Homeopathic Materia Medica

Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica, James Tyler Kent

Generalities: Every medicine has a sphere of action, a peculiar nature whereby it differs from all other medicines, and hence it becomes suitable to complaints of one class and not suitable to those of another.

It is like the nature of human beings, as they differ from each other, and also like the nature of diseases, which differ from each other in character.

We study a remedy also in regard to its velocity and continuance, its remittence or intermittence.

The symptoms of some remedies come on suddenly, with great violence, with great rapidity, stay but a short time in their paroxysm, and go off as it nothing had happened.

Others come on slowly, are deep acting and continuous, like the continued fevers. We notice the complaints of Ignatia, how flitting and intermittent and unexpected everything is; we notice in Aconite how complaints come on with violence, and in Belladonna with what suddenness they come on.

When we come to the study of Bryonia we find it is a most persistent remedy; its complaints develop slowly, i.e., slowly for acute conditions.

Its complaints are continuous, remittent, and only occasionally intermittent.

They increase into violence, but the violence is not the first flash as in Aconite or Belladonna, and hence it conforms to a type of disease with continued fever; to rheumatisms that come with gradually increasing severity, gradually increasing and involving one joint after another, until all the white fibrous tissues are in a state of inflammation, pain and distress.

It has inflammatory conditions anywhere about the body, but particularly of the fibrous tissues, serous membranes, ligaments of joints and aponeuroses. It also affects the coating of nerves with its congestions, and these gradually increase in severity.

From the beginning there are present the characteristic features, and it may be seen that this patient is coming down with a Bryonia sickness.

The patient has several days of preparation. He does not feel very well, is languid and tired, does not want to be spoken to, does not want to move, and this gradually increases; pains begin to flit over the body, they move around here and there over the fibres in one place and another, and every time he moves the pain increase, until they end in a steady and continuous pain. The parts become hot and inflamed, and at last he is down with rheumatism.

The complaints come on after taking cold, not the first few hours, as in Aconite or Bell., but the day after an exposure he begins to feel uneasy and he sneezes and the nose discharges, there is rawness in the chest, and in a day or so he has a chill and comes down with some inflammatory trouble, pneumonia or pleurisy.

Its inflammatory complaints include inflammation of the membranes of the brain, sometimes extending, into the cord; the pleural membranes, the peritoneum and the heart covering, these are the most common; it also has inflammation of organs.

When these conditions come on there is noticed, very early in the case, even before the pains begin, an aversion to motion, and the patient does not know why, but finally he observes that his symptoms are made worse if he has to move, so that the slightest inclination to move is resisted with a feeling of anger, and when he does move he finds he is aroused to great suffering, and that all the aches and pains of the body come on.

Thus we have the well-known Bryonia aggravation from motion. This runs all through the remedy.

This medicine is suitable in a great many diseases, diseases of a typhoid nature, diseases that take on a symptomatic typhoid, diseases that start out as remittents and run into a continued fever, as in pneumonia, pleurisy, inflammation of the liver, of glands, of the bowels, etc.

It may be a gastro-enteritis or peritonitis, or inflammation of the bowels, with the sensitiveness, the aggravation from motion and the desire to keep perfectly still. Inflammation of joints, whether of rheumatic character or not, whether from cold, exposure or injury.

Bryonia is often indicated in injuries of joints where Arnica would be a failure.

There is an extreme state of irritability in Bryonia; every word which compels him to answer a question or to think will aggravate him.

The effort to talk will be attended with horror. At the beginning of complaints you go to the bedside of a patient who has been grumbling a few days; something is evidently coming on; the family meet you at the door and say,

"The patient is almost unconscious;"

you look at him, the face is puffed and purplish, he seems to be dazed, there appears to be a short of venous stasis all over the body, but especially about the face; his countenance is almost that of an imbecile, yet he is perfectly capable of talking, although he has an aversion to it and appears to outsiders to ignore everything that is said.

This sometimes comes on apparently in a short time; the patient awakens in the morning with a dull, congestive headache and a stupid feeling in the head; dulness of mind so that he cannot work, and this feeling gradually increases; such a state is sometimes the forerunner of a serious illness.

We find, when a pneumonia or inflammation of the liver, or some slow insidious inflammation is coming on somewhere in the body, but not yet located, that this state will begin in the morning.

This is peculiar about the aggravation of Bryonia - its troubles commence many times early in the morning. On waking, with the first move, he realizes that things are not all right, there is a state of stupidity bordering on unconsciousness.

Those who have been grumbling for a week or ten days wake up in the morning feeling miserable, some time that night or the next day they have to send for the doctor. If this is watched for a few days, a continued fever is observed.

Or at night a chill will come on, with much pain in the chest, rusty expectoration, short, dry cough and other symptoms that will be spoken of under Bryonia later, showing that the trouble is going towards the chest; or the condition may gradually increase as a congestive, dull headache.

This will be seen when congestion of the brain is coming on. Bryonia sickness often picks out plethoric subjects, those who are venous in their make up, those who, when suffering with cold, come down with catarrhal congestions.

Catarrhal fever may be covered by Bryonia.

Mind: This sluggish state of the mind then is the state of Bryonia, not an excitable state, as in Coffea, Nux vomica, Ignatia, but sluggish aggravated from motion, aggravated from being talked to; wants to lie still in bed; very great irritability, which is as extreme as that found in Nux or Chamomilla.

It also has acute complaints aggravated from anger, from being aroused, from being disturbed, from controversy. Following the early sluggishness, there is later a state of complete stupefaction in Bryonia, in which he becomes quite unconscious, as in typhoid.

He goes from a state of partial unconsciousness to one of complete unconsciousness, as in hydrocephalic children.

In rheumatic complaints, in pneumonia, and in typhoid conditions, when he is aroused from this stage of stupefaction he is confused, sees images, thinks he is away from home and wants to be taken home.

Sometimes he will lie and say nothing but that he "wants to go home."

The delirium is of a low type; it is not the flashing wild excitement of Bell. or Stram.; it is the very opposite; he talks and wanders and does not say much unless he is disturbed. You disturb him and lie says,

"Go away and let me go home.," and if you let him alone he will relapse into a perfectly quiet state and seldom speak.

"Irrational talk or prattle of his business, aggravated after 3 P.M."

Usually you will find the delirium commencing about 9 P.M., and keeping up all night like the fever.

The acute mental state you will find manifesting its symptoms on rising in the morning, but as the febrile state advances and takes possession of him the symptoms will take on a 9 P.M. aggravation; those who have chill will have it at 9 P.M.; in those who have a fever, the fever will come at 9 P.M.

If mental symptoms are uppermost they increase and spread over the night. It has a 3 P- M aggravation. Bell. will begin at 3 and run on towards midnight, but Bryonia will begin at 9 P.M. and run on through the night.

The aggravation of the Chamomilla patients, who are also extremely irritable, is at 9 A.M. Sometimes we go to the bedside and can hardly distinguish between Bryonia and Cham. because they are both so spunky, but the Cham. baby is worse at 9 A.M. and the Bryonia baby is worse at 9 P.M.

in Bryonia there is a key-note which really applies to a dozen or more remedies,

"he wants something and he knows not what."

It is a very important symptom of Bryonia. It is a symptom that calls for Bryonia only when the rest of the symptoms agree. You go to a child who is being carried in the arms of the nurse and wants one toy after another; you get the toy he wants and he does not want it and will throw it back at you.

When that case is looked into thoroughly it may be covered by Kreosote; another is never satisfied with anything and rejects everything he asks for; you look into that case and it may be covered by Chamomilla.

"Desire for things that cannot be had which are refused, or not wanted when offered."

"Apprehensiveness; fearfulness."

"Anxiety in whole body compelled him to do something constantly."

There is a feature worthy of consideration because it sometimes makes a case appear inconsistent. It is due to his anxiety that pervades the whole body.

In Bryonia as in Arsenic there comes an anxious and uneasy feeling which compels him to move, but he is worse from motion, yet so uneasy and anxious that he must move.

There are pains so violent that he cannot keep still, and yet when he moves he screeches from the pain. So it is really not an inconsistency but simply due to the great violence of the pain. Even though he knows that the motion is going to make him worse, he cannot keep still, for the pain is so violent.

Early in the case he was able to keep still, and found that he was better from keeping still, and that the mental state was better from keeping still, and that the anxious restlessness increased the more be moved, until finally a reaction comes and he is obliged to move.

You would think, looking at the case superficially, that that patient is better from motion as in Rhus tox., but in Rhus you find that the patient moves and in moving he gets feeble, and when he sits down the pains begin to come on again.

There is the distinction between the two, and yet they look alike if not examined into carefully. It is common for Bryonia to be ameliorated from cool air, and from cool applications.

Now, if he moves, he gets warmed up, the pains are worse, but there are rheumatic complaints of Bryonia which are better from heat, and under these circumstances he is better from continued motion.

It is another form of relief, and another of the modalities. I sometimes wonder whether Bryonia has a greater element of relief from heat, or greater element of relief from cold.

Most of the head complaints that are of a congestive character are better from cool applications, from cold air, etc. Yet there are some of the Bryonia head complaints that are relieved by hot applications, and these seem to have no accompanying cerebral congestion.

So that Bryonia has opposite modalities, but in all its opposite states there is still a grand nature running all through, sufficient to detect it.

In a damp climate Bryonia is one of the most frequently indicated remedies, but in the clear climates, where the thermometer runs low, Aconite will be indicated more than Bryonia.

Still further South, the complaints assume more of the constitutional state of Gelsemium in inflammatory conditions. We know in the far North the sudden, violent cold brings on violent colds like Aconite, while here the complaints are more insidious, like Bryonia, land further South.

These atmospheric changes should be thoroughly considered in relation to our Materia Medica.

The mental state of Bryonia is usually relieved from cool air, he wants the windows open.

Anxiety, confusion of mind, fear, etc., are ameliorated from being cool. Sometimes the delirium, and the congestive fullness of the head affecting the mind, will increase if the room becomes very warm, or from the heat of the stove, from becoming heated, or from warm covers.

In children this will be noticed, whereas if the window be thrown up to relieve the stuffiness of the room the child will sleep quietly. Such remedies as Bryonia, Apis, Pulsatilla, and many others, come in here.

If you go into a room and find the child raging with delirium, turning and tossing, and the mother is trying to keep the room warm because she is chilly, and you say,

"Why, how stuffy it is in here!" and you open the window and then notice that the child goes off to sleep, do not overlook that; because that relief was caused by something.

There should be nothing that can possibly occur to a patient, but that you should solve the meaning of before you leave the room. Settle in your mind as to what it was that caused it.

"Fear of death."

