Homeopathic Materia Medica

Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica, James Tyler Kent

Generalities: Aloe, much like Aesculus, has a peculiar engorgement of the veins, causing stiffness and fullness throughout the body, but the greatest disturbance is in the veins of the portal system, with great fullness in the region of the liver, and abdominal, rectal and intestinal fullness.

This is associated with hemorrhoids. It has abdominal pains that drive him to stool like Nux vomica, cutting, cramping pains around the navel.

Pains about the navel that shoot down towards the rectum, cutting like knives. Dysenteric and diarrheic troubles. In the attacks of diarrhea there is gushing of thin, yellow, offensive, excoriating feces, which burn like fire, and the anus is sore.

Stools: He holds the stool with difficulty, does not dare take his mind off the sphincter because as soon as he does so the stool will escape. He cannot let the least quantity of flatus escape, because with it there will be a rush of faeces.

With the Aloe diarrhea the abdomen is distended with gas, causing a feeling of fullness and tightness, and he must go often to stool. Little ones, soon after they begin to walk, will drop all over the carpet, involuntarily, little yellow drops of mucus and faeces. The mother sometimes punishes the little ones, but they cannot help it, they cannot hold the stool, as it is passed involuntarily.

There is a lack of control of the sphincter. This state is not always confined to diarrhea, because sometimes children will go around dropping, involuntarily, little, hard, round marble-like pieces of stool. They do not even know the stool has passed. There is relaxation about the rectum and protrusion of the anus, with bleeding piles. Every mouthful of food hurries him to stool; drinking water will often hurry him to stool.

Diarrhoea from eating oysters out of season. You might be disposed to give Lycopodium because in the text books poisoning from oysters is laid down under Lyc. I do not know that you would be justified in saying poisoning from oysters in season is Lyc., and out of season is Aloe, but there is a tremous poisoning effect about oysters in the hot weather and in the breeding season that is not found at any other time.

A great many people become nauseated, bloat up, purge tremendously, vomit everything for several days after eating oysters.

Now, when that group of symptoms is present Lycopodium will cure it and will remove the tendency to get sick from oysters.

But if you notice those who get sick have a cholera-like trouble from eating oysters in the hot season, you will find that that is where Aloe is the remedy.

Relations: This remedy is not well proved, hence I have first referred to the things it is used for clinically. It is more nearly related to Sulphur in its venous condition than to any other remedy. If you study together, side by side, Kali bi., Sulphur and Aloe, you will be astonished at their wonderful relation to the stomach and bowels.

Mind: Among the few mental symptoms we notice,

"She knew she would die in a week."

"Life is a burden."

"Disinclined to move."

Very little is brought out by which we can distinguish it; only a few things common to many remedies are given.

The Aloe patient is extremely excitable when under the influence of pain, and the pains are generally in the abdomen. Colic-like pains, flatulent pains in the abdomen, that drive to despair; be becomes extremely irritable and excited in his attacks of colic.

A little symptom that is somewhat striking is, "Hates people, repels everyone."

Head: The head congestion, which occurs during the bowel disturbance, is a sort of venous stasis such as is found in the portal system.

"Headache across forehead."

"Headaches aggravated from heat, ameliorated from cold applications."

Aggravation from heat and relief from cold runs through Aloe.

He wants to be in a cool room; feels hot and flushed; the skin is often hot and dry; he wants to be uncovered at night in bed; burning of the extremities, hot hands and cold feet, or cold bands and hot feet; these alternate. The head feels hot and he wants something cool upon it. This is from the heat of the surface, not fever.

Sensation of heat in the surface, feeling of congestion and fullness of the surface of the body; fullness and engorged veins all over the body. Bleedings are common in this remedy, venous oozings from the nose, the bowels, the bladder; bleeding in general. The veins become varicose and the skin is hot.

Much heat in the orifices of the body; the eyes, mouth and throat are hot and burn. There is a sensation of dryness, burning and excoriation about the anus.

Stomach and bowels: Under "Eating and Drinking" we find "Soon after supper growling in abdomen."

There are colicky pains in the bowels from eating and drinking when there is no diarrhea, even when there is a state of constipation.

This remedy is useful for the complaints of old beer drinkers. Diarrhea brought on from drinking beer. In persons who have a diarrhea every time they drink beer you will most likely find that Aloe will agree with the symptoms, but sometimes it will be Kali bi., for these two remedies are very similar as to their stomach and bowel symptoms.

