Paraffin. Trituration.
Clinical
Abdomen, swelling of. Breasts, affections of. Constipation, of children. Diaphragmitis. Indigestion. Leucorrhoea. Menorrhagia. Muscae volitantes. Spine, pains in. Spleen, pain in. Umbilicus, pain in. Uterus, affections of. Vertebrae, affections of. Vision, disorders of.
Characteristics
“Paraffin” as a *generic term includes all those substances which have *no affinity for Sulphuric Acid, and cannot be destroyed by it, Petroleum itself coming within this designation. *Specifically “Paraffin” is a “tasteless, inodorous, fatty matter, which resists the action of acids and alkalis, obtained by the dry distillation of wood, peat, bituminous coal, petroleum, etc.” In the distillation of Petroleum, *Naphthalin is
the first substance that comes off, *Paraffin is the next. This is the substance the attenuation of which I have successfully used on the indications of Wahle’s proving (translated by *W. F. Robinson from the Italian, *H. R., v., 193), and I conclude this is the substances Wahle proved, though no description of it is given. The symptoms of the proving, which was made on persons of both sexes, are very striking. The pains are: knife-like stabs, twisting, wrenching pains, stinging and twisting, electric pains. The pains extend from one part to another and alternate. Pain in the stomach alternates with pains in throat and spine. There is sensitiveness to touch about the head. Sensation as if there were fat on the eyes. Sensation as if whole body was swaying to and fro. Sensation of a cord round abdomen. The pains are worse bending over. Worse Standing or walking (these soon bring back the symptoms). better After sleep. Better After rest. Better By supporting the part. Aversion to tobacco, smoking causes pain in stomach. Palpitation accompanies stomach pain. A number of pains were experienced in the groins, stabbing in mons veneries, cutting pain from one iliac crest to the other. With these pains there was leucorrhoea, pruritis vulvae, and other disturbances of the female generative organs. The homoeopaths of Rome (says the *H.R.) have found it serviceable in uterine and other troubles, particularly constipation. I have recorded (*H.W., xxvi. 319) this case: Mrs. W., 37, mother of three children, suffered since last confinement, five years before, with bearing-down pains, excessive menses, leucorrhoea, constant and violent indigestion with morning retching or vomiting. Pain in back, shoulders, and abdomen, after, any food, however light. The pains, which “double her up,” are worse on standing. Much thirst. Constipation with piles. Constant desire to pass water. After *Murex and *Alston had given some relief, the indigestion returned in full force. A few globules of *Paraf. 30 were dissolved in water and a teaspoonful taken every two or three hours. In a few days all symptoms of indigestion were gone and did not return. Other symptoms were markedly ameliorated. The catamenia instead of recurring too soon were delayed much beyond the normal time. *Paraf. has a remarkable action in nodous joints. Cooper has seen swollen joints lessen considerably from its use as a liniment.
Relations
*Compare: Naph., Petroleum, Eup., Kre. (Eup. and Kre. have to each other a relation similar to that between Naph. and Paraf.). Desire to walk fast, Buff., Iodium Uterine symptoms, Sepia, Murex, Natrum mur., Nat-sul. Intolerance of tight clothing, Lachesis
SYMPTOMS.
Mind
Sensation of fear with electric pains in axilla.
Head
Bruised feeling in left occiput. Knocking and hammering in head as if all the pulses were beating. Head heavy and dull, a feeling when leaning forward as if a weight fell towards forehead. Pressing pain in head, extending from vertex toward forehead as if something would come out. Pricking stinging in head, extending to left temporal bone. Pain as of a contusion in occiput. At 9 a.m. a pain in left side of vertex as if a nail were being driven into head, with extension of the pain to left lower jaw. Touching left side of head causes pain as if the part were crushed and a feeling as if the whole side of the head were soft and spongy. Twisting and wrenching in sinciput so that he must lie down (which better), having lain down a quarter of an hour, and having placed right hand under head, there was experienced a feeling of painless shock so that the hand under the head was drawn away and the legs were thrown down from the sofa, soon afterward occurred severe palpitation of heart. Twisting and wrenching in the whole head as well as the face, of left side, left teeth ache as they would fall out. Feeling as of knife-stabs under right temporal bone, extending into right eye and becoming worse on bending over. On the outside of forehead a pressing pain which seems to thrust inward, passing in half an hour into inside of head. The left side of head and face suffers most, pains stinging and twisting, often going and returning at the same time. Sticking in the forehead extending into the nose. On touching the vertex the skin pains as if it were suppurating, in the afternoon. Skin of head feels soft on being touched, or as if suppuration was going on beneath it. Falling out of hair.
