by H.C. Allen — Keynotes And Characteristics With Comparisons of some of the Leading Remedies of the Materia Medica
Roasted Sponge. (Spongia.)
For the tubercular diathesis
Relations . - Spongia follows well: after, Acon., Hep., in cough and croup when dryness prevails; after Spong., Hep., when mucus commences to rattle. Compare: Arn., Caust., Iod., Lach., Nux m., sputa loosened but must be swallowed again.
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Spongia Tosta appears in 12 of the 13 classic books on Similia. Each was written to do a different job — here is what each adds on this remedy, with the opening of its entry.
“Spongia officinalis, Linn. Animal kingdom. , Cœlenterata. Class , Spongia. Preparation , Tincture prepared by digesting 20 grains of powdered sponge, which has been roasted brown (in a manner similar to coffea tosta), with 400 drops of Alcohol. Authorities. ( 1 to 11 , from Hahnemann). [Two symptoms in Hahnemann's…”
“Roasted Sponge A remedy especially marked in the symptoms of the respiratory organs, cough, croup, etc. Heart affections and often indicated for the tubercular diathesis. Children with fair complexion, lax fiber; swollen glands. Exhaustion and heaviness of the body after slight exertion, with orgasm of blood to chest…”
“ANGINA PECTORIS ASCENDING, Agg. COUGH. COUGH, INCESSANT COUGH, painful DRINKING, Amel. DRY, clear or cold weather, Agg. FEARSOME, anxious, etc. GLANDS HEART, CIRCULATION AND PULSE LARYNX AND TRACHEA LYING, right, Agg. MALE ORGANS PLUG, nail, wedge, clavus, etc. PRESSURE, Agg., lying on painful or affected side, etc…”
“HEART; valves. Larynx. Trachea. Glands. DRY, COLD Wind. Roused from sleep. Exertion. Raising arms. Before 12 P.M. Lying with head low. Eating a little. FLABBY. Weak and heavy. Feels stuffed up. Orgasms. Hard swellings; glands (ductless). .................... Terrified, anxious look. Eyes seem to protrude. Sorethroat…”
“Common Sponge, roasted. N. O. Cœlenterata. Tincture (20 grains in 400 drops of alcohol). Aneurism / Angina pectoris / Asthma / Catalepsy / Chin, affections of / Clumsiness / Constipation / Cough / Croup / Diplopia / Exophthalmos / Fainting / Goître / exophthalmic / Heart, hypertrophy of / Hernia / Jaw-joint, pain in /…”
“Common Sponge roasted. Spongia. Introduced and proved by Hahnemann, assisted by F. Hahnemann, Gutmann, Hartmann, Haynel, Hornburg, Langhammer, Wagner, Wislicenus, Stapf and Lehmann, Hah. Materia Medica, vol. 2 ; Fincke, Am. Hom. Rev., vol. 1, p. 317 ; Bell, Am. Jour. of Hom. Mat. Med., vol. 2, 1869, p. 211 ; Berridge…”
“The mental symptoms of Spongia show that it is a heart remedy. When a remedy produces the anxiety, fear, and dyspnoea found in Spongia, it will most likely turn out to be a cardiac remedy, unless these conditions are connected with irritation and inflammatory diseases of the brain. In this drug we find without any…”
“Stiffness in the extremities - arms and legs feel as if they were broken. Sensation of numbness of the lower half of the body. Many symptoms (with the exception of those of the respiratory organs) are relieved by rest. Swelling and induration of the glands. Swelling of the testicles. Struma. Itching in the swollen…”
“Attacks of anxiety, with pain in the region of the heart. Excessive mirth with irresistible desire to sing. Vertigo; at night when waking, with nausea. Congestion of blood to the head, with pressing, beating, and pulsation in the forehead, with redness of the face, anxious look, restless sleep, relieved in a…”
“Common name: roasted sponge. Sorethroat, worse after eating sweet things (A.). Stiffness in the extremities; arms and legs feel as if they were broken. Swelling and induration of the glands (Calc., Merc-I-F., Phyt.). Struma (Calc., Sil., Sulph.). Itching in the swollen glands. Sensation of numbness of the lower half…”
“Croupy cough; sounds like a saw driven through a board; < on awakening out of sleep. Awakens out of sleep with a sense of suffocation, with violent loud cough, great alarm, agitation, anxiety and difficult respiration. Cough < talking, reading, singing, swallowing, lying with head low. This is not a remedy of very…”
Kent's Repertory lists Spongia Tosta in 1,930 rubrics. These are the ones where it carries the highest grade — the symptoms Kent treated as most characteristic. Most of them sit in EXTREMITIES (218), GENERALITIES (212), HEAD (171), COUGH (137), MIND (128).
