Homeopathic Materia Medica

Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica, James Tyler Kent

Rumex, the yellow dock, is a neglected remedy, and one that has been only partially proved.

The mental symptoms have not been brought out, but the catarrhal symptoms have been well expressed by provers.

There is a state of sadness, low spirited; aversion to work; irritable mental excitability. This includes about all the mental state we know of this remedy, as the provings were made with the lower potencies and tincture.

The yellow dock has been used in domestic practice, as a blood medicine, to cure eruptions and boils. When used in this way it is a mild substance, and hence the provings are somewhat in this form.

The catarrhal tendency is very striking. The nose, eyes, chest and trachea, the whole respiratory tract, gives forth a copious flow, copious mucous discharge. I have seen it so copious from the nose that it seemed as one continuous flow; so copious from the trachea and bronchial tubes that the patient continually hawked up, by the mouthful, thin frothy, white mucus, so that in a little while as much as half a pint of thin mucus, as thin as water, would be in the cuspidor. It also has marked dryness of the larynx and trachea with hard, dry, spasmodic cough.

At times it has taken the form of grippe, with a copious mucous discharge; thin, watery, frothy expectoration by the mouthful. This is only the first stage. Following this the discharge becomes thick, yellow, tough or thick, white and tenacious; so ropy and stringy and tough that in spite of blowing the nose and coughing he fails to get it up. Completely exhausted from his efforts to expectorate the tough, stringy, tenacious even gluey mucus. This catarrhal state is commonly accompanied by a morning diarrhea, and these constitute the leading features.

"Catarrhal headache with great irritation of the larynx and trachea, clavicular pain and soreness behind sternum."

Catarrhal headaches are headaches that come on during spells of dryness, alternating with a copious flux. Extreme rawness in the larynx and trachea; burning and smarting; unable to endure pressure on the throat pit.

Tickling in the throat pit causing cough. Must sit without motion; cannot breathe deeply, hurriedly or irregularly because the burning is so much increased by any change in breathing.

If he steps into the open air a paroxysmal cough takes his breath away; or if he passes from the open air into a warm room the same paroxysmal cough comes on. The paroxysm is so violent that in the morning, when he has a loose stool, he will pass it involuntarily with the cough. The urine also passes away with the cough. The headache returns when the discharges slack up.

A striking feature is pain under the clavicle; a sense of rawness under the clavicle; as if the parts inside were raw; as if the air came directly under the clavicle, producing rawness and burning. Rawness and burning from the inhalation of air.

"Nose obstructed; dry sensation even in posterior nares."

Many times the coryza starts out by a marked dryness in the posterior nares, so that he is constantly hawking; the irritation is so great that he cannot let it alone. There is a sensation of thickening in the nasopharynx, and he produces a peculiar noise in trying to get rid of it.

"Sudden sharp tingling sensation in Schneiderian membrane."

This is intense; tingling, sometimes described as an itching extending from the end of the nose to the pharynx; sometimes forces sneezing, blowing the nose and this peculiar noise, and sometimes a hawking to get the mucus when it isi a little lower in the pharynx; hemming to get rid of it when in the larynx. The inflammation passes to the smallest bronchi, producing a capillary bronchitis and finally a pneumonia.

It suits acute and chronic catarrhal states. In old phthisical cases every time be takes a cold, he is so sensitive to cold air and change of air that he sleeps with the bed clothes over his mouth. Every breath of air causes a spasmodic cough.

The early expectoration is thin mucus, and then it becomes thicker and tenacious, and he cannot expectorate it; he hears the rattle, after many efforts which exhaust him; he expectorates a little with hardly any relief. This is a great remedy to do patch work with in phthisis. Soreness, rawness and burning, especially down the trachea and tinder the sternum.

"Violent sneezing, with fluent coryza, worse in the evening and at night."

Many symptoms are worse in the evening.

"Coryza, fluent, with sneezing, with headache, worse evening and night."

Some symptoms are worse in the early morning. Certain kinds of cough are worse at 11 P.M. Lachesis and Rumex furnish a puzzle in this cough and each has to be understood.

