Platinum. An Element. (Also called Platina.) Pt. (A.W. 194 3.) Trituration.
Clinical
Amenorrhoea. Chlorosis. Constipation. Convulsions. Delusions. Dentition. Depression of spirits. Dysmenia. Erotomania. Fear. Gout. Haemorrhage. Haemorrhoids. Hysteria. Lead poisoning. Masturbation. Melancholia. Menorrhagia. Menses, suppressed. Mind, affections of. Neuralgia. Neurasthenia. Numbness. Nymphomania. Ovaries affections of. Pruritus vulvae. Rheumatism. Sexual perversion. Spasms. Tapeworm. Uterus, induration of. Vaginismus. Yawning, spasmodic.
Characteristics
The original name of *Platinum was “Platina,” being a Spanish word meaning “like silver” (*Plata being Spanish for silver). The metal was introduced into Europe from South America in the middle of the eighteenth century. It is always found in association with other metals, chiefly Rhodium, Osmium, Iridium, Palladium. Hahnemann was the first to think of it as a medicine, and his proving in the *Chronic Diseases is the basis of our knowledge of its action. One characteristic symptom, either when found alone or in association with other conditions, has led to many cures with *Platina Lost sense of proportion in both ocular and mental vision. Objects look small or the patient thinks them small. The becomes pride and hauteur in the mental sphere, the patient (generally a woman) looks down on everything and everybody. This is a keynote of Platina Another is the occurrence of cramps, cramping pains and spasms, developing into convulsions. The cramping pains causes numbness and tingling in the parts affected. Pains as if nipped, squeezed in a vice, and these pains increase gradually to an acme and then as gradually decline. In the rectum this becomes tenesmus, in vagina, vaginismus. Another general keynote is the alternation of mental and physical symptoms: as physical symptoms disappear mental symptoms appear, and *vice versa Nash cured a case of insanity of some duration with *Platina, being led to the remedy by an alternation of the mental symptoms with a pain the whole length of the spine. This alternating feature is also seen between one mental state and another: Changing moods, sad and gay alternately, laughs and cries by turns. There is also a perverse state: Laughs immoderately, but in the wrong place, laughs at serious things. The mental disorder at times takes a homicidal form. Jahr cured with *Platina A woman who had an inspiration to kill her child, and Jule Gaudy recorded (*Four. Belge d’ H., quoted *Amer. H., xxii. 314) the case of a woman who was tormented with an almost irresistible impulse to kill her husband, whom she loved passionately, and with whom she was perfectly happy. The sight of a knife had an irresistible fascination for her, and she was often obliged to leave the table to free herself from the impulse. A few months before, she had lost a child a short time after confinement, which had been followed by profuse and desperately persistent haemorrhage. Recovering from this she became restless, irritable, and her whole existence was ruled by this terrible impulse. *Platina 6x and 30X relieved and finally cured her. Kent (*Medorrhinum *Adv., xxv. 184) records the case of a middle-aged lady, mother of several grown-up daughters, who complained of a peculiar mental symptom: A fear, in the absence of her husband, that he would never return, that he would die, or be run over. She wept all the time he was away. Kent discovered that she had been treated for uterine displacement, and was then wearing a pessary. This was removed. Menstrual flow was copious, black, clotted. The external genitals were so sensitive that the usual napkin was intolerable. *Platina cured the whole case, including the displacement. Almost every symptom in this case was a characteristic. The sensitiveness of the external genitals is often so great as to make coition impossible. Digital examining of such a patient causes great pain. The action of *Platina to a large extent center in and radiates from the sexual organs, male and female. It corresponds to masturbation before puberty, and also to the effects of masturbation. It was one of Gallavardin’s remedies for the impulse to pederasty and sodomy. Tendency to uncover completely in sleep is a leading note of it. Excessive desire, especially in virgins. Premature and excessive development of sexual instinct and organs. Nymphomania worse in puerperal state. During menses uterine spasms, convulsions. Convulsions of puerperal state. Catalepsy during menstruation. Spasms alternate between convulsive actions and opisthotonos, full consciousness. Spasms alternate with dyspnoea. Excessive itching in uterus, pruritus vulvae. *Platina has some characteristic symptoms in relation to the bowels. Its cramping tendency makes it an antidote to lead poisoning, and it has constipation scarcely less marked than that of *Pb., though differing from it. The stools of *Platina are tenacious and sticky, adhere to the rectum and anus like putty, or they may be hard as if burnt, the constipation comes on while travelling, in emigrants, during pregnancy. *Peculiar Sensations and *Symptoms are: As if her senses would vanish. As if parts of malar bones were between screws. As if everything about her were very small. As if she were constantly growing longer and longer. As if she did not belong to her own family. Vertigo as if torn and pulled with threads. Forehead as if constricted, screwed on, as if a board pressed against it. As if temples too tightly bound. Scalp as if contracted, chest, heavy weight on it. As if head were enlarged. As if throat constricted, palate elongated, tongue scalded. As if abdomen, as if, nape, limbs, thing, great toe, tightly wrapped or constricted. Back and small of back as if broken. Crawling, tingling, numb sensations. Spasmodic yawning. Pains go from right to left. The right side is somewhat more pronounced affected than the left. Severe stitches in right ovary. The symptoms are periodic and paroxysmal, as well as alternating. *Platina is suited to women with dark hair, thin, sanguine, bilious, with too frequent and too profuse menses, sexual organs exceedingly sensitive. Hysterical and haemorrhoidal patients. The symptoms are: worse By touch and pressure. Worse Fasting. Worse During menses. Worse Rest, sitting, standing, bending backward. better By motion. Walking and going upstairs worse pressure in genitals, better hysteric rheumatism. Walking against wind causes sudden arrest of breathing. Worse Evening and night. Headache commences on waking. Worse In warm room, better in open air (but open air causes fluent coryza and shaking chill on going from room, heat better cramp pain in legs and irritability and chilliness. Obliged to stretch, which better.
