HOMŒOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA
by
WILLIAM BOERICKE, M.D.

  
PLANTAGO MAJOR
Plantain

Has considerable clinical reputation in the treatment of earache, toothache, and enuresis. Sharp pain in eyes, reflex from decayed teeth or inflammation of middle ear. Eyeball very tender to touch. Pain plays between teeth and ears. Pyorrhea alveolaris. Depression and insomnia of chronic Nicotinism. Causes an aversion to tobacco.

Head.--Periodical prosopalgia, worse 7 am to 2 pm, accompanied with flow of tears, photophobia; pains radiate to temples and lower face.

Ears.--Hearing acute; noise painful. Sticking pain in ears. Neuralgic earache; pain goes from one ear to the other through the head. Otalgia, with toothache. Loud noises go through one.

Nose.--Sudden, yellowish, watery discharge.

Mouth.--Teeth ache and are sensitive and sore to touch. Swelling of cheeks. Salivation; teeth feel too long; worse, cold air and contact. Toothache, better while eating. Profuse of saliva. Toothache, with reflex neuralgia of eyelids.

Stool.--Wants to defecate; goes often, but cannot bad, can hardly stand. Diarrhœa, with brown watery

Urine.--Profuse flow; nocturnal enuresis (Rhus arom; Caust; Bellad).

Skin.--Itching and burning; papulæ. Urticaria, chilblains (Agar; Tamus).

Relationship.--Compare: Kalm; Cham; Puls.

Dose.--Tincture, and lower potencies. Local use in toothache in hollow teeth, otorrhœa, pruritus, and Poison-oak. Incised wounds.

  
PLATINUM METALLICUM
The Metal
(PLATINA)

Is pre-eminently a woman's remedy. Strong tendency to paralysis, anæsthesia, localized numbness and coldness are shown. Hysterical spasms; pains increase and decrease gradually (Stannum). Tremulousness.

Mind.--Irresistible impulse to kill. Self-exaltation; contempt for others. Arrogant, proud. Weary of everything. Everything seems changed. Mental trouble pressed menses. Physical symptoms disappear as mental symptoms develop.

Head.--Tense, pressing pain, confined to a small spot. Cramplike, squeezing pain. Constriction about forehead and right temples. Numbness, with headache.

Eyes.--Objects look smaller than they are. Twitching of lids (Agar). Eyes feel cold. Cramp-like pain in orbits.

Ears.--Feels numb. Cramp-like twinges. Roaring and rumbling.

Face.--Prosopalgia, with numb feeling in malar bones, as if the parts were between screws. Pain at root of nose, as if squeezed in a vise. Coldness, creeping, and numbness, in whole right side of face. Pains increase and decrease gradually (Stann).

Stomach.--Fermentation, much flatulence; constriction; ravenous hunger; persistent nausea, with anxiety and weakness.

Abdomen.--Painter's colic. Pain in umbilical region; extending through to back. Pressing and bearing down in abdomen; extending into pelvis.

Stool.--Retarded; feces scanty; evacuated with difficulty. Adheres to rectum, like soft clay. Sticky stool. Constipation of travelers, who are constantly changing food and water. Stool as if burnt.

Female.--Parts hypersensitive. Tingling internally and externally (Kali brom; Orig). Ovaries sensitive and burn. Menses too early, too profuse, dark-clotted, with spasms and painful bearing-down, chilliness, and sensitiveness of parts. Vaginismus. Nymphomania. Excessive sexual development; vaginismus. Pruritus vulvæ. Ovaritis with sterility. Abnormal sexual appetite and melancholia.

Extremities.--Tightness of thighs, as if too tightly wrapped. Numb and weary sensation. Feel paralyzed.

Sleep.--Sleeps with legs far apart (Chamom).

Modalities.--Worse, sitting and standing; evening. Better, walking.

Relationship.--Compare: Rhodium; Stann; Valer; Sep. Compare, also: Platinum muriaticum (this remedy has achieved beneficial results after Iodide of Potash failed to cure in syphilitic affection; violent occipital headaches, dysphagia, and syphilitic throat and bone affections; caries of bones of feet); Plat mur nat (polyuria and salivation); Sedum acre (sexual irritability, relieves irritation of nerve centers and gives rest).

Antidote: Puls. Platina antidotes the bad effects of lead.

