Materia Medica
Opium.- Papaver Somniferum
.(Poppy) The effects of Opium as shown in the insensibility of the nervous system, the depression, drowsy stupor, and torpor, the general sluggishness and lack of vital reaction, contitute the main indications for the drug when used homcopathically. All complaints are char- acterized by sopor. They are painless, and are accom- panied by heavy, stupid sleep, stertorous breathing. Sweaty skin. Dark, mahogany-brown face. Serous Apoplexy — venous, passive congestion. I Want of sen- sitiveness to the action of medicines. Reappearance and aggravation from becoming g heated. Opium lessens voluntary
Mind
Patient wants nothing. Complete loss of con- sciousness; apoplectic state. Frightful fancies, daring, gay, bright. Unable to understand or appreciate his sufferings. Thinks he is not at home. Effects of fright, generally. [Acon.]
Head
Vertigo; lightness of head in old pcopic. Dull, heavy, stupid. Delirium. Vertigo after fright. I'ain in back of head; great weight there. [Gc!s.] Bursting feeling. Paralysis of brain.
Eyes
Half-rlosed, dilated; pupils insensible, contracted. I'tosis. [Gels.; Caust.] Staring, glassy.
Face
Red, blvated, szvollen, dark sufuscd, hot. Looks intoxicated, besotted. [Bapt.; Lach.] Spasmodic facial twitching, especially corners of mouth. Veins of face distended. Hanging down cf lower jaw. Dis- torted.
Mouth
Dry. Tongue black, paralysed. Bloody froth. Intense thirst. Biubbering of lips.
Stomach
Vomiting, with colic and convulsions. F:cal vomiting. Incarcerated hernia. Hungry; no desire to eat.
Abdomen
Hard, bloated, tympanitic. Lead colic. During colic, urging to stool and discharge of hard freees.
Stool
Obstinate constipation; no desire to go to Round, hard, black balls. Faces protrude and recede. [Thuj.; Sil.] Spasmodic retention of frxces in small intestines. Stools involuntary. black, offensive, frothy. Violent pain in rectum, as if pressed asunder. Urine.- Slow to start; feeble stream. Retained or involuntary, after fright. Loss of power or sensibility of bladder.
Female
Suppressed menses from fright. Cessa- tion of labor-pains with coma and twitchings. Puerperal convulsions; drowsiness or coma between paroxysms. Threatened abortion and suppression of lochia, from fright. with sopor. Horrible labor-like pains in uterus, with urging to stool.
Respiratory
Breathing stops on going to sleep; must be shaken to start it again. .Grindelia.] Hoarse. Deep snoring; rattling, stertorous breathing. Difficult, intermittent, deep, unequal respiration. Heat in chest ; burning about heart. Cough, with dyspncea and blue face; with bloody expectoration.
Skin
Hot, damp, sweating. Constant desire to uncover. Hot perspiration over whole body except lower limbs.
Sleep
Great drowsiness. .[Gels.; Nux mosch.] Loss of breath on falling asleep. [Grind.] Coma vigil. Picking at bedclothes Very sleepy, but cannot go to Distant noises, cocks crowing, etc., keep him awake. Child dreams of cats, dogs, black forms. Bed feels so hot cannot lie on it. Pleasant, fantastic, mor- ous dreams. Shaking chill; then heat, with sleep and sweat. Thirst only during heat.
Fever
Pulse full and slow. Heat extending over body. Hot perspiration. Fever characterized by stupor, snoring respiration, twitching of limbs, intense thirst and sleepiness. Back and Extremities.-- Opisthotonos. Swollen veins of neck. Painless parlaysis. [Oleand.] Twitching of limbs. Numbness. Jerks as if fexors were overact- ing. Convulsions; worse from glare of light; coldness of limbs.
Modalities
Worse, heat, during and after sleep. [Apis; Lach.] Better, cold things, constant walking.
Relationships
Compare: Apis; Bell; Geis.: Nur mosch.: Morphinum n (extreme susceptibility to pain; twitching; tympanites; much itching); Codein (dry, teasing, incessant cough; twitching of muscles, espe- cially those of eyelids); Eschscholtzia—California Poppy --- (a harmless soporofic). Antidote: Ipecac.
Dose
Third to thirtieth and 200th potency. Non-Homceopathic Preparations and Uses. - Palliative only in great pain, sleeplessness, peritonitis, and to cheek excessive secretion in diarrhcea, diabetes, etc. Opium (crude). Offcia! dose, 1 grain. Laudanum (tincture) -- Dose, 5 to 20 drops. Paregoric (an elixir of Opium) - Dose, up to % oz. Morphine - % to % grain. Magendie's solution - 16 grains to 1 oz. or 5 drops equal to 1/6 grain. Codein - % to 1 grain. Over's Powder (Opium and Ipecac) -- 5 to 15 grains. Apomorphia - 1/20 to 1/10 grain hypodermically.