Leading indications of Homoeopathic remedy Strontium Carbonicum

Dr Shubhaprada S Gothe 

This is a small but an invaluable remedy not much known and rarely used. It grows in the form of crystals in massive quantities in lead mines of Strontian, a place in Argyllshire whence it derives its name.

Common name – Carbonate of Strontia Strontiana carbonica. Strontianite.

Chemical formula – SrCO3. (STRONTIA)

Preparation – Trituration.

Strontium belongs to group IIA of the Periodic Table along with Magnesium, Calcium and Barium. It lies between Calcium and Barium. The theme of group IIA is the theme of dependence.

Magnesium represents the dependence of an infant, that is, total dependence for nutrition, security, etc. Calcarea represents the dependence of a child, i.e. he can walk and move, but still he needs the protective cover of the house, and he is not willing to take up the challenges that the environment outside his house has to offer.

Strontium represents the age of adolescence. This is the age when one ventures out into the new, with the full knowledge that if one is faced with a problem, one could always come back. What Strontium looks for is guidance, that is, an experienced person’s help to chart out the unknown, someone to rely on if there is a problem.

The relationship with this guide is the most important thing in his life, and there can be problems if such a person is missing or guides in excess. New tasks like learning to drive a car or starting a profession are anxious moments for Strontium carbonicum and he needs the encouragement and support of an experienced person.

In comparison, Baryta carbonica is for the next age that is adulthood, where one has to take up the complete responsibility without anyone behind. In such a situation, the Baryta carbonica person experiences a sense of incapacity and of complete dependence.

It has a great tendency to produce congestion and it therefore belongs to the same category as Glonoinum, Amyl nit., belladonna, Verat. vir., etc.

SPHERE OF ACTION –

• Vasomotor nerves [circulation; heart; kidneys].
• Right side. Left side.
• Heart, kidneys, marrow, ankles and right side are also affected.
• Affections of bones esp. of femur.

PATHOGENESIS:

• Affects the circulation causing congestive feeling of tension.
• The arteries dilate to make room for the increased rush of blood and throb with the excitement of the great rush. Such a congestion may be in the heart, the lungs and the head.

CONSTITUTION –

• The great characteristic of this remedy consists in the aggravation of this congestion from the least movement. There are people whose face becomes livid and flushed every time they move about. These patients are great subjects of apoplexy.
• Timely administration of Strontiana carb. will remove such tendency and save the patient from the impending catastrophy.
• Dr Choudhari have used this remedy scores of times for congestive headaches specially at climaxis.
• The flushes are frequent and continuous.

GENERALITIES:

• Pains are fleeting, can hardly tell where they are, seemingly felt in marrow of bones; increase and decrease gradually or make the patient faint and sick all over.
• Pains make patient faint or sick all over. Restlessness at night, smothering feeling.
• Burning, gnawing.
• Violent involuntary starts of the body.
• Immobility; of one side. Emaciation.
• Sense of paralytic weakness. Numbness.
• Prostration or shock, after surgical operation. Soreness.
• Formication, in limbs.
• Oedema; esp. about the ankles as a concomitant.
• High blood pressure with flushed face pulsating arteries, threatened apoplexy.; arteriosclerosis.
• Rheumatic pains. Chronic sprains.
• Chronic sequelae of haemorrhages. after operations with much oozing of blood and coldness and prostration.
• Stenosis of oesophagus.
• Neuritis, worse cold. Coldness in spots, on calves. Pain and itching alternate.
• The symptom that helps greatly to differentiate Strontiana from Lachesis and Sulphur, is a great desire on the part of the patient to have the head wrapped up, in spite of the great heat and the warmth.
• The patient can not bear the least draft of cold. In this respect Strontiana is similar to Silicea and Magnesia mur

MIND

• Excessive forgetfulness.
• Apprehension as from bad conscience.
• Depression of spirits.

Irritable; suddenly becomes angry, beats anything that comes in his way.

HEAD

• Vertigo with headache and nausea. Distensive pressure. on entire head.
• Aches from nape of neck, spreading upwards; better wrapping head up warmly (Sil). . Aching eyebrows.
• Flushes in face; violent pulsating.
• Supraorbital neuralgia; pains increase and decrease slowly (Stann).
• Bloody crusts in nose. Itching, redness and burning of nose. Face red; burns, itches.
• Aches into upper jaw, with vertigo and nausea.

EYES

• Burning and redness of eyes.
• Pain and lachrymation on using eyes, with dancing and chromatic alterations of objects looked at.
• Photophobia, remaining after operation esp. when objects appear covered with blood.
• Green spots before the eyes in the dark.

