Lacticum Acidum

Lactic acid "was discovered by Scheele in sour milk, the result of the

spontaneous fermentation of sugar of milk, under the influence of casein. It is also met with in

many vegetable products which have turned sour" (Hering). Reisig introduced it into

homeceopathy. It has been proved in both the lower and higher attenuations, but many valuable

• ▸observations have been made on patients taking substantial doses for diabetes (C.
• ▸D.
• ▸P.
• ▸).
• ▸In these

cases the symptoms of rheumatic fever were directly traced to the acid. Pain, swelling, and

• ▸stiffness and tenderness of joints < by motion (as with Bry.
• ▸, which antidotes Lact.
• ▸ac.
• ▸), and

flying pains about limbs. One prover had pain along the right sciatic nerve. The well-known

effects of milk that has soured on the stomach and remained undigested were produced—nausea,

vomiting, burning and sense of weight; and these have all proved useful indications in the

homeopathic use of the drug. Diabetes is the affection for which it has been most given in old-

school practice; but it has also proved of great power in this affection in the homceopathic

attenuations. Nash regards the concomitance of rheumatic pains as the chief guiding symptom

• ▸here.
• ▸(In Med.
• ▸Adv.
• ▸, xxi.
• ▸508 he records a case of diabetes, with rheumatic fever supervening,

• ▸cured with Lact.
• ▸ac.
• ▸200.
• ▸) But nausea is no less a guide: Constant nausea; nausea on awaking

before rising; > by eating. This may occur in diabetes; or it may occur in pregnancy. It is also an

indication when occurring in rheumatism. There is > by eructations; and < by smoking. Smoking

• ▸<eructations.
• ▸Copious foot-sweat is a feature of Lact.
• ▸ac.
• ▸, but it is not offensive.
• ▸It is suited to

anzemic, pale women. Large doses disagreed with melancholic, choleric constitution, dark hair

and eyes.

Vertigo: when turning head suddenly; with heat, on rising; on stooping; at

night.—Congestion of head; painless, with strong pulsation of vessels of neck.—Headache, with

sensation of fulness in vertex.—Dull pain in forehead, just over eyes, and extending into

eyes.—Pain in head and back all night.—Pain in occiput, and alternating between there and

forehead.

Sensation of fulness in eyes, with headache.—Eyes feel as if they would

• ▸burst.
• ▸—Photophobia.
• ▸—Jerking of 1.
• ▸upper lid.
• ▸—Marked protrusion of eyes; pupils dilated; eyes

feels tired —Hyperesthesia of retina, steady aching in and behind eyeball.

Disturbed and troubled by noise.—Roaring in I. ear on rising in afternoon; singing,

snapping in |. ear.—Pain from parotids into ear; stiff feeling in parotids.

Great sensitiveness of smell.—Nose-bleed every morning.—Severe coryza, stopped

nose, sneezing, thick mucus from head to throat, yellow; dead sweet taste.

Dryness and redness of upper part of pharynx.—Increased redness and soreness of

upper part of pharynx, < at night, causing difficulty of deglutition, obliging her to bend the head

forwards on swallowing, so as to favour it, otherwise a pain runs up to ears.—Great dryness of

upper part of pharynx in the morning; difficult deglutition; yellow mucus, with a sickish sweet

taste; throat < night and morning; at night had to take hold of throat to assist in swallowing.

Constriction in pharynx. Sore throat with tightness in naso-pharynx. Tickling in throat.

Nausea. Uncontrollable vomiting even of water followed by extreme weakness.

Appetite impaired.—Voracious appetite and great thirst—Eructations of hot, acrid

fluid, which burns from stomach to throat.—Food sours.—Eructations of burning, hot gas from

stomach, causing a profuse secretion of tenacious mucus, which must be constantly hawked up;

< by smoking tobacco.—Burning and weight in stomach.—Constant nausea; persisting for

days.—Nausea on rising in morning.—Nausea after breakfast; not severe, but very

persistent.—Nausea with waterbrash or vomiting.—Sensation as if all food were lodged under

upper end of sternum, which oppresses and distresses her for hours.

