Homeopathic Materia Medica

Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica, James Tyler Kent

Zinc. has a full and substantial proving, including symptoms of every part of the body. It is an antipsoric, suitable in broken down constitutions, feeble constitutions; enfeeblement characterizes the whole proving.

The Zinc. patient is nervous and extremely sensitive, excitable, trembling, quivering, twitching of muscles, tearing pains along the course of the nerves, tingling, excited on the least provocation; oversensitiveness in one part and lack of feeling in another.

This extreme oversensitiveness is like Nux; which is inimical. The overworked and excitable persons belong to Nux and Zinc. Nux is sensitive to the higher potencies. Further, there is paralytic weakness, emaciation, prostration; full of brain and spinal symptoms.

Slowness: All the functions are slow; eruptions appear slowly.

The whole economy seems to be tired and feeble, so that when a girl approaches puberty and it is time for the menses to be established, but the flow does not appear, she goes into a decline; she begins to manifest choreic symptoms, jerking and twitching, soreness in the back of the neck, burning of the whole spine, creeping and crawling of the extremities, hysterical manifestations of all sorts.

Sensitive to every little noise, to people talking in the room, to crumpling of paper.

"Talking or listening is distressing; much talking of other people, even of those of who he is fond, affects his nerves and makes him morose."

Mind: Feeble children, feeble girls, mind feeble, memory poor.

Tendency to be docile, but when aroused irascible. If the child comes down with scarlatina or measles, it goes into a stupor. The eruption does not come out. There is a tendency to convulsions, drawing in the extremities, suppression of urine, rolling of the head from one side to the other, and from stupor it goes into complete unconsciousness; inability to throw eruptions to the surface.

Slowness again: The stomach is slow in digesting; sour vomiting.

The intestines are sluggish. The rectum becomes impacted. Difficult expulsion of urine; paralysis of the bladder and tedious constipation associated with spinal symptoms; urine slow in starting; can pass it only when sitting and in some cases only when sitting leaning back against the seat with hard pressure.

Back and limbs: Aching in the dorsal, lumbar, and sacral regions; better when walking and worse from rising from a seat. (In Rhus, the aching is in the sacral region, and better when walking and coming on while sitting. Calc., Rhus, Phos., Sulph. and Sepia have this in the highest degree. Zinc. occupies a lower grade in the aggravation when rising from a seat, as do Petr. and Ledum.)

Numbness of the soles of the feet, with cutting pain and soreness in the heel when stepping; fulgurating pains, stitching, stabbing, and tearing; tabes dorsalis.

Limbs paralyzed; paresis and finally paralysis of one or both sides jerking, trembling and prostration. Shocks and jerking during Sleep.

Trophic centers in a state of anaemia; emaciation throughout the body; the skin looks withered; the face pallid, wrinkled, unhealthy, sickly. Always chilly; sensitive to the cold. Full of neuralgic pains; tearing pains in all parts of the body when exposed to a draft; tension and drawing in various places.

Strange drawing about the eyes as if strabismus would come on; drawing in the muscles; neck drawn back; tension and drawing everywhere. When he comes to rest, the limbs want to draw up, hence, hysterical contractures; drawing the fingers all out of shape.

The mind is slow and the patient is weak and tired; weak memory; forgetful.

"Repeats all questions before answering them."

When an individual does this it is to make the mind comprehend. He must first realize what it means and then answers. Such a symptom is found in typhoid, when the patient does not convalesce; in a child after brain affections.

Nervous prostration; waits a moment, looking blank, then, the face lights up and he answers. if you look at the Zincum patient and do not address him, you would not realize that he was so weak, but put a question to him and he stares at you in perfect amazement, then says, "Oh.," and answers.

Zinc. is not suitable in those who are naturally feeble-minded, when the child is in a state bordering upon idiocy. Baryta carb. feeds such a mind. He rouses out of a semi-slumber and stares a moment without answering.

Stupor; aroused by every little noise, startles, twitches all over; but soon he goes beyond this, becoming less and less excitable, and finally passes into unconsciousness and cannot be aroused. You will find some deep-seated brain troubles that will try your patience.

Some cases go slowly and gradually into unconsciousness; rolling of the head for day s; eyes lusterless; body emaciated, involuntary discharges of faeces and urine in the bed; tongue dry and parched, so shriveled that it looks like leather, lips also; lice withered and each day looks older; paralysis of one hand or one foot, or it seems that the whole muscular system is paralyzed.

Screaming out in pain although not so shrilly as in Apis. A dose of Zinc. will sometimes bring this patient back to life. In a few days after the remedy there will be a jerking and quivering in the parts that were motionless, or its action will be shown in a copious sweat, much vomiting; sudden arousing that is alarming, for it looks like a threatened sinking, but this is the beginning of reaction.

Now, for days and nights while this little one is coming back to consciousness, the restoration of sensation in the parts is accompanied with the most tormenting formication, tingling, prickling, creeping, and crawling. The mother and the father and the neighbors will want something done for it, but if you antidote, the case will return to where it was before. This suffering is but the awakening to life.

It will go on in this way for a week or two and then will begin to show signs of falling back; it needs another dose of Zinc., which will again be followed by a sweat, vomiting, etc. You will see this in spinal meningitis. The early stage will be that of congestion, and Bell. may palliate, but with the onset of the symptoms enumerated above, Zinc. is the only remedy that will cure. The Bell. case will have flushed face, hot head, rolling of the head, flashing eyes, throbbing carotids. The Bry. case will be docile, stupid, purple, sleepy; ameliorated by quiet.

The Helleborus case will exhibit but little fever; cold extremities, tossing of the head, dilated pupils, unconsciousness, can hardly be aroused; rolling head from. side to side, but when the reflexes are abolished, Zinc. comes in.

After the relief from Gels., Bell., or Bry. give Zinc. Rugged little fellows who hang on for weeks in this state, emaciating and unconscious.

You must take the mother aside and inform her what will happen if the child returns to consciousness. If you do not, you may be turned out of the house. A person advanced in years cannot stand such an ordeal, but it is astonishing how the little ones can endure the prolonged congestion and inflammation.

After scarlet fever and badly treated meningitis; tubercular meningitis. I have carried these severe forms of brain disease through on Phosphorus, which has a picture somewhat like that of Zincum. There is no record of any recovery from tubercular meningitis, but a homoeopath can cure some of these cases, though it may take two or three months to go down and come up out of it, with two or three relapses.

Eyes: Among the eye symptoms we have a peculiar thickening and opacity of the conjunctiva, which is infiltrated, leathery, has yellow spots on it and the corners are thickened like pterygium. Dunham made a remarkable cure of pterygium. The report of the case in the Guiding Symptoms is as follows:

"Pterygium in right eye just encroaching on cornea; in left eye extending to the pupil from the inner canthus."

"Itching and stinging plain in inner angles of eyes with cloudiness of sight.

Much burning of the eyes and lids in the morning and in the evening with feeling of dryness and pressure in them."