In Lachesis young children cough in their early sleep, but if kept awake they will not cough. Therefore in Lachesis the 11 P.M. cough is an aggravation from sleep. In Rumex the cough will come on at 11 o'clock whether the child is asleep or not.

"Accumulation of mucus in posterior nares."

"Yellow mucous discharge through posterior nares."

"Epistaxis, violent sneezing and painful irritation of nostrils."

"Influenza with violent catarrh, followed by bronchitis."

"Scraping in the throat;" whenever this catarrhal state goes into the larynx and trachea, there is this continual scraping in the throat.

Hoarse; cannot speak because the vocal cords are covered with tough mucus. Chronic cases have often been cured.

Phosphorus has this hoarseness, but especially aphonia relieved by hemming up a little mucus from the vocal cords. The Causticum hoarseness is due to a weakness of the vocal cords. Phosphorus has an inflammatory state and the continual accumulation of mucus impedes speech. Rumex has the accumulation of tough, gelatinous, gluey mucus, and he continually scrapes the larynx.

"Sensation of a lump in the throat, not relieved by hawking or swallowing, it descends on deglutition, but immediately returns"; this is also a strong feature in Lachesis.

"Aching in the pharynx, with collection of tough mucus in the fauces."

"Catarrhal affections of throat and fauces."

This remedy shows the various stages of severe cold, but is especially indicated in constitutions that are constantly taking cold worse from change of the weather; always shivering about the fire want much clothing, want even the head covered up.

Many complaints are worse in the evening, from a bath, from becoming cold, from inhaling cold air. Rheumatic complaints are common and are aggravated by cold. Every cold seems to affect the joints. This is a marked feature of Calcarea phos .; every change to cold is felt in the joints; from bathing and getting chilled afterwards.

"Tight, suffocative, heavy ache in epigastrium, through to back clothes seem too tight; weak feeling in epigastrium, all aggravated when talking; frequently takes a long breath."

"Shooting from pit of stomach to chest; sharp pain in left chest; slight nausea; dull aching in forehead."

"Aching and shooting in pit of stomach and above it on each side of sternum."

Stomach: The stomach will not digest food, or only the, simplest food; the mucous membrane of the stomach is affected by this remedy like other mucous membranes.

Various pains in the stomach; aching, shooting pains in the pit of the stomach.

"Aching pain in the pit of stomach gradually becoming very severe; sharp stitching pains in stomach extending into chest, and below a sensation of pressure like a lump in pit of stomach, sometimes rising up under sternum, greatly aggravated from motion and somewhat from taking a long breath; generally aggravated after eating, ameliorated by lying perfectly quiet."

It is strange how the stomach symptoms are aggravated by talking.

The stomach feels sore, aggravated by talking, walking, inhaling cold air; wants warm things. Very flatulent; full of flatulent pains; pains relieved (Carbo veg.) by belching and passing flatus. Stomach and abdominal pains aggravated by talking, irregular, breathing; must sit in a chair and breathe with perfect regularity. Irregular breathing will cause cough or suffocation.

In the morning hurried to stool like Sulphur.

"Stools, painless, offensive, profuse; brown or black, thin or watery; preceded by pain in abdomen; before stool sudden urging, driving him out of bed in morning."

"Morning diarrhea with cough from tickling in throat pit."

It is common for phthisical cases to have a morning diarrhoea, and many of them look like Sulphur. When the morning diarrhea is gushing, Rumex will palliate; it will allay the extreme sensibility of the lungs, will ward off the sensitiveness to cold and will patch him up.

Rumex is not so deep as Sulphur, but it is an antipsoric. It is limited however, to the early stages; will carry a chronic case so, far, but it will require to be followed by another antipsoric. Calcarea follows it well.

Rumex is as sensitive to cold, to baths and chilly surroundings as Rhus, but it is aggravated by motion. Bryonia may be confused with it in this aggravation from motion and from talking, but Bryonia is not so sensitive to cold air, is often relieved from cold air and worse in a warm room; the complaints subside if the room becomes cool. In Rumex the nerves are sensitive to the open air; a nervous sensitiveness to open air as marked as Nux.

