Homeopathic Materia Medica

Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica, James Tyler Kent

Face: About the first thing we see in the study of an Antimonium tart. patient is expressed in the face.

The face is pale and sickly; the nose is drawn and shrunken; the eyes are sunken and there are dark rings around the eyes.

The lips are pale and shriveled. The nostrils are dilated and flapping, and there is a dark, sooty appearance inside of the nostrils.

The face is covered with a cold sweat and is cold and pale. The expression is that of suffering. The atmosphere of the room is pungent, more pungent than foetid or putrid, and makes you feel that death is in it.

The family is disturbed; they are going hither and thither, and the nurse is in an excited and busy state, and you enter upon this scene to make a homoeopathic prescription.

It is one of excitement and one that you cannot act rapidly in, but one in which you must make a very quick prescription.

These things will interfere somewhat with your thinking at the time that you must do the best thinking and the most rapid thinking.

Now, in what kind of cases do we find this state and appearance, where all the features and symptoms conform to the nature of the remedy?

Catarrhal patients: First, in catarrhal patients, in broken down constitutions, in feeble children, in old people.

Catarrhal conditions of the trachea and the bronchial tubes. Our ears being open we hear coarse rattling and bubblings in the chest.

If you have ever been in the room of the dying you have heard what is called the death rattle. It is coarse like that.

Now and then there is expectoration of a mouthful of light-colored, whitish mucus. The condition is one in which the chest is steadily filling up with mucus, and at first he may be able to throw it out; but finally he is suffocating from the filling up of mucus and the inability of the chest and lungs to throw it out.

Lungs: It is a paralytic condition of the lungs. It may occur in cases of grippe. At first it may be a case that comes on quite rapidly, running a rapid course.

It may be a case that produces early prostration, that is, in three or four days or a week. The first few days of the sickness will not point to Antimonium tart.

So long as the reaction is good and his strength holds up you will not see this Hippocratic countenance, sinking, and coldness and cold sweat.

You will not hear this rattling in the chest, because these symptoms are symptoms, that indicate a passive condition.

Antimonium tart. has weakness and lack of reaction. Hence we see that it is suitable in those cases that present this state, or in such patients as are so feeble, when they are taken down, that they at once enter upon a passive or relaxed state.

Bronchitis: In cases of bronchitis with pneumonia, inflammation of the trachea, inflammation of the air passages in general, the inflammation is likely to be attended with dryness or a scanty flow of mucus.

If this be violent in a few days it will reach a state of relaxation and weakness. But the first state does not indicate Antimonium tart.

Such medicines as Bryonia and Ipecac. come in for the first period, and your impression is, when administering those medicines, that they will be sufficient for the whole case, and they will be, except in those states wherein this weakness is present from the beginning, or where there is lack of ability to react sufficiently from your remedy to recover under it.

Then comes in a second remedy, and that is the time when this medicine begins its operation.

Ipecac. has some of this coarse rattling, but it is attended with great expulsive power of the lungs.

This medicine has the coarse rattling that comes after many days. Ipecac. has it the first days of the sickness. This remedy has the coughing and gagging and retching, but in the stage of great relaxation, prostration and coldness. It seems as if he will die.

When you hear him cough you are at once impressed with the idea that there must be some profound weakness in his lung power. We know that it is in the power of the lungs to produce an expulsive action with the deep inspirations.

They have no such power in Antimonium tart. The chest is full of mucous and it rattles; the cough is a rattling cough, but the mucus does not come up, or only a small quantity comes up, but it does not relieve him.

His chest is full of mucus, he is suffocating and he is really passing away, dying from carbonic acid poisoning due to a lack of expulsive power.

Pneumonia: In cases of pneumonia; when first coming down with a chill, it may be a very violent attack, such an attack as from its violence produced prostration early, that is, after three or four days.

It is not indicated in the beginning during the chill, and during the high grade of inflammation, but during the stage of exudation. But the violence of the attack leads him to a state of prostration, or he is already feeble as if he were old, and therefore he becomes easily relaxed and prostrated from the disease.

Altogether unlike Aconite, Bell., Ip. and Bry., for they come down with violence - the very opposite is present in Antimonium tart.

Little fever, cold sweat, coldness, relaxation, Hippocratic aspect. So it is the remedy that closes out the scene with the severe cases of bronchitis, pneumonia; most of these cases die in an Antimonium tart. state.

This patient is an old gouty patient, debilitated from long illness, always shivering, pale, with enlarged joints. Every spell of wet weather brings on a catarrhal state of the chest, larynx and trachea which runs into a state of copious secretion of mucus.

He is in bed at once, prostrated, with coarse rattling.

Children: In children that have frequent attacks of bronchitis, from cold wet weather, from cold rainstorms in the autumn, in the spring and in cloudy weather.

No sooner do they get over one cold than another cold comes on. The acute stage is never violent with them, but they keep having these passive rattling colds. Recurrent rattling in the chest. Chilly, and pale.

Those florid children that do not look sick when they have a cold, are more or less vigorous, who have rattling in the chest, but do not come down with weakness and are not prostrated from it, but keep on rattling, they call for Kali sulph.