Full of fear, anxiety, despair of recovery, great despondency. Both mental and bodily quietness is required, that is, he wants to keep still.

Often he wants the room dark. It has complaints from getting excited. Bryonia patients are nearly always worse from visitors.

"Morose."

Do not cross a Bryonia patient for it makes him worse.

"Bad effects from mortification."

"Ailments arising from chagrin; " these are headaches usually.

Violent, congestive headaches that come on a few hours after altercation or controversy, or little misunderstandings with somebody that he cannot talk back to, will be covered by Staph., but Bryonia also has that.

Staph. is suited to irritable, violent, nervous, excitable people, that get into violent altercation or dispute. If a headache comes on, such a patient may need Bryonia.

If in a chronic state a patient says,

"Doctor, if I ever have a dispute with a man over anything I come down with nervous excitement, sleeplessness, headaches;"

you do not have to work long upon that case, because more than likely Staph. will be suitable.

Bryonia has dizziness; the dizziness is worse in a warm room. You will notice, as I go through, that in everything of a nervous nature, nervous excitement, and commonly the bodily state, the patient is worse from a warm room, worse from too much clothing, worse from the warmth of the bed, wants the windows open, wants to breathe fresh, cool air.

He suffers more than ordinary persons, from a stuffy room. Persons who are subject to Bryonia conditions in church, at the opera, in close warm rooms, like Lycopodium. Girls that faint every time they go to church are relieved by Ignatia.

Head: We commence now with the study of the head.

The head complaints may be looked upon as striking features of the remedy, because there is pain in the head with almost every acute complaint.

Headaches are associated with inflammatory and congestive complaints.

The mental dullness and confusion of the mind is spoken of with the congestive headache, and bursting headache.

The head feels so full she wants to press it with the hand, or tic it up; tight pressure, over the whole skull, is grateful. The headaches are worse in a warm room and commonly worse from heat.

Sometimes superficial neuralgias have relief from local heat, but a warm room or a close room is very distressing to the Bryonia headache. Headaches as if the skull would split open; the pains are worse from every motion, even the winking motion of the eyes, the motion necessary to talking and the effort of thinking so that all exertion of body or mind becomes impossible with a severe headache.

Must keep perfectly quiet. Sometimes lying down and keeping perfectly quiet in a dark room will give some relief. Light aggravates; if you think a moment you will see that the accommodation to light and shadow of a room involves motion; it is said that the light aggravates, but even here it is the motion that is carried on by the muscles of accommodation.

The headaches of Bryonia are very commonly the forerunner of other complaints, congestion of the lungs, bronchitis, congestion of some other part of the body; he wakes up in the morning with headache; if it be coryza that is coming, he has the headache in the morning and through the day he commences to sneeze; or if the trouble is in some other part of the body, before the symptoms develop, he wakes up in the morning with this congestive headache over the eyes or in the back of the head, or both; it seems as if the head would burst; better from pressure, worse from the warmth of the room, and worse from every motion.

Headache over the eyes, sometimes like the stabbing of a knife, worse from the first motion. He realizes it on waking upon moving the eyes, with soreness in the eyeballs, with bruised feelings all over.

The motion of the arms, doing work with the arms as in various kinds of business that are carried on with the use of the arms and hands, is generally accompanied by complaints of the upper part of the body and especially the head, so that one of the old key-notes in the time of Hering was "complaints from ironing."

You know that ironing is commonly carried on in a warm room, it involves the motion of the arms, and thus brings in two most striking features of Bryonia, so that this key-note is no longer an abstract statement; it is not to be considered apart from the general nature, but only serves to bring it out.

Splitting, violent congestive headaches; headaches as if everything would burst out of the forehead. Pressure pain in the forehead, fullness and heaviness in the forehead as if the brain were pressed out.

This fullness or congestion of the head, is accompanied by what was described as sluggishness of the mind, and it will often be noticed that the countenance is somewhat besotted.

The patient looks as if he were an imbecile. The face is mottled, and purple, with congestion in a marked Bryonia state. The eyes are red, and congested; he is listless, does not want to move, to speak, or to do anything, because all these things are motion, are efforts, and they make him worse.

You will see this is also true in Bell.; it has all of this congestion and pressure; but remember Bryonia is slow, sluggish, passive and insidious in its approach and progress, while in Bell. the mental symptoms and everything in connection are marked by activity. With the headaches there is more or less burning, and sometimes throbbing.

The throbbing is seldom felt until he moves. After any movement, like going up stairs, walking, or turning over in bed during the headache, he feels the violent throbbing; on keeping still a moment it settles down into a bursting, pressing pain as if the skull would be pressed open.

There are many other pains in connection with the Bryonia headache; in the text it is described:

"tearing and stitching pains."

"Shooting pains," sharp pains.

Some of the pressing pains are described as if a great weight were on the head, but the same idea prevails; it is an internal pressure; a sluggishness of the circulation in the brain, a stasis as if all the blood in the body were surging in the head.

"Stitches in the head."

"Splitting headache."

"Rush of blood to head." Threatened apoplexy.

"Headache after washing himself with cold water when face was sweating."

That is, taking cold from suppression of perspiration.

"Always on coughing, motion in head like pressure."

The headache is so bad in many cases of pneumonia or bronchitis, in fact in any of the inflammatory or congestive conditions, that very often you will see the patient grasp the head when he knows he is going to cough.

He holds his head because it hurts so from the action of coughing. Many remedies have this, but it is in keeping with the general aggravation of Bryonia from motion, from jar, from any effort.

"The headache is expanding, aggravated by the slightest motion; after eating."

The aggravation after eating is in keeping with the Bryonia state in general. The Patient himself, in all complaints, feels worse after eating. It hardly matters what the trouble is, it is worse after eating; the cough is worse after eating, the gouty, state is increased by eating.

The Bryonia patient will finally sum up the whole subject and say,

"I am always worse after eating;" so that it becomes a general.

The headaches are often accompanied by nose-bleed.

"Obstinate headache with constipation."

Bryonia is particularly suitable in venous, sluggish constitutions, with sluggish heart, poor circulation, yet apparently plethoric, apparently rugged, but subject to gouty exacerbations from change of weather.

Dandruff is common; sensitiveness and great soreness of the scalp worse from the slightest touch of the scalp, feels as if the hair were pulled; women must always have the hair hanging down. In the Bryonia headaches, as well as rheumatic attacks, if he can perspire a freely, he will get relief.

Eyes: Bryonia is ameliorated in all its complaints as soon as the perspiration becomes free and general. Catarrhal conditions of the eyes are found in Bryonia; it is not so often thought of as an inflammatory remedy for the eyes when there are no other symptoms, but eye symptoms will be found, redness, inflammation, congestion, heat, enlargement of the veins, burning and smarting, associated with headaches, with coryza, with troubles in the air passages, bronchitis, etc.

Sore aching in the eyes, the eyeballs can hardly be touched, so tender to touch, as if bruised, increased from coughing or pressure.

Such conditions come with chest complaints, with colds and headaches.

"Soreness and aching of eyes when moving them."

"Pressing, crushing pains in eyes."

"Inflammation of eyes and lips, especially in new-born infants."

Think of Bryonia when gouty conditions have left certain parts and all at once the eyes are affected, tumefaction of the lids, the conjunctiva looks like raw beef, so highly inflamed is it, red and oozing blood. You find out that a few days before the patient, an old gouty subject, had rheumatic attacks of the joint, and now he has sore and inflamed eyes.

"Rheumatic iritis, caused by cold."

Rheumatic inflammation of the eyes, i.e., in inflammatory conditions and congestion with redness, associated more or less with gouty affections. In olden times it was described as "arthritic sore eyes," which means sore eyes in a gouty constitution,

Nose: Many of the complaints of Bryonia commence in the nose; sneezing, coryza, running at the nose, red eyes, lachrymation, aching through the nose, eyes and head the first day; then the trouble goes down into the posterior nares, the throat, the larynx, with hoarseness, and then a bronchitis comes on, and if not checked it goes into pneumonia and pleurisy, so that the trouble has traveled from the beginning of the respiratory tract, the nose, to the lung tissue.

This is a field for the complaints of Bryonia. All are worse from motion, all parts are subject to a good deal of burning and congestion; more or less fever, sometimes intense fever; the patient himself worse from the slightest motion and wants to keep still; dullness of mind, pressive, congestive headaches; sore, lame and bruised all over, often worse at 9 o'clock in the evening; increased dullness of the mind after sleep or on waking in the morning.

The cough comes on with great violence, racking the whole body and increasing the headache, and with copious discharge of mucus from the respiratory tract.

"Frequent sneezing."

"Sneezing between coughs."

"Loss of smell."

Bleeding from the nose in these congestions, or with coryzas. During menstruation there is epistaxis, congestion of the head is present at this menstrual period. Epistaxis appears as a vicarious flow in cases of amenorrhoea. If the menstrual flow should be checked suddenly from cold, nosebleed comes on. Dryness in the nose.

Face: The aspect of the face is important; the besotted, purple, bloated countenance is not dropsically bloated, although it has the oedematous face sometimes, but puffed from vascular stasis, not pitting upon pressure; swollen and puffed, purple, with a doltish state of the mind, as if he were drunk.

He will took at you and wonder what you were doing, and what you said; a stupefaction of the intellect; the eyes do not look at you intelligently. When a patient is about to come down with some Bryonia complaint, with a remittent, or with head congestions, or pneumonia, or some other respiratory disease, the family will notice when he awakes in the morning that he has that besotted expression, and he says he has to make such an effort to think or do anything, and his head aches hard, and is worse from motion. Or the face is red and burning,

"red spots on the face and neck;"

"hot, bloated, red face."

In children, as well as adults, there is gradually increasing cerebral trouble, dilated pupils, besotted countenance, and continual lateral motion of the lower jaw.

This motion of the jaw in a congestive attack is a strong feature of Bryonia. It is not the grinding of the teeth so much that I refer to now, although that is found in Bryonia, but a lateral movement of the jaw as if chewing, but the teeth do not come in contact and they keep it up night and day.

A great many remedies have grinding of the teeth. When intermittent fever comes on with marked congestion, stupefaction of the intellect, violent rigors, even to a congestive chill, the patient lying in stupefaction or a semi-conscious state, without grinding the teeth, yet wagging the jaw back and forth by the hour, Bryonia is often suitable.

Constant motion of the mouth as if the patient were chewing, in brain affections of children; it occurs in little ones when there are no teeth; but they keep up a chewing motion.

In regard to the lips and lower part of the face, that bloated, swollen condition, the sluggish circulation, a venous congestion or stasis will be found in Bryonia, making the aspect as of one long intoxicated; it is not so marked as in Baptisia and is not accompanied by so low a state, so advanced a stupor, as in Baptisia.