Dose.--Sixth trituration to thirtieth potency.

  
PLATANUS OCCIDENTALIS
Sycamore-Buttonwood

Tarsal tumors. Apply the tincture. Both acute and old neglected cases, where destruction of tissue occurred and cicatricial contraction caused marked deformity of lid, restored to practically normal conditions. Acts best in children. Must be used for some time. Ichtyosis.

  
PLUMBUM METALLICUM
Lead

The great drug for general sclerotic conditions. Lead paralysis is chiefly of extensors, forearm or upper limb, from center to periphery with partial anæsthesia or excessive hyperasthesia, preceded by pain. Localized neuralgic pains, neuritis. The blood, alimentary and nervous systems are the special seats of action of Plumbum. Hematosis is interfered with, rapid reduction in number of red corpuscles; hence pallor, icterus, anæmia. Constrictive sensation in internal organs.

Delirium, coma and convulsions. Hypertension and arteriosclerosis. Progressive muscular atrophy. Infantile paralysis. Locomotor ataxia. Excessive and rapid emaciation. Bulbar paralysis. Important in peripheral affections. The points of attack for Plumbum are the neuraxons and the anterior horns. Symptoms of multiple sclerosis, posterior spinal sclerosis. Contractions and boring pain. All the symptoms of acute. Nephritis with amaurosis and cerebral symptoms. Gout (Chronic).

Mind.--Mental depression. Fear of being assassinated. Quiet melancholy. Slow perception; loss of memory; amnesic aphasia. Hallucinations and delusions. Intellectual apathy. Memory impaired (Anac; Baryta). Paretic dementia.

Head.--Delirium alternating with colic. Pain as if a ball rose from throat to brain. Hair very dry. Tinnitus (Chin; Nat salic; Carbon sulph).

Eyes.--Pupils contracted. Yellow. Optic nerve inflamed. Intraocular, suppurative inflammation. Glaucoma, especially if secondary to spinal lesion. Optic neuritis, central scotoma. Sudden loss of sight after fainting.

Face.--Pale and cachetic. Yellow, corpse-like; cheeks sunken. Skin of face greasy, shiny. Tremor of naso-labial muscles.

Mouth.--Gums swollen, pale; distinct blue lines along margins of gums. Tongue tremulous, red on margin. Cannot put it out, seems paralyzed.

Stomach.--Contraction in œsophagus and stomach; pressure and tightness. Gastralgia. Constant vomiting. Solids cannot be swallowed.

Abdomen.--Excessive colic, radiating to all parts of body. Abdominal wall feels drawn by a string to spine. Pain causes desire to stretch. Intussusception; strangulated hernia. Abdomen retracted. Obstructed flatus, with intense colic. Colic alternates with delirium and pain in atrophied limbs.

Rectum.--Constipation; stools hard, lumpy, black with urging and spasm of anus. Obstructed evacuation from impaction of feces (Plat). Neuralgia of rectum. Anus drawn up with constriction.

Urinary.--Frequent, ineffectual tenesmus. Albuminous; low specific gravity. Chronic interstitial nephritis, with great pain in abdomen. Urine scanty. Tenesmus of bladder. Emission drop by drop.

Male.--Loss of sexual power. Testicles drawn up, feel constricted.

Female.--Vaginismus, with emaciation and constipation. Induration of mammary glands. Vulva and vagina hypersensitive. Stitches and burning pains in breasts (Apis; Con; Carb an; Sil). Tendency to abortion. Menorrhagia with sensation of string pulling from abdomen to back. Disposition to yawn and stretch.

Heart.--Cardiac weakness. Pulse soft and small, dichrotic. Wiry pulse, camp-like constriction of peripheral arteries.

Back.--Spinal cord sclerosed. Lightning-like pains; temporarily better by pressure. Paralysis of lower extremities.

Skin.--Yellow, dark-brown liver spots. Jaundice. Dry. Dilated veins of forearms and legs.

Extremities.--Paralysis of single muscles. Cannot raise or lift anything with the hand. Extension is difficult. Paralysis from overexertion of the extensor muscles in piano players (Curare). Pains in muscles of thighs; come in paroxysms. Wrist-drop. Cramps in calves. Stinging and tearing in limbs, also twitching and tingling, numbness, pain or tremor. Paralysis. Feet swollen. Pain in atrophied limbs alternates with colic. Loss of patellar reflex. Hands and feet cold. Pain in right big toe at night, very sensitive to touch.

