Benzoic Acid
By Constantine Hering — The Guiding Symptoms of our Materia Medica
Benzoic acid. C 6 H 5 , CO,OH.
Proved since 1838, and used in many cases by Dr. Jeanes ; arranged and published by him, with the additional proving of Dr. Lingen (1844), in Transactions of American Institute, 1846, vol. i, page 13 to 25. Chapman published some cures in 1849 in the British Quarterly, vol. vii, page 390, without giving credit to Jeanes. C. Hering received a proving of Dr. Nusser in 1845, and published a translation of Jeanes' report in his Amerikanische Arzneiprüfungen , adding all the cures known at the time and the proving of Petroz from 1847. This received the honor of republication in the famous Lehrbuch of Grauvogl, who was in our medical School what Schopenhauer was in the philosophical school of Kant.
MIND [1]
Confused head.
Omits words while writing.
Cannot get rid of an idea.
Activity of mind while at work, followed by anxiety.
Inclined to dwell on unpleasant things ; if he saw any one deformed it made him shudder.
Sadness.
Anxiety ; while sweating.
Child cross, wants to be nursed in arms.
After mental emotions headache.
SENSORIUM [2]
Vertigo, fearful of falling sideways, usually in the afternoon.
Confusion of head.
Sensation as if there was air in head.
Tired feeling in head, as from night watching.
INNER HEAD [3]
While sitting, pressure on whole lower part of head and whole spine, as if they were pressed like an elastic body, so that he stretched himself involuntarily and bent forward ; anxiety.
Pain and heat in region of organs of reverence and firmness.
Hammering pain in temples, has to lie down.
Pressure on vertex extending to spine, with anxiety.
Tearing pain in vertex.
Fearful pain in occiput or cerebellum, which had confined the young man to bed for three weeks.
Cold feeling in head.
Shaking in head.
Rheumatic pains in head.
Head worse : from mental emotions ; exposure to a draught of air ; uncovering of head ; in morning on awaking ; in rest ; periodically.
With head symptoms depression, lassitude and loss of appetite.
OUTER HEAD [4]
Formication in forehead.
Rheumatic pain on outside of head.
Inner pain and bruised feeling inside of head.
Cold sweat on head.
SIGHT AND EYES [5]
Burning heat in eyes and lids.
Throbbing in eyeballs.
Worse reading by artificial light ; walking in open air.
Distress in eyes, as from want of sleep.
Irritates conjunctiva, causes pressive feeling in bulbus.
HEARING AND EARS [6]
Sensation in ears like a sound of confused voices, most when swallowing or walking in open air.
Throbbing and hissing in ears synchronous with beats of heart.
Swelling behind ears, which seems to reach to periosteum.
SMELL AND NOSE [7]
Seems to smell dust, cabbage, or something stinking.
Sense of smell diminished.
Pain in nasal bones.
Pressure on root of nose.
Epistaxis.
Sneezing : with lightness of head, excitement ; with hoarseness ; morning.
A cold in head readily occurs from exposure to cold, and is renewed every day.
Sensitiveness of nose.
Redness in corners of nose.
UPPER FACE [8]
Sense of pressure, as if face had gone to sleep.
Tension in one side of face.
Numb feeling in face.
Burning heat of face ; or of one side.
Symptoms > by external heat, by pressure, or friction.
Cold sweat on face.
Circumscribed redness on cheeks.
Copper-colored spots on face.
Face red, with little blisters.
LOWER FACE [9]
Trembling of lips.
Involuntarily biting lower lip at dinner.
Itching on chin.
TEETH AND GUMS [10]
Toothache.
TASTE, SPEECH, TONGUE [11]
Taste : of blood ; bitter ; with eructations and pressure at stomach ; on drinking coffee or milk ; food salty ; flat, soapy after drinking water ; bread smoky ; aftertaste of food.
Tongue of a slight bluish color.
Velvety coating on tongue, with high-colored, strong-smelling urine.
