Mirza Tahir Ahmad James Tyler Kent
Glonoine is also one of those remedies that, like Drosera, have been considered to be effective against only a few diseases although a great deal of benefit can be gained from it. Glonoine is trinitroglycerine. It contains hydrogen and oxygen elements and is a powerful explosive and combustible material. The formula of this compound was first invented by a scientist named Nobël. At that time, it was considered to be a very revolutionary invention. Although later on plastic and nuclear bombs etc. were also invented, the use of nitroglycerine has never been abandoned completely. In fact, it has been shifted more towards everyday use.
Nitroglycerine is also used in medicine. It is used either as such or in some other form for the treatment of angina. Glonoine also affects the human temperament. Sunlight makes one feel unwell. Just as nitroglycerine is sensitive to heat, similarly, a patient cannot tolerate heat and the result is a splitting headache. One feels as if he is being hammered all over the head, or as if the head is exploding. Glonoine is a first class medicine for the prevention of heat stroke. It can also be used for the treatment of high blood pressure, but only when other signs of Glonoine are also present in the patient. The homoeopathic doctors often use Glonoine for the treatment of patients suffering from heat stroke and blood pressure.
I have prepared a prescription for prevention against heat strokes i.e. one dose of Glonoine, Natrum Mur and Arsenic combined in potency 30, taken before leaving the house. By the grace of God, this will protect a person from headache the whole day. However, once the headache sets in, it is difficult to stop it.
The symptoms of Glonoine include a splitting headache, which starts as soon as the head is rested on a pillow. There is a feeling of heaviness over the heart. There is sudden rush of blood towards the head or the heart, and the patient feels a kind of fluid passing through the body. The tendency of the rush of blood to the head originates either from the heart or the stomach.
Some symptoms of Gelsemium are also found in Glonoine. In Gelsemium, before falling asleep, the patient feels faint signs of discomfort centred in the head while still, there is no headache per se. After sleep the pain becomes clearly felt. By morning, it turns into severe pain. Symptoms of Glonoine are similar to that of Gelsemium. The difference is that in Gelsemium, the pain does not remain limited to the head only. Rather, it involves shoulder muscles and also reaches the lower part of the back. The pain is usually on the left side of the body, whereas in Glonoine, the entire head is affected, but the pain remains limited to the head and the eyes only, it has no relation to the other nerves.
In Glonoine, palpitation is very conspicuous. The whole body begins to throb. From the tips of the fingers down to the toes, one feels an uncomfortable pulsating. The patient is overcome by generalised throbbing of the body as soon as he retires to bed. He simply cannot sleep. A single dose of Glonoine can cure the ailment and the patient can sleep comfortably again. Glonoine is a very fast-acting medicine. In homoeopathy, the proving of Glonoine has been found to be a rapid process, therefore it should not be repeated frequently. Glonoine used in low potency a few times every five to ten minutes, will provoke a severe splitting type of headache, along with all other symptoms of Glonoine manifesting themselves. It does not need to be repeated more often or over a longer period. Proving with Glonoine is the best method for convincing the disbelievers of homoeopathy.
Another similarity between Glonoine and Gelsemium is that in both, the patient’s hands and feet are very cold. However, in Gelsemium, there is no perspiration whereas in Glonoine, despite the hands and feet being cold, the patient perspires.
The tongue of a Glonoine patient is reddish in colour. The mouth is dry, but one does not feel much thirst. Despite having high fever, the patient still does not feel thirsty. The symptoms become worse in hot weather, in the sunlight and by sitting near the fire. The sensitivity to sunlight and heat is not limited to the head; the whole body is affected. The patient suffers from palpitation, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting. Local pressure relieves the headache, while reading makes the headache worse. The eyesight is affected in such a way that the words appear small and the objects look only half-lit.
In Glonoine, the patient perceives flashes of light and the stars shining in front of the eyes. On bending over, dark spots appear in front of the eyes. The eyes feel under pressure and hurt. The eyes become congested with blood. The eyes of a Glonoine patient are rather retracted and yellow in colour. They are sensitive to light. Temporary blindness is also common. A characteristic feature of Glonoine is that during fever, the face is pale rather than being red.
Glonoine is very useful in the treatment of meningitis of children, contracted in the summer. The neck arches backwards (opisthotonus). The face becomes extremely hot and glares. The eyes become drawn upwards. The head and the upper part of the body are extremely hot while the lower part of the body becomes cold. The patient sweats profusely. The overlying membranes of the brain become inflamed (meningitis). If the malarial parasites reach the backbone, this may also cause inflammation of the linings of the brain. Glonoine would be ideal to treat this condition if it happens to be in the summer time.