"Brown, watery diarrhoea, chiefly in morning, having stools from 5 to 9 A.M."

"Serious attack of diarrhea in an old man of seventy, after failure of Sulphur."

The Sulphur patient with a cough, especially in phthisis, commonly wants cool air, cooling things; though the stomach symptoms are sometimes ameliorated from hot drinks, yet he wants cool, refreshing air.

"Aphonia after exposure to cold."

"Tenacious mucus in throat or larynx, constant desire. to hawk."

"Tickling in throat pit causing cough."

He fights off the cough as long as he can because of the burning and rawness. In the most violent coryza there is a lack of the febrile symptoms of Bryonia, Rhus and Aconite. It has not the constitutional symptoms, the aching of the limbs, the general soreness, the high fever and thirst. The condition seems to have localized itself.

"Hoarse, barking cough, in attacks, every night at 11 P.M. and at 2 and 5 A.M. (children)."

"Cough, with pain behind midsternum."

"The most violent cough occurs a few moments after lying down and at night, in some cases, complete aphonia."

"In women, every fit of coughing produces the passage of a few drops of urine."

Rumex is one of the most valuable palliatives in advanced phthisis it will often carry a case through another winter. With Rumex, Pulsatilla, Senega, Arsenic and Nux vomica you can patch up the last years of a phthisical patient.

I would caution you also about the diarrhea that occurs in most cases of phthisis.

You will see Acetic acid recommended for the diarrhoea in phthisis. You had better let such conditions alone, unless they are very marked. If the diarrhea is very exhausting use some simple medicine, like this one, to slack it up. But the phthisical patient is better off with a little diarrhea, a loose morning stool. It is the same with night sweats; if he does not have them he will have something more violent.

The allopath stops the diarrhea and night sweats, and then has to feed Morphine to his patient because of the consequent sufferings. The more you undertake to relieve these outward conditions, these vents, the more harm you will do the patient, and if you go on you will have to abandon your Homoeopathy and give Morphine, which is really a crime.

You will remove the sore, bruised, aching all over the body of a consumptive by Arnica, and it will suit the cough and gagging and retching, and make him sleep.

Later Pyrogen may be needed for the aching in the bones and distressing cough. You patch him up year after year; sometimes Arsenic is the remedy, and it has to be more frequently repeated; sometimes it is Lycopodium, Pulsatilla, Pyrogen or Arnica.

These medicines help him along and they have often to be changed, but finally the break down occurs, and these medicines are no longer suitable. An awful dyspnoea gradually creeps on the patient; there is craving for air; the breathing space is becoming diminished.

Dropsy comes on in the extremities. The heart gives out; there is emaciation; the hippocratic countenance is seen; there is cold sweat, blue face, sinking. Even now we can palliate with Tarantula Cubensis. Sometimes it has to be repeated. It will relieve for days and give an euthanasia, not a stupefaction as produced by Morphia, benumbing his senses, but an actual comforting.

A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, John Henry Clarke

Rumex crispus. Curled Dock. Yellow Dock. N. O. Polygonaceae. Tincture of fresh root.

Clinical.─Abortion. Aphonia. Asthma. Borborygmi. Bronchitis. Catarrh. Corns. Coryza. Cough. Diarrhoea. Dyspepsia. Epistaxis. Feet, tender. Gastralgia. Heart, pain in; affections of. Indigestion. Irritation. Lichen. Mouth, ulceration of. Phimosis. Phthisis. Prurigo. Rheumatism. Throat, sore ulcerated. Trachea, affections of. Urticaria.

