsating arteries and swollen veins on neck.
Beat of heart could not be felt.
Palpitation of heart after alarming events, fright, grief, sorrow, etc.
Pain in cardiac region, with great anxiety, violent beating of heart, trembling, difficult respiration, sleeplessness at night, delirium ; great excitement of mind, with constant talking and motion of head and hands, rest of body lying in an elevated position ; talks of
impending death, cries, bids all farewell, then lies quiet as if communing with herself ; face expresses great fear, will not answer, or answers irrelevantly ; hands at one time icy-cold and covered with cold sweat, at another dry and hot ; pulse small, thready, quick,
irregular, at one time strong, at another weak, intermittent ; grasps cardiac region with hands and presses them hard against left side of chest ; frequent deep respirations, during which she presses chest forward and arches back, as if endeavoring to remove some obstruction in
chest accompanied by a peculiar motion of head and mouth and gasping for air ; notices most trifling actions of those about her ; gives answers to conversation carried on in low tones in adjoining room ; at times breaks into a monotonous song ; on recovering consciousness
complained of great palpitation ; urine hot, dark, scanty ; constipation. θ Heart disease.
Pulse : varies ; full and slow, with snoring ; quick, hard, with anxious breathing ; irregular and unequal ; imperceptible ; face purple in cyanosis neonatorum.

Neck and back

Pulsating arteries and swollen veins on neck.
Drawing lacerating in back.
Back bent backward spasmodically, curved like an arch, violent trembling motion.
Myelitis.

Upper limbs

Twitching and spasmodic movement of arms and hands, as in drunkards.
Paralysis of arms.
Numbness and sensation of swelling in hands and forearms.
Trembling of hands.
Veins of hands distended.

Lower limbs

Twitching and spasmodic movements.
Weakness, numbness and paralysis of legs.
Feels as if her lower limbs were severed from her body and belonged to some one else.
Distressing spasmodic jerking in muscles of calves.
Heaviness, numbness and swelling of feet.
Shuffling and trembling gait. θ Myelitis acuta.

Limbs in general

Tremulous motion of all limbs.
Trembling of limbs after fright.
Spasmodic jerkings and numbness of limbs ; convulsive movements.
Coldness of extremities.
Chilblains on fingers and toes.

Rest. position. motion

Lying down : animation returned.
Lying in an elevated position : during heart disease.
Must lie on floor : colic.
Rising : from bed, vertigo.
Head falling back constantly : cerebro-spinal meningitis ; apoplexy.
Stretching arms : at right angles to body, during spasm.
Moving : inclination to vomit ; painful swelling of abdomen >.
Bending forward : > breathing.
Presses chest forward and arches back : heart disease.
Must sit up : from dread of suffocation.
Changing position : nephralgia.
Constant tossing and tumbling about : at night.

