James Tyler Kent   William Boericke  

mezereum 1The principal use of this remedy is in eruptions and ulcerations.

The most violent and important of its symptoms are those of mucous membranes, skin and periosteum. The outer surfaces of the body are in a constant state of irritation; nervous feelings, biting, tingling, itching, changing place from scratching. Even when there is nothing to be seen, there is violent itching and the patient rubs and scratches until the part becomes raw and then burns; itching changes place; the part becomes cold after scratching, cold in spots. Itching changing place after scratching, especially when associated with no visible cause.

As soon as he gets warm in bed or as soon as he goes into a warm room, the itching begins. Formication, itching, biting. The patient is so nervous that he is compelled to move, to change positions.

Vesicular eruptions upon the skin, running a certain course, itching, burning like fire; dries into a crust and disappears; a new crop appears near or in the same place. Vesicles form crusts beneath which is ulceration; these crusts turn white, chalk-like, are thick, tough and leathery.

They are often elevated; fluctuation beneath the crusts; pressure causes thick, white pus, sometimes yellow-white, to ooze forth; violent itching. The pains are aggravated by cold, but the itching and restlessness are worse from beat. A child tears. at the eruption with its fingers when the crusts are present.

Scald-head; thick, white, elevated crusts; copious, white or yellow white pus, often offensive, putrid; vermin are often found among the crusts. Acrid pus eating away the hair; the eruption spreads to any part of the scalp, especially to the top; it is also found beneath the ears, and about the face and chin.

Eruptions with much itching; dark, red rash with violent itching, biting, tingling, crawling, changing place by pressure, rubbing or scratching. Cases with a history of suppressed eczema or syphilis. Eruptions upon the legs and arms, on parts with poor circulation as the ears, wrists, backs of the bands; skin eruptions followed by ulcers; discharging a thick, white, offensive matter.

Especially useful where eruptions have been suppressed by zinc ointment, mercurial salve, etc. Eruptions on the face, eyes, ears and scalp in child or adult, which have disappeared under the use of some ointment and inveterate catarrhal conditions have resulted, or in which eye symptoms have developed; conjunctiva chronically swollen, ectropion, granular lids, conjunctival surfaces like raw beef; fissures in the comers of the eye; red cicatrices about the eyes where the eruptions have been; dry spots and enlarged veins about the eyes and nose; skin feels indurated.

Ear troubles from suppressed eruptions; thickening of the mucous membranes of the ears; degeneration of the drum of the car; deafness, otorrhoea.

Offensive and troublesome catarrh of the nose; incrustations, thickening of the mucous membrane, ulceration; he hawks thick, yellow matter out of the throat; has been cauterized, atomized, etc., and yet the offensive ozoena remains. The periosteum is affected so that it breaks down. Advanced state of atrophic degeneration of the mucous membranes of the throat and nose.

In the throat, thickening, burning, chronic redness, tumefaction, smarting, soreness on swallowing; granulations and ulcerations of the throat.

Perforating ulcers of the soft palate, all due to suppressed eruptions. Give the remedy and you will have a copious eruption in the original place; if not, there will be no relief. Often the deafness cannot be cured, because the drum of the ear or the whole ear is destroyed, is white, chalky, and contains no blood-vessels; a state of atrophic catarrh, so that there is too much structural change for hearing to be restored, yet the patient can be cured.

Has all the catarrhal states, the ulcerations and patches of copper colored eruptions found in syphilis.

When outward manifestations are pronounced, its internal manifestations are scanty. It tends to manifest the sufferings of the body on the skin; it throws the physical evils to the surface, hence, the Mez. patient is in fairly good health when the eruptions are out; when they are suppressed, then catarrhal affections, bone diseases, nervous disorders, strange mental symptoms constipation, rheumatism, and joint symptoms appear; he becomes a mental wreck.

Religious or financial melancholy; melancholy which shapes itself upon the patient's business; indifference to everybody and everything; irritable; thought is difficult; memory weak; absent minded; has no rest when alone, yet averse to talking. Insanity with melancholy, sadness, and a history of eruptions that have called for Mez.

Violent headaches and brain affections; pains rending, tearing; boring; head painful to touch; syphilitic affection of the brain; headaches through the sides of the head as if in the bone; feels as if the head would be crushed (closely related to Merc. and Kali iod.).

Headache extending from the root of the nose to the forehead (Merc. and Hepar). Pains in the head cause faintness (Hepar). Pains in the bones of the skull aggravated by touch; bones feel as if scraped.

The hair mats together.

"Head covered with thick, leather-like crusts, under which thick, white pus collects here and there, and glues the hair together.

Scabs on the head look chalky and extended to the eyebrows and nape of neck.

Elevated, white, chalk-like scabs with ichor beneath, breeding vermin."

Neuralgias, sciatica, pain in the spine, in the brachial plexus and down the arms; neuralgia of the face; all following suppressed eruptions.

The Mez. patient is sensitive to warm air as far as the skin and. eruptions are concerned, but very sensitive to damp or cold weather as to the neuralgias. After the eruptions have given place to internal manifestations, the patient is chilly, sensitive to the changes of the weather, worse in stormy weather; worse after a bath, because he takes cold and his internal complaints are aggravated. The eruptions are aggravated after washing.

