HOMŒOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA
by
WILLIAM BOERICKE, M.D.

  
PSORINUM
Scabies Vesicle

The therapeutic field of this remedy is found in so-called psoric manifestations. Psorinum is a cold medicine; wants the head kept warm, wants warm clothing even in summer. Extreme sensitiveness to cold. Debility, independent of any organic disease, especially the weakness remaining after acute disease. Lack of reaction, i.e, phagocytes defective; when well-chosen remedies fail to act. Scrofulous patients. Secretions have a filthy smell. Profuse sweating. Cardiac weakness. Skin symptoms very prominent. Often gives immunity from cold-catching. Easy perspiration when walking. Syphilis, inherited and tertiary. Offensive discharges.

Mind.--Hopeless; despairs of recovery. Melancholy, deep and persistent; religious. Suicidal tendency.

Head.--Awakens at night with pain as from blow on head. Chronic headaches; hungry during attacks; with vertigo. Hammering pain; brain feels too large; worse, change of weather. Dull, pressive pain in occiput. Humid eruption on scalp; hair matted. Hair dry.

Eyes.--Agglutinated. Blepharitis. Chronic ophthalmia, that constantly recurs. Edges of lids red. Secretion acrid.

Mouth.--Obstinate rhagades at corners. Tongue, gums ulcerated; tough mucus of foul taste adheres to soft palate.

Nose.--Dry, coryza, with stoppage of nose. Chronic catarrh; dropping from posterior nares. Acne rosacea.

Ears.--Raw, red, oozing scabs around ears. Sore pain behind ears. Herpes from temples over ears to cheeks. Offensive discharge from eczema around ears. Intolerable itching. Chronic otorrhœa. Most fetid pus from ears, brownish, offensive.

Face.--Swelling of upper lip. Pale, delicate. Humid eruption on face. Sickly.

Throat.--Tonsils greatly swollen; painful swallowing, with pain in ears. Profuse, offensive saliva; tough mucus in throat. Recurring quinsy. Eradicates tendency to quinsy. Hawking up of cheesy, pea-like balls of disgusting smell and taste (Agar).

Stomach.--Eructations like bad eggs. Very hungry always; must have something to eat in the middle of the night. Nausea; vomiting of pregnancy. Pain in abdomen after eating.

Stool.--Mucous, bloody, excessively fetid, dark fluid. Hard, difficult stool, with blood from rectum and burning piles. Constipation of infants, in pale, sickly scrofulous children.

Female.--Leucorrhœa fetid, lumpy, with much backache and debility. Mammæ swollen and painful. Pimples oozing an acrid fluid that burns and excoriates the glands.

Respiratory.--Asthma, with dyspnœa; worse, sitting up; better, lying down and keeping arms spread wide apart. Dry, hard cough, with great weakness in chest. Feeling of ulceration under sternum. Pain in chest; better, lying down. Cough returns every winter, from suppressed eruption. Hay-fever returning irregularly every year.

Extremities.--Weakness of joints, as if they would not hold together. Eruption around finger-nails. Fetid foot-sweats.

Skin.--Dirty, dingy look. Dry, lusterless, rough hair. Intolerable itching. Herpetic eruptions, especially on scalp and bends of joints with itching; worse, from warmth of bed. Enlarged glands. Sebaceous glands secrete excessively; oily skin. Indolent ulcers, slow to heal. Eczema behind ears. Crusty eruptions all over. Urticaria after every exertion. Pustules near finger-nails.

Fever.--Profuse, offensive perspiration; night-sweats.

Sleep.--Sleepless from intolerable itching. Easily startled.

Modalities.--Worse, coffee; Psorinum patient does not improve while using coffee. Worse, changes of weather, in hot sunshine, from cold. Dread of least cold air or draft. Better, heat, warm clothing, even in summer.

Relationship.--Complementary: Sulphur.

Compare: Pediculus-Head-louse--(psoric manifestations in children. Eruption on dorsum of hands, feet neck. Prurigo; pellagra. Unusual aptitude for study and work). Pediculus (Cooties) transmit typhus and trench fever). In lack of reaction compare Calcarea and Natrum ars. Gaertner (Pessimistic, lack of confidence, subjective troublesome eye symptoms, fear of heights. Urticaria. Use 30th and 200th (Wheeler).

Dose.--Two hundredth and higher potencies. Should not be repeated too often. Psorinum requires something like 9 days before it manifests its action, and even a single dose may elicit other symptoms lasting for weeks (Aegedi).

