Bismuth [Bism]:

– T. F. Allen.

Mind
Morose, discontented and complaining.
Head
Confusion. Pressing and drawing here and there. Attacks of vertigo, as if the anterior half of the brain were turning in a circle. Cutting pains above right eye, extending to occiput. Pressure in the occiput () motion.
Sleep
Sleepiness in the forenoon, but cannot sleep as usual after eating. Night sleep restless on account of vivid dreams, or waking in fright.

by Pierce W.I.

BISMUTH SUBNITRATE.

Introduction
Hughes in his Pharmacodynamics., says” “Hahnemann called his preparation.” Bismuth, ‘an oxide,and under this name its symptoms appear in Allen’s Encyclopedia. But I think that it you read his directions for making it you will agree with me that the resulting salt is identical with that which chemists now style the subnitrate, and which is the Bismuth of ordinary practice.”.
Symptoms
The field for the employment of Bismuth is narrow and its “chief action is manifested in the alimentary canal, causing irritation and catarrhal inflammation” (allen). Hale still further restricts it by saying that its action is confined to the nerves of the stomach and those organs in special sympathy with it. If its sphere is limited it is nevertheless, an important remedy when indicted and there is no excuse for the statement made by Hale that “the great majority of out school rarely use it; only those who have been allopathies, or has gained some knowledge of its value from allopathic text-books. The old school use preparations of bismuth as “harmless cosmetics’ (Ringer) and internally they also seem to look pin it as harmless, for they assert that they can give “from 15 to 60 grains at a dose without producing any recognized ill effects” (Bartholow). A peculiarity of the two school of medicine in reference to drug action is, that allopathies brag about how much they can give without poisoning the patient, while homoeopaths boast as to hollow little they can give and effect a cure. Bismuth is useful for violent neuralgic headaches, which alternate with, “or are attended by gastralgia, or when the headache comes on immediately after eating (95) and is relieved by vomiting of the food” (Hale). These pains in the headache of Bismuth, involve the face (100) and teeth, with a feeling as if the parts were being torn by pincers (79) and relief cold or cold applications(92). Bismuth is of great value in gastric catarrh (178) and gastralgia, with, as a marked indication for the remedy, severe pain which extends from the stomach through the body of the spine, or it goes from before backward (180). Another prominent indication from the remedy in gastralgia, is relief while taking cold drinks (174), yet when the stomach become full there is vomiting of enormous quantities. There are usually free eructations and vomiting of food and of mucus. The gastric pains are crampy or burning (178), with aggravation from food, which lays like a hard lump or load in the stomach (179), and Bismuth often gives temporary relief during the progress of scirrhus (178) when accompanied by the burning pains. It is of importance in painless, watery diarrhoea, with thirst and with great prostration after each movement(58) although “the surface is warm” (Bell)., and in cholera infinitum, with vomiting especially of water, and a thickly- coated, white tongue (192). I use Bismuth 3rd.

– Nash E.B.

Diarrhoea; stools WATERY, PROFUSE, painless and offensive or cadaverously smelling.

Vomiting of large quantities and INTENSE THIRST; WATER is vomited the MOMENT it reaches the stomach, food is retained a little longer.

Restlessness, anguish, great prostration; pale with blue rings around the eyes; surface covered with sweat, but it is WARM SWEAT.

BISM., is one of our best remedies for cholera infantum;genuine cholera infantum, where the disease is sudden in its onset, and rapid in its course. Such cases die in a night or even a few hours, unless BISM., VERAT., KREOS., or some remedy of such rapid action saves them. With BISM., the stools are WATERY, PROFUSE, painless and very offensive; cadaverous smelling. There is also vomiting of large quantities and the INTENSE THIRST is accompanied with vomiting of the water drunk the MOMENT it touches the stomach. Water ONLY is so vomited. Food is retained a little longer (with ARS., both water and food are vomited). There is prostration equal to that of ARS., or VERAT., but the surface is warm and often covered with warm sweat. The face is deathly pale, with rings around the eyes. This is a perfect picture of BISM.,and no remedy need be confounded with it

Again, BISM., is a remedy for purely nervous gastralgia. The pain is of a pressing nature, sometimes pressing between the shoulders and sometimes there is much burning in stomach(ARS.,). It is also often of benefit in cancer of the stomach, when there is at times vomiting of enormous quantities of food that seems to have lain in the stomach for days. In such cases there is much burning and pain. It has a restlessness and anguish, similar to ARS., wants to move around, can’t stay long in one place. In the neuralgic form of gastralgia the lower triturations have served me best,but in cholera infantum I never use lower than the 200th and have seen remarkable results. Solitude is unbearable, child wants mother to hold its hand for company (STRAM.,).

Aggravation Motion, walking or car iage-riding; any sudden jar ing movement. Solitude is unbearable: desires company, child holds on to its mother’s hand for company [Kali c., Lil., Lyc. ].

Anguish; he sits, then walks, then lies, never long in one place. Headache returning every winter; alternating with, or at ended by gastralgia. Face, deathly pale, blue rings around the eyes. Toothache (>). by holding cold water in mouth [Bry. , Cof . , Puls. ].

Vomiting: of water as soon as it reaches the stomach, food retained longer [vomits food and water, Ars. ]; of enormous quantities, at intervals of several days when food has filed the stomach; of al fluids as soon as taken; and purging, of ensive stools [watery stools, Ver. ]; with convulsive gagging and inexpressible pain, after laparotomy [Nux Staph. ].

Stomach: Pressure as from a load in one spot; alternating with burning; pain crampy, spasmodic; with ir itation, cardialgia and pyrosis. Cholera morbis and summer complaint, when vomiting predominates; stools foul; papescent, watery, of ensive, very prostrating [Ars. , Ver. ].