Baryta Iodata
Baric iodide
Ba I2
Trituration
The essential features
The main action of Baryta iodata is to retard development and to infiltrate, enlarge and indurate glands and organ tissues. You will need this remedy mostly with children, particularly in cases of cachetic, malnourished children. Baryta iodata suits a child who does not grow as he should, whose lymphatic glands are very swollen and hard, who catches cold easily and who exhibits opacity of the cornea. The opacity which is apparent in the eye parallels the induration and infiltration of internal organs and glands.
There are other remedies that feature opacity of the cornea and swollen cervical glands, such as Cadm., Calc-c., Arg-n., etc. But in order to prescribe this remedy you need to observe that the child is not developing properly and that its growth is stunted.
Here we must differentiate with Baryta carbonica as far as the stunted growth or dwarfishness is concerned. In Baryta iodata we do not see dwarfishness as such but rather a general cachexia and emaciation.
When we talk about the characteristics of a remedy it means that these characteristics are the first thing you will notice in the case. These are the main features in its pathology.
Baryta iodata feedsa nd greatly enlarges the lymphatic system, while undernourishing the patient. You should consider Baryta iodata in cases where the glands are hard and painful to touch, and most particularly where the patient tells you that his leucocytes are always on a high level.
Baryta iodata, as mentioned above, will infiltrate, enlarge and indurate glands, especially the tonsils and breasts (mastitis). It also has a marked effect on new growths and tumors such as cancer of the breast, in cases where the whole organism is undernourished or suffering from arrested development.
The general impression received from such cases is that of a severely damaged immune system.
The thyroid is primarily affected in adults, presenting us with symptoms of hyperthyroidism with tremblings and fainting spells and protrusion of the eyes.
As the lymphatic system is heavily involved, the leucocytes are frequently increased. Hodgkin’s disease, infectious mononucleosis, and glandular fever are within the sphere of action of this remedy. Other conditions requiring Baryta iodata are staphyloma and phlyctenular keratoconjuctivitis accompanied by swelling of the lymphatic glands in children who do not seem to grow.
The hardening action of this remedy on the physical organs is mirrored in a similar process of hardening and growing “opacity” of the mind and emotions. The emotions become hardened and dead, the patient exhibits indifference and apathy, and the mind becomes indolent and dull. The patient feels confused, and has difficulty in concentrating his mind and in getting it to function. Mental weakness is marked in this remedy. The patient finds it impossible to come to any decision. The Baryta iodata child will strike you as looking almost stupid. It is incapable of any mental effort and has a weak memory. These children are timid, but not as much as the Baryta carbonica child; they are however much more restless than the latter. When faced with a child whose mentality resembles Baryta carbonica, with hugely swollen tonsils, but restless and ameliorated by fresh air like Pulsatilla, think of Baryta iodata.
These children are afraid of people. They are not communicative or social and prefer to stay by themselves. When offended they like to sit and brood, recalling the hurtful events, with more pleasure than pain. The action of Baryta iodata is sometimes complemented by Natrum muriaticum if the patient has previously suffered great loss or grief.
The adults needing this remedy are people with chronic mental and physical fatigue, whose glands – especially the submaxillary – are chronically swollen, and who feel that they have lost their interest in life.
They are in a constant hurry but without effect in what they do. They are incapable of concentration and application; they cannot do anything properly as there is this hurried feeling inside, accompanied by mental dullness. These patients are easily angered, and quick to fly into a temper and express their anger. In general however they are timid and anti-social, with a tendency toward hysterical behaviour and impatience.
Baryta iodata has frequent mood changes. As the pathology progresses you will find cases of depression with occasional outbursts of anger and weeping. At this stage the symptoms resemble Pulsatilla, but the swollen lymphatic glands should make you think of Baryta iodata. Further symptoms include great anxiety, delusions in which the patient thinks he sees dead people, fear of evil, of ghosts. The head feels cold and at other times hot. Heat and flashes occur in different parts of the body but especially in face and stomach.
A final point to mention concerning Baryta iodata is the number of contradictions among the symptoms. The patient finds that lying in bed increases the anxiety while it ameliorates the pains. He desires cold open air, but feels dizzy while walking which also increases the physical suffering. At times the patient has aversion to company, while at other times he desires it. Lassitude is better by continued lying, but lying in bed increases some of the symptoms. Eating ameliorates at times, while at other times it aggravates.
Generalities
Strong desire for open air and better in cold air is a strong characteristic of this remedy. Takes cold easily; worse in cold, wet weather.
Convulsive action of muscles.
Emaciation.
Fainting spells.
General sensation of fullness. Easy hemorrhage.
Induration in many parts especially in glands. Inflammation or congestion in internal organs; in glands. Swelling and inflammation of affected parts and of glands. Pain in bones and glands. Tension all over body.
Weakness during menses.
Pulsation all over body. Pulse fast and full.
Very sensitive to pain; glands sensitive to touch. Leucocytosis.
Worse: before eating and when fasting; after eating sometimes; before and during menses; lying on back; from warmth in general; in a warm room; on becoming warm; from pressure. Exertion, motion and especially walking aggravate very much. Better: in cold open air, after eating.
