Formica Rufa
By Constantine Hering — The Guiding Symptoms of our Materia Medica
The Ant. Hymenoptera.
"The name Formica was used by Linnæus as a generic name for a large number of species, all of which appear to common people to be ants. Later entomologists had to separate the species and arrange them under different names, as different genera. The genus to which the old name, Formica, was left by Latrielle, is the one from which we have reports of cures, and from which we made our provings. Ants belonging to the genus Formica, as Latrielle has it, when attacked defend themselves by biting with their mandibulæ, or jaws, and bending at the same time their abdomen downward and forward, they eject from the anus a sharp, sour fluid towards the place which they tried to wound with their pincers. The fluid reddens litmus paper, and contains Formyl acid (Formica or Formic acid) CH 2 O 2 ".
For historical data see N. Amer. J. of H., Aug., 1870, article by C. Hering.
The tincture is prepared from crushed live ants.
The provings were principally made and conducted by Lippe and Hering. See Hering's Monograph, and Allen's Encyclopædia, vol. 4, p. 355 . The preparations used were the formic ether, formyl acid, spiritus formicarum, formica rufa and subsericea.
CLINICAL AUTHORITIES.
- See Hering's Monograph.
MIND [1]
Want of memory ; forgetful in evening.
Indisposed, forgetful, morose, fearful and apprehensive.
Exhilarated condition after pain in vertex had abated.
SENSORIUM [2]
Vertigo ; all things seem to move to and fro, and reeling of body.
Inclined to be dizzy while eating ; giddiness after dressing in morning or on attempting to rise ; pain in left supra-orbital region when going to bed, with dizziness ; blackness before eyes, > by sitting down.
Giddy on attempting to rise.
Fulness in head ; stupid feeling in head, with sensation of stiffness of neck.
Heaviness of head ; sensation as if brain was too heavy and large ; congestion to head ; pulsations in head.
Dull, sleepy feeling, with heaviness of eyelids, and inability to study.
Dull, uncomfortable feeling in forehead, with heat, fulness and pulsations.
Dulness of head ; pressure on both sides between temples and ears.
In all kinds of apoplectic diseases.
Strengthens the brain.
INNER HEAD [3]
Forepart of head aches, with the cough.
Sensation like a bubble bursting in forehead, running around left side of head.
Dull frontal headache, with occasional shooting pains from r. temple into head, in afternoon.
Headache in left forepart of head and temple back to occiput, beginning earlier every day, with a sore pain over eye, increasing gradually, with cutting, extending into ear.
Headache with cracking in left ear, followed by pain in left temple, then in vertex, with nausea, and abatement of pain in forehead.
Sick headache, with shooting, neuralgic pains in temples.
Lancinating in right temple, from within out.
Dull pain in whole head, with occasional boring in right temporal region.
Severe pain in vertex, like a stitch from a dull instrument, as from a pressing nail.
Pain on top of head shifting from epigastrium.
Headache on top of head and forehead, particularly through temples.
In morning headache in posterior upper and inner part of head ; < drinking coffee ; each time during and after washing with cold water.
Tearing pain in occiput.
(In sick :) Pain from neck up to back of head.
(In sick :) Sensation running up into head from body like lightning.
When waking in morning, headache with vomiting, stitches in right side of chest.
Headache : with nausea ; < sitting up in bed ; with nausea and vomiting ; in afternoon, with occasional fluttering of heart ; daily from 12 M. to 10 P. M. ; < stooping ; all day, > after combing hair.
Nervous headache.
OUTER HEAD [4]
Itching of scalp and head.
Hair on head ceased falling out when combing.
Contusions of head.
SIGHT AND EYES [5]
Pain in left supraorbital and left temporal region, the seat of pain being tender to touch ; pain and aching over left eye ; objects appear as if seen through a mist ; blackness before eyes, must sit down for a few moments.
Dimness of sight.
(In sick :) Although improved, she cannot see, has flickering before eyes, and eyes are very weak.
Nebula ; leucoma ; pterygium.
Maculæ and ulcers on cornea.
