Homoeopathic Sketch of Precious Metals

Dr Jitendra Kumar Srivastava

ABSTRACT
The precious metals are mainly known for their preciousness ,less availability and properties of metals like ductility,malleability,long durability and pressure and temperature resistence.These properties make them special and mainly used for the purpose of ornaments and trading.

The main precious metals are gold(aurum met) ,silver(argentum met) and platinum(platinum met).Homoeopathy makes them these precious metals special by the process of potentization as the latent inherent properties of curing the list of mental and physical symptoms arose only by this process.

CHARACTERISTICS

The main characteristics of the precious metals are…..

• Haughtiness and egotism.
• Ability to withstand pressure and temperature.
• Chilliness and amelioration from open air.
• Fear during performance, fear of failure, fear of falling from high place, fear of making a mistake.
• They have acute sensitivity of pain and can be suicidal from it.

The sketch of main precious metals individually are as follows……….

AURUM METALLICUM

• The central theme of aurum is extreme depression and loathing of life which progress to suicidal thoughts and finally self-destruction.
• According to George vithoulkas the pathological aurum condition usually arises in people who possess a serious and introverted character.
• They are generally closed people, responsible and quite refined.
• At the early stages of pathology one can sense that they avoid superficial contact and tend to remain rather aloof or self-contained.
• Generally they are very disciplined and highly ambitious.
• They seem to have the fundamental conviction that they are destined for a superior and esteemed position in life.
• Due to this feeling he feels that like gold he deserves more what they have and this conviction leads to egotism of precious metal and if this conviction and ambition increasing day by day make him ill and now he reaching to the stage of depression in its extreme and being syphilitic tries to destructing himself upto the level of suicide.
• Syco – Syphilitic trend runs from head to toe in all complaints
• That’s why destruction and degeneration is the key feature of aurum group.
• Profound melancholy and constantly dwelling on suicide this is the destruction of normal mind.
• Hopelessness, despondency and a sense of utter wretchedness are her constant companion.
• Weary of life and devoid of all ambition she looks for a ready redemption in death.
• This idea of suicide haunts her constantly, and it is suicide, she longs for.
• Loquacity, tendency to pray constantly changeability of mood, dread and anxiety, anguish of mind, loss of self-confidence, quarrelsomeness and sensitiveness, complicate the complex texture of her mind.
• Intolerance of contradiction and a tendency to brood over suppressed grief, disappointment, anger, fright and unfulfilled longings.
• The nocturnal boring pains, the carious destruction of the hard tissues, the exostosis of the skull and other bones, indicate the substrata of syphilis.
• It is suited to old people who are tired of life ,in whom syphilis is implanted on a scrofulous constitution.
• Oversensitive to touch,pain,taste,smell,hearing etc.
• Patient feels hateful and quarrelsome; desire to commit suicide; life is a constant burden; after abuse of mercury; with nearly all complaints.
• Patient is Uneasy, hurried, great desire for mental and physical activity; cannot do things fast enough
• Ailments from fright, anger, contradictions, mortification, vexation, dread, or reserved displeasure.
• Falling of the hair, especially in syphilis and mercurial affections.
• Hemiopia; sees only the lower half.
• Caries: of the nasal palatine and mastoid bones; ozaena, otorrhoea, excessively foetid discharge, pains worse at night; drive to despair; of mercurial or syphilitic origin.
• Prolapsed and indurated uterus; from over-reaching or straining from hypertrophy.
• Menstrual and uterine affections, with great melancholy; < at menstrual period.
• Foul breath; in girls at puberty.
• Sensation as if the heart stood still; as though it ceased to beat and then suddenly gave one hard thump.
• Violent palpitation; anxiety, with congestion of blood to head and chest after exertion; pulse small, feeble, rapid, irregular; visible beating of carotid and temporal arteries.
• Fatty degeneration of heart.

