Tellurium - General symptoms - Clarke

GENERAL

General

Tellurium. An element; (generally considered non-metallic). Te. (A. W. 125). Trituration of the precipitated element.

Tellurium occurs in the native state and in combination with Aurum Metallicum ^gold, Argentum Metallicum ^silver, lead, and antimony.

It resembles Sulphur ^Sulphur and Selenium ^Selenium in its chemical reactions.

It was proved and introduced into homoeopathy by Hering in 1850.

The most notable feature of the proving was the irritation of the skin, including skin of eyelids and ears, of spinal column and of some nerves.

The most characteristic form of the skin irritation of Tell. is herpes circinatus, and it has probably cured more cases of ringworm, especially of the face and body, than any other remedy. (I cured with Tell. an Indian officer home on furlough whose body was covered over with a ringworm-like eruption.) The odour of the body and of the sweat is offensive and garlic-like.

The prover had to sit apart from the rest of the class during a whole session on account of this.

In parts where the skin forms openings, as the ear, the effect of Tell. is intensified.

The characteristic odour of the ear discharge is that of fish brine.

The discharge is so acrid it vesicates any part of the skin it touches.

Tell. is one of the most important remedies in otorrhoea.

Nash cured several cases of post-scarlatinal otorrhoea, using the 6th, higher attenuations having failed.

Eyelids are inflamed, and the vesicating property extends to the eye itself, setting up phlyctenular conjunctivitis.

Other parts of the skin affected by Tell. are the hair-roots, the breasts, the perinaeum, and the anus.

There is itching in the rectum after stool.

Tell. has caused expulsion of threadworms.

The offensiveness of Tell. appears in the breath and in the flatus; and it is a leading remedy in offensive foot-sweat.

In addition to the inflammation of the eyes caused by Tell., it has pains over the eyes.

Skin and nerves are closely allied, and Tell. is a remedy in many neuralgic conditions, notably sciatica.

The right side is most affected, and these are characteristic Conditions the pain is agg. coughing, sneezing, or straining at stool; agg. lying on painful side.

Many of the pains and symptoms of Tell. come and go suddenly.

The ears are suddenly stopped.

There are sudden rushes of blood to the head.

Tell. has great sensitiveness to touch.

Tellurium is shown in the neuralgic hyperaesthetic state of the spine.

It has also a vulnerary action as shown in a case of Kent's (quoted A. H., xxiii. 439).

A boy, 4, slid down banisters and struck his head on a tiled floor.

He became unconscious and a surgeon was summoned, who found him in that state and with a clear, watery discharge from the ear, which the surgeon pronounced to be cerebro-spinal fluid.

Tellurium condition lasted three days, and the case had been pronounced hopeless when Kent first saw the boy.

Kent noticed that the discharge was acrid, and reddened whatever part it came in contact with.

One dose of Tell. was given.

In two hours the child vomited, a sign of reaction, and in two weeks was well.

Shelton (H. R., vii. 103) relates three cases ($51$) Widow, 50, had pain and soreness upper part of back for a long time.

She shrank from the slightest touch on the part.

The sensitiveness was so acute that when touched the pain extended into the occiput and all over the upper region of the back.

Tell. 6 cured in eighteen days. (2) Miss X., 45, had a fall, striking a severe blow on the sacrum.

She suffered for some weeks from concussion, with one point of great soreness in the sacral region, just above the spot where the blow was received.

She was kept in bed for some weeks and improved generally, but the painful spot remained and sensitiveness appeared over the back, especially its upper third.

The patient grew worse, and gradually ptosis, and then right and then left hemiplegia set in.

Finally hyperaesthesia of the back became so distressing that it was a question of finding any support that did not intensity the pain.

She could not bear the slightest touch, complaining that it not only hurt her at the point of contact, but she felt it in the head and in remote parts of the body.

Tell. cleared up the case.

Skinner (H. W., xviii. 535) cured two sporting dogs of ringworm with Tell. 1m F. C. The irritating property of Tell. is shown again in the coryza, post-nasal catarrh, tickling in larynx, hoarseness, and cough.

There is a good deal of drowsiness with Tell.; yawning after retching; drowsy after eating.

I once gave Tell. to a child for an eruption, and cured it incidentally of constant yawning, with which it had been troubled.

The eruption improved at the same time.

Peculiar Sensations are Fear of being touched on sensitive places.

As if in air on going to sleep.

Brain as if beaten. As if lashes were turned in.

As if air whistled through left Eustachian tube.

As if strapped together in epigastric region.

As if fluid wanted to discharge in lobe of right lung.

There is periodicity about some of the symptoms.

One prover has a return of them every Tuesday for several weeks.

More symptoms appear on the left than on the right side.

The symptoms are agg. By touch; touch = bleeding from ear; spine sensitive to touch.

Pressure lump in axilla to be painful.

Rest agg. Lying amel. vertigo; on left side = throbbing over right ribs and vice versâ; on left side = pain in heart. amel.

Lying on back. Lying on affected side agg. sciatica.

While sitting up vertigo; face red.

Stooping, coughing, laughing, straining at stool agg.

Many symptoms are agg. in morning, on being wakened, and at night; eating = drowsiness.

Eating rice = vomiting.

Eating and drinking amel. sore throat.

Clinical

Axilla, offensive sweat of; tumour of. Barber's itch. Cataract. Conjunctivitis. Coryza. Eczema. Entropion. Eyes, inflammation of. Foot-sweat, fetid. Gleet. Herpes. Hoarseness. Levitation. Pityriasis versicolor. Post-nasal catarrh. Ringworm. Sacrum, pain in. Sciatica. Spinal irritation. Worms. Yawning.