"Belching with oppression of stomach."

Here is another instance of the tendency to capillary and venous engorgement. "Vomiting of blood" and blood from the bowels.

There is much pain in the hepatic region, burning and heat, etc. Mostly in the right hypochondrium you will find distension and fullness. It is pre-eminently a liver medicine. It is not as deep in its action as Sulphur.

You will often find that Aloe will serve as a palliative when it will have to be followed by Sulphur, Sulph. ac., Kali bi. or Sepia, the medicines that follow Aloe and are complementary to it, finishing its work.

Aloe will make a good beginning in these liver troubles when there are great fullness, distension, stitching pains in the region of the liver and a dry, hot, burning skin, with no increase of temperature.

Fever and skin: Aloe has some fever, but this sensation of heat of the skin and dryness is without fever and is such as is found in psoric patients. The proving has not been sufficiently extensive to demonstrate whether Aloe produces eruption to any extent or not, but if such could be proved this would place it among the anti-psorics.

It is not a deep long-acting constitutional remedy like Sulphur, and yet it is not so short-acting as Aconite or Belladonna. Complaints come on only with a moderate degree of rapidity. It may be associated very well with Bryonia. Bryonia does not go so deeply into the life substance as Sulphur.

Fullness and distension: Perhaps one of the most striking features of the abdominal state is the fullness, distension and rumbling. It seems as if the abdomen would burst and the rumbling is so great that it can be heard by anyone in the room. It keeps on one continuous gurgling. The stool gurgles out with a noisy rumbling, like water out of a bung-hole.

The text of the earlier writers speaks of it as a sputtering, for while the stool is passing out it is accompanied by much flatus which gurgles and sputters. The abdomen seems to be as much distended as ever even after great quantities of flatus have passed. There is no relief. The pain is especially felt across the abdomen, about the hips.

Great distension as if the abdomen would burst across the transverse colon, and also in the ascending and descending colon; pain, gurgling, rumbling, heaviness, and feeling of pressure outwards.

"Twisting and griping pain in the upper abdomen, around the navel, compelling him to sit bent up which relieves."

"Feeling of weakness in abdomen as if diarrhea would result."

The weakness is sometimes very great, so much so that he is compelled to go to bed with the diarrhea, and you will often mistake it for Podophyllum, so great is the exhaustion. Pod. has great distension, tremendous gushing, much flatulence, great rumbling in the bowel and the trouble comes on at 4 o'clock in the morning.

Aloe is like Sulph. again, in that it drives him out of bed in the early morning with diarrhoea, and there are times when be puts the feet out from beneath the covers to cool them off; the soles of the feet burn and he uncovers them. Griping in the abdomen, feeling of weakness in the abdomen.

"Painfulness in whole abdomen, especially in sides and along both sides of navel."

So sensitive is the abdomen that he can find no comfortable position.

"Dull, abdominal pain as after taking cold, morning and evening repeatedly."

Female: Now here are abdominal symptoms that relate to the condition of the woman and not to diarrhea.

"Feeling as if a plug was wedged in between symphysis pubis and os coccygis"

"Labor-like pains in the groins and loins worse when standing."

Aloe has cured prolapsus of the uterus of long standing when it was associated with fullness, heat of the surface of the body, tendency to morning diarrhea, dragging down of the uterus and sensation of a plug wedged in between the symphysis pubis and coccyx.

The outward pressure of the uterus causes that sensation. Dragging down as if all parts of the pelvis would push out.

A funneling sensation in the vagina, in the pelvis.

"Urging to stool, only hot flatus passes, giving relief, but urging soon returns."

The idea is that it compels him to go to stool, but when upon the commode nothing but wind passes. It is useful also in old chronic sufferers from this trouble, those who suffer from constipation, who go many days without a stool, but feel every little while, or several times in the day, that they must go to stool, and then only a little wind passes.

Natrum sulph. will commonly overcome that state very.

"Lumpy, watery stool."

That is a strong feature of Aloe; hard lumps mingled with a watery stool; the lumps are in the water or in the liquid faeces; little hard lumps looking like marbles or sheep dung.

Rectum and stools: In the constipation the stool is lumpy, like marbles. Sometimes these little nodules remain in the rectum a long time without any urging to stool, and finally escape unconsciously, being found in the clothing. Entire loss of sensation in the anus, an anesthesia; no feeling during the passage of the stool.

