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. Ozśna 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, śsophagus 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 śsophagus.
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. Diarrhśa 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).
Leucorrhśa 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 hćmorrhage from
inertia of uterus. Parenchymatous hćmorrhage from various organs-23 % solution. Hćmorrhage
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.