Great dryness of the lips; the lips parched and dry.

"Children pick the lips,"

"Lips cracked and bleeding."

Lips parched, dry and bleeding, such as will be seen in typhoid states, where the whole mouth is dry and brown, cracked, parched and bleeding; dry, brown tongue. Sordes on the teeth.

In Arum triphyllum, there is marked picking of the nose and lips; they pick and pick and bore the finger into the nose.

Toothache: Bryonia has toothache, worse from warmth.

"Tearing, stitching toothache while eating;" from warm drinks, from warm foods, worse in a warm-worn, wants cold foods in the mouth, wants to be in cold air, but worse from motion.

"Toothache > by cold water or lying on painful side."

Pressing hard upon the painful tooth ameliorate it.

"Toothache < from smoking."

You see how the relief from cold and aggravation from heat go along with us; we shall keep reiterating these modalities that affect the patient as a general state, and we shall see as we go through that nearly all his symptoms are worse from motion, worse from heat, etc.

He keeps on telling us they are better from pressure in each region we go over, until, finally we come to the conclusion that they are general.

We may have in two remedies the same set of symptoms, and yet they are all made worse from all the opposite things.

Thus you see modalities indicate and contraindicate remedies. This is the studying of remedies by their modalities, for modalities sometimes constitute strong generals.

Taste: You will not be surprised to know that Bryonia loses his sense of taste, so that if he has a coryza nothing tastes natural.

Not only is there mental sluggishness, but there is a slowing down of his sensations, his whole state is benumbed.

"Taste flat, insipid, pasty"

His intelligence is so affected that he does not know where be is even, thinks he is away from home, and even his tongue is no longer intelligent; so that something that is sour tastes as though bitter; his senses deceive him.

"Tongue thickly coated white."

In typhoid, in cerebral congestion, in sore throat, in pneumonia, in all diseases of the respiratory apparatus, in rheumatic affections, the tongue is thickly coated.

"Dry, and bleeding and covered with crusts."

Such a tongue is found in typhoid fever, a dry, brown, cracked, bleeding tongue. When he takes a cold the mouth becomes dry. It is very common for the Bryonia patient to have great thirst; he is apt to drink large quantities of water, at wide intervals.

With this dry, brown tongue, however, he loses his taste for water and does not want it; dry mouth and thirstless like Nux moshata.

"Aphthae"

"Bad odor from mouth."

Throat: Bryonia has nondescript sore throats, with stitching pains, with dryness, with parched appearance of the throat, and thirst for large, quantities of water at long intervals.

"Constitutional tendency to aphthous formations in the throat," little white spots in the throat.

Desires and aversions: Then we come to the desires and aversions that relate to the stomach, and they are greatly perverted. He is worse from eating. The stomach has lost its ability to digest, and hence he has an aversion to all food.

"Desires things immediately, and when offered they are refused."

He is changeable, does not know what he wants. He craves in the mind the things he has an aversion to in the stomach.

When he sees it he does not want it. His intelligence is in a state of confusion. He craves acids.

"Great thirst day and night;" he wants cold water.

"Thirst for large quantities at long intervals."

Many remedies want to sip water all the time. In Bryonia the large quantities relieve the thirst immediately. In Arsenic the drink does not relieve, he wants a little and wants it often.

The stomach complaints of Bryonia are relieved from warm drinks that becomes a particular because his desire is for cold drinks, but his stomach is better from warm drinks.

In his fever and head complaints and febrile states he wants cold things, which often bring on and increase the cough and pains, but the hot drink, which he does not crave, relieves the stomach and bowel complaints.

In the chill, Bryonia often has desire for ice-cold water, which chills him dreadfully; and hot water relieves.

"Desire for cold and acid drinks."

Aversion to rich fat food; all greasy things.

"Desire for things which are not to be bad."

When patients are under constitutional remedies, they need caution about certain kinds of foods that are known to disagree with their constitutional remedy. A Bryonia patient is often made sick from eating sauerkraut, from vegetable salads, chicken salad, etc., so that you need not be surprised after administering a dose of Bryonia for a constitutional state, to have your patient come in and say she has been made very ill from eating someone of these things.

It is well to caution persons who are under the influence of Puls. To avoid the use of fat foods, because very often they will upset the action of the remedy. It is well to say to patients who are under Lyc.

"See that you do not eat oysters while taking this medicine."

These medicines are known to produce states in the stomach inimical to certain kinds of foods; certain remedies have violently inimical relation to acids, lemons, etc.

If you do not particularly mention the fact, and say,

"You must not touch vinegar or lemons; nor take, lemon juice while taking this medicine," you will have the remedy spoiled, and then wonder why it is.

The medicine often stops acting and the patient gets a disordered condition of the stomach and bowels a medicine that should act for a long time ceases action and you do I not know what the trouble is.

Homoeopathy will rule out such things as are inimical to the remedies and inimical to patients in general, or do not agree with a particular constitution.

To have an iron-clad rule is not correct practice; the only iron-clad rule is to be sure that the remedy is similar to the patient when you administer it, and the things that he is to have are to be in agreement with that remedy.

It is not an uncommon thing for a patient who has been under the influence of Rhus tox., and has been doing well up to a certain time, after he has taken a bath, to have his symptoms return in the form of a Rhus state; the action of the remedy stops right there.

He must of course take a bath, and yet it is true that some constitutional cases under Rhus must stop taking their ordinary bath, in order to keep themselves under the influence of Rhus. It is the same with Calcarea, a bath will often stop the action.

I only speak of these things to impress upon you the importance of feeding and treating, your patient in accordance with the remedy; in accordance with a principle and not by rule; do not have one list of foods for your patients; do not have a list of things for everybody. There is nothing in Homoeopathy.

The patient himself in all the strange and peculiar things is worse from eating; the cough is worse from eating, the complaints of the head, the headaches, are worse from eating, and the respiration is worse from eating.

The stomach is distended with wind after eating, but especially after oysters. Oysters are not, as a rule, a dangerous article of diet, yet some are poisoned by oysters.

"Worse after eating or drinking."

When the case is one of whooping cough, the cough is worse, the paroxysms are more violent and all the symptoms are worse a little while after eating, but later, when digestion is finished and the stomach is empty, he is much relieved.

The Bryonia patient is ordinarily relieved from drinking, but if, when overheated, he drinks cold water, all of his rheumatic symptoms are worse, the cough is worse, and the headache is worse.

He will have a violent headache after drinking cold water when heated. In Rhus patients complaints are worse from drinking cold water when heated. The headache increases into a throbbing and bursting pain tenfold greater than it was before drinking.

The Bryonia patient is subject to hiccough, to belching, to nausea and vomiting, so that disordered stomach is the general term.

Bitter eructations, bitter nauseous taste. He vomits bile. After eating all these things are increased. In the stomach and abdomen we have a great many symptoms resulting from disordered stomach, or from taking cold, or from becoming overheated, or from drinking ice water when overheated.

Disordered stomach; irritation of the stomach so that he cannot eat without extreme pain, and this increases until the inflammatory condition involves the whole stomach and abdomen, and there is sensitiveness to pressure, and it can be diagnosed as a gastro-enteritis, with the soreness and tenderness, stitching, burning pains, all worse from motion; nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, tympanitic abdomen unable to move because it so increases the pain.

With the exception of the abdominal and stomach pains, the Bryonia pains are better from pressure.

The Bryonia patient with these inflammatory conditions will often be seen lying perfectly quiet in bed with the knees drawn up; lying with the limbs flexed in order to relax the abdominal muscles; he does not want to be talked to, does not want to think; every movement is painful, and increases the fever and often causes alternation of chilliness with heat; high fever.

The Bryonia patient, when lying perfectly quiet, is sometimes quite free from nausea, but the instant the head is raised from the pillow the dreadful sickness returns, so that he cannot sit up.

He cannot be raised up in bed because of the nausea, and if he persists in rising tip the nausea comes on more than ever, with burning in the stomach. With every motion he gulps up a little mucus and slime, which is putrid.

Stomach: All sorts of pains are felt in the stomach and bowels, but most particularly stitching and burning pains; feels as if the stomach would burst, as if the abdomen would burst. Peritoneal exudations. Awful soreness.

Sensitiveness of the pit. of the stomach, and sensitiveness Over the whole abdomen. This is commonly relieved by heat, although the patient himself wants to lie in a cool room.

The heat of the room is oppressive, yet beat applied is agreeable. Every inspiration, every motion of the chest greatly aggravates these pains, so that you will find a Bryonia patient shortening' up his breathing instead of breathing deep. He keeps that up until he cannot stand it any longer, and then he takes a long breath that causes groaning.

Gastric inflammatory affections and disordered stomach, gastric affections in young girls from suppression of the menstrual flow, gastritis, gastroenteritis.

Bryonia has inflammation of the liver and many other liver symptoms. The liver, especially the right lobe, lies in the hypochondrium like a load, with soreness and tenderness to pressure, and he cannot move.

Every motion, every touch, every deep breath causes pain in this organ, as in the abdominal viscera. The breathing is short, quick, and when followed by, taking a deep breath it causes pain through the liver; it burns and stitches. With this, he has the disordered stomach, nausea and retching worse from motion; spitting up of bile. Stitching pains, sticking pains and burning in the liver.

"Transient stitches in right hypochondrium;" these are in the liver.

When he coughs it feels as if the liver or right hypochondrium would burst. Severe pains when coughing.

Stools and rectum: Bryonia furnishes many symptoms in connection with the stool and rectum. It has constipation, and it has dysentery. The pathogenesis is full of these conditions as well as many symptoms relating to the parts themselves. In the constipation the stool is dry and hard, as if burnt. No desire for stool, but after going many days there are passages of little hard pieces as if they had been burned.

No moisture about the parts, no mucus to often the hard stools. Any mucus that may be present will be discharged separately. Some times the stool is composed of little hard particles looking as if burned, at times scanty, again quite a lot, and then will follow the passage of mucus, as if lying about the mass of faeces was quite a lot of mucus.

In most inveterate constipations Bryonia is sometimes suit able. It has also diarrhoea that drives the patient out of bed in the morning; i.e., on first beginning to move in bed he begins to feel nauseated, he is bloated and distended with colic, and he has urging to go to stool; or a little while after getting up and moving about the bowel is distended causing colic, and be must hurry to stool.

The purgation is sometimes enormous, frequent, and no sooner does the patient finish than he is perfectly exhausted, lies down like one almost dead, covered with sweat; so tremendously fatigued he can hardly reach the vessel the next time, and then it comes a gushing, copious, bilious stool. If, while lying, he makes the least motion, he must hurry to stool.

