Opium 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.
- Allen HC — The keynotes that separate this remedy from its nearest neighbours.
“Poppy. (Papaveraceae.) Especially adapted to children and old people; diseases of first and second childhood (Bar. c., Mill.), persons with light hair, lax muscles, and want of bodily irritability. Want of susceptability to remedies ; lack of vital reaction, the well chosen remedy makes no impression (Carbo v., Laur…”
- Allen TF — The raw proving record — symptoms as the provers reported them, unedited.
“Papaver somniferum. Natural order , Papaveraceæ. Common names , Opium, Mohnsaft. Preparation , Tincture of the gummy exudation from the unripe capsules. Authorities. (Nos. 1 to 99 , from Hahnemann, R. A. M. L., 1, 278, with critical annotations in brackets, by Dr. Hughes.)”
- Boericke — The quick clinical read — keynotes, modalities and the conditions it is actually prescribed in.
“Dried Latex of the Poppy (PAPAVER SOMNIFERUM) Hahnemann says that it is much more difficult to estimate the action of Opium than of almost any other drug. The effects of Opium as shown in the insensibility of the nervous system, the depression, drowsy stupor, painlessness, and torpor, the general sluggishness and lack…”
- Boger (GA) — Which general headings this remedy belongs under — the analytical scaffolding.
“ALIVE, sensations (Comp. Formication) BLACK, dark, etc. BLUISH, purple, livid, etc. BROWNISH, rusty, etc. CARPHOLOGY, NERVOUS PICKING, ETC. CHEST, internal DUALITY, in pieces, separated, as if some one else, etc. DUSKY COLOR EMACIATION EMOTIONS, excitement, etc. EXPRESSION, changed. FAINT, faints easily, etc…”
- Clarke — The widest entry — sources, provings, clinical uses, relationships and antidotes in one place.
“Papaver somniferum. Poppy. N. O. Papaveraceæ. (Opium is the gummy exudation of the unripe capsule of the poppy.) Tincture. After-pains / Apoplexy / Bladder, paralysis of / Brain, affections of / Cancer / Catalepsy / Chilblains / Colic / Constipation / Diabetes mellitus / Dreams / Dysmenia / Epilepsy / Fear, effects of…”
- Hering — Graded symptoms, each weighted by how often provers and practice confirmed it.
“Poppy. Papaveraceæ. Introduced by Hahnemann. For provings and toxicological reports which are numerous, see R. A. M. L., vol. 1, p. 278, and Allen's Encyclopædia, vol. 7, p. 173 . CLINICAL AUTHORITIES. Ill effects of anger , Schmid, B. J. H., vol. 5, p. 271 ; Mental disturbance ; Idiocy , Sonnenberg, Schüler…”
- Kent — The mental and general picture — who the patient is, before what the remedy cures.
“Among the striking features of Opium is a class of complaints marked by painlessness, inactivity, and torpor. Many of the provers taking small doses had torpor, inability to realize or feel their surroundings, or to take in the nature of states and judge of things. Deception in vision, taste, touch; deception of the…”
- Lippe (KN) — Only the symptoms Lippe considered reliable enough to prescribe on.
“Trembling of the whole body with external coldness and startings of the limbs. Trembling of the limbs after fright. Want of sensation of the whole body. Increased sensitiveness and activity of the muscles subject to the will and dimunitions of it in the muscles not subject to the will. Painlessness with most all…”
- Lippe (MM) — The strict Hahnemannian reading — the symptom picture without clinical interpretation.
“Vivid imagination, exaltation of the mind, increased courage, with stupefaction and dulness. Stupid indifference; imbecility. Stupefaction of the senses. Illusions and frightful fancies; visions. Loquacious delirium, with open eyes and red face; furious delirium. Mania, with frightful or pleasing, delightful visions…”
- Lippe (Red) — Keynotes with the most-trusted ones marked as red-line symptoms.
“Common name: poppy. Want of sensation of the whole body (Anac., Cocc., Graph., Kali-C., Lyc., Olnd., Phos-Ac., Phos., Plb., Sec., Sep., Stram.). Increased sensitiveness and activity of the muscles subject to the will, and diminutions of it in the muscles not subject to the will. PAINLESSNESS WITH ALMOST ALL AILMENTS…”
- Nash — The comparisons — the remedy set beside the ones it is most often confused with.
“Abnormal painlessness. Want of susceptibility, trembling, lack of vital reaction. Blunted morals, worst liars in the world. Reversed peristalsis and fecal vomiting. Fright; the fear of the fright remaining. Sleepy but cannot sleep. Hears sounds not ordinarily noticed. Very hot skin with sweating; perspiration…”
