Nux Moschata - General symptoms - Nash

GENERAL

General

Stupor insensibility, unconquerable sleep; sleepy with most all complaints.

Excessive dryness of the tongue, mouth, lips and throat; no thirst.

And worse cold damp weather, getting wet, or washing; after eating (bloating); better in room, dry weather.

Changeable humor; one moment laughing, the next crying.

The nutmeg, though frequently used for its peculiar flavor in common cookery, is nevertheless a powerful poison, hence a valuable remedy.

The mind and sensorium are profoundly affected by it, as shown by the following characteristic symptoms "Stupor and insensibility and unconquerable sleep." Again "Vanishing of thought while talking, reading, or writing." Again. "Weakness or loss of memory." Again, "Fitful mood, changing from deepest sorrow to frolicsome behavior; now grave, now gay." Again, "Absence of mind, cannot think.

The effect upon the brain, while producing a sleepiness and dulness almost equal to that of Opium, is of an entirely different character, the Opium being seemingly due to fullness of the blood-vessels and pressure, while that of Nux Vomica ^Nux moschata seems to be a benumbing of the very nerve substance itself.

All three of these remedies in bowel complaints of children have this symptom in common, but it is not hard to choose between them.

Another very characteristic symptom of Nux Moschata is excessive dryness of the mouth.

Mouth so dry that the tongue sticks to the roof, yet no thirst. The tongue, lips and throat are all dry.

Of course, there are other remedies having this dryness without thirst, such as Apis Mel ^Apis, Pulsatilla ^Pulsatilla and Lachesis ^Lachesis, but in this respect Nux Vomica ^Nux moschata is the strongest.

Then again Nux Vomica ^Nux moschata is greatly troubled with flatulence.

The abdomen is enormously distended, especially after meals.

Where are two remedies which have pain and distress in the stomach immediately after eating, even when the patient is still at the table.

They are Nux Vomica ^Nux mos. and Kali Bich ^{Kali bichromicum}.

With Nux Vomica ^{Nux vomica} and Anacardium Occidentale ^Anacardium the pain comes on an hour or two after eating.

With Nux Vomica ^Nux mos., everything they eat seems to turn to wind (Kali Carb ^{Kali carb}, Iodium ^Iodine), and fills the stomach and abdomen so full as to cause pressure upon all of the organs of the chest and abdomen.

Again there is diarrhoea with Nux Moschata.

It is very efficacious in cholera infantum, when the above mentioned sensorial symptoms are present.

On account of the stupidity, the yellow watery diarrhoea, and rumbling and bloating of the abdomen, I thought surely Acid Phos ^{Phosphoric acid} must help; but it did not.

I finally discovered the excessive dryness of the mouth, which had escaped my attention before.

Nux Moschata completed the picture of Nux Vomica ^Nux moschata.

Under the action of the 200th potency, the patient rapidly improved unto complete recovery.

So we must "watch out" when the seemingly indicated remedy does not cure, for it may not be Sulphur ^Sulphur, Opium, Laurocerasus ^Laurocerasus or Psorinum ^Psorinum that will have to be given, as we said when writing on Opium and Sulphur ^Sulphur; but we have not, no matter what the "seemings," chosen the homoeopathic remedy at all, and, as in this case, some symptom may appear that will change the prescription entirely.

Now we will notice in detail the mind and sensorium symptoms that we have given, by way of comparison. I will add to the comparison made between Nux Moschata and Antimonium Tartaricum ^{Antimonium Tart}. and Opium, Apis Mel ^{Apis mellifica}, which has soporous sleep; but it is interrupted by piercing screams, especially in brain diseases, where the sopor is generally found. None of the other remedies have these screams (cri encephalique) so prominently. "Vanishing of thought while talking, reading or writing" may find their similar under Camphora ^Camphor, Cannabis Indica and Lachesis ^Lachesis. "Loss of memory" under many remedies, but notably under Anacardium Occidentale ^Anacardium, Lycopodium ^Lycopodium, Bryonia ^Bryonia alb., Sulphur ^Sulphur and Nat Mur ^{Natrum muriaticum}. The "fitful, changing moods and disposition" is found under Aconite ^Aconite, Ignatia ^Ignatia, Crocus Sativus ^Crocus and Platinum Metallicum ^Platina. "Absence of mind," Anacardium Occidentale ^Anacardium, Kreosotum ^Kreosote, Lachesis ^Lachesis, Nat Mur ^{Natrum mur}. and Merc Viv ^Mercurius. I notice that those remedies that are oftenest similar to Nux Vomica ^Nux moschata in its mind and other symptoms are often found among the so-called hysteric remedies. And why not? For Nux Vomica ^Nux moschata is one of our best in this hydra-headed complaint. Taking together all of the symptoms we have been over, and adding to them that other one, "easy fainting," where can you find a more complete general picture of the average hysteric? I will not use more space here for Nux Moschata, but recommend to every careful student, and practitioner, who does not already understand it, a careful study of this certainly valuable drug. That it has not received the use in practice that it should is due, I have no doubt, to the fact that it is used so frequently in foods, that many think it cannot be much of a remedy.