Psorinum [Psor]:

-Tarkas P. and Ajit Kulkarni.

Skiny. Unwashable. Foul. Allergic. Sad Debilitated. Unreacting. Cachectic. Sickly Scrofulous. Puny. Broken-down. Exudative Chilly. Syco-or Syphilo-psoric. Calcareous

Chronicity, due to lack of : Resistance, Response, Reaction, Rallying, Recuperation, Repair; from mismanaged dermal affections, malaria or venereals. Catches infections readily and remedies fail to impress, because of a personal or family history of eczema, scabies, asthma, hay fever, quinsy etc. Chronic troubles from defective phagocytes, syphilitic or tubercular heredity, suppressed eruptions etc.

Sequelae of infections etc. linger on long and patient declines inspite of close prescribing, with progressive debility and cachexy (or also) without any organic lesion or apparent cause, despair of recovery, easy sweating, appetite does not return, abdominal complaints (often undefined). Complaints go on recurring and relapsing-colds, skin lesions etc.

Never well since an unresolved or badly managed acute trouble: typhoid, pneumonia, pleurisy, diphtheria, influenza or exanthem, mental trauma (shock) or even some stress (like a race).

Pertains to all the four miasms, single or in combinations, but esp. the psoric diathesis, all complaints that reveal or go back to a skin phase, supressed or palliated, even of the yet-in-utero (by the mother).

Make-up : The so called ‘great unwashable’ ; dirty, despite washing (like Sul.’the great unwashed’), but esp. are the discharges stinking.

Hypotonic, lean, thin. Weak, sickly, emaciated and cachectic (like Caust.), lacking vital reaction, but resist organic changes.

Chilly, constant chilliness – a ‘constitutional coldness’, wears a fur-cap in Summer, head sensitive to uncovering. Wants warm clothing always, constant or repeated coldness, local or general. But also sometimes mildly warm-blooded.

Great sensitiveness to change to cold or wet weather, even to cool air (which feels too cold). Increased susceptibility to catching cold either general or local (as in head, eyes, abdomen, chest, neck or feet) from washing clothes, wetting (even extremities), exposure to cold drafts, even going into a cooler room, from drying up of sweat, in a rainy atmosphere, stormy weather, or during a low barometer (hence called a human barometer like Merc.).The weather prophets who have renewed pains in injured parts even after healing or scarring on change of weather or approach of a storm.

Also sensitiveness to Sun; when in the Sun felt as if it pushed her down.

Children : Great emaciation, pale, delicate, sickly, scrofulous, puny, ‘neglected, hungry waifs’ (like Mag-c.), stumble easily. Irritable, faint-hearted, dejected, nervous, easily startled, will not sleep day or night, but constantly fret and cry (esp. at night, though jolly during day); cold, costive (Alum.), dirty, offensive, itchy, eruptive and gloomy.

Nerves

Debility : Dizzy, Drowsy (Gel.); weary and tired (like Echin.,Malan.), in limbs in morning (even after a good sleep), feels braced up only after several hours or in evening, a bad sleep not fatiguing. Without any structural changes, yet from some deep-seated occult dyscrasia (non-descript). Prolonged, after some strain, howsoever minor like talking or riding. After acute diseases. After suppressed itch (weak and miserable). At climacteric. Worse (walking) in open air. Weariness, heaviness and painful- ness in whole body, as before a malarial attack, no inclination to work, even talking is fatiguing, great prostration after (e.g.) a sermon, with great appetite. Atony of muscular and other tissues, prolapses, hernia.

Sluggishness and torpor of physical functions (Caust., Plb.); cannot finish stool or micturition in one episode.

Pains : Burning, stinging in ears, nose, teeth, pit of stomach, liver, spleen, inguinal gland, chest, on many spots of skin (X- ray). Whole body painful. Pains drive to despair.

Easy numbness, on going to bed, with easy sweating. Crawling with pricking (and smarting) on scalp and limbs. Wooden plank feeling across occiput. Of arms, esp.forearm feels asleep with crawling in fingers, from flatulence; hand, legs. Cramps in (single) toes.

Paralytic lameness / weakness, even paralysis (though less pronounced than Caust.) of r. arm, knees, legs; after suppressed eruption. Paralysis of l. arm after a storm. Tottering gait.

Neuritis is frequently of a focal infection origin (staphylococcal). Ending sometimes in a collapse, as at the end of typhoid (with stupor, coma, staring eyes, singultus, involuntary and unnoticed stool and urine, subsultus, with h/o suppressed eczema, asthma. Fainting, sudden spells of sinking of strength and (momentary) loss of conscious- ness, with head falling, and with or without jerks of muscles, during menses or pregnancy.

Restless, nervous, easily startled, and anxious (like Caust.), worse at night or in warm room.