Relations.
*Antidoted by: *Pulsatilla, sp. d. (Teste, who classes Platina with Thuja, Bromium, and Castor, says Colchicum is the best antidote to all four). *Antidote to: Lead. *Complementary: Pallad. (both affect right ovary, but Pallad. has better from pressure). *Compatible: Bell, Ignatia, Lycopodium, Pulsatilla, Rhus, Sepia, Verbascum *Compare: Pride, Pall. (Platina egotistical, despises others, Pall. easily wounded, attaches importance to others), Lycopodium (imperious). Spasms and emaciation from ante puberty masturbation, Staphysagria Uterine affections, nymphomania, Aurum, Sepia (the nymphomania of Platina Is more intense, Platina Is more intense, Platina Is intermediate between Aurum and Sepia in weariness of life, the uterine cramps of Platina are followed by numbness, those of Sepia are a clutching as if suddenly seized then suddenly relaxed). Hysteria, indurated ulcers, Tarent. Sees ghosts and demons, Hyo., Kali-br. Shamelessness, uncovers, Pho., Hyo. (Hyo. sees things larger, Platina smaller). Thinks death near and fears it, Aco., Arsenicum Dark, stringy haemorrhage, Chamomilla, Croc. (Croc. has sensation of something alive).Pains comes and go gradually Stannum Argentumn, (Bell and Lyco. suddenly) Sensitive to coitus, Sepia, Belladonna (dry vagina), Ferrum, Nat. m, Apis (with stinging in ovary), Thuja, Kre. (followed by bloody flow), Murex, Orig. Constipation when travelling (Lycopodium when from home, Bryonia When at sea). Weak and exhausted feeling for two hours after stool, Sepia Sticky stools like soft clay, Alumina Hysteria, pressure at root of nose, Ignatia Excessive sexual development, especially in virgins, Kali-ph. Masturbation in girls, Orig., Gratiola. Dark-haired women, Sepia Laughs immoderately at serious things, Anacardium, Natrum mur., Lycopodium, Pho.
Causation
Fright. Vexation. Bereavement. Fit of passion. Sexual excess. Masturbation.
SYMPTOMS.
Mind
Sadness, especially in evening, with strong inclination to weep often (every second day) alternating with excessive gaiety and buffoonery. Involuntary inclination to whistle and sing. Involuntary weeping. Loud cries for help. Thinks she stands alone in the world. Anxietas praecordium to an excessive degree, with great fear of death, which is believed to be very near, accompanied by trembling, palpitation of heart, and obstructed respiration. Sensation of dread and horror. Fear, with trembling of hands and feet and confusion of ideas, as if all persons approaching were demons. Hysterical humour, with great mental depression, nervous weakness, and over-excitement of vascular system. Mental symptoms in general: amativeness, state of madness. Timorous disposition. Great irritability, with prolonged ill-humour, after a fit of passion. Apathetic indifference and absence of mind. Pride and self-conceit, with contempt for others, even for those who are usually most beloved and respected, worse indoors, better in open air and sunshine. Impulse to kill her own child, her husband, (on seeing a knife). Distraction and forgetfulness. Loss of consciousness. Incoherence of speech. Delusion of the senses, feeling as of being too large, and, on the contrary, all other things and persons seems to be too small and too low. Delirium, with fear of men, often changing, with over-estimation of oneself. Mania: with great pride, with fault-finding, with unchaste talk, trembling and clonic spasms, caused by fright or from anger.
