Homoeopathic Medicine - Zincum Drug Picture
This Drug Picture has been compiled by Dr. Saloni Jain and Dr. Viraj Shah and is related to the Zinc Group of Metal Remedies in Homoeopathy
Homoeopathic Medicine - Zincum Drug Picture
KEY SYMPTOMS
nervous fatigue or exhaustion • restless feet • twitching and trembling • person feels better for expelling discharges and developing skin eruptions
O R I G I N
Refined from the ore sphalerite, formed in hydrothermal mineral veins in South America, the US, and Australasia.
B A C K G R O U N D
Used traditionally as an antiseptic and astringent in calamine and other lotions, and now in sunscreens to block UV rays.
P R E PA R AT I O N
Zinc is heated and then ground into a fine powder. This is followed by trituration with
lactose sugar.
C O M M O N N A M E
Zinc sulfide.
A soft, blue-white metal that does not corrode, zinc is used to make galvanized roofing and alloys such as brass, a melding of copper and zinc that is used for many purposes, including musical instruments. Zinc stimulates the production of many proteins in the body and is a vital trace element. In conventional medicine, zinc oxide cream is applied to ulcers, and given
as a supplement for tetanus, neuralgia, and convulsions. The remedy was proved by Hahnemann in 1828.
Hard-working individuals who find it hard to relax are most suited to Zinc. met. They
take on too much responsibility, then become stressed. A state of nervous excitement
follows, which makes them sensitive, especially to noise, irritable, and carping.
This overstimulation saps their vitality and can lead to mental and physical exhaustion.
These people tend to be forgetful, feel the cold keenly, are prone to anemia, and are notorious
for complaining when ill. Symptoms tend to worsen at night, and twitching persists during
sleep. Drinking alcohol, especially wine, an eating also aggravate symptoms, which tend to improve after expelling natural discharges via urination, defecation, and menstruation.
Typical physical symptoms are extreme fatigue, weakness, and restless, twitchy,
trembling limbs, particularly the legs. The remedy is used for these conditions, for
nervous and urogenital disorders, and for itchy skin eruptions with fatigue and
twitching limbs.
Nervous exhaustion
SYMPTOMS A state of collapse due to overwork, stress, or overstimulation, marked by mental
and physical weakness. The mind is either excitable or confused and slow—if asked a
question, the person may repeat it once or twice before its meaning sinks in. Bursting
headaches may be a feature (see right). There may be incessant trembling in the limbs due
to weakness, and restless feet in constant motion. The soles of the feet may feel painful
Nervous exhaustion may lead to depression marked by moodiness, introversion, and
irritability. Noise and chatter may be intolerable, and anger tends to provoke tears.
Mind
- RESTLESS, HYPER-ACTIVE, OVER-SENSITIVE.
- Over-active mind and ideas abundant. Loquacity.
- DISCONTENTED and complaining. Torments everyone with his complaints (Nit-ac).
- Irritability from noise (Ferr), talking of others.
- Fits of anger with weakness afterwards.
- Mental weakness agg. morning. Dullness. Confusion. Slowness in thinking. Mistakes in speeking and writing.
- Repeats questions before answering (Aur).
- Sadness amel. evening. Feels calm when thinking of suicide.
- Superstitious (Arg-n, Con, Rhus-t, Stram).
- Children: Restless. Discontented (Calc-p, Sanic, Tub).
- Shrieking like a cow.
- Delirium with violence and desire to escape.
Generalities
- OVER-STIMULATION OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, WITH WEAKNESS OF IT IN LATER STAGES.
- agg. WINE.
- agg. 11.00.
- agg. Vaccination (maland, Sil, Thuj).
- agg. Cold.
- amel. Evening (Med, Sep).
- amel. DISCHARGES. MENSES (Lach).
- AILMENTS FROM SUPPRESSED DISCHARGES AND ERUPTIONS.
- Parkinson.
- SPASMS, JERKS, TICS, CHOREA.
Food and drinks
- Aversion: Fish, sweets.
- agg. WINE (alcohol).
CLASSIFICATION :
Zinc has its place as the lightest member in group 12 of the periodic table, with cadmium andmercury as the two other group members. A blue-white metallic element, zinc is seldom, if ever, found in native form but commonly in the minerals sphalerite [zinc blende, zinc sulphide], smithsonite [zinc carbonate] and calamine [zinc silicate]. Sphalerite occurs in association with lead glance [galena], with the heavier lead ore paradoxically lying above and the light zinc blende below. Sphalerite derives its name from the Greek word sphaleros, 'treacherous', for it was known that it often resembled galena but yielded no lead. China, Canada and Australia are the major zinc producing countries. Zinc is the third most used non-ferrous metal [after aluminium and copper], of which the U.S. consumes more than one million metric tons annually. The average person will use 730 pounds of zinc in his or her lifetime, according to the U.S. Bureau of Mines.
USES :
The major uses of zinc metal are in galvanising iron and steel as a coating to protect against corrosion, and in making brasses and alloys for die castings, used extensively by the automotive, electrical, and hardware industries. Zinc oxide is a unique and very useful material to modern civilisation. It is widely used in the manufacture of paints, rubber products, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, floor coverings, roof sheeting, building materials, railroad car linings, plastics, printing inks, soap, storage batteries, textiles, dry cell batteries, and electrical equipment. The electrical conductivity of zinc oxide can be increased many times under the influence of light, and so is utilized in photocopying processes. Zinc sulphate is used as a weed killer, in the manufacture of viscose rayon, and as a mordant in dyeing. The sulphide is used in making luminous dials, X-ray and TV screens, and fluorescent lights. 2,3 The mineral sphalerite [zinc sulphide], too, possesses the power of absorbing sunlight or artificial light and giving it off in the dark. Some sunscreens use zinc as a physical sun block.
TOXICOLOGY:
Zinc is not considered to be toxic; but when freshly formed zinc oxide is inhaled a disorder known as the oxide shakes, zinc chills, or brass-founders' ague sometimes occurs, resulting in neurologic damage. "Zinc toxicity from excessive ingestion is uncommon, but gastrointestinal and diarrhoea have been reported following ingestion of beverages standing in galvanized cans or from use of galvanized utensils. With regard to industrial exposure, metal fume fever resulting from inhalation of freshly formed fumes of zinc presents the most significant effect. This disorder has been most commonly associated with inhalation of zinc oxide fumes, but it may be seen after inhalation of the fumes of other metals, particularly magnesium, iron, and copper. Attacks usually begin after 4 to 8 hours of exposure - chills and fever, profuse sweating, and weakness. Attacks usually last only 24 to 48 hours and are most common on Mondays or after holidays. The pathogenesis is not known, but it is thought to be due to endogenous pyrogen released from cell lysis. Extracts prepared from tracheal mucosa and from the lungs of animals with experimentally induced metal fume fever produce similar symptoms when injected into other animals."6 Other symptoms reported from inhalation of zinc fumes include sweet taste, dry throat, cough, weakness, generalized aching, nausea, and vomiting. Zinc workers suffer skin eruptions called 'zinc pox' under the arm and in the groin, which is believed to be caused by blocking of the hair follicles.