Bryonia cures dysentery with all the tormina and tenesmus possible to imagine, with pain in the abdomen; with bloody and mucous discharges. In the constipation the straining is often ineffectual. He has urging to stool and goes several times before there is any result. The stool seems to remain in the rectum, although he seems to be compelled to strain; there is inactivity and inability to strain.

Ordinarily he has plenty of power and is quite likely to have a passage, but it is so dry. Bryonia has another kind of diarrhoea. It is like the yellow corn meal mush. just such a stool as this you will find in the typhoid patient, a yellow, mushy stool.

This is sometimes intermingled with mucus and slime, sometimes with blood. It may be useful to the physician to, know whether this is in the typhoid state or in the form of chronic diarrhoea. Bryonia has cured many cases of chronic diarrhoea where this yellow, mushy discharge was present, and frequent; several times a day, but more frequent in the morning.

Sometimes he has several stools in the morning that will satisfy for the whole twenty-four hours, or only one or two in the afternoon and five or six in the morning; during the night no stools at all, because when be keeps quiet in bed and comfortable he has not very much urging to stool; every motion or keep ing upon the feet increases the urging to stool.

So that some would think of it as a diarrhoea only in the day-time, and would associate it with Petroleum; but with Petroleum, no matter how much he moves about in the night, he will not have a stool, but will have all of the stools in the day-time. It says here:

"Diarrhoea putrid; smelling like old cheese."

"Very offensive."

"Brown, thin, faecal stools."

Some times chronic Bryonia patients will diet themselves, eating only thin liquids, avoiding solids, etc., and yet the food will come right through the next morning, almost undigested; lienteric stools.

"Urging followed by copious pasty evacuations."

"Involuntary stools while asleep."

"Burning of the anus with every passage."

This is especially at night if he moves, but motion is more common in the day-time, and every motion will bring on urging to stool.

Urines: There are plenty of urinary symptoms in this remedy; inflammatory condition of the kidneys; pinkish urinary deposits, uric acid crystals; urine profuse.

Whenever he strains himself in lifting, or any unusual motion, there is pain in the kidneys, a rousing up of congesting and long-lasting pain. It is a gouty constitution with kidney troubles, so that after overheating or overexertion he gets pain in the back.

"Pressure to urinate and involuntary discharge of urine."

"Burning in urethra, when not urinating;" relieved by passing urine.

Female organs: There are many symptoms of the female sexual organs of great interest. Painful menstruation, dysmenorrhoea; pain in the ovaries at the menstrual period. Every menstrual period is associated with marked congestion of the ovaries, with sensitiveness to touch.

The sensitiveness at the approach of every menstrual period, in both groins, will be spoken of by the patient, increasing as the menstrual period comes on, until the soreness proceeds across the abdomen and meets, and then the whole abdomen is painful during the menstrual period.

The uterus is sore, the hypogastrium is tender. Inflammation of the uterus. Burning pain mostly in the body or fundus of the uterus.

The Bryonia patient is subject to amenorrhoea, or the flow is suppressed upon the slightest provocation. If she becomes overheated from exertion, such as from ironing or washing a few days before the menstrual period, it will be suppressed, and the next time she will have a harder time than ever.

In young plethoric women, after violent exertion, these complaints come on in that way. Violent exertion then scanty urine. Soreness of the abdomen, but the flow does not come, or is postponed a good many days after violent exertion; scanty urine and suppression of menses in plethoric girls.

From overexertion and becoming overheated, threatened abortion. In inflammation of the breasts and stopping of the milk flow in the lying in period. Bryonia must be consulted. In milk fever and pains and swelling of the breast Bryonia must be studied.

During confinement a woman becomes overheated and naturally perspires; just at the close of it as the delivery takes place, if the nurse and the doctor do not observe and throw more clothing over her, or at least keep the room warm enough, there will be sudden suppression of the sweat, and this will bring on milk fever and other febrile symptoms which will need Bryonia.

Threatened peritonitis, from such causes, gonorrheal troubles, old rheumatic troubles, pains or aches, if made worse from the slightest motion.

If due to septicemia rather than to suppression of the sweat, very commonly a deeper acting remedy is required. In inflammatory conditions of the breast one of the most striking things is the stony hardness of the breasts, hardness and heaviness.

Bryonia is often suitable for inflammation of the breasts at other times; heaviness and hardness of the breast prior to menstruation.

Respiratory: Then we come to the respiratory tract again, which we have only hinted at, and here we have a tremendous study before us.

Very commonly the Bryonia conditions commence with a cold; it may be at first loss of voice, with rawness in the trachea and great soreness in the chest; dry, hacking cough, as if the chest would burst from coughing.

The Bryonia patient sits up and holds the head, or holds the chest; presses both hands upon the chest when coughing, feels as if the chest would fly to pieces when coughing; pains in the chest on both sides, but mostly the right side.

Bryonia prefers the right side when the condition is pneumonia. We see a patient who had first a cold, and the cold has traveled down the air passages, with hoarseness and rawness in the chest and cough; the cough shakes the whole body, then comes a hard chill.

He is now down in bed, and when the physician sees him be sees the state of inflammation and knows the meaning of it, and listening confirms the diagnosis of pneumonia.

The patient cannot move hand or foot; the pain is mostly in the right lung, and he is compelled to lie on the right side or back and dreads motion. Sometimes the pleura is involved and we have the sharp pains; every respiration causes intense pain, whether it be pleuro-pneumonia or a simple pneumonia.

But we see the Bryonia patient lying upon the side that is affected, upon the painful side, in order to diminish the motion that respiration causes; and every often he will have a hand under it to see if he cannot hold it still.

With Bryonia the expectoration is of a reddish tinge, is rusty, and if you have this symptom and the right side affected, it is all the more strongly Bryonia.

There are a few medicines that look somewhat like Bryonia; take for instance, a case with high fever, intense heat, great excitement, and consider the rapidity with which the trouble has come on, involving the left side and in the pan you see the sputum consists of bright red blood, Aconite will be the remedy.

If the liver is involved, there is fullness in the side, stitching pain over the liver, and the face is yellow, it is not impossible for Bryonia to be indicated, for it has such things, but with pain very severe, continually going from the front to the back through the right shoulder blade, Chelidonium is more likely to cure than Bryonia.

These comparisons may be carried out indefinitely, but the study of Bryonia as to the respiratory apparatus is a wonderful one.

With these colds that end in loss of voice, it has bringing and tickling in the larynx, constant cough. Hoarseness and loss of voice in singers.

Great soreness in the trachea; rawness and tightness in the trachea, even suffocation, like Phosphorus.

The Bryonia breathing is panting and very rapid, little short rapid breaths, due to the fact that deep breathing increases the pain, the Bryonia patient desires to breathe deep, wants deep breathing, needs deep breathing, but it hurts him so.

"Constant disposition to sigh," but cannot because it hurts him so.

Shortness of breath, suffocation, asthma. Asthmatic attacks from becoming overheated. Asthma worse in a warm room, wants cool air to breathe.

"Dry, spasmodic cough, whooping cough, shaking the whole body."

Cough compels him to spring up in bed involuntarily, painful cough with difficult breathing, cough that shakes the whole body. Tough, difficult expectoration.

"Cough evening and night, dry cough."

A great deal of the rest of Bryonia, as we go over it is repetition.

If you will only read the text carefully and make application of what has been said, you see the general character and idea of the remedy, you see its image and you will fill it out for yourselves, if you have a full text-book.

A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, John Henry Clarke

Bryonia alba. White Bryony. N. O. Cucurbitaceae. Tincture of root procured before flowering.

Clinical.─Alcoholism. Amenorrhoea. Anger, effects of. Aphthae. Apoplexy. Asthma. Bilious attack. Brain, affections of. Breast, inflamed. Bronchitis. Cancer. Chill, effects of. Chlorosis. Constipation. Consumption. Coryza. Cough. Dentition. Diaphragm, rheumatism of. Diarrhoea. Dropsy. Dyspepsia. Eczema. Enteric fever. Eruptions. Gastro-enteritis. Haemorrhages. Hands, swollen. Headache. Heart, inflammation of. Hernia. Hiccough. Hydrocele. Hydrocephalus. Influenza. Intermittent fevers. Jaundice. Joints, pain in. Lactation, disorder of. Liver, disorders of. Lumbago. Measles. Meningitis. Menstruation, vicarious. Miliaria. Milk fever. Myalgia. Nephritis. Nose-bleed. Peritonitis. Phlegmasia alba dolens. Pleurisy. Pleurodynia. Pneumonia. Pregnancy, morning cough of; sickness of. Puerperal fever. Pyuria. Relapsing fever. Remittent fever. Rheumatism. Scarlatina. Screaming. Side, pain in. Sleep, anxious dreams in. Spina bifida. Stiff-neck. Suppressed eruptions, bad effects of. Thirst. Tongue, coated. Toothache. Trachea, pain in. Vertigo. Waking, starts and screams on. Water-brash. Whooping-cough. Yellow fever.

