Glonoinum
Head: The most common
feature in this remedy is the surging of blood to the head and to the heart. A patient often
describes the state as a feeling as if all the blood in the body must be rushing around the
heart, with a sense of heat or a boiling sensation in the region of the heart, or in the
left side of the chest.
Again he complains of a surging in the head, a warm glowing sensation in
the head or a feeling of intense glowing from the stomach or from the chest up into the
head, attended at times with loss of consciousness.
There are also wave-like sensations in the head, as if the skull were
being lifted up and lowered, or as if it were being expanded and contracted. Along with this
there is most intense pain, sometimes as if the head would burst, sometimes great soreness
in the head, or a sense of soreness felt in the skull. Another accompaniment of the surging
is great throbbing, synchronous with the heat of the heart, and when the skull has this
soreness then the throbbing is like the beating of hammers, and every pulsation is painful,
so that there are painful pulsations and sometimes painless pulsations.
The pulsations are tremendous and when they are greatest in the head they
are felt also in the extremities. The fingers and toes pulsate, there is pulsation
throughout the back, and it seems that the whole body throbs. If this continues a while the
soreness in the skull is likely to come on and with it the painful throbbing, every throb is
a pain. In this state, with every jar in stepping, and every motion, it seems as if the head
would be crushed.
Throbbing: The
throbbing becomes more painful from motion. The vomiting which attends this condition
relieves. The head is relieved in the open air, it is worse in the warmth, and is often
relieved from the application of cold. It is made worse by lying down, or lying, with the
head low. In the extremities we have great coldness. The extremities cold, pale and
perspiring, the head hot and the face flushed and purple or bright red. The pupils are
dilated and the eyes red. Now, if this progresses only a little while, the tongue becomes
dry, red and then brown. There is no great thirst, but the mouth is very dry. The eyelids
become dry and stick to the eyeballs. At times the skin becomes dry and hot, and the face is
red and glistens. All degrees of confusion of mind, even loss of consciousness, will be
present.
Headaches: Have I not
described to a great extent that which is seen in a typical sunstroke? It is noticeable also
that Glonoine symptoms are worse in the heat of summer and relieved in winter.
The dull headaches and the continuous headaches are aggravated from warm weather and
ameliorated from cold.
They are worse in the sun and better in the shade. All sorts of
contrivances will be resorted to by Glonoine patients to keep the sun's beat from the head. When
he has had these troubles for years, and it has become a chronic state, he will never go out
in the warmth of the sun without an umbrella.
Glonoine corresponds
to congestive states in the head that come on suddenly, especially from heat, but also from
gaslight, or from any bright light.
The headaches that book-keepers are subject to, especially in those that
have at their desk, or over the head, a hot gaslight. The bright light accompanied by the
heat so close to the head will make this individual subject to headaches. These headaches
are relieved by going into the cold air. The head aches all day when he is at his books, and
when he goes home at night and lies down the headache comes on again, and he bas to be
bolstered up in bed.
He wants the head high, and cold applications to the head; the headache
is relieved from a long sleep, not generally relieved from siesta. From lying down and
taking a nap the headache is sometimes aggravated, but from a good long sleep, a night's
sleep, he is refreshed.
His feet and hands become warm, the feverish state, and the throbbing all
over the body subsides and he wakes up in the morning comfortable; but if he goes out in the
sun, or goes to the gaslight, he comes home with the headache again. Since electric lights
have been brought into use there is not so much heat in the light, but gas throws out an
immense amount of heat in its light,
The child comes down with cerebro-spinal meningitis, the neck is drawn
back, the face is intensely hot, red and shiny, the eyes congested or glassy, the head and
upper part of the body are very warm, the feet and hands and lower portions of the body and
the extremities are cold and covered with cold sweat.
It is a most violent congestion to the brain and spinal cord. Convulsions
come on, convulsions throughout all the limbs, the neck and whole body drawn back,
opisthotonos. Cold feels good to the head; heat feels good to the extremities. The warm room
increases the convulsions. When the lower limbs are covered with clothing in a cool room and
the windows open the convulsions are relieved and the patient breaths more easily. With this
head congestion there is difficulty in breathing and audible palpitation.