Nerves

Starts at least noise.
Buzzing through whole body.
Trembling of whole body ; caused by fright ; of left arm in paroxysms ; with external coldness, with jerking and twitching in limbs ; convulsions.
Twitching, trembling head, arms and hands ; now and then jerks of flexors ; body cold ; stupor ; motion of body and uncovering head relieves.
Involuntary contraction of muscles.
Convulsive movements of one or other arm to and fro.
Spasms : from emotion, fright, anger, etc. ; from approach of strangers (children) ; from crying ; throws limbs or stretches arms at right angles to body, or, tetanic rigidity, opisthotonos, with rolling laterally ; spasm
begins with loud screams, then foam at mouth, trembling of limbs, suffocation ; eyes half open and upturned, pupils large and insensible to light ; after attack, deep sleep, face remains deep red and hot ; stupor between spasms ; on entering fit, loud screams, as from
fright ; from nursing soon after sudden fright of mother ; with sudden loud cries.
Suddenly seized with an epileptic fit without any appreciable cause, six weeks later second fit, third came four weeks after second, and then they followed every three weeks ; after attack soporous sleep, lasting from twenty-four to thirty
hours ; face dark red during sleep ; after sleep pain in front of head ; constipation.
Fits only after going to sleep ; would not sleep ten minutes during day or night before she would, with a sudden spring, become violently convulsed ; foaming at mouth and bleeding from her bitten tongue ; face puffed, almost purple ; eyes dull and turned upward ;
lids half closed ; head hot ; severe opisthotonos ; convulsions last ten to thirty minutes, sinks into a deep, heavy sleep, with loud snoring and rattling in chest ; in half an hour, sometimes not five minutes, suddenly goes into another convulsion, thus she passes entire
night ; wakes in morning lame and tired, but wholly unconscious of not having had a quiet nights sleep ; during day listless and drowsy ; itching of skin without eruption ; indifferent to what transpires ; prefers to be left alone ; constipation. θ Epilepsy.
Every evening about 11 o'clock, after having slept fifteen minutes, begins to toss head from side to side, raises head, flexes it upon chest and finally tosses it back quickly upon pillow ; after having repeated this for third time stretches out and clenches right hand, thumb,
however, not being drawn in, and gives herself several forcible blows upon chest ; thereafter violent stretching, followed by twitching, until cessation of attack. θ Epilepsy.
Emotional chorea.
Faints every fifteen minutes ; eyes shut ; head hangs ; unconscious ; jerks ; sighing ; < on rising.
Muscular exhaustion ; great depression of nervous centres, with stupor and coma.
Want of susceptibility to drugs ; want of vital reaction.
Shock from injury, severe cases ; rapid breathing, every breath being a loud moan ; livid or pale face ; livid lips ; great distress, oppression and anguish ; cool, clammy skin ; throat emits sound of letter "k" in
respiration ; eyes fixed unequally ; unconsciousness.
Numbness and insensibility.
Paralysis, insensibility after apoplexy ; in drunkards or old people ; stool and urine retained.
Painlessness with all ailments ; complains of nothing and asks for nothing.

Sleep

Drowsiness : with headache ; amounting almost to sopor.
Stupid, comatose sleep, with rattling, snoring breathing ; slumber with half open eyes, contracted or sluggish pupils, carphologia and touching surrounding objects.
Drowsiness or sopor ; red face ; stertorous breathing ; hot sweat.
Very restless at night, constant tossing and tumbling.
Sleepy, but cannot sleep ; excessive wakefulness.
Sleeplessness, full of unwelcome fancies and imaginations that were entirely distinct from surrounding objects, as in delirium.
Sleeplessness, with acuteness of hearing ; clocks striking and cocks crowing at a distance keep her awake.
Coma vigil, with frightlful visions, before midnight.
During sleep : picking of bedclothes ; sobbing ; groaning ; voluptuous dreams.

Time

Morning : distressing feeling of emptiness in stomach < ; hot, profuse sweat.
At 11 A. M. : shaking chill.
Day : listless and drowsy.
Night : great fearfulness ; sudden loss of vision ; breathing difficult and oppressed ; cough < ; must sit up from dread of suffocation ; sleeplessness ; convulsions ; chill.
Before midnight : coma vigil with frightful visions.
Remission during day and evening ; aggravation night and morning.

Temperature and weather

Uncovering head relieves.
Cold air : labored breathing >.
Drinking water : dryness and cough >.
Getting wet : bronchitis.
Bed feels so hot she can hardly lie on it ; > from cold ; < from heat.
Very susceptible to cold air.
Reappearance and aggravation from becoming heated.

