Morphinum

Morphinum - An Alkaloid of Opium

Morphine bears the same relation to Opium as Atropine to Belladonna-i.e, represents its nervous side. It is less stimulating, less convulsant, and more decidedly hypnotic. Constipates less and affects contractility of the bladder more. It is less diaphoretic and more pruritic.

Mind.--Profound depression. Irritable, fault-finding, hysterical. Shock induced by terror. Dream-like state.

Head.--Vertigo from the least movement of the head. Headache with sensation of being "wound-up". Bursting pain; head drawn back.

Eyes.--Bluish, drooping lids. Itching of eyes. Delusion of vision on closing eyes. Starting, injected; diverging strabismus. Pupils unequally contracted. Look unsteady. Ptosis. Paresis of recti interni.

Ears.--Left ear throbs painfully; better, heat. Seems to hear circulation all over body.

Face.--Dusky red or pallid lividity of face, lips, tongue, mouth or throat.

Nose.--Sneezing in paroxysms. Itching and tingling on end of nose.

Mouth.--Very dry. Tongue dry, brown violet in middle. Thirst. Loss of appetite, with aversion to meat.

Throat.--Dry and constricted. Pharynx paralyzed, swallowing almost impossible; better hot drinks, worse solids.

Stomach.--Nausea incessant and deathly, faintness, constant retching. Vomiting of green fluid. Nausea and vomiting on rising up.

Abdomen.--Distended. Acute pain in abdomen and along spinal column. Tympanitis.

Rectum.--Diarrhœa watery, brown, or black with horrible tenesmus. Constipation; stools large, dry knotty, with tendency to bruise and fissure.

Urinary.--Paresis of bladder. Strangury. Slow and difficult urination. Retention of prostatic hypertrophy. Uræmia, acute and chronic.

Male.--Impotency. Pain in right spermatic cord, (Oxal ac).

Heart.--Alternation of tachycardia and bradycardia. Cardiac muscular tissue is intact, even if severely exhausted. Pulse small, weak, dicrotic.

Respiratory.--Faint and struggling for breath diaphragmatic paralysis; hiccough; dyspnœa, paroxysmal, on first falling asleep (Lach; Grindel). Cheyne-Stokes respiration. Chest tight. Pain in middle of sternum. Dry, hard, teasing, exhausting cough, worse at night. Strangling cough, with viscid mucus sputum; thin, scanty, but sounds loose and abundant.

Back.--Pain along spine. Weakness of loins. Aching across lumbo-sacral region; cannot walk erect (Cimicif).

Extremities.--Staggering gait. Numbness.

Skin.--Livid; purple spots; zoster-like herpes. Itching. Skin lost its elasticity. Urticaria appearing at climaxis.

Nervous.--Restlessness and hyperethesia; trembling, twitching, jerking, convulsions. Extremely susceptible to pain. Pain causes twitching and jerking of limbs. Violent and sudden neuralgic pains and sudden fainting. Delirium, melancholic in character. Neuralgias intensely painful, left supraorbital; right intercostal, better from heat; multiple neuritis. Sore feeling all over. Bed feels too hard. Aggravation after sleep (Lach). Neuralgia after zoster (Mezer).

Sleep.--Yawning, drowsy; prolonged, deep sleep, Sleepless; restless sleep, with frequent startings. Sleepy, but cannot sleep.

Fever.--Chills. Icy coldness. Burning heat; profuse sweat.

Dose.--Third to sixth trituration.

 

Source: Materia Medica von William Boericke, 1901