Much of the Aloe trouble is dysenteric in character, with a sharp, inflammatory condition of the rectum and lower portion of the colon; bloody discharges and yellow, jelly-like mucus. Sometimes the Aloe patient will pass nothing but large quantities of this catarrhal, jellylike mucus.

Don't forget Aloe for hemorrhoids that form like a bunch of grapes.

"Itching and burning in anus, preventing sleep."

He is compelled to bore with the finger into the anus; so violent is the itching that the patient cannot let it alone; it seems it will drive him to distraction.

He gets relief only from applying something cold. A common feature of Aloe is that ointments increase the burning. There is increased burning of the skin round about the ulcers after applying an ointment. The Sulphur patient also cannot bear any application; it is poisonous to him and he breaks out in eruptions.

Wherever a mucous membrane is inflamed there is formed a deposit of thick, jelly-like mucus. If there is an ulcerated spot or aphthous patch or inflamed surface, thick, jelly-like cakes of mucus may be peeled off almost as thick as leather at times. At times the lower portion of the rectum is in this state and the patient will say that the lumpy stools are caked in jelly.

The lumpy stools in Graphites look as if embedded in coagulated white of egg. Sometimes the Aloe patient, before having a stool, will expel a teacupful of thick, jelly-like mucus which has occupied the lower portion of the rectum.

Aloe cured a case of stricture of the rectum in which it was indicated by this symptom. The stricture prevented nearly all the faecal matter from getting down to the anus, but the rectum would fill up three or four times a day and compel the patient to expel a quantity of jelly-like mucus.

The fames that could be forced through were scarcely larger than a pipe stem. It has been said that our medicines are not capable of curing strictures, but they sometimes do cure strictures. If they can cure the patient it is marvelous how nature will take up all that inflammatory tissue and the canal become normal. This thing has been seen many times in stricture of the urethra and stricture of the rectum.

A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, John Henry Clarke

Aloe socotrina. Common Aloes. N. O. Liliaceae. Trituration or solution in spirit of the gum.

Clinical.─Abdomen, plethora of. Anus, affections of. Bronchitis. Colic. Constipation. Cough. Diarrhoea. Dysentery. Gleet. Gonorrhoea. Haemorrhoids. Hysteria. Lumbago. Onanism, effects of. Phthisis. Proctitis. Prolapsus uteri. Prostate, affections of. Sacrum, pain in. Tenesmus.