Characteristics.─The "Yellow Dock" or "Curled Dock" is a common British weed, introduced and growing wild in North America, where the provings were made. The common Dock of our fields and roadsides, Rumex obtusifolia, has a reputation among children as the best antidote to the nettle's sting; a reputation which is very well deserved, as I can testify. Rumex crispus, according to Joslin, quoted by Hale, was used by allopaths internally and externally for the cure of itch. This points to one of the leading actions of Rx. c. as developed in the provings. Among the constituents and salts of Rx. c. are Sulphur and Calc. Ph. (Hale); and Sul., Calc., and Pho. are strongly represented in its action. Rx. c., again, is a close ally of Rheum, and has analogous purgative and other properties. The provings were made by Houghton, Joslin, H. M. Paine, Bayard, Rhees, etc., both with the tincture and with attenuations, and its characteristics were well defined. A keynote of many Rx. c. cases is sensitiveness to cold air. The cough and skin symptoms are < by uncovering or exposure to air. Guernsey thus describes the cough of Rx. c.: "Cough caused by an incessant tickling in throat-pit, which tickling runs down to the bifurcation of the bronchial tubes; touching the throat brings on the cough; by covering up all the body and head with the bed-clothes there is no cough." Correspondingly this symptom of Paine's has led to many cures of skin cases: "While undressing, and for some time after, considerable itching of surface of lower limbs "─where exposure to air is again the exciting cause. The characteristic diarrhoea of Rx. c. occurs in the early morning, driving the patient out of bed; it comes on after catarrh, and is often associated with the characteristic cough of the remedy. The Rx. c. cough causes expulsion of urine; and it may even cause expulsion of the foetus in pregnant women. P. P. Wells relates this case (Hale): Mrs. X. had had eight miscarriages in the early months, each miscarriage being attended with a dry, shaking, spasmodic cough in paroxysms of great violence, which was regarded as the cause of the abortions. At the beginning of the ninth pregnancy she came under homoeopathic treatment. The cough came on─very dry, harsh, loud, shaking, < at night, preventing sleep, excited instantly by pressure on the trachea. Rx. c. 30 promptly relieved. Wells also cured with Rx. c. 200 (Lehrman's preparation) the following in a man: Cough beginning with tickling behind top of sternum, sometimes in paroxysms lasting for five to ten minutes. Trachea sore to external pressure; feels excoriated through its whole extent, as also do the fauces. Cough is excited by pressure on throat-pit; violent with scanty difficult expectoration; shakes head as if it would fly to pieces and chest so that he feels he might raise blood any minute. Paroxysms exhaust him; headache during cough. Joslin pointed out the left chest had more verified symptoms than any other region. Further Conditions of Rx. c. are < lying on left side; > lying on right side, < At 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. Another Condition of the cough is that it is induced or < by any irregularity of respiration, such as a little deeper breath than usual or a little more rapid. Cough when eating. Joslin reports a number of cases of gastric derangement cured with Rx. c. (1) A young lady had shootings from pit of stomach into chest in various directions; sharp pains in left chest; dull aching in forehead and slight nausea. One dose of 30th removed all her symptoms and restored her appetite. (2) A lady, 50, had had for three weeks pain in pit of stomach, aching in left chest, flatulence, eructations, pains and distension in stomach after meals. Rx. c. 200, one dose, cured in two or three hours. (3) Young lady had sensation of fulness and pressure in pit of stomach extending up towards throat, carried down on swallowing and rising again to throat. Rx. c. 200 cured. (4) A gentleman not used to tea took a cup, very weak, of the black kind; then followed aching in pit of stomach and aching above it in chest, and especially on each side of lower end of sternum. Rx. c. 30 cured in a few minutes. The flatulence and rumbling of Rx. c. are well marked, and I have found it the best general remedy for the painless but annoying borborygmi frequently complained of by women. The left side is more markedly affected than the right. The circulation is much disturbed, violent palpitations of the heart and throbbing throughout the whole body being noted. Carleton Smith points out (H. P., x. 275) that in a case of cough cured by Cardoza with Rx. c. the characteristic was "cough only during the day, not at all at night." This gives Rx. c. a place beside Fer. and Mang. Smith has cured with Rx. c. many cases of indigestion in which this symptom was present: "Lump in throat, not > by hawking or swallowing; it descends on deglutition, but immediately returns." Peculiar Sensations are: Eyes pain as if from dryness. Tongue as if burned. Lump in throat; it descends on deglutition, but immediately returns. Hard substance in pit of stomach. Bunch in throat or behind sternum. Pressure of a stick in rectum. As if urine could not long be retained. As if she could not get another breath. As if air did not penetrate chest. As if a feather swaying to and fro in bronchi. As if head would fly to pieces (with cough). As if he might raise blood any minute. As if cough did not reach low enough to raise phlegm. As if heart suddenly stopped. Sternum feels sprained. Raw feeling under clavicles. Hands cold when coughing. The symptoms are < by touch; pressure; riding. < By cold; > by warmth. < Change: warm to cold or cold to warm; changing rooms. < Lying down (pain in pit of stomach > lying perfectly quiet). < Lying on left side; burning in left side. > Lying right side. < Talking. < Deep inspiration; or irregularity of breathing. < Walking. < Evening and night; and morning on waking, 3.30 and 11 p.m., 2 to 5 a.m. < When eating and after meals. > Discharge of offensive flatus.

