Iris Versicolor - General symptoms

GENERAL

General

Iris versicolor, Linn.

Natural order, Iridaceae. Common name, Blue Flag.

Top of the head has just twenty-six pustules on it, some of them as large as a three-cent piece.

the pustule is situated upon an inflamed base of a rose color, with red streaks, running from one to another.

they contain yellow matter.

very tender to the touch.

gradually disappearing in four days (after nine days),.

Waked with neuralgic pains in the right side of the face.

darting stitches in two carious teeth.

pain affects especially the infra-orbital nerve.

facial neuralgia passed off (third day).

facial neuralgia, involving the supra- and infra-orbital, and the superior maxillary, and the inferior dental nerves.

began after breakfast, with stupid or stunning headache, and lasted several hours, with great severity (fourth day).

began after breakfast, and continued with terrible severity for twenty hours.

violent headache accompanied it, and general malaise (fifth day).

dull soreness where the neuralgia had been (sixth day),.

Great feeling of rawness of roof of mouth just behind front teeth.

worse from hot or cold drinks, eating, touching with tongue, and especially from onions or cheese.

also a feeling as if the skin of that part were hanging loose (third day).

constant (fourth and fifth days).

extend down to throat (sixth day).

the same rawness of roof of mouth just behind the front teeth, but without the feeling of loose skin.

after eating cherries in the morning (thirteenth day),.

A pimple on middle finger of left hand, the next day the inflammation was extended over the hand.

the day after it became more violent, and occasioned great pain, and was afterwards opened to obtain relief.

no pus was found. but it was subsequently formed, and discharged through the opening, which penetrated as far as the bone.

a fungous growth meanwhile had taken place around the edges.

pain extended from the hand up the arm.

there was much swelling and pain in the part affected, which had much the appearance of a malignant boil.

there was a disposition to a similar formation on the index finger, but the inflammation subsided after a time, and finally disappeared,.

Taste at first sweetish, and resembling that of slippery-elm bark.

he thought it quite insipid at first, but then began a smarting, burning, and scratching sensation in the soft palate, at first slight, but slowly increasing to a violent fiery heat, spreading over the whole extent of the fauces, upward towards the nares, and far down into the oesophagus.

the throat felt as if it were three times as large as usual, and like a fiery cavern.

drinking water alleviated the burning for a short time only.

many enlarged bright-red bloodvessels became visible on the uvula, palate, and posterior wall of fauces.

the heat, redness, and painful burning lasted for two hours and a half, very gradually subsiding (after five hours),.

(Had to run a long distance in the afternoon to reach the cars; got very much heated and into a profuse perspiration; took cold in the cars; sore throat again in the evening; burning, smarting, dryness of palate and fauces; feeling as if a horsehair were drawn tightly across the left palate, with burning and smarting; then took ten drops in a teaspoonful of water on going to bed; for half an hour the smarting increased; slept two hours and awoke without the smarting (second night); in the morning raised some loose mucus without coughing; never had the sore throat without subsequent severe coryza and catarrhal cough for several days; in this instance the affection was decidedly arrested at the outset),.

Great distress in the epigastric region.

the distress is horrible to endure (after three hours).

increasing (after three hours and a half).

very restless, cannot be still one moment.

think I cannot live. very much frightened.

copious discharge of thin water from the bowels, but no abatement of the awful agony in the epigastric region.

inhaled Chloroformium ^chloroform, which gave a little relief.

another large stool of water.

tinged with bile. the water an from the bowels in a continuous stream.

nearly two quarts of water passed.

there was great rumbling in the bowels, but no pain.

this gave great relief (after four hours and a half, fifth day),.

Large, yellow, papescent stool, with great rumbling and no pain (after three hours).

another large watery stool.

the burning in the pancreas (?) is fearful to endure (after three hours and five minutes).

another watery stool, with colicky pains in the epigastric region (after three hours and a quarter).

there has been severe colic in the epigastric and umbilical region for the last two hours.

every few moments copious watery stool, with great rumbling in the bowels (after six hours).

great pain and distress in the bowels, followed by a large water stool, still the pain continues (after six hours and a half).

*another watery stool.

anus feels on fire (after seven hours).