ARGENTUM METALLICUM

• Argentum met. is prepared from Precipitated Silver.
• Argentum metallicum cases generally imply a broken down constitution, a physical wreck, people who appear much older than they are in reality, partly due to much physical suffering, but mostly to an almost constant general state of weakness and prostration. The patient’s worn out face, tired look, and weak voice betray the extent of his suffering. The face really looks older though it may not be deeply wrinkled at all.
• The very fact of talking and giving his case history in detail are taxing activities, needing an extra effort on his part, and indeed bringing about an aggravation of his condition.
• There is an adynamic state in these individuals, who have no stamina to face adverse situations in life and just go to pieces when faced with stressful situations.
• They are quite happy and satisfied but as soon as somebody threatens them over some slight incident they become totally unbalanced.
• They become upset or angry and everyone around notices the big change in their face, which becomes white, long and drawn.
• Their state of health is so precarious that the mind can easily become confused, or even dizzy or intoxicated, from small provocations, slight stress or minor fright.
• In the initial stages of their pathology, Argentum metallicum cases are not as weak as they are later.
•  In these early stages they are easily excited, their mind works perfectly well with a special acuteness, they exhibit an extreme clarity, and they are argumentative and intelligent.
• It is a state that lacks stability, and foretells the troubles that may be on their way.
• The person is as sensitive and excited as to be fragile.
•  In this stage they need contact, they need to talk to others, doing so with great ease and excitement – the mind seems overstimulated in a nice way, with cheerful and optimistic feelings, but at the same time a certain fragility.
• A sense of fatigue of the mind sets in, where the effort needed to make it function properly is just more than can be managed.
•  In social gatherings they remain quiet and do not participate in discussions.
• The mind would appear to have been overtired by constant excitement.
• These two states alternate for some time in the Argentum metallicum case, before the tired state eventually takes over on a more or less permanent basis.
• Symptoms of the mind appear as a result of mental exertion, as in the cases of students or scholars, business men, lawyers or accountants overexerting their mental faculties.
• These symptoms, naturally, are not merely the result of overexertion, but when superimposed onto an organism already in a state of Argentum metallicum pathology, this overexertion has a telling effect.
• Conversely, not everybody who overexerts himself gets symptoms, but patients who need this remedy are prone to get symptoms quite easily.
  The initial overexcitement of the mind seems to carry Argentum metallicum cases along easily but a time comes, later in life, when they feel that their mind is breaking down, their mental faculties are leaving them, and that their memory is deteriorating rapidly.
• In the midst of a conversation they may forget the subject they were discussing, or they may suffer from sudden memory loss on leaving one room to search for something in the next room, finding themselves in this other room without being able to remember what they had been looking for.
• A moment’s pause is needed to rethink the whole process, after which memory returns.
• This sudden loss of memory overcomes minds that are worn with cares and problems; these people have many things on their minds and very little mental power.
• Eventually a point is reached where even talking is a greatly bothersome task.
• Argentum metallicum has fears of being harmed from the outside.
• He is afraid to speak,afraid he will run into something ,his anxiety lead him to walk faster.
• This may relate to argentum`s acute awareness of being second to aurum.
• It affects the cartilages, joints and bones.
• Hence, it is a great remedy in rheumatic affections.
• We think of it especially in arthritic rheumatism, when swollen parts feel bruised on pressure.
• The pains are tearing in nature.
• There are sometimes electric-like shocks, in joints and limbs.
• The muscular system is likewise affected in Argen. met.
• Cramps are special features here.
• The parts feel stiff and numb.
• Calf muscles feel too short when going downstairs.
• Argent. met. acts upon the mucous membranes as well.
• It produces copious exudation of mucus in the larynx.
• The mucous exuded is white and starchy.
• There is burning and rawness in the larynx.
• We think of this remedy principally in epileptic attacks where such attacks are followed by delirious rage.
• The patient, as soon as the attack is over, jumps about, striking those near by.
• It is especially indicated in nervous, hysterical women and men who have lost a good deal of seminal fluid.
• It is a good remedy in frontal headaches of businessmen.
• The headache increases gradually and when at its height, ceases suddenly.
• There is vertigo on entering a warm room after a walk.
• It has a strong action over the urinary organs. There is frequent desire to urinate with profuse discharge of urine.
• Extreme dryness of the mouth, great hunger after a full meal and thirst make Argent. met. an admirable remedy in diabetes, where it is particularly indicated, if in addition to the symptoms mentioned above, there is swelling of the ankles.
• In this impotence is the effect of onanism. The organ is shrivelled up and atrophied. In testicles there is a bruised feeling.
• There is also hoarseness in this remedy, especially of singers and speakers; talking and laughing aggravate. There is also aggravation after sleep, lying on back and on entering a warm room.