Relations.─Antidoted by: Camph., Bell., Hyo., Con., Lach., Pho. Compare: Hard, dry, tickling cough, < reading, < touching larynx, Cin. Asthma of consumptives < 2 a.m., Meph., Sticta. Pains in left lung < moving; cough from change of temperature, Bry. (Bry. more when change is to warm air; Rx. c. more when to cold). Tickling cough from suprasternal fossa excited by speaking, Sil. Morning diarrhoea hurrying patient out of bed, Sul. Annoying, tickling cough on lying down, Hyo., Con. Urticaria, morning diarrhoea, Apis (opposite Conditions). Dry cough from tickling in suprasternal fossa < least cool air or deep inspiration, Bell. Effects of tea, Thuj. Stitching pains in chest, pulsations, over whole body, K. ca. Tough mucus, K. bi. Cough when eating, Calc. Burnt sensation in tongue, Ran. b. Stick in rectum, Aesc. h. Cough < changing air, Spo., Pho. < Lying left side, Pho., Pul. Raw sensation in larynx and trachea when coughing, Caust. Spurting of urine with cough, Caust., Pul., Scil. Early morning diarrhoea, Alo., Nat. s., Pod., Sul. Skin symptoms < uncovering, Hep., Nat. s., Oleand. Cough starting in throat-pit (Bell. more in fauces; Pho. more in bronchi). Incessant cough and botan., Rx. ac. Diarrhoea and botan., Rhe. Botan., Fago., Polyg., Lapath. Cough only during day, Fer., Mang.

SYMPTOMS.

1. Mind.─Low-spirited: with serious expression of face; with suicidal mood.─Irritable; disinclined to mental exertion.─Indifference to surroundings.─Stagnation of ideas, lassitude, and uneasiness.

2. Head.─Headache after waking in morning, preceded by a disagreeable dream.─Dull (and bruised) pains: on r. side; in occiput; in forehead with bruised feeling, < on motion.─Darting pain or sharp piercing in l. side of head.─Catarrhal headache with great irritation of larynx and trachea, clavicular pain and soreness behind sternum.─Bruised sensation on waking, continued till noon, disappeared suddenly after dinner.─Headache < in open air.─Pungent drawing in l. occiput with a similar pain in l. nostril and feeling as if coryza would ensue.

3. Eyes.─Pain in eyes as from dryness; lids inflamed, < evening.─Sore feeling in eyes without inflammation.─Deep-seated pain in r. eye.─Sharp, shooting pain in (and over) l. eye.

4. Ears.─Ringing in ears.─Itching deep in ears.─Pain, throbbing, stopped sensation in ears.

5. Nose.─Great desire to pick nose.─Nose obstructed; dry sensation, even in posterior nares.─Sudden, sharp, tingling sensation in Schneiderian membrane, followed by violent and rapid sneezing five or six times in succession, with watery discharge.─Violent sneezing with watery coryza and headache), < evening and night.─Accumulation of mucus about posterior nares.─Yellow mucus discharged through posterior nares.─Epistaxis, violent sneezing, and painful irritation of nostrils.─Influenza with violent catarrh, followed by bronchitis.

6. Face.─Great paleness of face while standing.─Heat of face; redness < evenings; dull headache; with pulsations over whole body.─Pain in side of face, including r. temple and ear; also l. side of upper lip.─Pain in r. jaw, morning.─After retiring late at night, lancinating pains in lower jaw at root of l. canine teeth.

