Homeopathic Materia Medica

Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica, James Tyler Kent

Mind: Moschus cures many hysterical girls who have come to adult age without ever learning what obedience means.

They are self-willed, obstinate and selfish. When they have been encouraged to resort to crafty cunning, to have every whim gratified from infancy to eighteen years of age they become fit subjects for Mosch., Asa f., Ignatia and Valer.

They not only have volumes of real and imaginary symptoms, but they become adepts at producing at will a kaleidoscopic complex of symptoms, increasing in quantity and intensity until all their own desires are attained, and the onlooker, be he or she nurse, physician or bewildered mother, is overwhelmed, dismayed and in retreat.

However much they pretend to be honest and truthful their reported sensations are untrustworthy. They have traded upon their sensations and imagination so long that a direct effort to give a truthful statement is unsuccessful. The most erratic and unexpected neuropathic phenomena are always in appearance.

The physician cannot measure these cases by his experience and say what is common and uncommon. He is compelled to fall back upon the one word that covers a multitude of these manifestations, viz., "Hysteria."

Moschus is often indicated in these constitutions and cures much that is morbid, when its own peculiar symptoms agree. When one of these girls becomes sick from taking cold the acute symptoms will be told with a host of her imaginary sensations.

The globus hystericus is generally present, hyperesthesia of the skin, quivering of the muscles, wakefulness, palpitation, excitement, fainting and trembling.

"Dreadful" pain all over the body, rush of blood to head, cramps in hands and feet, convulsions of whole body. It is not generally known that the morbid sensations and functions correspond with the mental state of the individual. When the functions and tissue symptoms are hysterical or erratic the mental state will be found to be correspondingly hysterical.

When the peculiar Moschus symptoms of the face is present, viz.: one cheek red and cold, the other pale and hot, there is certainly some hysterical perversion in the mind of that patient. Many times it is possible to suspect morbid mental states by knowing morbid sensations and functions. There is a kind of order in all morbid expressions seen in sick people.

Sensitive to cold, and complaints come on from becoming cold. In addition to numerous hysterical mental symptoms she has violent fits of anger with rage and scolding until she is blue in the face and falls in a faint.

Dread of death, and talks only of death when there is no serious complaint. Anguish and palpitation. Peevishness and quarrelsomeness. In a constant hurry, and lets things fall from her hands. Foolish gestures and complaint of pain. Apprehension, trembling and palpitation. Fear of lying down lest she die. Sensation of falling from a height, or as if rapidly turned around.

Head: Vertigo on moving head or eyelids, ameliorated in open air; with nausea and vomiting and fainting.

The headaches are ameliorated from becoming warm, and in the fresh air. Tension in back of head and nape. Aching in head, with cold feeling. Pressive, stupefying headache, mostly in forehead, with nausea, aggravated on motion, ameliorated in fresh air.

Hysterical headaches, with copious colorless urine. Constriction as with cord. Pain as if a nail in occiput, aggravated in room, ameliorated in fresh air.

Eyes: Eyes staring. Sudden blindness or dim vision, coming and going. Eyes turned up, fixed and glistening.

Ears: Rushing sounds in ears as from wind, or fluttering as the wing of a bird. Detonation in ears as from the report of a cannon, with a few drops of blood. Nervous deafness in paroxysms, or after a mad fit,

Face: Epistaxis and illusions of smell.

One check is red and cool, the other is pale and hot. Heat in the pale face and dim vision. Tension in face. Pale face with sweat. Earthy pale face. Moving of lower jaw as if chewing.

Mouth and throat dry and hot; bitter, putrid taste; great thirst, especially in hysterical conditions.

Stomach: Craves beer or brandy.

Aversion to food. The sight of it makes her sick. Vomiting. Pressive, burning pain and distension of stomach. Fainting during meals. Waterbrash. Hysterical hiccoughing. Nausea when thinking of food. Drawing in at the umbilicus (Plb.).

Prolonged vomiting of food. Fullness in stomach after eating. Vomiting blood. Stomach easily disordered.

Abdomen: Tympanitic distension of abdomen with sharp pains. No flatus up or down, yet greatly distended. Cramping pains.

Involuntary stools during sleep. Copious watery stools during night. Stitching in anus to bladder.

Copious colorless watery urine. Urine passed during the night is offensive and full of mucus.

In the male, violent sexual excitement. Emissions without erections.

