Homeopathic Materia Medica

Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica, James Tyler Kent

When treating a low form of continued fever with extreme prostration Arsenicum, Muriatic acid and Phos. acid force themselves upon the mind.

With Arsenicum there has been the anxious restlessness; with Phos. acid there has been the mental prostration, and then the muscular weakness; with Muriatic acid the muscular weakness comes first, and there has been history of restlessness and the mind has been stronger than could be expected.

With this great muscular exhaustion with jaw hanging down and the patient sliding down in bed and soon the involuntary stool and urine, this remedy is forced upon the mind. Paralytic weakness is what it must be called.

Soon the tongue is paralyzed, as well as the sphincters of the bladder and rectum. It seems to be eminently fitted for the lowest forms of zymotic fever when the above symptoms are present, He finally becomes unconscious.

There has been some restlessness, but nothing like Arsenicum and Rhus tox. He refuses to talk because it frets him to do so. Phos. acid is slow answering questions because of exhaustion of mind which makes him unable to think.

The vertigo comes on moving eyes, and on lying on the right side. This vertigo is sometimes associated with liver disease. A stout, full blooded jaundiced man about forty had suffered much from pain in the liver, with great soreness, was comfortable only when lying on left side; when he turned on his back or right side an anxious vertigo would come at once and he would break out in copious sweat, and be forced back to the left side. Muriatic acid made a complete cure of this liver trouble, which had been pronounced serious.

The headache is aggravated moving the eyes and rising up in bed. ameliorated by walking about slowly. Occipital headache with dim vision, aggravated by effort to see. Heaviness in occiput. Numbness in forehead. Soreness in occiput. Feeling as if hair were standing on end. Heat in top of head,

Perpendicular half sight. The eye symptoms ameliorated in the dark. Stitching pain. Burning, extending left to right eye, ameliorated washing. Itching in the eyes.

Hardness of hearing; loud crackling sounds during the night. The sound of voices unbearable. Buzzing in the ears.

The nose is stopped. Nosebleed in whooping cough, in zymotic fevers, in diphtheria and scarlet fever. Dark putrid blood from nose.

The lower jaw hangs down in typhoid fever. Margin of lips dry, sore and cracked. Burning lips.

Mouth and tongue coated white.

Sordes on the teeth. Gums swollen and bleeding. Teeth become loose. Tongue dry, heavy stiff and paralyzed. Mouth dry. Ulceration of mouth and tongue. Red tongue. Blueness of the tongue. Mucous membrane of lips denuded.

Sore mouth of nursing infants. Mouth studded with ulcers. Deep ulcers with black base. Violent inflammation of the throat. Dryness of the throat. Dark red throat with ulcers. Grayish white exudations. White exudations resembling diphtheria. Gangrenous sore throat. Hawks out foetid mucus. Diphtheria with extreme prostration.

Great thirst. Thirst during chill and thirstless during the fever. Aversion to meat. Craves stimulants. Eructation bitter and putrid. Spasmodic action of oesophagus. Vomiting sour. Involuntary swallowing. Emptiness in stomach, not ameliorated by eating. Empty sensation in stomach and abdomen without desire for food. Emptiness in stomach from 10 A.M. till evening. Emptiness in abdomen in the morning after the usual normal stool.

Indigestion; faintness constipation; confusion; sleepiness after eating. Pressing in the liver. Soreness, and enlarged liver. Fullness and rumbling in abdomen.

Watery stools, involuntary while urinating. Stools pass unnoticed. Dark brown stools, with blood. Much flatus with stools. Urging aggravated by motion. Dysentery, putrid blood and slime. Haemorrhage from intestines of dark liquid blood. Prolapsus ani while urinating. Urging to stool while urinating, Marked relaxation and itching of anus.

Large, dark, purple hemorrhoids, extremely sensitive to touch. Inflammation of the pile tumors, hot and pulsating; must lie with limbs wide apart. Bleeding piles. Burning and cutting during stool.

