Dr Dharanni V
ABSTRACT
“Ferrum” originates from “Latin” meaning Insensitive tough, Hard, Inflexible, Heavy. Iron is an essential bio-element for most forms of life, from bacteria to mammals. It plays an important role in various metabolic processes in human body.
Being a trace element, still its deficiency is most prevalent among the women. Its deficiency and need for supplementation during different stages of life is worth noting. Understanding the development of core personality of Ferrum group aids in its selection as similimum in apt cases.
KEY WORDS: Ferrum, Personality, Firmness, Hypersensitivity, Anaemia, Debility
DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURE
- Iron is the strongest & stable metal
Ferrum personalities are FIRM, Strong willed, Stubborn, Ambitious, Stable
- When heated becomes Red, Hot
False plethora. Congestion of parts. Irritable < contradiction, < opposition
- At very high temperatures changes its physical form
Peculiar character of Changeability
- Iron is used to make fences, gates, helmets, shields of armour
Feeling of need to protect himself & his family. H/O – physical abuse in childhood. Always on guard, watchful about his personal space. Don’t like any invasion / interruption
- Pure iron is malleable, soft, rusts
Some other constituents are added to make it strong (acts strong); similarly needs support & crave sympathy
- Iron is attracted to magnet
Sentimental, desires attachments
- Iron has tendency to get corroded
Show deficiency of iron; leads to Anaemia
CHARACTERISTIC MENTAL SYMPTOMS
- FIRMNESS – Strong willed, Solid, stable, resolute, sturdy and determined
- PERSEVERANCE & PERSISTENCE
- Delusion of being Pushed AWAY and Fear of losing their position (their right)
- Overcome by being Disciplined, Hardworking, Ambitious (IRON LADY), Good morals
- Compulsion – Forcibly holding on to things, then letting go
- Irritability – cannot tolerate contradiction, interference with their plans
- Sentimentality
- Multiple desires and attachments
- History of Beatings during Childhood
- Put up their guard
- As an Adult Become sensitive to others opinion
EVOLUTION OF FERRUM PERSONALITY
- CORE of Ferrum personality
- Hypersensitivity
- Excitability
- Changeability
- Debility
- SENTIMENTAL people. Desire to Attachments with enthusiasm initially. Due to innate changeability, excitability and emotional outburst leads to “Depletion” both mentally & physically.
- Mental and physical depletion results in confusion, indecisiveness and incompetency. He lacks will and drive to pursue any matter to its conclusion.
- Realisation of the incompetency gives rise to sadness, guilt, anxiety and vexation. The turmoil generated is manifested as spectrum of Ferrum Personality and their symptoms.
- EXPRESSIVE Ferrum
- Gets angry at the slightest contradiction, drives himself to violence.
- Breaks relationship with everyone, robbing him of the sympathy he desires and filling him with remorse. Becomes anxious from the slightest cause and this disturbs his vasomotor system.
- When reality becomes painful, the reactions decrease and conflicts continue subconsciously.
- NOSTALGIA is reflected in his dreams – Dreams of meeting old friends; relatives long dead; thoughts of good old school days.
- His inability to fight in reality makes him fight in his dreams. Dreams of battles, fights and wars.
- SUPPRESSED Ferrum
- Suppressed anger and hostility may express violence at physical level as violent pains, congestions and Hypersensitivity. Congestions are brought on by least emotion, exertion and pain (false plethora).
- Hypersensitivity of immune system manifests itself in the form of multiple food and drug allergies. Complaints such as dyspepsia, IBS, ulcerative colitis; allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma; urticaria, eczema, thyrotoxicosis and rheumatic affections are result of hypersensitivity.
- Debility sets in as a result of poor assimilation resulting in anemias. Debility is also due to loss of vital fluids, haemorrhages, nocturnal emissions and diarrhoea.
MIASMATIC EVOLUTION
- Iron Deficiency Anaemic mother gives birth to a child with deficient iron stores (Psoric phase). Baby is anaemic but with a flushed face, patchy congestions and cold extremities. The infant suffers from birth injuries, tendency to EXTRAVASATION leading to CEPHALAHAEMATOMA. Hence fontanelles take long time to close, and he passes through difficult dentition with diarrhea.