  
PTELEA TRIFOLIATA
Wafer-ash
(PTELEA)

Is a remarkable remedy in stomach and liver affections. The aching and heaviness in the region of the liver is greatly aggravated by lying on the left side. Atonic states of stomach. Asthma.

Head.--Feels dull and stupid. Pain from forehead to root of nose; pressing-outward pain. Frontal headache; worse, noise, motion, night, rubbing eyes, with acidity. Temples as if pressed together.

Mouth.--Excess of saliva, with dry bitter taste. Tongue coated white or yellow; feels rough, swollen. Papillæ red and prominent (Arg n). Coating may be brownish-yellow.

Stomach.--Weight and fullness. Griping in epigastric region, with dryness of mouth. Eructations, nausea, vomiting. Constant sensation of corrosion, heat and burning in stomach. Stomach feels empty after eating. Stomach and liver symptoms associated with pain in limbs.

Abdomen.--Much weight and pain in right side; heavy, aching feeling, relieved by lying on right side. Liver sore, swollen, sensitive to pressure. Retraction of abdomen.

Respiratory.--Feeling of pressure on lungs and of suffocation, when lying on back. Asthma; dyspnœa; cramp-like pain in cardiac region.

Sleep.--Restless, with frightful dreams; nightmare, awakes languid and unrefreshed.

Modalities.--Worse, lying on left side; early morning. Better, eating sour things.

Relationship.--Compare: Mercur; Magn mur; Nux; Chelid.

Dose.--First to thirtieth potency.

  
PULSATILLA PRATENSIS
Wind Flower
(PULSATILLA)

The weather-cock among remedies.

The disposition and mental state are the chief guiding symptoms to the selection of Pulsatilla. It is pre-eminently a female remedy, especially for mild, gentle, yielding disposition. Sad, crying readily; weeps when talking; changeable, contradictory. The patient seeks the open air; always feels better there, even though he is chilly. Mucous membranes are all affected. Discharges thick, bland, and yellowish-green. Often indicated after abuse of Iron tonics, and after badly-managed measles. Symptoms ever changing. Thirstless, peevish, and chilly. When first serious impairment of health is referred to age of puberty. Great sensitiveness. Wants the head high. Feels uncomfortable with only one pillow. Lies with hands above head.

Mind.--Weeps easily. Timid, irresolute. Fears in evening to be alone, dark, ghost. Likes sympathy. Children like fuss and caresses. Easily discouraged. Morbid dread of the opposite sex. Religious melancholy. Given to extremes of pleasure and pain. Highly emotional. Mentally, an April day.

Head.--Wandering stitches about head; pains extend to face and teeth; vertigo; better in open air. Frontal and supra-orbital pains. Neuralgic pains, commencing in right temporal region, with scalding lachrymation of affected side. Headache from overwork. Pressure on vertex.

Ears.--Sensation as if something were being forced outward. Hearing difficult, as if the ear were stuffed. Otorrhœa. Thick, bland discharge; offensive odor. External ear swollen and red. Catarrhal otitis. Otalgia, worse at night. Diminishes acuteness of hearing.

Eyes.--Thick, profuse, yellow, bland discharges. Itching and burning in eyes. Profuse lachrymation and secretion of mucus. Lids inflamed, agglutinated. Styes. Veins of fundus oculi greatly enlarged. Ophthalmia neonatorum. Subacute conjunctivitis, with dyspepsia; worse, in warm room.

Nose.--Coryza; stoppage of right nostril, pressing pain at root of nose. Loss of smell. Large green fetid scales in nose. Stoppage in evening. Yellow mucus; abundant in morning. Bad smells, as of old catarrh. Nasal bones sore.

Face.--Right-sided neuralgia, with profuse lachrymation. Swelling of lower lip, which is cracked in middle. Prosopalgia towards evening till midnight; chilly, with pain.

Mouth.--Greasy taste. Dry mouth, without thirst; wants it washed frequently. Frequently licks the dry lips. Crack in middle of lower lip. Yellow or white tongue, covered with a tenacious mucus. Toothache; relieved by holding cold water in mouth (Coff). Offensive odor from mouth (Merc; Aur). Food, especially bread, tastes bitter. Much sweet saliva. Alternations of taste, bitter, bilious, greasy, salty, foul. Loss of taste. Desire for tonics.

Stomach.--Averse to fat food, warm food, and drink. Eructations; taste of food remains a long time; after ices, fruits, pasty. Bitter taste, diminished taste of all food. Pain as from subcutaneous ulceration. Flatulence. Dislikes butter (Sang). Heartburn. Dyspepsia, with great tightness after a meal; must loosen clothing. Thirstlessness, with nearly all complaints. Vomiting of food eaten long before. Pain in stomach an hour after eating (Nux). Weight as from a stone, especially in morning on awakening. Gnawing, hungry feeling (Abies c). Perceptible pulsation in pit of stomach (Asaf). All-gone sensation, especially in tea drinkers. Waterbrash, with foul taste in the morning.

