Asterias Rubens

The star-fish was used by Hippocrates in uterine diseases. This shows its

pathogenetic relationship to Sepia and Murex. It is also an ancient remedy for epilepsy. It

powerfully affects the mind and head, producing symptoms strongly suggesting apoplexy. The

face is red, and there is strong congestion to the head, which is hot and feels as if surrounded

with hot air. Certain forms of cerebral congestion with obstinate constipation. Electric shocks in

the head. Nightly lancinating pains in the breasts have led to its successful use in cases of

• ▸mammary cancer.
• ▸Petroz used Aster.
• ▸r.
• ▸successfully in old skin affections, old ulcers, and in

cancers. He found that it only acted on the latter when on the /eft side. (I have a case—probably

not cancerous—of tumour of the left breast, diminishing under this remedy; but I have also seen it

act well on the right breast). Sexual desire increased, sexual excitement. A pushing-out sensation

• ▸in womb, impeding walking, recalling Sepia.
• ▸H.
• ▸C.
• ▸Allen mentions it as a remedy for acne

having small puncta with black tips and small red bases. Symptoms are < at night; by motion,

• ▸and in cold, damp weather.
• ▸Tears > the mental state.
• ▸Teste says the malaise is < by heat.
• ▸Great

desire for cold drinks Coffee < all the symptoms, and excites them anew several days after they

• ▸have disappeared.
• ▸Ast.
• ▸r.
• ▸is a very important remedy too seldom used.

Anxious, apprehensive, impatient; easily excited by any emotion, esp.

contradiction.—The slightest cause moves to tears—Has hallucinations: that he is away from

home; hears voices and replies.—Sense of impending misfortune; fears bad news.—Cerebral

excitement in opposite directions: sadness, desire to weep; extraordinary mirth; desire to give

one's self up to intellectual labour, or some violent exercise; slight dulness of the mental

faculties —Delicacy of the moral perceptions.

Sensation of weakness and heaviness, chiefly in the eyes.—Icy coldness of the

feet and hands, with shivering of the whole body, and a lassitude which renders frequent repose

needful; burning sensation, sometimes in one place, sometimes in another, which disappears

when the part is touched, leaving an excessive coldness and numbness (deadness) of one finger;

increased heat in the head, at night, with agitated pulse, and over-excitement of the mental and

physical powers, without thirst.—Nocturnal sleep, heavy and profound, prolonged in the morning

to a later period than usual.

Cannot bear contradiction. Shocks in brain; throbbing; heat in head, as if surrounded by hot air.

Vertigo, decreased on lying down; or else with dragging pains from side to side in the

brain.—Stupidity, and as if the head were paralysed at the occiput, with sensation as though a

vapour ascended there, while walking.—Pressure in the head, with numbness, and the like

sensation in the upper teeth.—Cloudiness, with dull pains in the head.—Constriction in the sides

of the head, attended with giddiness; pressure outwards at the temples.

Ears as if stopped up with cotton.

8, 11. Mouth and Stomach.—Accumulation of water in the mouth, with sensation of dryness on

the tongue; bitter taste, chiefly after every meal.—Eructations, sometimes incomplete, with

uneasiness as from hunger, or without taste, and preceded by borborygmi in the

abdomen.—Extreme hunger before supper, with an afflux of bitter saliva.

Red. Pimples on side of nose, chin and mouth. Disposition to pimples at adolescence.

Red, flushed face.—Transitory or permanent flush in the face.—A sort of stupid,

meaningless expression in the physiognomy.

Swelling of the tongue; pulling pains in the tongue; heaviness of speech, profuse

flow of saliva.

Pressing irritation of the throat.—Dull pain apparently all along the cesophagus.

Loss of appetite; or else a strange and uncertain appetite; aversion to meat;

dulness of taste.

Pullings and pinchings in |. hypochondrium.—Rheumatic shooting pains

externally, esp. in walking, extending to the legs.

• ▸Constipation.
• ▸Ineffectual desire.
• ▸Stool like olives.
• ▸Diarrhoea, watery brown, gushing out in jet.

Obstinate constipation, 12 to 15 days without stool, which was of hard

round substances size of an olive.—Constipation, with ineffectual urging to stool.—Diarrhcea;

liquid, brown-coloured stool, spirting out with force.—Several soft stools in the daytime.—Heat in

the rectum; hemorrhoidal tumour; piles.

Sudden stools, of a kind which cannot be retained, preceded by cutting pains.