Characteristics.─Aloe is one of the oldest and most famous drugs. It is in worldwide use as a purgative at the present day, and forms a leading ingredient in a large number of patent medicines for regulating the bowels and menstrual functions. The habitual use of these medicines leads to all kinds of pelvic ailments, and the fact that Sulphur antidotes Aloe accounts for the success of Sul. as a medicine to commence with in many chronic cases where purgatives have been used. Aloe resembles All. s. somewhat closely. It causes congestion of various parts, especially abdomen, pelvic organs, and head. A periodicity enters into many of its complaints. There is a periodic headache which alternates with lumbago. As winter approaches each year itch manifests itself. Aloe has the antipsoric property of throwing out internal complaints to the skin. Among the leading mental symptoms are: Bad humour, especially in cloudy weather. Dissatisfied and angry with himself < when constipated. Aversion to labour. Lassitude alternating with great mental activity. Among the other head symptoms are: Darting pains in left temple < every step. Carroll Dunham cured a heavy frontal incapacitating headache in an old man occurring in winter and alternating with a diarrhoea which occurred in summer when he was free from headache. A peculiar dull, heavy, pressing pain in forehead, but which indisposes to, or incapacitates for, all exertion, especially intellectual. Heaviness in the eyes as with All. s. Pressure in vertex and forehead as from a weight. Compelled to make the eyes small during pain in forehead. There are yellow rings moving before eyes. As there are illusions of sight, so there are cracklings in the ears. One symptom is very peculiar: just after getting into bed, sudden explosion and clashing in left ear, as from breaking of glass; the clink of the glass was heard at the bottom of the head and extended thence toward the right ear. Aloe exerts its most marked influence on the abdominal and pelvic organs. It causes uneasiness and pains in liver region. Fulness, heaviness, heat and inflammation. The whole abdomen is painfully sensitive to touch. Rumbling. Feeling as of a plug wedged in between pelvis and coccyx. Sudden and continued desire to go to stool. Desire for stool after each meal (Ars., Chin., Lyc., Pod., Trombid.; while eating, Fer.). Rumbling and cramp in abdomen before and during stool. The hard stool falls out without being noticed, urging to stool whilst passing water; every time on passing water feeling as if stool would pass. A hard stool may be passed involuntarily. A child, constipated from birth, screams all the time he is being held to stool, cannot pass it, even after enema; yet when not trying passes solid pieces in bed without knowing. Cured with Alo. 200 (Nash). Involuntary soft stool while passing wind. With the diarrhoea, flatulency, pinching in abdomen, pain in back and rectum and chilliness. Flatus offensive, burning, copious; much flatus with small stool. Burning in anus with passing of flatus. Stools like mush, bright yellow, grey, hot, undigested. Mucus and blood in faeces. Profuse with jelly-like lumps. Watery stools < standing or walking. Watery stool containing lumps "like frog-spawn." Bilious yellow faecal, bright yellow diarrhoea, great rumbling in bowels and escape of much wind, < morning; evening; in damp weather; from overheating; after cold taken in damp room; after chagrin. Diarrhoea driving one out of bed very early in morning (Sul). Diarrhoea with sense of insecurity (Phos.) Faintness after stool; with cold sweat. Griping may (Nux v.) or may not (Merc.) cease after stool. Heaviness, heat, pressing, burning in rectum. Itching, burning in rectum. Itching, burning, pulsating as from fissures at anus. After stool: cutting feeling as if more would come protruding piles. Haemorrhoids: protrude like a bunch of grapes constant bearing-down in rectum bleeding; sore; tender, hot; > by cold water. Carroll Dunham has cured incontinence of urine in an old man with enlarged prostate with the Aloe diarrhoea. Increased sexual desire in males, with erections. Penis shrunk and testicles cold. In females pain in hypogastrium as if menses coming on. Labour-like pains drawing into legs. Menses too early and too profuse. During menstruation: headache > by application of cold water; earache; pain in small of back; pressing down in rectum. Fulness in pelvis. Leucorrhoea of bloody mucus preceded by colic. Pain in small of back, < sitting or awaking at night, > moving about. Lumbago alternating with headache. There is < in afternoon, especially of symptoms of mucous membranes. Many symptoms, again, appear in the evening < yawning, or masticating. There is a diarrhoea < in the early morning (like Sulph). Diarrhoea < immediately after eating; < walking (Aesc., Thuj.), or standing (Sul.). Like Phos., it has feeling of insecurity on passing wind or before stool. Symptoms are < from heat; in hot, damp weather; > from cold applications; in cold weather. > From passing flatus. It is suited to: old people; to women of relaxed phlegmatic habit; to persons of lymphatic or hypochondriac temperament.

Relations.─Aloe is related to: All. cep., All. s., Agave, Scilla, Colch. It is antidoted by: Sul., Mustard, Camph. relieves for a while, Lyc., and Nux v. relieve the earache. It resembles: Sul. in many symptoms, and is of equal importance with Sul. in chronic diseases with abdominal plethora; Ailanth. (dull, frontal headache); Gambog. (diarrhoea); Ammon. mur. (abdominal and diarrhoeic symptoms); Nux v. (gastric, abdominal and uterine troubles: bad effects of sedentary habits); Aesc. (haemorrhoids); Merc. (dysentery); Pod. (alternations between head symptoms and abdominal symptoms).

Causation.─Sedentary habits.

SYMPTOMS.

1. Mind.─Anxiety and ebullition of the blood.─Restlessness, fear, fear of man.─Bad humour, esp. in cloudy weather.─He is dissatisfied and angry about himself; more so when he is constipated or when he suffers from pain; better in the open air.─Suffering makes her frantic, often loses consciousness.─Seems to have a presentiment of approaching death.─Angry, revengeful, wishes to destroy the object of her wrath.─Aversion to labour.─Great disinclination to mental labour; it fatigues him.─Disinclined to move.─Exhaustion, alternating with activity.─Children much enlivened, chat and laugh.─Annoying amorous thoughts present themselves.

