# Iris Tenax (HMT)

## Remedy Classification
- **Type:** Remedy
- **Miasm:** Psoric Miasm
- **Temperament:** Neutral
- **Aggravation Time:** Neutral/Anytime

## Keynote Indications
The homoeopathic medicine Iris Tenax comes from a plant.  In 1885,
Dr. George Vig experimented with this medicine.  He tested it on
patients suffering from severe intestinal colic associated with
vomiting of greenish material. Iris Tenax is somewhat similar to Iris
Versicolor.  However, there are differences and each has its own
specific characteristics.  Iris Versicol or is ideal for the treatment of
hyperacidity of the stomach, whereas in Iris Tenax the hyperacidity of
the stomach is associated with sy mptoms related to the throat and
mouth cavity.  Iris Tenax is considered to be the best treatment for
appendicitis.  Therefore, in general, its usage has been restricted only
to appendicitis.  In fact, it is also very useful in the treatment of other
day-to-day problems.

In Iris Tenax, the patient feels a burning sensation inside the mouth.
The surface linings of the tongue, throat and mouth are affected .
The throat becomes dry and drinking  cold water does not help.  When
the condition becomes worse, severe  headache sets in.  Often, the
headache settles on the right side, but it  may be felt on th e left side as
well.  It is associated with bilious vomiting.  The patient suffers from
severe abdominal pain, associated w ith the feeling of being tense and
distended.  There can be severe crampi ng as well as diarrhoea.  In Iris
Tenax the patient remains depres sed and pessamistic.  He feels
homesick.  Sometimes, the tende ncy to become depressed may
alternate with happiness.  There ar e no associated mental symptoms.
His mood changes suddenly.  Sometim es, he feels happy and at other
times very sad.  At about midnight, he feels extremely sad and lonely.
The temple areas hurt.  There is  burning and itching over the scalp.
This itch is not the us ual kind but merely a temporarily associated
burning sensation. This is certainly  not a permanent ailment.  The
burning usually settles over the right eye.  The headache comes once
a week.  The vomit is of a green colour and sour in taste.  The eyes
also itch.  There may be associated  feeling of burning and pricking.
There is pain over the teeth of left upper jaw .  However, in my
opinion, Iris Tenax may also be used for the treatment of pain
affecting any tooth presenting the symptoms just mentioned.

Iris Tenax is also associated with diarrhoea.  There is pain and severe
cramping in the lower part of th e abdomen.  Being more closely
related to the right side , it is considered the best treatment for
appendicitis.  Dr. Vig himself never mentioned the use of Iris Tenax
for appendicitis. But in view of its symptoms, subsequent
experimentation with Iris Tenax has found it to be very useful in the
treatment of appendicitis.  I have often used Iris Tenax with Arnica
and Bryonia in potency 200 for the treatment of appendicitis, and
found it very useful and amazingly eff ective.  If cramps are the salient
symptom, then instead of Bryonia one should use Belladonna.  Very
often, appendicitis can become co mplicated and lead to a very
dangerous situation.  The triad just  mentioned can bring the situation
under control.  I often would get sick with appendicitis and used to get
better with this prescription.  Once, while travelling, I felt uneasy right
from the beginning of the journey.  I used these three medicines.  We
travelled the whole night.  The next day, I drove the car myself for
400 miles and we reached Karachi.   The pain had remained under
control throughout the journey.  The next day I was taken to a hospital
and examined by a surgeon.  He was amazed to find that my appendix
had burst open, discharging pus. The surgeon could not comprehend
that not only was I alive but had al so driven the car for 400 miles.
Naturally, I underwent the surgical removal of my appendix, but I did
not take penicillin; instead I used homoeopathic antibacterial drugs.

My advice to homoeopathy students, as well as to the patients, is that
they should not totally depend upo n these three remedies and keep
postponing the need for surgery.  On ce the appendix is diseased, the
homoeopathic remedies may only be used temporarily but the removal
of the appendix by surgery is still the best treatment.

The pain of appendicitis can start du ring any time of the day or night.
However, the usual time described for appendicitis is the night.
According to my experience, there is no such restriction on the time of
the onset of appendicitis.  In Iris Tenax, the pain starts on the right
side and then spreads in the en tire abdomen. There is a tendency
towards severe vomiting.

On waking up in the morning, the Iris Tenax patient has a sinking
sensation over the stomach.  There is severe pain in the abdomen,
moving from the right to the left.  Many a time the patient develops
diarrhoea at night, which aggr avates further by midnight.
Hyperacidity of the stomach may lead  to frequent urination.  If the
patient happens to feel a burning se nsation during frequent urination
and the colour of the urine is brow n, then this is a symptom of Iris
Tenax.  Arsenic and Natrum Phos are also useful in the treatment of
this condition, though thei r individual symptoms should also be kept
in mind.  In Natrum Phos, the urine is somewhat pale in colour.
Hyperacidity of the stomach , which causes the urine to turn yellow
in colour, is also found in relation to other medicines.  Excessive and
frequent urination leaves the patient very weak and makes it difficult
for him to walk.  Such patients should be treated with Iris Tenax.

The Iris Tenax patient loses sleep.  In spite of decrease in pain and
extreme weakness he is unable to get up in the morning.

Potency: 30 to 200

## Symptoms by System