8. Mouth.─Pain in teeth of both sides, morning.─Toothache: entirely > after eating dinner; > by rinsing mouth with cold water.─Grumbling stinging toothache in r. upper molars, while riding in a cold wind; with pain in forehead.─Tongue coated: white; yellow; yellowish-brown, or reddish-brown.─Dryness of anterior part of tongue, with sense of repletion in stomach and as if one had eaten spice.─Sensation of excoriation at edges of tongue.─Front of tongue dry and hot.─Soreness of r. edge of tongue.─Sensation as if tongue and mouth burnt.─Ulceration of mouth and throat.─Taste: bitter (mornings); nasty; flat (on rising).─Flow of saliva.

9. Throat.─Scraping in throat; excoriated feeling with secretion of mucus in upper part.─Sensation of a lump in throat, not > by hawking or swallowing; it descends on swallowing, but immediately returns.─Sensation of a lump in oesophagus.─Aching in pharynx with collection of tough mucus in fauces.─Catarrhal affections of throat and fauces.─Throat dry, swallowing difficult; pain in l. side on swallowing.

11. Stomach.─Appetite: much increased lost.─Thirst.─After meals: flatulency; heaviness in stomach or epigastrium aching in l. breast; pressure and distension in stomach.─Nausea in night before diarrhoea.─Sensation of hard substance in pit of stomach.─Fulness and pressure in pit of stomach extending toward throat-pit; descends with every empty deglutition but immediately returns.─Tight, suffocative, heavy ache in epigastrium, through to back; clothes seem too tight; weak feeling in epigastrium, all < when talking; frequently takes a long breath.─Shooting from pit of stomach to chest; sharp in l. chest; slight nausea; dull aching in forehead.─Aching and shooting in pit of stomach and above it on each side of sternum.─Eructations; empty; tasteless.─Hiccough.─Pyrosis.─Nausea; > by eructations.─Nausea and vertigo while dressing in morning, compelling him to lie down again.─Sensation of undigested food and upward pressure in throat-pit.─Severe pain in digestive organs on waking.─Pain in stomach with the pain in the lungs.─Burning and cutting in stomach.

12. Abdomen.─Pain in hypochondrium from walking or deep inspiration.─Griping near navel partially > by discharge of offensive flatus; flatulent colic soon after a meal.─Pain occurring or < during inspiration.─Sensation of heaviness and fulness in abdomen with rumbling.─Borborygmus.─Pain in abdomen in morning, followed by a stool.─Colic from a cold, with cough.

13. Stool and Anus.─Stools: painless, offensive, profuse; brown or black, thin or watery; preceded by pain in abdomen.─Before stool: sudden urging, driving him out of bed in morning.─Morning diarrhoea, with cough from tickling in throat-pit.─Diarrhoea 6 to 10 a.m.─Copious diarrhoeic stool with colic pain just above hypogastrium, and a very disagreeable rumbling in bowels together with nausea and loss of appetite; these sensations continued throughout the day with four or five evacuations which passed away in a stream as if a large quantity would be discharged; nevertheless each discharge was suddenly arrested, and the inclination passed away entirely for a short time; but on rising the urgency returned, and on returning to the closet a new stream poured forth as before.─Faeces black; scanty.─Constipation for several days, followed by a dry, hard stool.─Itching at anus with discharge of offensive flatus.─Sensation as from pressure of a rough stick forced up rectum, painful on walking.─Haemorrhoids protrude; much heat and itching at anus, and sensation as if a foreign body there.

14. Urinary Organs.─Sudden urging.─Frequent inclination with feeling as if urine could not long be retained.─Involuntary micturition with cough.─Copious colourless urine in afternoon.─Urine less copious, flocculent deposit, oily surface; marked brick-dust sediment.

15. Male Sexual Organs.─Tendency to phimosis.─During evening feeling of soreness and excoriation, with redness of end of prepuce.─Itching of prepuce.─Sexual desire diminished; lost.