Burning after stool, ameliorated by warm applications, aggravated from bathing with cool water. Excoriation of anus. Fissures.

The urine flows in a feeble stream. Must wait a long time for urine to start; must press so that anus protrudes. This is in keeping with the general paralytic muscular weakness in the body. Involuntary flow of urine and stool in low fevers. Burning and cutting in the urethra while urinating, tenesmus follows.

Impotency; desire weak. Bloody, watery discharge from the urethra. Scrotum bluish. Itching of the scrotum not ameliorated by scratching. Margin of prepuce sore.

Pressing in genitals as if menses would appear. Menses too early and profuse. Ulcers on genitalia with putrid discharges. Cannot bear least touch, not even of sheet on genitals.

Leucorrhoea with backache. Puerperal fever with extreme prostration, dropped jaw, sliding down in bed, suppressed lochia. Stool and urine putrid and involuntary.

Short breath with rattling after drinking. Breathing seems to come from stomach. Oppression of chest.

Pulse slow and weak, intermits every third beat.

Pressing pain in back. Pressing, drawing, tired feeling in small of back. Burning in spine.

Heaviness of arms. Numbness and coldness of fingers at night. Lower limbs dusky. Putrid ulcers on legs, with burning margins. Swelling of right tendo Achillis. Feet cold and blue. Burning of palms and soles. Swelling and burning of tips of toes.

Tearing in limbs, ameliorated by motion. Pain in the limbs, during intermittent fever.

Evening fever with chill with or without sweat.

Chill mingled with fever. The image of this remedy is found in typhoid and yellow, fever. Perspiration during first sleep. Symptoms worse when perspiring.

A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, John Henry Clarke

Hydrochloric acid. HCl. First dilutions with distilled water.

Clinical.─Anus, prolapse of. Chilblains. Chorea. Deafness (cerebral). Diphtheria. Enteric fever. Ephelis. Feet, soles, pains in. Gastric disorders. Haemorrhoids. Hemiopia. Impotence. Measles. Mercurial ulceration. Mouth, aphthae; psoriasis of tongue; ulcers. Scarlatina. Scurvy. Tendo Achillis, affections of. Tongue, affections of; psoriasis of. Typhus. Varices. Whooping-cough.