Characteristics.─Bryonia alba is one of the polychrest remedies of the homoeopathic materia medica. The common Bryony of this country is the Bryonia dioica, which has been substituted for the B. alba, and has probably identical properties; but the Alba alone has been proved, and consequently this should always be dispensed. Less rapid in its action than Aconite, it goes deeper in its effects, and often takes up the work where Acon. leaves off. It not only disorders the circulation, but alters the blood itself. It corresponds to fevers of almost all kinds, especially rheumatic, typhoid, bilious and remitting. In these, as in all other complaints, the exquisite sensitiveness of the drug to movement of all kinds is a leading characteristic. The patient avoids even the movement of the eyes; raising head from pillow causes faintness, nausea, and vomiting. Allied to this is > from pressure; from lying on painful side. (This distinguishes Bry. from Bell. in pulmonary complaints. A case of intense pleurisy with high fever grew steadily worse under Bry. until I noticed that the patient lay on the unaffected side. Bell. was then given, and cured rapidly. Lying on the painful part keeps the part at rest.) There is also an intense headache, dull throbbing or sharp stabbing pains; sharp pain in or over eyes. "Headache or neuralgia in (left) side of head and face; > from hard pressure and cold applications; < moving. Head greasy, scalp tender; eyeballs tender." Mouth very dry; tongue coated white down the middle, the edges may be quite clean; later it becomes yellow with bitter taste; later, very dry, but still coated. If the fever is intermitting there is chill mixed with heat: during chill, head hot, cheeks deep red, decided thirst, generally for large quantities at long intervals; sweat < by least motion, sour or oily. The lips are dry and cracked. Facial eczema has been cured with it in an infant five months old, presenting these additional symptoms: Constipation, peevish, fretful, thirsty, face and lips cracked and sore, child scratched continually. The mother had had a similar eruption for some years, and it disappeared suddenly at the sixth month of her pregnancy. The mucous membranes are dry, especially those of the mouth and stomach; deficient secretion. The serous membranes are inflamed, the seat of sharp, stitching pains, < from motion; later on, exudation occurs. The muscles, likewise, are inflamed and sore. Irritability of mind and tissues runs through the remedy. Haemorrhages are frequent. In this connection it may be remembered that Bryonia dioica is a popular remedy for "black-eye" as a local application. I have often known nose-bleed occur in patients to whom I have been giving Bryonia, especially in the night, 3 to 4 a.m., which is characteristic. This may or may not be preceded by a sense of fulness in the head. Nose-bleed occurring consequent on suppression of the menses is characteristic. The characteristic mental state of Bry. is irritability. Easily angered (with biliousness, headache, dyspepsia, etc.), and it corresponds to the effects of anger, fright, chagrin. The patient desires things to eat which cannot be had; or are refused if offered. In fever cases there is often a stupid, drowsy condition; or mild delirium, in which the patient has the delusion that he is somewhere else and "wants to go home." The headache is dull, frontal; or bursting, splitting; < by any motion or by the concussion of cough; goes from before backward. The headache of drunkards; of over-feeding. Nausea and faintness when rising up, > when lying still. Bry. is a gourmand (Nux an epicure); dirty wash-leather, foul tongue, congested eyes, bitter nausea. Bry. is a coarse feeder. Food lies at the epigastrium like a stone; > bringing up wind. The digestion is < in summer. Symptoms < after a meal. There is intolerance of vegetable food. Everything tastes bitter. Thirst for large quantities. "Eructations of tasteless gas" is characteristic. Sour stomach. Van den Berghe has found Bry. signally curative in chlorosis. There is diarrhoea and constipation. Diarrhoea occurs: in the morning "as soon as he moves"; from cold drinks in warm weather; on every spell of hot weather. The usual Bry. state is one of constipation; there is the usual dryness of mucous membranes; atony of the bowels; stool large, dry, hard, brown or black; as if burnt or charred; crumbling. (Plat. has sticky, tenacious stool; sticks to rectum.) Stools smell of old cheese. The liver is tender and inflamed. The kidneys also are inflamed, the urine being dark red without deposit (from excess of colouring matter). Mastitis, hard, tender. Left ovarian pain, > lying on painful side. The respiratory organs and heart are profoundly affected. Dropsical swellings, swellings of the legs, sensitive to touch. "joints red, swollen, stiff, with stitching pain from slightest motion." Synovial swellings. I have cured a case of congenital hydrocele with Bry. The Bry. patient dreams of the occupations of the day. The child kicks the covers off. Speech is hasty. "Frequent desire to take a long breath; must expand the lungs" is a characteristic.

The typical Bryonia patient is of dark complexion and hair, choleric, bilious tendency with firm fleshy fibre; tendency to great irritability and bad temper; but Bryonia has a wide range, and no great stress must be laid on the absence of these features. Teste takes Bryonia as the type of a group which includes All. sat., Lyc., Digit., Nux v., Coloc., and Ignat. All these act with much more power on carnivorous than on herbivorous animals. They are thus appropriate to persons who over-eat or eat excessively of meat, and have strong constitutions; "persons accustomed to rich living, with rich blood, firm resisting flesh." Teste regards the digestive canal, and more particularly the stomach, as the principal seat of the action of Bry. With regard to the burning thirst of Bry., which is < by drinking beer, he says, the gastric derangement of Bry. "absolutely requires water as a dissolvent." The constipation of the remedy is not due to inertia merely; it depends on "a more or less marked antiperistaltic movement of the rectum: hence the pains and the ataxic phenomena that accompany it sometimes, as is the case, for example, in the period of constipation of low typhoid fevers, etc." A peculiar and characteristic symptom of Bryonia in brain affections is: Constant motion of the mouth as if chewing. Complaints from taking cold or getting hot in summer; from cold drinks in hot weather. Complaints when warm weather sets in after cold days. Most symptoms are < by warmth and in warm room (cough, chilliness). < From warm food; but there is thirst for large draughts of cold water, which >. Rash > getting warm in bed. Pains in joints and limbs > by warmth. Toothache is > by pressing head into pillow; by cold applications. Chilliness predominates. Dry, burning heat as if blood burning in veins. Sweat profuse night and morning; sour or oily. Cough, headache, diarrhoea < in morning. Nose-bleed < 3-4 a.m. Symptoms generally < evening (9 p.m.). < While coughing; after eating; while swallowing; from motion of all kinds; exertion; ascending; sitting up in bed (can't sit a moment gets faint, or sick, or both on sitting up). < After suppression of eruption or discharge. Headache following checked coryza. > Descending; lying, especially on painful side; sitting. > From pressure.

Relations.─Bryonia is antidoted by: Acon., Alum., Camph., Cham., Chel., Clem., Ign., Mur. ac., Nux, Puls., Rhus, Seneg. Teste found, by accident, Fer. mur. the best antidote in his experience. It antidotes: Alum., Chlorum, Chi., Frag. vesc., Merc., Rhus. Compare: The Cucurbitaceae (all have belching, with unaltered taste of food); Aco. (pallor on rising up. Aco. has more restlessness and tossing about; is full of fears; Bry. must keep still); Amm., Ant. c. (nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea; aversion to milk); Arn. (haemorrhages, wounds, soreness all over; also Bap.); Ars. (unlike Bry., drinks often and little, and eats seldom but much); Asclep. tub. (pleurisy); Bell. (delirium, hasty speech, hasty drinking. Bell. has headache < lying down, Bry. must lie down; Bell. has < lying on painful side, Bry. > lying on painful side; Bell. has "chewing motion of jaws" but without the dry, cracked lips of Bry.). Calc. c. (very like Bry., but the resemblance is too close for compatibility. They should never be given one after the other without an intercurrent remedy between. Calc., like Bry., Chi., and Bell., has "as soon as he closes his eyes sees all sorts of objects"); Carb. v. (miliaria); Caust., Cham., Ign., Ipec. (miliaria); Kali c. (miliaria, bilious affections, chest affections; sharp pains in right hypochondrium shooting up into chest; sharp pain coming from lower lobe right lung, but Kali c. has not necessarily < by motion); Kre., Lach., Lyc., Merc., Nat. s. (morning diarrhoea); Nat. m. (headache in morning, oily, sour sweat on face; Bry. on head generally; cracked lips; Bry. and Nat. m. go well together, and are often complementary); Nit. ac., Nux (digestive organs; corresponds to epicures, Bry. to gourmands); Op., Pet., Pho., Pod., Puls. (morning diarrhoea); Ran. b. (pleurisy, rheumatic affections); Rhus (rheumatism; headache; typhoid. Rhus is restless and > by movement and by warmth); Rumex (morning diarrhoea); Sep., Sil., Spi. (pleura); Sul., Squil. (pleura). Pul. and Chi. have nausea < on sitting up. Ars. has gagging at the end of a cough like Bry., Cimex, gagging and belching after cough. Aco. is like Bry. in effects of cold, dry winds (cold, moist winds, Nx. m., Calc., Ars., Dulc.); Ham. and Millefol. (haemorrhages). Bry. follows well: Aco., Amm. Nux, Op., Rhus. Is followed well by: Alum., Ars., Kali c., Nux, Pho., Puls., Rhus, Sul. Complementary: Alum., Rhus. Alumina is the "chronic" of Bry.; and Kali c. and Nat. m., hold a similar but less pronounced relation to it.

Causation.─Anger; fright; chagrin. Suppressed eruptions and discharges. Alcohol. Gluttony. Wounds. Cold winds.

SYMPTOMS.

1. Mind.─Anxiety and inquietude, with fear of the future.─Frequent tears.─Despair of being cured, with fear of death.─Restlessness, with fear of the future; fear of death, which he thinks is near.─Fear, with desire to run away.─Discouragement.─Aversion to conversation.─Exceedingly irritable and inclined to be angry.─After having been angry he is chilly; has a red face and heat in the head.─Irascibility and passion.─Want of memory.─Momentary absence of mind.─Giddiness.─Desire for things which are rejected when obtained.─Delirium (at night) and ravings about the transactions of the day.─Unconsciousness.

2. Head.─Confusion, giddiness, and cloudiness of the head.─Giddiness, with sensation of looseness in the brain when stooping, and when raising up the head.─Staggering and drunkenness, as if from congestion of the head.─Staggering backward.─Tendency to run backward.─Vertigo only when stooping.─Swimming in the head, esp. on rising from a seat, or on getting up after lying down.─Cephalalgia, as after a nocturnal debauch.─Headache after every meal.─Attack of headache, with vomiting, nausea, and urgent inclination to lie down.─Headache in the morning as soon as the eyes are, open.─Great fulness and heaviness of the head, and digging with pressure towards the forehead, and, when stooping, a sensation as if everything were going to fall out through the forehead.─Expansive pressure, or compression of the brain.─Shootings in the head, sometimes on one side only.─Pulsative starting pains, increased by movement, with aching in the eyes.─Congestion in the head, with heat in the brain.─Burning pain in the forehead.─Headache aggravated by movement, or rapid walking, or when the eyes are opened.─Painful sensibility of the scalp, as if from excoriation.─Drawing and starting pains in the head, from the cheek-bone to the temple, increased by contact.─Tearing in one (r.) side of the head, extending into the cheek and jaw-bones; worse from motion, touch, and heat; better during rest and external pressure.─Burning heat of the head, externally.─Heat of the head with dark-red face; with coldness of the rest of the body; with much thirst and pain in the limbs when moving them.─Cold sweat on the forehead.─Hair very greasy.─Oily, greasy, sour-smelling perspiration on the head (and the whole body) during sleep; at night, esp. towards morning.

3. Eyes.─Pains in the eyes on moving them.─Aching of the eyes, as if they were going to start out of the head.─Pressure on the eyes, as if from sand, esp. morning and evening.─Stitches in the eyes.─Shooting and drawing pains in the eyes.─Burning pain in the eyes.─Inflammation of the eyes and of the eyelids, with redness.─Inflammation of the eyes, < by heat.─Inflammation of the eyes, esp. in gouty subjects.─The eyes feel very sore to the touch, and when moving them.─Painful swelling of the eyes, with suppuration, and the conjunctiva swollen and red.─Red swelling of the eyelids, esp. of the upper lids, with aching pains.─Furfuraceous tetters on the eyelids, with burning itching.─Stye on the eyelid.─Abscess in the internal angle of the eye.─Nocturnal agglutination of the eyelids, with lachrymation during the day, esp. in the sun, and with confused sight.─Eyes dull, glassy, turbid, or sparkling, and, as it were, drowned in tears.─Presbyopia.─Confusion of the letters when reading.─Blackness or flames before the eyes.─Photophobia.