In the female, violent sexual desire. Menses too early and profuse, with drawing pains; tingling in genitalia and fainting. Bearing down sensation.

Erratic nervous phenomena during pregnancy.

Respiration: Laryngismus stridulus in self-willed girls when they fail to have their own way.

Constriction of larynx as from vapor of sulphur. Spasms of larynx when becoming cold. Spasmodic croup in nervous children after punishment.

Dyspnoea and oppression of chest and heart. Spasmodic asthma in extremely nervous women and children.

Constriction of chest. Spasms of chest and diaphragm, turns blue in face and foams at mouth on becoming cold. Paralysis of chest, rattling, cannot expectorate; fainting.

Palpitation in hysterical girls, Palpitation, oppression of chest, fainting, excitement, with copious colorless urine. The heart seems to quiver when the pulse is normal.

Limbs: Aching in limbs. Restlessness in legs, and tibia cold. One hand hot and pale, the other cold and red.

Heat in evening in bed, on right side only; wants to uncover. Perspiration smelling like musk in the morning.

Cold skin, trembling, fainting and palpitation.

A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, John Henry Clarke

Moschus moschiferus. Musk Deer. N. O. Mammalia. Trituration of inspissated secretion contained in preputial follicles.

Clinical.─Angina pectoris. Catalepsy. Croup. Diabetes. Dyspnoea. Epilepsy. Fainting. Heart, failure of. Herpes, mercurial and venereal. Hiccough. Hypochondriasis. Hysteria. Hystero-epilepsy. Impotence. Laryngismus. Lungs, paralysis of. Pregnancy, complaints of. Rage, fits of. Stings. Typhoid. Vertigo. Whooping-cough.

Characteristics.─The well-known power of Musk─the perfume─to produce fainting in some by the mere smelling of it, gives the chief keynote for its use in homoeopathy: Faints easily; faints dead away from the least excitement; scolds and rages till she falls unconscious globus hystericus ending in unconsciousness; faints while eating during menses; faints from heart disease. All complaints which have easy fainting as a leading accompaniment may want Mosch. Coldness is another keynote. "In nervous or spasmodic complaints where the patient feels very cold: in epileptic fits where there is rigor or chilliness, or shuddering as though the patient was very cold" (H. N. G). The coldness may be general or it may affect single parts as one cheek or one foot. Pallor accompanies it. Sensation as if cool wind blowing on parts. Coldness in tibiae. Allied to the chill is another feature in Mosch.─tension: tension in muscles, in skin, in mind. Tension in back or before menses; tension in limbs, they feel too short. Pressure outward, in heart. Spasms and twitches. Subsultus tendinum of fevers. Laryngeal spasm. Spasm of chest; of heart, general convulsions. Sexual desire is much excited in both sexes, even in the aged. Diabetes with impotence has been cured by Mosch., which has excessive thirst and other symptoms of diabetes. Mosch. is suited to spoiled, sensitive natures and hysterical women and men. Among the peculiar sensations are: As if falling from a height. As of being turned about so rapidly he perceived the current of air produced by the motion. As if cold, wet poultices on head. Headache as if from a heavy weight. As if a cord were frequently drawn and tightened so as to cut head in two. As if a nail pressed on occiput, the point piercing the brain. Rushing in ears as from strong wind or from the wing of a bird. As if facial muscles too short. Movement of lower jaw as if chewing. As if everything in abdomen constricted. Part lain on feels dislocated or sprained. As if larynx closed on breath. As if cold air blowing on him. There is < from pressure. Motion <; must lie down, and lie still. Vertigo < stooping; > on rising. Burning heat in bed. Getting warm > tension in head. Sitting in a room < tension in head; = headache and nausea; = pain in occiput. > In open air. Becoming cold < tension in back of head; = cramps; cramp-like and suffocating constriction of chest. Wants to uncover. < After coitus (vomiting). < After a meal; during a meal. < On side lain on.

