Blue Flag.
Introduction
Iris is not one of the great polycrests, drugs of “many”– almost universal–“uses”, but it has a very definite place in our Materia Medica which no other drug fills. It is one of our greatest remedies in bilious attacks and sick headaches; in liver troubles; in some skin troubles; is a remedy that affects the pancreas: but everywhere it has very definite peculiarities of action, which should make its prescribing easy.
It is one of the very precious drugs we have inherited from the North American Indians. What should we do without, for example, Baptisia, Gelsemium, Viburnum op., caulophyllum?
Iris affects the whole alimentary canal. It has burning distress in the stomach: the vomit is extremely sour and burns stomach, mouth, fauces, oesophagus. Burning distress not only in stomach but pancreas. In diarrhoea, the stools are watery, and burn the anus, which feels on fire. It affects the liver, increasing, or tending towards deficiency of bile, with jaundice. From regurgitation of bile, bilious attacks occur, with terrible headaches and vomiting of bile–the typical recurrent bilious attacks which make life a burden, and induce dread and uncertainty into the daily routine. Even the urine burns the whole length of the urethra. As BOGER succinctly expresses it, it stands for “rapid elimination: with sour, burning, acrid excretions.
The mouth is greasy, feels burnt or scalded: while profuse ropy saliva may hang down from lips to floor, reminding one of Kali bich.
With all these burning and acrid secretions, there is of course pain: cramps, colics, spasms. “Violent” pains: over eyes, in epigastrium: fearful cramps:–cuttings, shootings, burnings, gripings. It excites the secretion of glands, salivary, pancreatic, intestinal, etc., and everywhere its abnormal secretions are profuse, acrid, and cause the burning pains that are its keynote.
It also affects skin: tinea capitis of babies: its eruptions being typically eczematous or pustular. It is in black type for herpes zoster, and has been found useful in psoriasis.
Iris has marked periodicity: sick headaches every eighth day: nightly colic, with diarrhoea 2-3 a.m., or every fortnight.
NASH writes, Burning mouth, tongue, throat, clear down to stomach: of anus, if there is diarrhoea.
Vomiting stringy, glairy, ropy mucus: hangs down in strings.
Gastric or hepatic sick headaches, with blur before eyes at beginning. Sour, or bitter vomiting.
Sometimes very serviceable in cholera infantum: substance vomited is very sour, so sour it excoriates the throat.
Burning of the alimentary canal is very characteristic of this drug. Or the vomiting may be bitter, or sweetish. There is a profuse flow of saliva.
One of our best remedies for sick headache. I used to give the remedy in the third potency, but of late years have given it in the 50m and am better pleased with the result, because it is more prompt and lasting.
He gives a case, “I once had a case of stomach trouble in a middle-aged lady. She had frequent attacks of vomiting of a stringy, glairy mucus which was very ropy, would hang in strings from her mouth to the receptacle on the floor. Then the vomit became dark-coloured; like coffee grounds. Thinking she had cancer of the stomach, she made her will and set her house in order, to die. Kali bichromicum was given with no benefit whatever, but Iris cured her completely in a short time, and she remains well ten years since.”.
BLACK LETTER SYMPTOMS
Sick HEADACHE, of gastric or hepatic origin, always beginning with a blur, before eyes.
Dull throbbing or shooting, right forehead: nausea :–
Worse : evening, rest, cold air, coughing.
Better from moderate motion.
Sharp cutting pains of short duration, changing often.
Mouth and tongue feel as though scalded.
Profuse flow of SALIVA.
Nausea and VOMITING : of sour food; whole person smells sour; of thin, watery fluid of exceedingly sour taste.
Watery STOOL. Anus feels on fire : disposition to strain and bear down : great burning in anus.
Anus feels sore : severe burning in anus after stool.
Anus feels sore, or as if sharp points were sticking in it.
HERPES zoster on right side of body.
CURIOUS, OR ITALIC SYMPTOMS
Habitual headache; violent throbbing on either side frontal protuberance : worse evening; after exertion.
Chronic frontal headache: worse sitting down, studying, sewing.
Better standing up or working.
Headache with violent pains over eye, supra-orbital region, only on one side at a time.
Severe pain, through temples and over eyes, with vertigo, nausea and vomiting.
Violent stunning headache with facial neuralgia, followed by copious, limpid urine and vomiting.
Headache; vomits sweetish mucus, occasionally with a trace of bile.
Headache reflex from acid stomach.
Tinea capitis: whole top of head one complete scab, yellow matter oozing from under crust which has matted hair: left ear covered with eruption. Gathers every two weeks and discharges a yellow-greenish pus. Numerous yellow pustules on scalp, each containing a hair.
Pustular eruptions, face, secreting a sanious, irritating matter.
Ropy saliva: drips from mouth during conversation.
Salivation: tongue and gums feel as though covered with a greasy substance.
Peculiar irritability of throat, palate and pharynx, coming on without appearance of inflammation, sometimes with cough.
Spasms of pharynx when swallowing food.
Chronic indigestion of milk: it sours and is vomited.
Nausea: from riding; over exertion; irregularities of diet: with retching.
Vomiting an extremely sour fluid which excoriates throat. with burning in mouth, fauces, oesophagus and stomach: of sweetish water; of ingesta; of soured milk in children; of food an hour after eating : of bile, with great heat and sweat.
Periodical vomiting spells, every month or six weeks, last two or three days.
Vomits food, then sour fluid, at last bile, yellow and green: with great heat in head, some fever and great prostration: warm perspiration after straining and vomiting.
Violent epigastric pains at intervals: before breakfast: from drinking water.
Beating, throbbing, in and about heart and sternum, then fearful cramps or spasms from middle of sternum to pit of stomach, with repeated vomitings.
Burnings distress in stomach and pancreas, with watery diarrhoea and great prostration.
Burning distress in pancreas, sweetish vomit.
Pain liver region : worse from motion.
Increase, then deficiency of bile, with jaundice.
Bilious colic.
Acute affections of the pancreas, inflammation or salivation.
Colicky, intermittent pains about navel, before vomiting.
Pain region of umbilicus, worse from motion.
Sharp, gripping pains in bowels.
Urine scanty, red burning the length of urethra after passing it.
Or clear, copious watery in nervous headaches.
Protracted nausea and vomiting during pregnancy: profuse flow of saliva.
Pain left chest, as if ribs were pressing against lung.
Hering says, Iris will abort felon.