(In sick :) Pain in eyes mornings when awaking, > by washing.
Rheumatic inflammation of eyes and sequela.
Spasmodic twitching of upper eyelid of right eye.
HEARING AND EARS [6]
Ringing, buzzing in ears.
Cracking in left ear, with headache.
Difficult hearing ; deafness.
Earache in both ears, morning getting up.
Pressing pain in ears, with heat.
Slight stitches in left ear, followed by a small abscess in external portion of meatus auditorius.
(In sick :) External sensitiveness of right ear and temple.
(In sick :) All the parts around ear feel swollen and uncomfortable ; slight pain in (right) deaf ear, extending up into temple, with external sensitiveness.
(In sick :) Behind the ear, pain from neck.
(In sick :) All ear symptoms, like cold in head, have been on right side, where ear is deaf ; left ear occasionally sympathizing.
SMELL AND NOSE [7]
Sneezing and fluent coryza.
Catarrh.
UPPER FACE [8]
Entire left side of face and cheek feel as if paralyzed.
(In sick :) After taking first powder, the blister on face, for which the medicine was given, seemed rather smaller and harder ; after the second, it was softer and felt sore, and a small pimple appeared on face ; the morning after the third, surface of blister was irregular.
TEETH AND GUMS [10]
Grumbling in teeth during afternoon, from draught.
Pain in decayed last molar, left side.
TASTE, SPEECH, TONGUE [11]
(In sick :) Watery taste in mouth, very offensive to him.
(In sick :) Water tastes badly, sweetish and insipid.
(In sick :) Root of tongue sore ; at the tip stinging.
PALATE AND THROAT [13]
Dry throat all night, could scarcely speak ; when she got into a position in which she could sleep a little, the dryness of throat awoke her.
(In sick :) In morning on rising very sore throat and earache in both ears.
Sore throat in morning with much mucus.
Sore throat < left side.
(In sick :) Pain in neck when hawking and gargling.
APPETITE, THIRST. DESIRES, AVERSIONS [14]
(In sick :) Much thirst all day, but water tasted badly, sweetish and insipid.
EATING AND DRINKING [15]
(In sick :) While eating and drinking, especially when closing jaws, severe pain in neck.
(In sick :) After drinking tea, copious sweat.
HICCOUGH, BELCHING, NAUSEA AND VOMITING [16]
Hiccough, Belching, Nausea and Vomiting
(In sick :) Frequent belching without and relief.
Nausea and vomiting.
Nausea with headache, and vomiting of yellowish, bitter mucus.
(In sick :) Vomiting : with diarrhœa, in evening ; with cough.
SCROBICULUM AND STOMACH [17]
(In sick :) Warmth and burning in stomach, acceleration of pulse, increased urination, increased transpiration, excitement of sexual organs, viscous, stinking urine, with gouty patients.
Burning pain in stomach, with oppression and weight.
Constant pressure at cardiac end of stomach, and a burning pain there.
HYPOCHONDRIA [18]
Dull pain in region of spleen.
ABDOMEN AND LOINS [19]
(In sick :) Severe pain in belly, and shuddering chilliness.
Sensation across abdomen as if bruised below navel, also tired feeling in back.
Flatulency.
Hardening of mesenteric glands.
STOOLS AND RECTUM [20]
(In sick :) After having a thin evacuation with bellyache, every morning for a week, without much relief from the eruption, there appeared in the evening, at 8 or 9 o'clock, violent diarrhœa and vomiting.
Diarrhœa after meals, or only during day, not at night, or day and night, or before midnight.
Diarrhœa, with tenesmus ; pain in bowels before stool.
Loose diarrheic stool, which left a desire for another stool, with an uncomfortable feeling in anus, as if the passage was not all through, and more must pass.
Difficult passage of small quantities of flatus in morning ; afterwards diarrhœa like urging in rectum.
Diarrhœa of children.
(In sick :) In the morning second stool.
White stools.
Constipation and sensation of constriction of sphincter ani.
Pressure in rectum, < evening and in bed.
