HOMŒOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA
by
WILLIAM BOERICKE, M.D.

 

  
ALETRIS FARINOSA
Stargrass

An anæmic, relaxed condition, especially of the female organism, is portrayed by this remedy. The patient is tired all the time, and suffers from prolapsus, leucorrhœa, rectal distress, etc. Marked anæmia. Chlorotic girls and pregnant women.

Mind.--Power and energy weakened. Confused feelings. Cannot concentrate mind. Fainting, with vertigo.

Mouth.--Much frothy saliva.

Stomach.--Disgust for food. Least food causes distress. Fainting spells, with vertigo. Vomiting during pregnancy. Nervous dyspepsia. Flatulent colic.

Rectum.--Loads up with feces-paretic condition. Stool large, hard, difficult, great pain.

Female.--Premature and profuse menses, with labor-like pains (Bell; Cham; Kali c; Plat). Retarded and scanty flow (Senecio). Uterus seems heavy. Prolapse, with pain in right inguinal region. Leucorrhœa due to weakness and anæmia. Habitual tendency to abortion. Muscular pains during pregnancy.

Relationship.--Compare: Helonias; Hydrastis; Tanacet; China.

Dose.--Tincture to third potency.

  
ALFALFA
Medicago Sativa, California Clover or Lucerne

>From its action on the sympathetic, Alfalfa favorably influences nutrition, evidenced in "toning up" the appetite and digestion resulting in greatly improved mental and physical vigor, with gain in weight. Disorders characterized by malnutrition are mainly within its therapeutic range, for example, neurasthenia, splanchnic blues, nervousness, insomnia, nervous indigestion, etc. Acts as a fat producer, corrects tissue waste. Deficient lactation. Increases quality and quantity of milk in nursing mothers. Its pronounced urinary action suggests it clinically in diabetes insipidus and phosphaturia; and it is claimed to allay vesical irritability of prostatic hypertrophy. The rheumatic diathesis seems especially amenable to its action.

Mind.--It induces mental exhilaration of buoyancy, i.e, a general feeling of well being; clear and bright, so that all blues are dissipated. Dull, drowsy, stupid (Gels); gloomy and irritable, worse during evening.

Head.--Dull, heavy feeling in occiput, in and above the eyes, worse toward evening. Pain in left side of head. Violent headache.

Ears.--Stuffed feeling in eustachian tubes (Kali mur) at night; patulous in morning.

Stomach.--Increased thirst. Appetite impaired, but chiefly increased even to bulimia. He must eat frequently, so that he cannot wait for regular meals; hungry in forenoon (Sul). Much nibbling of food and craving for sweets.

Abdomen.--Flatulence with distention. Shifting, flatulent pain along colon several hours after meals. Frequent, loose, yellow, painful stools, with burning of flatulence. Chronic appendicitis.

Urine.--Kidneys inactive; frequent urging to urinate. Polyuria (Phos ac). Increased elimination of urea, indican and phosphates.

Sleep.--Slept better than usual, especially in early morning; it induces quiet, reposeful and refreshing sleep.

Relationship.--Compare: Avena sat; Dipodium punct; Gels; Hydr; Kali phos; Phos ac; Zinc.

Dose.--The best results are elicited with material doses (5-10) drops of tincture, several times daily. Continue its use until tonic effects ensue.

  
ALLIUM CEPA
Red Onion

A picture of coryza, with acrid nasal discharge and laryngeal symptoms, eye secretion bland; singers' cold, worse in warm room and toward evening; better in open air is presented by this remedy. Specially adapted to phlegmatic patients; colds in damp cold weather. Neuralgic pains, like a fine thread, following amputations or injuries to nerves. Traumatic chronic neuritis. Burning in nose, mouth, throat, bladder and skin. Sensation of glowing heat on different parts of the body.

Head.--Catarrhal headache, mostly in forehead; worse in warm room towards evening. Thread-like pains in face. Headache ceases during menses; returns when flow disappears.

Eyes.--Red. Much burning and smarting lachrymation. Sensitive to light. Eyes suffused and watery; profuse, bland lachrymation, better in open air. Burning in eyelids.

Ears.--Earache, shooting in eustachian tube.

Nose.--Sneezing, especially when entering a warm room. Copious, watery and extremely acrid discharge. Feeling of a lump at root of nose. Hay-fever (Sabad; Sil; Psor). Fluent coryza with headache, cough, and hoarseness. Polypus.