Abdomen.--Painful, distended; loud rumbling. Pressure as from a stone. Colic, with chilliness in evening.

Stool.--Rumbling, watery; worse, night No two stools alike. After fruit (Ars; Chin). Blind hæmorrhoids, with itching and sticking pains. Dysentery; mucus and blood, with chilliness (Merc; Rheum). Two or three normal stools daily.

Urine.--Increased desire; worse when lying down. Burning in orifice of urethra during and after micturition. Involuntary micturition at night, while coughing or passing flatus. After urinating, spasmodic pain in bladder.

Female.--Amenorrhœa (Cimicif; Senec; Polygon). Suppressed menses from wet feet, nervous debility, or chlorosis. Tardy menses. Too late, scanty, thick, dark, clotted, changeable, intermittent. Chilliness, nausea, downward pressure, painful, flow intermits. Leucorrhœa acrid, burning, creamy. Pain in back; tired feeling. Diarrhœa during or after menses.

Male.--Orchitis; pain from abdomen to testicles. Thick, yellow discharge from urethra; late stage of gonorrhœa. Stricture; urine passed only in drops, and stream interrupted (Clemat). Acute prostatitis. Pain and tenesmus in urinating, worse lying on back.

Respiratory.--Capricious hoarseness; comes and goes. Dry cough in evening and at night; must sit up in bed to get relief; and loose cough in the morning, with copious mucous expectoration. Pressure upon the chest and soreness. Great soreness of epigastrium. Urine emitted with cough (Caust). Pain as from ulcer in middle of chest. Expectoration bland, thick, bitter, greenish. Short breath, anxiety, and palpitation when lying on left side (Phos). Smothering sensation on lying down.

Sleep.--Wide awake in the evening; first sleep restless. Wakes languid, unrefreshed. Irresistible sleepiness in afternoon. Sleeps with hands over head.

Back.--Shooting pain in the nape and back, between shoulders; in sacrum after sitting.

Extremities.--Drawing, tensive pain in thighs and legs, with restlessness, sleeplessness and chilliness. Pain in limbs, shifting rapidly; tensive pain, letting up with a snap. Numbness around elbow. Hip-joint painful. Knees swollen, with tearing, drawing pains. Boring pain in heels toward evening; suffering worse from letting the affected limb hang down (Vipera). Veins in forearms and hands swollen. Feet red, inflamed, swollen. Legs feel heavy and weary.

Skin.--Urticaria, after rich food, with diarrhœa, from delayed menses, worse undressing. Measles. Acne at puberty. Varicose veins.

Fever.--Chilliness, even in warm room, without thirst. Chilly with pains, in spots, worse evening. Chill about 4 pm. Intolerable burning heat at night, with distended veins; heat in parts of body, coldness in other. One-sided sweat; pains during sweat. External heat is intolerable, veins are distended. During apyrexia, headache, diarrhœa, loss of appetite, nausea.

Modalities.--Worse, from heat, rich fat food, after eating, towards evening, warm room, lying on left or on painless side when allowing feet to hang down. Better, open air, motion, cold applications, cold food and drinks, though not thirsty.

Relationship.--Penthorum, often indicated after Pulsatilla in later colds. Ionesia Asoca-Saraca indica--(Amenorrhœa. Menorrhagia-acts powerfully on female organs. Abdominal pain). Atriplex (Uterine symptoms, amenorrhœa; hysteria, coldness between shoulders, dislike of warm food, craves strange foods, palpitation, sleeplessness). Pulsatilla Nuttaliana, identical effects.

Compare: Cyclamen; Kali bich; Kali sulph; Sulphur. Pimenta-Allspice--(one-sided neuralgias, parts of body hot and cold).

Anagyris (headache, amenorrhœa).

Complementary: Coffea; Chamom; Nux.

Dose.--Third to thirtieth attenuation.

  
PULEX IRRITANS
Common Flea

Marked urinary and female symptoms.

Head.--Very impatient, cross, and irritable. Frontal headache, with enlarged feeling of eyes. Face wrinkled and old-looking.

Mouth.--Metallic taste. Sensation of a thread in throat. Thirsty, especially during headache.

Stomach.--Breath and taste foul. Intense nausea, with vomiting, purging, and faintness. Stool very offensive. Abdomen bloated.