4. Ears.─Contractive pains in the ears, with diminution of hearing.─Shootings in the ears, while walking in the open air, and afterwards.─Swelling, like a knob, before and behind the ear (parotitis).─Bleeding from the ears.─Sensation in the ears, as if they were stopped.─Buzzing in the ears.─All noise is insupportable to the ears.

5. Nose.─Swelling of the nose, with painful sensibility to the touch, and obstruction of the nose.─Inflammation and ulceration of the nostrils.─Ulcer in the nostrils, with gnawing pain.─Frequent bleeding of the nose, sometimes in the morning, or when the catamenia are suppressed, or even when sleeping.─Epistaxis, esp. just before the beginning of the menses, or in pregnant women, just before the time for the menses to appear.─Dryness and obstruction of the nose, sometimes obstinate.─Fluent coryza, with shooting and aching in the forehead.─Dry coryza, sometimes obstinate.─Catarrh with dryness, sudden suppression of discharge and headache.─Hard mucus, drying in crusts.

6. Face.─Face of a pale, yellow, earth-coloured hue.─Face red and burning.─Red spots on the face.─Hot, bluish, and brownish swelling of the face.─Pains in the face, mostly aching, mitigated by external pressure.─Swelling of the face, sometimes on one side only, or under the eyes and at the root of the nose.─Swelling of the cheek, close to the ear.─Small nodosities and indurations in the face, like subcutaneous glands.─Lips swollen and cracked, with bleeding, and sensation of burning on being touched.─Lips dry.─Exanthema on the under lip; parched, dry, and cracked lips (very characteristic).─Eruption on the lips, with burning smarting.

7. Teeth.─Toothache; shooting from one tooth to another, or into the head and cheeks; from an exposed nerve (sensitiveness of the decayed teeth to contact of the air); pain < from smoking or chewing tobacco; from introducing anything warm into the mouth; > momentarily by cold water, and when lying on the painful side.─Toothache, with urgent inclination to lie down, < at night by hot things.─Jerking, pulling odontalgia, with a sensation as if the teeth were too long, or as if they were loose, esp. during a meal and afterwards.─Pains, as of excoriation in the gums, with loosening of the teeth.─Gums spongy.

8. Mouth.─Dryness of the mouth, with burning thirst.─Dryness of the mouth, tongue, and throat.─Accumulation of a soapy and frothy saliva in the mouth.─Salivation.─Putrid smell of the mouth.─Tongue dry, loaded with a white coating, or dirty, or yellow; esp. in the middle.─Tongue furred, usually dry and hard with deep cracks.─Dark coloured and wrinkled state of the tongue.─Burning blisters on the edge of the tongue.─Speech indistinct, from dryness of the throat.

9. Throat.─Sore throat, with hoarseness and difficult deglutition.─Pain, as of excoriation in the throat, during empty deglutition.─Sensation of swelling and constriction in the oesophagus.─Sensation of dryness, and great dryness, in the throat.─Pressure in the pharynx, as from a hard and pointed body.─Shootings in the throat on contact, also on turning the head and on swallowing.─Tenacious mucus in the throat, which is not detached without effort.

10. Appetite.─Loss of appetite.─Taste insipid, clammy, putrid.─Insipidity of food.─Sweetish taste.─Bitter taste of all food, or only after meal-time, or at other times, as well as in the morning.─Burning thirst, sometimes after a meal, increased by taking beer.─Infrequent, but copious, drinking.─Bitter taste and thirst.─Great desire for wine, for acid drinks, for coffee, and even for things which are not eaten.─Abnormal hunger; he must often eat something.─Morbid hunger, which forces frequent eating, and little at a time.─Bulimy, often with absence of appetite, or with thirst and transient heat, sometimes even in the night.─Loss of appetite after the first morsel has been eaten.─Repugnance and disgust for food.─After every meal, risings, with pressure on the stomach and on the epigastrium, colic or vomiting, principally after having eaten bread.

11. Stomach.─Risings, especially after having eaten, mostly bitter or sour, with a taste of the food.─Empty risings.─Regurgitation if the food after every meal.─Hiccough.─Nausea and inclination to vomit, esp. after eating food which has pleased the palate, or on rising after lying down.─Nausea, with inclination to vomit and anxiety, when sitting, or on forcing one's self to drink.─Nausea in the morning.─Retching, with water-brash.─Vomiting soon after drinking, and esp. on drinking after a meal.─Bitter vomiting, when drinking immediately after a meal.─In the evening, vomiting of viscid mucus.─Vomiting in general of what has been eaten, which comes up very soon after eating, of food in mouthfuls at a time (vomiting very often excited by motion); of a watery fluid; bitter and flat taste; belching or eructations; collection of water in the mouth.─Vomiting of food, with hiccough and retching, or vomiting of bitter water, or of bile, even at night.─Vomiting of solids, and not of fluids.─Vomiting of blood.─Shootings in the left side of the abdomen, during the vomitings.─Pressure in the stomach after eating, esp. after eating bread.─Pressure, as if from a stone in the stomach, esp. after a meal, or on walking, sometimes accompanied by ill-humour.─Incisive pains in the pit of the stomach, as from knives.─Contractive pains in the stomach, sometimes with vomiting of food.─Squeezing in the pit of the stomach, and painful tension on being touched, with sensation of heat.─Shootings in the stomach, when lying on the side, as well as in the pit of the stomach, during movement and walking, or making a false step.─Pain, as of excoriation, in the pit of the stomach, sensible to the touch, or on coughing.─The least pressure on the pit of the stomach is insupportable.─Sensation of burning in the pit of the stomach, and in the stomach, esp. when moving.─Inflammation of the stomach.─Sensation of swelling in the pit of the stomach.

12. Abdomen.─Pains in the liver, mostly shooting, tensive, or burning, esp. on being touched, on breathing, or on coughing.─Tractive pains in the hypochondrium, extending to the stomach and the back, in the morning and after dinner, sometimes with vomiting.─Hard swelling in the hypochondriac and umbilical regions.─Shootings in the region of the spleen.─Colic with tension of the abdomen, and water-brash.─Inflation of the abdomen, with pressure in the epigastrium, esp. after dinner.─Inflammation of the liver.─Tearing in the stomach, from the hips to the pit of the stomach.─Cramp-like pains, pinching, or cuttings and shootings in the abdomen, chiefly after eating or drinking (esp. hot milk), sometimes with loose evacuations.─Hard swelling round the navel.─Dropsical swelling of the abdomen.─Gurgling and borborygmi in the abdomen, with escape of flatus; sometimes only in the evening, in bed.

13. Stool and Anus.─Constipation.─Faeces too large, with difficult evacuation.─Stools too large in size; too hard and dry.─Faeces scanty, but hard, and as if burnt.─Diarrhoea, with colic, sometimes alternating with constipation and gastralgia.─Loose evacuations, of a putrid smell, as of rotten cheese; (worse (or only) in the morning; during hot weather).─Involuntary stools while asleep.─Evacuations of undigested substances.─Diarrhoea in the morning; on beginning to move about.─Diarrhoea preceded by pain in the abdomen.─Nocturnal diarrhoea, with burning pain in the anus.─Colliquative diarrhoea.─Constrictive colic, during an evacuation.─Loose and frequent evacuations, of a brownish colour (in the case of infants at the breast).

14. Urinary Organs.─Urine scanty, reddish, brownish, and hot.─White, turbid urine.─Urine is dark; becomes turbid; often casts a pinkish stain all over the bottom of the chamber.─Urgent inclination to make water, without power of retention.─Frequent emission of aqueous urine.─Inclination to make water, with suspended respiration, on lifting loads.─Inclination to make water at night.─Involuntary emission of hot urine, when moving.─Sensation of burning, and incisive pains in the urethra, before making water.─Cutting in the urethra, or sensation of constriction while urinating.─Sensation of contraction.─Shooting and burning pains in the urethra.

15. Male Sexual Organs.─Red, itching, miliary eruption on the glans penis.─Shootings in the testes.─Stitches in the testicles while sitting.

16. Female Sexual Organs.─Catamenia suppressed.─Suppressed menses, with bleeding of the nose.─Catamenia premature.─Menstruation too early and too profuse, with dark, red blood.─Menses with bad smell.─Acute, tractive pains in the limbs, during the catamenia.─Flow of blood between the periods.─Metrorrhagia of a deep red blood, with pain in the loins and in the head.─Burning pains in the fundus uteri, during pregnancy, increased by movement, diminished by pressure and repose.─Swelling and inflammation of the labia majora (< l.).─Swelling of one of the labia, with a black and hard pustule.─Lumps, indurations, and inflammations of the mammae, with diminished or retarded secretion of milk.─(Puerperal fever.)

17. Respiratory Organs.─Hoarseness, with tendency to perspiration, cough and rattling in the chest.─(Acute bronchitis).─Deep, slow breathing.─Difficult breathing only possible with the assistance of the abdominal muscles.─Frequent sighing, breathing.─Continued inclination to draw a long breath.─Breathing quick, difficult, and anxious; caused by stitches principally in the chest, compelling him to sit up.─Stitches in the chest, when breathing or coughing.─Inclination to cough, as if from viscid mucus, afterwards pains, as of excoriation, in the larynx, aggravated by speaking, or by smoking tobacco.─Cough, mostly dry, excited by a tickling in the throat, or as if caused by smoke in the larynx, with a necessity for breathing often.─Cough, from tickling in the throat and pit of the stomach; in the evening at night without expectoration; during the day the expectoration is yellow, or consists of coagulated brown blood, or of cold mucus of a disagreeable flat taste.─Cough and stitches in the head and chest; or pain as if the head and chest would burst.─Cough: with involuntary secretion of urine; hoarseness; thirst; sneezing; stitches in the chest and small of the back; red face; aggravated by motion, talking, laughing, eating, and drinking.─Cough, as if from irritation of the stomach.─Cramp-like, suffocating cough, esp. after midnight, or after having eaten or drunk, and often with vomiting of food.─Cough in the morning, with water-brash.─Cough which seems to bruise the chest.─Cough, with shootings in the sides of the chest, or with aching pains in the head, as if it were going to split, as well as with shooting pains in the pit of the stomach, or with pains in the hypochondria.─Cough, with expectoration of mucus of a dirty reddish colour.─Cough, with yellowish expectoration.─Cough, with expectoration of pure blood, or of slimy matter with streaks of blood.─On coughing, pain, as of excoriation, in the pit of the stomach.─Fit of choking before the paroxysm of nocturnal cough.