17, 18. Respiratory Organs and Chest.—In the larynx a bitter taste, which is not removed even

by vomiting; after supper, an accumulation of a serous liquid in the larynx, tickling in the

trachea, which excites vomiting.—The thoracic viscera are as if loaded; painful pinching in 1.

cavity of the thorax, increased during inspiration; burning lancinations at the exterior of the

chest, on |. side, while sitting down.

Urine frequent, clear, profuse; or else thick and slimy; heat in the urethra

while the urine passes out.

• ▸Colic and other sufferings cease with appearance of flow.
• ▸Breasts swell and pain in breasts; worse left.
• ▸Ulceration with sharp pains, piercing to scapulae.
• ▸Pains down left arm to fingers, worse motion.
• ▸Excitement of sexual instinct with nervous agitation.

Nodes and indurations of mammary gland, dull aching, neuralgic pain in this region (Conium).

Twitching in the womb.—Pushing sensation in the womb.—Sense

of pressure on the inferior organs of the abdomen, which hinders walking; sensation as if the

menses would appear.—Delayed menses.—Unusual dampness of the vagina, which affords a

feeling of ease —Delay of the menses, although the usual colic and other symptoms are present;

these only cease on the appearance of the menses, which are more profuse than

usual.—Excitement of the sexual instinct, every morning in bed; violent and constant desire, with

nervous agitation, and apprehension of not being able to support these painful

• ▸sensations.
• ▸—Lancinating pains in breasts.
• ▸—L.
• ▸breast feels drawn in.
• ▸—Induration (1.
• ▸) and

ulceration.—Swelling of the breasts as when the menses are about to appear.—Itching

spots.—Miliary or furfuraceous eruption between the breasts.

Sexual desire increased; erotic thoughts.—Frequent erections during

sleep or in the morning.

• ▸Breasts swollen, indurated.
• ▸Neuralgia of left breast and arm (Brom).
• ▸Pain under sternum and in muscles of praecordial region.
• ▸Left breast feels as if pulled inward, and pain extends over inner arm to end of little finger.
• ▸Numbness of hand and fingers of left side.
• ▸Cancer mammae even in ulcerative stage. Acute, lancinating pain. Axillary glands swollen hard and knotted.

Whole 1. chest painful, < motion.—Darting pain towards internal part of chest from

before backward, extending under I. nipple into whole internal part of arm to extremity of little

• ▸finger.
• ▸—Stitches in the anterior portion of the chest on the r.
• ▸and |.
• ▸of sternum.
• ▸—Pain under

• ▸sternum.
• ▸—Sensation as if |.
• ▸breast were drawn in.
• ▸—Nightly anxiety, caused by undulating

beatings in the chest.

Palpitation; pulse hard and frequent.—Strong and frequent beating of the heart;

jerking palpitations.—The heart seems to have ceased beating.—Anxiety at the heart.

Sensation of heat in |. thigh; pain, as of a bruise, in the thighs, even while

seated, as also on walking; pressure from within outwards in the knee-joint, in walking, ceasing

during repose, and recurring when again in motion.—Sensation of scraping on I. instep, while

sitting; tearing and burning in |. little toe.

• ▸Destitute of pliability and elasticity.
• ▸Itching spots.
• ▸Ulcers, with fetid ichor.
• ▸Acne.
• ▸Psoriasis and herpes zoster worse left arm and chest.
• ▸Enlarged axillary glands, worse, at night and in damp weather.

• ▸Itch.
• ▸—Tetters.
• ▸—Ulcers with sensitive edges, fetid discharge.
• ▸—Acne, black-tipped

puncta, small red bases.—Dry, harsh skin, earthy appearance.

Astragalus Menziesii.

• ▸A.
• ▸Menziesii, Gray.
• ▸N.
• ▸O.
• ▸Leguminose.
• ▸Tincture of leaves.

• ▸Head, confused.
• ▸Headache.
• ▸Indigestion.
• ▸Vertigo.

Characteristics—This medicine has been very little employed. It was proved by Franz, and has

produced some peculiar symptoms. There is a dull, befogged condition of brain, recalling.,

Cthusa, "Fool's parsley." A stupefaction and confusion rises like a vapour from the lower part of

the occiput; on motion and walking. Vertigo > lying. Pressure and numbness of head and upper

teeth. Pressure on one eyeball from below upward. Bitter taste and bitter mucus in air passages.

Icy coldness of feet and hands. Sleep heavy and profound, prolonged in the morning to later

period than usual.

Antidotes: Plumb; Zinc.

Compare: Conium; Carbo; Ars; Condurango.

Incompatible: Nux; Coffea.

Sixth potency.

Gait unsteady; muscles refuse to obey the will. Epilepsy; preceded by twitching over whole body.