Relations.─Antidoted by: Camph. (unconsciousness and coldness), Coff. Antidote to: Therid. (headaches). Compare: In neuralgic pains and functional diseases from taking cold, Amm., Ign., Mag. m., Valer. One hand cold, the other hot, Chi., Dig., Pul., Ip. Nausea at sight of food, Colch., Lyc., Phos. ac., Saba, Spi. (at smell of food, Colch., Eup. perfol.). < After coitus, K. ca. Pain before menses > by flow, Lach. (Mosch. has drawing pulling at beginning of menses ceasing with flow; Zinc. has burning in left ovary ceasing with flow.) Hysteria, Plat. Scolding, Pallad. (but Mosch. keeps it up till falls unconscious), Therid. Faints easily, Ign. Non-reaction from irritable weakness, Ambr., Agar., Asaf., Camph., Cast., Chi., Cocc., Coff., Cypr., Scutel., Tarent., Val., Zn. [Castor. has pains > by pressure, Nux m. error of perception, drowsy, faints, tympany. Val. nerves irritated, can't keep still, > moving, taste tallowy, slimy. Asaf. reversed peristalsis; rancid eructations. Mag. m. faints at dinner, > eructations; headache > pressure and wrapping up; palpitation > moving; crumbling stools.]

Causation.─Chill.

SYMPTOMS.

1. Mind.─Excitement as from alcohol.─Great absence of mind, sometimes with confused speech.─Preoccupation, during which the patient talks to himself, and gesticulates, as if bereft of reason.─Bustling activity, with weakness, so that everything falls from hands.─Fretful mind.─Cries one moment, uncontrollable laughter the next.─Complaints and lamentations on account of excessive sufferings, with inability to indicate the part affected; when questioned, patient complains still more urgently, but without saying where he suffers.─Apprehension of death, and excessive timidity about dying.─Hypochondriacal anxiety, sometimes with palpitation of heart.─Exceedingly quarrelsome humour and great irascibility, with passion, proceeding even to fury.─Very violent anger, raves and scolds till mouth dry, lips blue, eyes staring, face deathly pale, and she falls unconscious.─Loss of memory.

2. Head.─Vertigo and wavering before eyes, on least movement of head or eyelids.─Vertigo < stooping, > rising.─Vertigo, even to loss of consciousness, or with fainting.─Vertigo, with sensation of falling.─Vertigo, with nausea and vomiting, want to lie down, and desire for coffee.─Dizziness, as from intoxication.─Headache, with nausea and vomiting, which compels lying down.─Heaviness in head.─Compressive and stunning headache, esp. just above root of nose; with nausea in evening, > moving head, and in room, > in open air.─Cramp-like and tensive drawing in head, and esp. in occiput, extending nearly to nape of neck; with nausea, < in evening, when sitting in room, and when becoming cold, > in open air, and when getting warm.─Congestion in head.─Congestion of blood to head, heaviness of head.─Aching and boring pain in occiput, as if a nail were driven into brain; < sitting in a room.

3. Eyes.─Eyes dull, with pressive pain in canthi.─Lachrymation.─Eyes fixed, sparkling, with a sort of dizziness and absence of mind.─Sudden obscuration of eyes.─Eyes turned upwards, fixed and glistening.─Pressing, itching and pimples on eyes.─Small red pimples on upper eyelids.─Itching in canthi.

4. Ears.─Eruptions on ears, with burning pain after being scratched.─Crepitation and cracking in ears.─Roaring before ears.─Detonation in (r.) ear like report of a cannon, accompanied with discharge of a few drops of blood.─Singing tinnitus.─(Noise in ears for four years, like a shrieking steam-engine, stops and changes its character; dates from parturition and occurs at menstrual period.─R. T. C.).─Hardness of hearing.─Discharge of cerumen from ears.

5. Nose.─Epistaxis.─Tingling in extremity of nose, as if from insects.

6. Face.─Heat in face, sometimes without redness, and with eyes dull.─Heat in one (l.) cheek, without redness, while the other (r.) is red without heat.─Pale face, with perspiration.─Movement of lower jaw, as if he were chewing.─Earthy pale complexion.─Tension in muscles of face, as if they were too short.

8. Mouth.─Desquamation of lips.─Great dryness in mouth.

11. Stomach.─Putrid taste of food.─Great desire for beer or brandy.─Thirst.─Aversion to food.─Faints while eating.─Spasmodic hiccough.─Violent eructations, sometimes with nausea.─Sudden attacks of nausea; at sight or thought of food.─Nausea, which mounts from epigastrium, with retraction of navel, and cramp-like pains.─Violent vomiting, esp. in morning, and often accompanied by pain in stomach and chest, and distension of epigastrium.─Aching in stomach.─Sensation of fulness and obstruction in region of stomach and epigastrium, sometimes with uneasiness, < after a moderate meal.─Smarting, burning sensation of excoriation, in region of stomach, after a meal.

