Iodium.
Iodium. Iodine. An element. l. (AM. 126.53). Tincture.
Clinical.─
Appetite,
disordered. Atrophy. Brain, atrophy of. Breasts, affections of. Cancer. Chilblains. Chyluria. Constipation. Consumption. Coryza. Cough. Croup.
Debility. Diabetes. Diarrhśa. Diphtheria.
Emaciation. Enteric fever. Galactorrhśa. Goître
Hćmorrhoids. Headaches. Heart, hypertrophy of; affections of. Hiccough. Hydrocephalus.
Iritis. Jaundice. Joints, affections of. Lactation,
disordered. Laryngitis Leucorrhśa. Liver, affections
of. Lymphatic swellings. Melancholia. Mollities ossium. Ovaries, affections of; dropsy of. Ozćna.
Prostate gland, enlarged. Rheumatic gout. Rheumatism. Salivation. Scars. Seborrhśa. Sterility. Syphilis. Tabes
mesenterica. Throat, affections of. Uterus, affections of. Voice, affections of. Vomiting.
Worms.
Characteristics.─
The most prominent feature of
the action of Iodium is its power of causing absorption.
It is this power which has made the drug such a favourite among old-school practitioners as
a paint in all kinds of swellings. Given internally its power is much greater: the
absorbents are stimulated to fresh activity; muscles, fat, tissues, and glands waste away,
and general emaciation is the result. When new growths and hyperplasias are present, these
come under the action of Iod. before the normal tissues.
I have seen it given with excellent effect in the lower attenuations, when swollen and
deformed joints have been left behind after an attack of acute rheumatism. Scrofulous and
syphilitic indurations, effusions and tumours, and especially goître, are equally amenable
to its resolvent action. Emaciation of single parts. In this connection must be mentioned
its power to set up a ravenous appetite. “Eats ravenously, yet emaciates,” is a
keynote. It seems as if the waste of tissue set up the desire for absorbing great quantities
of food. Absence of appetite is also among the effects of Iod.,
and either condition may indicate it. I once used it with excellent effect in the case of a
young woman who had had a nervous shock, and had lost all appetite and desire to live. She
was much emaciated, and had quietly made up her mind to starve herself to death. I gave five
drops of Iod. 3x in a wineglass of water half an hour
before meal-times, and her appetite returned with such vigour she could not choose but eat,
and was soon restored to a normal mental and bodily state. I have recorded another similar
case of nervous shock producing rapid emaciation and vomiting cured by Iod. in my book on Indigestion.
Both these patients were somewhat dark, and Iod. is specially
suited to persons of dark hair and complexion; dark, yellow, tawny skin. Herein
it is the antipodes of Bromium and Spongia. Its mental symptoms are more marked than those of Brom. There is increased erethism, patient very excitable and
restless, moving about from place to place. Fears every little occurrence will end
seriously. In his anxiety shuns every one, even his doctor. Fixed ideas are among the Iod. effects; also sudden impulses. A patient of mine had once
been given Iodine for goître by an allopath. She was
compelled to discontinue it because it produced this inconvenient symptom: impulse to run;
she felt she must fall if she walked. Iod. produces
atrophy of nerve and brain tissue, as well as of other tissues (Allen mentions that it is
valuable in persistent headaches with vertigo in old people); and it also has a place in
acute hydrocephalus; and in pleuritic effusions. In tubercular disease of all kinds it may
be called for: tabes mesenterica; pulmonary phthisis. In rheumatism and heart affections it
has a large sphere. It is indicated by indurations or atrophy of testes, ovaries, and
uterus. The salivary glands and pancreas are especially affected by Iod.,
and a diarrhśa of milky, whey-like stools, often indicative of pancreatic disease, is
especially amenable to its action. In pneumonia and phthisical affections with lung
consolidation it is of great service. The chief indications are: Dyspnśa; cough with
blood-streaked expectoration; tickling all over chest; weakness and emaciation; < of symptoms in a warm room. This last, “< by warmth,” is a leading modality of Iod. In defects of growth, curvature of bones, and in children’s
ailments, it follows well upon Calc. In phthisis of
rapidly-growing young people, thin and dark, it is especially indicated. There are many
marked symptoms in the heart sphere: palpitation from slightest cause; sensation as if being
squeezed; hypertrophy. With the heart symptoms there is a “gone,” exhausted
feeling, and the patient is scarcely able to breathe or walk. C. S. McKay noticed lumbrici
passed by an infant who had tasted Iodine accidentally,
and used the experience in another case, giving a dilute solution (one part of the Ř to
three of water; of this three drops every three hours), and produced the expulsion of
lumbrici when Santonin had completely failed. An
Ioduretted solution of Kali iod. (Kali iod. gr. xxxv., Iod. gr.
