Zinc Metallicum (HMT)

📖 Zinc Metallicum (HMT) Introduction

Zincum Metallicum 675 ZINCUM METALLICUM Zinc is a very important neurotropic remedy (i.e. the one that works on the nervous system). It seems to be the best remedy for patients who have become mentally exhausted due to chronic illnesses, and whose body has been rendered incapable of reacting to bring diseases out to the surface. During an epidemic of infectious diseases like measles and smallpox, the appearance of skin signs, such as rashes, helps the diagnosis. In a patient of Zinc, these signs fail to appear on the skin, although the disease process has already aff licted the body internally. The homoeopathic form of Zinc helps to project these diagnostic skin signs. During paralytic conditions of chronic and resistant nature, when the patient is treated with Zinc, it will set up a state of neurological provocation and reaction showing that the body is being prepared for a defensive stance. Zinc helps to express the suppressed symptoms and signs of diseases, infectious as well as neurological. This reaction is absolutely necessary to save the patient’s life but may be extremely disturbing to him. In case Zinc needs to be administered to provoke the mind and body reactions, the patient must be warned beforehand. Dr. Kent has devised a humorous story about Zi nc. He has suggested that a homoeopathic doctor shoul d visit a Zinc patient who has paralysis, very fast on horseback and then also return equally as fast after giving him the treatment. The reason for this is that since Zinc provokes an immediate brisk tingli ng response so swiftly that the relatives of the patient might thi nk that the doctor has poisoned the patient and rush to attack the docto r. After this abrupt tingling, the nerves begin to recover and the paralysis disappears. Then the relatives will run to thank the docto r. I have also Zinc on such patients. The patients did evidently show a brisk response though not of the severity described by Dr. Kent . As a matter of principle, I warn my patients that the se vere nervous response is the first sign of the cure to follow. Zincum Metallicum 676 Another characteristic sign of Zinc is the fidgeting of feet. Women usually keep their feet exposed out of the bedding and keep rubbing them against each other. Some patients may continually shake their legs. Any person exhibiting this si gn and then falling sick must be treated with Zinc. Once the constitution of the patient is recognised to be that of Zinc, all his illnesses will respond to Zinc. Nux Vomica, being completely op posite to Zinc, should never be given with it even though both have similar effects regarding the treatment of nervous tension In homoeopathy, two remedies of a similar nature may sometimes annul each other, or being incompatible may result in a severe b odily reaction. In case a patient needs to be treated with Zinc but has already been given Nux Vomica, then Camphor or Sulphur must be administ ered to neutraliz e the effects of Nux Vomica before he is given Zinc. The late onset of menses and scanty menses are suggestive of Zinc. Unless they are treated with Zinc, some young girls may be predisposed to certain uterine and nervous conditions for life. Zinc poisoning slows down the digestive system. Food gets digested extremely slowly. The appetite vani shes. Food rots in the stomach. Vomiting sets in due to acidity. The patient becomes constipated. Even the bladder function becomes slowed down. Bowel and urinary symptoms coexist. In contrast, Mercury produces its symptoms by way of irritation and in tensity. There is a bu rning sensation during urination and after. Similarly, in dysentery, the patient keeps on feeling the gripes and tenesmus, ev en after having passed the stools. The Zinc patient has to sit down wh ile passing urine; he cannot pass urine while standing. On the contra ry, a Causticum patient can pass urine only while standing, whereas by sitting, the urination either stops or becomes obstructed. Some of the patients have to be pulled backwards so that they may begin to pass urine. The face of a typical Zinc patient is pale and wrinkled. He always feels cold. Prior to the affliction of his mind and loss of memory, the patient first repeats the question and before answering. A slight sudden noise makes his body tremble. When a Zinc patient develops paralysis, he starts to look premat urely old. However a Zinc patient does not exhibit these signs in his youth whereas in Sarsaparilla and Zincum Metallicum 677 Agaricus, a patient appears to be old at a very young age. In Sarsaparilla, even children look old. Some of the Zinc patients, like those in Apis, may scream during sleep due to the excitability of nerve fibres in the brain. Symptoms of Apis are easily identifiable. In thei r absence, Zinc should be started without any hesitation. Once again, the relatives of the patient must be clearly warned that the tendency to scream may become aggravated before it gets