That is quite a distinguishing feature, the weakness at once speaks for this remedy.

Old people: In very old people this weakness occurs, old broken down people who have for years had catarrh of the chest.

Every sharp cold spell in the winter brings on catarrh of the chest, with thick white mucus, and attended with great dyspnoea, driving him to bed. He must sit up in bed and be fanned; cannot lie down because of the difficult breathing, and filling up of the chest.

Antimonium tart. will, ease him over a number of these attacks before he dies. When the mucus is yellow and purulent in one of these old people, Ammoniacum will tide him over a good many winters. We see a good many old people that suffer from catarrh of the chest during the winter; they have had it for years, and do not expect to be any better.

When the expectoration is yellow, Ammoniacum will pull them through and Antimonium tart, when it is white and attended with prostration, sweat, coldness, pallor and blueness of the face. These are the principal uses of this remedy in practice.

Modalities: it has many pains and aches. To a great exent Ant. tart. builds upon the Antimonium crudum basis. It forms its chest symptoms to a great extent upon that basis.

Many of the symptoms are like Antimonium crudum; many symptoms are worse when warmed up, and from too much clothing. You will see this patient sitting up in bed with no clothing around the shoulders or neck, and the night-gown wide open in order to breathe. Suffocates if the room is too warm. It gets that from the Antimonium crud. It is worse from bathing in cold water, like Antimonium crud. The mucous membranes are covered with thick white mucus, like Antimonium. crud. Also he does not want to be meddled with or bothered. Everything is a burden.

The child when sick doesn't want to be touched or talked to or looked at. Wants to be let alone. The infant is always keeping up a pitiful whining and moaning. Many times the respiration is a moaning respiration. Rattling and moaning. Always in bad humor, that is, extremely irritable when disturbed.

Any disturbance seems to increase the breathing and is an annoyance and makes the patient irritable.

No wonder the patient is wonderfully anxious, because from his appearance we would say that he must have the feeling that he is dying. He looks as if he were sinking, and if he does not get relief soon he certainly will die, for there is a filling up of the chest that is suffocating him, and the feeling is that of suffocation, dyspnoea, which is steadily increasing.

The wings of the nose move as in Lycopodium. Lycopodium competes with it very closely and resembles it very much.

There are many headaches laid down under Antimonium tart., but Antimonium crud. is more likely to work out for Antimonium headaches, while this medicine is more likely to work out for Antimonium chest troubles.

Both of these remedies have very decided gastric symptoms. Constant nausea, vomiting and indigestion. Antimonium tart. with its difficult breathing is sick at the stomach. Loathes everything, loathes food; vomits even water.

He has also a docile state and if allowed to be quiet, in spite of all the sufferings, he will fall into a sleep, or go into a state of inability to feel. He will cough and sleep, and snore through the dyspnoea, so that it is in many ways like Antimonium crud., but Antimonium crud. has nothing like the copious flow of mucus from mucous membranes that are inflamed. It has nothing like the passive state of the whole economy, It is not so desperate in its provings, and not so dreadful to look upon.

Eyes: Clinically Ant. tart. has been confined in its use mostly to the mucous membranes of the chest, but it has the same passive conditions of all the mucous membranes of the body. Discharges of white mucous from the eyes.

"Eyes prominent, glaring. Dim, and swimming, Gonorrhoeal ophthalmia."

But the rheumatic conditions furnish another form of this remedy, another phase of it like Antimonium crudum. The joints are affected, take on a passive, slow infiltration and become dropsical; dropsical swelling of all the joints. Gouty infiltration of the joints, and these are especially bad during the cold, wet weather. Eye symptoms of this gouty character.

Eyes infiltrated along with the joints, so there is a gouty state of the eyes. The gouty state affects the whole body. The mucous membrane is pale instead of being red and inflamed; it is pale and relaxed, and it appears to ooze; mucus forms upon it very readily.

This is the state that occurs in the chest. It is not that burning rawness found in Ars. and the more acute remedies, although there is a state of prostration and the anxiety and cold sweat which resembles Ars.

Teeth: Then this gouty state affects the teeth. His teeth are all rheumatic.

"Rheumatic pains in the teeth," with rheumatic pains in the joints. Teeth are sensitive.

"Teeth covered with mucus."

With all the complaints the stomach gives out, and there is nausea, inability to digest and loathing of food. Vomiting of everything taken, into the stomach; vomiting of even a spoonful of water. In most complaints this remedy is thirstless.

It is an exception that it has thirst. Generally in these attacks of dyspnoea the friends of the patient stand around with a very strong desire to do something, if it is only to hand a glass of water.

This patient is irritated by being offered a swallow of water. He is disturbed, and shows his annoyance.

The child will make an offended grunt when offered water. Thirstlessness with all these bronchial troubles, with copious discharge of mucus and great rattling in the chest.

Sometimes there is an irresistible desire for cold things in the stomach, but it is the exception.

"Desire for acids or acid fruits," and they make him sick.

Troubles brought on in the stomach from vinegar, from sour things, from sour wine, from sour fruits, as in Ant. crud.

