Moschus

[The musk is obtained from an animal living in the mountains of Asia (the moschus moschiferus), and carrying that substance, which has the consistence of an ointment, in a hair-covered bag behind the umbilicus ; the greenish musk of the shops is obtained by drying the natural substance.]

Moschus has been greatly abused, especially in modern times, and has been greatly employed empirically.

We have no correct idea of the convulsions which musk is said to cause ; otherwise it might probably be advantageouslyused in certain convulsions of children.

Lentin, Zanetti. Morgenstern, Robo, and others, have shown from experience that it cures certain kinds of tetanus ; these cures are effected homoeopathically, as may be seen from the following symptoms.

The excitement which musk produces in the genital organs is a primary effect which results in laxness and weakness of those parts. The continued action of musk upon the nerves weakens them and causes a number of nervous symptoms.

The smell of musk in clothes, etc., remains for years, and must even be removed by heat ; for this reason it ought to be kept away with great care from chronic patients.

My co-observers are : Gross, Staph and F. Hahnemann.

Moschus is suitable for the following affections : nervous conditions. — Fits of weakness bordering on fainting. — Periodical fits of weakness, with lowering of the temperature of the skin, even at night when in bed, sinking irritability of the muscular and vascular system, weak, sluggish, intermittent pulse, failing of strength, increasing to deadly weakness. — Fainting fits. — Fainting fits of hysteric females. — Convulsions of both sexes and children. — Chronic spasms. — Tetanic spasms — The ailments increase by the body becoming cold. — Great sensitiveness of the body to the open air. — Somnolence. — Sleeplessness from nervous erethism. — Hypochondria with tonic spasms. — Hypochondria and Hysteria. — Paralytic conditions of the brain. — Stupefaction. — Vertigo with stupefaction, dizziness, congestion of blood to the head, and fits of tetanus and fainting. — Nervous headache. — Mouches volitantes. — Amblyopia amaurotic. — Amaurosis. — Rustling, fluttering, and detonations in the ears. — Violent excitement of the sexual instinct in both sexes. — Impotence. — Congestion of blood to the uterus. — Spasmodic constriction of the larynx and lungs. — Spasmodic affection of the pneumo-gastric nerve. — Angina pectoris. — Drawing, paralytic cramp-pains in the upper and lower limbs. — Spasmodic movements of the upper and lower limbs.— Spasmodic movements of the upper and lower extremities. *

Head p. 138

Vertigo. Vertiginous sensation in the head (from two grains of the powder). When moving the head ever so little, he experiences a vertiginous wavering before the eyes, as if something moved quickly up and down (immediately, even from the mere smell ; from two grains, triturated with sugar and water, taking them in three doses in the space of two days). Vertigo in the forehead and before the eyes ; worse when stooping, (a. $ h.)

5. Vertigo with nausea, obliging him to lie down, accompanied with a desire for black coffee, (a. 30 h.) Stupefaction of the brain. Stupefying compressive headache at a small spot, directly over the root of the nose. (a. 1 h.) He sometimes feels as if he would lose his senses, accompanied with a general stupefying oppression of the brain, as if the brain were being compressed.

10. The upper part of the head feels tense, but without pain. The head feels as when one is intoxicated. Violent headache

15. Painfulness in the head, when moving it somewhat more than usual. Heaviness in the head. Her whole head aches, the pain moving hither and thither, as far as the nape of the neck, where it produces a tension ; better in the open air, worse in a room. (a. 1 h.) Painful drawing in the head, from the occiput to the ears, and from the ears to the teeth ; worse in the right side. (a. 3 h.)

20. Concealed, quick drawing in the temple. Spasmodic drawing through the whole head. Drawing pressure in the right temple, suddenly coming and going. General pressure in the top of the head and forehead. Sensation directly over the margin of the eye, as if a blunt body were being pressed into the brain.

25. Stupefying pressure in the region of the left eyebrow. Ascension of blood to the head. Slight stitching in the forehead. Itching of the hairy scalp here and there, going off after scratching.

Eyes p. 138

Smarting sensation in the eyes, as if caused smoke, with lachrymation (from smelling).

30. Itching of the eyes ; she is obliged to rub them. (a. i h.) Dimness of sight. Heat in the face, with dimness of sight. Pressure in the region of the left zygoma, suddenly and frequently coming and going. A cooling burning in the region of the right malar bone, coming and going suddenly, (a. 28 h.)

Ears p. 138

35. Noise in the ears as of the rushing of the wings of a large bird, now in the right, now in the left ear, suddenly coming and going, (a. 60 h.)