Stomach.--Canine hunger. Pain in pyloric region. Thirst. Belching. Nausea.

Abdomen.--Rumbling, offensive flatus. Pains in left hypogastrium. Colic sitting, moving about.

Rectum.--Diarrhœa with very offensive flatus. Stitches in rectum; itching and rhagades in anus. Glowing heat in rectum.

Urinary.--Sensation of weakness in bladder and urethra. Increased secretion of urine with coryza. Urine red with much pressure and burning in urethra.

Respiratory.--Hoarseness. Hacking cough on inspiring cold air. Tickling in larynx. Sensation as if larynx is split or torn. Oppressed breathing from pressure in middle of chest. Constricted feeling in region of epiglottis. Pain extending to ear.

Extremities.--Lame joints. Ulcers on heel. Painful affections of fingers about nails neuralgia of stump. Bad effects from getting feet wet. Limbs, especially arms, feel sore and tired.

Sleep.--Yawning with headache and drowsiness. Gaping in deep sleep. Dreams. Wakes at 2 am.

Modalities.--Worse, in the evening, in warm room. Better, in open air, and in cold room.

Relationship.--Compare: Gels; Euph; Kali hyd; Aconite; Ipecac.

Complementary: Phosphor; Thuja; Puls.

Antidotes: Arn; Cham; Verat.

Dose.--Third potency.

  
ALLIUM SATIVUM
Garlic

Acts directly on intestinal mucous membrane increasing peristalsis. Colitis, with pathological flora. Has vaso-dilatory properties. Arterial hypotension begins usually in 30 to 45 minutes after twenty to forty drop doses of the tincture.

Adapted to fleshy subjects with dyspepsia and catarrhal affections. High livers. Patients who eat a great deal more, especially meat, than they drink. Pain in hip, pain in psoas and iliac muscles. Pulmonary tuberculosis.

Cough and expectoration diminishes, temperature becomes normal, weight is gained, and sleep becomes regular. Hæmoptysis.

Head.--Heavy; pulsation in temples; catarrhal deafness.

Mouth.--Much sweetish saliva after meals and at night. Sensation of a hair on tongue or throat.

Stomach.--Voracious appetite. Burning eructations. Least change in diet causes trouble. Constipation, with constant dull pains in bowels. Tongue pale, red papillæ.

Respiratory.--Constant rattling of mucus in bronchi. Cough in the morning after leaving bedroom, with mucous expectoration, which is tenacious and difficult to raise. Sensitive to cold air. Dilated bronchi, with fetid expectoration. Darting pain in chest.

Female.--Pain in swelling of breasts. Eruption in vagina and on breasts and vulva during menses.

Relationship.--Allium Sat according to Dr. Teste, belongs to the Bryonia group, including Lycopod. Nux. Colocy, Digital and Ignatia which affect deeply all flesh eating animals and hardly at all vegetarians. Hence their special applicability to meat eaters rather than to exclusive vegetarians.

Compare: Capsicum; Arsenic; Senega; Kali nit.

Complementary: Arsenic.

Antidote: Lycopod.

Dose.--Third to sixth potency. In tuberculosis, dose, four to six grammes in moderate state of dessication daily, in divided doses.

  
ALNUS RUBRA
Red Alder
(ALNUS)

Has some reputation as a remedy for skin affections, glandular enlargements, and indigestion from imperfect secretion of gastric juice. It stimulates nutrition, and thus acts favorably upon strumous disorders, enlarged glands, etc. Ulcerated mucous membranes of mouth and throat. Fingers covered by crust caused by pustules, disagreeable odor. Indigestion from imperfect secretion of gastric juice.

Female.--Leucorrhœa, with erosions of cervix, bleeding easily. Amenorrhœa, with burning pains from back to pubis.

Skin.--Chronic herpes. Enlarged sub-maxillary glands. Eczema, prurigo. Purpura hæmorrhagica. Poison-oak. Use locally.

Dose.--Tincture to third potency.