Aversion to milk and every other kind of nourishment, but milk especially makes the patient sick, causing nausea and vomiting.

Flatulence: The stomach and abdomen are greatly distended with flatulence. The abdomen is tympanitic. With the stomach symptoms and bowel symptoms there is this constant nausea, but it is more than a nausea, it is a deadly loathing of every kind of food or nourishment, a nausea with the feeling that if he took anything into the stomach he would die; not merely aversion to food, not merely a common nausea that precedes vomiting, but a deadly loathing of food.

The weakness takes on an increased anxiety, and he increasingly suffocates when he is offered food. Kind-hearted people very often want him to take something, for perhaps he has not taken any food all day, or all night; but the thought of food only increases the dyspnoea, increases his nausea, his loathing and his suffering.

Vomiting: Vomiting is not an easy matter in this remedy. The vomiting is more or less spasmodic.

"Violent retching. Gagging and retching and straining to vomit. Suffocation, gagging, through great torture."

The stomach seems to take on a convulsive action, and it is with the greatest difficulty, after many of these great efforts, that a little comes up, and then a little more, and this is kept up.

"Vomiting of anything that has been put into the stomach, with quantities of mucus."

Thick, white, ropy mucus, sometimes with blood.

"Vomits slime, with great exertion. Vomiting large quantities of mucus. Vomits tenacious mucus."

"Vomiting of slime, with bile. A tough, watery mucus, then some food, then bile."

But the principle thing vomited is the thick white, ropy mucus, flowing from the mucous membranes everywhere. Tough and stringy; can be drawn out in strings.

The patient is often choked while this thick, ropy, white mucus is expelled from the oesophagus and mouth. The mouth fills up with it. It is a tremendous effort, a spasmodic effort, for this patient to rid the stomach of its contents, which is mucus, or mucus and bile.

Early in the vomiting it is mucus, and after much straining there is a regurgitation of bile into the stomach, and the continuing of vomiting is from bile. The great straining also induces a flow of blood into the stomach, and the contents of the stomach will be streaked with blood.

Ulcerations: Ulceration of mucous membranes everywhere. It has ulcers in the nose and in the larynx, and ulcers that bleed. Bleeding ulcers in the stomach, and so there is vomiting of blood.

Like Antimonium crud., it has been useful in old drunkards.

Drunkards: Old drunkards sometimes take on a debilitated form and take frequent colds.

After getting over a big debauch, having been many days on one of their times, they become relaxed and cold, and take cold, and the chest fills up with mucus, and they are vomiting, suffocating and vomiting.

"Rattling of mucus in the chest of old drunkards."

Ant. tart. is sometimes required. Ant. crud. when the trouble is confined mostly to the stomach. Ant. tart. when the chest symptoms are present with growing anxiety and the coldness and the prostration; prostration from long drinking.

Old gouty patients, old drunkards; old broken down constitutions. In children also that have broken down constitutions, as if they had grown old. These take cold in the chest, with great rattling of mucus and require this remedy.

Very commonly there is anxiety in the stomach, it is not always described as a pain, but an anxious feeling, a deathly sinking, an indescribable sinking in the stomach as if she was going to die.

"Anxiety in the stomach, with nausea."

A passive congestion of the liver, with vomiting and bile.

Pains: The remedy is also full of cutting pains, cutting like a knife. Pinching in the intestines. Colicky pains. Distension of the abdomen.

The abdomen may be distended with serum, or it may be distended with flatus.

"Sharp, cutting pains, as with knives. Most violent pains in the abdomen."

Dropsy is one of the natural conditions of all forms of Antimonium. I remember an energetic horse doctor feeding all the horses Black antimony when the epizootic was upon the land, going through all the stables.

I learned, that he was giving Black antimony to all horses and I left instructions that mine should not have any medicine except what I gave. Nearly all the horses that he treated ended in dropsy, and were laid up for days and weeks with the legs wrapped up.

It was a proving of Antimonium. Ant. tart. is full of it. It was a common thing, formerly, for old broken down constitutions to be put on Ant. Tart. at the end of pneumonia and fevers, but they almost always had bloating of the feet for three or four months after getting up.

If they did not have that, they had "fever sores."

Antimonium is a common cause of the "fever sore.," the lingering indolent ulcer that forms upon the legs following old fevers in broken down constitutions.

Sometimes they never get rid, of them. They certainly never get rid of them unless they fall into the hands of a prescriber of our school.

A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, John Henry Clarke

Tartar Emetic. Tartrate of Antimony and Potash 2[K (Sb O) C4 H4 O6] H2O. Trituration and solutions.

Clinical.─Alcoholism. Aphthae. Asphyxia neonatorium. Asthma. Bilious affections. Bronchitis. Catarrh. Chicken-pox. Cholera. Cholera morbus. Coccygodynia. Cough. Group. Delirium-Tremens. Dyspepsia. Ecthyma. Eyes, inflamed. Impetigo. Intermittent fever. Laryngitis. Lumbago. Lungs, affections of. Myalgia. Paralysis agitans. Plica-polonica. Pneumonia. Psoriasis. Rheumatism. Ringworm. Screaming. Small-pox. Stiff-neck. Sycosis. Synovitis. Taste, altered. Thirst. Tongue, coated. Tremors. Varioloid. Vomiting. Whooping-cough.