Painful desire in anus and rectum for stool, which, however, will not pass.
Tapeworm.
URINARY ORGANS [21]
Paralysis of bladder.
MALE SEXUAL ORGANS [22]
Long-lasting erections after urinating in morning.
Seminal emissions.
Weakness of sexual organs.
Scanty ejaculation with incomplete erection.
A kind of nervous, floating and jerking pain in left half of penis and region of prostate, frequently repeated.
On ascending stairs feeling as if several parts had gone to sleep.
Itching on scrotum.
FEMALE SEXUAL ORGANS [23]
Uterine complaints.
Menses scanty and pale, with bearing down pain in back ; 3d day ; darker 4th day ; crampy pain through hip-joint and pelvis.
Menses appear eight days too soon.
PREGNANCY. PARTURITION. LACTATION [24]
Lack of milk with nursing women.
VOICE AND LARYNX. TRACHEA AND BRONCHIA [25]
Hoarseness with sore throat.
Small piece of phlegm in larynx which cannot be brought up by coughing.
COUGH [27]
Tedious and long lasting ; < at night and from motion ; with an aching in forehead and a constrictive pain in chest.
Violent attacks of cough with vomiting, day and night.
INNER CHEST AND LUNGS [28]
Pleuritic pains.
HEART, PULSE AND CIRCULATION [29]
Uneasy pain in region of heart.
Palpitation of heart ; fluttering of heart.
OUTER CHEST [30]
Violent penetrating itching at right nipple.
Violent prickling, pressing stitches in region of left nipple ; later on left side of back, but more violent ; still later, the same sensation on other parts of body.
NECK AND BACK [31]
(In sick :) Soreness in neck and up into head ; > by external pressure.
(In sick :) While eating and chewing food, especially when closing her jaws, severe pain in left side of neck, which extended into back of head and particularly behind ear.
(In sick :) In morning, on gargling her throat, when hawking, suddenly a violent pain in left side of nape of neck, extending down left arm, can scarcely move it, < above elbow ; > in evening in left arm, but it went to right, where it was < than before ; on bending head back, could scarcely bring it forward again, on account of pain ; whole neck stiff, and very painful up to back of head, < from least motion ; on wishing to rise from bed, must press both hands behind ears, cries out on least motion.
(In sick :) Into the neck pain with least turn or twist.
(In sick :) After sitting up pain in neck < again, > by application of a hot iron.
Violent itching on left shoulder-blade.
Pain in back.
Severe pain across sacrum and dorsum of each hand, < on motion.
Affection of spinal cord.
UPPER LIMBS [32]
Itching in armpits in morning.
(In sick :) Pain from neck down left arm ; in evening to right ; could scarcely move her arm.
Severe pain above right elbow.
(In sick :) Pain < in upper arm, above left elbow.
Rheumatic pain : in right elbow-joint ; in right forearm and wrist ; along course of ulna.
Pain leaves left arm and goes to right.
LOWER LIMBS [33]
Severe pain through pelvis, as if from one acetabulum to the other.
Bruised pain in hips at night in bed, causing him to change from side to side.
Legs felt as if she had no power in them, sore and tired ; sensation across abdomen as if bruised below navel, also tired feeling in back ; felt a little giddy.
Lancinating pain in left knee-joint, waking him from sleep.
Rheumatic pains in knee-joints, < walking.
Cramp in both feet, especially in soles near toes.
Gout ; gouty pain in limbs.
Arthritis vaga.
Chronic gout and stiffness of joints.
Old atonic gout.
Checked foot-sweat. θ Chorea.
LIMBS IN GENERAL [34]
Sensation as if muscles were strained and being torn from attachment.
Rheumatism appearing suddenly, mostly in joints, with restlessness ; patients desire motion, although it makes pain more acute ; pains > by pressure ; sweat without relief ; right side principally and more severely affected than left.
Old local or general rheumatic affections ; internal or external.
Rheumatic or gouty pains.
Stiffness and contraction of joints.
REST. POSITION. MOTION [35]
Sitting : upon bed, headache with nausea < ; pain in neck <.