Aching pain in anus.—Soft, mushy stool; diarrhocea—Greenish yellow

stools with tenesmus.—Very costive, stool once a week, hard, black.

Menses seven days too soon.—Menses profuse; cramps in and

above region of navel, bending her double; during the cramps was very cold, and, although well

clothed, could not get warm; painful, frequent, and profuse diarrhoea; Arsen. stopped the pains

and the menses; Lac vac. deflor. restored the menses, and they ceased naturally; since then,

albuminous leucorrheea, like white of egg, if she walks much, or is on her feet much.—Sexual

desire easily excited when the hand touches the bosom.

Soreness of end of prepuce, as if there were longitudinal cracks there,

though none could be discovered.

Hoarseness after singing. —Sensation of shallow breathing; has to take

a deep respiration to relieve.

• ▸Tired feeling in back and neck and shoulders.
• ▸Paralytic weakness.
• ▸Wrist tires easily from writing.
• ▸Extreme weakness from climbing stairs.
• ▸Stiffness of thigh and calves.
• ▸Arms feel as if no strength in them.
• ▸Cramp in the calves.

Pain in small of back, extending into shoulders.—Sore aching in lower part

of back; < when walking.

Rheumatic pain in shoulders—Rheumatic swelling with redness and pain in

wrists and elbows, wrists, and small joints of hands.

Rigidity on posterior side of lower legs, just below knees, while walking;

very unpleasant, but not painful.

Itching of body above pubes and hips, on abdomen, chest, and back, without eruption.

Horrible dreams; saw a dead person in a coffin; slept and dreamed the same dreams;

feels stupid; does not care to speak.—Wakefulness, without restlessness.—Drowsy and sleepy;

head feels heavy.—Constant talking during sleep.

• ▸Cold and chilly at times.
• ▸—Flashes of heat.
• ▸—Chilly, mostly on limbs.
• ▸—Copious

perspiration.—Unusual perspiration of feet.

Lactis Vaccini Flos.

Cream. Attenuations by Swan's fluctional potentiser.

• ▸Diphtheria.
• ▸Leucorrhoea.
• ▸Menorrhagia.
• ▸Throat, sore.

Characteristics—Many persons can take cream who cannot tolerate milk, and vice versa,

therefore Swan decided to prove the different parts of milk independently. He proved his 200th

(which, according to Skinner's calculation, is not the same as the 200 centesimal, being

duplicated instead of centupled at each remove) on himself and Miss Mary P. As with the other

Lac preparations, a large number of the symptoms were manifested in the throat and female

sexual organs. Dry throat and extreme difficulty of swallowing. Menses profuse and

accompanied by cramps.

• ▸Compare: Lac c.
• ▸, Lac f.
• ▸, Lac v.
• ▸, Lac v.
• ▸coag.
• ▸, Lac v.
• ▸def.
• ▸Ars.
• ▸stopped abruptly the

excessive menses and accompanying pain; Lac v. def. restored the flow, and then they ceased

naturally.

Sixth to 30th potency. The 15x most marked action (Griggs).

• ▸Tired feeling with muscular prostration, worse any exertion.
• ▸Sore feeling all over, worse in afternoon.
• ▸Restless at night.
• ▸Difficulty in getting to sleep.
• ▸Tired feeling in morning on getting up.

(SARCOLACTIC ACID)

• ▸Is apparently formed in muscle tissue during the stage of muscle exhaustion.
• ▸Differs from ordinary Lactic acid in its relation to polarized light.
• ▸It represents a much broader and more profoundly acting drug and its pathogenesis is quite dissimilar from the normal acid.
• ▸Proved by Wm.
• ▸B.
• ▸Griggs, M.
• ▸D, who found it of great value in the most violent form of Epidemic influenza, especially with violent and retching and greatest prostration, when Arsenic had failed.
• ▸Spinal neurasthenia, muscular weakness, dyspnoea with myocardial weakness.

Severe, sharp pains in joints.—Acute pains in joints; flying pains about

limbs.—Joints swollen, not tender, stiff—AII pains < by movement.