Universal commotion: Pricking-crawling, tingling (an asleep sensation). Sudden jerks (during sleep), twitchings, cramps, tremors; trembling after emotions (excitement, fright etc.) with sweat, when hungry, while crying, before stool, from noise, with chest pain. Hot tremblings (orgasms) over whole body in morning or during rush of business. Whirling restlessness of legs.Chorea.

Hysteria, after overstraining.Catalepsy, from worms. Epilepsy, after suppr. eruptions (Caust., Sul.), periodical.

Sclerosis, multiple / disseminated; posterior spinal (locomotor ataxia), l. foot pulled around inward. Tottering gait.

Tissues Tissue degeneration resisted for long.

Seborrhea; greasy sweat, face, nose, forehead.

Emaciation, after some unusual (through not great) exertion (as running a race), after suppressed eruptions by Ars. (given for green vomiting and stools); with good appetite and feeding.

Dropsies with eruptions, unable to lie down. Hydrocele. Hydrothorax. Anasarca.

New growths, encysted tumours, sebacious cysts (wens) in skin, in cellular tissue under it, in bursa mucosa of tendons (exostoses), of various forms and sizes, cold, insensible. Fibroids. Polypus, in nose, rectum, vagina etc. Warts, condylomata, on edges of skin. Pediculi corporis. Corns, painful. Under the skin (of scalp) are formed lumps (which come and disappear), and round tumors like boils (that suppurate rarely). Malabsorption of lipids may cause lipomas (also cataract).

Cancer, mammary; uterine. Malignant pelvic tumor. Lupus. Lymphosarcoma (of neck glands). Adhesive bands in uterus and vagina rendering the cancer inoperable.

Blood congestions, in warm room. Hemorrhagic diathesis from nose, stomach, rectum, uterus, lungs, vicarious menstruation, disorganisation, scurvy, anemia (with foul taste, anorexia etc.).

Mucous membranes : Exudative diathesis. Red. All excretions offensive, have a foul carrion like odor, eye-gum, otorrhea, breath, saliva, eructations, stool, urine, leucorrhea, menses, sweat, ulcers. Foul odor from its greasy skin, from body despite bath, an appalling odor pervades around him. (Here it follows Pyro.). Discharges thick, gluey, viscid, offensive, brown.

Glands : Glandular swellings everywhere, around neck (scrofulous), in flexures of joints, in axillae, in groins, in lower jaw, in breasts. Sometimes with a chronic suppuration with eruptions on head. Atrophy: testes, mammae.

Bones : Fragile. Caries. Spina bifida. Rachitis. Softening, Curvature of spine. Exostoses. Cervical spondylosis. Periostitis resulting in abscess.

Joints : Weak, as if they will not hold together, seem loose, easy dislocation. Stiffness. Swelling. Thickening. Neuro- arthritic. Dermo-arthritic. Gout, gouty nodes / concretions.

Peculiarities

1. Severe (even grave) troubles from slight causes, e.g. exertion, lifting, reaching (with arms), stretching, a minor sprain, trifling emotions, coition or even a chance pollution, a small noise (may cause trembling, even convulsions), a night’s (or half night’s) loss of sleep, grasping (causes finger soreness).

Such slight tensions, strains often cause prolonged confinement to bed, all grades of hysterical troubles, swooning, fever, hemoptysis, chest pains, decline, (debilitating) sweats. Chest pains after a race, back trouble, lifting. A little hurt pains terribly. After overlifting vanishing of thoughts. Limbs go to sleep from slight causes (e.g. arm holding head, lying down or crossing legs). Voice lost after a mild cold. Weariness from slightest exertion. Fever after cutting hair. Despair from itching. A pronounced tendency to easy spraining, esp. of back; causes even spondylosis or slipped disc.

2. Unusually well (with great appetite) day before an attack (of headache, diarrhea, chill, fever etc.). Attacks unexpected, or ravenous appetite preceding.

3. Contradictions (Caust., Ign.): a. Weariness while sitting or in morning, but feels stronger when walking or as day advances (esp. in the evening), or even in morning after a disturbed sleep (than after a sound sleep). b. Pains from slight exertions, but not after hard labour (Sep.). c. Dyspnea from just moving arm, but none by greater exertion as trimming trees. d. Flatulence ameliorated from eating. e. Emptiness without hunger. f. Ravenous appetite with debility. g. Sight worse as abdominal symptoms improve and vice versa.h. Chilly in daytime, but feels hot at night.

4. Contraries / Anomalies : Drinking () dyspnea.

5. Alternations (Plb.) : Feels good and bad by turns. Melancholy with rage and frenzy. Toothache with headache. Winter eruptions with (periodical) headache. Winter cough with summer diarrhea.Cough with headache. Headache with fever.

6. Undefined disagreeable sensations : About head. Of dryness over whole body. A qualmish disagreeable emptiness in abdomen. Hot trembling (ebullitions; congestive orgasm) over whole body in morning during rush of business.

