Spongia Tosta - General symptoms

GENERAL

General

Spongia officinalis, Linn.

Animal kingdom.

Sub-kingdom, Coelenterata.

Class, Spongia.

Preparation, Tincture prepared by digesting 20 grains of powdered sponge, which has been roasted brown (in a manner similar to Coffea Tosta ^{coffea tosta}), with 400 drops of Alcohol.

In the afternoon, headache in the occiput like a heaviness and stitch, whenever he turned the head, with heat of the face, hands, and feet, and chilliness of the rest of the body, and inclination to coryza.

with weakness of the body and bitterness in the mouth.

in the evening after undressing shaking chill, and a quarter of an hour afterwards, in bed, heat over the whole body, except on the thighs, which were numb and chilly.

at night, sweat,.

The coffee (she is accustomed to take for breakfast) has a bitter and disgusting taste.

dinner tastes well (second day).

taste like Glycerin, from the ninth day until the nineteenth, then suddenly changing to that of fresh nuts.

also desire for dainties.

these symptoms disappeared after one drop of 30th attenuation of Saccharum Lactis ^{Saccharum lactis},.

Very short sleep, with many dreams, four nights in succession.

he woke about midnight, but could not fall asleep again on account of uneasiness, since, till morning, he only needed to close his eyes to be wide awake.

the most vivid images passed before him.

at one time it seemed as if a battery were discharged.

at another, everything was enveloped in flames.

at another. scientific subjects crowded upon his mind.

in short, numerous subjects were mingled in his fancy, which immediately disappeared on opening his eyes, but returned on closing them,.

Fever. in the morning, first pain in the head and abdomen, followed by violent shaking chill, with cold blue hands and some thirst.

afterwards, while lying down, a dry burning heat, with some thirst and much restless slumbering, for thirty-six hours.

throughout the night, while awake and moving, nausea and vertigo.

at intervals of twelve hours slight perspiration, when from time to time the heat moderated.

afterwards, tearing and sticking in the left eye and left cheek, and eruption on the lips,.

After moderate motion in the open air she suddenly became weak and sank upon a chair.

with great anxiety, nausea, paleness of the face, short sighing respiration, with surging of the heart into the chest, as if it would force out upward.

with involuntary closing of the eyes, almost spasmodic, and forcing out of tears from between the closed lashes.

she was conscious, but unable to make the will act upon the body,.

A remedy especially marked in the symptoms of the respiratory organs, cough, croup, etc. Heart affections and often indicated for the tubercular diathesis. Children with fair complexion, lax fiber; swollen glands. Exhaustion and heaviness of the body after slight exertion, with orgasm of blood to chest, face. anxiety and difficult breathing.

FLABBY

Weak and heavy

Feels stuffed up

Orgasms

Hard swellings; glands (ductless)

Terrified, anxious look Eyes seem to protrude

Sorethroat, worse sweets

Painfully swelled spermatic cord and testes; stitches in; squeezing in

Hard testes

Noisy, whistling inspiration on falling to sleep

SUFFOCATION; as from a plug, leaf or valve in larynx; waking him; with violent, painful palpitation and blue lips; with heavy sweat

Anxious, gasping breathing HOLLOW BARKING, CROWING, SAWING OR TIGHT CROUPY COUGH; wakes child; then burning in chest; worse cold drinks or excitement; better eating

Voice gives out

Croup; sudden

HOARSENESS

Larynx pains, worse touch, singing, talking or swallowing; he grasps it

Diphtheria

Neck; as if a cord about

Choking on falling to sleep

Goitre

Fulness in chest

Apical phthisis

HEART; surgings mount up to neck, head and face; with closure of eyelids and tears

Palpitation Goitre-heart

Valvular disease

Numb fingertips or lower half of body

Awakes in anxiety

Heat; in spells, with anxiety and cardiac pain, would rather die; and sudden weakness after walking in open air, he must lie down; with cold, moist thighs; worse thinking of it

Common Sponge, roasted. N. O. Coelenterata. Tincture (20 grains in 400 drops of alcohol).

Aneurism. Angina pectoris. Asthma. Catalepsy. Chin, affections of. Clumsiness. Constipation. Cough. Croup. Diplopia. Exophthalmos. Fainting. Goître.

exophthalmic. Heart, hypertrophy of. Hernia. Jaw-joint, pain in. Laryngismus. Laryngitis. Myopia. Rheumatic fever. Rheumatism. Testicles, inflammation of. Tuberculosis. Varicosis. Whooping-cough. Worms.

According to Hahnemann, Toasted Sponge was first mentioned as a specific for goître by Arnald von Villanova in the thirteenth century; but it was generally given mixed with other substances, and had fallen into disuse when Hahnemann proved it.

