Kissingen.
Cold, chlorinated, gaseous, saline Springs of Kissingen in Bavaria (Source
Rakoczy). Dilution.Clinical.─
Albuminuria. Constipation. Corns.
Diabetes. Diarrhœa. Gout. Hæmorrhoids. Liver, affections of. Mesenteric glands, affections
of. Noises in ears. Rectum, affections of. Spleen, affections of. Warts.
Characteristics.─
The water of Kissingen has been proved by Carl Preu, and observations have
been made on its general effects. The composition of the solid constituents is very
complicated, but Nat. mur. is the leading ingredient,
existing in the proportion of 5.82 out of a total of 8.55 in the 1,000. It compares with
Nauheim, Kreutznach, and, to some extent, with Vichy. Constantin James gives an excellent
account of its action, and one of especial interest to homœopaths, as it bears strongly on
the doctrine of chronic diseases and the homœopathic aggravation. The dose is from three to
six glasses of the water in the morning and two at 4 p.m.; but the general rule is that no
more is to be drunk than the stomach can digest without difficulty. In the first days there
is increase of appetite and force; but in proportion as the water is absorbed the effects
become general. Then an eliminatory “crisis” comes on. The stools become brownish,
loose, bilious. The urine is turbid, depositing a sediment which rapidly putrifies. The
secretion of the bronchial, genital, and ocular mucous membranes, and also of the skin, is
increased and changed in character. At the same time patients experience a sort of moral and
physical prostration, and are alarmed to see old and long-forgotten
troubles reappear. This crisis, which appears in the first or second week, soon
disappears of itself, and the cure proceeds. The conditions against which Kis. is especially useful are abdominal affections─especially
a catarrhal (“saburral”) condition of the primæ viæ; intestinal atony;
convalescence from typhoid and choleraic affections; affections of the liver and spleen and
intestinal glands. Also in cases of gout “where the asthmatic principle appears to be
repercussed upon the abdominal viscera”; for then the waters draw it out to the
articulations. “Only these waters require to be managed with extreme prudence; if you
overdo the doses by ever so little you will bring on a true attack of gout.” Thus far
Constantin James on the effects on the sick, and observations recorded in Allen confirm
them. Some of these effects were also observed in patients, and one of these is noteworthy.
The patient suffered from vomiting of blood consequent on the disappearance of a
hæmorrhoidal flux. Under the action of the waters the latter was restored and the
blood-vomiting ceased. Among the general effects, trembling of the whole body, weariness,
pulsation of the Whole body, stitches here and there, were noted; and especially a very
tearful disposition: “If he only looks at any one he must weep” (especially at 10
a.m.); muscæ volitantes, and noises in the ears; chills, heat, and perspiration. The
symptoms were < in the forenoon and at night, on
waking; while eating (vertigo); during menstruation (toothache); while reading and writing.
Relations.─
Compare:
Nat. m. (weeping disposition; chill 10 a.m.; catarrh; constipation); Ant. c. (saburral
condition); Urt. ur. (gout); Fer. pic. (warts and corns).
SYMPTOMS.
1. Mind.─
Yielding disposition.─Weeping
and complaining, tossing, to and fro on account of pain.─If he only
looks at any one he must weep.─Constantly seeks for unpleasant things to
think about and broods over them.─Anxiety and weakness preceding menses.─Very
easily frightened.─Frightful thoughts at night on waking.─Ill-humoured,
fretful, exhausted, weary of life; suddenly; always an hour after drinking the water; very
transient.─Inability for mental work.─Irresolute.─Speech
difficult because he constantly makes mistakes in speaking.─Loss of
ideas.─Weak memory.
2. Head.─
Vertigo while eating; suddenly after
eating cooked cherries.─Feeling of intoxication.─Tensive
headache < by reading.─Rush of
blood to head and chest with cold feet.─Pain in both frontal eminences,
extends down to nasal bone.─Headache above l. eye with double vision.─Drawing
in head extending from root of nose upwards.─Pressive pain deep in
occiput.─Tensive pain in whole scalp.─Itching on
occiput.
3. Eyes.─
White of eye seems yellow.─Staring
eye.─Burning in eyes, evening.─Pressure, and itching
in eyes.─Lids: tensive; twitching in r. lower; redness; agglutination.─Acrid
lachrymation with pain in canthi.─Muscæ volitantes.
4. Ears.─
Hot ears.─Ringing
and roaring in ears.
5. Nose.─
Catarrh: fluent; stopped.─Nose
dry.─Crawling in r. nostril as if he would sneeze.
6. Face.─
Deathly paleness.─Feeling
of pressing asunder in both zygomata.─Frighful pressure in malar bones
and in ear.─Upper lip burns at night and seems as if it would become
swollen.