18. Chest.─Respiration difficult, or short, rapid, and anxious, or sighing.─Oppression, with fits of choking.─Respiration impeded by shootings in the chest.─Respiration deep and slow, esp. while making any exertion.─Constant occasion to make a deep inspiration.─Fit of dyspnoea, even at night, sometimes with shooting colic and inclination to evacuate.─Pressure on the chest, as if from a weight, with oppression.─Contractive pain in the chest, excited by the cold air.─Tension in the chest, on walking.─Shootings in the chest and in the sides, as from an ulcer, esp. when coughing or breathing deeply, obliging the patient to remain seated, and when lying down to rest only on the back; aggravated by every movement.─Heat in the chest (pleurisy, pneumonia).─Heat and burning pain in the chest, with anxiety and tightness.─Sensation in the chest as if all there were detached, and were falling into the abdomen.

19. Heart.─Beatings of the heart; frequently very strong, and attended by oppression (carditis).─Frequent sharp pain, stitching in cardiac region.

20. Neck and Back.─Painful stiffness of the neck.─Rheumatic stiffness and tension in the nape of the neck, and in the neck.─Red spots on the sides of the neck.─Red miliary eruption on the neck, with violent itching.─Sweat in the arm-pits.─Sacral pains, with rigidity, which does not allow of walking upright.─During rest, pain, as if caused by a bruise in the loins.─Contractive, cramp-like pain all over the back.─Shootings in the loins and in the back.─Painful stiffness in the small of the back, compelling him to walk and sit crookedly.─Shootings under the left shoulder-blade, extending to the heart, greatly aggravated by cough and respiration.─Pressure on the shoulder, with shootings on breathing deeply.

22. Upper Limbs.─Rheumatic swelling of the r. shoulder and upper arm, with stitches.─Tractive pains in the joints of the shoulders and of the arms, with tension, shootings, and shining red swelling.─Tractive pains in the whole arm, and to the ends of the fingers.─Convulsive movements, startings, and trembling of the arms.─Burning pains and weariness in the arms.─Constant trembling of the arms, and of the fingers.─Swelling of the arm, round the elbow.─Swelling of the elbow and hand joints, and upper parts of the hands.─The wrist feels as if dislocated when moving it.─Shootings in the joints of the elbow, and of the hand, with heaviness of the hands.─Red miliary eruption on the forearm.─Pain of dislocation in the joints of the hands, on moving them.─At night, inflammation in the back of the hand, with burning pain.─Swelling of the hands.─Sensation of torpor in the palms of the hands.─Shooting pains in the fingers when writing.─Hot and pale swelling of the joints of the fingers.─Starting of the fingers on moving the hands.

23. Lower Limbs.─Cracking and dislocation of the hip-joint, when walking.─Stitches in the hip-joint, extending to the knee.─Drawing pains in the thighs.─Shootings in the thigh, from the buttock to the ankle, with insupportable pain on being touched, and during movement, as well as with great sweat over the whole body.─Weariness and instability of the legs, esp. on going up stairs.─Paralysis of the legs.─Tensive and painful stiffness of the knees.─Red and shining swelling of the knees, with violent shootings, esp. on walking.─Painful stiffness of the knees, with stitches, esp. when moving them.─Staggering and yielding of the knees, while walking.─Tensive shootings and cramp-like pains in the knees, with tension extending to the calves of the legs.─Sharp pains in the knees, extending to the tibia.─Tensive and drawing shootings from the calves of the legs to the ankles, with red, shining swelling of the parts affected.─The ankle feels as if dislocated, esp. when walking.─Putrid ulcers on the lower extremities.─Cramp in the calves of the legs, night and morning.─Lassitude of the legs when walking and standing for any time.─Swelling of the legs, extending to the feet.─Pain, as of dislocation, in the foot when walking.─Swelling of the feet, with redness and heat; pain, as from a bruise, on stretching the feet, tension on moving them; and pains, as from ulceration, on being touched.─Shootings in the feet, the soles of the feet, and the toes, esp. when resting on the foot.─Corns, with pressure, or with burning shootings, or with pain of excoriation on being touched.

24. Generalities.─Over-sensitiveness of the senses to external impressions.─Rheumatic and gouty pains in the limbs, with tension; worse from motion and contact.─Tension, drawing pains, acute pullings and shootings, esp. in the limbs, and chiefly during movement, with insupportable pains on being touched, sweat of the part affected, and trembling of that part when the pains diminish.─Stiffness and shootings in the joints, on being touched and when moved.─In the evening, pain, as from fatigue, in the limbs, with paralytic weakness.─Torpor and numbness of the limbs, with stiffness and pain of fatigue.─Pale, tense, hot, swelling.─Red, shining swelling of some parts of the body, with shooting during movement.─Pain, as from a bruise, or of subcutaneous ulceration, or as if the flesh were detached from the bones.─Dragging, with pressure, on the periosteum.─Swelling and induration of the glands.─Hard nodosities, in several parts of the skin, like small indurated glands.─Pain, with shivering and cold in the body.─Disposition to catch cold; inflammation of the inner parts.─Startings of the muscles and of the limbs.─Convulsions.─Aggravation of the pains and sufferings at night, or in the evening, towards nine o'clock, as well as after having eaten, and from movement; amelioration during repose.─Affections of the r. hypochondrium; inner lower belly; inner region of the liver; inner navel region; of r. upper and r. lower extremity.─General uneasiness, sensation of squeezing, with shiverings, caused by the pressure of the clothing.─Sensation of pulling throughout the whole body.─Trembling of the limbs on rising after lying down.─Want of strength in the limbs on walking, after having been seated.─Great weariness and weakness, esp. in the morning, or on walking in the open air.─Necessity to remain in a recumbent posture.─Syncope.─Sensation of weakness, esp. on walking in the open air.

25. Skin.─Yellow colour of the skin.─Skin moist and clammy.─Burning and pricking over the whole body, as if from nettles, after slight emotions.─Erysipelatous inflammation, esp. in the joints.─Nettle-rash.─Miliary eruption, esp. in children, and lying-in women.─Phlyctaenoid eruptions, with gnawing or burning itching.─Hard knots and blotches.─Furfuraceous tetters, with burning itching.─Petechiae.─Putrid ulcers, feeling cold.─Ulcers, with sensation of cold or with pulsative or smarting pains.─Chilblains.─Corns, with pressure, or burning shootings, or pains of excoriation on being touched.

26. Sleep.─Constant inclination to yawn.─Great sleepiness during the day, esp. after dinner.─Drowsiness, with half-closed eyes.─Failing asleep late; not refreshing; complaints causing sleeplessness; lying on the back during sleep.─Comatose sleepiness, interrupted by anxious delirium.─Sleeplessness, esp. before midnight, caused by heat.─Sleeplessness before midnight, with thirst, heat, and ebullitions.─Ebullition of the blood, and anxiety, esp. in the chest.─Sleep disturbed by thirst; with bitter taste in the mouth on waking.─Inability to remain lying on the r. side.─Starts, with fright, on going to sleep and during sleep.─Unquiet sleep, with confused dreams, and great flow of ideas.─On going to sleep, cries and delirium, as soon as the eyes are closed.─Delirium as soon as he awakes.─Disagreeable, vexatious dreams.─Vivid dreams of the transactions of the day.─Nocturnal delirium, and visions with the eyes open.─Groans, esp. towards midnight.─Somnambulism.─Nightmare.

27. Fever.─Pulse full and hard, tense, and quick; seldom intermitting.─Chill, with external coldness of the body.─Coldness and chilliness, mostly in the evening, and often only on one (r.) side.─More chilliness in the room than in the open air.─Cold and shivering in the body, even in bed, in the evening, or accompanied by pains in all the limbs and cold sweat on the fore" head.─Shiverings, with trembling, often with heat in the head, redness of the face, and thirst; or followed by heat, with sweat and thirst.─Before the shiverings, vertigo and cephalalgia; then shivering with tension and drawing in the limbs.─Fever, with bitter taste and thirst.─Dry, burning heat, mostly internal, as if the blood were burning in the veins.─Dislike to food and drink during the shiverings.─Heat, at first alternately with shiverings, then burning heat and thirst, afterwards copious sweat.─Universal dry heat, external and internal, almost always with a strong desire for cold drinks.─Want of perspiration.─Wants to drink much water during chill and fever.─Heat on one side only.─During the heat, vertigo and cephalalgia.─Febrile attack, with cold, and shivering predominating; type, tertian; nausea, and necessity to remain in a recumbent posture, or with shooting pains in the side and in the abdomen, and thirst during the shiverings and the heat.─At the termination of the fever, dry cough, with vomiting, shootings and oppression in the chest.─Cold sweat on the forehead and on the head.─Copious sweat while walking slowly in the open, cold air.─Greasy sweat, day and night.─Sweat, with anxiety and inquietude.─Sighing-like breathing, short cough, and pressure on the chest.─Profuse sweats, night and morning, sometimes of a sour smell.─Compound fevers in general; chilliness and heat alternately; heat and shuddering alternately.

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

White Bryony, Wild Hop (Cucurbitaceae)

Is best adapted to persons of gouty or rheumatic diathesis; prone to so- called bilious attacks. Bryonia patients are irritable, inclined to be vehement and angry; dark or black hair, dark complexion, firm muscular fibre; dry, nervous, slender people (Nux). Pains: stitching, tearing, worse at night; < by motion, inspiration, coughing; > by absolute rest, and lying on painful side (Ptel., Puls. - stitching pain, but < and > are opposite, Kali c.). Excessive dryness of mucous membranes of entire body; lips and tongue dry, parched, cracked; stool, dry as if burnt; cough, dry, hard, racking, with scanty expectoration; urine, dark and scanty; great thirst. Vicarious menstruation; nosebleed when menses should appear (Phos.); blood spitting, or heamoptysis. Ailments from chagrin, mortification, anger (Col., Staph.); violence, with chilliness and coldness; after anger chilly, but with head hot and face red (Aur.). Complaints: when warm weather sets in, after cold days; from cold drinks or ice in hot weather; after taking cold or getting hot in summer; from chilling when overheated; kicks the covers off; from exposure to draft, cold wind (Acon., Hep.); suppressed discharges, of menses, milk or eruption of acute exanthema. One of the chief characteristics of Bryonia is,

Aggravation from any motion, and corresponding relief from absolute rest, either mental or physical. Desires things immediately which are not to be had, or which when offered are refused. Children dislike to be carried, or to be raised. Delirium: talks constantly about his business; desire to get out of bed and go home (Act., Hyos.). Constant motion on left arm and leg (Apoc., Hell.); Patient cannot sit up from nausea and faintness. Great thirst for large quantities at long intervals. Headache: when stooping, as if brain would burst through forehead; from ironing (Sep.); on coughing; in morning after rising or when first opening eyes; commencing in the morning, gradually increasing until evening; from constipation (Aloe, Colin., Op.). Pressure as from stone at pit of the stomach, relieved by eructation (Nux, Pul.). Constipation: inactive, no inclination; stool large, hard, dark, dry, as if burnt; on going to sea (Plat.). Diarrhoea: during a spell of hot weather; bilious, acrid with soreness of anus; like dirty water; of undigested food; from cold drinks when overheated, from fruit or sour krout; < in morning, on moving, even a hand or foot. Mammae heavy, of a stony hardness; pale but hard; hot and painful; must support the breasts (Phyt.). Cough: dry, spasmodic, with gagging and vomiting (Kali c.); with stitches in side of chest; with headache, as if head would fly to pieces; < after eating, drinking, entering a warm room, deep inspiration.