Zinc. has cured distressing thickening of the lids, ectropion and entropion; granular thickening of the lids. In a severe case of entropion where the lashes were playing up and down the ball with lachrymation, great inflammation and redness, Zinc. removed the whole trouble. Violent photophobia; it seems as if the light would blind him. Zinc. and Euphr. are closely related in eye troubles.

Strabismus after brain troubles. Ever since scarlet fever, he had strabismus. She has much trouble with the menses; dysmenorrhoea.

Menses: But here is a striking symptom; no matter what the violent symptoms are pains in the ovaries, in the uterus, hysterical excitement; as soon as the menstrual flow appears there is relief.

Violent pains in the ovaries relieved by the flow. This is a great contrast to Cimicifuga, which has nervous excitement and hysteria during the flow, and the, more copious it is, the more violent are the pains.

The Lach. and Zinc. symptoms are worse before, and better with the flow, but in the former the pains all return when the flow slacks up again. Cimicifuga has at times an intermittent flow, then pain ceasing with each intermission, returning when the flow again appears.

The great nervousness of Zinc. is manifested in the feet. You will notice a child or a woman keeping one foot going all the time, cannot keep it still. Many medicines have nervous feet and many have relief of symptoms by motion of the feet. But this is marked in Zinc. A girl about twelve years of age had no congruity of symptoms and I could not find the remedy.

The mother said the child mortified her by keeping one foot constantly going in church. On asking why she did this, she replied that if she stopped she would lose her urine. Zinc. cured the whole patient. In the text we find double-lined the two words:

"Fidgety feet."

Zinc. has some striking heart symptoms. Constriction of the whole chest in weakly subjects.

A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, John Henry Clarke

Zincum metallicum. Zinc. An Element. Zn. A. W. 64.9. Trituration of the metal.

Clinical.─Alcoholism. Amblyopia. Asthma. Brain-fag. Brain, paralysis of. Breasts, affections of. Cataract. Chilblains. Chin, eruption on. Chlorosis. Cholera. Chorea. Constipation. Cracks. Dentition. Diarrhoea, nervous; with stupor. Diphtheria. Dysentery. Dysuria. Earache. Eczema. Enuresis. Eruptions; suppressed. Eyes, affections of; granular lids. Fag. Foot-sweat; suppressed. Gastralgia. Headache; nervous; chlorotic. Heels, pains in. Hernia, inguinal. Hiccough. Hydrocephalus. Hyperpyrexia, nervous. Hypochondriasis. Hysteria. Inframammary pain. Joints, creaking in. Ups, affections of. Lochia; suppressed. Malar bones, neuralgia in. Masturbation. Memory, weak. Meningitis. Mental weakness. Milk, defective; suppressed. Neuralgia; intercostal; subcostal. Neurasthenia. Nipples, sore. Nose, redness of. Nymphomania. Oesophagus, spasm of. Otorrhoea. Photopsia. Prostatorrhoea. Ptosis. Reaction, defective. Rheumatism. Screaming. Sleepiness. Somnambulism. Spermatorrhoea. Spinal irritation. Spine, affections of. Spleen, neuralgia of. Strabismus. Suppressions. Tarsal tumours. Throat, sore. Tibia, burning in. Typhoid fever. Ulcers. Urine, hysterical retention of. Varicosis; during pregnancy; of external genitals. Whooping-cough. Worms.