The virtues of Spongia have been attributed to the Iodium ^Iodine contained in it, and partially liberated by the presence of roasting.

But Spongia contains many other elements besides Iodium ^Iodine, and it has a distinctive action of its own.

It is antipodal to Iodium ^Iod. in this respect, that it is best Suited to blue-eyed, fair-haired patients, whereas Iodium ^Iod. acts best on brunettes. Spongia Tosta ^Spo. is suited to scrofulous affections, and is often indicated with women of lax fibre, and children.

One of the keynotes of Spongia Tosta ^Spo. is Dryness of mucous membrane─of tongue, pharynx, larynx, trachea.

Cough is caused by dryness.

The cough itself is dry, intensely hacking, crowing, "dry as a bone," or sounding like a saw being driven through a pine board.

The sputa cannot be raised, must be swallowed, swallowing amel.

In laryngismus there is contraction of larynx as if suddenly grasped.

With the dyspnoea there is terrible sinking; he seems to be sinking down in a pit.

The larynx is sensitive, but has not the hyperaesthesia of Lachesis ^Lach.

Like Lachesis ^Lach. Spongia Tosta ^Spo. has agg. after sleep.

Rouses up in sleep as if in a great fright.

Cough is excited by talking; by dry, cold winds; amel. by eating or drinking; by swallowing; especially amel. by warm food.

Sweets agg. Spo meets some cases of true tuberculosis; of larynx; of apices, with commencing solidification; tubercles spreading downwards.

Congestion of chest coming on when the patient is moving about with sudden weakness as if he would fall.

Rawness in the chest is another note of Spongia Tosta ^Spo. The action of Spongia Tosta ^Spo. on the respiratory organs is closely connected with its action on the glandular system, the lymphatics, the thyroid, and testes are indurated.

The blood, heart, and veins are also involved, and with the protruding eyes a perfect picture of exophthalmic goître is produced.

Hypertrophy of the heart is frequently met by Spongia Tosta ^Spo., and it is especially indicated when the right heart is affected and when asthmatic symptoms are associated with it. Spongia Tosta ^Spo. meets some cases of croupous deposit on the valves of the heart as it does croup of the larynx.

The Spongia Tosta ^Spo. patient in phthisical and other conditions is subject to frequent flashes of heat.

The chill commences usually across the back.

He shakes near a warm stove.

The heat which follows extends over the whole body except the thighs, which remain numb and chilly.

In the heart affections the patient is aroused from sleep as if smothering; sits up in bed with an anxious look, flushed face, and hard, rapid breathing.

Kent (M. A., xxv. 17) gives this indication "Rheumatic fever after having been over-heated, with arising heart complications." Nash gives this keynote of Spongia Tosta ^Spo. in valvular diseases "Awakes out of sleep from a sense of suffocation, with violent, loud cough, great alarm, agitation, anxiety, and difficult respiration." He says it is better than Lachesis ^Lach. here.

and relieves the "dry, chronic, sympathetic cough of organic heart disease" more frequently and more permanently than Naja Tripudia ^Naja.

Spo meets also thickening of joints after rheumatic fever.

In orchitis, with heaviness and screw-like squeezing pain in cord and testicle, Spo is the chief remedy, though others are generally needed before that stage is reached.

Timidity, fear, and terror are leading mental symptoms.

Any excitement and thinking of symptoms agg.

Peculiar Sensations are As if head would fall to one side.

As if tipsy. As if all her blood were mounting to head.

As if skull would burst.

As if hair were standing on end.

Eyes as if twisted around.

As if a battery of guns were discharged in ears.

Stitches as if passing through tympanum.

Nodule in concha as if it would gather and break.

Jaw as if dislocated. As if eruption were to appear near chin.

Left side of chin as if ulcerated.

As if something had got jammed between teeth in chewing.

As if gums and teeth were swollen, the latter being lifted.

Outside of throat as if something were being pressed out.

As of a plug in throat.

As if he had drunk a great deal of luke-warm water, relaxation of stomach, and oesophagus.

Pit of stomach as if growing together.

Stomach as if standing open.

Of obstruction in abdomen (and in trachea).

As if something alive moving in abdomen.

As if something alive beneath skin of abdomen.

As if diarrhoea would ensue.

As of a plug in larynx.

As if a stopper or valve were in larynx.

As of a nail pressing in larynx.

As if larynx and trachea were removed.

As if she would suffocate.

As if child could not get breath.

As if breathing through a sponge.

As if chest would burst.

Chest as if sore and bloody.

As of a large accumulation and weight at chest.

As if a broad body armed with points were pressing upward.

As if a weight were dragging down on chest.