Stooping : headache with nausea.
Sitting down : blackness before eyes >.
Bending head : could scarcely bring it forward again on account of pain.
Could get to sleep if she could get right position.
Pain in hip compels him to change from side to side.
Closing jaws : severe pain in neck.
Attempting to rise : giddiness ; pain in neck.
Can scarcely move arm for pain.
Walking : pain in knee-joints.
Ascending stairs : feeling as if sexual parts had gone to sleep.
Motion : cough < ; pain in back of neck < ; pain across sacrum and dorsum of each hand < ; < pain, but patient desires it.
NERVES [36]
Languid feeling of whole system, with pain in all the limbs, accompanied by chills and horripilations along spine.
Legs felt as if she had no power in them.
Great lassitude and prostration.
General weakness of the whole muscular system.
Faintings.
Limbs lame ; paralyzed.
Paralysis.
Spasms.
A long, horribly maltreated chorea lessened as soon as the foot-sweat, which had been checked, was brought on again by putting feet in a bag with living ants and creating steam with hot stones.
Epilepsy.
Affections of the spinal cord.
Strengthens the nerves.
SLEEP [37]
(In sick :) All night dry throat, woke her out of sleep.
(In sick :) Disagreeable sweat during night, awoke with clammy skin.
(In sick :) Passed a dreadful night ; pains suddenly return with violence, only lessening somewhat after midnight.
(In sick :) Could get to sleep if she could get the right position.
Wakes up early and feels that she has had sufficient sleep.
When awaking in morning : headache ; vomiting, with headache ; pain in eyes ; stitches in ear.
TIME [38]
Morning : after dressing, giddiness ; headache ; headache with vomiting ; pain in eyes ; earache ; dry throat ; sore throat ; difficult passage of small quantities of flatus ; second stool ; long-lasting erections after urinating ; violent pain in left side of neck ; itching in armpits ; sweat.
Day : headache ; diarrhœa ; cough with vomiting.
Afternoon : shooting pain in right temple ; headache with nausea and fluttering of heart ; grumbling in teeth.
Evening : forgetful ; vomiting with diarrhœa ; pressure in rectum < ; pain in arm > ; pain goes from left to right arm.
Night : dry throat ; diarrhœa ; cough < ; cough with vomiting ; bruised pain in hip.
After midnight : pains >.
TEMPERATURE AND WEATHER [39]
Creating steam with hot stones in a bag of live ants brought back foot-sweat.
Hot iron > pain in neck.
Cold water : headache < during and when washing with cold water ; renews burning pains.
Great liability to take cold.
Consequences of cold and wet ; cold bathing ; damp weather.
FEVER [40]
(In sick :) Shuddering chilliness with pain in belly.
(In sick :) Clammy skin, awaking her.
(In sick :) Disagreeable sweat during night.
(In sick :) Perspired for about half an hour, but without slightest amelioration of pain in arm.
(In sick :) At noon, after drinking tea, copious sweat without relief.
Sweat without relief.
ATTACKS, PERIODICITY [41]
Frequently repeated pains in left half of penis.
Attacks : of violent cough with vomiting.
Every morning : thin evacuation with bellyache ; Earlier every day : headache.
Daily from 12 M. to 10 P. M. : headache with nausea.
Third day : menses pale and scanty with bearing down pain in back.
Fourth day : menses darker.
LOCALITY AND DIRECTION [42]
Right : shooting pains in temple ; lancinating in temple ; boring in temple ; stitches in side of chest ; spasmodic twitching of upper eyelid sensitiveness of ear and temple ; violent penetrating itching at right nipple ; pain from neck down arm ; severe pain above elbow ; rheumatic pain in elbow-joint, in forearm, in wrist, along course of ulna.