Characteristics.─Zincum belongs to the Magnesium group of metals, comprising also Cadmium and Glucinum. It has long been known in the arts, especially in its combination with Cuprum in the manufacture of Brass. Zn. was proved by Hahnemann and his associates, and it appears among the remedies of his Chronic Diseases. Zn. poisons the brain and nerve, and it corresponds to nerve-poisoning of various kinds. The word "fag" covers a large part of Zn. action; it may be nerve- or brain-fag; or it may be muscle-fag. Fag means that tissues are worn out faster than they can be repaired. This leaves them poisoned by waste products. Zn. meets the effects of brain-fag from over-study; from night-watching; fatigue. But there is another kind of nerve-poisoning met by Zn.: the poisoning of suppressed eruptions or discharges. The common old-school use of Zinc ointment to suppress eruptions, and Zinc injections to suppress discharges, is based on fact: Zn. does suppress them, and it transfers the morbid action to the nervous system, setting up a poisoning there; and, conversely, in homoeopathic attenuations Zn. can reverse the process. It can restore suppressed eruptions, can cure the consequences of suppressions, and can set free the reactive power in conditions of undeveloped disease. Some of the keynotes of Zn. will be present to give the clue. The most important of these is: "Incessant and violent fidgety feeling in feet or lower limbs; must move them constantly; cannot keep them quiet." These movements may continue even during sleep. Another is: "Too weak to develop exanthemata or menstrual function, to expectorate, to urinate; to understand, to remember." Corresponding to these is: "Relief to all suffering as soon as menses begin to flow," or as soon as other excretory functions are restored. In asthma" the patient cannot expectorate, but as soon as he can he is relieved" (Nash). General twitchings and general trembling are, according to Nash, equally characteristic of Zn. He records this case: Miss X., 20, had been ill for a week with headache, loss of appetite, and especially prostration. Over-study was the cause. Under Gels., and later Bry., she was improving, when she threw off the bedclothes whilst sleeping and perspiring, and took a chill. [Zn. has "cannot bear any covering during the sweat."─J. H. C.] The bowels became enormously distended; profuse haemorrhage occurred (finally controlled by Alumen), a low form of delirium came on, and prostration increased in spite of the cessation of haemorrhage. This was the condition: Staring eyes rolled upward, head retracted; complete unconsciousness, lying on back and sliding down in bed; twitching, "or rather intense, violent trembling all over so that she shook the bed," her hands had to be held constantly night and day by nurses; hippocratic face, extremities deathly cold to knees and elbows; pulse intermittent, uncountable; all signs, in short, of impending paralysis of the brain." Two drops of Zn. 200 were mixed in two teaspoonfuls of water. One teaspoonful was worked, a little at a time, between the set teeth; and the rest half an hour later. About an hour after the latter dose the patient turned down her eyes and said "Milk." Through a bent tube she swallowed half a glass of milk, the first nourishment she had taken for twenty-four hours. From that time she improved steadily, and received no more medicine for four days. Afterwards she had a dose of Nux. Recovery was perfect. A. W. Holcombe (Hahn. Ad., xxxviii. 27) reports this case: Man, 40, had gonorrhoea suppressed by local treatment three months previously. A week before Holcombe saw him first he was unable to pass water, and had to resort to the catheter. Since then could pass urine, but passed almost pure blood with it. Could only urinate when sitting down with knees spread apart. Great soreness of perinaeum; on sitting down had to sit sideways on chair. Zn. cm one dose. Five days later perinaeal soreness gone, could urinate freely in any position, and had a profuse whitish discharge from the urethra. Suppression of foot-sweat; of lochia; of milk, are all caused and cured by Zn. Weyner (H. R., x. 152) relates the poisoning of cows pasturing near a cadmium mine, near which Zinc-smelting was carried on. These were some of the effects: General emaciation, skin clinging tightly to the body; eyes pale bluish, drawn back into the orbits; horns and ears unequally warm, mouth hot and shiny and hanging down, at times dry; appetite undisturbed; rumination slower; dung grass-green, thin-flowing and fetid; at times cough. As the disease progressed emaciation increased, the horns became rough, milk dried up, and diarrhoea increased till the animals could no longer rise, and died of total prostration. Zn. meets these suppression-effects: paralysis and vertigo from brain softening following suppressed foot-sweat; chorea from eruptions suppressed by gout; puerperal convulsions from suppressed eruption; nymphomania from suppressed lochia. Zn. has a strong action on the generative sphere, it excites both sexes and causes seminal losses and prostatorrhoea of the male, and nymphomania and masturbation in the female. This may be associated with varicosis or pruritus of the external genitals. A notable symptom of Zn., and one which may indicate it in children and in delirious cases, as well as in affections of the genitals themselves, is that the patient is continually pressing on the pubes or applying the hand to the genitals. With the emission there is backache, which is temporarily > by the emission; and with the female sexual disorders there is also backache and spinal irritation. Dull aching in spine, < when sitting. Burning pains all along the spine. The burning pains of Zn. appear in many parts. Pricking, pressive, cramp-like pains, tension and constriction are also present. Neuralgia in malar bones with pressive pains. Pressure at root of nose as if it would be pressed in. The constriction is especially felt in the chest, and is connected both with respiration and the heart. "Sudden, spasmodic, bursting sensation about heart; it appears to be beating regularly, when it suddenly seems as if it would burst through the chest." Zn. affects the blood-vessels and corresponds to varicosis: varices of the labia; of the thighs, running into the labia; of the legs, with fidgety feet. Numbness, tingling, formication, and fainting spells are other nervous effects of Zn. It has an insatiable craving hunger and goneness, notably at 11 a.m.; thirst quite as great; and "hasty eating" and "hasty drinking" are among the keynote symptoms. Another of the first importance is intolerance of wine: wine aggravates all symptoms. This is noteworthy in states of nervous exhaustion, which usually crave stimulants. There is the aversion to wine. Other characteristic aversions are: Meat (especially veal); sweets; cooked or warm food. Eating as well as wine-drinking < the pain. There is a tearing headache, most in side of head, < from wine, < after dinner. In meningitis there are sharp, lancinating pains in the head, < from the least stimulant. Pain may account for the anxious scream which accompanies the convulsions of Zn. The child springs up in bed, gnashing teeth, eyes rolled up. A characteristic of brain affections of children is "crossness in the evening." On waking there is delirium as if frightened, knows no one. "Child repeats everything said to it" is another leading symptom. "Grits teeth" occurs in these conditions, and will often give Zn. a place in worm cases. Among the symptoms indicating lack of power is "teeth fail to develop." The "fidgety feet" of Zn. are not the only automatic movements of the remedy, though the most characteristic. There are automatic movements of mouth, arms, and hands, and general restlessness. Among other features of Zn. is blueness of surface. Related to this is the tendency to chilblains, which are swollen and painful, and easily made worse by rubbing. There is sensitiveness to frost-bite; the tip of the nose is easily frost-bitten, and the nose remains red long after it has been frost-bitten. The hands and feet are affected with inflammation, painful eruptions, cracks. There is also a "frost-bitten feeling" in the toes. All these point to a lowered state of vitality. Peculiar Sensations are: As if she had a large goitre which she could not see over. As if hair bristled. Uneasy, as if he had committed a crime. As if he would have apoplexy. As if scalp were drawn together. Pains as if between the skin and the flesh. As if head were moving up and down, with a similar floating of images of his fancy. As if he saw through a mist. As if he would fall over to other side. As if head were swaying back and forth. Nauseating weakness as after smoking too strong tobacco. As if eyes were drawn together by a cord. Stupefying headache as from coal gas. As if root of nose would be pressed into head. As if head would be drawn backward. As if air forced itself into frontal sinuses. As if head would burst. As if strained in occiput. As if scalp wrinkled up and kept tightening. As if insects were crawling from occiput to forehead. Feeling in eyes as if she had wept much. As if sand in eyes. As if upper lids paralysed. As if teeth would be pulled out with neuralgia. As if teeth long and loose. As if a web drawn across throat. As if a hard body were opposing pressure from pharynx into abdomen. As if food remained sticking in pharynx after dinner. As if stomach compressed or empty. As of a heavy weight in hypochondria. As if abdominal walls were retracted against spine. As if flatus pressing against coccyx. As from worms crawling in anus. As if testicles tightly compressed and drawn up. As if pudenda swollen. Cough with stitches in chest and feeling as if chest would burst. Chest: as if hollow and cold; constricted; cut to pieces. As if a foreign substance rising up throat. Emptiness behind sternum. As if a cap on heart. Pain in cervical muscles as if head had been in uncomfortable position. As if cold water were poured down her back. As if muscles of wrist too short. As if kidney would be twisted off. Wrist and foot as if sprained. As if soles swollen. As if tendons of right sole too short. As if ball of great toe frozen.─The headache and eye symptoms of Zn. are well marked, and "Headache with sympathetic amblyopia" may be regarded as a keynote: Kafka (H. R., x. 153) relates the case of a "pale yet vigorous lady of forty" who for two years had had a headache recurring periodically every ten to fourteen days without warning. Simultaneously with the headache was a weakness of vision, she seemed looking through a fog, and could not distinguish even large objects. The pain, which lasted two or three days, now increasing, now diminishing, was a pressure on vertex and forehead from without inward. Face pale, appetite deficient, head muddled, mood cross and peevish. In forenoon the pain was bearable, in afternoon <, and still < evening, when reflex nausea, and even vomiting, occurred. The amblyopia went pari passu with the severity of the pain, and disappeared as the pain left off. Pupils rather contracted, eyes otherwise normal. Zn. 3 was given morning and evening. The pains diminished immediately and were gone in twenty-four hours. The remedy was taken in the evening daily for a week. There was no relapse. F. W. Payne (N. A. J. H., xiv. 131, quoting A. M.) reports this case of cataract: Right eye partially affected, and left practically useless for vision, with bruised, sore, smarting, burning, itching, and stinging sensation; at intervals, suddenly, sensation as if pepper had been thrown into it, causing scalding lachrymation and spasm of the lids. These spells were < in evening. Burning dryness as if a stick under lid scratching eyeball. Flickering before left eye; blue and green rings; green halo round gas-jet at times. Slight irritation of conjunctiva and tendency of lids to adhere. < By warmth, on warm days, by artificial light. Patient nervous, tremulous, impatient, < by mental emotion. Choreic jerkings of individual muscles. Zn. 200, given occasionally, steadily improved the case. In six months right eye was quite clear, and the left steadily gaining. Eleven years later vision was practically perfect, though some small streaks could still be found in the left lens. Gerstel (H. R., x. 97) calls attention to the action of Zn. in fevers with inflammation of the brain. In these cases the seat of inflammation was the meninges. He refers to a case of a child suffering from scarlatina who was in this condition: Entirely motionless; extremities icy cold, body cold, skin all over body bluish red, except the parts about the eyes, forehead and chin, which were white. Zn. was given, and the child gradually recovered. In a case of typhoid (16th day) in a man, in whom mental symptoms had set in: "Muddled feeling in the head, an incapacity to relate anything connectedly, and a sort of half-smiling loquacity;" and later: Staring look, almost hippocratic appearance, pale as wax; carphologia, subsultus tendinum, constant trembling of the hands─Zn. 2 saved the patient.─The symptoms of Zn. are: < By touch. Pressure <; (> conjunctivitis; toothache; left ovarian pain). Rubbing and scratching >. Jarring, riding <. Rest <. Sitting <. Lying <; (> vertigo). < By motion, active or passive: "Child screams out whenever it is moved." Walking; lifting; exertion <. Looking up = vision of falling luminous objects, and dizziness. < Evening and night. 11 a.m. to 12 sinking <. Rheumatism < from over-heating. Wails and moans during sweat. < By chill when heated. Warm room <. Warm water > conjunctivitis. Open air <; (> headache and drowsiness). Very sensitive to draught. < By cold touch (i.e., when patient touches anything cold). Sea bathing = herpes in mouth. Approach of storm = chills. > While eating; < after. Eating <. Drinking < (as soon as liquid reaches stomach he vomits). < From: Sugar; wine; milk. Emissions > (temporarily). Sensitive to others talking and to noise.

