Mund/Zunge Anhängsel Zunge

[Sarla Sonawala]

Remedy: Ant-c / Bry / Puls / Merc / Nat-m / Rhus-t / Verat-v

Every physician confronts his defenceless patient, with the command SHOW ME YOUR TONGUE. Not merely of his stomach, the tongue is the mirror of the man himself.

Located in the centre of the cavity of our mouth, behind the semilunar rows of teeth, joining the pharynx at the back but absolutely free on other three sides, this tiny flap of muscle is the most mobile organ of our body.

Swinging up and down, left and right, and shamelessly darting in and out, this freelancer of human body gives off its multiple signals, most vociferously.

Under the auspices of CNS as well as the vocal cords of larynx the human tongue, on account of its faculty of speech, becomes the most versatile medium of communication between men and man. Otherwise, the throat alone could emit nothing more than a few guttural sounds like an animal. An intelligent, sensitive, and aspiring creature that

man is, he transformed this facility to speak and talk, into song and music, literature and poetry.

That marked an important milestone in the history of human progress, made, possible by our tongue.

The tastebuds scattered along its length and breadth invited all culinary skill of the world, to convert cooking into an art. Consequently food that nourished the body became the gourmets delight. Being a social animal, man shared his food as well as thoughts with his fellows. The tiny tongue became an important media of two-fold communication.

But man with a perverse twist of mind pursued his advantages too far. His wagging tongue, with its vicious words, scattered ill- will and hatred amongst men folk, and the excess of spices in food, to tickle the tongue, burned the stomach and invited ill- health. In the realm of disease and medicine, the latter counts more, though the former may influence it adversely. Hence the tongue assumes a specific significance in state of health as well as disease. Its size and shape, colour and coating, moistness and dryness, stains, wounds, movement or loss of it can give valuable information to a discerning eye.

Some of the homoeopathic remedies, with their characteristic tongue, may readily point to the Similimum. Hence the perusal of a few of them will not be out of place.

Ant-c.

Thick, milky white coating on the tongue tells the tale of "piglike" gluttony. The greed of excessive eating and drinking distends the stomach and bowels, with belching up and down, constipation chasing diarrhoea or the other way round. Once you recognise the culprit of that "whitewashed" tongue, you need not wait for the name of the disease.

Bry.

Whether the tongue be coated white or yellow, the hallmark of that "dry-and-cut" remedy is its "desert like" dryness. Not only the tongue, but the whole GIT from mouth to anus, even the entire muscles of the body, dry and parched, “As if burnt”, and the patient drinks tumblerfuls of water. Whether cough or constipation, headache or heartache, the tongue and thirst are the faithful concomitants. In a case of epistaxis, Bry. stopped the bleeding where Phos. failed. The dryness of tongue and lips guided the choice.

Puls.

With its changing moods and maladies, this volatile windflower prefers yellowish colour for its tongue and catarrhs. As dry as Bry. but unlike its raging thirst, the Puls. princess may lick her lips but refuse to drink water.

Add fair complexion and tearful eyes this delightful remedy may make a valuable gift for every child in a birthday party where repeated rounds of cakes and pastry are followed by bowls of ice-cream. Measles or migraine, rheumatism or cyricism, otorrhoea or leucorrhoea the yellowish, thirstless tongue names the remedy.

Merc-s.

Moist tongue with mouthful of saliva, yet intense thirst in perfect contrast to Puls. its precious characteristic lies in the indentation around the edges. Moreover, red and white ulcers studding the mucosa of mouth, tongue and lips tell conspiracy the treacherous in reads of this malignant miasm, in the entire human frame.

Nat-m.

Geographical tongue with red insular patches, like ringworm on sides, vesicles and burning as if a hair sticking on it, dryness of tongue, lips and corners of mouth, with immoderate thirst the classic description of any unrequired love and grief. To sum up:

Sun salt sentiment

A smitten heart

A hammered head

And a mapped tongue for a bonus.

Rhus-t.

Red triangular tip with apex inwards, of a tongue, dry and cracked proved a million dollar tip in a case of typhoid where the classical symptoms of restlessness and relief from movement were conspicuously absent.

Verat-v.

Red streak down the middle of the tongue is perhaps the single characteristic in this otherwise pathological remedy.

[Dr Constantine Hering/presented by Sylvain Cazalet]

Bad taste in the mouth.

If the taste in the mouth is altered and the other symptoms are not sufficient for the selection of the proper remedy, consult the following list :

Bitter taste in the morning: Sulph. Merc. Bry. Calc. Sil.

When solid food tastes bitter: Sulph. Bry. Rheum. Rhus-t. Hep. Coloc. Ferr-met.

food and drink both bitter: Puls. Chin.

bitter taste after eating or drinking: Puls. Bry. Ars.

in the morning or evening: Puls. Arn.

at different times, or continually, besides the above medicines: Acon. Bell. Verat. Nux-v. Cham. Ant-c. Carb-v.