12. Abdomen.─Hysterical abdominal spasms.─Attacks of painful contraction in umbilical region, with suspended respiration.─Sensation of tension in abdomen, as if clothes were too tight, accompanied by an anxiety which neither permits attention to any kind of labour, nor continuance in one place, but compels constant running from side to side.─Incarceration of flatus.

13. Stool and Anus.─Constipation, esp. after taking coffee.─Stools soft, smell sweetish.─Diarrhoea (involuntary), esp. at night, and sometimes during sleep.─Diarrhoea, with violent cuttings.─The loose evacuations are always mixed with faecal matter.─Faeces of the colour of sepia.─Urgent and ineffectual want to evacuate.─Stitches in the anus, extending to the bladder.

14. Urinary Organs.─Copious watery urine.

15. Male Sexual Organs.─Great increase of sexual desire, sometimes with insupportable tickling in the parts, or tensive pains in penis.─A small retracted penis in an old man suddenly attains its former size; an impotent man became natural.─Impotence occasioned by a cold; preceding diabetes.─Painful involuntary pollutions without erection.─Erection, with burning pain in urethra.─Erections with desire to urinate.─Nausea and vomiting after coition.

16. Female Sexual Organs.─Violent sexual desire.─Menses: too early and too profuse, with drawing pain; with intolerable titillation in genitals; great disposition to faint.─Desire greatly excited (in an old woman).─Drawing, and sensation of bearing down towards hypogastrium and the genital organs during menses.─Dysmenorrhoea with fainting.─Bearing down as if menses would appear.─During pregnancy she complains much, but of nothing in particular.

17, 18. Respiratory Organs and Chest.─A sudden sensation in upper part of larynx as if it closed upon the breath; as if caused by the vapour of sulphur.─Severe dry cough < morning, pain under l. breast on coughing.─Whooping-cough, last stage, with vertigo and constriction of chest and trachea.─Difficult respiration, and shortness of breath, with shootings in chest.─Cramp-like and suffocating constriction in chest, esp. after taking cold (or on going out into cold open air; or becoming cold).─Hysterical spasms of chest.─Cramps in chest, commencing sometimes with an inclination to cough, and afterwards aggravated so as to create despair.─Pressive pain in chest, to extent of obstructing respiration.─Gnawing in chest with sense of suffocation.─Paralysis of lungs, loud rattling of mucus; restlessness; syncope.─Shootings in chest and sides, sometimes with redness and bloatedness of face, dilated pupils, rough and dry tongue, and burning thirst.─The chest is acutely affected, and painful on all sides, with violent and dry cough.─Painful sensitiveness of chest under arms, esp. when pressed.─A pressive pain in l. breast as though the pain would force itself through the nipple.─Angina, tightness of chest, obliged to breathe forcibly.

19. Heart.─Anxious palpitation of heart.─Palpitation; dyspnoea; prostration; nervousness-says, "I shall die, I know I shall die.".─Sensation of trembling around heart, with constriction in whole chest.─Prostration followed by threatened collapse.

20. Neck and Back.─Violent drawings in nape; unable to turn head.─Pain in muscles of neck as if torn from upper and lower attachments.─Drawing pain from second cervical vertebra to r. shoulder.─Drawing pains in spine which extend into hip-joint, and there become so violent that he cries out.─Violent drawing pain in back, as if tissues drawn tense (as before menses).─Partly jerking, partly drawing pains in spine.─Acute pressure l. side of sacrum above coccyx, as if caused by a dull instrument.

22. Upper Limbs.─Drawing pains along the entire extent of the arm, and esp. in wrists, as from cramp.─Burning, with sensation of coldness, in last joints of fingers.─Swelling of hands, with shooting pains.─Convulsive movements of hands and fingers.

23. Lower Limbs.─Restlessness in legs, with paralytic weakness, which compels constant movement.─Trembling in legs, as after great fatigue, when seated.─Compressive pain in hollows of knees as though tendons too short.─Paralytic weakness in legs, on sitting down, after walking.─Sensation of coldness on tibia.─Burning pressure on tips of r. toes.─Jerking pains in nails of two first toes as if they would suppurate, could not bear anything to touch them, could only walk barefooted upon the heel.