17. Respiratory Organs.─Hoarseness < evenings: voice uncertain.─Voice: changes suddenly on two consecutive days at 2 p.m. rose several notes; higher with catarrh nasal.─Aphonia after exposure to cold.─(Reflex aphonia from tubercle of l. apex.).─Tenacious mucus in larynx, constant desire to hawk.─Violent irritation to cough in larynx while eating (at three meals).─(Cough all day, > lying down at night.).─Pain in top of larynx; mostly l. side.─Dry, spasmodic cough, like beginning of whooping-cough; in paroxysms; preceded by tickling in throat-pit, with congestion and slight pains in head, and wrenching pains in r. chest; began a few minutes after lying down at night (11 p.m.); lasted 10 to 15 minutes, after which he slept all right; a less severe paroxysm in bed on waking and throughout day this lasted two weeks, when he began to expectorate adhesive mucus in small quantities, detached with difficulty.─Hacking cough.─Cough < by any irregularity of breathing.─Hoarse, hacking cough 11 p.m. and 2 to 5 a.m.─Cough with pain behind mid-sternum.─Pressure on throat = cough.─Dry, tickling, spasmodic cough, with tenderness in larynx and trachea, rendering cough quite painful.─Teasing periodical cough, < in cool air or by anything which increases the volume or rapidity of inspired air.─Cough < from changing rooms.─Cough originally caused by inhaling extremely cold air during winter, < lying down, esp. 11 p.m.─Cough provoked by change from cold to warm or warm to cold.─Cough < lying l. side; > lying r. > covering up mouth; > wearing respirator.─Sensation of breathlessness as if air did not penetrate chest; or as when falling or passing rapidly through the air.─Frequent feeling as if she could not get another breath.

18. Chest.─Clavicular pain; raw pain just under each clavicle while hawking mucus from throat.─Pain in chest: in both sides; dull aching in anterior part, with headache and belching.─Sharp stitching or stinging through l. lung.─Acute stitch along l. margin of sternum.─Burning stinging: in l. side near heart; in whole l. chest suddenly when taking a deep inspiration while in act of lying down in bed at night.─At 3.30 p.m., while writing, at desk, stitches in substance of l. lung.─Burning, shooting pain in r. chest.─Sharp pain near l. axilla.─Pain in centre of l. lung.─Sternum feels sprained.─Great pressure and sense of depression in upper part of breast.─Very sharp pain in breast running r. to l.─Sharp cutting pain in l. breast at noon lasting an hour.

19. Heart.─Heart feels as if it suddenly stopped beating; followed by a heavy throbbing.─Dull pain in region of heart, with dull pain and heaviness in l. upper arm, esp. elbow.─Dull pain in heart on deep inspirations.─Burning in region of heart.─Severe stinging in region of heart, extending through chest to apex of l. scapula, with frequent desire to take a deep breath, which < the pain (afternoon for two or three hours).─Sharp pain in l. side of heart.─Palpitation: after supper; < going upstairs; violent with throbbing carotids.

20. Neck and Back.─Sensation as if a thread were tightly tied round neck just below ears, with a slight roaring in the ears.─Pain: in back of neck; running down back.─Aching between scapulae.─Stinging burning just below inferior angle of l. scapula; followed and accompanied by stinging, almost itching pain l. chest just below nipple.─Pain under r. scapula.─Pain in l. scapula.─Burning pain in small of back near tip of r. sacro-iliac joint.─Sore pain in l. sacro-iliac joint, lame as from over-lifting; < by sudden motion; followed by pulsation in nates.─Aching and sense of great fatigue in loins.

21. Limbs.─Twitching of r. arm and leg.─Pain in upper and lower limbs of same or opposite side.

22. Upper Limbs.─Pains in shoulder down to elbow, arms feel strained.─Hands cold when coughing.─Bruised aching and stinging pain in arms, hands, elbows, and r. wrist.

23. Lower Limbs.─Stitching in back of r. hip; limping walk.─Legs ache.─Stitch-like pain in knee-joint when standing.─Legs covered with small red pimples.─Feet cold.─Feet sensitive, stinging in corns.─Tender feet.

24. Generalities.─Lassitude and weariness.─Restless in evening.─Pains not fixed or constant anywhere.─Throbbing through whole body.─Unusual sensitiveness to cold or open air.