iv., Aqua one ounce; ten drops for a dose) has been used
with success as a tćnicide, expelling the tapeworm, dead. Erethism is marked in Iod.: nervousness; restlessness; twitching; subsultus tendinum
and trembling; also sense of trembling in inner parts. Facial paralysis and epilepsy have
followed suppression of goître by large doses of Iod.
Weakness is excessive. Fainting on going upstairs. (General weakness and loss of appetite
and pain in temples, and pain in left chest as if something were being torn away: heart
large.─Cooper). Motion and exertion of all kinds <. Sitting up >, and
lying down < dyspnśa and heart affections. < By warmth; by wrapping up; in warm room. < In wet weather. Drinking cold milk >
constipation. > By eating, of hunger and other
symptoms, is another marked character of Iod. Iod. is a
sensitive remedy, and many symptoms are < by touch
and pressure. Nash thinks Iod. one of the remedies
affected by the moon’s changes. In cases of goître where it is indicated he gives a powder
of Iod. c.m. every night for four nights after the moon
has passed the full.
Relations.─
Iod. must be compared with Iodoform
and Kali iod. The febrile, inflammatory, and skin symptoms of Iodf. are more violent and
pronounced than those of the other two. K. iod. has less erethism than Iod., has > from external warmth (though both have > in open air); and K. iod. has not the excessive appetite of
Iod. or the general > from eating. Iod. is antidoted by: Starch or wheat flour mixed with water (to large
doses). Antidotes to small doses: Ant. t., Apis, Ars.,
Bell., Camph., Chi., Chi. sul., Coff., Hep., Op., Pho., Spo., Sul. It
antidotes: Merc. Follows well: Merc.; Hep.
(croup); Ars. Followed well by: Aco., Arg. n., Calc.,
Merc. sol., Pho., Pul. Complementary: Lyc. Compare: Brom. (Brom. has light hair and complexion; Iod. dark;
Bro. carrion-like odour of ulcers); Chlorum; Nat. m. (ravenous appetite yet gets thin─Nat.
m. especially about the neck); Kali iod. (talkative as if from alcohol); Bar. c. (tabes
mesenterica, extreme hunger, emaciates, talkative, averse to strangers; Bar. c. suited to
dwarfish persons; has not the intolerable crossness of Iod., which is < than that of Ant. c.); Alumina (apprehensive, fears); Apis
(joint effusions, sensitiveness, hydrocephalus); Cact. and Spig. (heart); Hydrast. (uterine
affections); Ars., Calc., Cin., Sil. and Staph. (ravenous hunger); Hyo. (loss of voice; Iod.
antidotes this); Sul.
Causation.─
Nervous shock. Disappointed love.
SYMPTOMS.
1. Mind.─
Lachrymose disposition and mental
dejection.─Melancholy hypochondriasis, sadness, heart-ache, and anxiety.─Fear:
shuns persons.─Anxious apprehensions.─Restless
agitation (with inclination to move about), which will neither permit the patient to remain
seated, nor to sleep.─Irresistible impulse to run; feels she will fall
if she walks.─Cross, irascible, peevish.─Heart
palpitates “like lightning” when thinking of real or imaginary wrongs.─Sudden
maniacal impulses; to murder.─Excessive mental excitement, with great
susceptibility.─Illusions of moral feeling.─Loquacity
and immoderate gaiety.─Hesitation and irresolution.─Indolence
of mind, with great repugnance to all intellectual labour.─Fixedness,
immovableness of thought.─Delirium.─Effects of
amorousness; of disappointed love.