Tongue coated with white mucus ; morning.
Soreness of back part of tongue, felt most while swallowing.
Glossitis.
Tongue is spongy on surface, with deep cracks, and with spreading ulcers.
Extensive ulcerations of tongue, with deeply chapped or fungoid surfaces.
INNER MOUTH [12]
An ulcerated tumor on left side of mouth, upon soft commissure of jaws, behind last molar.
Slightly acid mucus.
Heat around mouth.
PALATE AND THROAT [13]
Swallowing difficult, incomplete ; with noise in ears ; with soreness on back of tongue.
Sensation of swelling, or of constriction of throat.
Mouth and throat symptoms relieved by eating.
Heat in œsophagus, as from acid eructations.
Angina faucium and tonsillaris with characteristic high-colored, strong urine.
Collection of mucus in throat.
Thyroid gland feels swollen.
APPETITE, THIRST. DESIRES, AVERSIONS [14]
Appetite in evening ; lost in morning ; nausea.
Thirst with sleepiness ; evening.
EATING AND DRINKING [15]
The throat symptoms are relieved by eating.
Sweat while eating.
HICCOUGH, BELCHING, NAUSEA AND VOMITING [16]
Loathing sickness at stomach, pain and discomfort ; with gagging.
Vomiting of a salty or bitter substance.
Nausea : with gagging ; with disturbance about head ; with loathing ; with constant malaise.
Vomiting : of a salty substance ; bitter.
SCROBICULUM AND STOMACH [17]
Weak digestion.
Burning or warmth ; pressure on stomach.
Gastric symptoms increased when walking, especially ascending.
Sensation, as of a lump in pit of throat, as if some food had lodged there.
Sensation of heat in stomach.
HYPOCHONDRIA [18]
Sense of weakness in precordia.
In region of liver constant fine stitching midway in upper portion thereof, not increased by pressure.
Obstruction of liver.
Pain below left short ribs.
ABDOMEN AND LOINS [19]
Heat through abdomen.
Cutting about navel ; relieved by stool.
Pressure of clothing makes him feel wearied.
Tearing bellyache.
Tensive pains in loins and groins.
STOOLS AND RECTUM [20]
Stitching in rectum.
Urging to stool, with ineffectual straining.
Sensation of constriction at lower end of rectum.
Horripilations, or chilliness before stool.
Stools : copious, watery, greyish-white, like dirty soapsuds ; excessively offensive, scenting whole house ; of a strong, pungent smell, like that of urine ; putrid, bloody ; frothy ; insufficient.
White, stinking, liquid stools. θ Diarrhœa of children.
Watery ; light-colored, very offensive stools (in children), with unusually strong-smelling urine.
Fetid, watery, white stools, very copious and exhausting, in infants, urine being of a deep red color.
Diarrhœa of children, discharge copious, watery, clearcolored, very fetid ; profuse, watery, running through diaper ; urine uncommonly deep red, and urinous odor very strong.
Formication at anus.
Slightly elevated, wart-like, round surfaces around anus, varying from a half to one-and-a-half inches in diameter ; with smarting soreness ; urine strong-scented and high-colored ; after using copaiva for chancre.
URINARY ORGANS [21]
Sore pain in back ; burning in left kidney, with drawing when stooping ; dull pain in kidneys, loins stiff ; right knee swollen.
Kidney pains, which penetrate chest on taking a deep breath. θ Nephritis.
Nephritic colic ; urine deep red, of a strong odor.
Irritability of bladder : muco-purulent discharges, enlarged prostate ; concretions of urate of ammonia ; calculus.
Pains in bladder.
Dysuria senilis, when the gravel is trifling and the irritable state of bladder and pains are induced by other causes.
Too frequent desire to evacuate bladder, urine normal.
Profuse urine, very debilitating.
Urine diminished ; thick ; bloody.