25. Skin.─Itching in various parts, < on lower limbs.─Eruption covered uniformly several regions of skin, with exception of face; itching more of a pricking than a burning; < by cold, > by warmth.─Contagious prurigo or "army itch.".─Stinging-itching or prickling itching of skin.─Vesicular eruption, itching when uncovered and exposed to cool air.─Periodic itch.─Urticaria; < in open air.

26. Sleep.─Sleep: disturbed; wakeful, restless; short naps and unpleasant fancies, even when awake.─Unpleasant dreams; of danger and trouble; early in the morning; of being naked in the street; of murders; of autopsies.─Wakes early with headache.

27. Fever.─Chilly, < on back; colic, nausea, stitches near middle of chest.─Increased frequency of pulse and afternoon fever.─Sensation of heat, followed by that of cold, without shivering.─Flushes of heat, < on cheeks.─Sweat on waking from a sound sleep.

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

Yellow Dock (Polygonaceae)

For the tubercular diathesis, extremely sensitive skin and mucous membranes. Extremely sensitive to open air; hoarseness; worse evenings; after exposure to cold; voice uncertain. Tickling in throat pit, causing, dry, teasing cough. Dry, incessant, fatiguing cough; worse from changing air or room (Phos., Spong.); evening after lying down; touching or pressing the throat pit; lying on left side (Phos.); from slightest inhalation of cold air; covers head with bedclothes to make air warmer; little or no expectoration. The cough is < in cool air or by anything which increases the volume or rapidity of inspired air. Sensation of lump in throat; descends on swallowing, but returns immediately. Raw sensation in larynx and trachea when coughing (Caust.). Urine; involuntary with cough (Caust., Puls., Sil.). Early morning diarrhoea; from 5 to 10 a. m. (Aloe, Nat. s., Pod., Sulph.); stools painless, profuse, offensive; sudden urging, driving out of bed in morning. Skin: itching of various parts; < by cold, > by warmth; when undressing, uncovering or exposing to cold air (Hep., Nat. s., Olean.).

Relations. - Compare: Bell., Caust., Dros., Hyos., Phos., Sang., Sulph.

Aggravation. - Cool or cold air; lying down (Hyos.).

Amelioration. - Warmth; keeping mouth covered to exclude cold air.

Leaders In Homoeopathic Therapeutics, Eugene Beauharnais Nash

Violent incessant dry cough; worse on inhaling the least cold air; covers the mouth to keep the cold air out, with relief.

Brownish diarrhea, < in morning.

Intense itching of the skin when undressing to go to bed.

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There are three localities in which this remedy acts very markedly, viz.: Respiratory organs, bowels and skin. "Violent, incessant cough, dry and fatiguing, with very little or no expectoration, aggravated by pressure, talking, and especially by inspiring cold air, and at night" (Dunham.) There is perhaps no remedy under which the sensibility of the mucous membranes of the larynx and trachea become more exalted than this one. The patient must cover up the head in bed in order to protect these membranes from contact with the air, which immediately excites cough. Several other remedies, like Phosphorus and Spongia, have cough aggravated by breathing cold air, but none so markedly as Rumex. Going from warm room into cool air and vice versa. Bryonia and Natrum carbonicum have the opposite. The tickling that excites the cough may locate in the throat-pit, supra-sternal fossa, or down behind the sternum to stomach, where is often added a sensation of soreness or rawness. (Caust.). Again we have found it efficacious in cough, with stitching pain through left lung just below left nipple. (Natrum sulph.).

The diarrhoea of Rumex is similar to that of Natrum sulph., Sulphur and Podophyllum, in that it occurs in the morning, but it is a brown diarrhoea and is apt to be accompanied with, or an accompaniment of, the cough. On the skin it cures an eruption which is characterized by intense itching when undressing to go to bed. This eruption may be vesicular, like army or prairie itch, or may look like simple urticaria. Itching on undressing is also found under Natrum sulphuricum and Oleander, but with Natrum this itching is apt to be found in connection with jaundice or malarial symptoms. If we should get intense itching over the body, which was aggravated by warmth, especially warmth of the bed, we would think of Mercurius solubilis or protoiodide.