Fever

Coldness : of body, especially of extremities ; and rigidity.
Stiff and cold ; chill and diminished heat, stupor ; weak, scarcely perceptible pulse.
Chill : latter part of night, with thirst, pains in limbs, hot head, stupor ; afterwards heat with sleep, headache, pale face, bilious vomit ; then sweat mostly on legs, with burning hot feeling.
Flushed face, cold legs, sleepy, but cannot sleep.
Heat : of head, with profuse sweat ; in chest and other parts of trunk ; with burning of cheeks ; in face, with perspiration in large drops ; with soporous, snoring sleep, and open mouth ; twitches through limbs and perspiration on hot body ; body
burning even when bathed in sweat ; limbs twitch ; wants to uncover.
Bed feels so hot she cannot lie on it ; moves often in search of a cool place.
Sweat : cold, on forehead or over whole body ; over whole body, which is burning hot ; sleep and snoring ; hot, profuse morning sweat, wants to be uncovered ; on upper part of body ; lower part hot and dry.
Acute fevers characterized by a sopor bordering upon stupor, and by absence of any complaint, snoring with mouth open, half jerking of limbs and burning heat of perspiring body.
After catching severe cold ; febrile symptoms, sore throat, throbbing headache, delirious, troubled sleep ; hot surface, with chill creeping over body, especially from hips to below knees ; lameness of eyeballs ; uncontrollable
desire to weep.
Shaking chill at 11 A. M. ; body cold, or coldness only of limbs, abdomen, back, hands and feet.
Sleep during chill, heat and sweat ; during sweat still feels burning hot ; children and old people. θ Ague.
Congestive chill paroxysms regular in time, irregular in stages.
Intermittents of old people and children.
Somnolency attended with slight delirium ; lies quietly with a pleased expression of countenance ; replies correctly when aroused ; makes no complaint, on contrary is often satisfied with his condition because his dreams are agreeable ; continues awake but a short
time, then falls into somnolent state again. θ Typhoid.
Typhoid type of fever, stupor, can scarcely be arounsed ; speechless ; eyes half open ; mild delirium or loud talking, fury, singing, desire to escape.
Typhoid fever : with profound cerebral congestion resulting in paralysis of brain ; dark or brownish-red hue of face ; dropping of lower jaw and stertorous breathing ; body bathed in hot sweat, sweat not critical ; feels as if her lower limbs were severed from
her body and belonged to some one else ; during lucid intervals complains that bed is to hot.

Attacks, periodicity

Paroxysms : chill, regular.
Alternate : hard and liquid stools.
Every fifteen minutes : faints.
Ten to thirty minutes : convulsions last.
Daily : attacks of distension and strangulation.
Every evening about 11 o'clock : fits commence.
Nightly : emissions ; asthma.
During week : one motion of bowels.
Every three weeks : epileptic fits, sleep lasting twentyfour to thirty hours.

Locality and direction

Right : paralysis of side ; angle of mouth higher than left ; pulse full at radial ; eye turned upward ; impaired sensibility of retina ; face drawn to side ; tongue protruded to side ; pains on side ; stitches in nostril ; as
of a hard body in hypochondrium ; head turned to side ; clenches hand, thumb not drawn in.
Left : eye turned to ear ; partial paralysis of accommodation of eye ; head bent back over to side ; hand and foot turned to side ; presses hands against side of chest ; trembling of arm.

Sensations

As if from smoke in brain ; as if he were flying or hovering in air ; as if drunk ; as if eyes were too large for orbits ; as of sand or dust in eyes ; lids as if paralyzed ; as of a band encircling chest in line of pleura ; as if intestines
would be cut to pieces ; as of a stone or weight in abdomen ; as if something was forced through a narrow space in abdomen ; abdomen as if stabbed with a knife ; rolling as of a hard body in right hypochondrium ; as if rectum were closed ; child as if
drugged ; as though anus were closed ; looks as if dying ; as if her lower limbs were severed from body.
Pain : in chest ; in back ; in lower limbs ; in testicles ; in cardiac region ; in limbs.
Intolerable pain : in stomach.
Extremely severe after-pains.
Violent colicky pains : in abdomen.
Great pain : in small of back.
Shooting pain : in testes and bladder.
Darting pains : from occiput to forehead.
Lightning-like pain : in all directions in abdomen.
Spasmodic pains : in uterus.
Stitches : in right nostril.
Twitching-tearing pains : in all directions through abdomen.
Cutting : in abdomen ; in urethra.
Drawing lacerating : in back.
Griping : in abdomen.
Squeezing pain : in abdomen.
Constrictive pain : in stomach ; in abdomen.
Pressive pain : in abdomen.
Pressing pain : in temples.
Severe labor-like pains : in uterus.
Bearing-down pains : in abdomen.
Burning : in eyes ; in anus ; about heart ; of cheeks ; of body ; in veins.
Heat : of face ; in chest ; of hands.
Throbbing : of arteries.
Constriction : of anus ; of chest.
Pressure : in stomach ; upon rectum and bladder ; on chest.
Tension : in hypogastric region ; of chest.
Fulness : in stomach.
Oppression : in stomach.
Anxious sensation : in epigastrium.
Heaviness : of head ; of occiput ; of stomach ; of limbs ; of feet.
Sensation of swelling : in hands and forearms.
Emptiness : of stomach.
Tickling : in larynx.
Dryness : of eyes ; of mouth ; of throat ; of skin ; of hands.
Lameness : of lower limbs ; of eyeballs.
Numbness : of arms ; of legs ; of feet.
Buzzing : through whole body.
Trembling : of whole body.
Coldness : of extremities ; of body ; abdomen, back, hands and feet ; in veins.
Itching : of skin.