Urine dark, urinous odor highly intensified. θ Sore throats ; diarrhœa ; menstrual derangements ; hypochondriasis ; rheumatism ; nephritic colic ; after gonorrhœa ; gleet, or syphilis ; prolapsus uteri.
Brown urine, smells sour, scalding in passing.
Renders urine acid ; hippuric acid.
Urine of aromatic odor and saline taste, highly colored sometimes color of brandy ; urinous odor exceedingly strong ; urine greater, of a very deep red color, depositing no sediment.
White flocculent sediment immediately after voiding urine, composed of phosphate and carbonate of lime, without uric acid ; pale, languid ; weak loins.
A granular kind of mucus mixed with phosphate in sediment ; urine dark, reddish-brown ; acid reaction, or very offensive ; fleeting pains in bladder, not when urinating, but at other times. θ Vesical catarrh, from suppressed gonorrhœa, calculi, or gout.
Morbid condition of urine, as in persons with calculous or gouty diathesis.
Urine contains mucus and pus. θ Enlargement of prostate.
Enuresis nocturna of children.
Urine with concretions of urate of ammonia.
Enuresis from infancy, girl, æt. 15.
Sensibility of bladder with muco-purulent discharge. θ Enlargement of prostate.
Urine highly colored, sometimes of color of French brandy, urinous odor exceedingly strong.
Urine of a greater specific gravity ; if passed in same vessel it retains its place below healthy urine, without admixture, and, though of a very deep red color, deposits no sediment.
Hot, scalding urine, deep red, of strong odor, causing so much suffering in its passage that this was performed but once a day.
Dark, or highly colored, offensive urine, after suppressed syphilis or gonorrhœa.
Fetid urine, with prolapsus uteri.
Urine clearer after one dose and soon free from mucous deposits.
Excess of uric acid.
Enuresis nocturna of children where Nitrum failed.
Urine of a very repulsive odor, changeable color, brownish, cloudy, of an alkaline reaction ; effervescing with hydrochloric acid ; white, flocculent sediment soon after its passage ; phosphate and carbonate of lime, without uric acid. θ A pale ; languid patient, with weakness in loins.
The urinary odor is very strongly ammoniacal.
Urine dark brown, of a putrid, cadaverous smell.
MALE SEXUAL ORGANS [22]
Pain in genitals ; pressure ; raw pain ; splitting pains.
Gleet ; urine offensive.
Gonorrhœa suppressed (by copaiva) ; with offensive urine.
Smarting of frenum præputii.
Itching in sulcus, behind corona glandis.
A thrilling, almost painful sensation left side of glans, ending in a sensation of tickling and itching.
FEMALE SEXUAL ORGANS [23]
Menstruation too early or retarded.
Weakness after menses.
Amenorrhœa.
Prolapsus uteri with fetid urine.
PREGNANCY. PARTURITION. LACTATION [24]
Gastric derangements when ascending a height. θ Pregnant women.
Retention of urine with infants.
Lochia last too long.
VOICE AND LARYNX. TRACHEA AND BRONCHIA [25]
Slight hoarseness in morning ; sneezing.
RESPIRATION [26]
Difficulty of breathing on awaking.
Asthma with inflammatory rheumatic complaints.
Mucous oppression of lungs.
COUGH [27]
Cough : after a slight cold ; excited by inspiration ; produced by something acrid or dry in chest.
Dry, constant, hacking cough. θ After suppressed gonorrhœa.
Dry, tormenting cough ; great weakness ; sweat ; comatose state.
Cough followed by expectoration of green mucus.
Copious secretion of mucus in bronchi.
INNER CHEST AND LUNGS [28]
Painful trembling in chest.
Morbid agitation and restlessness in chest.
Pressure on ribs.
Sensation in chest of swelling ; of roughness ; painful starting ; cutting.
Pains often change their place suddenly, causing a dry cough and asthma.
Stitching in right side of chest.
Stitches in chest, especially on breathing deeply ; evening.
Pain about third rib, right side, midway between sternum and side, < by breathing.