When the eruptions are not out, the skin is hot and he wants something to cool it; he is better from cool water; there is simply a redness at this time. The itching is aggravated from bathing in warm water.

Ulceration about the roots of the teeth; a scrofulous condition of the gums, which bleed, settle away from the teeth; the teeth decay suddenly.

The face is sickly, full of ulcers, old scars, boils, etc. The anaemic face may flush up at times, but it is usually pale, gray, and waxy, expressive of a cachexia met with in some bone diseases.

Sensation of goneness, fear, apprehension, faintness in the stomach, as if something would happen; every shock, pain and hearing bad news, cause this apprehensive, hungry, faint, weak, all-gone feeling in the pit of the stomach. It comes on when the door-bell rings, if the patient is expecting the postman, while waiting at the depot for the arrival of a friend or the departure of the cars; on being introduced to sonic one, he experiences a thrill beginning in the stomach is "frightened in the stomach."

Cal., Kali carb., Phos. and Mez. have this. These "solar-plexus" individuals often have a deep cracked tongue and are hard to cure.

Worse from the warmth of the bed (hence related to Merc. and syphilis). Neuralgia worse in bed and at night, relieved by the external application of heat, but worse afterward; better in the open air.

Inflammatory rheumatism, worse from the warmth of the bed and at night; worse from touch; pains run down the bones; bursting sensation in the bones. They feel enlarged; tearing pains in the periosteum, necrosis, caries, fistulous openings discharging briny particles and large ulcers surrounded by pustules.

by James Tyler Kent


W. Boericke

mezereum 2MEZEREUM

Skin symptoms, affections of bones, and neuralgias most important, especially about teeth and face. Bruised, weary feeling in joints, with drawing and stiffness. Pains of various kinds, with chilliness and sensitiveness to cold air. Bone pains. Eruptions after vaccination. Burning, darting sensation in the muscles; subsultus tendinum. Pains shoot upward and seem to draw patient up out of bed. Semi-lateral complaints. Patient is very sensitive to cold air.

Head.  Hard work to talk. Headache; worse from talking. Stupefying headache in right side. Affections of external head; scaly eruption, white scabs. Head covered with thick, leathery crusts, under which pus collects, Violent neuralgia about face and teeth, running towards ear, at night; worse, eating; better near hot stove. Roots of teeth decay. Teeth feel elongated.

Nose.  Sneezing, coryza, interior of nose, excoriated. Post-nasal adenoids.

Ears.  Feel too much open, as if tympanum was exposed to the cold air and it blew into the ear. Desire to bore fingers in.

Eyes.  Ciliary neuralgia after operations. Especially after removal of eyeball. Pains radiate and shoot downward, with cold feeling and stiffness of bone.

Face.  Red. Eruption around mouth, with coryza.

Stomach.  Desire for ham-fat. Burning in tongue, extending to stomach. Mouth waters. Nausea felt in throat; better, eating. Chronic gastritis; burning, corroding pain; nausea, vomiting, chocolate color. Gastric ulcer with much burning.

Abdomen.  Swelling of glands with large abdomen in children. Pressure in inguinal ring. Flatulent colic, with shivering and difficult respiration.

Rectum.  Constipation after confinement. Prolapse of rectum. Diarrhœa, with small, white particles. Green discharges. Constipation, with hepatic and uterine inertia. Constriction of anus; stitches and prolapse of rectum.

Urine.  Red flakes float on top of urine. Hot, bloody Biting, burning in forepart of urethra at the close of micturition. Hæmaturia preceded by cramp pain in the bladder, After urinating, a few drops of blood are passed.

Female.  Menses too frequent, soon, profuse. Leucorrhœa like albumen; very corroding.

Male.  Enlargement of testicles. Violent sexual desire. Gonorrhœa, with hæmaturia.

Respiratory. Soreness and burning in bones of thorax. Constriction across chest. Cough; worse; eating, irritation lower than can be reached, on taking a warm drink.

Extremities.  Pain in neck and back; worse, motion and at night; intolerant of all touch. Pain and burning in tibia and long bones. Legs and feet go to sleep. Pain in hip and knee.

Skin.  Eczema; intolerable itching; chilliness with pruritus; worse in bed. Ulcers itch and burn, surrounded by vesicles and shining, fiery-red areola. Zona, with burning pain.Bones, especially long bones, inflamed and swollen; caries, exostosis; pain worse night, touch, damp weather (Merc; Syph). Eruptions ulcerate and form thick scabs under purulent matter exudes (Chrysophanic acid).

Modalities.  Worse, cold air; night, evening until midnight, warm food, touch, motion. Better, open air.

Relationship. Compare: Dirca palustris-Leather wood--(a gastro-intestinal irritant inducing salivation, emesis and purgation; cerebral hyperæmia; neuralgic pains, with depression, palpitation, and dyspnœa); Merc; Phyt; Rhus; Guaiac; Syph.

Antidotes: Kali hyd; Merc.

Dose.  Sixth to thirtieth potency.

by William Boericke