NOSE

• Itching, redness and burning of nose.
• Bloody crusts.

FACE

• Red with burning heat or very pale; every time the patient walks.

MOUTH

• Feels numb and dry in A.M.; on waking. Teeth as screwed together.

STOMACH

• Loss of appetite, aversion to meat, craves bread and beer. Eructations after eating.
• Food tasteless,
• Hiccough causes chest pains; cardialgia. Pressure in stomach during digestion.

ABDOMEN

• Periodical diarrhoea; Diarrhœa; worse at night; continuous urging; exhausting, of yellow water; with gripping, better towards morning.
• Large, hard, knotty stools, evacuated slowly with much effort; Defecation is followed by pain in anus and then burning in anus lasts a long time, for hours after stool (Ratanh) and compelling the patients to lie down.
• Uncomfortable fullness and swelling of abdomen. Colic in umbilical region Sticking in abdominal ring.
• Dr Choudhari says in his materia medica that he is ever grateful to Strontiana, for the relief it gave him, while still a medical student in Chicago, from an attack of persistent nocturnal diarrhoea to which unfortunately he became a subject. It used to come on every night with a peculiar urging that made me stick to the closet for hours. He would scarcely be off the vessel before he had to return. It used to leave him punctually after 3 a.m. Dr. H.C. Allen prescribed Strontiana.He did not suffer from it since. It is equally great for constipation.

EXTREMITIES

• Sciatica with œdema of ankle. Ankles sprained or puffed; as a concomitant.
• Rheumatic pain in right shoulder.
• Rheumatism with diarrhœa.
• Gnawing as if in marrow of bones. Cramps in calves and soles.
• Chronic spasms, particularly of ankle-joint.
• Œdematous swelling. Icy-cold feet.
• Rheumatic pains, especially in joints.
• Veins of hands engorged.
• Hands numb. Immobility of the limbs, of one side only, like paralysis.
• Lastly Dr Choudhari mentions that its efficacy is very great in those cases of chronic sprains particularly of the ankle-joints when other remedies such as Arnica, Ruta, and Rhus tox. fail. There is almost always a certain amount of oedema associated with this pain due perhaps to interference in the circulation of blood.
• Strontiana is used in caries of the bones specially of the femur when such affections are associated with diarrhoea.

FEVER.

• Heat, with aversion to uncover or undress. Flushes of heat; in face; yet aversion to uncovering.
• Profuse perspiration at night; climacteric.

SKIN

• Moist, itching, burning eruption; better in open air, especially warm sunshine.
• Sprains of ankle-joint, with œdema.
• Violent perspiration at night.

URINARY

Pale urine with strong smell of ammonia.

RESPIRATORY

Pressure, as of a load on chest. Pain in the left breast with oppression worse after meals.

HEART

Heart feels smothered. Heart block.

MODALITIES

• Better- immersing in hot water; Heat and light (Sun. Wraps. Hot bath.)
• Worse: change of weather; from being quiet; when beginning to move; great sensitiveness to cold. Cold; Uncovering. Undressing, Sprains. Bleeding. Evening, Stooping. Touch. Rubbing. Night. Darkness. After lying down and rising again. Exertion.

Relationship.

• Strontium brom (often gives excellent results where a bromide is indicated. Vomiting of pregnancy. Nervous dyspepsia. It is anti-fermentative and neutralizes excessive acidity).
• Stront nit (Morbid cravings; headache and eczema behind ears).

 Leading symptoms – VERMUELEN

*Seems to be a combination of Calc. and Bell.

M – “Vital people. Take a lot of social responsibilities, like groups and courses” [Morrison].

M – Aversion to DARKNESS. amel. Light.

 G – CHILLY. Great sensitiveness to cold in general and to DRAFTS of air.

G – amel. Warm stove [2].

G – agg. EVENING. agg. NIGHT.

G – agg. WALKING [headache; congestion; leucorrhoea; dyspnoea; pressure in

sternum].

G – agg. Rubbing [3].

G – Rising of blood pressure. “Distress about or around the heart, as if pressed upon.”

“As of a load on chest.” “Heart feels smothered.” ARTERIOSCLEROSIS.

G – FLEETING pains; seemingly in bones.

G – Pains increase and decrease gradually.

G – agg. MENOPAUSE.

G – Profuse PERSPIRATION at night.

G – FLUSHES of heat; in face [and pulsation of carotids]; yet averse to uncovering.

During climacteric.

G – CONGESTION to head, face, chest. HEAT of head and heat or redness of face.

G – BONE affections [particularly FEMUR], especially of scrophulous children, and

diarrhoea.

P – Face very pale or bright red. REDNESS of face from physical exertion, especially

walking. THREATENED APOPLEXY.