Pain in left side, about sixth rib, increased by deep inspiration and bending to either side.
Asthenic pneumonia of a young man ; after strength had sunk daily ; difficulty of breathing increased every hour to a fearful degree.
Pneumonia, asthenic form.
Great weakness ; difficult breathing, increasing every hour.
Promotes expectoration.
Mucous oppression of lungs.
Catarrhal diseases of lungs, coughs and asthmatic attacks.
Puerperal albuminuria, uræmia and convulsions.
In the last period of simple pneumonia, when great weakness prevails.
Typhoid pneumonia.
HEART, PULSE AND CIRCULATION [29]
Pains change place incessantly, but are most constant about heart.
Pains in region of heart.
Undulating, or intermittent beats of heart.
Palpitation of heart, with trembling.
Palpitation while sitting ; < after drinking ; at night.
Awakens after midnight with violent palpitation and hard beating of temporal arteries.
Awakens with oppression of breathing ; with palpitation of heart (after midnight) ; with heat and hard pulse.
Awakens after midnight with violent pulsations of heart and temporal arteries, 110 per minute ; internal but no external heat ; cannot go to sleep.
Palpitation < at night, lying ; at times tearing rheumatic pains in extremities, relieving heart.
Gout, or rheumatism, affecting heart.
Pulse accelerated ; full ; slower and weaker ; intermittent.
Hard, frequent pulse ; fever heat ; sweat.
OUTER CHEST [30]
Sternum sensitive to touch.
Pressure of clothing on chest is annoying.
Burning in nipples.
Sensation of swelling in mammary glands ; also in thyroid gland.
NECK AND BACK [31]
Stiffness of neck only on one side.
Pressure in nape of neck.
Violent itching in nape of neck.
Deep penetrating pain in posterior part of left side, at about sixth rib.
Pain right side of back between tenth dorsal vertebra and side.
Dull pain in region of kidneys ; stiffness in loins.
Trembling in lumbar region.
Myelitis.
Sense of coldness at sacrum.
UPPER LIMBS [32]
Sensation of swelling under axillæ.
Tearing pains, apparently in bones of upper limbs.
Cold hands, with head symptoms.
Paralytic pain of fingers.
Fingers swollen ; tearing and fine stitching pains in various parts of limbs.
Eruption of red spots on fingers.
Gouty deposits in both wrists, between metacarpal bones ; swelling of elbow joints.
Itching in palm of right hand ; slight, but deep tearing in upper part of metacarpal joints of little and ring fingers. θ Gout.
Panaritium.
LOWER LIMBS [33]
Lassitude in lower limbs.
Sensation as if lower limbs were tightly bandaged.
Tearing pain in anterior surface of thigh.
Pain in left hip, knee and toes ; thence into muscles of calf, and then in knee ; after it has left these parts it appears in right thigh and ankle.
Swelling of right knee ; ulcerative pain in whole leg ; with pains in kidneys.
Pain in right knee ; then in left.
Cracking, or sense of dryness in knee joints.
Drawing pain in knees after drinking wine.
Cold feet and cold foot sweat.
Pain in right, later in left tendo-achillis.
Severe pain in left tendo-achillis, close to os calcis, when supporting a slight part of weight of body while walking.
Tearing and stitches, especially in metatarsal joints of r. great toe. θ Gout.
During night gout commences in right great toe ; his gout going from left to right.
Stitch passing upward through right great toe, followed by burning, which increases to a stitch ; afterwards it appears in left great toe, from which it vanishes with a thrill.
Numbness in toes.
Pain in large joints of big toe, with tumefaction and redness.
LIMBS IN GENERAL [34]
Gouty concretions.
Nodes on joints of upper and lower limbs, cracking and knicking on motion.
Tearing, fine stitches in various parts of limbs.
Syphilitic rheumatism.
Pain from right hand to left arm down into elbow, and thence to region of heart ; later in right thigh and ankle.
In both wrists, between metacarpal bones, abundant gouty deposits with swelling of elbow joints.