Relations.─Antidoted by: Hep., Ign., Camph. (Lobel., Teste). Antidote to: Baryt. c. Incompatible: Wine, Cham., Nux. Followed well by: Sep., Sul. (best─H. N. G.); Puls., Ign. Follows well: Ap., Bell. Complementary: In hydrocephalus, Calc. p. Compare: Erratic temperature in fevers, Puls. Colics, Pul., Lyc. Abdominal symptoms, Plb., Pod. Tremors, Arg. n. Spinal pains, Cob., Sep. Asthma accompanying great constriction of chest, Cad. s., K. chl., Cact. Boring fingers in nose, Cin., Ver., Ar. t. Scarlatina, Bell. (Zn. follows well when rash fails to come out and child screams whenever moved). Hydrocephalus, Calc. ph. Pain in back < sitting than walking, Sep., Cob., Arg. n. (Arg. n. has pain when rising). Goneness 11 a.m., Sul., Nat. c., Pho., Indm. Paralysis and brain softening, Pho., Pb. Spermatorrhoea, testes drawn up, Con. (Con. lacks the excessive irritability of Zn., and Zn. has temporary > from the emissions). Fag, nervous exhaustion, Pic. ac. Neuralgia, nervous exhaustion, Mg. c. Spinal irritation, Act. r. (Zn. has < sitting and < from wine). Sinking sensation, inability to throw out eruption, Hell. Crying out in sleep, wakes terrified; puts hands to genitals, Stram. Suppressed or undeveloped eruption, Bry. Fidgety feet, Trn. Boring in left ovary ceasing with flow, Lach. Fear of ghosts, Aco., Ars., Bro., Carb. v., Cocc., Lyc., Pho., Pul., Ran. b., Sep., Sul. Pain in right chest, Phell. Pain in throat > when not swallowing, Ign. Too weak to develop exanthemata, Cup., Sul., Bac. Convulsions with pale face, no heat except in occiput, no rise of temperature (Bell. opp.). Automatic movements of hands and head or one hand and head, Apoc., Bry., Hell. Cannot bear back touched, Chi. s., Trn., Ther. Twitching or jerking of single muscles, Agar., Ign. Incipient brain disease from suppressed eruptions, Bac., Hell. Unconquerable sleepiness, Nux m., Op. Diarrhoea with stupor, Op. < From sea-bathing, Ars. Too speedy ejaculation in coitus, Titan. Burning in spine, Pho., Lyc. Headache at root of nose, Ign. Affections of palate, Mang.

Causation.─Grief. Anger. Fright. Night-watching. Operations. Frost-bite. Suppressions: eruptions; otorrhoea; menses; lochia; milk.

SYMPTOMS.

1. Mind.─Hypochondriacal humour.─Thoughts of death, as if the end were approaching.─Fear of robbers or of frightful spectres.─Stares as if frightened on waking, rolls head from side to side.─Fretful, peevish humour, morose, with dislike to conversation, esp. in evening.─Child cross towards evening, brain affected.─The patient is powerfully affected by conversation or by noise.─Irascibility and impatience.─Tendency to fits of passion, and great uneasiness when left alone.─Aversion to labour (and to walk).─Fickleness (very variable mood), with sadness towards noon and joy (hilarity) in evening, and vice versa.─Weakness of memory.─Forgetfulness (forgets what has been accomplished during the day).─Weak memory with stinging pains in head.─Unconquerable drowsiness after prolonged night-watching.─Absence of ideas.─Difficult conception.─Incoherent ideas.─Thoughtlessness and dulness of intellect.─Repeats all questions before answering them.

2. Head.─Continued confusion and cloudiness in head.─Vertigo deeply seated in brain, principally in occiput (cerebellum), causing patient to fall sidelong (to l.).─Vertigo: as if he would have apoplexy; as if head moving up and down; as if he would fall to r. when on a height; with flushing heat; on staying up late, as after smoking too strong tobacco.─Vertigo, as if the seat were undulating when sitting up in bed in morning.─Vertigo and delirious feeling: kept continually talking in his sleep (agg. from 3x trit.─R. T. C.).─Stupefying vertigo, with clouded sight (everything gets black before the eyes; < in morning in warm room and after eating; > in open air); and general weakness.─Frequent attacks of vertigo, preceded by sharp pressure at root of nose, and a sensation of drawing together of eyes, as if by a cord, followed immediately by excessive nausea, faintness, and trembling of hands.─Pain as from a tearing in whole brain.─Headache at night, or in evening after lying down.─Headache after drinking (even small quantities of) wine.─Fit of headache, with nausea and vomiting.─Sharp pressure on a small spot in forehead, evening.─Pressure at root of nose as if it would be pressed into head.─Pressive cephalalgia, principally in morning and in forehead, with confusion; or else in temples and occiput.─Pain in sinciput, with dulness, extending into the eyes.─Compressive boring, or expansive pressure in head.─Drawing in occiput and forehead.─Shootings and tearing in the head, esp. in the sides, temples, forehead, and occiput, < after dinner.─Hemicrania; < after dinner; tearing and stinging.─Frequent screwing together pain in both sides of head in evening.─Chlorotic headaches, esp. in patients saturated with iron.─Cerebral and nervous exhaustion; brain-fag; anaemia.─Pain as from excoriation in head.─Pulsative pains in head.─Buzzing in head.─The headaches are > in open air and < in a room.─Itching and sensation of excoriation in the scalp, or pain as from ulceration.─Sensitiveness of vertex, as from soreness or ulceration, without regard to touch; < in evening in bed and after eating; > in open air.─Forehead cool, base of brain hot.─Sensation as if hair were standing on end.─The hair falls off from the vertex causing complete baldness, with sensation of soreness of the scalp.─Hydrocephalus.

