Silicea

by H. C. Allen

Pure Silica. (Silicic Oxide)

Silicea is adapted to the nervous, irritable, sanguine temperament; persons of a psoric diathesis.

Persons of light complexion; find, dry, skin; pale face; weakly, with lax muscles.

Constitutions which suffer from deficient nutrition, not because food is lacking in quality or in quantity, but from imperfect assimilation ( Barayta carbonica, Calcarea ); Silicea is oversensitive, physically and mentally.

Scrofulous, rachitic children with large heads; open fontanelles and sutures; much sweating about the head (lower than Calcarea ) which must be kept warm by external covering ( Sanicula ); distended abdomen; weak ankles; slow in learning to walk.

Great weariness and debility; wants to lie down.

Nervous debility; exhaustion with erythism; from hard work and close confinement; may be overcome by force of will.

Restless, fidgety, starts at least noise.

Anxious, yielding, fainthearted.

For silicea mental labor is very difficult; reading and writing fatigue, cannot bear to think.

Silicea Ailments: caused by suppressed foot-sweat ( Cuprum, Graphites, Psorinum ); exposing the head or back to any slight draught of air; bad effects of vaccination, especially abscesses and convulsions ( Thuja ); chest complaints of stonecutters with total loss of strength.

Want of vital heat, always chilly, even when taking active exercise ( Ledum, Sepia ).

Inflammation, swelling and suppuration of glands, cervical, axillary, parotid, mammary, inguinal, sebaceous; malignant, gangrenous.

Silicea has a wonderful control over the suppurative process – soft tissue, periosteum or bone – maturing abscesses when desired or reducing excessive suppuration (affecting chiefly the soft tissues, Calendula, Hepar ).

Silicea Children are obstinate, headstrong, cry when spoken kindly to ( Iodium ).

Vertigo: spinal, ascending form back of neck to head; as if one would fall forward, from looking up ( Pulsatilla, – looking down, Kal., Spigelia ).

Chronic sick headaches, since some severe disease of youth ( Psorinum ); ascending from nape of neck to the vertex, as if coming from the spine and locating in one eye, especially the right (left, Spigelia ); < draught of air or uncovering the head; > pressure and wrapping up warmly ( Magnesia muriatica, Stron. ); > profuse urination.

Silicea Constipation: always before and during menses (diarrhoea before and during menses, Ammonium carb., Bovista ); difficult, as from inactivity of rectum; with great straining, as if rectum was paralyzed; when partly expelled, recedes again ( Thuja ).

Faeces remain a long time in the rectum.

Fistulo in ano alternates with chest symptoms ( Berberis, Calcarea phosphorica ).

Discharge of blood from vagina every time the child takes the breast (compare Croton tiglium ).

Nipple is drawn in like a funnel ( Sarsaparilla ).

Night walking; gets up while asleep, walks about and lies down again ( Kali br. ).

Silicea has Unhealthy skin; every little injury suppurates ( Graphites, Hepar, Mercurius, Petroleum ).

Crippled nails on fingers and toes ( Antim crud. ).

Takes cold from exposure of feet ( Conium, Cuprum ).

Sweat of hands, toes, feet and axillae; offensive.

Intolerable, sour, carrion-like odor of the feet, without perspiration, every evening.

Fistula lachrymalis; ingrowing toe-nails ( Magnesium phos. a., Marum verum ); panaritium; blood boils; carbuncles; ulcers of all kinds; fistulae, painful, offensive, high spongy edges, proud flesh in them; fissura ani; great pain after stool.

Desire to be magnetized, which > ( Phosphorus ).

Promotes expulsion of foreign bodies from the tissues; fish bones, needles, bone splinters.

Silicea Relations. – Complementary: Thuja, Sanicula.

Compare: Hepar, Pic. ac., Kali phos., Hypericum, Ruta., Sanicula, [Gettysburg.]

Follows well: after, Calcarea, Graphites, Hepar, Nit ac., Phosphorus

Silicea Is followed well: by, Hepar, Acidum fluoricum, Lycopodium, Sepia

Aggravation. – Cold; during menses; during new moon; uncovering, especially the head; lying down.

Amelioration. – Warmth, especially from wrapping up the head; all the symptoms except gastric, which are > by cold food ( Lycopodium ).

Silicea is the chronic of Pulsatilla.