REST. POSITION. MOTION [35]
Rest : head symptoms worse.
Sitting : palpitation worse.
Bending to either side : pain in left side about sixth rib worse.
Lying : palpitation < ; toothache worse.
Turning in bed : symptoms worse.
Stooping : drawing left kidney.
Walking : throbbing in eyeballs < ; confused sound of voices in ear < ; gastric symptoms < ; pain in left tendo-achillis ; sweat.
Moving : cracking of joints.
Motion after long sitting : symptoms worse.
Ascending : gastric symptoms worse.
NERVES [36]
Trembling : with palpitation of heart ; in loins.
Weariness, lassitude.
Extreme weakness ; sweat and comatose condition.
Hysteria.
SLEEP [37]
Sleepiness, with dulness of head.
Awakens : with difficulty of breathing ; with palpitation.
Starting up from sleep.
Pulsation of temporal arteries from falling asleep again.
He wakes every morning about two o'clock, from strong internal head and a hard, bounding, but not quickened pulse.
TIME [38]
At 2 A. M. : awakened by strong internal heat.
Morning : head symptoms < ; sneezing and hoarseness ; white tongue ; appetite lost ; sweat in bed.
Afternoon : vertigo.
Evening : appetite > ; thirst with sleepiness ; stitches in chest.
Night : enuresis ; palpitation ; gout in right great toe.
After midnight : awakens with palpitation ; oppression of breathing.
TEMPERATURE AND WEATHER [39]
Open air : throbbing in eyeballs < ; sound of confused voices in ears worse.
Draught of air : head symptoms <, especially when uncovering head.
Exposure to cold : "cold" in head.
External heat : symptoms better.
FEVER [40]
Cold hands, feet, back, knees, as from cold wind.
Coldness with feeling of heat.
Coldness, then heat and sweat.
Sense of heat in œsophagus ; stomach ; belly.
Heat : with sweat ; with cold in head ; with nightly palpitation.
Awakens every morning at 2 o'clock with violent internal heat, and hard, beating pulse, compelling him to lie on back, because beating of temporal arteries causes a humming in ears, and prevents him from going to sleep.
Sweat : while eating ; while walking ; morning in bed, especially in face ; with anxiety.
Cold sweat : on head ; on face ; on feet.
Sweat with itching.
Sweat with aromatic odor.
Skin pale, cool, with sweat, weakness, coma.
ATTACKS, PERIODICITY [41]
Head symptoms return periodically.
LOCALITY AND DIRECTION [42]
Right : knee swollen ; stitches side of chest ; pain about third rib of side ; pain side of back, between tenth dorsal vertebra and side ; itching in palm of hand ; pain in knee ; tearing and stitches in great toe ; gout in toe.
Right to left : pain in right, later in left tendo-achillis ; pain from right hand to left arm, later in right thigh and ankles ; pain in right knee, then left knee.
Left to right : pain in left hip, knee and toes, appears in right thigh and ankle ; gout.
Left : ulcerated tumor side of mouth ; pain below short ribs ; burning in kidney ; thrilling pain side of glans ; pain in side, about sixth rib ; pain in hip, knee and toes ; pain in tendo-achillis.
Symptoms in sick go from right to left mostly, and from below upward, especially in rheumatism and gout.
SENSATIONS [43]
As if there was air in head ; as if spine and head were pressed like an electric body ; as if face had gone to sleep ; as from want of sleep in eyes ; as of confused voices in ears ; as of a lump in throat-pit ; as if lower limbs were tightly bandaged.
Screwing pains.
Cutting : about navel ; in chest.
Deep penetrating pain : in posterior part of left side.
Stitching : in rectum ; in right side of chest ; in right great toe.
Fine stitching : in hepatic region ; in various parts of limbs.
Tearing : in vertex ; bellyache ; in bones of upper limbs ; in various parts of limbs ; in upper part of metacarpal joint of little and ring fingers ; in anterior surface of thigh ; in right great toe.
