[ Read before I.H.A, Bureau of Materia Medica, June 22, 1934.].
These remedies are easily associated in comparison. While short in their provings, they are frequently useful and should not be dismissed as merely catarrhal remedies.
ALLIUM CEPA.
The action is especially on the conjunctiva and respiratory mucous membranes producing a highly irritated catarrhal conditions.
All catarrhal symptoms and pains are as a rule worse in the evening.
Lachrymation and running from the nose worse in the room.
Increased secretions accompany the acute catarrhal inflammation of the mucous membranes.
Catarrhal dull headache with coryza worse in the evening, better open air, worse on returning to warm air.
Headache ceases during the menses, but returns when flow ceases.
Eyes are burning, twitching, smarting as if from smoke. Must rub them. They are watery and suffused. Excessive non-irritating lachrymation with redness of eyeball.
Coryza is profuse, watery and acrid discharges dropping from tip of the nose. Spring coryza after damp northeast winds. Discharge burns and corrodes nose and upper lip.
This remedy may find application in the acute handling of hay fever coming on yearly in August with morning coryza, violent sneezing and marked sensitiveness to odors of flowers or the skin of peaches.
Allium Cepa may be useful in violent earache even where pus is discharged. Stitching tearing pain with whoopy cough, laryngitis and coryza. Pain like thick threads drawing from deep within the head. Headaches with congestion and fullness of nose or pain in jaws and face extending to the head. Dull frontal or occipital headache so severe eyes cannot stand the light. Tearing, burning and throbbing in the head.
The remedy frequently goes from left side to right. In catarrhal laryngitis the cough compels patient to grasp the larynx. Seems as if the cough would tear it, as if a hook were dragging up and through the larynx with every cough.
There may be in Allium cepa colic from cold by getting feet wet; over-eating of cucumbers and salads; haemorrhoidal; of children worse sitting better moving about. Sometimes there are neuralgic pains like long threads in the face, head, neck and chest.
It may be of service in traumatic chronic neuritis. Neuralgia of the stump after amputation. Pains burning and stinging.
Sore raw spots on feet, especially the heels, from friction. Efficacious when feet are rubbed sore. It may even be called for in phlebitis, puerperal; after forceps delivery.
This remedy is prominently worse in the evening or in warm rooms and better in cold rooms and open air.
Phosphorus, Pulsatilla, and Thuja are mentioned as complementary and Allium cepa may precede Calcarea and Silica in polypus.
Thus we see considerable to think of in addition to the easily recalled eye and nasal symptoms.
EUPHRASIA.
The action of this remedy is almost entirely on the mucous membranes of the eye and lids and upper portion of the respiratory tract producing a distinct catarrhal inflammation characterized by an excessive watery secretion. The lachrymation is profuse and acrid, with profuse bland coryza in contradistinction to Allium cepa.
The eyes water all the time with agglutination in the a.m., the margins of the lids red, swollen and burning.
Profuse fluent coryza in a.m. with violent cough frequently and abundant expectoration worse by exposure to warm south wind.
We may find gagging in the a.m. when attempting to clean throat of an offensive mucous until patient vomits.
Profuse expectoration of mucous by voluntary hawking worse on rising in a.m.
Euphrasia may also be useful in the bad effects from falls, contusions or mechanical injuries of external parts.
Amenorrhoea may be found with catarrhal symptoms of the eyes and nose, the lachrymation again profuse and acrid.
Menses may be painful, regular, now lasting only one hour, or late, scanty, short, lasting only one day, Euphrasia may be found useful in whooping cough accompanied by excessive lachrymation. Cough only in the day.
In addition to the aggravations mentions as worse evening. worse indoors, worse after exposure to south wind. Euphrasia is also worse warmth, worse moisture and worse when touched.
These two small remedies as reviewed are easily distinguished because of the opposite character of eye and nose discharges; also to recall other uses, rather than to keynote them simply as catarrhal remedies affecting eyes and nose alone.