24. Generalities.─Pricking in limbs, sometimes with pain in the part, affected.─Cramp-like pains in limbs.─Trembling and jerking, over whole body.─Weakness, which is felt more during repose than in movement.─Weakness to the extent of fainting, with nocturnal coldness of skin generally.─Fainting fits: esp. at night (in bed), in evening, or in open air, followed by headache; of hysterical persons.─Hypochondriacal complaints, originating in sexual system.─Wrenching and bruising pain, in side on which patient has been lying.─The sufferings are < when the body is chilled.─Great susceptibility to open air.─Pinching, shootings, and itching, which compels scratching, in different parts of body.─Tetanus.─Convulsions with cramps in chest.─Hysterical symptoms, even in men.─[We may think strongly of this remedy in nervous or spasmodic complaints where the patient feels very cold; in epileptic fits, for instance, where there is rigor or chilliness, or shuddering, as though the patient were very cold.─In complaints where the smell of musk affords great relief.─Where there is a sense of fulness in the inner parts.─Sensations: of coldness of the skin; great sensation of coldness in outer single parts; external chilliness with internal heat.─Pain where there is a sensation of oppression, or a very severe oppressive pain.─H. N. G.]

25. Skin.─Herpes with excessive burning.

26. Sleep.─Great drowsiness during day, with frequent and vehement yawning.─Coma.─At night, inability to lie long in same position; pain in part on which patient has lain, as of a dislocation, or a bruise.─Vivid dreams, in which the passions are strongly excited.─Dreams in which nothing succeeds.─Sleeplessness during whole night, from excitability of nervous system.─Sleeplessness of hysterical persons.

27. Fever.─Pulse full and accelerated, with ebullitions.─Weak pulse, faintings from anaemia.─Circulation of blood accelerated.─Frequent sensation as of cool air blowing on person, esp. on the parts which are uncovered.─External coldness with internal heat.─One cheek is pale and hot, the other is red and cold.─The one hand is burning hot and pale, the other is cold and red.─Sensation of coldness, mostly in spine, with drawing pains.─The air seems cold; patient seeks fireside.─Frequent slight shuddering, commencing at head and spreading over whole body.─Attacks of burning heat in evening; in bed frequently only on r. side, with restlessness and inclination to uncover.─Sweat every morning.─Clammy perspiration in morning, smelling of musk.

Leaders In Homoeopathic Therapeutics, Eugene Beauharnais Nash

Here are five so-called hysterical remedies. They have many nervous symptoms that are similar, and I will only give a few characteristic symptoms of each and leave their study to those who love to study.

These five remedies should be studied together.

Moschus. "Hysterical spasms of the chest, nervous suffocative constrictions, especially on becoming cold." Palpitation (hysteric) with dyspnoea, prostration, fainting, exclaiming, "I shall die! I shall die!" etc., greatly excited. Laughs immoderately, or cries or scolds until her lips turn blue, eyes stare and she falls down fainting or unconscious.

Castoreum. "Exhausted pains better from pressure, menstrual colic, with pallor and cold sweat."

Asafoetida. Enormous accumulation of flatulence all pressing upward; ball rising in throat.

Great suffering, especially hysterical, from suppression of discharges. Discharges foetid.

Great sensitiveness to contact; in ulcers, especially periosteal.

"Full of wind; flatulence with eructations all pressing upward, but none downward. Seems as if she would burst with the upward pressure, reverse peristalsis." "Especially useful if its nervous symptoms come on after the suppression of leucorrhoeal or other habitual discharges." All discharges offensive, even of ulcers, and great sensitiveness to contact or touch. Osteitis or caries with this same exceeding sensitiveness to contact (Hepar).

Valerian. General nervous irritation, cannot keep still, tearing pains and cramps in different places. Feels as if floating in the air (Sticta pulm. as if legs were floating in the air). Over-sensitiveness of all the senses. Sensation as of a thread hanging down throat. With this remedy I once cured a severe case of sciatica in a pregnant woman on the symptom, pain worse when standing and letting the foot rest on the floor. She could stand with that foot resting on a chair, or could lie down in comfort.

Ambra grisea. Convulsive cough, with frequent eructations of gas.

Discharge of blood between the periods; after a hard stool; or walk.

Very nervous women, cannot void stool or urinate when others are in the room.

Discharge of blood between periods; any little exertion or straining at stool causes it. Nervous cough followed by eructations of wind. It is particularly adapted to nervous affections of old people and spare subjects nervously "worn out".