• Fear of death and to be alone; desires company
• Severe cramps or burning in the stomach or abdomen, with great thirst for cold water. Vomiting as soon as water reaches the stomach or as soon as it gets warm in the stomach
• Abdominal pain with fear and thirst

Source: Mineral kingdom
Synonyms: Precipitated sub-nitrate of bismuth
Group: Heavy metal
Prover: Templeton

Introduction and History: Beryllium is a light metal which resembles aluminium. It is found in America especially Columbia, Madagascar, Russia and France. It was introduced into homeopathy by Templeton in 1951-1952.

Preparation: By trituration.

Ailments From: Summer, abdominal operations.

Characteristic Mental Symptoms (Psychology)

• ANGUISH. Bismuthum patient cannot bear solitude. He always wants company (Stram, Kali-c, Lil-t, Lyc).
• He has much anguish and therefore moves about very frequently; he sits, walks, lies, never long in one place.
• Fear of death. Irritability during daytime, better in the evening. Solitude is unbearable.
• Discontented.

Characteristic Physical Guiding Symptoms

Keynote: Irritation and catarrhal inflammation of the alimentary canal is the chief action of this drug. Bismuthum exerts its chief action on the stomach and alimentary tract, causing catarrhal inflammation.

(1) Alimentary canal

(i) Vomiting of water as soon as it reaches the stomach or in great quantities when stomach becomes full, but solid food is retained for days together.

(ii) Craves cold drinks.

(iii) Burning in stomach, feeling of a load, Food presses like a load on one spot.

(iv) Pain in abdomen in small spots.

(v) Bismuthum is one of the best remedies for cholera infantum in children when the body remains warm and for cholera morbus occurring in summer.

(vi) Onset is sudden and course is rapid.

(vii) Vomiting predominates over purging.

(viii) Will eat for several days, then vomits. Slow digestion with foetid eructations.

(2) Stool

(i) It is watery, profuse, painless and very offensive.

(ii) Concomitant – there is great prostration, with the face looking deathly pale and dark rings around the eyes; surface covered with warm sweat.

(3) Anguish: Patient is full of anguish, restlessness and wants company always.

(4) Post-operative vomiting: Post-operative vomiting, especially of liquids, particularly after laparotomy with great anguish and restlessness.

(5) Head: Pain alternating with gastralgia, worse after eating, better cold bathing, better cold drinks.

(6) Pains: Neuralgic pains, as if torn by pincers; involves face and teeth. Pains are tearing, pinching, burning, screwing.

(7) Mouth: Gums swollen.

(8) Toothache: Ameliorated by holding cold water in the mouth.

(9) Tongue: Coated white with a sweetish metallic taste.

(10) Extremities: DRY palms and soles. Tearing in tips of fingers, under nails.

Important Characteristic Features

Head: Headache alternates with gastralgia. Neuralgic pain, as if torn by pincers; involves face and teeth; worse eating; better cold, Cutting or pressure above the right orbit extending to the occiput. Pressure in occiput; worse motion; with heaviness.

Mouth: GUMS SWOLLEN. Toothache; better cold water in the mouth (Coff). Tongue white, swollen. Black, gangrenous looking wedges on dorsum and sides of tongue, Profuse salivation, teeth loose. Thirst for cold drinks.

Stomach: Vomits, with convulsive gagging and pain. WATER IS VOMITED AS SOON AS IT REACHES THE STOMACH. Eructations after drinking. Vomits all fluids, BURNING; FEELING OF A LOAD. Will eat for several days; then vomit. Slow digestion, with FOETID eructations. Gastralgia; pain from stomach through to the spine. Gastritis. BETTER COLD DRINKS, but vomiting occurs when stomach becomes full. Tongue coated white; sweetish, metallic taste. Inexpressible pain in stomach; must bend backwards. Pressure as from a load in one spot, alternating with burning, crampy pain and pyrosis.

Stool: Painless diarrhoea with great thirst, frequent micturition and vomiting. Pinching in the lower abdomen with rumbling.

Respiratory: Pinching in the middle of the diaphragm, extending transversely through the chest. Angina pectoris; pain around the heart, to left arm, to fingers.

Extremities: Cramps in hands and feet. Tearing in wrist. Paralytic weakness, especially of right arm. Tearing in tips of fingers under nails (Berb). Itching erosion near tibia and back of feet near joints. Cold limbs.

Sleep: Restless on account of voluptuous dreams. Sleepy in the morning, a few hours after eating.

General Modalities

Aggravation: Eating, summer, overeating, when alone.

Amelioration: Cold applications, cold bathing, open air, bending backwards, motion relieves most symptoms except headache.

Remedy Relationships

Antidote to: Nux-v, Caps, Calc, Coff.

Compare: Ant-c, Ars, Bell, Bry, Cadm-s, Kreos, Phos.

Potency: 3x, 6x, 12x, 30, 200, 1000.

Quotations

Vomiting with convulsive gagging and inexpressible pain after laparotomy – Dr H. C. Allen

Therapeutic Value: Colitis, Gastric cancer, Gastritis, Gastroenteritis.