2. Head.─Giddiness and starting.─Giddiness, with anxiety when moving; he feels as if he were sitting too high (after dinner).─Dulness in the forehead with chilliness.─Dull headache across the forehead, with heaviness in the eyes, and nausea.─Pressure in the forehead and vertex, as from a weight (and in occiput).─Pressing pain above the eyes.─Congestions to the head, compelling one to sit up.─Headaches are worse from heat and better from cold applications.─Stitches above the eyebrows.─Pressing out of the temples, with flickering before the eyes and heat in the face.─Stitches in the temples at every step.─Headache after pain in the abdomen; after (an insufficient) stool; worse from heat, better from cold.─Sensitiveness of the scalp (in small spots).─With the pain in the forehead the eyes become small; patient compelled to close them.

3. Eyes.─Congestion to the eyes; pressure in the orbits.─Lachrymation.─Pain deep in the orbits, as if in the muscles; worse r. side.─Occasional attacks of twitching of l. eyelids during the day, spasmodic jerk of whole body on failing asleep at night.─Flickering before eyes, with heat of the face.─Yellow rings moving before the eyes.─Compelled to make the eyes small, with pain in forehead; heaviness of eyes, and nausea.

4. Ears.─Hates musical sounds and noises, they set her all in a tremor.─Earache.─Stitches in the ears; first in the l. ear, afterwards in the r.─Internal and external heat of the ears.─Cracking in the ears when reading aloud or moving jaws.─Just after getting into bed, sudden explosion and clashing in l. ear, as from breaking of glass; the clink of the glass was heard at the bottom of the head and extended thence towards r. ear.

5. Nose.─Redness of the nose in the open, cold air.─Coldness of the point of the nose.─Bleeding of the nose in bed after awaking.─Dryness of the nose in the morning in bed.

6. Face.─Heat of the face when excited, or during headache.─Face pale during cloudy weather.─Lips dry; cracked; swollen; pustular; sore at corners.

7. Teeth.─Great sensitiveness of a decayed molar tooth (lower) r. side.─Teeth yellow.

8. Mouth.─Concave edges of teeth seem sharp, and hurt the tongue.─Metallic taste, with dry, irritative hacking.─Lips dry, peeling off, cracked, bleeding.─Yellow spots in mouth; yellow ulcers on the tongue.─Tongue painful.─When moving the tongue, stitches from below to the tip.─Dry tongue and mouth; with increased thirst and greater redness of the lips.─Tongue red and dry.─Accumulation of saliva in mouth.

9. Throat.─Throat rough, scraped, hot, as if burnt.─Pain, when yawning, masticating solid food; worse in the evening and in the morning, when awaking.─Thick lumps of tough jelly-like mucus in the throat and posterior nares.

10. Appetite and Taste.─Taste bitter, sour, like ink.─Aversion to meat; desire for juicy things (fruits); for salt food.─Hunger unusually keen in the evening.─Thirst while eating, after eating, and during the night.─After eating, flatulency, pulsations in the rectum, and sexual irritation.─As soon as he eats anything, must hurry to stool.─Sweats after drinking.

11. Stomach.─Pain in the stomach after drinking water.─Sour things disagree with him.─Vomiting of blood.─Eructations; tasteless, bitter, sour.─Pain in the pit of the stomach from a mis-step.─Painful pressure under the sternum.

12. Abdomen.─Tension in the region of the liver.─Uneasiness, heat, pressure, and tension in the region of the liver.─Pain in the liver, < on standing, so that he bends forward.─Stitches in the liver, when drawing a long breath.─Congestion to the abdomen.─Sensation of fulness, heaviness, heat and inflammation.─The whole abdomen is painfully sensitive to the touch.─Abdominal muscles pain when touched, when pressing at stool, or on rising from a recumbent position.─Bloated abdomen, more on the left side, or along the colon, worse after eating.─Distension of the abdomen, esp. the epigastrium; with flatus moving about.─Pulsation in the region of the navel.─Pain around the navel, worse from pressure.─Rumbling in the abdomen.─Discharge of much flatulency, burning, smelling offensive, relieving the pain in the abdomen; after each meal, in the evening and morning, before stools.─Much soreness in the whole abdominal cavity, so that a false step hurts clear to the pit of the stomach.─Cutting in the abdomen with disinclination to go into the open air, which relieves the pain.─Heaviness, fulness, and pressing down in the pelvis.─Sensation of a plug wedged in between symphysis pubis and coccyx; with urging.

