Comparative Study of Homeopathic Remedies
with courtesy from: http://www.psmalik.com/
The object of this paper is to
fix in our minds the great value of this remedy in its application to disease,
and to fasten upon our memories similar remedies.
Argentum Nitricum is
an ancient remedy in the "Old Schools". The sticks of lunar caustic
were called "lapis infernalis", which Hering speaks of as a prophetic
name indicating the horrible abuse of it in our age. It is an irritant
poisoning, causing violent inflammation and ulceration of the throat, stomach
and mucous membranes generally. It is destructive to red blood corpuscles,
causing general malnutrition; produces violent tetanic convulsions, followed by
paralysis. Pains in all mucous membranes are sharp and splinter-like, and the
discharge mucopurulent.
The Argentum nit.
patient is irrational; has all sorts of imaginations,
illusions, and hallucinations, all of which are worse at night; extremely
anxious, which put him in a hurry; he goes for a walk, and walks faster and
faster; walks until he is fatigued. He fears he is going to have a fit or have
a sickness. There is an inflowing of strange thoughts that in crossing a
certain bridge or high place he might kill himself, or perhaps might jump off;
or the actual impulse comes to jump off a high bridge into the water.
Pulsatilla also
had fear of high places, as has Nux vomica, although
the temperaments are entirely different, the Pulsatillabeing slow
and phlegmatic, while the Nux vomica is irritable and impatient rather than
hurried.
The fear of death of
Argentum nit. is also present in other remedies, notably Aconite and Arsenicum,
although here again the differentiation is quite pronounced. Arsenicum does not
hurry; it is weak and exhausted; and its aggravation comes shortly after
midnight. Fear of death is connected with this remedy, which is quite different
from the fear of death as described in Argentum nit. There is no suicidal
tendency to Argentum nit., only a fear that he might do himself harm, which
differentiates it from Aurum met.
Aconite has fear of death, but
is accompanied by high fever in acute diseases with restlessness, anxiety and
thirst. Argentum nit., also like Aconite, predicts the time of his death. When
going anywhere it is attended with anxiety, fear and diarrhoea. This is similar
to Gelsemium. Gelsemium has general weakness but it is mostly in the spine and
back of the head. Gelsemium does not have the sign which is present in Argentum
nit.
Fear when alone is
present in Arsenicum, Clematis and Valeriana.Depression of spirits and
general aggravation after eating. Nux vomica is irritable and depressed
soon after eating. Natrum carb. is distressed two or three hours after
eating, with relief by eating. China distresses soon after eating, relieved
by loosening of clothing. Sepia also is worse after eating,
distress being mostly in the pelvis with its characteristic bearing down.
Argentum nit. has cured
epilepsy, the attacks being worse at night with great restlessness or tremulousness
before or after the attack, and it is especially useful for attacks brought on
by fright, or associated with menstruation.
Artemisia v. has epileptic
seizure with irregular or deficient menstruation. Bufo attacks worse at
menstrual periods (Aura of Bufo also begins in genitals; Hence Bufo has
some specific affinity to the genitals). Causticum mostly at puberty.
Calcarea carb. has epilepsy
following fear, in the characteristic fat, waxy individual with profuse menstruation and
sweaty head.Hyos. has epilepsy with stupor, alternated with periods of
great mental activity, while Ignatia has the hysterical type, now laughing, now
crying, and is seldom a true epileptic seizure.
Argentum nit. anticipates all
sorts of dreadful things; will not consult a physician for fear he may be told
he has a serious ailment. Like Gelsemium it has diarrhoea as a result of stage
fright or mental emotion. Irresolute and memory poor.
Argentum nit. is of great
advantage in hemicrania. Deep-seated, periodic, with boring pain, worse
from tight bandages, and may be brought on by any depressing emotions. Cactus,
periodic hemicrania the right side and vertex. Cannabis ind., a sensation as if
the head were opening and shutting. Glonoinum, hemicrania with a sensation as
if the skull would burst. Sanguinaria, right-sided, coming and going
with the sun. Sepia, mostly left- sided. Argentum nit. has a sensation as
if the head were too large, with relief from binding the head tightly. The pain
is described as pressing or boring.
The sharp stitching pains of
Argentum nit. call to mind Hepar; yet the discharge is different than Hepar
with extreme sensitiveness to touch.
