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Iodin (Color plate, Figs. b and c, Page 116) "Specific Actions and Uses" "The lymphatic glands are reduced in size by iodin, which is extensively used for scrofulous and other chronic enlargements of the glands, whether applied locally as iodin, or administered internally as the iodids." Explained above. "The excretion of iodin by the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract is of most interest to the therapeutist. In certain subjects and probably when potassium iodid contains free iodin as an impurity, its exhibition produces a series of unpleasant symptoms known as 'iodism', consisting of coryza, the watery discharge from the nose being sometimes profuse; sneezing; severe pain of a bursting character over the frontal sinuses, commonly called 'headache'; swelling and redness of the gums, hard and soft palates and fauces; foulness of the tongue, and increase of the mucus of the mouth; cough and frothy expectoration and a sense of heat and rawness in the trachea and chest. . . . "In escaping by the skin the liberated iodin produces in certain individuals peculiar eruptions; papular, acneform, vascular or pustular, rarely purpuric. . . . Potassium iodid is said to be an antigalactagogue (milk suppressant). The symptoms just described frequently manifest during the elimination of the drug in healing crises. The worst effects, because deep seated and obscure, are not mentioned. Here I may briefly state that in many cases we have found iodin to give rise to Bright's disease, diabetes, paresis, ulcers of the stomach and bowels, chronic diseases of pancreas, spleen and lungs. Some specific cases I shall describe later on. Does Iodin Eliminate Mercury? "Certain poisons which have intimately associated themselves with the albuminous structures, are disengaged from those combinations by iodin. Lead and mercury may be swept out of the tissues with the assistance of potassium iodid, administered for plumbism and hydrargyrism respectively. "The principal application, however, of iodin is in the treatment of syphilis. Either the virus of this disease is thus eliminated from the system, or iodin hastens the life and disappearance of the small-celled growth by which syphilis is characterized. It is especially valuable in the tertiary forms of syphilis, when mercury cannot always be given with advantage; and nodes and other superficial enlargements, gummata in the viscera, and certain forms of skin disease may be very successfully treated with the potassium salt. The same precautions must be observed with respect to the general health, and especially the preservation of digestion, in the case of iodin, as are laid down under the head of mercury (page 106)." Various preparations of iodin are administered to counteract the effects of mercury, which are usually labeled tertiary syphilis. Old school materia medica assumes that iodin neutralizes and eliminates the mercury. "When the latter has been taken to the point of saturation and exudes from the body through ulcers, abscesses, hemorrhoids, etc., iodin arrests the acute activity aroused by the mercury and paralyzes Nature's effort to throw it off. Both poisons recede into the organism and continue their work of destruction. That this is true is proved by the signs of the poisons in the iris and the accompanying symptoms in the organs affected. It is again Beelzebub against the devil. The so called tertiary syphilitic usually suffers as much from iodin poisoning as from mercury. It counteracts the mercurial sores and ulcerations because it is a protoplasmic poison. It "dries up" and "absorbs" healthy tissues as well as diseased ones. Dr. A. Farrington says, in his "Clinical Materia Medica", page 477, of the destructive chronic after effects of iodin: "Iodin is an absorbent; it has the property of causing absorption, particularly of glandular structures. Its absorbent properties extend to other tissues, involving, finally, even nervous structures. We find, for instance, in persons who are poisoned with iodin, great emaciation. With the female, the mammary glands become atrophied and the ovaries, too, no doubt. With the male, the testicles suffer inevitable progressive loss of sexual power. The skin bo-comes dark yellow and tawny, dry from deficient action, the sclerotica (of the eyes) become yellow, yellow spots appear on the face and also on the body. There is excessive appetite; he is anxious and faint if he docs not get his food. He is relieved while eating and yet he emaciates despite the amount of food he eats. Sooner or later the nervous system becomes involved and he is afflicted with tremor. He becomes nervous and excitable; every little annoyance which would be unnoticed in his normal condition causes trembling. He has a longing for the open air, as if the cold, fresh air gave him more breath. This gives a fair idea of