For sweet taste: Merc-v. Sulph. Cupr-met. Bell. Puls. Bry. Chin. Ferr-met. Spong.

in the morning: Sulph.

when bread tastes sweet: Merc-v.

beer: Puls.

blood-like, sweetish taste: Ferr-met. Sulph.

when like nuts: Coff.

For salt taste: Carb-v. Rheum. Ph-ac. Nux-v. Sulph. Ars. Nat-m. Cupr-met.

when food tastes salty: Carb-v. Sulph.

salty taste when coughing: Carb-v. Cocc.

For sour taste: Rheum. Ph-ac. Nux-v. Chin. Sulph. Caps. Calc. Nat-m. Cocc. Cupr-met.

food tastes sour: Chin. Calc.

after meals: Puls. Nux-v. Carb-v. Nat-m. Cocc. Sil.

after drinking water: Nux-v. Sulph.

after drinking milk: Carb-v. Sulph.

in the morning: Nux-v. Sulph.

Acrid, biting taste: Verat. Rhus-t.

Brunt, smoky taste: Puls. Nux-v. Sulph.

taste like herbs: Verat. Nux-v.

taste like peppermint: Verat.

Earthy taste: Puls. Hep. Chin.

insipid taste: Puls. Rheum. Staph. Bry. Chin. Sulph. Dulc. Rhus-t. Ip. Caps.

slimy taste: Bell. Rheum. Arn. Rhus-t. Plat.

greasy. oily taste: Sil. Caust.

greasy taste: Caust.

sticky taste: Ph-ac.

watery taste: Staph. Chin. Caust.

Putrid taste: Arn. Merc-v. Bell. Bry. Cham. Puls. Acon. Verat. Ph-ac. Sulph. Rhus-t. Nat-m. Cupr-met. Caust.

in the morning: Sulph. Rhus-t.

after meals: Rhus-t.

taste like pus: Puls.

When tobacco has a sharp taste: Staph.

when bitter: Cocc.

loathsome: Ip.

disagreeable: Ign. Puls. Nux-v. Arn. Calc. Cocc.

When food has no flavor: Merc. Puls. Staph. Bry. Nux-v. Ars.

absence of taste: Verat. Bell. Puls. Rheum. Bry. Hep. Hyos.

in chronic cases: Sil. Nat-m.

[Dr. W.A. Dewey – (1858-1938)]

Affections of Teeth

Mercurius -. Pulsating toothache, due to inflamed dentine or to periostitis of the sockets. Worse at night and in damp weather. Worse from warmth, somewhat relieved by gentle rubbing of the face. It is the chief remedy in painful ulcerations at the roots of the teeth and for pain in hollow teeth. Gums swollen, ulcerated and usually an offensive odor from the mouth.

Chamomilla. An excellent remedy in unbearable toothache affecting a whole row of teeth occurring in paroxysms, with pains radiating to the ears. < at night/from warmth. Worse during and after eating.

Belladonna – Toothache from inflammation of dental pulp. The pains are burning and throbbing, worse chewing and in the open air. There is a red hot face and great nervous excitability.

Coffea – This remedy will often remove the most severe pains of toothache which almost drive the patient frantic. Stinging, jerking, intermittent pain, worse while chewing, worse from warm drink, and entirely relieved for a time by holding cold water in the month.

Plantago major – Hale says that of all remedies in tooth ache none can compare with Plantago. The teeth feel elongated, sensitive to touch, with swollen cheeks. Pains are periodic and even affecting sound teeth. Worse lying on the affected side.

Silicea – Suits especially abscesses about the roots of the teeth and dental fistula . Pains < eating warm food or when cold air gets into the mouth; they < at night.

Teeth feel loose,

Calcarea fluorica – This remedy produces a roughness of the teeth and a decay of the enamel.

Dr. R.S. Copeland claims to have produced this condition of decay of the enamel in a patient for whom he prescribed the remedy for cataract.

Calcarea phosphoric – slow development, and rapid decay of the teeth. It suits dental troubles in flabby, emaciated children who have open posterior fontanelles, and slow

in learning to talk.

Magnesia carbonica – Especially useful in toothache of pregnancy, and Dr. Leavitt mentions Sepia as almost specific in this condition.

Staphisagria – The gums are unhealthy and retracted. Tendency to decay of the teeth. They turn black and crumble as soon as they appear, a condition found in sycotic children. It is a splendid remedy for gnawing in the roots of decayed teeth, affecting a whole row, and is especially adapted to old women who have a mouthful of painful stumps.

Kreasote – Premature decay of milk teeth whch become yellow, dark, and then decay. Aching pains in diseased teeth.

Arnica – Very useful for bleeding after extraction of teeth, and for pain and swelling from wearing false teeth, or pains produced by filing or filling, or excavating teeth.

The sensation is one of soreness.

Vorwort/Suchen. Zeichen/Abkürzungen. Impressum.