Tissues

Increased excitability and action in voluntary muscles, with diminution of it in involuntary muscles.
Jerks ; only the flexors active.
Emaciation and debility.
Marasmus ; child wrinkled and looks like a little driedup old man ; stupor.
Suspension of secretion from mucous surface of digestive canal.
Plethora.
Venous congestion, with dark red surface.
Burning or sensation of coldness in veins.
Morbus coeruleus.
Suppurations and ulcers painless.
Lead poisoning.
Dropsical swelling of whole body.

Touch. passive motion. injuries

Bed feels so hard she cannot lie upon it.
Touch : abdomen sensitive ; hypogastric region painful.
Scratching : red blotches after itching.
From injury : to head, vertigo ; shocks.
Burns ; especially in children with disposition to convulsions and other spasmodic affections the result of fright from accident.

Skin

Skin hot and damp, or sweating even in morning, and a desire to uncover.
Dryness of skin, without fever.
Very troublesome itching all over, fine pricking, rarely sensitive to touch.
Smarting-itching after sweating.
Whole body looks red.
Redness and itching of skin, red blotches after scratching.
Paleness of skin.
Skin of a pale blue, especially on genitals.
Blue spots on skin.
Scarlatina : burning heat, soporous stupor, agonized tossing about, vomiting, diarrhœa, convulsions, constipation.
Sudden retrocession of acute eruptions ; paralysis of brain sets in, or convulsions.