2. Head.─
Confusion of the head (with aversion to
earnest work).─In the morning, dizziness.─Vertigo;
throbbing in the head and all over the body.─Vertigo with red face,
palpitation, hysteria, nervousness.─Headache, in hot air, as well as
from the prolonged movement of a carriage, or from a long walk, and <
by noise and speech.─Pain, as from a bruise, in the brain, with want of
strength in the body, as from paralysis.─Acute pressive pains in the
forehead.─Headache, as if a tape or band were tightly drawn around the
head.─Pressure on a small spot, above the root of the nose.─Congestion
in the head, with beating in the brain.─Throbbing in the head at every
motion.─Hair falls out.
3. Eyes.─
Pains in orbits.─Feeling
of depression above the eyes, as if they were deeply sunken, in the evening.─Pain,
as from excoriation, in the eyes.─Inflammation of the eyes, sometimes
after taking cold.─Watery white swelling of the eyelids.─Dirty
yellowish colour of the sclerotica.─Protrusion of the balls.─Lachrymation.─Convulsive
movements, and quivering of the eyes; of the (lower) eyelids.─Weak
sight.─Dimness of vision following upon application of Iodine to any part of body.─Choroido-iritis.─Diplopia.─Sparks
and scintillations before the eyes.
4. Ears.─
Buzzing in the ears.─Hardness
of hearing.─Sensibility to noise.─(Chronic deafness
with adhesions in middle ear.─Deafness from Eustachian catarrh, inflamed
tonsils, roaring in the ears, &c.).
5. Nose.─
Small scab in the r. nostril.─Epistaxis.─Red,
burning spot on the nose, below the eyes.─Stoppage of the nose, or
secretion of mucus more abundant than usual.─Dry coryza, becoming fluent
in the open air (< evening).─Fluent
coryza with much sneezing.─Violent coryza with lachrymation and frontal
headache; discharge hot, nose sore, fever.─Blowing of much yellow mucus
from the nose.
6. Face.─
Complexion pale, yellowish, or easily
tanned; or greenish.─Acneous eruption on r. side of face, with burning,
and itching, twitching of r. upper eyelid, and twitchings in other parts.─Sallow,
distressed countenance.─Bluish lips, with swelling of the superficial
veins.─Frequent and sudden redness of the face, with sensation of
burning in the ears.─Face sunken with eyes cast down.─Starting
of the muscles of the face.─Suppurating ulcer on the l. cheek, with
swelling of the contiguous glands.─Swelling of submaxillary glands.
7. Teeth.─
Pressive pains in the molars.─Teeth
yellow, and covered with mucus, in the morning; easily blunted by vegetable acids.─Inflammatory
swelling and bleeding of the gums, with swelling of the cheek; the gums are painful to the
touch.─Teeth loose.─Softening of the gums.
8. Mouth.─
Aphthć in the mouth.─Ulcers
in the mouth.─Pain and swelling of the glands of the interior of the
mouth.─Exhalation of putrid odour from the mouth; after Mercury.─Salivation.─Tongue
loaded with a thick coating.─Dryness of the tongue.
9. Throat.─
Swelling and elongation of the uvula.─Sore
throat, with pressive pain, when not swallowing.─Permanent constriction
of the gullet and impeded deglutition.─Increased secretion of watery
saliva.─Inflammation of the gullet, with sensation of burning and
scraping; burning in the fauces.─Ulcers in throat, with swelling of
glands of neck.
10. Appetite.─
Disagreeable, saponaceous, sourish,
or bitter salt taste.─Increased thirst day and night.─Appetite
variable; at one time bulimy, at another, absence of appetite.─Unusual
hunger, with amelioration after a meal (after having eaten a good deal).─Great
weakness of digestion.─Eats too often and too much; rapid digestion, but
losing flesh all the time.
11. Stomach.─
Risings, generally acid, with
burning sensation.─Heartburn, after heavy food.─Hiccough.─Pyrosis,
esp. after indigestible food.─Qualmishness, nausea (with spasmodic pain
in the stomach).─Frequent nausea.─Violent vomitings
renewed by eating.─Vomiting of bilious matter, or of yellowish mucus.─Excessive
pains in the stomach, with bilious evacuations.─Aching in the stomach
after every meal.─Cramp-like, gnawing, or burning pains in the stomach.─Inflammation
in the stomach.─Pulsations in the epigastrium.─Gastric
derangement with constipation.