Characteristics.─The popular name of Mur. ac., "Spirit of Salt," describes at once its nature and origin. It is a colourless gas, with a pungent, suffocating odour, and acid taste, and it is manufactured from Salt (Nat. m.) by the action of sulphuric acid. It is freely soluble in water, and the saturated solution contains 43 per cent. of the gas. Teste, who did much to define the powers of Mur. ac., groups with it Agn. cast. and Hyos., and he considers its action corresponds perfectly to a typical case of typhus. Among the common features of the group he gives; Stupefying headache. Obscuration of sight and optical illusions. Whizzing noises in the ears and hardness of hearing. Nose-bleed and loss of smell. Rough, cracked lips, and foul breath. Scurvy of mouth. Paralysis of tongue. Loss of taste. Distended, sensitive abdomen, pricking, bruised pain in abdominal walls. Serous, fetid diarrhoea, not very painful. Involuntary stool. Throat pains. Paralysis of bladder. Excited sexual desire. Impotence. Hoarseness, spasmodic cough. Stitches about heart. Fever with stinging heat, frequent, small, intermittent pulse, earthy or livid skin. Like Nit. ac., Mur. ac. is a powerful antidote to Merc., and it meets conditions caused by Mercury, and also similar conditions otherwise arising. Like other disinfectants, it causes as well as remedies rapid decomposition of tissue, and dynamically cures low putrid conditions met with in disease. The distinctive features of Mur. ac. are: Muscular prostration from blood-poisoning going on to paralysis, finally of brain or heart. Burning is a great feature in its symptomatology, as its escharotic powers might suggest─ulcers (especially their margins), eruptions, piles, varices, stomach, and abdomen. It sours the excretions and makes them acrid. Offensive secretions, offensive breath and body-smell; and it is indicated in fevers of all kinds, exanthematous, typhoid, puerperal as well as diphtheria, when these symptoms with the mental and paretic state are present. The mucous membranes are dry, bleeding, cracked, and ulcerated. Sordes on teeth. Burning, and burning eruptions on lips. Piles like a bunch of grapes which look purple and burn when touched. Prolapse of rectum, whilst straining to pass water. Urination involuntary or difficult; there is straining and dribbling, and the straining causes the rectum to prolapse; it may also cause involuntary stool. This may be due to local conditions, or it may be a consequence of a low state of health. Mur. ac. not only corresponds to low febrile states it also meets many of their sequelae. Deafness, otitis, and glandular swellings about the ears often require Mur. ac. Among the peculiar sensations of the remedy are: Hair, as if drawn upwards; as if standing on end. Brain: as if loose; beaten or tom to pieces; brain clasped by a hand, and bruised and tom. Occiput as if filled with lead. Mouth as if glued up with insipid mucus. As if some obstruction must be pulled out of throat. Burning as if under skin of coccyx. As if place was jammed in in tendo-Achillis. Deadness and numbness in forehead, in fingers. The tongue is shrunken; and paralysed. The parched, shrunken tongue is an indication in typhoid or other fevers. [Mur. ac. has a marked action on the tongue. Cooper cured with it these cases: (1) Man, 52, whose sister had died of cancer, had a hard, deep, warty ulcer, size of a small bean on under surface of tongue, l. side, with much surrounding hardness and little discharge. (2) Tongue swollen, makes him talk thick, much ulcerated, especially r. side, is hard, with swelling followed by lupoid ulcer, on corresponding side of nose; had been going on ten months.] Tendency "to slide down to the foot of the bed" was noted by Hahnemann and has been amply confirmed. It indicates an extremely low vital condition. Mur. ac. is suited to persons of black hair and dark eyes. The skin is much affected, and is sensitive to the sun's rays─eczema solare and freckles. Black pocks. Blind boils frothy when touched. The symptoms are: < By touch. The itching of anus and scrotum is not > by scratching. Warmth >; cold washing, cold drinks <. Cold wind and open air > headache. > Uncovering (during fever). < Evening and night. Rest < most symptoms. Lying on r. side < vertigo. Motion < vertigo; > tearing pains. < After sleep. < After eating (diarrhoea). > After drinking.

Relations.─Antidoted by: Carbonates of alkalies and earths (poisoning cases); to small doses: Camph., Bry. (Teste says the surest antidote is Ipec.). It antidotes: Merc., Opium. It "cures the muscular weakness following the excessive use of Opium" (Hering). It follows well: Bry., Merc., Rhus. Compare: In typhoid states, Bry. (Bry. has < motion), Rhus (restlessness, > by motion; Rhus has less debility), Phos. ac. (Phos. ac. has less prostration, is apathetic, indifferent, Mur. ac. taciturn), Apis (Apis has blisters on tongue, and it catches teeth when attempt is made to protrude it), Ars. (Ars. has scanty evacuations), Bapt. (Bapt., has besotted look, tongue red on edges), Bell. (Bell. more active, hyperaemia), K. permang. (throat symptoms, oedematous uvula), Sul. ac. (Sul. ac. has not > uncovering), Gels. (with Gels. the muscular prostration is expressed, with Mur. ac. it is unconscious), Nit. ac. (thin, excoriating discharge from nose, intermittent pulse and loss of appetite), Arum tri. Piles during menses, Amm. c., Collins., Graph., Pho., Pul., Sul. Piles sensitive, Bell., Caust. Early morning hunger, Ant. c., Calc., Saba., Lyc. Cannot bear the thought or sight of meat, Nit. ac. Irritable, disposed to anger and chagrin, Nux. Cracked lips; sore mouth; < after sleep, Nat. m.; coryza, Chlorum. Tendo-Achillis, affection of, Val. Mur. ac. is a constituent of the gastric juice, and must therefore be considered as allied to the Sarcodes and proximate principle of the tissues, e.g., Cholesterin.