  
ALOE SOCOTRINA
Socotrine Aloes
(ALOE)

An excellent remedy to aid in re-establishing physiological equilibrium after much dosing, where disease and drug symptoms are much mixed. There is no remedy richer in symptoms of portal congestion and none that has given better clinical results, both for the primary pathological condition and secondary phenomena. Bad effects from sedentary life or habits. Especially suitable to lymphatic and hypochondriacal patients. The rectal symptoms usually determine the choice. Adapted to weary people, the aged, and phlegmatic, old beer-drinkers. Dissatisfied and angry about himself, alternating with lumbago. Heat internally and externally. Has been used successfully in the treatment of consumption by giving the pure juice.

Head.--Headache alternates with lumbago, with intestinal and uterine affections. Disinclination to mental labor. Aches above forehead, with heaviness in eyes, must partially close them. Headache after stool. Dull, pressive pain; worse from heat.

Eyes.--Compelled to make small during pain in forehead. Flickering before eyes. Redness of eyes with yellow vision. Pain deep in orbits.

Face.--Marked redness of lips.

Ears.--Cracking when chewing. Sudden explosion and clashing in left ear. Tinkling as of some thin, shivered, metallic globe in head.

Nose.--Coldness of tip. Bleeding in morning on awakening. Full of crusts.

Mouth.--Taste bitter and sour. Tasteless eructations. Lips cracked and dry.

Throat.--Thick lumps of tough mucus. Varicose condition of veins in pharynx. Dry, scrapy feeling.

Stomach.--Aversion to meat. Longing for juicy things. After eating, flatulence, pulsation in rectum and sexual irritation. Nausea, with headache. Pain in pit when making false step.

Abdomen.--Pain around navel, worse pressure. Fullness in region of liver, pain under right ribs. Abdomen feels full, heavy, hot, bloated. Pulsating pain around navel. Weak feeling, as if diarrhœa would come on. Great accumulation of flatus, pressing downwards, causing distress in lower bowels. Sensation of plug between symphysis pubis and os coccygis, with urging to stool. Colic before and during stool. Burning, copious flatus.

Rectum.--Constant bearing down in rectum; bleeding, sore, and hot; relieved by cold water. Feeling of weakness and loss of power of sphincter ani. Sense of insecurity in rectum, when passing flatus. Uncertain whether gas or stool will come. Stool passes without effort, almost unnoticed. Lumpy, watery stool. Jelly-like stools, with soreness in rectum after stool. A lot of mucus, with pain in rectum after stool. Hæmorrhoids protrude like grapes; very sore and tender; better cold water application. Burning in anus and rectum. Constipation, with heavy pressure in lower part of abdomen. Diarrhœa from beer.

Urinary.--Incontinence in aged, bearing-down sensation and enlarged prostate. Scanty and high colored.

Female.--Bearing down in rectum, worse standing and during menses. Uterus feels heavy, cannot walk much on that account. Labor-like pains in loins; extend down legs. Climacteric hæmorrhage. Menses too early and too profuse.

Respiratory.--Winter coughs, with itching. Difficult respiration, with stitches from liver to chest.

Back.--Pain in small of back; worse moving. Stitches through sacrum. Lumbago alternating with headache and piles.

Extremities.--Lameness in all limbs. Drawing pains in joints. Soles pain when walking.

Modalities.--Worse early morning; summer; heat; in hot, dry weather; after eating or drinking. Better from cold, open air.

Relationship.--Complementary: Sulphur; compare: Kali bich; Lycop; Allium sat.

Antidotes: Opium; Sulph.

Dose.--Sixth potency and higher. In rectal conditions, a few doses of the third, then wait.

  
ALSTONIA SCHOLARIS
Dita Bark

Malarial diseases, with diarrhœa, dysentery, anæmia, feeble digestion, are the general conditions suggesting this remedy. Characteristics are the gone sensation in stomach and sinking in abdomen, with debility. A tonic after exhausting fevers.

Abdomen.--Violent purging and cramp in bowels. Heat and irritation in lower bowels. Camp diarrhœa, bloody stool, dysentery; diarrhœa from bad water and malaria. Painless watery stools (Phosph ac). Diarrhœa immediately after eating.

Relationship.--Compare: Similar in action to Alstonia constricta, the bitter bark or native quinine of Australia. Ditain (active principle, is anti-periodic, like quinine, but without unpleasant effects). Cinchona (similar in diarrhœa, chronic dyspepsia and debility). Hydrastis; Fer cit et chin.

Dose.--Tincture to third potency. Locally, for ulcers and rheumatic pains.

