DECACHORDS
by A. Gladstone Clarke.
Presented by Dr
Robert Séror
Aconite
1
. Strong, healthy, full-blooded person of
quick, lively. sanguine temperament.2
. Emotional, mental and physical tension ; hyperaesthesia,
of the special senses.3
. Onset
of sthenic fevers, characterized by (a) intense
anxiety with prediction and fear of death, causing restlessness and tossing
about ; (b) strong, full, rapid pulse ; (c) dry, hot skin and great thirst ; (d) intolerance of warmth, bedclothes
thrown off.4
. Complaints from exposure to dry, cold winds and
draughts, also from suppressed perspiration, mental emotions (especially
fright), injury, shock, surgical operation, intense heat.5
. Pains intense and insupportable ;
tearing, stabbing, cutting ; often associated with :6
. Local numbness or tingling.
7
. Sudden disturbances of the special
senses, especially vision. 8. Sudden spasmodic affections in children, especially croup.9
. Haemorrhages of bright-red blood when
the characteristic mental anxiety is present.10
. Modalities ; < evening and night ;
warm room, lying on left side ; > fresh air ; joint pain < motion
> rest.Notes. Chronic :
Sulphur.
Keynote : Tension.
Agaricus
1. Light-haired persons of lax fibre ; old
people with weak circulation ; drunkards.2
. Deliriums ; in typhoid conditions : of
silly kind ; constant raving, tries to get out of bed (occupies position
between Stramonium and Lachesis) ; delirium tremens.3
. Burning,
itching and redness of various parts
which are swollen and hot ; chilblains, frostbite, etc. (locally and internally).4
. Spasmodic conditions ; tremors,
twitchings ; involuntary movements while awake, cease when asleep ;
choreas, from jerking of single muscles to dancing of whole body.5
. Spine sensitive to touch ; painful at
every turn of the body ; backache < while sitting.6
. Headaches ; especially in drunkards
after debauch ; or from prolonged desk work.7
. Asthenia from prolonged strain spasm of
accommodation ; twitching of eyes and lids ; weakness of muscles ;
swimming of type ; myopia ; chronic choroiditis.8
. Irritable heart of tea and coffee
drinkers and tobacco smokers ; irregular, tumultuous palpitation.9
. Symptoms appear diagonally ; upper left
and lower right (Led. ; ctr. Medorr.).10
. Modalities ; < cold air ; damp ;
before thunder.
Alumina
1. Dark, spare withered-looking subjects ;
disposition gen. mild and cheerful.2
. Attacks of depression. Loss of memory ;
time passes slowly.3
. Great dryness of all mucous membranes
(except female genitalia) with sense of constriction.4
. Abnormal appetite, craving for
indigestible things ; potatoes disagree.5
. Inactivity
of the rectum ; no desire and no ability
until large accumulation, even soft stool
requires great straining ; stool hard and
knotty or soft, clayey and adhesive,6
. Leucorrhoea,
acrid,
transparent, profuse, running down to the
heels (Syph.)
< daytime ; gen. assoc. delayed, scanty menses after which patient
physically and mentally exhausted.7
. Paralytic weakness of lower limbs with great
heaviness and lack of co-ordination ; “must sit down” ; also with burning pain
especially in the back.8
. Chronic throat conditions, “every
cold settles in the throat”.9
. Skin eruptions < winter ;
intolerable itching < warmth of bed ; < starchy foods and all
irritating things (salt, pepper, etc.).10
. Modalities. Patient chilly < cold
except headache ; at new and full moon ; on alternate days ; > eating.Notes. A chronic of
Bryonia.
Slow but long-acting chronic remedy.
Ammonium Carbonicum
1. Stout, fleshy persons of sedentary
habit ; delicate women who faint easily and fly to smelling bottle on
least excuse ; old people.
2
. Listlessness ; ill-humour especially
during stormy weather ; desire for olfactory stimulants.3
. Haemorrhagic diathesis ; epistaxis, when washing face, after eating ; venous congestions.
4
. Tendency to gangrenous degeneration of
parts ; whole body seems overpowered by toxic effects of the disease (Ailanth., Bapt.).5
. Affections of respiratory tract ; acute
and chronic ; stoppage of nose mostly at
night, must breathe through mouth (a
keynote even in diphtheria) ; catarrhs, coryzas ; chronic bronchitis
especially of the aged and when associated with emphysema ; asthma.
coughs, etc., gen. < 3-4 a.m.6
. Malignant scarlatina with somnolence ;
threatened paralysis of brain ; toxic effects appear to centre in the
throat, which is dark red, putrid, externally swollen.7
. All discharges acrid, excoriating,
leaving rawness and burning.8
. Cholera-like
symptoms at commencement of menstrual period ; menses premature, profuse with great fatigue – and <
of all symptoms.9
. Affections mostly right-sided.
