A STUDY OF HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES IN RELATION FOR TO RHEUMATIC TROUBLES


Guaiacum is useful in rheumatic affections, especially after the abuse of mercury; in rheumatism with contraction of tendons or fibrous tissues; in the growing pains of children; in women suffering from rheumatism when associated with ovarian and menstrual irregularities; when ther is a tendency for alternating tonsillar and rheumatic troubles.


GUAIACUM OFFICINALIS.

Guaiacum is useful in rheumatic affections, especially after the abuse of mercury; in rheumatism with contraction of tendons or fibrous tissues; in the growing pains of children; in women suffering from rheumatism when associated with ovarian and menstrual irregularities; when ther is a tendency for alternating tonsillar and rheumatic troubles.

HEAD: Rheumatic pains in one side of head extending to face. Attack of gouty pains in head.

NECK AND BACK: AFTER RIDING IN OPEN AIR, RHEUMATIC STIFFNESS OF LEFT SIDE OF NECK AND SHOULDERS. Frequently stitches on left side of nape extending from scapula to occiput. DULL ACHING PAIN IN SIDES OF NECK EACH SIDE OF VERTEBRAE. STIFF NECK FROM COLD, MUSCLES OF SHOULDERS AND SPINE AFFECTED. EXCESSIVE STIFFNESS OF LEFT SIDE OF NECK EXTENDING TO BACK, worse from motion. CONTRACTIVE PAIN BETWEEN THE SCAPULAE. Rheumatic stiffness along the whole of left side with intolerable pain on slightest motion. Stitches on left side of back below true ribs near spine. LEFT SIDE OF NECK AND RIGHT SIDE OF BACK MOST AFFECTED.

SUPERIOR EXTREMITIES: Sharp stitches on top of right shoulder. Rheumatic pains from shoulder to elbow, or wrist in left arm. Painful drawing and cutting in arm. Rheumatic pain in left wrist joint. Pain in knuckles, then the whole hand, Stitches in right thumb.

INFERIOR EXTREMITIES: Prickling in nates as if sitting on needles. TENSION IN THIGHS, ESPECIALLY THE RIGHT, AS IF MUSCLES WERE TOO SHORT, WITH LANGUOR WHEN WALKING, > WHEN TOUCHED,> from sitting. SEATED. PAINS BEGIN IN MIDDLE OF THIGH AND EXTEND TO THE KNEE. Tearing drawing in muscles of leg from tarsus to the knee. SWOLLEN SENSATION IN LIMBS WITH PAINS IN BONES OF LIMBS.

Violent pain in knee with gouty inflammation. Darting pains extend from feet to knees. Whole left leg is cramped. RIGHT LEG SWOLLEN AND CONTRACTED STIFF, IMMOVABLE AND DRAWN UP TO THIGH. Violent stitches from outside the right calf down to ankle.

EXTREMITIES IN GENERAL: TEARING AND STINGING IN LIMBS. Tearing, PRICKING PAINS IN MUSCLES OF LIMBS WITH HEAT OF PARTS. GOUTY TEARING AND STITCHING IN LIMBS WITH CONTRACTION OF AFFECTED PARTS. Stinging pains in limbs < from least motion. RHEUMATIC CUTTING PAIN FOLLOWED BY CONTRACTIONS OF LIMB. SENSATION OF HEAT IN AFFECTED LIMB. MARKED STIFFNESS OF AFFECTED LIMB. LIMBS GO TO SLEEP.

JOINTS: Swelling, puffy and hot.

CONCOMITANTS: SENSATION OF SWELLING AND PROTRUSION OF EYES; EYELIDS APPEAR TOO SHORT TO COVER THEM. FLATULENCY., OVARY INFLAMED AND TENDER. HEAT IN PAINFUL PARTS. VERY OFFENSIVE SWEATS.

AGGRAVATIONS: WALKING IN OPEN AIR. Tough. Sitting. AFTER RISING FROM BED. PRESSURE. OPEN AIR. Motion. FORENOONS AND EVENINGS.

