Some
acts of the materia medica.
By H.
C. Morrow, M. D. and Quackenbush, M. D.
Presented
by Dr. Sayeed Ahmad D. I. Hom. (London)
Sulphur, Hepar Calc. Sulph
. and Sepia
are the exceptions ; few antipsorics bear repetition.
Sulphur, Calcarea, Syphilinum, Tuberculinum, Carbo
Vegetabilisare sure to cause reaction when well chosen
remedies fail to act. This is especially true of Sulphur
in acute cases.
Moschus
acts beneficially when the
disorder does not follow its normal course but remains uncured or
develops serious symptoms indicating nervous exhaustion.
Aurum, Asafœtida, Castoreum
, at times may
be given in cases of women who are nervous and do not react after
illness.
Bovista
, in urticaria or other eruptive
diseases when Rhus Toxicodendron
fails to act though apparently indicated.
Mercurius
: With this remedy water
treatment should be carefully avoided in acute or chronic cases.
Lachesis
is especially useful when
paroxysms of fever return after taking acids.
Colchicum
hastens relapse of gout if
abused.
Phosphorus, Iodine, Mercurius
generally
act better in warm dry rather than cold wet weather.
Arum Triphyllum
should not be given low or
repeated often as deleterious effects frequently follow.
Kali Carbonicum
will bring on menses when Natrum
Muriaticum, although indicated, fails.
Atropa Belladonna
suits persons with well
developed, acute brains and well trained nervous systems.
Pulsatilla
: The principal time for
symptoms to appear is in the evening and until midnight.
Ailanthus Odorata
affects women and
children more than men, and old people least of all.
Agaricus Phalloides
: Poison symptoms
of this drug do not develop until eight or ten hours after taking. No
similarity to Colchicum.
Causticum
has a primary action apparently
later than any other antipsoric.
Lachesis
: Care in administration is
required in acute diseases because administration is almost always
followed by an aggravation.
Salamander
: When Crotalus,
Lachesis and other remedies do not act, frequently brings the
desired effect.
Ambra Grisea
often takes the place of Carbo
Vegetabilis and Petroleum,
especially when one or the other of these seems indicated but does not
act.
Syphilinum
, when Lycopodium
seems indicated by 4 p. m. aggravation but does not act, will often
clear up a case.
Ptelea
may cause all symptoms to disappear
suddenly after eating sour things.
Calcarea Fluorica
or
Fluoric Acid follows when Silica
fails to keep up improvement in ulceration or disintegration of bone.
Bryonia Alba
: If it be the right
remedy in fever it will act in 12 hours, in which case it will produce a
free perspiration. Care must be exercised as it may be injurious during
pregnancy.
Nux Vomica :
Care in
administration ; abortion is apt to follow.
Carbo Vegetabilis, Lycopodium, Natrum Muriaticum
and Silica in low potencies are
inactive and perhaps inert.
Belladonna
may be indicated in
hydrocephaloid children until they get something to eat, then
indications change.
Iodium
should not be given in the lying-in
period except in high potencies.
Phosphoric Acid
is useful in pneumonia
when the disease does not take the normal course owing to the
prostration of the patient from loss of vital fluids, distressing
emotions or other major factors.
Acidum Aceticum
is one of the most
dangerous remedies for a pulmonary tuberculosis patient ; it
predisposes hæmoptysis. (Ferr. Nit.).
Hydrastis Canadensis
may be used to fatten
a patient who has been cured with Tuberculinum.
Lachesis
repeats its primary action every
fourteen days.
Physostigma, Tabacum
and Conium
Maculatum may be used to intensify action of Gelsemium.
Bryonia Alba
acts well in jaundice if the
case has been spoiled by calomel (HgCl).
Nux Vomica
intensifies the action of Sepia.
Arsenicum Album
in typhoid fever does
irreparable injury if not unmistakably indicated.
Mercurius
is so rarely indicated in
typhoid fever that some careful prescribers say “never”.
Phosphorus, Silica
and Sulphur
are unsafe to give in any stage of phthisis without meticulous
investigation.
Aconitum Napellus
: The action here
may be suspended by vegetable acid or wine.
Cinchona
and Pulsatilla
will not act satisfactorily if the patient be permitted to
drink tea.
Kali Bichromicum
, according to Farrington,
acts better in low than high potencies.
Arum Triphyllum
: As soon as the
child gets in scarlatina, there is a frequent discharge of pale urine.
Now stop this remedy or any other.
Calcarea
in persons of advanced age can
scarcely be repeated. In children several successive doses may be given
with impunity.
Calcarea
: Nausea consequent on its
use is counteracted by smelling sweet spirits of nitre. This acts even
better than camphor.
Conium Maculatum
: This remedy, in
order to act beneficially, has frequently to be preceded by some other
drug and it must be used in the smallest of material doses.
Capsicum :
When medicines fail to act
though well indicated in flabby, lazy individuals use
capsicum.
Calcarea
: Think of it for frequent
use following Sulphur, especially
when the pupils of the eyes are prone to dilate easily.
Calcarea
generally acts well after Nitric
Acid, when the action of this drug, although apparently homœopathically
indicated, has been rather unfavourable. On the other hand, Nitric
Acid relieves the unpleasant symptoms of the homœopathically
chosen Calcarea and imparts to its
action a beneficient character.
Nitric Acid
acts powerfully on mucous
membranes and has particular affinity for outlets of mucous surfaces
where the skin and mucous membranes join.
Lycopodium
acts with especial benefit
after the action of Calcarea shall
have passed over.
Graphites
is especially useful after Lycopodium.
Iodium
is especially useful after Mercurius.
Graphites
can seldom be repeated with
advantage even after the use of intermediate remedies.