3. Eyes.─Pain in the eyes in evening after lying down or drinking wine.─Pressure on eyes or sensation as if pressed or sunk into head.─Pressive and lancinating tearing in eyes.─Photophobia; dread of sunlight with watery eyes.─Sensitive to light; brain affected.─Burning and biting in eyes, esp. in r., as from dust; photophobia and lachrymation; < evenings.─Itching, smarting, and feeling of excoriation in eyes, eyelids, and internal canthi; < evening and night; also during menses.─(Pterygium.).─Burning and inflammation of eyes and lids.─Redness and inflammation of internal canthi, with suppuration.─Dryness of eyes.─Agglutination of lids at night, with pressing, sore feeling.─Intense burning in eyes after operations.─Falling down and paralysis of upper eyelids.─Pupils contracted.─Luminous flakes before eyes when looking into the air (at the sky).─On looking up felt giddy and saw showers of gold descending (cured with hysterical retention of urine.─B. Simmons).─When looking up, a dark, diagonal line before l. eye, directed upwards and to the r., about six feet in length.─Diplopia, l. eye most affected; strabismus developed.─Amaurosis: during severe headache, passing away with headache.

4. Ears.─Earache, with tearing lancinations and external swelling, esp. in children.─Frequent, acute stitches in r. ear, near tympanum.─Earache of children, esp. boys.─Increased ear-wax, l. ear, thinner than usual.─Tickling in l. ear not > by rubbing.─Itching in r. ear, > by boring into it.─Flow of fetid pus from ears.─Noises: humming; whizzing; ringing; crash as from breaking glass on falling asleep.

5. Nose.─Pain as from excoriation in interior of nose.─Troublesome pressure at the root of nose, as if it were squeezed.─Cutting, crawling in evening, then sneezing.─Swelling of nose, internally and externally, sometimes semilateral, with anosmia.─Obstruction of nose.─Fluent coryza, with hoarseness and burning sensation in chest.─Redness of nose, remaining after freezing; tip of nose easily frosted.

6. Face.─Pale and earthy countenance.─Pale; alternating with redness.─Face: cadaverous; pinched; unnatural; earthy, as after long illness; cachectic, bluish-white; waxy, white or yellow; pewter-like.─Gloomy and wandering look; vacant; apathetic.─Tearing, pressing, stitches, and pain as of a fracture in the bones of the face.─Sudden pressing stitch from r. zygoma to upper margin of orbit, deep in bone, followed by great sensitiveness on the spot; evening.─Neuralgia of fifth pair of nerves, < from touch and in evening.─Spasmodic twitching of musculi risores, with constant inclination to laugh.─Cracks in lips and commissures, with internal ulceration.─Lips: swollen; dry.─Upper lip: violent muscular twitches in l. side; sore; ulcerating in middle; jerking tearing in r. side; fine stitches.─Lower lip: tensive, painful smarting: burning smarting on inner surface.─Sticking pain in jaw-joint, beneath and in front of l. ear, on moving jaw back and biting strongly, and on pressing finger on joint.─Thick, viscid, tasteless mucus on lips.─Itching eruption and redness on chin.

7. Teeth.─Toothache during mastication.─Tearing, lancinating, or drawing toothache, esp. in molars.─Pain in teeth, as from excoriation.─Frequent toothache, a drawing pain in roots of incisors.─Painful jerking in a tooth.─Looseness of teeth.─Teeth: feel sore; feel elongated.─Grits teeth.─Copious bleeding of teeth and gums (on slightest touch).─Gums white and swollen, with pain as from excoriation.─Ulcers in gums.

8. Mouth.─Small yellow ulcers in mouth, on internal surface of cheeks.─Tingling (crawling) of internal surface of cheeks, and copious secretion of saliva, having a metallic taste.─Sticking, biting on palate, close to and in the roots of incisors.─Vesicles on tongue.─Tongue: dry, doesn't want to talk; coated at root and edges (brain diseases); swollen l. side, hindering talking; covered with vesicles; white or yellowish white; white as from cheese, without taste; covered with white mucus; blistered, painful on eating.─Inflammation of palate.─Pain in palate and velum palati, esp. on yawning.─Herpes in mouth from sea-bathing.

9. Throat.─Drawing tearings in bottom of gullet, more frequently when not swallowing than during deglutition (or worse between acts of swallowing than on empty swallowing).─Sensation of contraction and cramp in oesophagus, near pit of throat.─Dryness and roughness in palate and throat, with rawness, smarting, and scraping.─Pain as from excoriation in throat.─Copious accumulation of mucus in the throat, which frequently enters the mouth through the posterior nares.─Bluish herpes in throat after suppressed gonorrhoea.─Pain in throat as from an internal swelling.

10. Appetite.─Taste of blood in mouth.─Salt taste in mouth.─Taste: sweetish; metallic; like spoiled cheese; as after raw peas.─Violent thirst: from forenoon till evening; with heat in palms; in afternoon; in afternoon during menses; with hasty drinking; for beer in evening.─Diminution of appetite; loss of appetite.─Insatiable voracity.─Hunger: ravenous, esp. 11 a.m. or 12 noon, with weakness of legs and trembling; greediness and hasty swallowing.─Loss of appetite, with a perfectly clean tongue.─Dislike to meal (veal), sweet things, fish, cooked and hot food; to wine and brandy.─Pressure at stomach, with nausea, after eating bread.─Hypochondriacal humour, with aching under false ribs; choking, clawing in abdomen, and fulness, pressure, or burning in the stomach after a meal.─< From sugar (heartburn); wine; milk (loud eructations).

11. Stomach.─Rising, with pressive pain in chest.─Sour risings after a meal, esp. after drinking milk.─Pyrosis after taking things sweetened with sugar.─Hiccough, esp. after breakfast.─Nausea, with retching and vomiting of bitter mucus, renewed by slightest movement.─Nausea and headache from least drop of wine.─Vomiting: as soon as, first spoonful of liquid reaches stomach; of pregnancy; easy, of watery bile, followed by great relief; acrid, causing burning on face and rawness in throat; almost continuous.─Vomiting of blood.─Stomachache.─Unpleasant sensation in cardia and along oesophagus.─Squeezing and pressure in scrobiculus.─Tearing and shootings in scrobiculus; from both sides towards each other.─Burning in stomach.─Burning sensation in epigastrium (extending to oesophagus).─Sudden oppression of stomach, has to unfasten dress.─Spasm in stomach and constriction of oesophagus; < during inspiration.