  
ALUMINA
Oxide et Aluminum-Argilla

A very general condition corresponding to this drug is dryness of mucous membranes and skin, and tendency to paretic muscular states. Old people, with lack of vital heat, or prematurely old, with debility. Sluggish functions, heaviness, numbness, and staggering, and the characteristic constipation find an excellent remedy in Alumina. Disposition to colds in the head, and eructations in spare, dry, thin subjects. Delicate children, products of artificial baby foods.

Mind.--Low-spirited; fears loss of reason. Confused as to personal identity. Hasty, hurried. Time passes slowly. Variable mood. Better as day advances. Suicidal tendency when seeing knife or blood.

Head.--Stitching, burning pain in head, with vertigo, worse in morning, but relieved by food. Pressure in forehead as from a tight hat. Inability to walk except with eyes open. Throbbing headache, with constipation. Vertigo, with nausea; better after breakfast. Falling out of hair; scalp itches and is numb.

Eyes.--Objects look yellow. Eyes feel cold. Lids dry, burn, smart, thickened, aggravated in morning; chronic conjunctivitis. Ptosis. Strabismus.

Ears.--Humming; roaring. Eustachian tube feels plugged.

Nose.--Pain at root of nose. Sense of smell diminished. Fluent coryza. Point of nose cracked, nostrils sore, red; worse touch. Scabs with thick yellow mucus. Tettery redness. Ozœna atrophica sicca. Membranes distended and boggy.

Face.--Feels as if albuminous substance had dried on it. Blood-boils and pimples. Twitching of lower jaw. Rush of blood to face after eating.

Mouth.--Sore. Bad odor from it. Teeth covered with sordes. Gums sore, bleeding. Tensive pain in articulation of jaw when opening mouth or chewing.

Throat.--Dry, sore; food cannot pass, œsophagus contracted. Feels as if splinter or plug were in throat. Irritable, and relaxed throat. Looks parched and glazed. Clergyman's sore throat in thin subjects. Thick, tenacious mucus drops from posterior nares. Constant inclination to clear the throat.

Stomach.--Abnormal cravings-chalk, charcoal, dry food, tea-grounds. Heartburn; feels constricted. Aversion to meat (Graph; Arn; Puls). Potatoes disagree. No desire to eat. Can swallow but small morsels at a time. Constriction of œsophagus.

Abdomen.--Colic, like painter's colic. Pressing in both groins toward sexual organs. Left-sided abdominal complaints.

Stool.--Hard dry, knotty; no desire. Rectum sore, dry, inflamed, bleeding. Itching and burning at anus. Even a soft stool is passed with difficulty. Great straining. Constipation of infants (Collins; Psor; Paraf) and old people from inactive rectum, and in women of very sedentary habit. Diarrhœa on urinating. Evacuation preceded by painful urging long before stool, and then straining at stool.

Urine.--Muscles of bladder paretic, must strain at stool in order to urinate. Pain in kidneys, with mental confusion. Frequent desire to urinate in old people. Difficult starting.

Male.--Excessive desire. Involuntary emissions when straining at stool. Prostatic discharge.

Female.--Menses too early, short, scanty, pale, followed by great exhaustion (Carb an; Coccul). Leucorrhœa acrid, profuse transparent, ropy, with burning; worse during daytime, and after menses. Relieved by washing with cold water.

Respiratory.--Cough soon after waking in the morning. Hoarse, aphonia, tickling in larynx; wheezing, rattling respiration. Cough on talking or singing, in the morning. Chest feels constricted. Condiments produce cough. Talking aggravates soreness of chest.

Back.--Stitches. Gnawing pain, as if from hot iron. Pain along cord, with paralytic weakness.

Extremities.--Pain in arm and fingers, as if hot iron penetrated. Arms feel paralyzed. Legs feel asleep, especially when sitting with legs crossed. Staggers on walking. Heels feel numb. Soles tender; on stepping, feel soft and swollen. Pain in shoulder and upper arm. Gnawing beneath finger nails. Brittle nails. Inability to walk, except when eyes are open or in daytime. Spinal degenerations and paralysis of lower limbs.

Sleep.--Restless; anxious and confused dreams. Sleepy in morning.

Skin.--Chapped and dry tettery. Brittle nails. Intolerable itching when getting warm in bed. Must scratch until it bleeds; then becomes painful. Brittle skin on fingers.