Very often, one might experience a rush of blood towards the head while walking. The face becomes flushed. There is a feeling of choking of the throat as if the entire blood has pooled over the face and head. The body becomes cold and sweaty due to extreme weakness. The patient may become unconscious. This condition is called apoplexy in medical terminology. This type of fits of unconsciousness can be due to clotting of blood in the brain, while in Glonoine patients, these symptoms result from a temporary spasm (of the blood vessels going to the brain). If such a patient is not treated in time with Glonoine, the repeated fits of unconsciousness may result in permanent damage.
A Glonoine patient often forgets the well-known routes and does not know where he is and where he is going. The streets appear strange to him. These kinds of symptoms are also seen in Lachesis.
Glonoine is commonly used for lowering high blood pressure. Opium is also found to be useful in this respect. It is more effective than Glonoine. Dr. Kent is of the opinion that in the case of high blood pressure, one should prefer to use Opium over Glonoine because the effects of Glonoine are mostly temporary while those of Opium are long lasting.
Glonoine is very useful in treatment of sudden stoppage of menstruation due to exposure to cold, or due to fear resulting in neurosis. Cimicifuga and Bryonia are also useful in this condition.
Aethusa may also be of use once the symptoms of insanity become evident. In general, Aethusa is ideal for the treatment of mental illnesses resulting from stomach disorder. Similarly, Aethusa can be useful to treat the mental condition developing due to the sudden stoppage of menses. In a Glonoine patient, the throbbing of the ears reflects the palpitation of the heart.
The stomach and the intestines rumble. It is only natural to experience severe nausea and vomiting as a result of heat stroke. There is a feeling of weakness in the stomach. The pulse is weak and slow. When walking, the pulse becomes rapid due to rapid heartbeat. There is a feeling of warmth and burning all over the body. The patient may suddenly faint and fall. One feels choked and froth comes out of the mouth. This is only a temporary resemblance to an epileptic fit.
Itching is also associated with Glonoine. There are severe cramps over the arms and the legs. Pain in the fingers of the left hand is the symptom of Glonoine. The symptoms are worse between six o’ clock and noon. During summer, the severity of the headache varies with the sun. Even the slightest jerk would intensify the headache.
Antidote: Aconite
Potency: 30 to 200
by Mirza Tahir Ahmad
GLONOINUM
Head: The most common feature in this remedy is the surging of blood to the head and to the heart. A patient often describes the state as a feeling as if all the blood in the body must be rushing around the heart, with a sense of heat or a boiling sensation in the region of the heart, or in the left side of the chest.
Again he complains of a surging in the head, a warm glowing sensation in the head or a feeling of intense glowing from the stomach or from the chest up into the head, attended at times with loss of consciousness.
There are also wave-like sensations in the head, as if the skull were being lifted up and lowered, or as if it were being expanded and contracted. Along with this there is most intense pain, sometimes as if the head would burst, sometimes great soreness in the head, or a sense of soreness felt in the skull. Another accompaniment of the surging is great throbbing, synchronous with the heat of the heart, and when the skull has this soreness then the throbbing is like the beating of hammers, and every pulsation is painful, so that there are painful pulsations and sometimes painless pulsations.
The pulsations are tremendous and when they are greatest in the head they are felt also in the extremities. The fingers and toes pulsate, there is pulsation throughout the back, and it seems that the whole body throbs. If this continues a while the soreness in the skull is likely to come on and with it the painful throbbing, every throb is a pain. In this state, with every jar in stepping, and every motion, it seems as if the head would be crushed.
Throbbing: The throbbing becomes more painful from motion. The vomiting which attends this condition relieves. The head is relieved in the open air, it is worse in the warmth, and is often relieved from the application of cold. It is made worse by lying down, or lying, with the head low. In the extremities we have great coldness. The extremities cold, pale and perspiring, the head hot and the face flushed and purple or bright red. The pupils are dilated and the eyes red. Now, if this progresses only a little while, the tongue becomes dry, red and then brown. There is no great thirst, but the mouth is very dry. The eyelids become dry and stick to the eyeballs. At times the skin becomes dry and hot, and the face is red and glistens. All degrees of confusion of mind, even loss of consciousness, will be present.
Headaches: Have I not described to a great extent that which is seen in a typical sunstroke? It is noticeable also that Glonoine symptoms are worse in the heat of summer and relieved in winter. The dull headaches and the continuous headaches are aggravated from warm weather and ameliorated from cold.
They are worse in the sun and better in the shade. All sorts of contrivances will be resorted to by Glonoine patients to keep the sun's beat from the head. When he has had these troubles for years, and it has become a chronic state, he will never go out in the warmth of the sun without an umbrella.
Glonoine corresponds to congestive states in the head that come on suddenly, especially from heat, but also from gaslight, or from any bright light.
