PLUMBUM METALLICUM

PLUMBUM METALLICUM

(Lead)

Plb.

An effective remedy for general sclerotic conditions, especially lead paralysis affecting the extensors and upper limbs. Symptoms include partial anesthesia, excessive hyperesthesia preceded by pain, localized neuralgic pains, and neuritis. Plb. impacts the blood, alimentary, and nervous systems, causing anemia, pallor, and jaundice due to reduced red blood cells. It can also lead to constrictive sensations in internal organs, delirium, coma, convulsions, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, muscular atrophy, infantile paralysis, and locomotor ataxia. Plb. is vital for peripheral nerve issues, targeting neuroaxons and anterior horns, with symptoms resembling multiple sclerosis and posterior spinal sclerosis. It addresses contractions, boring pain, acute nephritis, amaurosis, cerebral symptoms, and chronic gout.

Mind: Mental depression, fear of assassination, melancholy, slow perception, memory loss, amnesic aphasia, hallucinations, delusions, intellectual apathy, and paretic dementia.

Head: Alternating delirium and colic, sensation of a ball rising from throat to brain, very dry hair, tinnitus.

Eyes: Constricted pupils, jaundice, inflamed optic nerve, intraocular inflammation, glaucoma (especially secondary to spinal lesions), optic neuritis, central scotoma, sudden sight loss after fainting.

Face: Pale, cachectic, yellow, corpse-like; sunken cheeks; greasy, shiny skin; naso-labial tremors.

Mouth: Swollen, pale gums with blue lines; tremulous, red-edged tongue; difficulty protruding tongue.

Stomach: Contraction, pressure, tightness, gastralgia, constant vomiting, difficulty swallowing solids.

Abdomen: Excessive colic radiating throughout the body, drawn abdominal wall, pain causing stretching desire, intussusception, strangulated hernia, retracted abdomen, obstructed flatus with colic, alternating colic and delirium, pain in atrophied limbs.

Rectum: Constipation with hard, black stools; urging and spasms; obstructed evacuation; rectal neuralgia; constricted anus.

Urinary: Frequent, ineffective tenesmus; albuminous, low specific gravity urine; chronic interstitial nephritis; scanty urine; bladder tenesmus; drop-by-drop emission.

Male: Loss of sexual power; constricted, drawn-up testicles.

Female: Vaginismus with emaciation and constipation; mammary gland induration; hypersensitive vulva and vagina; breast pain; abortion tendency; menorrhagia with abdominal-to-back pulling sensation; yawning and stretching disposition.

Heart: Cardiac weakness; soft, small, dichrotic pulse; wiry pulse; cramp-like constriction in peripheral arteries.

Back: Sclerosed spinal cord; lightning-like pains; temporary relief from pressure; lower extremity paralysis.

Extremities: Paralysis of single muscles; difficulty lifting; overexerted extensor muscle paralysis; thigh muscle pain; wrist drop; calf cramps; limb pain with colic; swollen feet; atrophied limb pain alternating with colic; cold hands and feet; sensitive right big toe at night.

Skin: Yellow, dark brown liver spots; jaundice; dry skin; varicose veins in forearms and legs.

Modalities: Worse at night, with motion. Better with rubbing, hard physical exertion.

Relationship: Compare with Plumbum aceticum for painful paralyzed limbs, severe gastric pain, eczema applications; Plumbum iodatum for various paralysis forms, sclerotic degenerations, mammary gland indurations; Alum., Plat., Op., Podo., Merc., Thal. for related symptoms; Plumbum chromicum for convulsions and retracted abdomen; Plumbum phosphoricum for sexual power loss and ataxia.

Antidotes: Plat., Alum., Petr.

Dose: Third to thirtieth potency.