- The child sensitive to emotion, food, drinks and drugs. Skin irritation, bronchial irritation (especially after vaccination). Since he’s a sickly child, the parents continue to feed him rich food, sweets etc. causing more aggravation. Develops vomiting and diarrheas leading to DEBILITY and PROSTRATION. In gastric complaints Ferrum resembles Aethusa; Chamomilla; Cina and Tuberculinum.
- HYPERSENSITIVITY at the GI level leads to dyspepsia, flatulence, eructations, vomiting soon after eating. Hypersensitive Ferrum child is < By noise, touch. Irritable, cranky, sensitive, gets angered easily, averse being looked at. Fears being alone, CRAVES SYMPATHY, CHANGEABLE MOOD. Changeability, Excitability, Debility run throughout life.
- FEMALES
- During Puberty Menses is delayed or vicarious with anaemia or puberty goitre.
- During Pregnancy ferrums suffer from HYPEREMESIS, headaches, goitre and varicose veins.
- During Menopause there is violent and ascending hot flushes. She usually feels better by STANDING WITH HEAD LEANING ON TO SOMETHING.
- MALE
- Person suffers from NERVOUSNESS and NEURASTHENIA
- In young males Masturbation and emissions aggravate the Debility. SEXUAL NEURASTHENIA with Prolonged state of Excitation followed by Depression leads to Impotence.
- Anxiety with Multiple food allergies leads to Chronic Diarrhea, Gastritis, Peptic ulceration with Hematemesis.
- His inherited gouty and rheumatic diathesis makes him susceptible to easy sprains and frozen shoulder; flying wandering pains aggravated by vigorous exertion and rest; ameliorated by moderate movement.
- Ferrums have EARLY SENILE CHANGES
- Hastening of ageing process. Premature greying of hair, wrinkled skin etc. Senile atherosclerotic changes coupled with excitability and suppressed anger. Makes him more susceptible to HTN and CVA (SYPHILITIC PHASE)
- Old age- He is very miserable. Because of the acridity of mind, he has antagonized many and craves for sympathy. Ferrum starts with psoric miasm during infancy, tubercular miasm during the childhood and adulthood, ends in syphilitic miasm during the old age.
CHARACTERISTIC PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS
- Bleeding Tendency – Blood doesn’t coagulate, Bright red
- Anaemia & chlorotic conditions
- Weakness – From talking, prostration with Irregular & Rapid pulse
- < keeping still- must keep limbs moving
- General Paralytic weakness
- Restlessness Sleep – with Frightful, Unpleasant Dreams
- Congestion from Excitement causes Rush of blood to tissues
- Pale part becomes Fiery red- False Plethora
- Mr Moderator – Ferrum wants everything in moderate Moderate weather, food and movements
- GIT – Marked sensitivity of Digestion
- Allergic to some foods & Drugs, < cold
- Vomiting < eating & drinking at pregnancy
- Hypertrophy of Liver & Spleen
- Desires – Tomato, Meat
- Aversion and intolerance of Eggs
- CVS- Nervous causes Cardiac palpitations
- Perspiraton on Slight exertion. Profuse cold sweat with Weakness
- Locomotor System
- Rheumatic pains- Stitching, Tearing pains < During Rest
- Rheumatism of Shoulder (esp Rt.) & Hip
- Cramps of Calf muscles causing Restless limbs
- FEVER
- Ferr phos – All catarrhal and inflammatory fevers –1st stage
- Ferr met – Fever with shivering of short duration.
- Shivering in the evening or night with violent thirst.
- Chill with thirst and red-hot face.
- Dry heat which throws off all the covering and followed by perspiration.
- Modalities
- Aggravation- Rapid movements, Sour food, Night, Opposition, During rest
- Amelioration- Slow & gentle movement, Warm food
FERRUM GROUP REMEDIES
FERRUM PHOSPHORICUM
- Remedy for the first stage of all febrile disturbances and inflammations before exudations sets in especially for catarrhal affections of the respiratory tract
- Hemorrhagic diathesis
- Chest- 1st stage of any inflammatory condition. Expectoration of pure blood in pneumonia.
- Heart – 1st stage of cardiac disease. Pulse, quick short and soft.
- Articular rheumatism. Rheumatic pain in shoulder pain extends to chest and wrist.
- Sleep – Restless and sleepless. Anxious dreams. Night sweats of anemia.