12. Abdomen.─Spasmodic pains in the hypochondria, alternating with oppression of chest (dyspnoea) after eating.─Sticking in r. hypochondrium.─Enlarged liver.─Violent pressure in hypochondria and sides of abdomen, < by movement and walking.─Squeezing, pressure, and shootings in the hepatic region.─Shootings in region of spleen.─Pressure, shootings, and pain as from excoriation in lumbar region.─Sticking in diaphragm.─Pains in abdomen in evening after lying down.─Violent pressure and tension in abdomen (and sides), with distension.─Pain after a light meal, with tympanites.─Pressure under short ribs, after eating, with depression of spirits.─Pain as from an internal induration in a spot beneath navel.─Sensation of pressure on internal surface of trunk, of a nervous character, without flatulency.─Spasmodic pain in umbilical region.─Squeezing in abdomen.─Gripings and pinchings in abdomen, with diarrhoea.─Griping after breakfast or cutting after dinner.─Tearings and shootings in abdomen.─Severe stabbing pains in abdomen.─Accumulation of much flatulence, with grumbling (loud rumbling, gurgling rolling) and borborygmi in abdomen, esp. after a meal.─Flatulent colic, esp. in evening.─Frequent expulsion of hot and putrid flatus.─Inguinal hernia.─Pressive aching in pubic region.─(Erotomania; patient always pressing on pubes.).─Cutting upward in l. iliac region, in paroxysms; in a pregnant woman.─Swelling of inguinal glands; buboes (l.).

13. Stool and Anus.─Constipation.─Hard, dry (crumbling), insufficient faeces, often evacuated with violent straining.─Constipation of the newborn.─Loose, soft evacuations of consistence of pap, or liquid, and often accompanied by a discharge of bright red (or pale) blood.─Diarrhoea with stupor.─Nervous diarrhoea from depression of nerve centres.─Involuntary evacuation.─Pain in abdomen during and after evacuation.─Tearings, shootings, burning, feeling as of excoriation, and violent itching in anus.─Burning in anus during stool.─Feeling in rectum as if flatus pressing against coccyx, by which it is retained.─Crawling tingling in anus, as from worms.

14. Urinary Organs.─Pressing, stinging, and soreness in the kidneys.─Pressure in region of l. kidney.─Stones (gravel) of kidneys and bladder.─Retention of urine when beginning to urinate.─Sitting with legs crossed, bending forward, and cannot pass water, or but very little, and feels as if his bladder would burst.─Can only pass urine (which she must do every hour) while sitting bent backwards.─Hysterical retention of urine (with vision of a golden shower on looking up.─B. Simmons).─Excessive desire to urinate, also at night.─Violent pressure of urine on the bladder.─Painful emission of urine.─Involuntary emission of urine, esp. when walking, coughing, or sneezing.─Frequent emission of a clear yellow urine, which afterwards deposits a white, flocky sediment.─The urine becomes turbid, like clay-water, after standing.─Sanguineous urine.─Burning sensation during and after emission of urine.─Acute drawing in forepart of urethra and in penis.─Incisive pains in orifice of urethra.─Discharge of blood from urethra after painful micturition.

15. Male Sexual Organs.─Testes retracted, swollen, painful.─Drawing in testes and along spermatic cord (one or the other testicle is drawn up).─Pain as from excoriation in scrotum.─Contraction of scrotum and shuddering in that part.─Orchitis; from suppressed otorrhoea.─Strong sexual desire, with difficult or too speedy emission.─Permanent erections at night.─Emissions at night, without lascivious dreams.─Easily excited; the emission during an embrace is difficult or almost impossible.─Flow of prostatic fluid (without any cause).─Great falling off of hair of genital organs.─Hands constantly on the genitals.─The child grasps the genitals when coughing.

16. Female Sexual Organs.─Sensation of bearing down towards the genital organs.─Complaints coming on while the menses are absent, but feels perfectly well during the flow: suffers much pain, particularly in ovaries, will lie so as to press on the affected side, and dangling the limb will swing it about, patient can't keep still.─Menses flow more at night.─Nymphomania of lying-in women, with great sensitiveness of the genitals.─Hands constantly on the genitals.─Irresistible sexual desire at night; desire for onanism.─Menses too early.─Discharge of large clots during the menses.─Menstruation too late.─Catamenia premature; suppressed.─Suppressed menstruation with painfulness of the breasts and genitals.─Catamenia retarded.─Spasmodic colic on appearance of catamenia.─During the catamenia: distension of the abdomen, cuttings, and pressure towards abdomen and loins, with great heaviness and lassitude in legs; cough.─Leucorrhoea of thick mucus (bloody mucus; excoriating after menses), sometimes preceded by pains in abdomen.─Leucorrhoea with much itching; pain in l. ovary, only > by menstrual flow.─Pruritus vulvae; causes masturbation.─Itching of vulva during menses.─Varicose veins of external genitals, with fidgety feet.─Profuse falling off of hair of genitals.─Varices during pregnancy; stagnation of blood in l. leg.─Tendency to miscarry.─Puerperal convulsions with suppression of (chronic) eruption.─Suppressed lochia; nymphomania.─Pain as from excoriation in nipples.─Suppressed secretion of milk.

17. Respiratory Organs.─Roughness and dryness in throat and chest, esp. in morning and after dinner.─Hoarseness; with burning in trachea as if chest filled with mucus.─Frequent tickling in region of larynx.─Discharge of black blood when hawking.─Cough, with oppression.─Violent cough.─Cough, with stitches in the head.─Dry cough also at night, with violent stitches in chest and feeling as if it would burst.─Cough, with expectoration of viscid mucus, followed by a sensation of coldness and excoriation in chest as if it were raw.─Cough, with expectoration of blood, burning sensation, and pain as from excoriation of chest.─Debilitating, spasmodic cough from tickling in larynx, extending to middle of chest, with expectoration of yellow, purulent, blood-streaked, tenacious mucus, tasting disagreeably, sweetish-putrid, metallic; or of pure blood in morning or during day.─The cough is < after eating, during rest, sitting, standing, from milk, sweets, spirituous liquors, during menstruation.─Child grasps genitals when coughing.

18. Chest.─Difficult respiration and oppression, with pressive pain in the chest, esp. in evening.─Constrictive sensation around the chest, with pain in the chest, as if cut to pieces.─Dull stitches in r. side of chest.─Stitches in a spot in l. side of chest, with feeling as if corroded and bruised.─Tightness in evening, with pressure in middle of sternum; small, rapid pulse.─Spasmodic dyspnoea.─Shortness of breath, caused by flatulence after a meal.─Sensation of emptiness in the chest.─Chest loaded with mucus.─Pressure at chest.─Tensive pain in sternum.─L. intercostal neuralgia < by motion; fatigue; at times with palpitation.─Sticking beneath l. breast.─Tearings in chest.─Shootings in chest, esp. in region of heart.─Burning sensation in chest.─Pain beneath costal arches.

19. Heart.─Palpitation of heart, with or without anguish.─Irregular movements of heart.─Shocks in heart and intermittent palpitation, with suffocation.─Tension and stitches in the praecordial region, < by violent expiration.─Stitches at apex.─Sudden, spasmodic, bursting sensation about heart.─Feels as if a cap were over heart; spine affected.─Violent pulsations in blood-vessels during heat.─Rapid pulse.