Causation.─Sun.

SYMPTOMS.

1. Mind.─Sadness.─Taciturnity and reserve, anxiety, apprehension and peevishness.─Indecision and inquietude.─Ideas respecting recent events crowd upon the mind during labour.─Disposition to be angry and to give way to passion.─Unconsciousness.

2. Head.─Turning vertigo; < moving eyes; with staggering gait.─Headache provoked by walking in open air, and esp. by a sharp wind.─Headache, < by rising up in bed, and by moving the eyes > by moving the body), disappearing on taking exercise.─Heaviness, esp. in occiput, with cloudiness of eyes, greatly < by looking intently at an object.─Jerking, beating, tearing from l. half of occiput to forehead; soon same on r.─(Pressure on vertex, dimness of sight, faint feeling coming irregularly; sickish after meals, bad taste and fatigue on waking; thinks some one is walking behind, and cannot stir out alone.).─Heavy feeling in occiput, with drawing stitches, < r. side close to nape, with swollen gland tender to touch; intoxicated feeling at same time.─Headache as if brain were bruised, torn, or demolished.─Feeling as if brain were loose.─Tearing and stitches in head, coming on in periodical shocks.─Feeling of failing asleep and deadness.─Tearing in r. parietal bone.─Shocks, tearings, or shootings in head.

3. Eyes.─Itching smarting in canthi.─Itching in eyes.─Stitches out of eyes.─Shootings across eyes.─Swelling and redness of eyelids.─Vertical hemiopia.─(Neuralgia over l. eye, hemiopia and double vision, which is always followed by headache, numbness down r. arm and aphasia.─R. T. C.)

4. Ears.─Otalgia (with pressive pain), like spasmodic and acute pullings.─Pulsation in ears.─Insensibility of auditory tube.─Scabious eruptions in ears.─Hardness of hearing and deafness.─Acuteness of hearing, with sensibility to noise.─Ticking of watch is heard better than the voice (cerebral deafness).─Tinkling, buzzing, and whistling before the ears.

5. Nose.─Ulceration of nostrils.─Sore nostrils with stinging pain.─Obstruction of nose.─Coryza, with thick yellow, or serous and corrosive mucus.─Continuous bleeding from nose.─Coryza, with itching, tickling, and sneezing.

6. Face.─Heat in face, with burning redness of cheeks, when walking in open air, without thirst.─Ephelis.─Eruption of scabious pimples on face, forehead, and temples; whole face red; every summer.─Furuncules on temple.─Burning in lips.─Puffiness of lower lip, it feels heavy and burns.─Eruptions on lips, sometimes covered with scabs.

7. Teeth.─Odontalgia, with pulsative pain, < by cold drinks, > by heat.─Toothache, with sensation of pressing asunder.─Tingling in teeth.─Scorbutic gums, swollen, easily bleeding and ulcerating.

8. Mouth.─Dryness of mouth, with paralysis of tongue.─Profuse accumulation of saliva.─Heaviness of tongue, when speaking, as if it were made of lead, which prevents him from talking.─Deep-seated ulcers (with black base), vesicles, or pustules on tongue.─Small tumours r. side of tongue.─The tongue becomes sore and bluish.─The tongue dwindles (atrophy of tongue).─(Psoriasis of tongue.).─Mucous lining of the lips, and mouth inflamed, red, raw, painful, dotted with whitish points; fetid breath; stomatitis.─Parched tongue.