13. Stool and Anus.─Sudden or continued urging to stool; < immediately after eating; feeling of fulness and weight in pelvis; only flatus passes.─Desire for a stool after each meal.─Rumbling and cramp in the abdomen, before and during stool.─The hard stool falls without being noticed.─Involuntary soft stool, while passing wind.─With the diarrhoea, flatulency, pinching in the abdomen, pain in the back and rectum, and chilliness.─Diarrhoea very early in morning, driving him out of bed.─Stools like mush; thin, bright, yellow, grey, hot, undigested.─Frequent stools of bloody water: violent tenesmus; fainting; passing of mucus in jelly-like lumps, much flatus.─During the stool, congestion to the head and red face, or hunger.─Heaviness, heat, pressing, burning in the rectum.─Want of confidence in sphincter ani; rectum seems full of fluid which feels heavy, as if it would fall out.─When passing wind, feeling as if stool would escape with it.─Itching, burning, pulsations, pain as from fissures, at the anus; preventing sleep.─Haemorrhoidal tumours, protrude like bunches of grapes, very painful, sore, tender, hot, relieved by cold water.─Fulness and pressing out in anus.

14. Urinary Organs.─Increased secretion of urine, esp. at night.─Frequent urging; burning when urinating.─Every time on passing urine feeling as if some thin stool would escape with it.

15. Male Sexual Organs.─Sexual desire increased; < after awaking; after eating; in the evening.─Erections in the morning, and after passing water.─Involuntary emissions during the siesta; towards morning; followed by sexual excitement, micturition, and stool, and restless sleep.─Penis shrunk, and testicles cold.

16. Female Sexual Organs.─Pain in the hypogastrium, as if menses were coming on.─Fulness and heaviness in the uterine region, with labour-like pains in the loins and groins; worse standing.─Labour-like pains drawing into the legs.─Catamenia too early, and too profuse.─During menstruation, headache, which is relieved by the application of cold water; earache; pain in the small of the back; dragging down in the rectum; fulness in the pelvis.─Fluor albus.─Leucorrhoea of bloody mucus, preceded by colic.─Prolapsus uteri with the above symptoms.─Uterine haemorrhage about the change of life.

18. Chest.─Congestion to the chest.─Breathing impeded by stitches in the 1. side of the chest.─Expectoration of blood.

20. Neck and Back.─Lumbago, alternating with headache.─Pain in the small of the back, < sitting, or when awaking at night; > moving about.

21. Limbs.─Cold hands with warm feet.─Lameness in all the limbs.─Pricking, dull twitching, drawing pain in the joints (fingers, knees, elbows).─Sensation of weakness in the joints of the hands and feet.─Pains of short duration, as if bruised or dislocated (l. forearm, r. shoulder-blade, l. ribs).

24. Generalities.─Great weakness, and weak pulse after vomiting.─Bad effects from sedentary habits.─Esp. suitable for persons of a lymphatic or hypochondriac temperament.

25. Skin.─Itching, esp. of legs.─Spots which, when scratched, pain and become sensitive.

26. Sleep.─Cannot get to sleep for a long time, thoughts crowd upon him and keep him awake.

27. Fever.─Chills, with coryza, in the cold open air; at stool, shivering. Heat in spots, on scalp or face. Sweat: smells strong; offensive on genitals; at night, after drinking.

Keynotes and Characteristics with Comparisons of Some of the Leading Remedies of the Materia Medica (Allen's Keynotes), Henry Clay Allen

Socotrine Aloes (Liliaceae)

Adapted to indolent, "weary" persons; averse to either mental or physical labor; mental labor fatigues. Old people; especially women of relaxed, phelgmatic habit. Extreme prostration, with perspiration. Itch appears each year, as winter approaches (Psor.). Dissatisfied and angry about himself or his complaints, especially when constipated. Diseases of mucous membranes; causes the production of mucus in jelly-like lumps from throat or rectum; affects mucous membrane of rectum. Headache across the forehead < by every footstep (Bell., Bry.); with heaviness of eyes and nausea. Headaches: are worse from heat, better from cold applications (Ars.); alternating with lumbago; after insufficient stool. Diarrhoea: has to hurry to closet immediately after eating and drinking (Crot. t.); with want of confidence in sphincter ani; driving out of bed early in the morning (Psor., Rum., Sulph.). When passing flatus, sensation as if stool would pass with it. (Olean., Mur. ac., Nat. m.). Colic: cutting, griping pain in right lower portion of abdomen; excruciating, before and during stool; all pains cease after stool, leaving profuse sweating and extreme weakness; attacks preceded by obstinate constipation. Flatus offensive, burning copious; much flatus with small stool (Agar.); burning in anus after passage of flatus. Solid stool and masses of mucus pass involuntarily; hungry during diarrhoea. Before stool: rumbling, violent sudden urging; heaviness in rectum; during stool, tenesmus and much flatus; after stool faintness. Haemorrhoids: blue, like a bunch of grapes (Mur. ac.); constant bearing down in rectum; bleeding, sore, tender, hot, relieved by cold water; intense itching. Itching and burning in anus, preventing sleep (Ind.).