20. Neck and Back.─Lancinating tearings, stiffness, and tension in nape.─Tearing in r. side of neck.─Nape of neck feels weary from writing or any exertion.─Spinal irritation with prostration; numbness of lower limbs.─Pains in loins, esp. when walking and seated.─Sensation of paralytic weakness in back and loins.─Rheumatic pains in back.─Itching tetters on back.─Tension and shootings in and between shoulder-blades.─Burning in scapulae.─Pressive tension beneath the r. scapula.─Burning pressure upon spine above small of back.─Burning along whole spine, < when sitting.─Pains at last dorsal vertebra.─Violent, long-lasting ache about last lumbar vertebrae.─Stiffness and pain in upper dorsal muscles.─Pushing, aching, at times pinching pains in coccyx; lancinating in sacrum; pressive tension and weakness in lumbar and sacral regions.

21. Limbs.─Tearing in limbs, < when over-heated or when taking exercise.─Drawing tearing in hollow bones, with pain so violent that the limbs can give no support.─Stiffness of joints, with sharp, lancinating pains above joints, always transverse, not lengthwise of the limb.─Coldness of extremities.─Drawing, tearing pains in all limbs.─Violent itching in all joints.─Spasmodic pain and cramp in the limbs.─Visible quivering and jerking in different parts of the muscles.─Tingling in the limbs.

22. Upper Limbs.─Rheumatic drawing and lancinating tearing in shoulders, arms, elbows, joints of hands and fingers.─Painful sensation of paralysis in arms.─Furunculi in arms.─Burning in l. forearm at night.─Paleness and paralysis of hands.─Weakness and trembling of the hands when writing.─Spasmodic tension in r. hand.─Lameness and deadness of hands; they look bluish.─Herpetic, rough, and itching spots on hands.─Dry skin, with rhagades on hands.─Dry herpes on the hands and fingers; they are rough and itch.─Chilblains itch and swell.─Cracks between the fingers.─Numbness of fingers when rising in morning.

23. Lower Limbs.─Rheumatic drawings and tearings in legs, knees, ankles and joints of the feet.─Varices in thighs and legs.─Legs oedematous.─Itching of thighs and hollow of knees.─Tensive pain in knees.─Nocturnal pains in knees.─Sensation as if the blood did not circulate in the legs.─Drawing and tensive stiffness in calves when walking.─Tingling in calves.─Burning pain in tibia.─Erysipelatous inflammation and swelling of tendo Achillis.─Intolerable boring pain in heel after drinking wine.─Stiffness of joint of the foot after being seated for some time.─Wrenching pain in joints of feet and toes.─Burning sensation in feet.─Inflammatory swelling of feet.─Weakness and trembling of feet.─Paralysis of feet: from spinal or chronic nervous disease, softening of brain or cerebral haemorrhage; from suppressed foot-sweat.─Feet sweaty and sore about toes; fetid suppressed foot-sweat with much nervous excitement.─Coldness of the feet at night.─Nervous, fidgety movement of the feet; after retiring and during sleep.─Tearing in margin of r. foot.─Painful chilblains on feet.─Itching, heat, redness, and swelling of toes as if they were frozen.─Pulsative lancinations in toes.─Sprained pain in bends of toe-joints.─Ulcerative, boring pains in heels; < when walking than when sitting.─Profuse sweat on the feet.

24. Generalities.─[Affections in general appearing in the l. inguinal ring; l. side of back; upper jaw, and troubles of the teeth in lower jaw; loins; posterior surface of thigh; tendo Achillis; big toe; joints of toes.─Patient can't keep still, must be in motion all the time.─Chilblains of the hand, much swollen, very painful.─In fevers or nervous complaints one keeps the feet in continual motion.─Variable mood; clay-like sediment in the urine; biting, pungent pain; lancinating pains; exanthema of long standing, esp. with a biting sensation.─< In the evening, sometimes lasting all night; after swallowing food.─> While eating.─H. N. G.].─Pain as from excoriation.─Varices.─Pain, which sometimes seems to be between the skin and the flesh.─Formication on the skin.─The symptoms are aggravated to an extraordinary degree by Chamomile, Nux, and wine, substances which also excite them, particularly the nocturnal uneasiness and constipation.─The majority of the symptoms manifest themselves after dinner and towards evening.─Sensation of soreness in internal and external parts.─General insensibility of the body.─Sensation of coldness in bones.─Violent pulsation throughout body.─Violent trembling (twitching) of whole body, esp. after mental emotion.─Twitching of children.─Chorea.─Heaviness, lassitude, and excessive weakness, < when walking or on waking in morning.─Aversion to movement.

25. Skin.─Itching in bends of joints.─Itching, with violent lancinations, esp. in evening in bed, disappearing immediately on being touched.─Tingling between the skin and the flesh.─Chronic eruptions.─Eczema of back of r. hand with terrible irritation, little oozing and fissuration, < in cold weather and excited by rubbing (R. T. C.).─Tetters and herpetic ulcers.─Ganglia, chilblains, and liability of the external parts to become frozen.─Rhagades.─Small furunculi.─Varicose veins.

26. Sleep.─Sleep by day, and continued disposition to sleep, esp. in morning or after a meal; with inclination to yawn.─Unconquerable drowsiness.─Retarded sleep.─Disturbed sleep, with frequent waking.─Unrefreshing sleep (with unpleasant dreams).─Fantastic, frightful, agitated, or disgusting and terrific dreams, with talking and cries during sleep.─Excessive coldness of the feet at night.─Shocks in body during sleep and frequent starts.

27. Fever.─Febrile shuddering along back.─Constant shivering, with increased internal heat.─Chill begins generally after eating, and continues till late in evening and during the night.─Chilliness in open air and when touching a cold object.─Chilliness on approach of stormy weather.─Febrile shuddering, with flushes of heat; violent trembling of limbs, short and hot breath, and pulsation throughout the body.─Pulse small and rapid in the evening, slower in morning and during the day.─Pulse at times intermitting.─Violent pulsations in the veins during the heat.─Internal heat, with sensation of coldness in abdomen and on feet.─Tendency to perspire in the day.─Night-sweat.─Profuse perspiration during whole night, with inclination to uncover oneself.─Badly-smelling perspirations.─[" Brass-founders ague," which is supposed to be due to inhalation of Zinc fumes, begins with malaise and feeling of constriction across the chest, nausea occasionally, the symptoms occurring in after part of day are followed in evening at bed-time by shivering, sometimes by an indistinct hot stage, but always by profuse sweating; the worse the sweating, the less violent the attack; attacks always irregular. (R. T. C.).]