*another water stool, with a disposition to strain and bear down.

great burning in the anus (after seven hours and a half).

another watery stool, with straining (after nine hours and a half, first day).

great rumbling in the bowels, with desire for stool.

had a profuse one of a watery nature.

followed by great straining, with the passage of a little mucus, at 4 A.M.

another watery stool, followed by great straining, with the passage of blood and mucus, at 5 A.M.

another stool, of mucus streaked with blood, with great tenesmus, at 5.30 A.M.

stool of water and mucus with great straining, at 7 A.M.

copious stool of water and undigested food, with great straining, at 9 A.M.

another of mucus and water, with great tenesmus and rumbling in the bowels, at 10.30 A.M.

small stool of mucus, with great tenesmus and rumbling in the bowels.

for the last six hours the mucous membrane of the anus has been prolapsed, with great smarting pains, at 12.45 P.M.

another small stool of mucus, with severe tenesmus, at 3 P.M. (second day),.

In the course of the morning, the pain took the direction of left sciatic nerve.

could not walk without limping.

pain shooting from behind large trochanter down posterior part of left thigh into the foot on every motion, particularly while walking, till 4 P.M.

when it passed off. marked sciatica of left side.

never had anything of this nature before.

when he takes cold, it never assumes the form of rheumatism or neuralgia (second day).

immediately on rising, severe pain in left sciatic nerve only in walking.

pain more acute, and with more soreness than yesterday.

pain only on motion, with weakness of the left leg.

cannot walk without limping, yet violent exercise, running, or jumping, does not increase the pain more than moderate exertion (third day),.

GENERAL SYMPTOMS.

Objective.

General languor,

Languid and feverish in the afternoon; no disposition to mental or physical exercise,

Great lassitude,

Debility and loss of appetite (third day),

General debility with the headache,

Weakness,

Weakness and languor, with rumbling in the bowels (second day),

Much prostration,

Very much exhausted (second day),

Worn out by fatigue and suffering; I got no relief or sleep but by the inhalation of Chloroformium ^chloroform (fifth day),

Faint and exhausted (after six hours and a half, first day),

Subjective.

General malaise with the neuralgia (fifth day),

Felt as if he had taken a cold, with lameness of trunk and lumbar region (second day),

4 P.M., took 10 drops.

acid, peppery taste in the forward half of the tongue.

sore and raw feeling in the throat, especially around the epiglottis, with hoarseness.

a stuffed-up, smarting sensation in the posterior nares, as from a recent cold, increased secretion of nasal mucus.

griping in the bowels, with several light, but somewhat acrid stools. The proving was continued two or three days, but about the same sensations were produced.

August 31st, 5 P.M., took 10 drops.

peppery taste in mouth.

stinging, sharp pains in temples, but dull in vertex and over the eyes.

very sharp acrid feeling near epiglottis, with hoarseness. At 8 P.M., 10 drops.

passed a very restless night.

was troubled with frightful dreams and fancies. 7 A.M., feeling as if intoxicated.

stinging, rheumatic pains in elbows and forearms, and in knees.

pulse slow and labored, but considerable heat of skin.

up to 12 M., headache of a nervous, gastric character.

stinging pain in right shoulder.

constriction in chest and at middle of sternum.

acute, distressing pain in stomach.

continued stuffed-up feeling in posterior nares, and nasal sinuses, with discharge of thin, clear mucus.

continual snuffing and occasional sneezing throughout the day, and hoarseness.

passed considerable limpid urine frequently. About 4 P.M., began to feel very weak.

griping in the bowels and soreness over the surface of the abdomen.

also great soreness and harshness of the muscles of the neck.

somewhat feverish, with intense itching in various parts of the body.

September 1st. Arose feeling weak, passed a very copious, mushy, light-colored stool.

have still a dull headache, with some sharp stitches through the temples.

but the most marked symptom is a sharp, raw, excoriating feeling in both nares, with constant inclination to empty the nose.

discharge of nasal mucus is very free.

sneezing constant for the space of twenty minutes. 6 A.M. took 15 drops.

sharp. aching pains in shoulders, arms, and especially the first finger of the left hand.

increased hoarseness. nausea.

almost constant weakness, so increased towards evening, with terrible headache and giddiness, that I was obliged to cling to my horse for support in the saddle.

fell two or three times in walking to my room, but after a cup of warm tea and a little Nux Vomica ^{Nux vomica} am able to get about.

next day headache continues, and not until the expiration of a week does it feel quite easy.

also the discharge of mucus from the nose is very profuse, in fact, almost incessant for ten days, the bronchia being also affected in a similar manner, but less severe.

it felt and acted like a severe attack of catarrh, with Influenzinum ^influenza, and had I ever been affected in a like manner before I should think it the result of a severe cold.