Relationship. - Like Sulphur in many chronic diseases with abdominal plethora and congestion of portal circulation; develops suppressed eruptions. Similar: to, Am. m., Gamb., Nux, Pod.

Aggravation. - Early morning; sedentary life; hot dry weather; after eating or drinking; standing or walking.

Amelioration. - Cold water; cold weather; discharge of flatus and stool.

Leaders In Homoeopathic Therapeutics, Eugene Beauharnais Nash

Insecurity of rectum; rectum feels full of heavy fluid, which will fall out, and does, if he does not go to stool immediately. Diarrhea.

Solid stool, passing (in large balls) away involuntarily and unnoticed.

Great fullness and weight in whole abdomen, with feeling of weight in rectum and haemorrhoids protruding like a bunch of grapes; > by cold water applied.

* * * * *

This remedy should be considered alongside of Podophyllum because it is one of the so-called cathartics. Although one is as decided a cathartic as the other the characteristics which guide to their choice are very different.

Both are apt to be worse during hot weather.

Both are apt to be worse in the morning.

Both are often well supplemented with Sulphur.

But now let us look at some of the more marked and peculiar symptoms of Aloe. Stools yellow, faecal, bloody or transparent jelly-like mucus. Sometimes this jelly-like mucus (Kali bich.) comes in great masses, or "gobs", and drops out of the rectum almost unnoticed. Again the stools are often passed involuntarily when expelling flatus or passing urine. There seems to be not only an actual weakness in the sphincter ani, but a distressing sense of weakness. The rectum feels as if full of heavy fluid which will fall out of escape from the patient, and in fact does so if he doesn't "git there, Eli" This escape of stool with flatus in Aloe finds its counterpart in Oleander. No two remedies are more alike in this respect, though Muriatic acid is also similar. Again a very characteristic symptom in the Aloe diarrhoea is "Great rumbling in the abdomen just before stool", and the feeling of weight in the rectum already mentioned is not always confined to the rectum, but is also felt through the whole pelvis and abdomen. Again, the rectum protrudes in Aloe like a bunch of grapes, and is relieved by the application of cold water. Muriatic acid is relieved by hot applications. Both of these remedies have blue haemorrhoids; the Aloe itching intensely, while those of Muriatic acid are very sore and sensitive to touch, even of the bed clothes. In addition to the aggravations already mentioned, the diarrhea of Aloe is aggravated by walking or standing, after eating or drinking.

In dysentery there is violent tenesmus, heat in the rectum, prostration even to fainting and profuse clammy sweats. The weakness of the sphincter ani is also found in constipation. It is a curious symptom, and I would not believe it until I had seen it with my own eyes. "Solid stool passing involuntarily, passing away unnoticed." I was called to treat a child five years of age suffering from birth with a most obstinate form of constipation. He had to be forced and held to the stool crying and screaming all the while being totally unable to pass any faeces even after an enema. After trying several remedies in vain, I asked the mother to turn the child over (he was in bed) to let me examine the anus and rectum. As she turned down the bed clothes to do so, a large chunk of solid faeces appeared in the bed. "There", she said, "that is the way it is. Notwithstanding his inability to pass stool when he tries, we often find these things in the bed, and he does not know when they pass, nor do we." I then gave a few doses of Aloe 200th and cured the whole trouble quickly and permanently. Aloe like Podophyllum has also prolapsus uteri, and the feeling of heat, heaviness and fullness in the abdomen, pelvis and rectum guides to its selection. Like Podophyllum, also, its range of action is not wide, but positive, reliable and satisfactory.