Eyes
Throbbing and sticking over right eyebrow laterally and from without, extending into lower jaw and there disappearing. Stinging pains above the left eye and toward temple. Raised spots upon cornea. Eyes seem as if there was a veil before them, morning. In morning, lids closed with mucus, dry mucus in internal canthi. Itching in internal canthi which ceases a moment on rubbing, but a sore pain remains, and very soon the itching returns. Pressing pains under right upper lids as if from a foreign body, or as if from the prick of a needle. Lids red, as after crying. Pain as of a wound in left external canthus, morning. Itching of lids, lasting the whole day. Rubbing better only for a short time. Feeling in eyes as if they had fat in them. Feeling in eyes as if always moist. Eyes moist and tearful. The mucus in internal canthi is cold and viscid. Lachrymation and itching of eyes in morning on rising. In morning, left eye closed with mucus, and seems to have a veil before it. Eyes dim, she sees nothing, but feels everything. On fixing any object for some time eyes become moist, as if a cold wind was blowing into them, with a gentle itching. In open air there seems to be a black veil before eyes, objects seen seem to be pale, with short sight, little black flies are seen before the eyes. She sees objects as if in a mist. White of eye full of blood, worse towards the external angle.
Ears
Roaring in right ear like rumbling of a mill wheel, afternoon. Gurgling in left ear like beating of pulse. Ringing in both ear, morning. Stinging and twisting in left ear with a feeling as if it was stopped up, pushing things into ears better temporarily.
Nose
Odour of cordials in nose. Nose moist, frequent desire to blow it, but without sneezing. Blood from nose of a dark red colour.
Face
Itching in face as from urticaria, smooth red spots appear.
Teeth
Tearing in right teeth, extending to right ear, better by supporting painful cheek. Stabbing pain in one of the left lower molars. Twisting in teeth with stinging in ear, which after some hours affects whole left side of head and face, down to lower jaw. Twisting pain in left lower teeth and left temple, sleep impossible.
Mouth
In evening, under upper lip, on the, gum a hard, painless swelling, which broke during the night. Mouth full of saliva, she was obliged to spit constantly, lasting for twenty-four hours. Mouth feels sticky. Mouth without taste and the appetite fails. Bitter taste in mouth. Tongue slightly coated, dirty-white in colour, chill, followed by dry heat with thirst, which is soon followed by sweat, lasting along time.
Throat
Dryness of throat, fauces as if dried up, but without thirst. Sense of suffocation in pharynx.
Stomach
Acid eructations some hours after eating. A constant feeling of satiety. Appetite good, but nothing seems to taste as it should. Inclination to vomit at 9 p.m. After eating repeated urging to vomit with expulsion of the ingesta. Disturbance of stomach with increase of saliva in mouth as if emesis must occur, with stinging pains in forehead and cold over whole body, without thirst or feeling of heat following. Hunger almost all the time. Pain across stomach as if a blow had been received, lasts thirty- six hours, can only breathe slowly and carefully. The pains in stomach extend to chest, causing oppression thereof, and then pass into shoulders, with much belching, and alternating with pains in throat and spine. Great sensibility of stomach, cannot draw the vest together. In walking, feeling of relaxation in region of stomach, as if a sore in it were causing pain. Smoking soon causes pain in stomach, and tobacco is distasteful. Pain as if from a beating in region of stomach, she wished to gape and was obliged to support region of stomach with hand, thereupon a fixed pain in left hypochondrium as if some of the parts were being twisted. Stomach swells up like a ball and forces itself upwards, hard and very painful to the touch, there is also very little appetite. When the pains in stomach subside, those in teeth also disappear (as if a causal relation between the two). Weight in stomach as if there was a stone placed upon it, in morning, evening, and after dinner during time of digestion (from half an hour to an hour after meals). Palpitation of heart with stomach symptoms, so severe as to incapacitate him. After breakfast, between 9 and 10 a.m., griping and drawing with crawling in stomach, which extends into chest and between shoulders, causing oppression of chest with a sense of heat.