7. Enjoys bathing (it may ()). Inclined to wash affected parts; it (>) pressure in head (also itching). Washing may (also) not brighten him (like Sul., unlike Caust.). Sometimes aversion to it (like Sul.) or to water.

8. Desires to ride, even in bad weather, though it may cause weakness, heat, soreness in rectum and arms, gripping and urging to stool.

9. Allergic to : wheat, fats, sugar, mango, coffee, meat, peaches. After suppressed itch. Allergy is psoric, as also are diabetes, gangrene, leprosy and sequelae of acutes or sprains (all found in Psor.).

10. Paucity of symptoms and lack of vital reaction; in chronic diseases; symptoms never clear; in old age. Delayed convalescence and tedious recovery; patient does not rally: cases improve partially to a certain stage and then stop there, come to a standstill (like Caust.). A pronouned tendency to relapse (like Sul., Tub.).

11. Attacks in spells: anxiety; depression; chills; sweat.

12. Mixed syndromes: sick and sun headaches. Chest wall or muscle pain with anginoid pain.

13. Leucoderma and leprosy, both offshoots of eczema (all nosodes).

Injuries : Very much prone to sufferings after injuries. General sore bruised pains (can be used like Arn.). Sprained easily. Falls. Blows on abdomen (like Bellis. or Nux-m.). Induration of ovary after a knock. After a bout of running race debilitating sweats, chest pains, patient was robust hitherto. After procured abortion. Pains in old injuries (or scars) at change of weather.

Mind : A confirmed pessimist (Aur.). Dejected, despondent, dispairing. Sentimental. Constantly fretting and worrying. Melancholia with good appetite (but emaciating); at climacteric; in disseminated sclerosis; religious M. Perfectionist. Oppressive, restless anxiety; anxiety while riding downhill, about salvation; anguish in head; during urination; after stool; (>) eating, in open; walking. Persistent thoughts of ideas which first appeared in his dreams.

Fear of failure; fire; being alone; becoming insane; poverty; examination funk; of dark. Lunar insanity. Schizophrenia.Wringing of hands. Attacks of desentia, dementia. Dislikes both company and isolation. Deficient e’lan vital and drive.

Select Particulars Head : Whirling vertigo; with staggering, syncope; from flatulence, () eating, washing, warmth, epistaxis. Apoplexy minor, after suppr. menses, eruptions, cough.Headache follows visual disturbances.Sun headaches. Old chronic headaches. Sensitive to uncovering head or hair cutting. Shocks in H. Hair: dry, lustreless, rough, bushy, tangles easily, falling. Lousiness. Dandruff.

Eyes : Cold settles, in eyes. Chronic, recurrent, scrofulous or catarrhal inflammations. Blepharitis. Lachrymation on opening, (>) in open air. Photophobia, when walking in open air, irrespective of inflammation; must cover up eyes. Styes. Pterygium. Cataract. Corneal opacity. False visions: diplopia, hemiopia, polyopia. Progressive loss of vision. Dim. Dazzling. Cloudy.

Ears : Chronic otitis. Discharges; after exanthem. Sensitive and nervous to noises; convulsion from a drum-beat. Tinnitus: thundering, din. Deafness: with tonsillitis, (adenoid); after suppr. eruptions. Severe pains that drive one crazy.

Nose : Recurrent colds; stuffy in room, in Autumn. Dry coryza with stoppage of nose. Hay fevers. Sneezing; with chilliness; cough end in. Smell acute. Epistaxis; amel. Septum inflammation. Drawing in frontal sinuses.Ozaena; sunken nose.

Face : Greasy (Malan., Nat-m.); forehead. Fuzzy, dirty, dusky. Cracked corners (Arum-t.). Acne, () lying, pressure of hand. Rheumatic carditis with effusion, cannot lie down, pain in head and limbs, esp. shoulder.

Rushes of blood, ebullitions, orgasms in the whole body; in or to chest. Throbbing in arteries (Amyl.). Veins: tearing during storms; itching; varicose on pudenda, limbs.

Back : Ache: with nausea, constipation, leucorrhea, dysmenorrhea; after suppr. eruptions. Neck : pain; stiffness; spondylitis. Weak back, esp. lumbar; easy spraining. Spina bifida. Slipped disc.

Locomotor : Tremor. Whirling. Formication. Tingling. Prickling. Numbness.

Sudden weakness of limbs, paralytic lameness; spondylitis.

Chronic rheumatism, arthritis, gout, after suppr. eruptions. Dermo-arthritic. Neuro-arthritic (Dewey). Pain in near (as arm) or distant parts from moderate work (as writing), not from hard (like sewing). Frozen shoulder with heart involvement. Brachial plexus neuritis. Sciatic pains; tension in knees; chronic inflammation of knee, pain (