12. Abdomen.─
Abdominal pains, which return after
every meal.─Inflation of the abdomen.─Incarceration
of flatulence (l. side of abdomen).─Enlargement of the abdomen, which
renders it impossible to lie down without danger of suffocation.─Region
of liver sore to pressure; swelling and hypertrophy of liver; jaundice.─Hard,
painful swelling of the spleen.─Cramp-like pains in the abdomen.─Violent
colic.─Pains in the abdomen, like those of parturition.─Swelling
and inflammation of the mesenteric glands.─Pancreas enlarged; whitish,
whey-like diarrhśa.─Abdominal pulsations; throbbing of abdominal aorta.─Trembling
in the abdomen, from the pit of the stomach to the periphery, with increased heat.─Hard
swelling of the inguinal glands.
13. Stool and Anus.─
Hard, knotty, dark-coloured fćces.─Constipation.─Loose,
soft evacuations, sometimes whitish, alternately with constipation.─Evacuations
copious of the consistence of pap.─Violent, frothy diarrhśa, or
composed of sanguineous mucus.─Dysenteric evacuations of thick mucus, or
sometimes purulent, with retention of fćcal matter.─In the evening,
sensation of itching and burning in the anus.─Piles protrude and burn; < from heat.
14. Urinary Organs.─
Suppressed secretion of
urine.─Copious and frequent flow of urine.─Involuntary
emission of urine at night.─Urine of a deep colour, turbid, or yellowish
green; or milky; or acrid and corrosive.─Parti-coloured cuticle on the
urine.─(Incontinence in old people with prostatic enlargement.).─(Diabetes.)
15. Male Sexual Organs.─
Complete loss of sexual
power, testicles atrophied.─Violent and constant erections.─Sexual
desire increased.─Painful pullings in the anterior part of the penis.─Aching,
pressing, twisting, or forcing pain in spermatic cords; after sexual dalliance.─Swelling
and hardness of the testes.─Hardness of the prostate gland.─After
stool, milk-like fluid runs from urethra.─Hydrocele.─Offensive
sweat of genitals.
16. Female Sexual Organs.─
Catamenia at one time
too late, at another too early.─Menses premature, violent and copious.─Metrorrhagia.─Weakness,
palpitation of the heart, and many sufferings, before, during, and after the catamenia.─Atrophy
of ovaries and breasts, with sterility.─Pain (dull, pressing,
wedge-like) commencing in r. ovary passing down broad ligament to uterus.─Great
sensitiveness of r. ovarian region during or after menses.─Inflammation
of r. ovary with an itching eruption on head and hands following application of Iodine to os uteri.─Chronic oöphoritis (l.)
with thick, yellow, burning leucorrhśa, > after
eating (H. N. Martin.).─Pain in lower abdomen; <
l. ovarian region; > by motion and by eating.─Induration
and swelling (cancer?) of the uterus.─Uterine hćmorrhage renewed after
every stool.─Leucorrhśa, corroding the limbs and the linen; acrid;
profuse; worse at time of menses.─Flaccidity and atrophy of the breasts.─Mammary
hyperćsthesia.─Heaviness of breasts as if they would fall off.─Acute
pain and soreness in breasts with metritis.─Bluish red nodosities size
of hazel nut; in both breasts; dry, black points at tips.─Galactorrhśa;
thin, watery milk; weakness; emaciation.─Milk suppressed; breasts
atrophied and relaxed.
17. Respiratory Organs.─
Insupportable hoarseness
and tingling in the throat, esp. in morning.─The voice becomes deeper.─Membranous
croup, with wheezing and sawing respiration; dry, barking cough, esp. in children with dark
eyes and hair; child grasps throat with hand.─Croup, with much mucous
expectoration, sometimes streaked with blood.─Inflammation of the
throat, of the larynx and trachea, with contractive pain of excoriation.─Pain
in the larynx, with discharge of hardened mucus.─Contraction and heat in
the larynx.─Increased secretion of mucus in the trachea, with frequent
hawking.─Dry cough, with pressure, shooting, and sensation of burning in
the chest.─Cough in the morning.─Cough, with
expectoration of abundant, and sometimes sanguineous mucus, pains in the chest, and fever.─Rattling
of mucus in the chest, with roughness under the sternum and oppression of the chest.─Cough,
resembling whooping-cough, excited by an insupportable tickling in the chest, with anguish
before the paroxysm, and excessive emaciation.─Hepatization; worse upper
part of r. lung.