Modalities.--Worse, at night, motion. Better, rubbing, hard pressure, physical exertion (Alumen).

Relationship.--Compare: Plumb acet (painful cramps in paralyzed limbs; severe pain and muscular cramps in gastric ulcer; locally, as an application (non-homeopathic) in moist eczema, and to dry up secretions from mucous surfaces. Care must be used, as sufficient lead can be absorbed to produce lead poison, one to two drams of the liquor plumbi subacetatis to the ounce of water; also in pruritus pudendi, equal parts of the liquor plumbi and glycerin). Plumb iodat (Has been used empirically in various forms of paralysis, sclerotic degenerations, especially of spinal cord, atrophies, arterio-sclerosis, pellagra. Indurations of mammary glands, especially when a tendency to become inflamed appears; sore and painful. Indurations of great hardness and associated with a very dry skin. Lancinating pains of Tabes). Compare: Alumina; Plat; Opium; Podoph; Merc; Thall. Plectranthus (paralysis, spastic, spinal form); Plumb chromicum (convulsions, with terrible pains; pupils greatly dilated; retracted abdomen;); Plumb phosph (loss of sexual power; locomotor ataxia).

Antidotes: Plat; Alum; Petrol.

Dose.--Third to thirtieth potency.

  
PODOPHYLLINUM
May-apple
(PODOPHYLLUM)

Is especially adapted to persons of bilious temperament. It affects chiefly the duodenum, small intestines, liver, and rectum The Podophyllum disease is a gastro-enteritis with colicky pain and bilious vomiting. Stool is watery with jelly-like mucus, painless, profuse. Gushing and offensive. Many troubles during pregnancy; pendulous abdomen after confinement; prolapsus uteri; painless cholera morbus. Torpidity of the liver; portal engorgement with a tendency to hæmorrhoids, hypogastric pain, fullness of superficial veins, jaundice.

Mind.--Loquacity and delirium from eating acid fruits. Depression of spirits.

Head.--Vertigo, with tendency to fall forward. Headache, dull pressure, worse morning, with heated face and bitter taste; alternating with diarrhœa. Rolling of head from side to side, moaning and vomiting and eyelids half closed. Child perspires on head during sleep.

Mouth.--Grinding the teeth at night; intense desire to press the gums together (Phytol). Difficult dentition. Tongue broad, large, moist. Foul, putrid taste. Burning sensation of tongue.

Stomach.--Hot, sour belching; nausea and vomiting. Thirst for large quantities of cold water (Bry). Vomiting of hot, frothy mucus. Heartburn; gagging or empty retching. Vomiting of milk.

Abdomen.--Distended; heat and emptiness. Sensation of weakness or sinking. Can lie comfortably only on stomach. Liver region painful, better rubbing part. Rumbling and shifting of flatus in ascending colon.

Rectum.--Cholera infantum and morbus. Diarrhœa of long standing; early in morning; during teething, with hot, glowing cheeks while being bathed or washed; in hot weather after acid fruits. Morning, painless diarrhœa when not due to venous stasis or intestinal ulceration. Green, watery, fetid, profuse, gushing. Prolapse of rectum before or with stool. Constipation; clay-colored, hard, dry, difficult. Constipation alternating with diarrhœa (Ant crud). Internal and external piles.

Female.--Pain in uterus and right ovary, with shifting noises along ascending colon. Suppressed menses, with pelvic tenesmus. Prolapsed uteri, especially after parturition. Hæmorrhoids, with prolapsus ani during pregnancy.

Extremities.--Pain between shoulders, under right scapula, in loins and lumbar region. Pain in right inguinal region; shoots down inner thigh to knees. Paralytic weakness on left side.

Fever.--Chill at 7 am, with pain in hypochondria, and knees, ankles, wrists, Great loquacity during fever. Profuse sweat.

Modalities.--Worse, in early morning, in hot weather, during dentition.

Relationship.--Compare: Mandragora-also called mandrake--(must not be confounded with Podoph. Great desire for sleep; exaggeration of sounds and enlarged vision. Bowels inactive; stools large, white and hard). Aloe; Chelid; Merc; Nux; Sulph. Prunella-Self-head--(Colitis).

Dose.--Tincture to sixth potency. The 200th and 1000th seem to do good work in cholera infantum, when indicated.