10
. Modalities ; < cold, wet weather ;
washing ; during menstrual period.Note. Useful locally for stings of insects, etc.
Anacardium orientale
1
. Persons of sedentary habits suffering
from brain-fag ; nervous, hysterical women especially during pregnancy.2
. Mentals. Patients distressed by sudden loss of memory ;
lacks self-confidence ; fears inability to “get through” (Arg. Nit., Lyc.) ; paradoxical
temper laughs at serious matters, serious over laughable things ; great
suspicion. Dual personality, as of two
wills acting in opposition. Irresistible desire to curse and swear
(Lac. Can., Lil. Tig., Nitr. Ac.).3
. Weakness of all the senses.
4
. Neuralgic pains, dull, penetrating or
pressing as from a. blunt instrument or plug.5
. Sense of constriction as of a hoop
round the part (Cact.).6
. Gastric symptoms > while eating.
7
. Ineffectual urging to stool.
8
. Complaints prone to go from right to
left.9
. Skin eruptions with excessive itching,
similar to Rhus Tox.10
. Patient generally chilly ; < damp ;
mental exertion ; all symptoms > while
eating except cough.
Antimonium Crudum
1. Adapted to the extremes of life ;
especially to young people inclined to grow fat.2
. Mentals. Great sadness with
weeping, especially in intermittents. Sulkiness, no wish to speak to
people. In women, sentimental mood even ecstatic love, the moonlight.3
. In children, fretful, peevish
disposition ; temper at every little attention : cannot bear to be touched.
4
. Gastric disorders especially from
overeating ; thick, milky white coated
tongue ; loathing of food, nausea and
tendency to vomit ; desire for acids which <.5
: Crusts and cracks about the nostrils
and labial commissures.6
. Corns and callosities especially on the
soles of the feet very tender when walking ; deformed nails.7
. Alternation of constipation and watery
diarrhoea especially in old people.8
. Torpid state of the mucous membranes
with excessive secretion ; especially mucous piles, continual oozing
discharge staining yellow.9
. Reappearing symptoms change locality.
10
. Modalities ; < extremes of cold and
heat ; < from taking cold especially cold bathing ; < sun heat and
radiated heat though many symptoms are > by heat.
Antimonium Tartaricum
1. Phlegmatic subjects ; hydrogenoid
constitutions.2
. Persistent, irreconcilable ill-humour,
< consolation ; child fractious, complaining, resents least touch (Ant. crudum).3
. Respiratory troubles with great accumulation of mucus ; coarse rales ; no expulsive power yet if expectorates
temporarily ; attacks of suffocative dyspnoea with cyanosis.4
. Prostration with great drowsiness and cold
sweat.5
. Gastric troubles with nausea and
vomiting ; latter temp. > (rev. Ipec.) ; loathing of food ; moist, heavily coated white tongue
; desire for acids (especially apples) which < ; < milk.6
. Choleric diarrhoea ; stools slimy,
generally yellow or brown, occasionally bloody.7
. Fever with shiverings and marked sense
of cold ; violent but short-lasting sensations of heat ; pulse rapid and
weak ; sweat profuse and exhausting ; thirst for cold water little and
often (Ars.).8
. Violent pain in sacro-lumbar region ;
slightest movement causes vomiting and cold sweat.9
. Widespread pustular eruptions.
Small-pox (Variolinum).10
. Modalities ; < heat and < cold,
damp weather evening towards night ; < anger or vexation.
Apis Mellifica
1. Strumous constitutions : children and
girls who become awkward especially in handling things ; hysterical women.2
. Anxiety with tearful restlessness ;
impaired memory and absent-mindedness in elderly persons.3
. Oedematous
swellings, serous effusions, and
urticaria.4
. Pains
burning, darting, stinging > cold
(rev. Ars.).5
. General soreness and sensitiveness of
body surface < touch or pressure especially uterine and ovarian regions
; constriction disliked ; weary, bruised feeling.6
. Marked restlessness (physical causes) without > to symptoms.
7
. Great drowsiness ; sleep much disturbed
by pain or anxious dreams ; sopor interrupted by piercing screams
(meningitis).8
. Thirstlessness in nearly all complaints especially dropsical conditions.
9
. Ailments right-sided or travel from
right to left.10
. Patients < all forms of heat ;
general < 4-6 p.m. < sleep.Notes. Slow-acting remedy.