As if she had something hot inside chest.

As if blood would burst out of chest.

As if cervical glands were swelling.

As if skin of neck were compressed between fingers.

As if air were passing up and down thyroid and cervical glands.

Thyroid gland as if hardened.

As if everything were shaking and moving about in goître.

As if goître were alive.

As if a pointed instrument were thrust into scapulae.

As if bones of forearm were being pressed together.

As if parts in and between wrists were weakened by decay.

As if a muscle were too short in upper end of thigh.

As if knees would give way.

As if weight hanging on lower end of tibia As of pins in heels.

As if she were going to faint.

As if everything were in flames.

As if sweat would break out.

There is excitement of the nerves; tendency to start; twitching of muscles, with fever.

Stiff without ability to move. "Conscious but unable to act on her limbs" (as in a cataleptic state).

Clumsiness of body. Faint when losing her breath.

Feeling of numbness of lower half of body. agg.

When thinking of her symptoms.

Complaints extend downwards; from within out; from right to left.

There are cramp-like pains.

Bitter taste in throat.

Aversion to tobacco.

Desire for dainties (but sweets agg.).

The symptoms are agg. by touch and pressure.

Scratching does not amel. biting itching. agg.

Motion; walking; stooping; rising; raising arms (becomes faint); talking; singing.

Bending forward amel. dyspnoea; agg. symptoms of circulation. amel.

Descending. amel. Resting in horizontal position.

Lying with head low agg.

Lying right side agg. agg.

At night. Before midnight croup agg.; dry sound of breathing and cough sleepless until midnight.

After midnight wakes with palpitation with suffocation. agg.

Warm room. amel. Warm food or drink.

Frosty weather amel. cough.

Dry, cold weather amel. headache.

Cold weather = coryza.

Cold air agg. cough. agg.

Sudden changes of atmosphere. agg.

At full moon. agg. Periodically; every night.

Eating and drinking amel. cough; drinking = cough. agg.

Sweets. agg. After sleep.

Common Sponge, roasted. Hahnemann. Spongida.

*

When a remedy produces the anxiety, fear, and dyspnoea found in Spongia, it will most likely turn out to be a cardiac remedy, unless these conditions are connected with irritation and inflammatory diseases of the brain.

Wakens at night in great fear and it is some time before he can rationalize his surroundings (Aesculus ^Aesc., Lycopodium ^Lyc., Sambucus Nigra ^Samb., Lachesis ^Lach., Phosphorus ^Phos., and Carbo Veg ^{Carbo veg}.).

It is much deeper in its action than Aconite ^Aconite Its cardiac diseases tend to develop slowly, with actual tissue changes, enlargement of the heart, it takes on a steady growth and the valves become changed, do not fit, hence, there are blowing and whizzing sounds, regurgitation with the mental symptoms. The two are similar in croup, but Spongia is deeper, slower in onset, taking several days for its development.

First there is roughness and dryness of the mucous membranes, sneezing. Both remedies have croup before midnight with dry, hoarse, barking cough, sawing respiration and dry air passages.

They are so similar that when Aconite ^Aconite only partially controls the condition and it returns the next night, or lasts on beyond midnight, Spongia becomes its natural follower. Spongia comes in because it was probably the remedy in the beginning.

Cases that grow worse each succeeding night, hoarse barking and crowing before midnight, though it also has a croup after midnight. It is a deep-acting remedy though its complaints sometimes come on suddenly.

Hep Sulph Calc ^Hepar is worse at night and in the morning. And when Aconite ^Aconite has apparently controlled, but the croup returns the next morning, Hep Sulph Calc ^Hepar comes in. Or if it comes on again the next evening with rattling Hep Sulph Calc ^Hepar willalso be suitable.

Dry, with no rattling is Spongia If the child wants to be covered or says that it is chilly, Hep Sulph Calc ^Hepar If it says the room is too warm and kicks the covers off, it needs Calc Carb ^Calc. Sulphur ^sul

The Spongia patient is worse from a warm room, from heat. Wants to be cool like Iodium ^Iodine, but is better from warm drinks, like Arsenicum Album ^Ars., Nux Vomica ^Nux, Lycopodium ^Lyc

Glands The tendency to affect the glands is striking.

As a matter of fact, all the glands are affected; they gradually enlarge and become increasingly hard. Glands that have undergone inflammation and, are increased in size become hard, or they take on hypertrophy.

Hypertrophy of the heart (Kalmia Latifolia ^Kalmia, Sepia ^Sepia, Naja Tripudia ^Naja). Spongia has cured endocarditis, cardiac croup and many other inflammatory diseases of the heart resulting from rheumatism. Hypertrophy of the thyroid, goitre, when the heart is affected and the eyes protruding.