- Fever – catarrhal and inflammatory fevers, first stage chill daily at 1 pm
FERRUM IODATUM
- Scrofulous affections, Glandular enlargements, Tumours
- Acute nephritis followed by eruptive diseases
- Uterine displacements
- Body emaciated
- Debility following drain of vital forces
- Suppression of menses followed by Exophthalmic goitre
- Sensation as if something pushed/ pressed upwards
- Urine- Urine dark. Sweet smelling
- Crawling sensation in urethra & rectum
- Incontinence in anaemic children
FERRUM MAGNETICUM
- GIT- Movements and grumbling in abdomen. Loose evacuations with much flatulency, especially left side with pulling in legs. Abundant and frequent emission of fetid flatus.
- EXTREMITIES- Cramp-like or paralytic pullings or jerking pullings in the forearms and in the hands. Pain, as from dislocation in the wrist.
- SKIN- Small warts on the back of the hands and on the wrist. Whitlow.
FERRUM PICRICUM
- Constitution – Acts best in dark-haired patients, plethoric, with sensitive livers
- It is considered as a remedy that completes the action of other medicines
- Failure of function of organ that under Exertion
- Clinical – Voice loss after over exertion, Warts & epithelial growths, Corns, Deafness, Tinnitus, Epistaxis, Pseudo- Leukaemia, Prostate hypertrophy
- EARS- Chronic deafness & tinnitus due to gout. Deafness before menses. Crackling in ears and low-pitched voice. Dental neuralgia, radiating towards ears and eyes. Humming in ears as from telegraph wires. Tinnitus.
- STOMACH- Indigestion, furred tongue, headache after meals, especially in bilious, dark-haired persons.
- SKIN- Warts and epithelial growths. Corns with yellowish discoloration. Hands covered with warts
- URINARY- Frequent micturition at night, with full feeling and pressure in rectum. Smarting at neck of bladder and penis. Retention of urine. Senile hypertrophy of the prostate
FERRUM ACETICUM
- EXTREMITIES- Pain in right deltoid. Varicose veins of the feet
- RESPIRATORY- Nosebleeds. Copious expectoration of greenish pus, asthma. Tuberculosis, constant cough, haemoptysis
- URINARY- Alkaline urine in acute diseases.
FERRUM ARSENICOSUM
- Anaemia, chlorosis, Bright’s disease
- Ailments from abuse of poisoning with Quinine
- Anger from contradiction. Hammering headache.
- Enlarged spleen with high fever (Ferr iod, if no fever)
FERRUM BROMATUM
- Headache – Heaviness in head, feels enlarged
- Leucorrhoea – Ropy, stringy, excoriating, acrid
- Uterus feels heavy. Prolapse of uterus
- Spermatorrhea – with anaemia, debility & depression
FERRUM MURIATICUM
- Enlargement of the spleen due to malaria
- Headache with Ascarides
- Right sided remedy. Rheumatism of Right shoulder
- Great pain in the left hypochondrium, which is worse at night
- Face is pale and anemic; there is vertigo, anorexia, sleeplessness
- Chronic diarrhea, with loss of appetite, pain and tenesmus
- Hemorrhages – dark, thick, difficult flow
FERRUM SULPHURICUM
- A/F – Injuries, blows, falls, bruises
- Iron deficiency anaemia
- Profuse & prolonged menses with headache
- Ringing noises in ear during menorrhagia
- Pain in teeth during Metrorrhagia
- Diarrhoea after fish & shellfish
- Rectum colic with flatulence & painless diarrhoea
REFERENCES
- Boericke W. New manual of homoeopathic materia medica and repertory. B. Jain Publishers; 2001.
- Allen HC. Allen’s Keynotes Rearranged & Classified: With Leading Remedies of the Materia Medica & Bowel Nosodes. B. Jain; 2018.
- Dhawale M. Symposium (Standardisation), Area F. 2nd ed. Mumbai: ICR
- Scholten J, Honig M. Homoeopathy and the Elements. Stichting Alonnissos; 1996.
- Sankaran R. The soul of remedies. Bombay, India: Rajan Sankaran; 2017.
- Patil JD. Group Study in Homoeopathic Materia Medica. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd., D-157, Sector. 2018; 63:387-94.
- Murphy R. Lotus materia medica. B. Jain Publishers; 2003.
Dr. Dharanni. V
PG Scholar, Department of Materia Medica
Father Muller Homoeopathic Medical College
Deralakatte, Mangalore -575018
Under the guidance of
Dr Mini. I.V
Associate Professor,
Department of Homoeopathic Materia Medica
Father Muller Homoeopathic Medical College
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