The headaches that book-keepers are subject to, especially in those that have at their desk, or over the head, a hot gaslight. The bright light accompanied by the heat so close to the head will make this individual subject to headaches. These headaches are relieved by going into the cold air. The head aches all day when he is at his books, and when he goes home at night and lies down the headache comes on again, and he bas to be bolstered up in bed.
He wants the head high, and cold applications to the head; the headache is relieved from a long sleep, not generally relieved from siesta. From lying down and taking a nap the headache is sometimes aggravated, but from a good long sleep, a night's sleep, he is refreshed.
His feet and hands become warm, the feverish state, and the throbbing all over the body subsides and he wakes up in the morning comfortable; but if he goes out in the sun, or goes to the gaslight, he comes home with the headache again. Since electric lights have been brought into use there is not so much heat in the light, but gas throws out an immense amount of heat in its light,
The child comes down with cerebro-spinal meningitis, the neck is drawn back, the face is intensely hot, red and shiny, the eyes congested or glassy, the head and upper part of the body are very warm, the feet and hands and lower portions of the body and the extremities are cold and covered with cold sweat.
It is a most violent congestion to the brain and spinal cord. Convulsions come on, convulsions throughout all the limbs, the neck and whole body drawn back, opisthotonos. Cold feels good to the head; heat feels good to the extremities. The warm room increases the convulsions. When the lower limbs are covered with clothing in a cool room and the windows open the convulsions are relieved and the patient breaths more easily. With this head congestion there is difficulty in breathing and audible palpitation.
The head is made worse from shaking or jar, from stooping, from bending head backwards, after lying down, when ascending steps. It is aggravated in damp weather, and in the sun, while working under the gaslight, after overheating with copious sweat, and from the touch of the hat.
The weight of the hat is a very common aggravation in headaches in school children. The little ones work all day in a hot stuffy room and feel better in the open air, but the weight of the hat seems an encumberance as in Nitric acid and Calc. phos.
The Glonoine patient is also worse from wine and from stimulants, and from mental application. When the headache is on he cannot think, and he cannot write. An additional hindrance to writing is that he trembles so that he cannot write. Trembling and throbbing of the fingers so that he is unable to do his work or perform any delicate work with the fingers or hands.
We have puerperal convulsions with such an appearance as I have described. We may have the same violence in congestive chills, or in any type of congestion of the brain.
Brain: There is a milder form of trouble that calls for its use, a condition corresponding to the chronic types of disease. This milder form exists where the patient has simply what might be called a hyperemia of the brain, a rush of blood to the head when able to be about. It comes in spells, comes in moments when be least expects it; while walking on the street he feels a surging to the brain like a flush of heat and a flush on the face, his hands tremble, and the hands and feet become cold, he breaks out in a sweat; he looks around him and does not know which way to go home, he does not know where his dwelling is.
He looks in the faces of friends and they seem strange, he loses his way when be is near home. It is a confusion which soon passes away, and he feels better again. But these spells come closer together, and constitute the earlier stages of softening of the brain. This surging of blood to the brain is attended with dizziness; he rolls and staggers, and must take hold of things, and especially does he suffer in this way from a warm day, or from the heat and light of the sun.
In threatened apoplexy, and when apoplexy has taken place, if the violent pressure keeps on, think of this remedy. The clot may not be at first in the place to take life, it may be outside of the life line, but if the congestion continues that blood clot will increase.
Such medicines as Opium and Glonoine relieve the blood pressure when the symptoms agree. They equalize the circulation, and the patient may not die. A paralytic condition in one arm or leg may go on for a while, and at the end of many weeks or months the motion may be regained, and the patient recover; whereas if the suitable remedy had not been administered to reduce that blood pressure the continued congestion would certainly have ended in death in a few days.
The stertorous breathing, the coma, the history, and the general appearance of an apoplectic patient are found in this remedy, but the intense heat that comes on in many cases of apoplexy along with the shiny skin and coldness of the extremities are the guiding features.
Opium is the most frequently indicated medicine, but it must not be administered in large doses. The highest potencies are the best and one single dose is enough.
In a case noted it says, "frantic attempts to jump from the window."
The headache was so intense that the patient became violent and attempted to jump from the window. You may rest assured that with his headache there was all this determination of blood to the head. It is enough to make one frantic to feel this continued hammering upon every fraction of the skull. He cannot lie down, and he cannot walk, because every step increases the jar, so you see why it is that the word "frantic" is wed there. The patient becomes frantic with the pain.
Another expression used is "disinclination to step around."
The patient wants the room perfectly still. If sitting up in bed, you will often find a Glonoine patient with both hands pressing upon the head with all the power possible until the arms are perfectly exhausted. He wants the head pressed upon all sides. Wants it bandaged, or a tight cap fitted down upon it.
The headache is worse from bending backward and from stooping forward. There are times when the headache is so severe that lying back upon the pillow cannot be tolerated. There is a sense of great heaviness in the head. You will notice, in reading over these congestive headaches as reported, that each patient has a different way of describing his headache and yet all have the same story to tell, that of violent determination of blood to the head.