Nose p. 139

Bleeding from the nose. Momentary bleeding of the nose (from the smell). Sensation in the tip of the nose as of the creeping of an insect ; he wipes the nose frequently for the purpose of removing it, but without any effect : finally it disappears of itself, (a. 28 h.)

Taste, appetite and gastric symptoms p. 139

Every thing tastes flat to her; milk has no taste at all.

40. Repeated, violent, audible eructations. Rising of air, accompanied with rising of a tasteless fluid into the mouth. Raw sensation in the fauces like heartburn, with some nausea, as in waterbrash. Nausea seemed to rise into the pit of the stomach, with retraction of the umbilicus and cramp-like sensation. She has to remain in her bed for two afternoons, owing to nausea and headache.

45. Fits of nausea, six days in succession. Inclination to vomit, early in the morning (a. 22 h.) and evening, (a. 9 h.) Vomiting. After every dinner he feels a tightness in the pit of the stomach, with a smarting, burning sensation of soreness, three days in succession. Oppression of the stomach.

50. Feeling of repletion in the region of the stomach, increased even by moderate eating, (a. 3 h.)

Stomach and abdomen p. 139

Some oppression on the left side of the pit of the stomach. Soreness in and over the pit of the stomach (in the chest), especially during an inspiration, accompanied with anxiety in the chest, (a. 6 h.) Tensive pressure in the region of the stomach, with some painfulness of the abdomen ; after the lapse of half an hour, the tensive pressure extended through the whole of the abdomen, (a. 1-J- h.) Fine, sharp, shooting stitches in the right side, almost resembling a fine pinching ; obliging him to rub.

55. Itching, fine stitch in the right side of the abdomen, below the short ribs ; the itching continues after the stitch, obliging him to rub. Single, violent, deep stitches in the umbilical region, especially during an inspiration, (a. •£ h.) Violent grasping sensation over the umbilicus, arresting her breathing, and coming with a jerk. Simple aching in the right side of the abdomen, below the umbilicus.

60. Sensation as if the abdomen were too tight, without pain but with anxiety, preventing her from undertaking any work, and obliging her to run about ; she went to see several acquaintances, but staid only a few minutes with each (immediately). Loud continual grunting in the abdomen, without flatulence ; it disappears after a meal, and indeed commences to disappear already during the meal.

Stool p. 139

Diarrhoea. Urging desire to emit flatulence and to evacuate the bowels ; the stool looks natural ; the evacuation is preceded, but not accompanied by the emission of concealed flatulence. Retention of stool, several days.

65. Creeping at the orifice of the rectum, going off by rubbing.

Genital organs p. 140

65. It seems to excite the sexual organs. Excitement of the sexual organs of an old man.* Excites the menses.

70. Appearance of the menses, even from the mere smell. Drawing and pushing in the direction of the genital organs ; sensation as if the menses would appear, (a. 9, 22 h.) The menses appeared six days too soon, and very copiously, (a. 5 d.)

Respiratory organs and chest p. 140

Violent sneezing. The nose which had been obstructed by dry coryza, becomes suddenly free after a copious discharge.

75. Sensation in the throat as if it were irritated by the vapor of sulphur, with constriction of the trachea, from smelling the substance (hnmedidiately). During an inspiration, which is quite easy, he experiences a sensation as if he had inspired the vapor of sulphur. Sudden sensation in the upper part of the larynx, as if the breathing would become arrested, almost as when one inspires the vapor of sulphur. Suffocative constriction of the chest. Oppressed breathing ; she ha? to take a deep inspiration.

80. Compression of the chest. Clawing sensation in the left side below the short ribs, during a deep inspiration. Repletion in the chest. Itching pinching in the side, near the short ribs. Intermittent, dull stitches in the left side, near the short ribs.

85. Dull, intermittent stitches in the left half of the chest, (a. 2Sh.)

Back p. 140

Intense painful pressure, as with a blunt body, on the left side over the os coccygis in the os sacrum. Violent drawing in the back, a tight feeling as before the menses. Intermittent, dull stitches on the left side of the dorsal spine, in the middle of the back. Drawing pressure in one of the posterior cervical muscles.

Upper extremities p. 140

90. In the evening after lying down, he felt a drawing and stitching in the left forearm, from the wrist up to the elbow-joint, hindering sleep; she had to stretch the arm out of the bed, and to move it up and down to diminish the pain, for half an hour. (a. 6 h.) Clawing pressure on the inferior side of the left forearm, near the elbow. Paralytic drawing in the right forearm, directly over the wrist. Cramp-like drawing in the hands and fingers, as if a spasm were approaching. Half-dull stitching in the left hand.