  
POLYGONUM HYDROPIPEROIDES
Hydropiper - Smartweed
(POLYGONUM PUNCTATUM)

Metrorrhagia, also Amenorrhœa in young girls. Varicosis; hæmorrhoids and rectal pockets. Burning in stomach followed by feeling of coldness in the pit of the stomach.

Abdomen.--Griping pain, with great rumbling, nausea, and liquid feces. Flatulent colic.

Rectum.--Interior of anus studded with itching eminence. Hæmorrhoids. Liquid feces.

Urinary.--Painful constriction at neck of bladder.

Female.--Aching pains in hips and loins. Sensation as if hips were being drawn together. Sensation of weight and tension within pelvis. Shooting pains through breasts. Amenorrhœa.

Skin.--Superficial ulcers and sores on lower extremities, especially in females at climacteric.

Relationship.--Compare: Carduus mar (ulcers); Hamam; Senecio; Polygonum persicaria (renal colic and calculi; gangrene); Polygonum sagitatum-arrow-leaved. Tear-thumb--(2x for pains of nephritic colic; suppurative nephritis; lancinating pains along spine; itching of hard palate; burning inner side of right foot and ankle. C. M. Boger); Polygonum aviculare-knot-grass--(in material doses of tincture, found useful in phthisis pulmonalis and intermittent fever, and especially in arterio-sclerosis. Erythema).

Dose.--Tincture.

  
POLYPORUS PINICOLA
Pine Agaric

Useful in intermittent, remittent and bilious fevers, with headache, yellow tongue, constant nausea, faintness at epigastrium, and constipation. Similar to its botanical relative, Polyp officinalis, or Boletus laricis, q.v. Deep dull, severe pain in shin bones, preventing sleep.

Fever.--Great lassitude, congestion of head, with vertigo, face hot and flushed, prickling sensation all over; restless at night from pain in wrists and knee; rheumatic pains; profuse perspiration. Headache about 10 am, with pain in back, ankles and legs increasing until 3 pm, then gradually better.

  
POPULUS TREMULOIDES
American Aspen

The gastric and urinary symptoms point to its usefulness in dyspepsia and catarrh of the bladder, especially in old people. Good remedy in vesical troubles after operations and in pregnancy. Cystitis. Fullness of head, and sensation of heat of the surfaces of the body. Night-sweats. Ague.

Stomach.--Indigestion, with flatulence and acidity. Nausea and vomiting.

Urine.--Severe tenesmus; painful scalding. Urine contains mucus and pus. Prostate enlarged. Pain behind pubis, at end of urination.

Relationship.--Compare: Nux; China; Cornus flor; Cannabis; Cantharis.

Dose.--Tincture or Populin trit, 1x.

  
POPULUS CANDICANS
Balm of Gilead

Seems to have a remarkable power over acute colds, especially when accompanied by a deep, hoarse voice, or even aphonia. General insensibility of surface (worse, back and abdomen); rubbing and pounding borne without pain, and is grateful on account of warmth produced. Finger-ends thickened, horny; insensible to pinching and pricking. Instantaneous voice-producer (Coca).

Head.--Discusses her symptoms with every one. Hot head with cold extremities. Cold-sores on lips (Nat mur). Tongue feels thick and numb. Burning irritation of eyes, nose, mouth, throat, and air passages.

Respiratory.--Acute hoarseness. Throat and nostrils burn. Sits bent forward with dry cough. Pharynx and larynx feel dry, and the voice weak and toneless. Rawness and soreness of chest and throat. Cough of children caused by naso-pharyngeal catarrh; mucus drops from posterior nares.

Doses.--Tincture.

  
PRIMULA OBCONICA
Primrose

The poison of the Primrose occurs in its glandular hairs, which break easily and discharge an irritating fluid which is absorbed into the skin.

But skin symptoms of poisoning appear in sensitive patients even without coming in direst contact with the plant, mere nearness being sufficient, just like Poison ivy. Intermittency of symptoms; worse right side. Pain in liver and spleen. Deep infiltration and tension of tissues; blisters. Paralyzed sensation. Weakness. Pharyngeal soreness alternates with diminished facial irritation.

Face.--Moist eczema. Papular eruption on chin. Burns at night. Urticaria-like eruption. Eyelids swollen.

