• Drowsiness and sleepiness accompany all complaints
• Great dryness of skin and mucous membranes
• Mouth is so dry that saliva seems like cotton; tongue adheres to the palate
• Thirstlessness inspite of great dryness of the mouth

Source: Vegetable kingdom
Synonyms: Nutmeg. Myrista fragrans
Family: Myristicaceae
Prover: Dr Helbig of Germany
Duration of Action: 60 days
Miasmatic Background: Psora and sycosis are in the background Diathesis: Rheumatic
Temperament: Nervous and hysterical
Thermal Relationship: Chilly patient

Introduction and History: Nux moschata is one of the best examples of a powerfully poisonous substance used as a common article of food. The use of nutmeg as a condiment doubtlessly has its origin in the fact that it is especially related to weak digestion. It is indicated in conditions of excessive flatulence and when the smallest excess while eating or drinking sets up indigestion. It is the use of ground nutmeg for these purposes that has led to many cases of poisoning and has supplied a large number of symptoms.

Preparation and Parts Used: Tincture is prepared from the fresh plant and its nut. Higher potencies are prepared from the mother tincture.

Constitution and Physiognomy: It is suited to children, women, pregnant women and people with a cool, dry skin who do not perspire easily. It is also Suited to:

1. Weakness of old age.
2. Dyspepsia of old age.
3. Constitutions with stiff, straight hair rather than crisp, curly hair.
4. Delicate and hydrogenoid constitutions.

Seat of Action (Pharmacodynamics): It mainly acts on the mind, cerebrospinal nervous system, ovario-uterine organs and digestive organs.

Physio-pathological Action (Pathology)

Through the cerebrospinal nervous system, Nux moschata has three special centres of action:

(i) It acts on the cerebrospinal system producing insomnia, hyperaesthesia and paralysis.

(ii) It also acts on the ovario-uterine organs producing a hysterical condition.

(iii) It acts on the digestive organs causing great dryness of mouth and indigestion.

Ailments From: ill-effects of fright, mental exertion, suppressed eruptions, bathing, suppressed menses, milk, bad beer, over eating and alcohol.

Characteristic Mental Symptoms (Psychology)

1. Confused mind and impaired memory.
2. Dreamy and bewildered, as if in a dream.
3. Objects seem changed or grow larger.
4. Talks loudly to herself.
5. Sense of duality; thinks she has two heads, seems to be two individuals.
6. Fickle and wavering in her undertaking.
7. Sense of impending dissolution.
8. Mania with odd speeches and ridiculous gestures.
9. Mockery, laughing and jesting.
10. A short time seems very long. Sense of levitation.
11. Does her household duties automatically, does not recollect what she has done.

Characteristic Physical Guiding Symptoms

Ailments: Ailments with great soreness of all parts upon which one lies. All the ailments are accompanied by drowsiness and sleepiness. Complaints cause sleepiness with stupor, insensibility or unquenchable sleep.

Flatulence: Abdomen enormously enlarged, distended after every meal. Pain and distress in the stomach while eating or immediately after eating.

Complaints of pregnancy: Cough, toothache, fainting fits, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea occur during pregnancy.

Dyspepsia: Especially suited to dyspepsia of old people with weakness.

Bed sores: Bed sores occur in typhoid cases who remain in stupor.

Hoarseness: Sudden hoarseness from walking against the wind.

Hysteria: Hysterical attack comes with complete unconsciousness; scanty or suppressed urination, dryness of the mouth without thirst, fainting fits, lost reflexes changeable humour, prolonged sleepiness and suppressed menses.

Headache: Bursting pain in temples, feels as if expanding with sleepiness; better by hard pressure.

Menses: Menses are too long lasting, dark, thick, irregular in time and quantity.

Craving: Patient craves for highly seasoned food which only is digested.

Thirstlessness: Inspite of great dryness of the mouth and skin, there is no thirst.

Leucorrhoea: Leucorrhoea muddy, bloody; in place of menses.

Hysterical cough: Worse when getting warm in bed.

Important Characteristic Features

Gastrointestinal complaints: It is a very useful medicine for flatulent dyspepsia with weak digestion. All food turns into gas. Abdomen is excessively bloated. Nausea and vomiting from irritation of uterine pessary. Eating a little too much causes headache. Hiccough and craving for highly seasoned foods. There is retrocession of gout to stomach. Worse after eating.

Female genital affections: It is a very useful medicine for troubles of women. There is menorrhagia lasting 10-15 days. Blood is clotted; menses are too often, last too long, irregular. Dysmenorrhoea; colicky pains in the abdomen, cramping pain extending to the broad ligaments and down the limbs. Dysmenorrhoea due to exposure to cold, riding in wind or living in damp houses. These symptoms are accompanied by a dry mouth and thirstlessness. Leucorrhoea muddy, bloody; in place of menses. It is especially suited to lean women, who have lost flesh and their breasts are flat. Worse on exposure to cold, riding in wind etc.

Intermittent fever: Very useful in coma of typhoid and intermittent fever. When aroused she remembers nothing, looks dazed, looks around and wants to know who are the people around her and what are they doing. In this state, patient answers slowly after a long interval and then looks confused again. They give an answer that has no relation to the question asked or answers correctly. It is a very useful medicine in typhoid, in hysteria which comes after shock, fear, blighted affections or loss of a friend. Great weakness, sliding down in bed and nervous trembling.

General Modalities

Aggravation: By cold wet windy weather, changeable weather, cold food, cold water, washing, carriage riding, lying on the painful side.

Amelioration: In dry warm weather, in a warm room, wrapping up warmly.

Remedy Relationships

Antidoted by: Camph, Laur, Gels, Nux-v, Op, Zinc, Valer.

Antidotal to: Ars, Laur, Rhod, lead colic, turpentine, alcohol, bad yeast beer.

Compatible: Lyc, Nux-v, Puls, Rhus-t, Stram, Ant-t.

Comparison

All the ailments are accompanied by drowsiness and sleepiness: Ant-t, Nux-m, Op.

An inclination to faint even from slightest pain: Hep, Nux-m.

Weakness or loss of memory: Anac, Lac-c, Lyc, Nux-m.

Vanishing of thoughts while reading, talking or writing; uses wrong words; does not recognize well known streets: Cann-i, Lach, Nux-m.

Changeable humour; one moment laughing, the next crying: Croc, Ign, Nux-m.

Sudden change from grave to gay, from lively to serene: Nux-m, Plat.

Great dryness of mouth: Apis, Lach, Nux-m.

Throat dry, stiffened, no thirst: Nux-m, Puls.

Great soreness of all the parts upon which one lies: Bapt, Nux-m, Pyrog.

Diarrhoea in summer, from cold drinks; epidemic in autumn, white stools: Colch, Nux-m.

Sudden hoarseness, worse from walking against the wind: Euph, Hep, Nux-m.

Rheumatic affections from getting feet; wet from exposure to drafts of air while heated: Acon, Bry, Nux-m.

Cough caused by standing in water; living in cold, damp places: Nat-s, Nux-m.

Dosage: First to 30 potency and higher.

Repetition: Single dose and when symptoms call for it.

Therapeutic Value: Dysmenorrhoea, Fainting, Gastralgia, Hiccough, Hoarseness, Hysteria, Menopausal affections, Menorrhagia, Miscarriage, Narcolepsy, Overpowering sleep, Prolapse of uterus, Puerperal convulsions.