Spigelia

Afraid of sharp, pointed things, pins, needles, etc.

• ▸Pain beneath frontal eminence and temples, extending to eyes (Onos).
• ▸Semi-lateral, involving left eye; pain violent, throbbing; worse, making a false step.
• ▸Pain as if a band around head (Carbol ac; Cact; Gels).
• ▸Vertigo, hearing exalted.

• ▸Feel too large; pressive pain on turning them.
• ▸Pupils dilated; photophobia; rheumatic ophthalmia.
• ▸Severe pain in and around eyes, extending deep into socket.
• ▸Ciliary neuralgia, a true neuritis.

Forepart of nose always dry; discharge through posterior nares chronic catarrh, with post-nasal dropping of bland mucus.

Prosopalgia, involving eye, zygoma, cheek, teeth, temple, worse, stooping, touch, from morning until sunset.

• ▸Tongue fissured, painful.
• ▸Tearing toothache; worse, after eating and cold.
• ▸Foul odor from mouth.
• ▸Offensive taste.

Itching and crawling. Frequent ineffectual urging to stool. Ascarides.

• ▸Violent palpitation.
• ▸Praecordial pain and great aggravation from movement.
• ▸Frequent attacks of palpitation, especially with foul odor from mouth.
• ▸Pulse weak and irregular.
• ▸Pericarditis, with sticking pains, palpitation, dyspnoea.
• ▸Neuralgia extending to arm or both arms.
• ▸Angina pectoris.
• ▸Craving for hot water which relieves.
• ▸Rheumatic carditis, trembling pulse; whole left side sore.
• ▸Dyspnoea; must lie on right side with head high.

Chilliness on the slightest motion.

Compare: Spigelia Marylandica (maniacal excitement, paroxysmal laughing and crying, loud, disconnected talking, vertigo, dilated pupils, congestions); Acon; Cact; Cimicif; Arnica (Spigela is a chronic Arnica); Cinnab (supra-orbital pain); Naja; Spong (heart);

Sabad; Teucr; Cina (worm symptoms).

Antidote: Pulsat.

Sixth to thirtieth potency for neuralgic symptoms; second to third potency for inflammatory symptoms.

Spigelia is especially known by its pains. It is indicated in persons

who are debilitated from taking cold and who have become rheumatic,

run down, victims of pain. Hardly a nerve in the body escapes ;

shooting, burning, tearing, neuralgic pains ; they are most marked

about the eyes and jaws, neck, face, teeth, shoulders, burning like hot

needles through the face and neck in any direction, stitching, tearing,

worse from motion, from doing anything, even thinking, mental exertion, worse from eating. Pains in the neck and shoulders arc better

from heat ; those about the eyes are better from cold.

Shooting, tearing pains in the extremities like hot wires. Sometimes the pains are worse from lying down, but most commonly better

from keeping still ; worse from light, eating, motion, jarring ; so sore

in the painful region that any gentle exercise like going up or down

stairs, or riding in a carriage that jars, makes the pain unbearable*

The Spigelia patient is sensitive to cold, to atmospheric changes, he

is a rheumatic patient, but the nerves are attacked by neuralgia.

Violent pains about the eyes. Routine practice limits the use of the

remedy to this region. Worse from hard pressure though sometimes

better from it, if gentle and prolonged, firm pressure, but any movement of the pressing hand aggravates. The part is turgesced and

inflamed. Eyes red and engorged.

Neuralgic affections of the muscles of the chest. Many of the

Spigelia pains in the chest are attributed to the heart, but there is intercostal neuralgia ; tearing pains shooting into the shoulders and neck,

especially the left side and down the arm. Pains shooting hither and

thither.

Irregularity of the heart. Painful complaints associated with valvular troubles, especially growing out of rheumatism. Pericarditis

and endocarditis of rheumatic character. Thrusting pains in the chest

like a knife, in the eye like a knife.

This remedy needs further proving, its mental symptoms are scarcely

known. "‘Weak memory ; disinclination to work ; restless and anxious,

solicitude about the future ; gloomy, suicidal mood : afraid of pointed

things, pins, etc. ; easily irritated or offended.'' This is all that is

thought worthy of admission into the Guiding Symptoms, showing

that the mental state has not been well brought out.

Many complaints are manifested in^the morning ; tired in the morning and full of tearing pains. '•

Old anicmic subjects where there has been a transfer of the complaints to the nerves ; broken down, pallid, nervous, with neuralgia,

palpitation, irregular pulse. Vertigo on rising ; gets up with violent

pains and dizziness. So nervous that she must “fly,” full of excitement, cannot keep still, cannot keep control of herself.

Pulsating and stitching in the head ; sometimes better lying with the

head high ; worse from stooping, motion, and from noise. Sometimes

better from washing in cold water when the pain is about the eyes and

head, but worse after washing ; better while the cold water is applied.

With these headaches and neuralgias there is stiff neck and shoulders,

an apparent stiffness in that he cannot move on account of pain. He

sits in a chair as if transfixed, is aggravated from noise, light, from

seeing things move in the room, which he must follow with his eyes.

*‘Fine burning, tearing pains in the brain." It seems to be in the brain^

but is more likely in the nerves of the scalp. “Violent pain in the left

parietal bone on motion or walking or making a misstep ; toward evening — ^violent pressure and pressing outward in the forehead, worse

from stooping, worse from pressure with the hand ; tensive tearing

pain in the forehead, especially beneath the frontal eminence, extend-