Left : pain in supraorbital region ; sensation of bubble bursting in side of head ; headache in forepart of head and temple ; cracking in ear ; pain in temple ; pain and aching over eye ; stitches in ear ; small abscess on external portion of meatus auditorius ; side of face and cheek feel as if paralyzed ; pain in decayed molar ; side of throat sore ; a kind of nervous, floating, jerking pain in half of penis ; prickling stitches at nipple ; on side of back ; closing jaws severe pain in neck ; severe pain down arm ; violent itching of shoulder-blade ; pain from neck down arm ; pain in upper arm above elbow ; lancinating pain in knee-joint.
Pains left then right ; right then left.
SENSATIONS [43]
As if brain was too heavy and large ; sensation like a bubble bursting in forehead ; like a stitch from a dull instrument in vertex ; as from a pressing nail in vertex ; left side of face and cheek as if paralyzed ; as if bruised below navel ; as if male sexual organs had gone to sleep ; as if muscles were strained and being torn from attachments ; legs feel as if she had no power in them.
Pain : in left supraorbital region ; in forepart of head ; in left temple ; in forehead ; in vertex ; from neck up to back of head ; over left eye ; in both ears ; in right ear extending up into temple ; from neck behind ear ; in decayed last molar left side ; in neck ; in bowels ; down left arm ; in back ; in upper arm above left elbow ; from left arm to right ; in all limbs.
Severe pain : in vertex ; in neck ; in belly ; across sacrum and dorsum of each hand ; above right elbow ; through pelvis as if from one acetabulum to the other.
Lancinating : in right temple ; in left knee-joint.
Tearing pain : in occiput.
Cutting pain : in head ; into ear.
Shooting pains : from right temple into head.
Boring : in right temporal region.
Stitches : in right side of chest ; in left ear ; in region of left nipple.
Prickling stitches : in region of left nipple ; in left side of back ; on other parts of body.
Pleuritic pains : inner chest and lungs.
Crampy pain : through hip-joint and pelvis.
Cramp : in both feet ; in soles.
Neuralgic pains : in temples.
Rheumatic pain : in right elbow-joint ; in right forearm ; in right wrist ; along course of ulna ; in knee-joints.
Gouty pain : in limbs.
Bearing down pain : in back.
Pressing pain : in ears.
Bruised pain : in hips.
Burning pain : in stomach.
Stinging : at tip of tongue.
Sore pain : over eye.
Jerking pain : in left half of penis ; region of prostate.
Nervous floating pain : in left half of penis ; in region of prostate.
Constrictive pain : in chest.
Dull pain : in whole head ; in region of spleen.
Uneasy pains : in region of heart.
Soreness : at root of tongue ; of throat ; in neck up into head ; of legs.
Burning : of stomach.
Grumbling : in teeth.
Constriction : of sphincter ani.
Spasmodic twitching : of upper eyelid of right eye.
Dull frontal headache.
Dull feeling : in head ; in forehead.
Dulness : of head.
Fulness : in head.
Pressure : at cardiac end of stomach ; in rectum.
Stupid feeling : in head.
Dryness : of throat.
Heaviness : of head ; of eyelids.
Stiffness : of neck ; of joints.
Fluttering : of heart.
Cracking : in left ear.
Buzzing : in ears.
Ringing : in ears.
Tired feeling : in back ; in legs.
Lameness : of limbs.
Itching : of scalp ; of head ; on scrotum ; at right nipple ; on left shoulder-blade ; in armpits.
TISSUES [44]
Rheumatic affections ; so-called rheumatic inflammation of eyes ; aural affections and sequela.
Nervous and spasmodic affections.
Nodes around joints, internally and externally.
Watery swellings ; dropsy ; cachexies.
TOUCH. PASSIVE MOTION. INJURIES [45]
Touch : seat of pain tender.
Pressure : soreness in neck and up into head > ; of both hands behind ears ; > pain in neck.
Contusions ; dislocations.
Atrophy after wounds.
Complaints from overlifting.
SKIN [46]
Itch ; cold tumors ; goitre ; leprosy.
RELATIONS [48]
Compatible : after Chamom.
Compare : Apis, Bryon . (rheumatism), Chloral and Urtica urens (nettle-rash), Dulcam . (rheumatism), Frag. ves . (lack of mammary secretion), Thrombid . (diarrhœa).