Materia Medica

Iris versicolor – Nash

Iris versicolor
iris

Burning of mouth, tongue, throat, clear down into stomach, and of anus if there is diarrhoea.

 

Vomiting of stringy, glairy, ropy mucus; hangs in strings down to receptacle on the floor.

 

Gastric or hepatic sick headaches with blur before the eyes at the beginning. Vomiting SOUR, or bitter.

 

IRIS is another remedy which causes great nausea and vomiting. It is sometimes very serviceable in cholera infantum. The substance vomited is generally very SOUR, so sour that it excoriates the throat.

 

The gastric troubles of this remedy are often accompanied with a BURNING OF TONGUE, THROAT, oesophagus and stomach, and, if diarrhoea is present, with burning of the anus. This burning of the alimentary canal is very characteristic of this drug.

 

The vomiting is NOT always sour, but may be bitter or sweetish. There is also profuse flow of saliva. I once had a case of stomach trouble in a middle-aged lady. She had frequent attacks of vomiting of a stringy, glairy mucus which was very ropy, would hang in strings from her mouth to the receptacle on the floor. Then the substance vomited became dark-colored; like coffee grounds. She became very weak, vomited all nourishment. She also had profuse secretion of ropy saliva. Thinking she had cancer of the stomach, she made her will and set her house in order, to die. KALI BICHROMICUM was given with no benefit whatever, but IRIS cured her completely in a short time and she remains well ten years since.

 

IRIS is also one of our best remedies for sick headache. These headaches seem to be of gastric or hepatic origin, and often begin with a blur before the eyes. I used to give the remedy in the 3d; but of late years have given it in the 50m. and am better pleased with the result, because it is more prompt and lasting. It is recommended in sciatica, but I have had no experience with it in this affection. It seems to act most powerfully upon the alimentary tract. I have never used it in skin troubles.