Urine.--Scanty with frequent urging, with pressure on bladder and burning in urethra. Flow stops suddenly followed by pain. Urine foul. Cannot retain urine; must attend to the call without delay. Irritable bladder before menses.

Female.--Menses delayed. Increased flow of saliva during. Intense burning in vagina. Leucorrhœa, profuse, foul, staining a greenish yellow; stains of menses and leucorrhœa very hard to wash out. Backache (Oxal ac).

Back.--Aches, weak; drawing of muscles below scapulæ.

Fever.--Feels a glow all over, like being over steam; chilly, while sitting beside the fire.

Skin.--Prickly itching. Sore spots all over. Skin emits foul odor.

Modalities.--Better, sitting or lying down. Worse, left side, moving about.

Dose.--The higher potencies.

  
PYROGENIUM
Artificial Sepsin

This remedy was introduced by English Homeopathists, prepared from decomposed lean beef allowed to stand in the sun for two weeks and then potentized. The provings and most of the clinical experience have been obtained from this preparation. But, subsequently, Dr. Swan potentized some septic pus, which preparation has also been proved and clinically applied. There does not seem to be any marked difference in their effects.

Pyrogen is the great remedy for septic states, with intense restlessness. "In septic fevers, especially puerperal, Pyrogen has demonstrated its great value as a homeopathic dynamic antiseptic. " (H. C. Allen). Hectic, typhoid, typhus, ptomaine poisoning, diphtheria, dissecting wounds, sewer-gas poisoning, chronic malaria, after-effects of miscarriage, all these conditions at times may present symptoms calling for this unique medicine. All discharges are horribly offensive-menstrual, lochial, diarrhœa, vomit, sweat, breath, etc. Great pain and violent burning in abscesses. Chronic complaints that date back to septic conditions. Threatening heart failure in zymotic and septic fevers. Influenza, typhoid symptoms.

Mind.--Full of anxiety and insane notions. Loquacious. Thinks he is very wealthy. Restless. Feels if crowded with arms and legs. Cannot tell whether dreaming while awake or asleep.

Head.--Painless throbbing. Fan-like motion of alæ nasi (Lyc; Phos). Bursting headache with restlessness.

Mouth.--Tongue red and dry, clean, cracked, smooth, as though varnished. Throat dry, articulation difficult. Nausea and vomiting. Taste terribly fetid. Breath horrible.

Stomach.--Coffee-grounds vomiting. Vomits water, when it becomes warm in stomach.

Abdomen.--Intolerable tenesmus o both bladder and rectum. Bloated, sore, cutting pain.

Stool.--Diarrhœa; horribly offensive, brown-black, painless, involuntary. Constipation, with complete inertia (Opium); obstinate from impaction. Stools large, black, carrion-like, or small black balls.

Heart.--Tired feeling about heart. Palpitation. Sensation as if heart were too full. Always can hear her heart beat. Pulse abnormally rapid, out of proportion to the temperature pain in region of left nipple. Conscious of heart.

Female.--Puerperal peritonitis, with extreme fetor. Septicæmia following abortion. Menses horribly offensive. Uterine hæmorrhages. Fever at each menstrual period, consequent upon latent pelvic inflammation. Septic puerperal infection. Pelvic calculitis. Inflammatory exudate. Post-operative cases, with overwhelming sepsis.

Fever.--Coldness and chilliness. Septic fevers. Latent pyogenic condition. Chill begins in back. Temperature rises rapidly. Great heat with profuse hot sweat, but sweating does not cause a fall in temperature.

Extremities.--Throbbing in vessels of neck. Numbness of hands, arms, feet. Aching in all limbs and bones. Bed feels too hard (Arn). Great debility in the morning. Soreness; better by motion (Rhus). Rapid decubitus of septic origin.

Skin.--Small cut or injury becomes much swollen and inflamed-discolored. Dry.

Sleep.--Seems to be in semi-sleep. Dreams all night.

Modalities.--Relief from motion.

Relationship.--Compare: Streptoccin (anti-febrile action; septic symptoms in infectious diseases). Rapid in its action, especially in its effect on temperature; Staphyloccin in diseases where the staphylococcus is the chief bacterial factor, as acne, abscess, furuncle; empyæma, endocarditis, etc. ; Sepin-A toxin of Proteus vulgaris, prepared by Dr. Shedd, same symptoms as Pyrogen, of which it is the main constituent; Echinacea; Carbo; Ars; Lach; Rhus; Bapt.

Complementary: Bryon.

Dose.--Sixth to thirtieth and higher potencies. Should not be repeated too frequently.

 

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