PLATINUM METALLICUM

• A noble metal platinum is prize in fine jewelry for its resistance to tarnish and its strength strong is better for holding precious gems.
• Platinum is also extremely important as a catalyst.
• Platinum is also extremely rare.
• As with many of the precious metal, platinum people have a sense of destiny.
• They believe in finding creative fulfillment and they have a gift that needs expressions.
• Idealism and desire for service are their some of positive qualities which can manifest in careers, in education or politics, they are busy and driven.
• Platinum people love beautiful things and make beautiful things.
• They dress with style , they can be very charming.
• They have perseverance and tenacity to finish projects.
• They are almost always loquacious once they feel comfortable.
• Obsessive compulsive disorder tendency runs deep to this personality.
• Compulsive thinking can be a huge issue as they drive themselves crazy with persistent thoughts.
• Even the healthiest have an innate weakness for over worry , a trait that also makes platinum people susceptible to chronic insomnia.
• Middle spectrum platinum can be very effective leaders , but their will likely be a hidden life of worry shared only with intimate people.
• The hardness of platinum is metaphor for their torture thinking.
• They might express their anxiety through relentless complaining and worry or it can manifest with physical symptoms.
• A hysterical brilliance can shine in this hypochondriac territory as a minor body sensation becomes an indication of cancer or some deadly virus within moments.
• There are more fulfilled middle spectrum people than there are those out actively seeking fame or money.
• Middle spectrum Platinum finds joy in hobbies and the people in their lives, with creativity a defining characteristic.
• Strong religious, mystical and/or psychic interests are common.
• With a great desire to have fun, Platinum folks are drawn to athletics, dancing and singing.
•  They like people and they like to socialize.
• According to Dr N M Chaudhary If the whole feature of this remedy can be expressed in one word, it is sensitiveness.
• We find this illustrated in both the mental and physical side of the patient.
• The patient is like some sort of a volatile, highly combustible oil that ignites on the least spark.
• You dare not approach her.
• She is proud, haughty and faultfinding.
• She looms very large in her own imagination while others seem insignificant and small.
• It is this egotism that makes her so undesirable a companion
• Arrogance is marked in every feature of her countenance.
• She walks straight like a queen, her head erect and her eyes turned away from all contemptible creatures around her.
• They all seem far too beneath her dignity to be taken notice of.
• Platinum, however, is not the only remedy to claim this symptom.
• The patient is given to as violent a language and as strong a passion as Platina and her mental condition like that of the latter remedy, is a sort of a reflex of the ovarian and uterine complaint to which she is a chronic martyr.
• Her irritability is thus the effect of these supposed slights.
• She is of an excitable and obdurate nature, but the redeeming feature of her character is that she becomes easily penitent.
• Great forgetfulness and benign contentment are some of her characteristic mental symptoms.
• This patient too is a great one for finding out other people’s faults and cursing them.
• There is very often a lascivious bend to her mind; in fact, sometimes we find her vulgar.
• To crown everything she is an inveterate liar.
• The Platinum patient is hysterical.
• Great changeability of mood is as characteristic of Platinum.
• This alternating mood generally comes on after intense anger.
• Another important symptom is a homicidal tendency.
• The very sight of the knife brought about the homicidal craving.
• Sometimes we find these patients steeped in deep dejection and profound melancholy.
• Low-spirited and dull, they weep for hours.
• Very often this takes the apathetic turn.
• A great want of the sense of proportion leads them to the most ridiculous actions.
• They laugh in the wrong place and laugh most immoderately.
• At other times they cry at something that throws everybody else around them into a peal of laughter.
• His sexual passions were highly exaggerated.
• Another peculiarity which it is worth our while to remember is an irresistible desire to whistle and sing.They whistle and sing in company even though they know that decency condemns it.
• We also notice in Platinum a tendency for violent spasmodic yawning.
• They are also given to great fear and anxiety.
• The dread of death constantly haunts them.
• The pain of Platinum is very peculiar and characteristic.
• It increases gradually and as gradually decreases.
• Moreover this pain is accompanied by numbness.
• This pain may be in any organ or part of the body and prescribed on its proper indication Platinum will certainly help.
• On this symptom of pain Platinum is reported to have cured many cases of ovaritis.
• This lead us on to consider the influence of Platinum over the sexual system.
• Mental delusions, as if everything about her were small; all persons physically and mentally inferior, but she physically large and superior.
• Sensation of growing larger in every direction.
• Trifling things produce profound vexation  remains a long time in the sulks.
• Satiety of life, with taciturnity and fear of death.
• Mental disturbances after fright, grief, vexation; onanism, pride.
• Mental symptoms appear as physical symptoms disappear and vice versa.
• Headache : numb, heavy pain in brain or on vertex; from anger or chagrin; hysterical, from uterine disease; pains gradually increase and decrease.
• Nymphomania : < in lying-in women; excessive sexual development,  especially in virgins  vaginismus, spasms and constriction.
• Menses too early, too profuse, too long-lasting; dark-clotted, offensive, with bearing down spasms, pains in uterus with twitching; genitals sensitive.
• Excessive itching in uterus; pruritus vulvae.
• Constipation : while travelling after lead poisoning : from inertia of bowels; frequent, unsuccessful urging; stools adhere to rectum and anus like soft clay of emigrants; of pregnancy; obstinate cases after Nux has failed.
• Metrorrhagia : flow in black clots and fluid; thick black, tarry or in a grumous mass .

Reference 

1. New manual of homoeopathic materia medica and repertory by William Boerick
2. Essence of material medica by George Vithoukas
3. Homoeopathic psychology by Phillip m belly
4. Lectures on material medica by J T Kent
5. Allens key notes
6. Homoeopathic pharmacy by mandal and mandal

Dr Jitendra Kumar Srivastava B.H.M.S.,CFN,
258- D -Block Shyam Nagar Kanpur Opp.Saraswati Shishu Mandir School
Near Hari Har Dham Shyam Nagar Kanpur 208013
Mob No 9935545031