9. Throat.─Sore throat, with pain as from excoriation, rawness, and smarting in throat and palate.─Dry throat with burning in chest.─Mucous lining of throat and fauces deep dark red, swollen and burning; covered with greyish-white diphtheritic-like deposits.─Swelling of uvula; of tonsils.─Much saliva that must be swallowed.─Attempting to swallow produces violent spasms and choking.

10. Appetite.─Taste of rancid grease in throat.─Acrid and putrid taste (like rotten eggs, with ptyalism) in throat.─All food has a sweetish taste, and esp. beer, which is disliked.─Bulimy and excessive thirst.─Dislike to meat.─Appetite lost.

11. Stomach.─Risings, putrid or bitter.─Hiccough (before and after dinner).─Vomiting of food.─Vomiting of bile, at night, with nausea and eructations.─Uneasiness in stomach, as indicating serious illness.─Sensation of emptiness in the stomach and oesophagus, not > by eating.─Contractive pain in stomach, with sensation as if it were retracted.─Pressive tension and cramp-like pain in hypochondria.

12. Abdomen.─Uneasiness in abdomen, as in serious illness.─Fulness and inflation of the abdomen; from small quantities of food.─Cramp-like pains in abdomen, with cuttings and pinchings, extending from umbilical region into sides, accompanied by borborygmi.─Sensation of emptiness in abdomen.─Lancination in groins.

13. Stool and Anus.─Difficult evacuations of faeces, as from inactivity of rectum.─Faeces of too small a size.─Diarrhoea, with smarting and burning in rectum and anus.─Stercoral diarrhoea.─Involuntary evacuation of liquid and serous faeces when urinating.─Discharge of blood during stools.─Prolapsus recti, when urinating.─Itching in anus.─Haemorrhoids protruding like a bunch of grapes.─Swollen and bluish haemorrhoidal excrescences, with burning pain as from excoriation; < by touch.─Bleeding haemorrhoids.

14. Urinary Organs.─Tenesmus of bladder.─Frequent want to urinate, with abundant emission.─Immoderate emission of aqueous urine.─Slow emission of urine.─Weakness of bladder.─Involuntary discharge of urine.─Relaxation of bladder, and of neck of bladder.

15. Male Sexual Organs.─Excoriation of prepuce.─Soreness in the margin of prepuce.─Itching of scrotum not > by scratching.─Suppression of sexual desire.─Feeling of weakness in genital organs, penis relaxed.─Impotence.

16. Female Sexual Organs.─Sensation of a bearing down towards genital organs, as if preparatory to catamenia.─During menses sad and taciturn.─Ulcers in genitals, with putrid discharge, much sensitiveness and general weakness.─Cannot bear the least touch even of sheets on genitals.─Too early catamenia, and too profuse.

17. Respiratory Organs.─Hoarseness, with sore feeling in chest.─Chronic hoarseness.─Violent and sobbing cough, followed by a gurgling in bottom of chest.─Breathing deep and groaning; moaning.

18. Chest.─Deep respiration with groans.─Lancinating pains in chest, during a violent movement, and during inspiration.─Tensive pain in sternum.─Incisive shocks in chest, with dull pressure on posterior part of chest, and with oppression.─Oppression across chest (evening).

19. Heart and Pulse.─Stitches in chest, and on heart, when taking a long breath and on violent motion.─Pulse rapid and very feeble; and small.─Shootings in region of heart.─Shock in heart at night, so violent that it is felt in face.

20. Back.─Aching pain in back, as from having been bent double for a long time, or from a strain.─Shootings in shoulder-blades.─Furunculi in back.

22. Upper Limbs.─Paralytic weakness, and wrenching pain in shoulder.─Heaviness of arms, esp. the forearms.─Tearing, aching, and pulling in arms.─Drawing tension in elbow-joint.─Cramp-like drawings and heaviness in forearm.─Incisive tearing in forearm, hands, and fingers.─Voluptuous itching and tickling, and lancinating, in palms.─Scabby eruption on back of hand, and upper part of fingers.─Cramp-like pain in fleshy part of thumb when writing.─Swelling of extremity of fingers, with burning.─Nocturnal torpor and paleness of fingers, which are as if dead.