7. Teeth.─
Teeth on edge as after acid.─Toothache
during menses.─Roots of all l. lower teeth painful.
8. Mouth.─
Coated tongue with pasty taste.─Prickling
sticking on margin of tongue as if an ulcer would form.─Much
accumulation of saliva, like soap and water.─Flat taste in mouth; his
food has sour taste.─Salty taste (of the spring) lasting weeks after
using the water.
9. Throat.─
Mucus in throat.─Contraction.─Neck
glands swell.
11. Stomach.─
Appetite without hunger.─Painful
hunger but immediately satisfied.─Constant thirst, even in forenoon.─Frequent
eructations in open air.─Nausea with accumulation of water in mouth;
half an hour after breakfast.─Vomiting of leathery, yellow-brown in
mucus.─Excessive vomiting and purging of black clotted blood.─Heaviness
and distension beneath pit of stomach.─Stitches in epigastrium, r. side.
12. Abdomen.─
Feeling as though everything too
tight about hips, obliging her to loosen her dress.─Distended abdomen.─Incarceration
of flatus.─Enormous colic with violent cramps.
13. Stool and Anus.─
Swelling of hæmorrhoidal
veins.─Hæmorrhoidal flux more profuse.─In rectum:
feeling of dryness; dragging; frequent stitches; itching.─Frequent
ineffectual desire for stool.─Stools: leathery, yellowish brown, diarrhœa-like;
pasty.─Evacuation of a large quantity of slimy, bilious matter, smelling
like asafœtida (lasted two weeks in one habitually constipated).─Blackish-green
stools.─Incredible amount of blackish-green, burnt, lumpy fæces, like
large pieces of slate, preceded by blackish-green substances like gastric mucus, preceded by
colicky pains and rumbling in abdomen; the former stool required so much exertion and caused
so much pain that long-lasting faintness ensued (in a patient with intestinal inactivity).─Frequent
bloody stools; afterwards hæmorrhoidal flux and no more vomiting of blood.─Passage
of gall-stones.─Constipation.─Stool was difficult to
press out of rectum; obliged to press the nates apart.
14. Urinary Organs.─
Feeling of moisture at meatus
urinarius, as if he would have gonorrhœa.─Itching and sticking in
urethra when not urinating.─Sand and gravel in urine for several weeks.
15. Male Sexual Organs.─
Unusual seminal emission
at night.
16. Female Sexual Organs.─
Profuse menstruation;
with discharge of membranous concretions.
17. Respiratory Organs.─
More hoarse than usual.─Frequent
expectoration of mucus.
18. Chest.─
Tightness of chest.─Pressure
on (l.) chest.─Stitches in l. breast.
19. Heart.─
Fulness in precordium.─Palpitation
with anxiety.─Beats of heart intermit.─Pulse greatly
accelerated and feverish.
21. Limbs.─
Cramp-like feeling in limbs, esp.
hands, as if arms had fallen asleep; violent inflammation of extensor digitorum communis of
both hands in one hitherto paralysed.
22. Upper Limbs.─
Weakness and heaviness in arms.─R.
arm has fallen asleep and feels paralysed.─Shoulders painful as if hot
water had been poured over them.─Fuzzy feeling in finger-tips.
23. Lower Limbs.─
Frequently stumbles when walking
from stiffness of joints.─Jerking in limbs while writing.─Cramp
in r. calf and l. toe at night.─Heaviness of feet.─Painfulness,
boring and Sticking in corns.
24. Generalities.─
Trembling of whole body.─Unusually
weary after a walk.─Uneasiness, cannot lie still in any place.─Stitches
here and there.─Pulsation of the body when he remains perfectly quiet.
25. Skin.─
Yellowness of skin.─A
three-months’ old wart on the finger disappears.─Itching eruption on
abdomen and feet.─Itching in limbs.
26. Sleep.─
Frequent yawning.─Sleeping
during day.─Wakes several times at night with great uneasiness.─Jerking
during sleep.─Starts up twice while falling asleep is from electric
shock through whole body.─One dream follows another the whole night
though he frequently wakes between them.─Dreamy steep with confused
dreams.─Frightful dreams of murder and fire.
27. Fever.─
Chilliness while walking, immediately
followed by easy perspiration.─Febrile chill recurring daily at 10 a.m.,
but generally occurring later.─Shivering and goose-flesh.─Cold
hands and feet.─Great heat after a little wine (in one accustomed to
it).─Flushes of heat and easy perspiration.─Head
constantly hot during febrile chill.─Whole body reeking with
perspiration.─Anxious sweat.® 2000
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