Stitching pains in the Throat: Nitric
acid also has sharp stitching pains in the throat, but the mucus is tough and
stringy and bites the tongue on chewing; much salivation.Argentum nit.
differs in that it has rawness from Nitric acid .Ignatia has sensation of
fishbone in throat, better by swallowing anything solid. The gastric
distress comes soon after eating with sensation of a lump or load in stomach,
with ineffectual efforts to eructate. Enormous distention of the abdomen. Pulsatilla
also has a sensation of lump in stomach, although it is located mostly at
the end of oesophagus as though food had lodged there. Nux vomica as
from a stone in the morning, or immediately after eating. Kali
carb., bloating with feeling of lump in pit of stomach and sour
eructations. Abies niger, feeling of hard-boiled egg in pit of stomach.
Both Argentum nit. and Nux vomica have ineffectual urge to eructate. Argentum
nit. has a decided craving for sweets, which aggravate. Pulsatilla has
disordered stomach from sweets, while Zinc has aversion to sweets, with a
sweetish taste in the mouth.
Allen speaks of Argentum
nit. as unrivalled for the gastritis of drunkards. Here it may be
differentiated from Nux vomica by the difference in temperament. Cadmium sulph.
has persistent vomiting of drunkards with burning in the stomach, cannot retain
even water.Fluoric ac., bilious vomiting of drunkards with diarrhoea,
and resembles Nux vomica in that it has a craving for seasoned foods. Selenium,
headache of debauchees, better from additional alcohol.
The stool of Argentum nit. is usually of a diarrhoeic nature, green looking, like chopped spinach; sometimes containing undigested food; offensive; passed with noise and flatulence and forcible spluttering. Worse from sweets, drinking water, mental excitement, worry or shock. Aconite also has green stools, as has Mercurius viv., Nitric acid, and Sepia, but none have the characteristic "chopped spinach" stool. Aconite has diarrhoea from fright, as has Gelsemium, Pulsatilla and Ignatia.
The stool of Argentum nit. is usually of a diarrhoeic nature, green looking, like chopped spinach; sometimes containing undigested food; offensive; passed with noise and flatulence and forcible spluttering. Worse from sweets, drinking water, mental excitement, worry or shock. Aconite also has green stools, as has Mercurius viv., Nitric acid, and Sepia, but none have the characteristic "chopped spinach" stool. Aconite has diarrhoea from fright, as has Gelsemium, Pulsatilla and Ignatia.
Argentum nit. is of value in
both acute and chronic diarrhoea, and here resembles Kali carb., Natrum mur.,
Phosphoric acid and Sulphur.
Argentum nit. has been much
used in ophthalmia neonatorum. Also it is of value in specific urethritis,
which is frequently the cause of ophthalmia.
Willard I. Pierce stated many
years ago that even then the old school advised against the use of injections
of nitrate of silver early in gonorrhoeal infections, due to its irritable
nature. The inner canthi are red and swollen; abundant, purulent discharge.
Here it resemblance Hepar sulph., Graphites, Mercurius cor. Pulsatilla and
Staphysagria.
It might be mentioned that
Natrum mur. in potency internally is a valuable remedy in cases that have been
abused by the local application of silver nitrate.
In gonorrhoea Argentum nit. is
of valuable when there is profuse purulent discharge, with
cutting and characteristic splinter-like pains, with occasional blood in the
urine. Here it resembles Cannabis sat., the latter not having the
characteristic stitching pains. Cantharis has bloody urine but lacks
the stitching pains. Apis, stinging pains with strangury. Clematis,
great burning on beginning to urinate, especially referred to the glans.
Copaiva, great dysuria entire length of urethra; great effort to pass urine.
Cubeba, cutting in urethra, with smarting, but little purulent discharge.
Dont forget Argentum
nit. in postdiphtheritic paralysis, and here must be studied Causticum,
Conium, Natrum mur., and Phosphorus and Naja.
In paralysis of the lungs
following diphtheria it resembles Gelsemium, Lachesis and Opium.
Argentum nit. has been of
value in angina pectoris where there is precordial pain, free
of suffocation, and the sensation of a band around the chest. Here it resembles
Cactus, but is differentiated by the fact that Cactus has a sensation
as if the heart itself had been squeezed rather than the chest wall.Lachesis
has an intolerance to the clothing or any weight on the chest rather
than the band sensation. Its pain does not radiate to the left arm as in
Spigelia and Cactus. Lilium tig. also has a sensation as if the heart were
grasped.
While this paper is far
from complete, I hope in a measure it will assist in clarifying related
remedies, Argentum nit. being one of the most valuable remedies of our materia
medica.
No comments:
Post a Comment