Extremities.--Eczema on arms, wrists, forearms, hands, papular and excoriated. Rheumatic pain around shoulder. Palms dry and hot. Cracking over joints and fingers. Eruption between fingers. Purple blotches on back of hands, palmar surface stiff. Blisters on fingers.

Skin.--Great itching, worse at night, red and swollen like erysipelas. Tumefied. Small papules on a raised base. Skin symptoms accompanied by febrile symptoms.

Relationship.--Compare: Rhus; Fagopyrum (Antidotal). Humea Elegans, similar skin symptoms.

  
PRIMULA VERIS
Cowslip

Cerebral congestion, with neuralgia; migraine; rheumatic and gouty pains.

Head.--Sensation of a band around head; cannot keen hat on (Carbol ac). Skin of forehead tense. Fear of falling when standing up. Violent vertigo, as if everything turned around. Buzzing in ears; better in open air.

Respiratory.--Cough, with burning and pricking in respiratory tracts. Weak voice.

Urinary.--Urine smells strongly of violets (Terebinth).

Extremities.--Right axillary muscles painful. Weight and lassitude in limbs, especially the shoulders. Burning in hollow of right hand. Drawing pain in thumb and big toe.

Relationship.--Compare: Cyclamen; Ranunc; Œnothera--Evening Primrose--(exhausting, watery diarrhœa; cholera infantum; hydrocephaloid); Primula farinosa-the wild Primrose--(dermatitis, especially on index fingers and thumbs).

Dose.--Third potency.

  
PROPYLAMINUM
Distilled Herring-brine
(PROPYLAMIN - TRIMETHYLAMINUM)

In acute rheumatism, dissipates fever and pain in a day or two. Rheumatic prosopalgia, and rheumatic metastases, especially heart lesions.

Extremities.--Pain in wrists and ankles; worse, slightest motion (Bry). Great restlessness and thirst. Rheumatism, needle held in fingers gets too heavy. Tingling and numbness of fingers. Pain in wrist and ankle, unable to stand.

Relationship.--(Chenopodium vulvaria. The plant has an odor of decaying fish and contains a large amount of Propylamine. Weakness is lumbar and lower dorsal region).

Dose.--Ten to fifteen drops, in about six ounces of water; teaspoonful doses every two hours.

  
PRUNUS SPINOSA
Black-thorn

Special action on the urinary organs and head. Very valuable in certain neuralgias, anasarca, and especially œdema pedum. Ankle and foot feel sprained. Ciliary neuralgia (Spig).

Head.--Pressing-asunder pain beneath skull. Shooting from right frontal bone through brain to occiput. Pain in right eyeball, as if it would burst. Piercing toothache, as if teeth were pulled out; worse, taking anything warm.

Eyes.--Ciliary neuralgia. Bursting pain in right eyeball shooting like lightning through the brain to occiput. Sudden pain in left eye as if it would burst, better by lachrymation. Irido-choroiditis. Opacity of vitreous humor. Eyes feel as if bursting.

Abdomen.--Ascites. Cramp-like pain in bladder region; worse, walking.

Rectum.--Hard, nodular stool, with rectal pain, as if angular body were pressed inward. Burning in anus after slimy diarrhœa.

Urine.--Tenesmus of bladder. Ineffectual effort to urinate. Hurriedly impelled to urinate; the urine seems to pass as far as glans, and then returns and causes pain in urethra. Neuralgic dysuria. Must press a long time before urine appears.

Respiratory.--Wheezing when walking. Oppression of chest; anxious, short respiration. Angina pectoris. Furious beating of heart; worse, slightest motion.

Skin.--Herpes zoster. Dropsy. Itching on tips of fingers, as if frozen.

Relationship.--Compare: Lauroc; Prumus padus-Bird--cherry--(sore throat, pressure behind sternum and sticking pain in rectum); Prunus Virginiana-Wild Cherry--(heart tonic; relieves the flagging and distended ventricle; irritable heart; dilatation of right heart; cough, worse at night on lying down; weak digestion, especially in elderly people; chronic bronchitis; increases muscular tone); Pyrus-Mountain Ash--(irritation of eyes; constriction around waist; spasmodic pains in uterus, bladder, heart, cold-water sensation in stomach, coldness extends up œsophagus; neuralgic and gouty pains).

Dose.--Third to sixth potency.

 

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