95. Paralytic drawing in the left thumb, as if a cramp were setting in. Paralytic jerking in the left thumb. A sort of cooling burning in the anterior joint of the right index-finger. Simple pain in the interior of the anterior joint of the left index-finger ; it causes the finger to tremble (immediately).

Lower extremities p. 141

Paralytic jerking in the inner side of the left thigh.

100. Sudden pressure in the inner side of the left thigh. Clawing, dull pressure in the flesh of the right thigh, posteriorly, rather towards the outer side. Itching stinging in the anterior side of the thigh, obliging one to rub. Sharp pinching over the right knee. Simple pressure, with a feeling of weakness in the outer side of the left thigh, not far from the knee.

105. Sudden feeling of coldness in the outer parts of the left tibia. Sharp itching of the outer side of the left tibia, towards the calf; it disappears by rubbing. Paralytic pain (painful faint feeling) pervades the left leg from above downward, when sitting, as if it were near becoming rigid. Restlessness in the left leg, obliging one now to contract, now to stretch it ; a paralytic feeling of rigidity, obliging him to move the leg now and then, in order to quiet it. When sitting, he is obliged to move his lower limbs constantly ; otherwise they feel quite faint, and he then feels an uneasiness in his limbs as after a long journey on foot.

110. When keeping his lower limbs still, while sitting, they threaten to go to sleep ; a sort of humming sensation. When drawing the feet in while sitting, he experiences a humming sensation in the legs, and partly in the thighs, as if they had become fatigued by a long journey, or were on the point of going to sleep. Clawing sensation in the little toe of the right foot, as if trodden upon. Binning pressure in the tips of the toes of the right foot.

General symptoms p. 141

Prickling in all the muscles.

115. Itching, pinching and pricking in various parts of the body. Violent, intolerable burning of venereal herpes, which generally was without sensation. Hemorrhages. Bruised pain in the whole body. He knows not what is the matter with him ; he is sometimes taken with a sort of uneasiness, a slight fainting sensation, going off again immediately.

Fits p. 141

120. Tetanus. Convulsions. Violent convulsions of males and females. Hysteric ailments. Hypochondriac persons are affected by it.

125. Hysteric ailments even in males* Fainting fits. Fainting fit with subsequent headache. When walking he does not feel any weakness, but when sitting down, he immediately feels a paralytic weakness in the knees, as if exhausted from fatigue.

Sleep p. 141

Coma.

130. He dreams incessantly, restless dreams ; he was not able to lie long on the same side, for the parts upon which he lay were painful as if bruised and broken, (a. 24 h.) Dreams offending his honor, he fails in every undertaking, and gets angry on account of it. (a. 48 h.)

Fever p. 142

Sensation as if a cool breeze were suddenly blowing upon him, especially the uncovered parts, more particularly the hands. When going into the open air, which was not very cold, he imagined it was very cold, and he seated himself near the stove, (a. H h.)

135. Slight shuddering on the hairy scalp, whence it gradually steals over the whole body (immediately). His left hand feels warm, his right one cold ; to the face both hands feel cool. (a. 2 h.) The pulse is more full, but by four or five beats slower than usual, (a. £ h.) The pulse is less full and much quicker, increasing from twelve to eighty-eight beats, (a. 6 h.) No thirst either during or after the shuddering.

140. After the shuddering a pleasant feeling of natural warmth pervades the whole body. (a. 10 m.) The pleasant feeling of natural warmth is again followed by a slight thrill of shuddering from the head through the whole body, (a 15 m.) Increase of warmth of the whole body, with copious exhalation and increased animation (immediately). Heat. Excessive erethism of the blood.

145. Burning heat over the whole body, in the evening when in bed, the right side appearing to be hotter, with a feeling of dryness and scraping in the throat and mouth, and moderate thirst; she had to uncover herself; accompanied with stitching (?) pain in the forehead, vertigo before the eyes, bruised feeling over the whole body, sleepless, restless ; she tossed about, experienced a grasping together over the umbilicus which came on with a jerk, and a pressing towards the genital organs, with excessive ill-humor ; the paroxysm lasted one hour. (a. 9 h.) Slight sweat every morning. Slight exhalation. Sweat without heat.

Moral symptoms p. 142

Palpitation of the heart, as if in anxious expectation, (a. 4 h.) Fits of great anxiety. Out of humor (the first hours).

Notes p. 140

* Primary effect.

* The moschus was mixed with ambra.