better, slowly but surely. The symptoms of Zinc include pr ofuse sweating, severe nausea and vomiting. The heart sinks. All thes e symptoms do not manifest at the same time. Sometimes, it is the gastric symptoms, which appear first, while at other times the limbs or the heart become affected first. If the progressive slowing of the intestinal activity is suspected on the basis of a change of bowel habits, Zinc mu st be started without hesitation. If the diagnosis has been correc t, then the condition may be completely cured. Sometimes such a patient starts vomiting as a reaction to Zinc. This is a good sign indicating that Zi nc has reverted the slowly progressive intestinal paralysis (ileus). Initial severe reaction to Zinc therapy is tempor ary, but must occur, before the restoration of health. However, se vere reactions may also be noted during the treatment from the improper homoeopathic remedy or potency, with serious consequences. In homoeopathy, every untoward serious reaction should not be cons idered a prelude to a successful outcome because the condition may sometimes keep becoming serious with no sign of improvement. Zinc is also useful in the treatment of spinal meningitis. If remedies like Bryonia, Belladonna and Gelsemium etc., stop working, then Zinc will prove to be very beneficial. Zinc has also proved successful in the treatment of tubercular meningitis . During an epidemic of meningitis, Zinc 200 taken once or tw ice a week, proves to be a very good preventive measure. Zinc is also very useful in the treatment of many eye diseases such as progressive swelling and heavine ss of the eyelids, chronic redness of the eyes associated with the di mness of the vision and the affliction of the optic nerve (optic neuritis) . Zincum Sulph is an excellent treatment for cataract. I once treated one ni nety-year-old man with fairly advanced cataract. The surg eon had refused to perform surgery Zincum Metallicum 678 on him due to his age. I gave him one dose of Zincum Sulph CM. Surprisingly, within a few months , his cataract had disappeared completely. He lived many more y ears afterwards without recurrence of the cataract. Zinc is the best homoeopathic remedy in the prevention of cataract due to degenerative materials being deposited in the eye lens. However, once the cataract process is well-advanced, it should be treated by surgery. If Zinc is administered while the cataract is half-way towards matur ity, it will neither disappear nor mature for surgery. Patients at this stage should be left alone, so that their cataract may mature and be treated with surgery. The combination of Calcarea Fluor 6X with Zinc proves much more beneficial. Eye drops of Cinera ria Maritima Sussex are also very useful. A drop in each eye, three times a day, helps resolve the cataract quite fast. In general, Zi nc Sulph 200 is used once or twice a week. If given in CM potency, it should not be repeated before one month and stopped after one repeat. Zinc 200 is very useful in abating the formation of the whitish membrane appearing inside the ey e. In the eyelids, sometimes eyelashes start growing inwards (Trichiasis) and prove quite troublesome. Usually this is treated surgically. But after an operation, another hair can still grow inwards and this may continue to happen. Its permanent cure is Zincum Sulp h. I have found it very useful in Potency 200. Zinc also cures Pterygium obviating any need for surgery. When dizzy, a Zinc patient always thinks that he will fall on the left side. Tossing the head around and sinking it into the pillow is also a symptom of Zinc. Zinc is also considered to be useful in the treatment of involuntary movements and tremors of the head and hands (senile tremors). Like Kali Bichrome, a Zinc patient f eels pressure and pain at the root of the nose. The gums start receding from the teeth in zincum. Pressure on the gums relieves the discomfort. Children with weak nerves cut their teeth with difficulty . They keep on shaking their feet or rub them against each other due to restlessness. During swallowing, the muscles of the throat hurt. The stomach burns on eating sweet things. Besides this, the patient has a tendency of nausea, vomiting and hiccups. A Zinc patient has the habit of eating Zincum Metallicum 679 in a rush, indicating impatience. The stomach feels distended with gas. The patient has pain in the lower part of the back, intolerant to local pressure. Reproductive organs also become affected in men as well as in women. The testicles feel drawn upwards. Women become sexually overexcited and the breas ts feel swollen and congested. Menstrual flow increases at night . All these symptoms aggravate during their periods. Zincum Met is also useful in Va ricose veins and Chilblains i.e. redness and swelling of toes due to extreme cold which may result in frostbite and loss of toes. This can happen to mountaineers who walk continuously on snow in severe cold weather. REPERTORY AND COMMON DAILY ILLNESSES AND THEIR TREATMENT