"Some months after being violently jarred by being thrown from a carriage, a sensitiveness of the upper part of the back and neck came on."
There are two strong characteristics of Glonoine in that cure, viz:
"< from wine and the < from lying down."
The other symptoms might have pointed to other remedies, but these two features are there. It is interesting when reading a case, if you have first a knowledge of the Materia Medica, to note what symptoms are verified when you do not know the Materia Medica then the case is confusing.
Now, as we glance over that description we see at once these two things verified and the rest is fairly consistent. Very commonly the pain begins in the occiput and goes to the forehead, but the whole head is in a state of throbbing.
But, we notice more particularly, the "aggravation from motion and the least noise."
This patient will sit in perfect quietude and silence for hours. You will be astonished to, know how long a Glonoine patient can sit without moving a muscle, because motion is so painful.
Also "aggravation from lying with the head low and after sleeping." it is important for you to know what that sleeping means. As I have said before, the patient very often is worse after a little sleep, but the common state is relief after a prolonged sleep. If he can sleep long enough it will subside, unless it be the congestive sleep, or coma, and then it is a different thing.
"Amelioration from cold and external pressure."
"Vertex burning hot, likewise upper part of back."
The whole crown of the head feels as if it were covered by a hot iron, as if an oven were close by. Hot, especially in the back of the neck and between the shoulders.
The burning heat seems to appear at the top of the head and extend down between the shoulders; a sensation of heat, as from a band.
"Face bluish, with a heavy, stupid expression."
The face is bright red, but if the condition becomes severe the face assumes a dusky appearance, and the longer this state lasts the more dusky it becomes; that is true with apoplexy and also with sunstroke. When the sunstroke first comes on the face is bright red, intensely hot and shiny, but as the heat increases the face grows dusky, even to purple. In all of these cerebral congestions there is a stupid, heavy expression, even going on to coma.
"Frequent deep inspirations."
With this congestion of the head there is commonly vomiting, palpitation of the heart, pain in the stomach, great difficulty in breathing and finally loss of consciousness. In another clinical case reported we read:
"Every pulsation is felt as if the head would burst."
Now, suppose the head bones were already intensely sensitive and sore and the head filled as full as possible with blood, and then you commenced hammering upon the blood column you can understand that the pain would be most intense and would soon end in stupefaction.
"Sunken eyes, bluish pallor under the eyes."
"Red eyes, with photophobia; optical illusions.
Black specks before the eyes; blindness."
"Face pale, in spite of high fever."
In all of these cerebral congestions of great violence the pulse fluctuates; it even becomes fine and wiry and hard; sometimes becomes irregular and also slow.
Another common accompaniment of these congestions is tumefaction about the neck. The neck feels full. The collar must be opened as it causes choking, as if he would suffocate. Even in the chronic state in the one who stands upon the street corner not knowing his way home because of the surging of blood in the head, that state is accompanied by choking and the collar causes uneasiness about the neck like Lach. He chokes and swells up under the ears. There is not only a sensation, but with the sensation there is actual swelling. Tumefaction about the neck and throat, under the chin, and the glands become swollen.
The next circumstance in the text that brings forth the general aspect of the remedy is in connection with the catamenia. The menstrual flow does not appear, it is delayed, with violent congestion to the head, violent headaches and these symptoms already described. These congestions may also come on during the menstrual period. Again, if a uterine hemorrhage stops suddenly, or a copious flow from any part stops suddenly, the patient comes down with great violence and the blood rushes to the head.
There are many conditions and complaints in life where we have surging of blood to the head, when this will be the remedy wanted. Persons who are subject to palpitation with dyspnea, upon any effort, he cannot go uphill, he cannot walk along the pavement without bringing on palpitation and dyspnea; any little exertion or excitement brings on the rush of blood to the heart and fainting spells; fainting, spells in women, who are not supposed to be subject to fainting. Great weakness, palpitation, trembling of the limbs, shaking of one or both hands as with palsy.
"Laborious action of the heart" is a strong feature of the remedy; pulsation all over.
Fluttering in the region of the heart. Pulse quick, irregular, slow or quick and wiry. There are some persons that are apparently plethoric; very much affected by the slightest exertion and who have pulsation all over; pulsation in a warm room. They are sometimes relieved by opening the window if it is cool, by fanning, by cold air, by cold applications to the head. In keeping with the remedy, this is clinical application of it:
"Children get sick in the night after sitting up at an open fire or falling asleep there."
"Bad effects from having the hair cut."
Bell. is generally thought of for taking cold in the head from having the hair cut.
"Bad effects from being exposed to the sun's rays."
"Bad effects from sunstroke."
by James Tyler Kent