Lithium carbonicum

SORE and heavy. Acidity. Outward pressure or as of a dull point. Gout. Rheumatism. .................... Headache, > eating. Eyes dry from using them. Vertical hemiopia (r). Red nose. Lumps of mucus drop into throat. Gnawing in stomach, with pain in left temple (Ars.), > eating. Urine scanty, with much thirst; with red-brown sediment. Heart pains; sore; with eye symptoms; going to head; < bending over, > urinating; from mammæ to arms. Soreness of fingers, > grasping. Dry, harsh skin. Eczema.

Night. Menses; after; suppressed.

Eating. Urinating. Motion.

Heart. Small joints. Lungs. Urine.

Related: Lyc. Nat-p. Sul-ac.

Lecture LXIII — Baryta carb., Strontiana carb. and Lithium carb.

Lithium Carbonicum.

Lithium carb. has not a very extensive range of action nor does it greatly depress the vital forces. In its provings, debility is noticed only in connection with or as a sort of sequel of the joint affection. It is particularly useful in affections of the joints. It is efficacious in rheumatism, and, above all, in some forms of gout. Of the various organs attacked by Lithium carb., the most important in the order of their importance are the heart, stomach, kidneys and bladder. The mucous membranes are also affected by the drug. At first they are unduly dry, and this dryness is followed later by thick mucous secretion. The skin does not escape. There appears an erythema, with itching of the skin, which occurs particularly about the joints, and is very annoying. It is particularly noticed along with rheumatism. Further than this, Lithium carb. may produce roughness of the skin and an eruption about the face resembling barbers' itch. Studying now the symptoms of the drug with this general action before us, we find confusion of the head; headache on the vertex and in the temple, worse on awakening; the eyes pain as if sore, and it is difficult to keep the eyelids open. This vertex headache and soreness of the eyes follows suppression of the menses. The patient has pain from the left temple into the orbit of that side; relieved while eating and worse afterwards.

A very characteristic symptom of the retina, or rather of vision, is, the right half of objects vanishes.

In keeping with its effect on mucous membranes, we find the drug causing conjunctival asthenopia, just as does Alumina. The conjunctiva of both lids and eyeball is painfully dry and the eyes feel sore when the patient reads.

The nose is affected, too, in the Lithium proving, being swollen and red. Sometimes there is dryness of the nose when in the house, and mucus dropping from it when in the open air; or mucus seems to hang in strings from the posterior nares. Another symptom of Lithium is sensitiveness of the mucous membrane when the inspired air is unduly cold.

Lithium cures a cough which seems to come from a certain spot in the throat.

There is a form of gastralgia which Lithium will cure. It is accompanied by the pain in the left temple and orbit, which is better by eating.

Lithium has some effect on the bowels. Drinking chocolate or cocoa will cause diarrhoea.

Lithium irritates the neck of the bladder. This, you know, is often a symptom of rheumatic patients. The urine is turbid and flocculent. The pains extend down either ureter and into the spermatic cords or testicles, and are followed by red urine with mucous deposit. In the female, you had Lithium carb. indicated when the menses are late and scanty. The provers found that all the symptoms accompanying the irregularity in menstruation were on the left side. Now, we will consider the rheumatic symptoms of Lithium carb. , including under this head those of the heart also. I have succeeded, in several instances, in relieving chronic rheumatic patients by this remedy. The symptoms which indicate the drug are these: rheumatic soreness about the heart; valvular deposits will be found in many instances; mental agitation causes fluttering of the heart like Natrum mur. , Sepia and Calc. ostr. ; very marked is the pain in the heart when the patient bends forward; the cardiac muscle is evidently irritated, for we find shoeks or jerks about the heart; the cardiac pains are relieved when the patient urinates.

Now, the symptoms of the body, joints and limbs: tenderness, with swelling and occasional redness of the last joints of the fingers; clumsiness in walking from unwieldiness of the muscles; intense itching on the sides of the feet and hands without any apparent cause. The pains in the joints are usually worse in the knee-, ankle- and finger-joints. The whole body feels stiff and sore as if beaten. Pains go down the limbs. The whole body increases in weight and becomes puffy. I may say that this puffiness is not due to a healthy fat, but is a flabby condition which belongs to all the alkalies.

Gettysburg spring water, which contains carbonate of lithia, is very efficacious in scrofulous children when there are ulcers involving the joints, as in Pott's disease and hip-joint disease, when there are offensive pus and diarrhoea.

This character of the catarrh of Lithium carb. in which the inspired air feels cold is also found under Kali bichr. , sLsculus, Cistus, Hydrastis and Corallium rubrum.

Kali bichromicum, Baryta carb., Sepia and Teucrium have catarrh, with expectoration of solid chunks from the posterior nares. In valvular deposits in the heart you may compare Lithium carb. with Ledum, Kalmia and Benzoic acid, the latter remedy being selected by the offensive character of the urine.

Zincum, Conium and Aurum have sudden jerks or shocks about the heart.

In rheumatism and gout you may compare Kalmia and Calcarea ostrearum, which resemble Lithium in the rheumatism of the fingerjoints.

When there are nodular swellings in the joints, compare Calcarea ostrearum, Natrum muriaticum, Benzoicacid, Lycopodium and Ammonium phos.

Carbonate of Lithium Chronic rheumatism connected with heart lesions and asthenopia offer a field for this remedy. Rheumatic nodes. Uric acid diathesis Whole body is sore. Gout and tophi.

Worse, in morning, right side. Better, rising and moving about.

Tension, as if bound; better, sitting and going out. Externally sensitive. Headache ceases while eating. Trembling and throbbing. Pain in heart; extends to head. Dizzy states with ringing in ears. Both cheeks covered with dry, bran- like scales.

Half vision; invisible right half. Photophobia. Pain over eyes. Dry lids. Eyes pain after reading.

Acidity, nausea, gnawing, relieved by eating (Anacard). Cannot endure slightest pressure of clothes (Laches).

Tenesmus. Turbid urine, with mucus and red deposit. Pain in region of right kidney. Free and colorless. While urinating, pressure in heart. Cystitis, subacute and chronic.

Constriction of chest. Violent cough when lying down. Air feels cold when inspired. Pain in mammary glands, which extend into the arms and fingers.

Rheumatic soreness in cardiac region. Sudden shock in heart. Throbbing, dull stitch in cardiac region. Pains in heart before menses, and associated with pains in bladder, and before urinating; better, after. Trembling and fluttering in heart, extending to back.

Paralytic stiffness all over. Itching about joints. Rheumatic pains throughout shoulder-joint, arm, and fingers and small joints generally. Pain in hollow of foot, extending to knee. Swelling and tenderness of finger and toe joints; better, hot water. Nodular swellings in joints. Ankles pain when walking.

Scabby, tettery eruption on hands, head, and cheeks, preceded by red, raw skin. Dull stitch, ending in itching. Barber's itch (use high). Rough rash all over body, much loose epithelium, tough, dry, itchy skin.

Compare: Lyc; Ammon phos; Benz ac; Calc; Lithium chlor (symptoms of cinchonism, viz.: Dizzy head, full, bluring of vision Ringing in ears; marked tremors; general weakness; marked muscular and general prostration; no gastro-intestinal effects. Nose sore, heartburn, pain in teeth). Lithium lacticum (rheumatism of shoulder, and small joints relieved by moving about; worse, resting). Lithium benzoicum (deep-seated pains in loins; in small

of back; uneasiness in bladder. Cystic irritation. Gallstones. Frequent desire. Diminishing uric acid deposit). Lithium bromatum (cerebral congestion, threatened apoplexy, insomnia and epilepsy).

First to third trituration.