Characteristics.─Antim. tart. resembles closely Antim. crud. and the other Antimonies in its action, though the modalities differ. Antim. tart. was the favourite emetic of olden times, and consequently it is one of our best remedies in states of nausea. The nausea is as intense as that of Ipec., but less persistent, and is > by vomiting. Nash has found it the nearest thing to a specific in cholera morbus, the indications being "nausea, vomiting, loose stools, prostration, cold sweat, stupor, or drowsiness." In chest affections of all kinds it is indicated where there is great accumulation of mucus with coarse rattling and inability to raise it. Drowsiness and even coma may accompany cases of all kinds in which Ant. t. is called for. The face is pale or cyanotic and the breathing stertorous. There is heat about heart and warmth rising up from it. A sensation of coldness in the blood-vessels. A correspondent of the Chemist and Druggist (May 21, 1892) related the case of an apprentice who had been employed for a week making up "cough-balls" and diuretic balls for horses, both containing powdered antimony. He had been cautioned not to inhale the powder, but his employer believes he did. At the end of the week he was seized with an illness, due, his employer thinks, and no doubt correctly, to the antimony. The symptoms are very characteristic. First, there was nausea, lassitude, and a desire for sleep. He was sent to bed, and during the night his fellow apprentice said he got up and struggled to relieve himself of an imaginary load on the chest. On being put to bed again, a profuse perspiration broke out, and also a peculiar rash on his face and chest; after that he vomited freely and felt better. Temperature 104, pulse 120. A fever-mixture of liq. ammon. acet. and Sp. aether. nit. was given. A doctor who was called in found undoubted symptoms of pneumonia of left lung, but confessed he had never seen the rash before and would not venture an opinion regarding it. For two days the temperature kept at 104, then both temperature and the pulse became normal, the rash disappeared, and with it the pneumonic cough; in six days the boy was perfectly well. "A child coughs when angry" is characteristic. Heath cured a case of whooping-cough in a child who was very fretful before the cough. The mother said that if the child got angry she immediately had a fit of coughing. "Cough at 4 a.m." is another indication which I have found true. Further leading indications for this remedy are: attacks of fainting, internal trembling. It causes relaxation of sphincters and muscles, with nausea or without. Os uteri dry, tender, undilatable, with distress, moaning, and restlessness with every pain (Aco.), feeling of sickness. Convulsive twitching. Convulsions. Great heaviness in all the limbs and great debility. Rheumatic pains (fever), with perspiration, which does not relieve. Inflammation of internal organs. Gastric and bilious complaints. Constant nausea─nausea felt in chest (Puls.). Sensation of weight or heaviness in many parts; head, occiput, coccyx, limbs. Pulsations in all the blood-vessels. The child wants to be carried and cries if any one touches it. Peevishness, whining, and crying. Inquietude, apprehension, agitation. Dulness and bewilderment of head as if benumbed. Chronic trembling of head; of head and hands (as in paralysis agitans). The tongue has a thick, white, pasty coat with red papillae showing through. Intense nausea and vomiting with great effort; with perspiration on forehead. Fulness and sensation of stones in abdomen especially when sitting bent forward. The skin is notably affected. The typical eruption is like that of small-pox, the symptoms of which disease are so closely reproduced in the proving that it has been used instead of vaccine for inoculation purposes, and prophylactic power has been claimed for it. (Compare Variolinum.) The terrible backache of small-pox is paralleled by the back-pains of Ant. t., which I have found to correspond to more cases of lumbago than any other remedy. Ant. t. is also a "sycotic," and I have verified a symptom given in Hering, "warts at the back of the glans penis." Antim. tart. has < by warmth, but not the excessive sensitiveness to heat and sun of Ant. c., and some of the rheumatic symptoms are > by warmth. Warm drink < cough, also lying in bed, especially becoming warm there. There is also < from cold and damp, but not the ill effects of cold washing found in Ant. crud. Also cold washing > the rheumatic toothache of Ant. t. Both have < from touch and even from being looked at. Ant. t. has < on sitting down; when seated; and on rising from a seat; < sitting bent forward; > sitting erect. < Lying on side affected. < Motion, on every effort to move. A characteristic of Ant. t. in lung affections is "lies with head back." There is not the > from rest which is apparent in many symptoms of Ant. c. The Ant. t. headache is < by rest; also earache and respiration. < At night is more marked with Ant. t. than Ant. c. Cough is < 4 a.m. > from eructations.