23. Lower Limbs.─Tearing and cramp-like pulling in thighs.─Wavering gait from weakness of the thighs.─Itching, tettery spots on thighs.─Swelling of knees.─Drawing tension in calf of leg, and in tendo-Achillis, when walking.─Lancinations in tendo-Achillis, day and night, which hinder walking and sleeping.─Putrid, painful ulcers in legs, with burning in their circumference.─Coldness of feet.─Swelling and redness of extremity of toes, with burning.

24. Generalities.─[This remedy is often called for in cases where the patient cannot urinate without having the bowels moved at the same time; in typhus or low grades of fever where we find this symptom with great prostration; patient may think he is going to pass a little wind, when urine will come away also.─Haemorrhoids very tender to the touch, so much so that he can scarcely bear to use paper after an evacuation; after confinement, haemorrhoids protrude so that the pressure of a sheet can scarcely be borne.─In low types of fever the patient often slips down toward the foot of the bed, and must be lifted up every little while.─Cannot bear the sight or thought of meat, it is so distasteful.─Urine too copious, both night and day.─Affections in general, of any kind, appearing in the tendo-Achillis; the soles of the feet.─Scurvy, particularly if the parts affected are very sore and tender to the touch.─Itching of the skin > by scratching.─Putrid ulcers.─H. N. G.].─Tearing and incisive (rheumatic) pains in limbs, during repose, > during movement.─Restlessness; frequent changing of position.─Contusive pains in all joints.─Painful sensibility of periosteum of bones, as in intermittent fever.─Coldness of extremities.─Dropsical swellings.─Indolence and dread of movement, with inclination to remain seated.─Excessive depression; on sitting down, the eyelids close; the lower jaw hangs down, he slides down in bed.─Tottering gait, from weakness of thighs and knees.─Great sensitiveness to damp weather.─Paralysis of tongue and sphincter ani.

25. Skin.─Itching, voluptuous and lancinating tickling, with want to scratch.─Scabious eruptions, which itch in heat of bed.─Furunculi, with shooting pain when they are touched.─Putrid and painful ulcers, with burning at margins.─Fetid odour of ulcers; also they are covered with a scurf.─Black pustules.

26. Sleep.─Great drowsiness during day, which disappears on taking exercise.─Sleeplessness before midnight.─Before midnight, continued snoring, groaning, tossing, talking, and tendency to slide downwards in bed.─Frequent and early waking, caused by a coldness that is felt in bed.─Anxious dreams.

27. Fever.─Predominant sensation of cold.─Shivering, with yawning and stretching, without thirst, and not followed by heat.─Chill in the evening, with coldness in back, with external warmth and burning in face.─Shuddering over whole body, with hot cheeks and cold hands.─Burning heat, esp. in palms and soles.─Night and morning sweat.─In evening, the perspiration is first cold on the feet.─Typhus fever, lower jaw hangs down, atrophy of tongue, involuntary watery stools when passing urine, great debility, with sliding down in bed, loud moaning.─Heat without thirst, with agitation, and desire to throw off clothes at night.─Pulse weak and slow.─Intermittent pulse, every third beat.─Nocturnal sweat, on going to sleep in evening, or before midnight, esp. on head and back.