Relations. - Complementary: Alumina, Rhus. Similar: to, Bell., Hep., for hasty speech and hasty drinking. To Ran. in pleuritic or rheumatic pains of chest. To Ptelea, in aching heaviness in hepatic region; > lying on right side, greatly < lying on left side; turning to the left causes a dragging sensation. After Bryonia; Alum., Kali c., Nux, Phos., Rhus, Sulph.

Aggravation. - Motion, exertion, touch; cannot sit up, gets faint or sick or both; warmth, warm fold; suppressed discharges of any kind.

Amelioration. - Lying, especially on painful side (Ptel., Puls.); pressure; rest; cold, eating cold things.

Leaders In Homoeopathic Therapeutics, Eugene Beauharnais Nash

All complaints < on motion.

Dryness of mucous membranes generally (lips, mouth, stomach, wants drink in large quantities, at long intervals; intestines, dry hard stools as if burnt).

Effusions in serous membranes (meninges, pleura, peritoneum, etc.).

Constipation (no desire) or diarrhoea, < mornings on beginning to move.

Stitching pains, especially in serous membranes and joints.

Sitting up causes nausea and faintness.

Modalities: < from motions, warm weather after cold. > from quiet, lying on painful side.

Suitable to dry, spare, nervous, slender persons, of irritable disposition; rheumatic tendency. Complaints in hot weather, or exposure to dry, cold air, in wet weather (Rhus tox).

Cough, dry, hard, racking, with scanty expectoration; with splitting headache; delirium, about the business of the day; (typhoid) headache; < stooping; ironing; hot weather; coughing; motion, vertigo; with nausea, and faintness; < from sitting up after lying down. Pressure, as from a stone, at pit of stomach relieved by eructation.

Vicarious menstruation; nose bleeds when menses should appear (Phos.).

Mammae heavy, of a stony hardness; pale, but hard; hot and painful.

Rheumatism of joints, with pale swelling, great paint worse on touch or least motion.

* * * * *

As in Pulsatilla, so in Bryonia, the leading characteristic lies in its "modality". Three words express it – aggravation from motion.

What is aggravated on motion? Sufferings of almost any and every kind. We will not undertake to enumerate them. All that Hering says in his cards on that line is – "Joints red, swelling, stiff with stitching win from slightest motion", and this so far as it goes is genuine, but it is only the beginning of all the ailments that are < on motion.

Look in "Guiding Symptoms", under "Motion", and see the long list of symptoms aggravated by motion, and even these do not cover all. Now we begin to realize the value of this modality.

It makes no difference what the name of the disease, if the patient feels greatly > by lying still and suffers greatly on the slightest motion, and the more and longer he moves the more he suffers, Bryonia is the first remedy to be thought of, and there must be very strong counter-indications along other lines that will rule it out.

Nor does it make much difference what organ or tissue is the seat of the disease, mucous, serous or muscular, the same rule applies.

Another very valuable modality of Bryonia is again expressed in three words – amelioration from pressure. This is the reason the patient, much to the astonishment of the nurse, wants to lie on the paintful side or part. (Opposite Belladonna, Kali carbonicum).

No one can realize the value of these two modalities until he has often met them at the sick bed and witnessed the prompt relief from the use of Bryonia.

When writing upon Pulsatilla, we noticed the characteristic action of that remedy upon the mucous surfaces. Here Bryonia acts just as characteristically, but it is so different. With Bryonia it is excessive dryness or lack of secretion in them. It begins in the lips, which are parched, dry and cracked, and only ends with the rectum and stools, which are hard and dry as if burnt. The same condition is undoubtedly present in the stomach. which is evidenced by the excessive thirst; which can only be satisfied by large draughts of water; a little does not satisfy.

The same condition obtains in the lungs and bronchia, which causes hard, dry cough with little or no expectoration, and with soreness and pain in the chest when the patient coughs. (Natrum sulphuricum has loose cough with soreness). The urine is scanty and only exceptionally (or as I would express it reactionally) copious. We must remember that every remedy has a dual action. These two actions are termed primary and secondary. I think that the so-called secondary action is only the reaction of the organism against the first or primary (so-called) action of the drug. For instance – the real action of Opium is to produce sleep or stupor, the reaction is wakefulness; of Podophyllum, Aloes, etc., catharsis; the reaction constipation, and I think that the truly homoeopathic curative must be in accord with the primary (so-called) effects of every drug in order to get the best and most radical cure, but if given for the secondary (so-called) symptoms, the primary ones having passed by, we should carefully inquire for all the symptoms which have preceded those which are present; and taking both past and present, let them all enter into the picture whose counterpart is to be found in the drug which is to cure. Any other method is only palliative and not curative.

Bryonia has also a very decided effect upon the serous membranes. It is very useful in the second stage of inflammation, after the stage of serous effusion has set in. In most of these cases the first stage has been attended by symptoms calling for the exhibition of such remedies as Aconite, Belladonna, Ferrum phos., etc., but not always; and right here let me call attention to the most characteristic pains of this remedy. They are stitching pains. Now observe, the characteristic pains of inflammatory affections of the serous membranes are stitching pains; this is the reason why Bryonia comes to be such a regal remedy in pleuritis, meningitis, peritonitis, pericarditis, etc. The subjective symptoms corresponding to the remedy must go down before it, and the objectives must as surely follow. Only one remedy can equal Bryonia for stitching pains, viz, Kali carbonicum. (Stitching pains in chest are particularly found under Bryonia, Kali carb., Natrum mar., Squilla and Mercur. viv.). And there is this difference between them: The Bryonia stitches come on or are aggravated by the least motion, while those of Kali carbonicum will occur whether the patient moves or not, (Bryonia > by pressure, Kali carb., not). But in both remedies they cry out sharply with the pains. Apis has pains which cause the patient to cry out sharply, but they are stinging pains – like a bee sting. All these three are great remedies for effusions into serous cavities, and Sulphur precedes and follows equally well anyone of them.

A word right here in regard to interpolating Sulphur, when, as we express it, "the seemingly indicated remedy does not act." Some would stumble over that, and ask – as they would have a right to do- how about your similia, etc., in such a use of Sulphur? I answer – Sulphur is a remedy of wide range of action, and covers more perfectly those conditions and symptoms which are the outgrowth of psora than any other remedy; so it does meet the case complicated by psora very often, and either cures it or removes the complication so that the other remedies may act. But remember it will not always do it, and other antipsoric remedies must be chosen. It must be the simillimum for the psoric condition.

Bryonia stands alongside of Nux vomica and Pulsatilla for disorders of alimentation. All three remedies have a sensation as of a stone in the stomach, Bryonia and Nux vomica more so than Pulsatilla. Bryonia leads in thirst, Nux vomica less, and Pulsatilla little or none. All have bad taste in the mouth; Bryonia and Pulsatilla bitter and Nux vomica sour. All have nausea and vomiting; Bryonia worse on motion, as rising up, Nux vomica in the A. M. and after eating, Pulsatilla in the evening and also after eating.

The gastric derangements of Bryonia often occur as a result of dietetic errors, especially when warm weather sets in after cold. Those of Nux vomica more from continued over-eating and inactivity, the abuse of drugs, coffee, tobacco or alcoholics; Pulsatilla from too rich foods, pastries, fat foods and ice cream (in excess); a little ice cream feels good in the Pulsatilla stomach, but much overdose the matter, because it is too rich.

All three remedies have attacks of diarrhoea, although constipation is most characteristic of Bryonia and Nux vomica, and is only exceptionally found under Pulsatilla.

Bryonia diarrhoea is worse in the morning, on movement, and open occurs as an effect of over-eating in the heat of summer. Nux vomica diarrhoea is also apt to be worse in the morning, is mostly caused by over-eating and is apt to put on the dysenteric type. The Pulsatilla diarrhoea is more apt to occur in the night, from causes above mentioned, and is attended with great rumbling of the bowels.

All have white, sometimes very thickly-coated tongue, but taking into account the causes of these gastric and bowel troubles, temperament and modalities there should not be much difficulty in choosing the right remedy for any case.

So far as temperament is concerned, Bryonia is like Nux vomica, but Bryonia has much more of the "rheumatic diathesis". Both are easily irritated or angered, and are oftenest found indicated in spare, dark-complexioned subjects. Both are aggravated generally on motion, by Bryonia very much the more so, while Pulsatilla is sometimes like Rhus toxicodendron relieved by motion.

Now a few special indications for Bryonia and we will have it:

"Bursting headache, as if it would split the head open, aggravated by stooping; coughing; ironing; opening or moving the eyes; moving any way; in hot weather. Nausea and faintness when rising up, relieved when lying still."

"Epistaxis instead of menses (vicarious menstruation), also blood spitting."

"Mastitis; breasts pale, hot, hard, heavy and painful."

"Suppression of lochia with bursting headache."

"Suppression of milk, menses, measles or rash of scarlatina, or where all these are slow in appearing; of course the other Bryonia symptoms must be present."

"Frequent desire to take long breath; must expand the lungs. (Cactus, Ignatia, Nat sulph.)."

"Cough dry, < after eating, sometimes math vomiting; < moving; < coming from open air into warm room. (Nat. carb)."

"Cough hurts head and chest, holds them with hands." (Eupatorium perf., Natrum sulph.).

These are some of the peculiar symptoms which cannot be ranged under any general head, and are excellent leaders to the consideration of Bryonia, all and each of which will be found associated with the more general characteristics already noticed.

The dominant school do not know what they have lost in not being acquainted with the virtues of this remedy, as developed in our provings and clinical use, but we know what we have gained.