Stage of life, constitution

Light hair, lax muscles and want of bodily irritability ; the well-chosen remedy makes no impression.
Especially suitable for children and old persons ; diseases of first and second childhood.
Frequently suited to persons addicted to spirituous drinks.
Girl, few days after birth ; affection of heart.
Nursing child ; colic.
Baby, æt. 18 months, suffering since five months old ; spasms.
Girl, æt. 3, short, stout, dark hair and eyes ; stupor.
Girl, æt. 3, after sleeping in sun during afternoon ; sunstroke.
Boy, æt. 4, suffering twelve months ; asthma.
Boy, æt. 5, healthy ; ague.
Boy, æt. 6, suffering six weeks ; ague.
Girl, æt. 6 1/2, formerly suffering from urticaria, which was aggravated whenever she ate a strawberry ; constipation.
Girl, æt. 7, had mesenteric disease in infancy and convulsions subsequently ; dyspnœa.
Boy, æt. 9, suffering 6 weeks ; ague.
Girl, æt. 12, suffering several years ; constipation.
Boy, æt. 12, but one chill this year, although subject to frequent attacks last season, always suppressed with quinine ; ague.
Girl, æt. 14, menses suppressed by fright, had convulsions ; menorrhagia.
Miss æt. 15, suffering three years ; epilepsy.
Girl, æt. 17, fragile and delicate, first menstruated when seventeen years old, and discharge suppressed after two days by fright ; epilepsy.
Man, æt. 18, after having nearly recovered from pneumonia ; delirium.
Woman, æt. 18, very stout, primipara, after cathartics ; puerperal convulsions.
Girl, æt. 19, formerly suffering with pain in chest and feet ; epilepsy.
Man, æt. 21, had an attack a year ago ; colic.
Girl, æt. 23, formerly robust, but for last three years constantly complaining ; constipation.
Girl, æt. 23 ; epilepsy.
Two men, æt. 20 to 25 ; delirium tremens.
Man, æt. 27, suffering three days ; colic.
Man, æt. 27, single, robust, one month ago similarly affected ; lead colic.
Woman, æt. 27, single, gentle, quiet disposition, thin, slender brunette, suffers from epilepsy, particularly during menstrual period, mother phthisical, father dissolute ; disease of heart.
Woman, æt. 28, dark complexion, pregnant for third time, suffered in previous pregnancies with vomiting for about four months ; disorders of pregnancy.
Woman, æt. 30, during epidemic of influenza ; cough.
Mrs. M., æt. 32, Irish, cheerful, fresh-looking in health ; intestinal obstruction and fecal tumor.
Woman, æt. 35, after losing two children in quick succession ; cerebro-spinal meningitis.
Woman, æt. 36, has tumor on right side of chest, extending from axilla and enlarging breast ; affection of stomach.
Man, æt. 38, figure small, slight, practiced masturbation since twelve years old ; idiocy.
Man, æt. 40, short, fat, phlegmatic ; delirium tremens.
Man, æt. 40, drunkard ; delirium tremens.
Man, æt. 40, after feet had become very cold ; colic.
Man, æt. 40, gardener ; catarrh of chest.
Man, æt. 40, phlegmatic temperament, Bryon., Phosphor., etc., given without benefit, on eleventh day of disease ; Opium followed by sudden change and satisfactory recovery ; double pneumonia.
Woman, æt. 43, after having been beaten violently with fist about head, neck and shoulders ; spasms.
Dr. R. M., æt. 44, nervo-bilious, addicted to strong drink ; apoplexy.
Woman, æt. 48, well nourished, in good health ; intestinal obstruction.
Man, æt. 50, addicted to drink, oppressed by care and sorrow ; apoplexy.
Man, æt. 50, heavy drinker ; bronchitis and asthma.
Man, æt. 51, suffering ten years ; constipation.
Mrs., æt. 56, suffering twenty years ; constipation.
Woman, æt. 56 ; constipation.
Man, æt. 60 ; constipation.
Man, æt. 75, tendency to apoplexy, prodromes of which were several times dissipated by Bellad. ; apoplexy.
Man, æt. 84, suffering from hemorrhoids ; mental disturbance.
Miss C., rosy, buxom ; epilepsy.
Young woman, primipara, after a difficult labor, administration of ether and use of instruments having been necessary to accomplish delivery ; puerperal convulsions.
Young man, strong constitution, after violent fit of passion ; headache, fever, etc.
Lady, suffering several years ; headache.
Potter, has worked a long time at glazing ; colic.
Painter, well built, has had frequent attacks ; lead colic.
Man, drinker, after excessive drinking, to which he resorted in consequence of vexation and grief ; delirium tremens.
Woman, suffering many years ; headache.
Elderly woman, robust, with rosy cheeks ; vomiting.

Relations

Antidoted by : strong coffee, Bellad., Ipec., Nux vom., Vinum, Vanil. arom., Zincum .
It antidotes : charcoal vapor, Bellad., Digit., Laches., Mercur., Nux vom., Strychnia, Plumbum, Stramon., Tart. emet .
Compatible : Acon., Bellad., Bryon., Hyosc., Nux mosch., Nux vom., Tart. emet .
Compare : Apis (apoplexy, coma) ; Ipecac . and Moschus (spasm of lungs).

Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica

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

Generals

Among the striking features of Opium is a class of complaints marked by painlessness, inactivity, and torpor.

Many of the provers taking small doses had torpor, inability to realize or feel their surroundings, or to take in the nature of states and judge of things.

Deception in vision, taste, touch; deception of the state he exists in; in his own realization; a perversion of all the senses with much deception.

The general characteristic is painlessness, but now and then an alternate state is produced, in which a small dose of Opium will cause pain, sleeplessness, inquietude, nervous excitability; the very opposite state from that produced in the majority of cases.

The majority are constipated, but in some there is dysentery and tenesmus. The patient is sleepy, yet at times the drug is characterized by sleepless nights, anxiety, increased sensitiveness to noise, so that he says ho can almost hear the flies walking on the wall, and hears the clock striking in the distant steeple.