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

Hydrochloric Acid (HCl)

Adapted to persons with black hair, dark eyes, dark complexion. Irritable, peevish, disposed to anger and chagrin (Nux); restlessness and vertigo. Diseases of an asthenic type, with moaning, unconsciouness, fretfulness. Ulceration with fungus-like growths and pseudo-like membranous deposits of intestinal tract. Great debility: as soon as he sits down his eyes close; lower jaw hangs down; slides down in bed. Mouth and anus are chiefly affected; the tongue and sphincter ani are paralyzed. Malignant affections of mouth; studded with ulcers, deep, perforating; have a black or dark base; offensive, foul breath; intense prostration; diphtheria, scarlatina, cancer. Cannot bear the thought or sight of meat (Nit. ac.). If the anus be very sensitive either with or without haemorrhoids; anus sore during menses. Haemorrhoids: swollen, blue, sensitive and painful to touch; appear suddenly in children; too sore to bear least touch, even the sheet is uncomfortable. Prolapse while urinating. Diarrhoea: stool involuntary while urinating; on passing wind (Aloe); cannot urinate without having the bowels move at the same time. Urine passes slowly; bladder weak, must wait a long time; has to press so that the anus protrudes. Cannot bear least touch, not even of sheet on genitals (Murex). Typhoid or typhus; deep stupid sleep; unconscious while awake; loud moaning or muttering; tongue coated at edges, shrunken, dry, leather- like, paralyzed; involuntary fetid stools while passing urine; sliding down in bed; pulse intermits every third beat. Palpitation of heart is felt in the face. Freckles; eczema solaris.

Relations. - Follows well: after, Bry., Mer., Rhus. Cures the muscular weakness following excessive use of opium and tobacco.

Leaders In Homoeopathic Therapeutics, Eugene Beauharnais Nash

Moaning or sliding down in bed from excessive weakness. (Typhoid).

Tongue dry, leathery and shrunken; one-third its natural size. (Typhoid).

Haemorrhoids: Swollen and blue, and so sensitive to touch that they cannot bear the contact of the sheet.

Great debility; as soon as he sits down his eyes close; lower jaw hangs down; slides down in bed.

Malignant affections of mouth; Ulcers, deep, dark, base bluish, offensive, foul breath.

Diarrhoea: Stool involuntary while urinating. Cannot urinate without having bowels move at the same time.

* * * * *

This remedy, also one of our best remedies in typhoids, is found useful in cases of lower grade than in the Phosphoric acid case. It comes nearer to Carbo vegetabilis than any other remedy.

Its indications are given in "Hering's Guiding Symptoms" as well as anywhere. There is decomposition of fluids; the stools are involuntary while passing urine; stools dark, thin, or haemorrhage of dark liquid blood. Mouth full of dark-bluish ulcers; unconscious. Moaning and sliding down in the bed from excessive weakness; lower jaw fallen, tongue dry, leathery and shrunken to a third of its natural size, and paralyzed; pulse weak and intermittent. It is hardly possible to draw a picture of a more desperate case of typhoid than this. It is not necessary to resort to quinine, brandy or any other fashionable so-called stimulants. Broth, milk or oatmeal gruel for nourishment, and Muriatic acid will do all that can be done for the saying of the life of such a patient, and will do it quicker and with less liability to relapse than any other course of treatment. Of course the friends are anxious, even desperate, and a show of work must be made. If much pressure is brought to bear in the way of suggestions or demands for counsel, all sorts of wonderful prescriptions that cured a great many cases like this, let Sac. lac. be given every five minutes. It is a wonderfully quieting medicine (to friends and meddlers) and should never be omitted. Send the most rampant howler off on horseback miles away, if you can, for something, no matter what. That is indispensable to the patient's recovery. The greatest danger to the patient is, that the physician losing his presence of mind, will suffer himself to be led or driven away from the only true helpful course. This advice is given only to those who need it. Many a patient has died because his physician "lost his head" under this kind of pressure.

Muriatic acid is very useful in haemorrhoids, swollen and blue, and so sensitive to touch that they cannot bear the contact of the sheet.

Rectum prolapses easily (Ignatia, Ruta), cannot urinate without it coming down. Also when wind is passed or bowels move.

Bladder weak, urine passes slowly, or must press until rectum protrudes.

Cannot bear the least touch, not even sheet on genitals (Murex).