The head is made worse from shaking or jar, from stooping, from bending
head backwards, after lying down, when ascending steps. It is aggravated in damp weather,
and in the sun, while working under the gaslight, after overheating with copious sweat, and
from the touch of the hat.
The weight of the hat is a very common aggravation in headaches in school
children. The little ones work all day in a hot stuffy room and feel better in the open air,
but the weight of the hat seems an encumberance as in Nitric acid and Calc. phos.
The Glonoine patient is also worse from wine and from stimulants,
and from mental application. When the headache is on he cannot think, and he cannot write.
An additional hindrance to writing is that he trembles so that he cannot write. Trembling
and throbbing of the fingers so that he is unable to do his work or perform any delicate
work with the fingers or hands.
We have puerperal convulsions with such an appearance as I have
described. We may have the same violence in congestive chills, or in any type of congestion
of the brain.
Brain: There is a
milder form of trouble that calls for its use, a condition corresponding to the chronic
types of disease. This milder form exists where the patient has simply what might be called
a hyperemia of the brain, a rush of blood to the head when able to be about. It comes in
spells, comes in moments when be least expects it; while walking on the street he feels a
surging to the brain like a flush of heat and a flush on the face, his hands tremble, and
the hands and feet become cold, he breaks out in a sweat; he looks around him and does not
know which way to go home, he does not know where his dwelling is.
He looks in the faces of friends and they seem strange, he loses his way
when be is near home. It is a confusion which soon passes away, and he feels better again.
But these spells come closer together, and constitute the earlier stages of softening of the
brain. This surging of blood to the brain is attended with dizziness; he rolls and staggers,
and must take hold of things, and especially does he suffer in this way from a warm day, or
from the heat and light of the sun.
In threatened apoplexy, and when apoplexy has taken place, if the violent
pressure keeps on, think of this remedy. The clot may not be at first in the place to take
life, it may be outside of the life line, but if the congestion continues that blood clot
will increase.
Such medicines as Opium and Glonoine relieve the
blood pressure when the symptoms agree. They equalize the circulation, and the patient may
not die. A paralytic condition in one arm or leg may go on for a while, and at the end of
many weeks or months the motion may be regained, and the patient recover; whereas if the
suitable remedy had not been administered to reduce that blood pressure the continued
congestion would certainly have ended in death in a few days.
The stertorous breathing, the coma, the history, and the general
appearance of an apoplectic patient are found in this remedy, but the intense heat that
comes on in many cases of apoplexy along with the shiny skin and coldness of the extremities
are the guiding features.
Opium is the most
frequently indicated medicine, but it must not be administered in large doses. The highest
potencies are the best and one single dose is enough.
In a case noted it says, "frantic attempts to jump from the
window."
The headache was so intense that the patient became violent and attempted
to jump from the window. You may rest assured that with his headache there was all this
determination of blood to the head. It is enough to make one frantic to feel this continued
hammering upon every fraction of the skull. He cannot lie down, and he cannot walk, because
every step increases the jar, so you see why it is that the word "frantic" is wed there. The patient becomes frantic with the pain.
Another expression used is "disinclination to step around."
The patient wants the room perfectly still. If sitting up in bed, you
will often find a Glonoine patient with both hands pressing upon the head with all the power
possible until the arms are perfectly exhausted. He wants the head pressed upon all sides.
Wants it bandaged, or a tight cap fitted down upon it.
The headache is worse from bending backward and from stooping forward.
There are times when the headache is so severe that lying back upon the pillow cannot be
tolerated. There is a sense of great heaviness in the head. You will notice, in reading over
these congestive headaches as reported, that each patient has a different way of describing
his headache and yet all have the same story to tell, that of violent determination of blood
to the head.
"Some months after being violently jarred by being thrown from a
carriage, a sensitiveness of the upper part of the back and neck came on."
There are two strong characteristics of Glonoine in that
cure, viz:
"< from wine and the < from lying down."
The other symptoms might have pointed to other remedies, but these two
features are there. It is interesting when reading a case, if you have first a knowledge of
the Materia Medica, to note what symptoms are verified when you do not know the Materia
Medica then the case is confusing.
Now, as we glance over that description we see at once these two things
verified and the rest is fairly consistent. Very commonly the pain begins in the occiput and
goes to the forehead, but the whole head is in a state of throbbing.