Dryness of the air passages with whistling and wheezing, seldom rattling, must sit up and bend forward.

at times after great dyspnoea, white, tough mucus forms in the air passages, difficult to expectorate.

it comes up and often has to be swallowed (Arnica ^Arn., Causticum ^Caust., Lachesis ^Lach., Kali Carb ^{Kali c}., Kali s., Nux Vomica ^Nux mos., Sepia ^Sep., Staphysagria ^Staph.).

Dyspnoea worse lying down.

There are many headaches. In the occiput, in the forehead, congestive headaches, but most of them are associated with goitre, cardiac affections and asthma; they are due, probably, to sluggish circulation in the brain.

These symptoms are the natural effects of difficult breathing and are, therefore, not essential in the selection of a remedy. As primary symptoms, they would probably indicate Arsenicum Album ^Ars, but when due to cardiac difficulties, they are unimportant.

"Sore throat worse after eating sweet things.

Thyroid gland swollen even with the chin; at night, suffocating spells, barking cough, with stinging in the throat and soreness in the abdomen."

Spongia is the remedy when dyspnoea and cough are relieved by warm food; may be better from warm drinks.

Laryngeal troubles with great hoarseness, in individuals tending towards phthisis, with tubercular heredity, cachectic aspect, weak lungs, but no deposit of tubercle. But all at once hoarseness sets in.

There is a tendency for the larynx to become involved in phthisical patients that need Spongia This patient takes an acute cold and it settles in the larynx with hoarseness. Look out for that patient, for there is a tendency for tubercles to deposit where there is inflammation, and the infiltration instead of being fibrinous may become tubercular. Tendency for the larynx to be first involved in phthisical patients.

In Spongia do not look for the exsudative, but the infiltrative form of croup. Hoarseness with loss of voice, great dryness of the larynx from a cold; coryza, sneezing, the whole chest rings, is as dry as a horn; voice hissing, croupy, nose dry.

There is very little accumulation of mucus, but at a late date ulceration begins and then there may be a copious expectoration of mucus. In proportion to the extent of rattling, Spongia Tosta is decreasingly indicated. Hep Sulph Calc ^Hepar has the coarse rattling with much mucus.

At times an adult takes cold and rawness of the larynx and trachea is the result. On going to bed she is taken with a spasmodic constriction of the larynx.

Laryngismus stridulous is commonly found in women. Ignatia ^Ign., Gelsemium Sempervirens ^Gels., Laurocerasus ^Lauroc. and Spongia. Ignatia ^Ign. and Gelsemium Sempervirens ^Gels willcure eight out of ten cases.

The larynx is sensitive to touch in croup, etc., like Phosphorus ^Phos

Dry, spasmodic cough, troublesome cough; cold things taken into the stomach aggravate. (Veratr isbetter from cold water, but the cough is worse.) If the room becomes too warm, there is a dry, tickling, teasing, croupy spasmodic cough.

In cardiac and asthmatic troubles it resembles Lachesis ^Lach, inthe rousing up from sleep in suffocation; after the sleep the dyspnoea is worse.

The Phosphorus ^Phos dyspnoea is often increased after sleeping, with suffocation. Lachesis ^Lach has it in a marked degree.

in phthisis when the patient is about to die, there is sweat on going to sleep.

dyspnoea on going to sleep and on waking. Lachesis ^Lach palliates and must be repeated.

Cardiac affections accompanied with thick, green or yellow expectoration like pus and dyspnoea on falling to sleep so that he must keep awake as long as he can, fear of sleep in advanced chest troubles. Grindelia Robusta ^Grindelia robusta willpalliate such a case and if the condition is only catarrhal and not tuberculous, it will cure.

Study especially the cardiac symptoms.

"The symptoms of circulation are worse; from mental lassitude, from coughing, from lying on the right side, before menses, after lying down, sitting bent forward, from smoking, from going up stairs.

Awakens in fright and feels as if suffocating.

Falling asleep early at night, suffocation awakens."

I have mentioned these symptoms, but read them for emphasis.

Ebullitions, distended veins; dropsy in cavities of the body. Especially suits young persons of tubercular parents, who remain weak, are pallid and do not thrive. Tubercular diathesis.

Itching but no eruption. Seems always ready for an eruption to appear. Has only simplest herpetic eruptions. Itching all over and no visible eruption.

In acute endocarditis, the principal remedies are Spongia, Abrotanum ^Abrot., Sepia ^Sepia, and Kalmia Latifolia ^Kalmia. Naja Tripudia ^Najain valvular diseases.

Dose

Second trituration, or tincture to third potency.

Region

HEART; valves

Larynx

Trachea

Glands