It is generally supposed that in these opposite conditions one is primary and the other is secondary. This is true, e. g., those exhibiting stupor and painlessness will go into a state of increased insensibility, inquietude, anxiety, and irritability, and also one who has a state of increased sensibility first will have a docile state following.

Head and mind

Some oversensitive provers will get a basilar headache in the first hour after taking a dose, so that they cannot raise the head from the pillow; they are paralyzed from it; the pain holds them down. This does not come on in most provers until the waning of a large dose. This has been debated over as the primary and secondary actions. What is the action in one is the reaction in another, but all are the effects of the drug, and all the actions that follow are the symptoms of the remedy.

The sluggishness and painlessness are most striking. The inaction is shown in the lack of reaction to the properly selected homeopathic remedy. It here competes with Sulphur. On studying the case you may find many Opium symptoms, and when given thus indicated, it rouses the system out of the state of sluggishness and causes reaction.

Ulcers which are perfectly painless, which do not granulate, and do not eat or spread, with numbness or lack of sensibility in the ulcer that ought to be sensitive; Opium will often heal insensibility in parts that are in a high grade of inflammation.

Paralytic conditions or paresis, partial paralysis; inactivity, sluggishness. Such a condition is found in the bowels so that they do not move, and rectum fills with round, hard, black balls, which can be dug out with the finger or spoon. There is no activity, no ability to strain at stool.

The bladder is in a similar state. There is no ability to use the abdominal muscles; he cannot strain to urinate retention of accelerator muscles are in a state of paresis.

When drinking the oesophagus seems to have no action and the fluid does not go down but passes out through the nose; a paresis fluids go down the wrong way or out through the nose.

Weakness of limbs and muscles; weakness and paralysis.

Often there is a state of peace. Wants to be let alone. She tells you she is not sick; and yet she has a temperature of 105-106°, is covered with a scorching hot sweat, has a rapid pulse; is delirious. You ask her how she is and she says she is perfectly well and happy; no pains or aches; wants nothing and has no symptoms. But the nurse tells you that the patient has passed no stool or urine.

Face

The face looks besotted, bloated, purple; the eyes are glassy and the pupils contracted. The brain is in a state of confusion, yet she can answer questions. Or the mental symptoms may be more marked and the physical condition less prominent; there is confusion of mind, delirium, loquacity, but this is rare, more commonly only talks when aroused; a condition of stupor in which the patient will say nothing and do nothing. Delirium with a happy turn of mind.

The stomach is in a state of undue warmth, sinking, all-gone, hungry, and this is not relieved by eating. He fills the stomach full and yet the faint feeling remains. The food sours in the stomach and is vomited. He can take no more food. He becomes covered with a cold sweat; great exhaustion; nausea, retching and the vomiting continues. This nausea is a troublesome symptom following the administration of Opium or Morphine. It is a prolonged vomiting and nausea. He can take nothing into the stomach and nothing will stop the vomiting for him.

The homoeopath knows the use of Chamomilla and one dose will give wonderful relief at once and stop the deathly sinking and nausea.

There is never any use for the crude Opium in the sick room. In surgery at times it is admitted that something seems necessary, and we will not quarrel with the surgeon. But in disease, in sick people, it is not necessary. It performs no use and in the end it is an injury; it prevents finding the homoeopathic remedy. It has masked the symptoms and spoiled the case, and you cannot do anything for days.

Opium has been much abused and much has been learned about it, but this abuse has not helped much in its proving, for the individualizing symptoms are not obtained. Big doses cause gross effects, and the symptoms thus obtained are sometimes useful, e. g., in cerebral apoplexy with stertorous breathing, jaw dropped, pupils dilated or contracted, generally the latter, face mottled, purple, or hot, hot sweat, one sided paralysis.

You would wonder on seeing such a case whether be had been paralyzed, had Opium, injured himself in a fall or bad been indulging in the bottle, and you would.. examine the case to distinguish. This is a mechanical trouble, there is pressure of blood on the brain. This alone may not kill but later on inflammatory action is set up around the clot.