But, we notice more particularly, the "aggravation from motion and the least noise."
This patient will sit in perfect quietude and silence for hours. You will
be astonished to, know how long a Glonoine patient can sit without moving a muscle, because
motion is so painful.
Also "aggravation from lying with the head low and after
sleeping." it is important for you
to know what that sleeping means. As I have said before, the patient very often is worse
after a little sleep, but the common state is relief after a prolonged sleep. If he can
sleep long enough it will subside, unless it be the congestive sleep, or coma, and then it
is a different thing.
"Amelioration from cold and external pressure."
"Vertex burning hot, likewise upper part of back."
The whole crown of the head feels as if it were covered by a hot iron, as
if an oven were close by. Hot, especially in the back of the neck and between the shoulders.
The burning heat seems to appear at the top of the head and extend down
between the shoulders; a sensation of heat, as from a band.
"Face bluish, with a heavy, stupid expression."
The face is bright red, but if the condition becomes severe the face
assumes a dusky appearance, and the longer this state lasts the more dusky it becomes; that
is true with apoplexy and also with sunstroke. When the sunstroke first comes on the face is
bright red, intensely hot and shiny, but as the heat increases the face grows dusky, even to
purple. In all of these cerebral congestions there is a stupid, heavy expression, even going
on to coma.
"Frequent deep inspirations."
With this congestion of the head there is commonly vomiting, palpitation
of the heart, pain in the stomach, great difficulty in breathing and finally loss of
consciousness. In another clinical case reported we read:
"Every pulsation is felt as if the head would burst."
Now, suppose the head bones were already intensely sensitive and sore and
the head filled as full as possible with blood, and then you commenced hammering upon the
blood column you can understand that the pain would be most intense and would soon end in
stupefaction.
"Sunken eyes, bluish pallor under the eyes."
"Red eyes, with photophobia; optical illusions.
Black specks before the eyes; blindness."
"Face pale, in spite of high fever."
In all of these cerebral congestions of great violence the pulse
fluctuates; it even becomes fine and wiry and hard; sometimes becomes irregular and also
slow.
Another common accompaniment of these congestions is tumefaction about
the neck. The neck feels full. The collar must be opened as it causes choking, as if he
would suffocate. Even in the chronic state in the one who stands upon the street corner not
knowing his way home because of the surging of blood in the head, that state is accompanied
by choking and the collar causes uneasiness about the neck like Lach. He chokes and swells up under the ears. There is not
only a sensation, but with the sensation there is actual swelling. Tumefaction about the
neck and throat, under the chin, and the glands become swollen.
The next circumstance in the text that brings forth the general aspect of
the remedy is in connection with the catamenia. The menstrual flow does not appear, it is
delayed, with violent congestion to the head, violent headaches and these symptoms already
described. These congestions may also come on during the menstrual period. Again, if a
uterine hemorrhage stops suddenly, or a copious flow from any part stops suddenly, the
patient comes down with great violence and the blood rushes to the head.
There are many conditions and complaints in life where we have surging of
blood to the head, when this will be the remedy wanted. Persons who are subject to
palpitation with dyspnea, upon any effort, he cannot go uphill, he cannot walk along the
pavement without bringing on palpitation and dyspnea; any little exertion or excitement
brings on the rush of blood to the heart and fainting spells; fainting, spells in women, who
are not supposed to be subject to fainting. Great weakness, palpitation, trembling of the
limbs, shaking of one or both hands as with palsy.
"Laborious action of the heart" is a strong feature of the
remedy; pulsation all over.
Fluttering in the region of the heart. Pulse quick, irregular, slow or
quick and wiry. There are some persons that are apparently plethoric; very much affected by
the slightest exertion and who have pulsation all over; pulsation in a warm room. They are
sometimes relieved by opening the window if it is cool, by fanning, by cold air, by cold
applications to the head. In keeping with the remedy, this is clinical application of it:
"Children get sick in the night after sitting up at an open fire or
falling asleep there."
"Bad effects from having the hair cut." Bell. is
generally thought of for taking cold in the head from having the hair cut.
"Bad effects from being exposed to the sun's rays."
"Bad effects from sunstroke."
Lectures on Materia Medica- James
Tyler Kent
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