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