Took three pellets medicated with the 1st dec. dilution four times daily. The following were the principal sensations Constrictive, pressive feeling about the sternum.

shortness of breath. sharp cutting pains through the temples, with dimness of vision.

griping in the bowels, with profuse light-colored diarrhoea, so prostrating that he is obliged to discontinue the proving,.

Thyroid, Pancreas, salivary, intestinal glands, and gastro-intestinal mucous membrane, are especially affected. Increases the flow of bile. Sick headaches and cholera morbus are a special therapeutic field for its action.

Affections accompanied by rapid elimination

Sour, acrid, BURNING excretions Oily nose, greasy taste and fatty stool

Headache, with diarrhoea

Mouth feels greasy, burnt or scalded

Tongue feels cold

Sweet taste Profuse ropy saliva Sour-bitter belching (Nux Vomica ^Nux-v)

Continuous nausea, bitter, acrid vomiting, urging to stool and profuse urine, with periodic visual disturbances, blindness, hemiopia, etc, accompany ophthalmic migraine [right]; involving teeth

BILIOUS, WATERY, SOUR OR ACRID VOMITUS, WITH BURNING

Burning; worse along whole digestive tract; not better by cold drinks

Sore over liver

BILIOUS, ACRID, WATERY STOOLS; BURN LIKE FIRE

Goitre

Zoster [right]

The hip feels wrenched out

Shooting laming pains along limb

Sciatica [left]

Iris hexagona. Blue flag. N. O. Iridaceae. Tincture of fresh root collected in early spring or autumn. Trituration of the resinoid, Iridin or Irisin.

Took forty grains of the green root.

fifteen minutes after, profuse flow of saliva and tears.

mouth and stomach feel on fire.

almost impossible to breathe, it is so acrid.

one half-hour of great pain and distress in the stomach.

it is awful to bear. continues all the afternoon and evening.

it is not a sharp pain but an awful burning distress.

appears to be deep in the region of the pancreas.

cold water does not touch it.

profuse flow of saliva all day.

constant eructations of tasteless gas.

very restless all night with bad dreams. May 19th.

Another thin, watery stool, with great rumbling in bowels; no appetite, loss of taste." Dr.

Burt took more of the drug and developed a repetition of these symptoms and many others, including toothache, an eruption of pimples on the top of the head; inflammation of the glans penis; amorous dreams and seminal emissions (to which he was not accustomed).

Vomiting of a watery, extremely sour fluid, excoriating the throat, was prominent in some provings.

The sourness may be so great that not only the vomit but the whole person smells sour. "Everything in the stomach turns to vinegar; similarly in threatened rheumatic fever the sweat smells strongly of vinegar" (Cooper).

Sometimes the vomit was not sour but bitter or sweetish.

The action on the salivary gland., and pancreas was very marked, and Iris has proved an excellent remedy in affections of these organs.

Nash relates the case of a middle-aged lady who had frequent attacks of vomiting of ropy mucus hanging from mouth to receptacle on the floor.

Then the substance vomited became dark-coloured like coffee grounds.

She became very weak and vomited all nourishment.

There was also profuse secretion of ropy saliva.

Iris cured in a short time and permanently.

Kitchen found Iris the most effective all-round remedy in cases of vomiting of all kinds.

He relates this case A girl, aet. 9, had periodic spells of vomiting every month, six weeks, or sometimes four months.

The attack would last three days.

It began with vomiting of ingesta, then sour fluid, lastly bile, yellow and green, with great heat of head.

Some general fever, and great prostration.

Warm perspiration from efforts of straining.

A single dose of Iris would arrest the attack at once, all other remedies having failed.

Iris Versicolor action of Iris on the intestinal tract and liver together with another characteristic action of the drug, on the nerves, renders it a great remedy in bilious sick-headaches.

Here again it resembles Kali bichr., for the headache of Iris is associated with a blur before the eyes.