In acute conditions wait an hour or two.
Low potencies should not be given during pregnancy.
Keynote : Oedema.
Argentum Nitricum
1. Subjects withered, old-looking through
disease, especially after unusual or, long-continued mental exertion ;
children.2
. Hypochondriasis ; lacks self-confidence ;
apprehensive, hurried, discontented ; time passes slowly ; suicidal
impulses.3
. General debility with nervous tremors.
4
. Strange sensations ; (a) of expansion
in various parts, (b) as of splinter, especially in the throat, (c) as if
objects project towards the patient.5
. Catarrhal conditions of the mucous
membranes ; profuse, muco-purulent discharges (Puls.) and ulceration.6
. Gastric ailments with much flatulence
and violent difficult belchings ; < food ; great craving for sweets which <.
7
. Diarrhoeas ; psychic (Gels.) ; catarrhal,
spluttering, grass-green, < drinking, sweets ; also dysentery, advanced
cases.8
. Spinal complaints ; sensitiveness of
the spine ; defective co-ordination of muscles especially of lower limbs ;
lightning-like pains ; epileptiform convulsions ; paralysis.9
. Metrorrhagia with nervous erethism at
climaxis.10
. Patient < heat, must have fresh air
yet chilly when uncovered ; < mental
exertion ; at menstrual period ; pains
especially headache < dancing > tight pressure ; backache >
standing.
Arnica
1. Acts best in sanguine, plethoric subjects.
2
. Oversensitiveness to pain ; great fear of being touched or struck by anyone coming near, especially in gout and
rheumatic conditions.3
. Bruised,
sore feeling all over ; bed feels too hard
(Bapt.).4
. Injuries
especially to soft parts ; bruises (Ham.)
; strains (Rhus)
; concussions (Hyper.) ; results of injuries however remote ; haemorrhages
especially of mechanical origin.5
. Typhoid states ; indifference or stupor
; answers questions correctly but unconsciousness immediately returns ;
involuntary stool and urine or long interval between stools.6
. Discharges offensive ; eructations,
flatus, etc., have odours as of “rotten eggs”7
. Head hot, body cold ; or heat of upper
part of body ; also deathly coldness of forearm in children.8
. Tendency to small, painful boils one
succeeding another.9
. Prevents suppuration and septicemia ;
excellent after parturition especially if instrumental delivery.10
. Modalities ; < rest ; lying down ;
> motion.Keynote : Trauma.
Arsenicum Album
1. Fat, plethoric persons ; usually dark ;
easy disposition to diarrhoea, vegetarians ; old people.2
. Combination of sadness and irritability
; sometimes suicidal tendency ; great
fastidiousness ; fear of the dark ; <
alone ; hyperaesthesia of the special senses.3
. In adynamic fevers ; rapid and great prostration yet marked restlessness from anxiety and
fear of death (Acon.) ; wants to be moved from place to place ; obviously ill
and lacking in vital power. Septic states.4
. Burning, lancinating pains and sensations, > heat (rev. Phos.).
5
. Discharges
burning,
excoriating offensive, debilitating, thin, watery ; generally scanty.6
. Periodicity and malignancy of symptoms.
7
. Great thirst ; calls for small quantities at frequent intervals.
8
. Gastric ailments with loathing of food
; vomits everything even a spoonful of water ; ill-effects of eating
fruit, ices, etc., also ptomaine and similar poisonings. Patient dislikes
meat but desires fat.9
. Skin troubles of all kinds, especially
scaly eruptions.10
. Patient very chilly, < cold and
damp ; lying with head low ; midnight to 3
a.m. ; rest : > heat, except head
symptoms.Note :
Thuja
is sometimes its chronic.
Aurum
1. Sanguine, ruddy persons with dark hair
and eyes ; old people ; scrofulous or mercurio-syphilitic subjects.2
. Profound
melancholia with desire for death and
suicidal tendencies ; often connected with liver troubles in men ; with
uterine troubles in women.3
. Specially adapted to pining boys,
low-spirited, lifeless. lacking vim ; testes undeveloped.4
. Hypersensitiveness ; to contradiction,
to pain ; of the special senses.5
. Ailments resulting from strong mental
emotions. 6.
Intense, deep seated boring pains < night.7
. Caries
of bones, especially nasal, palatine and
mastoid, with deep ulceration and horribly offensive discharges.8
. Interstitial changes in various organs,
especially heart, liver and kidneys.9
. Hemiopia ; sees only lower half of objects.
10
. Modalities ; < cold, damp weather ;
sunset to sunrise ; warmth of bed ; at menstrual period.
Article