18. Chest.─
Difficulty of respiration, and
dyspnśa.─Difficulty of expanding the chest on taking an inspiration.─Suffocation.─Shooting
in the l. side, on breathing.─Loss of power to breathe, esp. on going
upstairs.─Weakness of the chest.─Congestion in the
chest.─Burning, shooting tension in the integuments of the chest.
19. Heart.─
Sensation of weakness in the chest
(and heart).─Violent palpitation of the heart; increased by the least
exertion (from walking or going downstairs).─Sensation as if the heart
were squeezed together.─Constant, heavy, oppressive pain in region of
heart, with sharp, piercing, movable pain.─Great precordial anxiety,
obliging him to constantly change his position.─(Hypertrophy of heart,
very like that of Arn., and like that often met with in
housemaids and others from over-exertion.─Fatty degeneration of heart.─Cooper.).─Pulse
rapid, small, weak, with tumultuous, irregular, at times intermittent action of heart.
20. Neck and Back.─
Tension in the neck.─Swelling
of the exterior of the neck.─Swelling of the neck when speaking.─Swelling
of the glands of the neck, of the nape of the neck, and of the armpits.─Hard
and large goîtres.─Constant sensation of constriction in the goîtres.─Yellowish
spots on the neck, and redness, as from ecchymosis.─Cramps in the back.─Pain
in sacrum and coccyx.─Spinal complaints, with gressus vaccinus.
21. Limbs.─
Chronic arthritic affections; with
violent nightly pains.─Stiff and enlarged joints after acute rheumatism.─Subsultus
tendinum.─Cold hands and feet.
22. Upper Limbs.─
Pains in the bones of the arms, < when lying down, and disturbing the sleep.─Lassitude
in the arms in the morning, in bed.─Convulsive movements and trembling
of the arms, of the hands, and of the fingers.─Numbness of the fingers.─Tearing
pains in the fingers.─Startings of the tendons of the fingers.─Panaris.─Constant
coldness of the hands, which are covered with a cold sweat during labour.─Carphologia.
23. Lower Limbs.─
Cramp-like pains in the legs
when seated.─Heaviness, swelling, trembling and paralysis of the legs.─Rheumatic
pullings in the thighs and knees.─Inflammatory swelling of the knee,
with tearing pains, and suppuration.─Hot, bright-red swelling of the
knee, with inflammation, pricking and burning; < by
touch and pressure.─Dropsical swelling of the knee.─White
swelling of the knee.─Cramps in the feet, esp. at night.─Startings
of the tendons of the feet.─Śdematous swelling of the feet.─Chilblains.─Acrid
and corrosive sweat on the feet.─Pain in the corns.
24. Generalities.─
Erratic pains in the joints.─Chronic
rheumatism in the joints, with violent pains at night; without swelling.─Sensation
of torpor in the limbs.─Convulsive starting and twitching of the
tendons.─Distortion of the bones.─Pains in the bones
at night.─Swelling and induration of the glands.─Hćmorrhage
from different organs.─Powerful over-excitement of all the nervous
system.─Ebullition of blood, and pulsation over the whole body,
increased by the slightest exertion.─Trembling of the limbs.─Tottering
walk.─Great weakness; even speaking excites perspiration.─Plastic
exudations.─Atrophy and emaciation till reduced to the state of a
skeleton (with good appetite).─Emaciation; ending in marasmus; of
glandular tissues (mammć, testicles, thyroid gland, &c.).─Śdematous
swelling, even of the whole body.
25. Skin.─
Skin rough, dry, or clammy, moist, and
of a dirty yellow.─Tetters.─Furfur.─Panaris.─Itching
and itching pimples on an old cicatrix.─Papulous eruptions tending to
pustulation.
26. Sleep.─
Agitated dreams.─Restless
sleep with vivid or anxious dreams.─Nocturnal sweat.
27. Fever.─
Shivering, even in a warm room.─Chill
alternating with heat.─Cold feet all night.─Internal
dry heat, with external coldness.─Profuse night-sweat.─Increase
of bodily heat.─Fugitive heat.─Acid perspiration in
the morning.─Pulse quick, small, and hard; weak, threadlike.─The
pulse becomes much quicker as soon as one moves about.─Fever, with
consumption.─(West Indian and African fevers; ague.)® 2000
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