Hemicrania begins with a blurring of sight; paroxysms attended with sour watery vomiting; pain involving supraorbital and dental nerves; with stupid or stunning headache.

A dull soreness is left where the neuralgia had been.

L. L. Helt relates a typical case (Med. Adv., xxii. 395).

The patient, a lady, said "The way I know an attack is coming on is, I feel so tired and drowsy that I can go to sleep at any time or place, and my sight becomes dim, but not one bit of pain yet." After this stage has lasted from twelve to twenty-four hours, vomiting begins, always from 3 to 4 a.m.

The vomiting stage continues about twelve hours, followed by a most excruciating headache, or by severe pain and great distress in stomach and abdomen.

If one is present the other is absent.

At the end of the third day she is able to sit up a little.

The periods of recurrence are very irregular.

Iris v. 3x given on the approach of an attack warded it off on three occasions, and then the attacks ceased to recur.

Med. Visitor, xiii. 1, reports a discussion on Ir. v., in the course of which C. C. Conant said he had repeatedly verified "right-side headache, beginning with a blur and very severe in front of head." E. H. Linnell cured a sick-headache of two years' standing invariably produced by eating anything sweet.

Ir. v. is no less effective in pure neuralgias, either facial or sciatic.

I have cured with it left-side sciatica following Influenzinum ^influenza.

The generality of affections appear on the right side.

Pains are erratic; shoot from right to left.

The irritating, excoriating, and inflaming properties of Iris are seen in the affections of the skin.

It has cured cases of herpes zoster (right side), eczema capitis, impetigo figurata, and psoriasis.

There is well-marked periodicity in the Iris affections, headaches, colic; diarrhoea and dysentery, recurring every spring and autumn; diarrhoea and colic 2 or 3 a.m.; Symphoricarpus Racemosus ^{morning sickness}; attacks at short intervals.

Symptoms set in suddenly.

The headaches are agg. by rest, amel. by moderate motion, agg. by violent motion.

Bending forward amel. colic.

Motion agg. abdominal and sciatic pains.

Toothache is agg. in warm room.

Open air amel. headache; cold air agg. headache and nausea.

The concomitance of gastric symptoms gives the key to many of the cases which call for Iris; and it should not be forgotten that constipation as well as diarrhoea may be a strong indication.

Blue Flag. Kitchen. Iridaceae.

* * * *

Burning of mouth, tongue, throat, clear down into stomach, and of anus if there is diarrhoea.

Vomiting of stringy, glairy, ropy mucus; hangs in strings down to receptacle on the floor.

Gastric or hepatic sick headaches with blur before the eyes at the beginning. Vomiting sour, or bitter.

Iris is another remedy which causes great nausea and vomiting. It is sometimes very serviceable in cholera infantum. The substance vomited is generally very sour, so sour that it excoriates the throat.

The gastric troubles of Iris Versicolor are often accompanied with a burning of tongue, throat, oesophagus and stomach, and, if diarrhoea is present, with burning of the anus. This burning of the alimentary canal is very characteristic of Iris Versicolor.

Iris is also one of our best remedies for sick headache. These headaches seem to be of gastric or hepatic origin, and often begin with a blur before the eyes. I used to give the remedy in the 3d; but of late years have given it in the 50m. and am better pleased with the result, because it is more prompt and lasting. It is recommended in sciatica, but I have had no experience with it in this affection It seems to act most powerfully upon the alimentary tract. I have never used it in skin troubles.

Dose

Tincture to thirtieth potency. Favorable reports from the very highest potencies.

Region

GLANDS DIGESTIVE TRACT

LIVER

Pancreas

Right side

Nerves

Characteristics

The Blue Flag is in great repute as a remedy among the Indians of North America. It was introduced into homoeopathic practice by Kitchen, of Philadelphia, by whom it was proved, as well as by that heroic prover, Burt, and others, of all of whose experiences Hale gives an excellent account. I will relate one of Burt's experiments. "May 18th.

Awoke at 4 a.m. with great rumbling and distress in the umbilical and hypogastric regions, with great desire for stool followed immediately by a copious, thin, watery stool, which could not be retained a moment without much pain; mouth feels as if it had been scalded, tongue thick and rough. 8 a.m.