Vertigo
Vertigo while lying, stooping; walking
Head
Heat and hyperaemia of head evening and night.
Heaviness of head.
Pain in head in the morning on rising; better in open air; worse binding up the hair; from noise; while walking; in warm room. Bruised pain in head.
Pressing, shooting, stunning pains in head.
Tearing in vertex.
Perspiration of scalp.
Pulsation in forehead and temples.
Eyes
Opacity of the cornea.
Inflammation of conjunctiva.
Tubercular iritis.
Staphyloma. Phlyctenular keratoconjunctivitis. Itching of eyes.
Pain in eyes worse from light; burning pain; pain as from sand; tender feeling.
Photophobia.
Protrusion of eyes; pupils dilated.
Redness of eyes and lids.
Vision dim, foggy; weak.
Diplopia.
Swollen lids.
Ear
Suppurative inflammation of the middle ear.
Sensation of flapping in ears.
Noises in ears when chewing.
Stopped feeling in ears.
Hearing impaired.
Nose
Catarrh of nose; discharge bloody; copious; hard mucus; thick; yellow; post nasal.
Dryness in nose.
Fluent coryza with cough.
Epistaxis on blowing nose.
Obstruction of nose at night.
Pain in nose; in root of nose.
Frequent sneezing.
The nose is swollen and red. Redness of nose.
Face
Coldness of face.
The face is congested and red; the lips are blue; face sometimes pale and sometimes circumambient redness. Face looks drawn and shrunken. Emaciated.
Eruption on face and nose; boils and pimples.
Pain in face; in submaxillary gland.
Swelling of glands of lower jaw; parotid gland; submaxillary gland.
Mouth
Bleeding gums, cracked tongue.
Swollen gums.
The gums are detached from the teeth and the teeth become loose.
Drawing and tearing in teeth.
Dry mouth in morning; dry tongue.
Mucus in mouth which is offensive, even putrid.
Burning tongue; sore gums.
Salivation.
Taste bad; bitter; sour.
Throat
Throat dry and constricted.
The tonsils are enlarged. Inflammation with marked swelling of tonsils. Membranous exudation in throat. Pain in throat on empty swallowing; burning.
Swallowing difficult.
Swollen and indurated glands of neck.
Stomach
Appetite diminished; increased, even ravenous with emaciation; without relish of food; wanting, aversion to food. Thirst extreme; unquenchable.
Emptiness.
Eructations; empty; sour; waterbrash; ameliorate.
Fullness and heartburn.
Flashes of heat in stomach.
Heaviness after eating.
Indigestion with hiccough.
Nausea and loathing of food.
Inflammation of stomach.
Pain in stomach after eating; cramping; gnawing; pressing; soreness; stitching. Retching.
Feeling of tension in stomach.
Vomiting bile; watery.
Abdomen
Distension of abdomen; enlarged mesenteric glands.
Flatulence; rumbling.
Different kinds of pain in abdomen; after eating; before and during menses.
Stitching in hypochondria and sides of abdomen.
Rectum
Constipation; difficult stool; inactivity of rectum; insufficient stool; hard, knotty stool.
Diarrhea with yellow, watery stools, much flatus, external piles.
Itching anus.
Pain in rectum; burning after stool; tenesmus.
Ineffectual urging to stool.
Urinary organs
Urine copious.
Retention of urine; constant; frequent.
Urination frequent at night; involuntary.
Enlarged prostate gland.
Genitalia – male
Enlarged prostate gland.
Induration of testes.
Erections wanting.
Seminal emissions.
Genitalia – female
In the female the desire is increased.
Leucorrhea bloody; before menses.
Menses copious; frequent; painful; short; suppressed.
Chest
Bronchitis and bronchopneumonia are within the sphere of this remedy.
Mucus in the trachea.
Voice hoarse; lost; rough, weak.
Respiration fast; asthmatic; difficult at night and on ascending; rattling; short; suffocative.
Cough morning; evening; asthmatic; dry in morning; from irritation in larynx or trachea; rattling; spasmodic; suffocative; as talking; from tickling in larynx and trachea.
Expectoration in morning and evening; difficult; mucous; purulent; salty; viscid; yellow.
Catarrh of chest.
Constriction of chest. Oppression of chest.
Inflammation of bronchial tubes; of lungs.
Pain in chest; stitching in chest and in mammae.
Palpitation of heart; night; tumultuous.
Paralysis of lungs.
Swollen axillary glands.
Back
Pain in sacrum; stitching pain in back and in lumbar region.
Extremities
Cold hands, legs and feet.
Hot hands.
Heaviness of limbs.
Itching limbs.
Numbness of arms and fingers.
Pain in joints; gouty; in hip; thigh; knees.
Stitching in knees; tearing in knees and legs.
Perspiration of hands; palms; feet.
Weariness of knees.
Sleep
Dreams: amorous; anxious; vivid.
Clinical
Cancer; cancer of breast. Enlargement of glands. Tumors.
Relations
Compare: Acon-lycotonum (swelling of cervical, axillary, and mammary glands). Lapis; Con.; Merc-iod.; Carbo an.
Dosage
From 6x to the highest.