Relations.─Compare: Acon. (croup); Aethus. c. and Ipec. (expression of nausea); Am. c.; Arsen. (asthma, heart symptoms, gastric catarrh); Bry. (pneumonia < l., Ant. t. < r.,-chest and brain symptoms after retrocession of eruption─Bry., measles and scarlatina; Ant. t. small-pox). Laches. (dyspnoea on waking); Lyc (catarrh of chest, flapping of nostrils.─Ant. t. has nostrils dilated); Verat. (colic, vomiting, coldness, craving for acids─Ant. t. has more jerks, drowsiness, urging to urinate; Ver. more cold sweat and fainting); Op. (cough with drowsiness and yawning); Sang. c. (pneumonia, face livid); Ipec. (Ant. t. has more drowsiness and tendency of lungs to collapse); Thuja (effects of vaccination when Thuja fails and Silic is not indicated. Ant. t. develops small-pox pustule; Thuja dries it up). Compatible: Phos. in hydrocephaloid, worn-out constitutions, laryngitis, pneumonia. Follows well: Silic. in dyspnoea from foreign substances in larynx; Puls. (nausea in chest, gonorrhoeal suppressions); Tereb. (symptoms from damp cellars); Variolinum. Antidoted by: Asaf., Chi., Coccul., Con. (pustules on genitals), Ipec., Lauro., Op. (Opium in large doses is the best antidote in poisoning), Puls., Sep. It antidotes: Baryt. c., Bry. (dyspepsia), Camph., Caust. (dyspepsia), Puls. Ant. t. differs from Mercury in producing a purely local action on the mouth similar to its action on the skin. The action of Merc. on the mouth is indirect.

Causation.─Effects of anger (cough) or vexation.

SYMPTOMS.

1. Mind.─During the day hilarity, in the evening anxious and timid.─Inquietude and agitation, with palpitation of the heart, and trembling.─Anxious apprehension respecting the future (in the evening).─Pitiful whining before and during the attack.─Bad humour.─Excessively peevish and quarrelsome.─Child will not allow itself to be touched.─Discouragement and despair.─Lethargy.─Suicidal mania.─Wild gaiety (by day only).─Consequences of anger and vexation.

2. Head.─Dulness, confusion, and bewilderment in the head, which is, as it were, benumbed, with inclination to sleep.─Fits of vertigo with sparkling before the eyes, and dizziness when walking.─Dulness of all the senses.─Headache, with palpitation of the heart, and vertigo.─Heaviness of the head, esp. in the occiput.─Semi-lateral headache.─Pressive pains in the head, with compressive tension, as if the brain were contracted into one hard mass, often with dizziness, extending into the root of the nose, sometimes in the evening, and at night; with stupefaction and lethargy; better when exercising and washing the head.─Pulsation in the right side of the forehead; worse in the evening, when sitting stooped, and from heat; better from sitting erect, and in the cold air.─Drawing, tearing, and digging in the head.─Stitches in the head.─Lancinating pains in the head, sometimes extending into the eyes, with necessity to shut them.─Boring in the forehead.─Semi-lateral throbbing in the forehead.─Chronic trembling of the head.─Trembling with the head, esp. when coughing, with an internal sensation of trembling, chattering of the teeth, and an irresistible somnolency; worse in the evening, and from heat.─Trembling with the head and hands, with great debility; worse when lying and getting warm in bed, better when sitting up erect and in the cold.─Neck stretched out, head bent back.

3. Eyes.─Eyes fatigued, requiring sleep, and to be firmly closed.─Pain, as of a bruise in the eyeball, on touching it.─Aching of the eyes.─Shootings, burning sensation, and smarting in the internal canthi, with redness of the conjunctiva.─Eyes confused, swimming in tears; sunken, surrounded by dark circles.─In pneumonia when the edges of the lids are covered with mucus.─Rheumatic ophthalmia or from gonorrhoea.─Incipient amaurosis.─Confused sight, with sparkling before the eyes, especially on rising from a seat.

4. Ears.─Humming in the ears.

5. Nose.─Violent fluent coryza, with frequent sneezing, ulcerated nostrils, shivering, loss of smell, and of taste.─Uncontrollable epistaxis with spongy gums.─Nose dry.─Nose pointed.─Nostrils widely dilated.─Nostrils black; alae flapping.

6. Face.─Face pale and wan, or red and bloated, with anxious expression.─Face pale, sunken.─Dull, drawing pressure, in the zygomatic process.─Convulsive jerking of the muscles of the face.─Parched lips, with desquamation.─Eruption round mouth.─Cracked lips.

7. Teeth.─Odontalgia, with very violent pain in the morning.─Rheumatic toothache of intermittent type.─Scurvy.

8. Mouth.─Copious accumulation of saliva in the mouth.─Tongue moist, clean, or loaded with a brown coating.─Tongue: red, dry in middle; red in streaks, thick, white, pasty coat; thick white fur.─Aphonia.

10. Appetite.─Fatty taste in the mouth.─Insipidity of food.─Salt taste in the mouth.─Bitter taste in the mouth.─Thirst for cold water.─Moderate appetite with burning thirst.─Good appetite, with speedy disgust, on partaking of any food.─Bulimy, when walking in the open air.─Craving for acid things, or for raw fruits (apples); for cold drinks or thirstlessness.─Aversion to all food, esp. milk.─Every mouthful produces a painful sensation, extending to the stomach.─After drink: nausea; cough.