AMELIORATIONS: RUBBING THE PART. WHEN IN THE HOUSE.

Graphites.

Graphites is often overlooked in the treatment of rheumatism. It is especially suited for plethoric women at the climacteric period when suffering with rheumatism; also in gout with the large number of nodes deposited. The tearing pains are very prominent in whatever condition, the aggravations are marked, and together with the accompanying symptoms, which are characteristic of the remedy, will help to make its selection.

EYES: ARTHRITIC OPHTHALMIA WITH CONTRACTION AND IRREGULARITY OF THE PUPIL.

NECK AND BACK: PAIN IN NAPE OF NECK. Stiffness of nape of neck. Small of back aches as if bruised or broken. Pain in small of back as if broken, especially on touch; PRESSING, grasping, TWITCHING IN BACK. CONTRACTING PAINS IN BACK. Weakness in back and loins with aching pains. Stitching pain in sacrum with crawling sensation.

Numbness from sacrum down. Dull drawing pains in coccyx evening. PAIN IN OS COCCYGIS WHILE URINATING.

SUPERIOR EXTREMITIES: Shoulder and neck painful. TEARING IN LEFT SHOULDER. RIGHT UPPER ARM SORE, TENDER AND SWOLLEN. ARMS GO TO SLEEP. CRAMPS IN HANDS. RHEUMATIC TEARING IN HANDS. Hands numb, with formication. Sensation as if muscles were too short when bending elbow. GOUTY SWELLING OF FINGER JOINTS. SPRAINED PAIN IN THUMB JOINT. RHEUMATIC PRESSIVE TEARING IN FIRST JOINT OF RIGHT THUMB. GOUTY NODES IN FINGERS.

INFERIOR EXTREMITIES: TEARING OR BRUISED PAIN IN THIGHS. NUMBNESS OF THIGHS. BRUISED PAIN IN KNEES. Stiff sensation in hollow of knee as if tendons were too short. CRAMPS IN CALVES. Gnawing pain in bones of ankle and heel. RHEUMATIC TEARING IN FEET AN TOES. Tearing in back of foot. STITCHES IN HEEL WHEN PUTTING IT DOWN. GOUTY TEARING IN TOES. NODES IN JOINTS OF TOES. Stiffness and contraction of toes.

EXTREMITIES IN GENERAL: Drawing pain in all the limbs. TEARING PAIN IN ALL THE LIMBS, ESPECIALLY THE HANDS AND FEET. LIMBS GO TO SLEEP QUICKLY. HEAVINESS OF LIMBS. LIMBS SEEM DEAD WHILE WALKING IN OPEN AIR.

JOINTS: GOUTY NODES IN FINGER AND TOE JOINS.

CONCOMITANTS: SENSATION AS IF A COBWEB WERE ON THE FACE, HARDNESS IN REGION OF LIVER. PAIN IN ABDOMEN AFTER EATING. STOOLS HARD, KNOTTY, UNITED BY MUCOUS SHREDS. DURING CLIMAXIS. LEUCORRHOEA PROFUSE, WHITE. CRACKS AND FISSURES OF SKIN. ERUPTION ON VARIOUS PARTS EXUDING A STICKY WATERY TRANSPARENT FLUID; SKIN ITCHES DREADFULLY. NAILS BRITTLE AND CRACKED.

AGGRAVATIONS: WALKING, MOTION. AFTER LIFTING. ON BECOMING COLD. AT NIGHT.

AMELIORATIONS: EXTERNAL PRESSURE. WARMTH.

H.A. Roberts
Dr. H.A.Roberts (1868-1950) attended New York Homoeopathic Medical College and set up practrice in Brattleboro of Vermont (U.S.). He eventually moved to Connecticut where he practiced almost 50 years. Elected president of the Connecticut Homoeopathic Medical Society and subsequently President of The International Hahnemannian Association. His writings include Sensation As If and The Principles and Art of Cure by Homoeopathy.