Opium causes a flow of blood to the brain, and when given homeopathically it checks this, and in six hours he will become rational, his skin cool, face normal color, pulse normal. We thus see the usefulness of the crude effects of Opium in giving us a picture of apoplexy.

Nervous headaches beginning in the back of the head and spreading over the whole face; worse in the morning. He feels as if his head were held down to the pillow by the intense aching pain in the base of the brain and yet when he gets up he is unable to lie down again.

Women

This is common in women; a false plethora; excitable; going through pregnancy or menstruation; headache. The patient sits up and is unable to lie down. The pain begins in the morning and is so violent that the patient cannot move, cannot wink the eye, turn the head, cannot bear the least jar or the ticking of the clock; face is mottled, purple, blue; eyes injected. It is difficult to get symptoms from her. Opium will relieve at once.

But most of the complaints are painless.

It takes on the appearance of drinkers, besotted; fever with besotted countenance. Delirium tremens with awful anxiety, vomiting, congestive headache, contracted pupils; violent headache after drinking, exhaustion; not able to get out of bed; delirium. Most of the complaints are attended with stupor; lies in a stupor like apoplexy, cannot be aroused.

Convulsions

The Opium patient is full of convulsions. The patient wants to be uncovered, wants the cool air, the open air. Convulsions if the room, is too warm. Opisthotonos; head drawn back, cerebro-spinal meningitis.

In a case of cerebro-spinal meningitis we find convulsions approaching, opisthotonos, head drawn back, kicks the covers off, wants a cool room; skin red; face red and mottled, pupils contracted. Now if the mother puts that child into a hot bath, to relieve the convulsions, it will become unconscious and cold as death. If you are called to see such a case be sure to give Opium, and in twelve hours you will be astonished to see the state of quietude. It competes here with Apis. Puerperal convulsions.

A mental state appears in these constitutions. Fear and its results. The Opium patient, when not too stupid, rouses up as if startled, rouses up with the appearance of awful fear or anxiety. The old Opium eater is overwhelmed with anxiety and fear. If a dog jump at him suddenly, he will be thrown into convulsions, have diarrhea, fits of some sort, and it will be days and weeks before that fear is gone.

Complaints from fear when the fear remains, or the idea of the fear remains, or the cause of it comes before the eyes. A pregnant woman is frightened and an abortion is impending, and the object of the fright continually looms up before her eyes. Epilepsy dating back, to a fright, and that object comes up before the eyes before the attack comes on, and the fear of the fright remains.

Hysterical attack; physical shock with diarrhea and sometimes constipation; retention of urine or return of the menstrual flow as results, or it may stop the menses for months. In these conditions there is great fear and the object of the fear remains before the eyes.

An Opium prover, when coming out from under the influence of the drug, sees frightful images, black forms, visions of devils, fire, ghosts, someone carrying her off, murder. Imagines that parts swell and that he is going to burst.

There is also a sensation of bodily well being; great happiness great state of confidence in the first hours of the drug. Hence, complaints from sudden joy, anger, shame, sudden fright. Coffea has a similar state of beatitude. It is both a physical and mental beatitude in Opium. Opium and Coffea are related; they antidote each other.

Opium eaters like whisky drinkers are constitutional liars. They have no conscience left.

"Great sensibility to sound, light, and faintest odors."

"Drowsiness with headache, amounting almost to stupor."

"Marasmus; child wrinkled and looks like a little dried up old man; stupor."

Old cases of lead poisoning. Pulsatilla cures the diarrhea following the abuse of Opium.

The Therapeutics of Fevers

H. C. Allen · The Therapeutics of Fevers · 1902 Library of Congress printing (Allen d. 1909; public domain)

Characteristic

Especially adapted to children and old people; diseases of first and second childhood (Bar. c., Mill.); persons with light hair, lax muscles, and want of bodily irritability.

Ailments: with insensibility and partial or complete paralysis that originate from fright; bad effects of fright, the fear still remaining (Acon., Hyos.); from charcoal vapors; from inhaling gas; of drunkards.

All complaints: with great sopor; painless, complains of nothing, wants nothing.