11. Stomach.─Empty risings.─Sobbing risings.─Risings with taste of rotten eggs, at night.─Regurgitation, of acrid, or salt, or else sourish fluid.─Regurgitation after partaking of milk.─Constant nausea, sometimes with inclination to vomit, anguish, pressure in the scrobiculus, and headache, mitigated by expulsion of flatus, upwards and downwards.─Violent retching, with copious flow of saliva, sweat on the forehead, and lassitude in the legs, or else with diarrhoea, and excessive debility.─Much vomiting, with violent efforts, pain in the stomach and abdomen, trembling of the body, necessity to bend double, shiverings, and strong inclination to sleep.─Vomiting of mucus, with mucous diarrhoea.─Acid vomiting, containing food.─Vomiting of sour and bitter substances, esp. at night.─Excessive sensibility of the stomach; the smallest mouthful causes a painful sensation.─Pain in the stomach, as if it were overloaded.─Uneasiness and emptiness in the stomach.─Pressure in the stomach and scrobiculus, esp. after a meal.─Violent throbbings and pulsations in the region of the stomach.─Shootings in the pit of the stomach.

12. Abdomen.─Pains in the abdomen, with great moral and physical agitation, and dislike to all kinds of labour.─Uneasiness in the epigastrium and hypogastrium, which compels the patient to lie down and to stretch himself.─Fulness and pressure in the abdomen, as if it contained stones, esp. on stooping forward, while in a sitting posture.─Spasmodic colic in the abdomen, with violent contraction of the eyelids, and irresistible inclination to sleep.─Incisive pains in the abdomen, as if the intestines were being cut.─Pulsations in the abdomen.─Abundant production of flatus, with grumbling, borborygmi, and pinchings in the abdomen.

13. Stool and Anus.─Constipation, alternating with diarrhoea.─Diarrhoea in pneumonia, small-pox, and other eruptive diseases, esp. if the eruption has been suppressed.─Diarrhoea and vomiting.─Faeces of the consistence of pap.─Slimy diarrhoea, or yellow, bright brown, or else watery, often preceded by gripings and movements in the abdomen.─Sanguineous faeces.─Involuntary evacuations.─During the evacuation, palpitation of the heart.─Violent burning tickling, extending from the rectum into the glans penis.─Lancinations in the rectum.─Tenesmus during and after Stool, frequent burning at the anus.

14. Urinary Organs.─Very profuse and distressing emission of urine, with tension in the perineum, burning sensation in the urethra, and scanty stream, which is sanguineous towards the end of the emission, with violent pains in the bladder.─Nocturnal calls to urinate, with burning thirst and scanty emission.─Involuntary emission of urine.─Red, fiery urine, which forms blood-red filaments after standing.─Deep-brown, acrid, turbid urine.─Pressure and tension on the bladder.─Shootings in the urethra and lower part of the bladder.

15. Male Sexual Organs.─Excitation of sexual system.─Pain in testicles after checked gonorrhoea.─Warts behind glans penis; with ulcers elsewhere (sycosis).─Pustules on genitals and thighs.─Syphilis.

16. Female Sexual Organs.─Catamenia of watery blood.─Severe bearing-down in vagina.─Chronic metritis with feeling of weight tugging at coccyx.─Eruption of pimples or) the genital organs.─Itching of pudenda.

17. Respiratory Organs.─Catarrh, with irritation, which excites coughing, copious accumulation of mucus, and rattling of mucus in the chest.─Hoarseness.─Painful tenderness of the larynx when touched.─Cough, excited by violent tickling in the trachea.─A child coughs when angry.─Paroxysms of coughing, with suffocating obstruction of respiration (suffocating cough).─Dyspnoea, compelling one to sit up.─Shortness of breathing from suppressed expectoration.─Suffocating attacks with sensation of heat at the heart.─Whooping-cough, preceded by the child crying, or after eating or drinking, or when getting warm in bed; after the attack somnolency.─Cough, with heat and moisture of the hands, and perspiration on the head, chiefly on the forehead.─Cough, with vomiting of food, after a meal.─Hollow cough, with rattling of mucus in the chest.─Cough, with expectoration of mucus, sometimes at night only, chiefly after midnight.

18. Chest.─Velvety feeling in the chest.─Frequent fits of obstructed respiration, esp. in the evening or in the morning, in bed, almost to the extent of suffocation.─Shortness of breath.─Difficult respiration.─Paralysis of the lungs.─Anxious oppression of the chest, with a sensation of heat, which ascends to the heart.─Rattling of mucus in the chest when breathing.─Fitful pain, as from excoriation in the chest, esp. on the l. side.─Rheumatic pain in the l. side of the chest.─Burning sensation in the chest which ascends to the throat.─Inflammation of the lungs.─Miliary eruption on the chest.

19. Heart and Pulse.─Visible and anxious palpitation of the heart (also without anxiety), sometimes during an evacuation.─Palpitation with loose stools.─Heat about heart and warmth rising up from it.─Sensation of coldness in the blood-vessels.─Pulse: hard, quick, and small; or weak, quick, and trembling; small, threadlike: imperceptible.─Twisting, digging, and blows in the region of the heart, at night, which do not cease till perspiration breaks out.