Drawing : in left kidney ; in knees.
Splitting : in male genitals.
Burning : in left kidney ; in nipples ; in right great toe.
Scalding : of urine in passing.
Smarting : of frenum præputii.
Soreness : of back part of tongue ; in back.
Raw pain : in male genitals.
Pressure : on lower part of head ; on spine ; in eyeball ; on root of nose ; in stomach ; in male genitals ; on ribs ; in nape of neck.
Bruised feeling : inside of head.
Rheumatic pain : in head ; on outside of head ; in extremities.
Ulcerative pain : in whole leg.
Paralytic pain : of fingers.
Fearful pain : in occiput or cerebellum.
Fleeting pains : in bladder.
Painful trembling : in chest.
Thrilling : left side of jaws ; in great toes.
Dull pain : in kidneys.
Undefined pain : in region of reverence and firmness ; in nasal bones ; below left short ribs ; in bladder ; in genitals ; about third rib, right side ; about sixth rib, left side ; in cardiac region ; in back ; in left hip, knee and toes ; in right thigh and ankle ; in left and right tendo-achillis ; in kidneys ; in large joint of big toe.
Coldness : in head ; at sacrum.
Throbbing : in eyeballs ; in ears.
Hammering : in temples.
Swelling : in throat ; in chest ; in mammary glands ; in thyroid gland ; under axillæ.
Painful starting : in chest.
Shaking : in head.
Stiffness : one side of neck ; in loins.
Tension : in one side of face ; in loins and groins.
Constriction : or swelling of throat ; at lower end of rectum.
Trembling : in lumbar region ; in loins.
Tired feeling : in head.
Formication : in forehead ; at anus.
Numbness : in face ; in toes.
Roughness : in chest.
Weakness : in precordia ; after menses.
Heat : in region of reverence and firmness ; around mouth ; through abdomen ; internal, on awaking ; in œsophagus ; in stomach ; in belly.
Burning heat : in eyes and lids ; of face ; in stomach.
Itching : on chin ; in sulcus, behind corona glandis ; in l. side of glans penis ; in nape of neck ; in palm of right hand ; with sweat.
Tickling : in left side of glans penis.
Dryness : in knee joints.
TISSUES [44]
Mucous states.
Gouty diathesis ; arthritis vaga.
Affects all joints, particularly knee, swelling it.
Gout with arthritic nodosities.
Syphilitic rheumatism.
Emaciation.
TOUCH. PASSIVE MOTION. INJURIES [45]
Touch : sternum sensitive.
Pressure : symptoms > ; of clothing about chest and abdomen annoys.
Friction : symptoms better.
SKIN [46]
Itching on various parts, yielding a rather agreeable sensation on being scratched, but leaving a burning.
Sweat with itching.
Syphilitic spots and marks.
Ulcers.
Slightly elevated round surfaces of a wart-like appearance, and of circular form, varying in diameter from half an inch to 1 1/2 inches ; at places running into each other ; nearly covered both sides and bottom of sulcus ani, and caused much smarting and soreness of part ; with strong-scented and highly-colored urine ; after abuse of copaiva.
STAGE OF LIFE, CONSTITUTION [47]
Gouty diathesis.
Rheumatic diathesis in syphilitic or gonorrhœal patients.
Woman, æt. 38, considered herself in dissolution with uterine complaints.
RELATIONS [48]
Useful in gout after Colchic . fails.
Useful after abuse of Copaiva in suppression of gonorrhœa ; or for warts around anus, appearing after Copaiva has been used for chancre.
Useful in enuresis after failure of Nitrum .
Has been used for dysuria senilis from enlarged prostate, in conjunction with Copaiva .
It has been reported of Natr. benz . as having cured many apparently hopeless cases of consumption in Vienna.
Similar to : Copaiva, Ferrum, Zincum .
Incompatible : wine, which aggravates pains in kidneys, drawing in knees, etc. (compare Zincum ).