Spasms: of children, from approach of strangers; from nursing after fright of mother (Hyos.—after anger of mother, Cham., Nux); from crying; eyes half opened and upturned.

Screaming before or during a spasm (Apis, Hell.).

Deep stertorous respiration on inhalation and exhalation.

Sleep: heavy, stupid; with stertorous breathing, red face, eyes half-closed, blood-shot; skin covered with hot sweat; after convulsions.

Sleepy, but cannot sleep (Bell., Cham., Stram.); sleeplessness with acuteness of hearing, clock striking and cock crowing at a great distance keep her awake.

Loss of breath on falling asleep (Grind., Lach.).

Bed feels so hot she cannot lie on it (bed hard, Arn., Bellis, Bry., Pyr.); moves often in search of a cool place; must be uncovered.

Want of susceptibility to remedies; lack of vital reaction, the well chosen remedy makes no impression (Carbo v., Laur., Val.).

Digestive organs inactive: peristaltic motion reversed or paralyzed; bowels seem closed.

Constipation: of children; of corpulent, good-natured women (Graph.); from inaction or paresis, no desire; from lead poisoning; stool hard, round, black balls (Chel., Plumb., Thuja); protrude and recede (Sil., Thuja).

Stool: involuntary, especially after fright (Gels.); black and offensive; from paralysis of sphincter.

Urine: retained with bladder full; retention, post-partum or excessive use of tobacco; in nursing children, after passion of nurse; in fever or acute illness; paralysis of bladder or sphincter. (In Stramonium we have suppression; while in

Opium the secretion is not diminished, the bladder is full but fullness is unrecognized.)

"Opium renders the intestines so sluggish that the most active purgatives lose their power."—HERING.

"Persistent diarrhœa in those treated with large doses of the drug."—LIPPE.

Delirium: constantly talking; eyes wide open, face red, puffed; or unconscious, eyes glassy, half-closed, face pale, deep coma; preceded by stupor.

Thinks she is not at home; this is continually in her mind.

Picking of bed clothes during sleep (while awake, Bell.,

Hyos.).

Sudden retrocession of acute exanthema results in paralysis of brain or convulsions (Zinc).

Marasmus; child with wrinkled skin, looks like a little dried up old man (Abrot.).

Aggravation.—Warmth; while perspiring; from stimulants; night and morning; during and after sleep (Apis).

Amelioration.—From cold; motion, during day and evening.

Type.—Congestive. Epileptiform. Regular paroxysms; irreg- ular stages. Sleepy. Typhoid, typhus.

Time.—11 A. M. Afternoon; night; after midnight.

Chill.—Without thirst. Shaking chill at 11 A. M.; body cold, or coldness only of the limbs, abdomen, back, hands, and feet. Shak- ing chill, followed by heat, with deep soporous sleep, during which she sweats profusely. Chill with pains in limbs, hot head and deep sleep. Chilliness on going to bed; sleep, with profuse sweat about the head.

Heat.—Over whole body, burning even when bathed in sweat, with red face. Soporous, snoring sleep, with open mouth, twitching of the limbs. Spasmodic contraction of the muscles of the face; sardonic smile; unconsciousness, and desire to uncover (must be uncovered, Apis, Puls.). Headache, great prostra- tion and often fainting when waking from sleep.

Sweat

Over entire body, which is burning hot; deep sleep, with stertorous breathing and open mouth. Hot, profuse morning sweat; wants to be uncovered. Sweat on the upper part of the body, lower part hot and dry; heat and sweat intermingled.

Cold sweat on forehead. Profuse sweat about the head. Worse during sweat (Ipec.—better after sweat, Bell.).

Tongue

Coated dirty yellow, quivering. Loss of appetite; aversion to food. Longing for spirituous liquors.

Pulse

Full and hard; or weak, slow, scarcely perceptible.

Apyrexia

Symptoms of cerebral congestion, with profound stupor; complete indifference; the patient makes no audible com- plaint. Intermittents of old persons and children.

Analysis

Chill; with hot head and deep sleep; profuse sweat about the head; coldness of single parts.

Heat; deep, soporous sleep; desire to uncover.

Sweat; hot, profuse; < during; profuse about head.