20. Neck and Back.─Weakness of the muscles of the neck, which prevents the head from being held up.─Miliary eruption on the nape of the neck.─Pain in the back and loins when seated, as from fatigue.─Violent pain in the sacro-lumbar region; slightest effort to move causes retching and cold, clammy sweat.─Pain in sacrum with sensation of lameness.─Sensation as if a heavy load was hanging on end of coccyx, dragging downwards all the time.─Rheumatic pain in the back.

21. Limbs.─Heaviness in limbs followed by leprous eruption.─Limbs over-fatigued, a sensation coming from back.─Jerking up of limbs during sleep with loose stools.─Small ulcers on tips of fingers and toes, spreading, livid edges (leprosy).

22. Upper Limbs.─Cracking in the joints of the shoulder, with tearing in the arms, extending into the hands.─Excessive heaviness of the arms.─Jerking of the muscles in the arms and hands.─Miliary eruption on the arms.─Itching pimples on the arms and wrists.─Red spots on the hands, like fleabites.─Trembling of the hands.─Coldness of the hands.─Icy coldness in the tips of the fingers, as if dead.─Finger-ends dead, dry, and hard.─Spots of a deep yellow on the fingers.─Distortion of the fingers.

23. Lower Limbs.─Heaviness and rheumatic pains in the hips and legs.─Painful weakness in the knee-joint, in bed, in the morning.─Dropsy of the l. knee-joint.─Tension of the tendons of the ham, and of the instep, when walking.─Cramp in the calf of the leg.─Coldness of the feet.─Numbness of the feet, on sitting down.

24. Generalities.─Rheumatic pains (fever) with perspiration, which does not relieve.─Inflammation of internal organs.─Gastric and bilious complaints.─Arthritic and rheumatic tearings and drawings in the limbs, with sensation as of a fracture.─Collection of synovial fluid in joints.─Contraction of the limbs.─Jerking of the muscles.─Convulsive jerks and spasm.─Epileptic fits.─Trembling of the limbs; long-continued of the head and hands after every exertion or motion.─Internal trembling.─Shootings in the varices.─Aggravation of the symptoms when sitting down, or else when seated, and when rising from the seat.─In some forms of asthma one has to sit in a chair and lean his head on a table.─In some forms of pneumonia so great is the prostration that the patient is constantly slipping down in bed.─Heaviness in all the limbs, and great indolence.─Violent pulsations throughout the body.─Great debility, weakness, and excessive lassitude; feels best when sitting still doing nothing.─A child continually wishes to be carried.─Syncope.─Excessive tenderness of the whole body.─A child, when touched, utters piercing cries.

25. Skin.─Itching in the skin.─Itching pimples, and miliary eruption.─Eruptions like scabies.─Eruption of pustules, like varioloids, as large as peas, filled with pus, with red areola (like small-pox), and which afterwards form a crust, and leave a scar.─Itching round inveterate ulcers.─Pustular eruption on different portions of the body, leaving a bluish-red mark.

26. Sleep.─Urgent inclination to sleep during the day, with frequent stretching and yawning.─Invincible drowsiness, with deep and stupefying sleep.─In the morning, sensation as from insufficient sleep.─Retarded sleep, and nocturnal sleeplessness.─Light sleep, with many fantastic dreams.─Much talking during sleep.─Cries during sleep, with fixed eyes, and trembling limbs.─Shocks and blows during sleep, which occasion jerking, sometimes of a single limb, at others of the whole body.─Lying on the back while sleeping, with the left hand passed under the head.

27. Fever.─Predominance of shivering and coldness.─Shiverings, with excessive paleness of the face, and trembling of the whole body.─Violent but not long-continuing heat, preceded by a long-lasting chill; worse from every exertion; or long-continued heat, with lethargy and perspiration on the forehead following a short-lasting chill.─Burning heat of the whole body, chiefly in the head and face, increased by the least movement.─Pulse quick, weak, or full; hard and accelerated; at times trembling.─The fever ceasing, the pulse becomes often slow and imperceptible.─The least exertion accelerates the pulse.─Fever, with adipsia, and excessive drowsiness.─Profuse, frequent, and sometimes cold perspiration.─Perspiration on the parts affected.─Profuse nocturnal perspiration.─Perspiration on the whole body.─Perspiration frequently cold and clammy.─Intermittent fevers, with lethargic condition.

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

Tartar Emetic

Adapted to torpid, phelgmatic persons; the hydrogenoid constitution (of Grauvogl). Diseases originating from exposure in damp basements or cellars (Ars., Aran., Tereb.). Through the pneumogastric nerve it depresses the respiration and circulation, thus producing the keynote of the remedy, viz., when the patient coughs there appears to be a large collection of mucus in the bronchi; it seems as if much would be expectorated, but nothing comes up. Child clings to those around; wants to be carried; cries and whines if any one touches it; will not let you feel the pulse (Ant. c., Sanic.). Face cold, blue, pale, covered with cold sweat (Tab.). Tongue coated pasty, thick, white, with reddened papillae and red edges; red in streaks; very red, dry in the middle; extraordinary craving for apples (Aloe- for acids, pickles, Ant. c.). Vomiting: in any position except lying on right side; until he faints; followed by drowsiness and prostration; of cholera morbus with diarrhoea and cold sweat, a dose after each attack (Ver.). Asphyxia: mechanical, as apparent death from drowning; from mucus in bronchi; from impeding paralysis of lungs; from foreign bodies in larynx or trachea; with drowsiness and coma. Great sleepiness or irresistible inclination to sleep, with nearly all complaints (Nux m., Op.). Child at birth pale, breathless, gasping; asphyxia neonatorum. Relieves the "death rattle" (Taran.). Icterus with pneumonia, especially of right lung.

