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Asterias Rubens

Clarke - Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica · John Henry Clarke · 8,611 chars · source ↗

All books on Asterias Rubens → Antidoted byPlumbumZincum Metallicum
General

Asterias Rubens.

Star-fish. N. O. Radiata. Tincture of fish.

Clinical

Acne. Apoplexy. Cancer. Constipation. Convulsions. Epilepsy. Headache. Heart, affections of. Hysteria. Salivation. Sycosis. Tongue, paralysis of; swelling of. Ulcers. Uterus, affections of.

Characteristics

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 left 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.

Relations

Antidoted by: Plumb., Zn. Compare: Murex, Sepia; Astac. fl., Homarus; Erythrinus; Crot., Grat., Gamb., jatrop., Thuj., Bell., Lil. t. Follows well: Bell., Carb. an., Con., Silic., Sul., Calc. Incompatible: Coffee, Nux v. (Ipec. relieved after Nux v. aggravated.) Teste includes Aster. r. in the Sulphur group of antipsorics.

Mind

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.

Head

Vertigo, transient, when walking, with insensibility of lower limbs

Heat of head as if surrounded with hot air

Sudden sensation of fulness in the head, as if congested

Rush of blood to the head, as if it would burst

Throbbings

Sensation of confusion in the brain

Wakes at night as if brain shaken with electric shocks; fears apoplexy

Cerebral congestions accompanying obstinate constipation

Severe pressure in forehead seemed to crush eyes with heavy weight

Boring pain along l. eye (with dimness of sight) comes and goes suddenly; causes contraction of brows

Pain in occiput, r. side, making it difficult to walk

Dull occipital headache (after breakfast) coming and going suddenly

Bones of skull and scalp sore

Fulness of the head, whose sides seem to swell out; stitches in the r. temple; passing stitches in the forehead, temples, and esp. in the occiput; transitory pains in r. parietal region; pressive pains in forehead or sinciput, which passes off towards noon

A sort of emptiness in the head; the consciousness is almost lost; thoughts about apoplexy; this sensation, which lasts a few minutes, is followed by fever, with a hard, quick pulse, violent beating in the r. carotid; these symptoms continue until the end of the following day

The cerebral symptoms come on in the morning, cease in the daytime, and come on again in the evening.

Eyes

Heat and redness in the eyes, weary look, difficulty of bearing the light

Eyes are drawn backwards

Winking of the eyelids, the free margin of which is red.

Ears

Lightning-like stitches in the meatus auditorius

Violent reports in the ears; noise in the ears as from waves

Dulness of hearing in the r. ear.

Nose

Epistaxis; sneezing and coryza in the morning on waking.

Face

Red, flushed face

Transitory or permanent flush in the face

A sort of stupid, meaningless expression in the physiognomy.

Teeth

Acute and pressing stitches in the upper teeth.

Mouth

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

Throat

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

Appetite

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

Stomach

Frequent eructations; dull or constrictive pain at the precordial region.

Abdomen

Shocks of dull pain in the r. side of abdomen and near umbilicus

Incarcerated wind

Violent colic, with shuddering, alternating with flushes of heat in the face

Alternate swelling and sinking of the abdomen during the twenty-four hours

Pulling in the abdominal walls.

Stool And Anus

Obstinate constipation, 12 to 15 days without stool, which was of hard round substances size of an olive

Constipation, with ineffectual urging to stool

Diarrhoea; liquid, brown-coloured stool, spirting out with force

Several soft stools in the daytime

Heat in the rectum; haemorrhoidal tumour; piles.

Urinary Organs

Urine frequent, clear, profuse; or else thick and slimy; heat in the urethra while the urine passes out.

Male Sexual Organs

Sexual desire increased; erotic thoughts.—Frequent erections during sleep or in the morning.

Female Sexual Organs

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 (l.) and ulceration

Swelling of the breasts as when the menses are about to appear

Itching spots

Miliary or furfuraceous eruption between the breasts.

Chest

Whole l. chest painful, < motion

Darting pain towards internal part of chest from before backward, extending under l. nipple into whole internal part of arm to extremity of little finger

Stitches in the anterior portion of the chest on the r. and l. of sternum

Pain under sternum

Sensation as if l. breast were drawn in

Nightly anxiety, caused by undulating beatings in the chest.

Heart

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.

Neck And Back

Scrofulous ulcer l. neck.—Pulling in the back and sacrum.

Upper Limbs

Axillary glands swollen hard and knotted

Uneasiness in the upper extremities

Pain extending from thumb to the shoulder-joint

Numbness of hands, with coldness of the arm

Lancinating pain at l. elbow; circular red spot at the l. elbow, which becomes covered with a furfuraceous, dry, and friable layer

Considerable itching around the nail of the l. thumb.

Lower Limbs

Lassitude and great weakness of the lower extremities

Pain in the l. hip

Burning stitches in the great trochanter and the coxo-femoral articulation of the l. side

Stitches at the fore part of the thigh

Pain in the joints of the foot

Painful pulling in the sole of the foot

Gouty pain in the joint formed by the l. big toe with the first metatarsal bone; redness and heat of the skin at this place

Violent, very unpleasant itching at the thighs and legs, < towards six o'clock, evening, in open air

Eruptions on the thighs and insteps, consisting of small, itching vesicles, which tear easily and change to small, burning, large and superficial ulcers, lasting several days before cicatrising.

Generalities

Night aggravation.—Cancer pains.—Shocks in head.—Sycosis.—Flabby lymphatic constitutions.—Complaints < in cold, damp weather.

Skin

Itch

Tetters

Ulcers with sensitive edges, fetid discharge

Acne, black-tipped puncta, small red bases

Dry, harsh skin, earthy appearance.