P – Sprained or puffed ankles. Swelling of ankle remaining after a SPRAIN.

WEAKNESS of ANKLES. Chronic sprains.

P – Headache; starting in cervical region [tension in nape of neck], extending to head.

amel. Heat [heat of sun!; infra-red lamp; wraps].

REPERTORY

 Mind

Anticipation, complaints from [2]. Confusion, spirituous liquors, from [1]. Darkness agg.

[1]. Delusions, criminals, about [1]. Destructiveness [1]. Fear, dark [2]. Light, desire for

[2]. Starting, evening, falling asleep, on [1]. Striking, about him at imaginary objects [1].

Vertigo

Night, waking, on [1].

Head

Coldness, night [1]. Cold air, sensitive to [2]. Constriction, heat of sun amel. [1/1]. Heat,

anxiety, with [1/3], heat of, with, face [1], redness of face, with [1], sleepiness, with [1],

walking, while [1]. Pain, cold, becoming, from [2], heat amel. [1], sun, from exposure to,

amel. [1; Graph.], wrapping up head amel. [2]; drawing, heat of sun amel. [1/1]; pressing,

sides, left [2].

Eye

Itching, canthi, inner [2].

Vision

Colors, green, spots, walking in the dark, while [2/1]; red, circles, rubbing, on [1/1], red,

objects seem [2].

Face –

Discoloration, red, walking, on [1/1]. Heat, walking, while [1]. Pain, burning, headache,

during [1/1].

Abdomen

Pain, hypogastrium, menses, during [2]; cramping, waking, on [2]. Tension,

hypogastrium [2].

Female genitalia

Leucorrhoea, walking agg. [1].

Respiration

Hot breath [2].

Chest

Pain, heart, eating, after [1]. Trembling, weeping, as from [1/1].

Extremities

Caries of bone, femur [2]. Injuries, wrist [2]; Ankle [2]. Numbness, Hand, motion, on,

amel. [1]. Pain, joints, night [1]; lower limbs, motion amel. [1], warm when, amel. [1];

burning, foot, evening, in bed [1]. Paralysis, apoplexy, after [2]. Swelling, thigh, femur

[2]. Weakness, leg, motion, during, amel. [1].

 Sleep

Sleeplessness, twitching of the limbs [1].

Perspiration

Symptoms amel. while sweating [2]. Uncovering, aversion to [2].

Skin

Eruptions, winter [1]. Itching, pain ceases, when [1/3]. Tension, scratching, after [2].

Generalities

Evening, lying down, after [1]. Paralysis, one-sided, right [1]. Perspiration, after, amel.

[2]. Rubbing agg. [3]. Twitching, sleep, during [2], sleep, on going to [2]. Warm stove

amel. [2].

Food

Aversion: Meat [1].

Desire: Beer [2]; bread [2]; milk [2]; brandy [1].

Worse: Wine [1] [= headache]

RUBRICS – SUGGESTED RUBRICS FOR STRONTIUM CARBONICUM: SANKARAN

• Delusion, things seem strange.
• Fear, understanding new things.
• Fear, dark.
• Fear strangers.
• Delusion, a hand behind him.
• Company, desire for.
• Dreams, snakes.
• Desires, cheese, pizzas.
• Started easily.
• Desires sunlight, which ameliorates.
• Single symptom.
• Guidance, need for.

The rubrics are derived from the proving that Dr Sankaran had conducted He have also observed among the patients and provers of Strontium carbonicum a strong desire for cheese.

PHATAK – CONCISE REPERTORY
Ankles weak. w Ankles puffy swelling.

NUCLEUS

1. Combination of Calc. and Bell. [e.g. aversion to darkness; redness of face on

exertion; nocturnal perspiration; bone affections; chronic sprains of ankles].

2. Vital, plethoric people, yet oversensitive to cold and drafts of air.
3. Craving for heat and light.
4. Flushes of heat; congestions. Heat of head and heat of face.
5. Elevation of blood pressure. Arteriosclerosis. Threatened apoplexy.

REFERENCES

• Pocket Manual Of Homoeopathic Materia Medica,William BOERICKE
• A DICTIONARY OF PRACTICALMATERIA MEDICA, By John Henry CLARKE, M.D.
• Materia Medica of Homoeopathic Medicines R. Phatak
• The Soul of Remediesby Dr Rajan Sankaran
• Study on Materia Medica by Choudhury N M
• Synoptic materia medica by Frans vermeulen

Dr Shubhaprada S Gothe
PG Scholar, Department Of Materia Medica GHMC, Bengaluru
Email : shubhagothe97@gmail.com