Relations. - Similar: to Lycopodium; but spasmodic motion of the alae is replaced by dilated nostrils; to Veratrum, both have diarrhoea, colic, vomiting, coldness and craving for acids; to Ipecac, but more drowsiness from defective respiration; nausea, but > after vomiting. When lungs seem to fail, patient becomes sleepy, cough declines or ceases, it supplants Ipec. For bad effects of vaccination when Thuja fails and Silicea is not indicated. Before Silicea in dyspnoea from foreign bodies in the larynx or trachea; Puls. in suppressed gonorrhoea; Tereb. from damp basements. Children not easily impressed when Ant. tart. seems indicated in coughs, require Hepar. In spring and autumn, when damp weather commences, coughs of children get worse.

Aggravation. - In damp, cold weather; lying down at night; warmth of room; change of weather in spring (Kali s., Nat. s.).

Amelioration. - Cold open air; sitting upright; expectorating; lying of right side (Tab.).

Leaders In Homoeopathic Therapeutics, Eugene Beauharnais Nash

Great accumulation of mucus in the air passages, with coarse rattling with inability to expectorate; impending paralysis of lungs.

Face very pale or cyanotic from unoxidized blood.

Great coma or sleepiness in most complaints.

Vomiting, intense nausea, with prostration; general coldness, cold sweat and sleepiness.

Trembling; internal, head and hands.

Thick eruptions like pocks, often pustular; as large as a pea.

Modalities: > from expectoration.

Both ends of life, childhood and old age; clings to those around; wants to be carried; cries and whines if any one touches it; will not let you feel the pulse.

* * * * *

Antimonium tartaricum is another powerful emetic. I can remember the time when the old allopaths used it almost as generally as the botanics did Lobelia inflata, to "clean out the stomach". Now-a-days, washing out the stomach by lavage, and the rectum and colon by enemas, according to "Hall's method", is quite fashionable, and is withal much more sensible, inasmuch as they are so lame in their therapeutics.

Notwithstanding these improvements, there is still a great deal of "gut scraping" going on in the name of "cleaning out the system", as though the alimentary canal was not a self-cleaning institution, if kept, or put into a healthy condition, but must be regularly "gone through" once in about so often, on the "house cleaning" principle. To be sure it is folly, but they do the best they know. Neither Antimonium tart. nor any other emetic is used by us for emetic purposes from a therapeutic standpoint.

Our therapeutic uses of it are the same as those of any other remedy, on the principle of similia similibus curantur. The nausea of this remedy is as intense as that of Ipecacuanha, but not so persistent, and there is relief after vomiting. I have found it nearest a specific (of course we know there is no absolute specific for any disease) for cholera morbus of any remedy. For more than twenty-five years, I have seldom found it necessary to use any other, and then only when there were severe cramps in the stomach and bowels, when Cuprum metallicum relieved.

It has the nausea, vomiting, loose stools, prostration, cold sweat, and stupor or drowsiness found in almost all bad cases of this disease, and I have seldom been obliged to give more than two or three doses, one after each vomiting, before the case was relieved. It is not generally recommended in the text-books for this ailment, but is a gem, as I know from abundant experience and observation.

If Antimonium tart. possessed only the one power of curing, that it does upon the respiratory organs, it would be indispensable. No matter what the name of the trouble, whether it be bronchitis, pneumonia, whooping cough or asthma, if there is great accumulation of mucus with coarse rattling, or filling up with it, but, at the same time, there seems to be inability to raise it, Tartar emetic is the first remedy to be thought of. This is true in all ages and constitutions, but particularly so in children and old people.

There is one symptom that is very apt to be present in these cases, and that is, great drowsiness or sleepiness, sometimes amounting to coma. This is found, not only in diseases of the respiratory organs, but in cholera infantum, cholera morbus and intermittent fever. In pneumonia, both Tartar emetic and Opium may have great sleepiness but there is no need for any confusion here as to choice, for in Opium; the face is dark red or purple, and there may be sighing or stertorous respiration. With Tartar emetic the face is always pale, or cyanotic, with no redness, and the breathing is not stertorous.

Three remedies are remarkable for sleepiness, viz.: Opium; Tartar emetic and Nux moschata, but aside from this one symptom they are not alike. Antimonium tart. is also one of our best remedies for hepatization of lungs remaining after pneumonia. There is dullness on percussion, and lack or absence of respiratory murmur, and shortness of breath, and patient continues pale, weak and sleepy.

If Sulphur should not promote absorption in such a case, Tartar emetic will often do it. I have used it from the 200th to the c. m. potencies with equally good results.