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

Zinc (The Element)

Persons suffering from cerebral and nervous exhaustion; defective vitality; brain or nerve power wanting; too weak to develop exanthemata or menstrual function, to expectorate, to urinate; to comprehend, to memorize. Incessant and violent fidgety feeling in feet or lower extremeties; must move them constantly. Always feels better every way as soon as the menses begin to flow; it relieves all her sufferings; but they return again soon after the flow ceases. In the cerebral affections: in impending paralysis of brain; where the vis medicatrix naturae is too weak to develop exanthemata (Cup., Sulph., Tub.); symptoms of effusion into ventricles. Child repeats everything said to it. Child cries out during sleep; whole body jerks during sleep; wakes frightened, starts, rolls the head from side to side; face alternately pale and red. Convulsions: during dentition, with pale face, no heat, except perhaps in occiput, no increase in temperature (rev. of Bell.); rolling the eyes; gnashing the teeth. Automatic motion of hands and head, or one hand and head (Apoc., Bry., Hell.). Chorea: from suppresse eruption; from fright. Hunger: ravenous, about 11 or 12 a. m. (Sulph.); great greediness when eating; cannot eat fast enough (incipient brain disease in children). Excessive nervous moving of feet, in bed for hours after retiring, even when asleep. Feet sweaty and more about toes; fetid, suppressed foot-sweat; very nervous. Chillblains, painful, < from rubbing. Spinal affections; burning whole length of spine; backache much < from sitting > by walking about (Cobalt., Puls., Rhus). Spinal irritation; great prostration of strength. Cannot bear back touched (Chin. s., Taren., Ther.). Can only void urine while sitting bent backwards. Twitching and jerking of single muscles (Agar., Ign.). Weakness and trembling of extremities; of hands while writing; during menses. During sweat, cannot tolerate any covering.

Relations. - Compare: Hell., Tuber., in incipient brain diseases from suppressed eruptions. Inimical - Cham., and Nux; should not be used before or after. Is followed well by, Ign., but not by Nux, which disagrees.

Aggravation. - Of many symptoms from drinking wine, even a small quantity (Alum., Con.).

Amelioration. - Symptoms: of chest, by expectoration; of bladder, by urinating; of back, by emissions (< by Cobalt.); general, by menstrual flow.

Leaders In Homoeopathic Therapeutics, Eugene Beauharnais Nash

Inability to develop or hold out the rash in eruptive diseases, can't expectorate or menstruate, is > if can.

Cannot take stimulants, as they aggravate in general.

Fidgety feet, must move them constantly.

Twitching of single muscles all over the body.

Violent trembling all over, so as to shake the bed; lost nerve control.

Weakness and weariness in nape of the neck; < holding head long in one position; backache < sitting.

Modalities: < from wine; > by restoration or development of eruptions, during menses, restored expectoration, seminal emission, discharges generally.

Defective vitality, brain and nerve power wanting; to comprehend, to memorize.

Child cries out during sleep; rolls the head from side to side; face alternately pale and red.

* * * * *

This metal seems to act principally upon the nervous system. I think it is Burt who says: "What Iron is to the blood, Zinc is to the nerves." If we examine the provings and clinical records of Zinc, we find that it seems to have the power to arouse or strengthen the nervous system in its inability to supply force to carry on functions necessary to health or the elimination of disease products from the system. This is speculation. What are the facts? 1st. If scarlatina or other eruptive diseases do not properly develop the eruption, on account of too great weakness of the patient, as evidenced by general depression of pulse, temperature, etc. Zinc is very useful.

Other remedies have such or similar trouble, Cuprum, for instance; but in Cuprum the eruption has been suppressed by some outward cause. Zinc, it has never come to the surface, or it has been out, and has receded from lack of vitality or strength to hold it there. Sulphur may be the remedy, but the cause is then more often apt to be traceable to psora.

This weakness shows in other ways, as, for instance, in asthma. The patient can't expectorate, but as soon as he can he is relieved; or again she cannot menstruate, and is relieved of her suffering while menstruating. (Lachesis).

There is another peculiarity connected with this characteristic. The nervous weakness of the Zincum patient is that he can take no wine or stimulants. You would think that a little wine would at least temporarily relieve; on the contrary, it aggravates all the sufferings, even though taken in small quantities. Of course other remedies have this aggravation from wines or stimulants, like Glonoine, Ledum, Fluoric acid, Antimonium crudum, etc., but I think Zinc stands first.

The nervous debility of Zinc shows in other ways also. There is sometimes aching and weariness in the nape of the neck, as it had been held in one position too long, < by writing or other long continued labor. The backaches are worse while sitting and better when moving about. This would call to mind Rhus toxicodendron, but with Zincum you would not get the general aching relieved by continued motion, as in the case with Rhus. Pulsatilla has it also, but generally in connection with menstrual irregularities. The remedy most resembling Zinc in this particular is Cobalt. Both these remedies have this symptom in consequence of sexual excesses or weaknesses, but in Zinc an emission temporarily relieves the pain and in Cobalt it does not. The most characteristic of all the symptoms of Zinc in connection with its general nervous weakness, is: "An incessant, violent fidgety feeling in the feet or lower limbs; must move them constantly". This is present in many, if not almost all, of the affections for which Zinc is par excellence the remedy.

There is also sometimes present "burning along the whole length of the spine". This burning is purely subjective, for there is no actual local increase of temperature. Another characteristic of this remedy is, "twitching and jerking of various muscles". I spoke of this symptom when writing upon Ignatia. I would place Zincum, Ignatia and Agaricus in the van of all remedies for causing and curing these general twitchings.

Another symptom for which this is one of our best remedies is, general trembling. This is also from prostration.

The patient loses control over his motions, although he is not yet paralyzed. Paralysis may come later if this condition is not remedied.

A word or two about the importance of this remedy in brain troubles. It makes little difference whether the affection of the brain arises from suppressed eruptive diseases, dentition, typhus fever or disease of any other name or nature, if the symptoms indicating the remedy are present. Allow me to relate a case from my own practice illustrating its curative value in typhoid A young lady about 20 years of age complained, a week before I was called, of weakness, or feeling of general prostration; headache, and loss of appetite, but the greatest complaint was of prostration. She was a student and her mother, who was an excellent nurse, attributed all her sickness to overwork at school, and tried to rest and "nurse her up". But she continued to grow worse. I prescribed for her Gelsemium and followed it with Bryonia according to indications, and she ran through a mild course of two weeks longer, and seemed convalescing quite satisfactorily.

Being left in a room alone, while sleeping and perspiring, she threw off her clothes, caught cold and relapsed. Of course the "last state of that patient was worse than the first". The bowels became enormously distended profuse haemorrhage occurred, which was finally controlled by Alumen, a low form of delirium came on, the prostration became extreme notwithstanding the haemorrhage was checked, until the following picture obtained – staring eyes rolled upward into the head, head retracted; complete unconsciousness, lying on back and sliding down in bed, twitching, or rather intense, violent trembling all over, so that she shook the bed. I had nurses hold her hands night and day, she shook and trembled so; hippocratic face, extremities deathly cold to knees and elbows, pulse so weak and quick I could not count it, and intermittent; in short, all signs of impending paralysis of the brain. The case seemed hopeless, but I put ten drops of Zincum metallicum in two drams of cold water, and worked one-half of it between her set teeth, a little at a time, and an hour after the other half. In about one hour after the last dose she turned her eyes down and faintly said, milk. Through a bent tube she swallowed a half glass of milk, the first nourishment she had received in 24 hours. She got no more medicine for four days, and improved steadily all the time. She afterward received a dose of Nux vomica and progressed rapidly to a perfect recovery. So Zincum 200th can, like other metals, perform miracles when indicated.