Modalities.--Worse, periodically; in afternoon; from potatoes. Worse, in morning on awaking; warm room. Better, in open air; from cold washing; in evening and on alternate days. Better damp weather.

Relationship.--Compare: Aluminum chloridum (Pains of loco-motor ataxia. Lower trits in water). Slag Silico-Sulphocalcite of Alumina 3x (anal itching, piles, constipation, flatulent distention); Secale; Lathyr; Plumb. Aluminum acetate solution. Externally a lotion for putrid wounds and skin infections. Arrests hæmorrhage from inertia of uterus. Parenchymatous hæmorrhage from various organs-23 % solution. Hæmorrhage following tonsillectomy is controlled by rinsing out nasopharynx with a 10 % sol.

Complementary: Bryonia.

Antidotes: Ipecac; Chamom.

Dose.--Sixth to thirtieth and higher. Action slow in developing.

  
ALUMINA SILICATA
Andalasite rock-Alumina 63, Silica 37 parts

Deep acting remedy for chronic complaints of brain, spine and nerves. Constriction is a marked general symptom, also constriction of orifices. Venous distention. Weakness, especially spinal. Aching and burning in spine. Formication, numbness, pain in all limbs. Epileptiform convulsion. Coldness during pains.

Head.--Congestion of brain. Constriction of scalp. Pain in head, better heat, perspires. Pain in eyes, flickering. Frequent coryzas. Swelling and ulceration of nose.

Respiratory.--Catarrh of chest, pain, raw feeling. Feeling of great weakness in chest. Stitching pains. Spasmodic cough with purulent viscid expectoration.

Extremities.--Heaviness, jerking, numbness, aching and pains.

Skin.--Formication along course of nerves, veins feel full and distended. Sore to touch and pressure.

Modalities.--Worse, cold air, after eating, standing. Better, warmth, fasting, resting in bed.

Dose.--Higher potencies. -Lower triturations.

  
ALUMEN
Common Potash Alum

The clinical application of this remedy points to its bowel symptoms, both in obstinate constipation and in hæmorrhage from bowels in the course of typhoid-one phase of the paralytic weakness of the muscles in all parts of the body. Tendency to induration is also marked, a low form of tissue-making is favored. Hardening of tissues of tongue, rectum, uterus, etc; ulcers with indurated base. Adapted to old people, especially bronchial catarrhs. Sensation of dryness and constriction. Mental paresis; dysphagia especially to liquids. Tendency to induration, Scirrhus of the tongue.

Head.--Burning pain as of weight on top of lead better by pressure of hand. Vertigo, with weakness in pit of stomach. Alopecia.

Throat.--Throat relaxed. Mucous membrane red and swollen. Cough. Tickling in throat. Tendency to throat colds. Enlarged and indurated tonsils. Burning pain down the œsophagus. Complete aphonia. Every cold settles in throat. Constriction of œsophagus.

Heart.--Palpitation, from lying down on right side.

Rectum.--Constipation of the most aggravated kind. No desire for stool for days. Violent ineffectual urging to stool. No ability to expel stool. Marble-like masses pass, but rectum still feels full. Itching after stool. Itching in anus. Long lasting pain and smarting in rectum after stool; also hæmorrhoids. Yellow, like an infant's. Hæmorrhage from bowels.

Female.--Tendency to induration of neck of uterus and mammary glands (Carb an; Con). Chronic yellow vaginal discharge. Chronic gonorrhœa, yellow, with little lumps along urethra. Aphthous patches in vagina (Caul). Menses watery.

Respiratory.--Hæmoptysis, great weakness of chest; difficult to expel mucus. Copious, ropy morning expectoration in old people. Asthma.

Skin.--Ulcers, with indurated base. To be thought of in indurated glands, epithelioma, etc; veins become varicose and bleed. Indurations resulting from long-continued inflammatory irritations. Glands inflame and harden. Alopecia, Scrotal eczema and on back of penis.

Extremities.--Weakness of all muscles, especially arms and legs. Constricted feeling around limbs.

Modalities.--Worse, cold except headache, which is relieved by cold.

Dose.--First to thirtieth potency. The very highest potencies have proved efficacious. Powdered alum, 10 grains, placed on tongue, said to arrest an attack of asthma.

 

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