Ferrum Metallicum

Iron. The Element.

Keynotes

Persons of sanguine temperament; pettish, quarrelsome, disputative, easily excited, least contradiction angers (Anac., Coc., Ign.) ; > from mental exertion.

Irritability: slight noises like crackling of paper, drive him to despair (Asar., Tar.).

Women who are weak, delicate, chlorotic, yet have a fiery red face.

Extreme paleness of the face, lips and mucous membranes zvliich become red and flushed on the least pain, emotion or exertion. Blushing (Amyl., Coca).

Erethitic chlorosis, worse in winter.

Red parts become white ; face, lips, tongue and mucous membrane of mouth.

Vertigo: with balancing sensation, as if on water; on seeing flowing water; when walking over water, as when crossing a bridge (Lys.); on descending (Bor., Sanic.).

Headache : hammering, beating, pulsating pains, must lie down; with aversion to eating or drinking. For two, three or four days every two or three weeks.

Menses : too early, too profuse, too long lasting, with fiery red face ; ringing in the ears ; intermit two or three days and then return; flow pale, watery, debilitating.

Haemorrhagic diathesis ; blood bright red, coagulates easily (Fer. p., Ipec., Phos.).

Regurgitation and eructation of food in mouthfuls (Alum.), without nausea.

Canine hunger, or loss of appetite, with extreme dislike for all food. FERRUM Vomiting: immediately after midnight; of ingesta, as soon as food is eaten; leaves table suddenly and with one effort vomits everything eaten, can sit down and eat again; sour, acid (Lyc., Sul. ac.).

Diarrhoea : undigested stools at night, or while eating or drinking (Crot. t.) ; painless with a good appetite ; of consumptives.

Constipation : from intestinal atony ; ineffectual urging; stools hard, difficult, followed by backache or cramping pain in rectum; prolapsus recti of children; itching of anus at night.

Always feels better by walking slowly about, although weakness obliges the patient to lie down.

Cough only in the day time (Euphr.) ; relieved by lying down ; > by eating (Spong.) .

Dropsy ; after loss of vital fluids ; abuse of quinine ; suppressed intermittent (Carbo v., Cinch.).

Relationship p. 126

; — Complementary: to. Alum., Cinch. Cinch. : the vegetable analogue follows well in nearly all diseases, acute or chronic.

Should never be given in syphilis; always aggravates the condition.

Aggravation. — At night; at rest, especially while sitting still.

Amelioration. — Walking slowly about; in summer.