Cinchona
increases the anguish of Digitalis
even to a death struggle.
Nitri Spiritus Dulcis
increases the action
of Digitalis.
Laurocerasus
is indicated when deficient
nervous reaction is present and a well chosen remedy does not act.
Lycopodium
: The action of Lycopodium
is facilitated by Carbo Vegetabilis
on the sixth or eighth day.
Zincum Metallicum
acts better if given at
night. Nux Vomica may have this same
characteristic. It is not constant.
Magnesia Phosphorica
at times acts better
if given in hot water.
Teucreum Marum Verum
is suitable when too
much medicine has produced an oversensitive condition and remedies fail
to act.
Mercurius Proto Iodatus
has its action
retarded by care and anxiety.
Acidum Muriaticum
is of great assistance
in muscular weakness following the excessive use of opium and soothing
syrups. (Compare Gelsemium).
Nux Vomica
is especially useful when the
patient has been drugged.
Carbo Vegetabilis, Laurocerasus, Aloes Socotrina,
Opium, show a want of susceptibility to drugs and a
deficiency of vital reaction.
Phosphorus
is useful after onion syrup has
been abused.
Psorinum
has lack of reaction after severe
diseases.
Mezereum
may be frequently indicated
during the months of January and February (in Canada).
Glonoin :
It is stated that if
administered just previous to the period the menses will fail to appear.
Zincum Valerianicum
is to be thought of in
nervous affections when apparently well chosen remedies fail to act.
Sulphur
: Cases spoiled by the use of
Aconitum Napellus can often be
adjusted by giving it.
Kali Carbonicum
: Acidum Nitricum is
especially active when it follows this drug.
Hydrastis Canadensis
is frequently
indicated when the patient has taken potassium chlorate for sore throat.
Bovista
: Smoke from Bovista
acts more decidedly on bees than any other substance of which
we know.
Coffea Cruda, Nux Vomica, Pulsatilla, Asarum,
Chamomilla, China, Ignatia, Teucreum Marum Verum, Valeriana, Zincum
Valerianamay be used at times to correct oversensitivity of
life force, hyperæsthesia and/or irritability.
Mercury : Hepar Sulph
alternately
with Acidum Nitricum may be given
for over-excitement from abuse of this drug.
Colchicum,
if given in massive doses for
rheumatism, is said to frequently produce Bright’s disease.
Chamomilla
(low) to quiet the storm which
is set up by being deprived of morphia.
Ferrum Met
. : Its action in syphilis
is to intensify it.
Phosphorus
: Curative effects most
marked on the third day after its administration. Look for thirty-six
hour aggravation after giving it in chronic diseases.
Rhus
will not cure sciatica when the
bowels are constipated.
Belladonna
is said not to affect idiots to
any appreciable extent.
Lac Caninum
: When Belladonna
and Lachesis fail in
croup or diphtheria then turn to this polychrest.
Phosphorus
antidotes the nausea and
vomiting following the administration of chloroform.
Borax
: The symptoms that disappeared
after taking it returned after taking vinegar.
Ambra Grisea
given in the evening is apt
to cause aggravation.
Opium
: The narcotic effect is much
diminished by great pain or grief.
Lachesis
: If sudden fright
interrupts the good effect of other medicines.
Tarentula :
All the symptoms
aggravated by seeing others in trouble.
Arnica
acts injuriously after the bite of
a dog or other rabid or angry animals.
Kreosote
in burning pains stands next to Arsenicum
and frequently cures after failure of the latter.
Tuberculinum
: In tuberculous
patients after well chosen remedies fail to act.
Lycopodium
an occasional dose sometimes
aids Berberis in curing.
Lachesis :
In malignant pustules its
adminstration should be accompanied by that of brandy.
Apis
is characterized by slowness of
action ; sometimes have to wait three or four days before any
effects from its administration is noticed. The favourable effect of the
remedy is first shown by increased flow of urine.
Calcarea
: When the remedy does not
act put it in the child’s bottle.
Squilla, Colchicum
and Sanguinaria
act better when prepared with acetic acid than alcohol.
Phosphorus
acts better when the patient
has been previously mesmerized.
Lycopodium
acts better when preceded by
some other antipsoric.
Belladonna
: The unpleasant effects
are much intensified if vinegar is taken after it.
Camphor
acts palliatively by producing the
symptoms. Better while thinking of pain.
Chelidonium :
Acids, wine and coffee
restrict its action.
Aconite
must be given preceding Dolichos
Pruriens in cases of dentition to prevent convulsions.
Fluoric Acid
acts beneficially when ulcers
become worse from too large or too frequently repeated doses of Silica.
Ignatia
acts better if given in the
morning.
Apis
acts unfavourably if given in low
potencies to women who are disposed to miscarry.
Lac Caninum
acts best in single
doses ; if repeated it should be given in exact intervals.
Kali Carbonicum
is a very dangerous remedy
in old gouty cases but Kali Iod. is often beneficial.
Arsenic
is a dangerous remedy in dysentery
if not the exact similimum.
Syphilinum :
Do not forget it in old
syphilitics and their children.
Iodine
must not be exposed to the direct
rays of the sun as it is decomposed by its chemical effects and becomes
inactive, especially in low potencies.
Bromium
(low) : If preparation is not
fresh it will not act satisfactorily.
Camphor
should never be kept in the same
case with other remedies as it antidotes their active properties.
Lachesis
, if left alone, will very often
be followed by Sulphur symptoms.
Apis
is antidoted by Plantago
and Lachesis and is complementary to
Natrum Mur.
Courtesy :
The Homœopathic Herald,
Vol. VI., October 1945. No. 2.Copyright © Dr. Sayeed Ahmad
2004