the condition to which the patient is reduced by the overuse of iodin". In the following I shall describe several cases of iodism explained by the diagnosis from the iris. A lady was sent to us by a physician for diagnosis. After looking into her eyes, I at once laid my hand on her right temple and said, "There is serious trouble here; you must suffer from chronic headaches." This she at once admitted, saying, "It is that which brought me here. No one has been able to detect the cause of the trouble. Since you have discovered the locality, can you also tell me the cause?" "Certainly," I replied. "It is iodin, applied externally and absorbed through the skin. The left frontal brain area in the iris displays a large reddish streak. Do you remember when and for what the iodin was applied?" After some effort she remembered that when she was about six years of age, her neck had been repeatedly painted with iodin for "swollen glands". On further inquiry she admitted that soon afterwards the headaches had made their appearance and had never left her, as far as she knew, for a single waking hour. In order to "cure" the headache, she took quantities of bromids, coal tar preparations and other brain and nerve paralyzers which, of course, aggravated and complicated her chronic ailments. My Own Experience with Iodin Iodin was the cause of my undertaking the study and practice of Natural Therapeutics. About twenty years ago I was in very poor health. After giving up all hope of being cured by drugs. I went to Europe seeking relief in Nature Cure sanitariums. I was greatly surprised when one of the physicians in charge, after looking at my eyes, immediately told me the cause of all my troubles. He said, "Your right kidney and liver are ruined by iodin." I remembered that our family physician had swabbed my throat internally with iodin and painted it externally when I was a lad, twelve years old. But I never suspected that those long forgotten applications of this drug could have anything to do with the tendency to diabetes. In my case the elimination of these and other poisons took the form of furuncles. There were at one time over twenty on my body. I allowed them to run their course without being lanced or treated with antiseptics. This proved to be the great healing crisis in my case for, after that vigorous housecleaning, I felt like one new-born. I seemed to be in perfect health and since that time have not been sick in bed for one day. Most of the spots disappeared, but some are still faintly visible, as shown in Fig. 16, p. 123. A patient asked me if I could explain why she had an abundance of milk for her first baby, while she was unable to nurse any one of the three following. I examined the iris and found in the region of the right chest and breast a broad yellowish-red streak of iodin. There were also closed lesions in the pleura and the lower lobe of the lung. I said to her, "After the birth of your first child and before the next was born, you had a severe attack of pneumonia and pleurisy and your breast was painted with iodin". This she confirmed. When her first child was sixteen months old she contracted pneumonia and pleurisy and the entire right side was painted heavily with iodin. Undoubtedly, the drug had been absorbed and had dried up the mammary glands. This accounted for her inability to nurse the other children. In several cases I have traced sexual impotence to the action of iodin on the sex organs. Iodin Allopathic
Uses:* 1. Antiseptic dressing for wounds. 2. Stimulant and disinfectant on foul ulcers. 3. Injected into cysts, goiters, hydroceles, etc., "with much success". 4. Counter irritant in chronic inflammations of joints, periosteum, pleura, lungs and tubercular lymph nodes. 5. Metabolic stimulant for disintegrating and eliminating drugs such as mercury, lead, etc., which have intimately combined with the albuminous constituents of the body. 6. Stimulating expectorant in bronchial catarrh and pneumonia if consolidation threatens to persist. 7. Antispasmodic in asthma and emphysema. 8. Antigalactagogue. Dries up mammary glands. 9. For aneurisms as K. I. (Potassium lowers blood pressure while iodin stimulates metabolism and coagulates the tissues.) 10. Used chiefly against tertiary syphilis--either causes the elimination of the spirocheta or hastens the life and disappearance of the small-celled growth characterizing the disease. Accidental Poisoning: Workmen handling iodin. Patent "goiter cures". Toxicology: Iodin is freely absorbed into the circulation where it resolves the red corpuscles. It rapidly passes to all tissues especially the excretory organs and lymph nodes. Symptoms of Iodism: 1. Inflamed gums, palates and fauces. 2. Coryza with bursting pain over frontal sinuses. 3. Cough and frothy expectoration. 4. Acneform eruptions. 5. Abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea. 6. Glandular atrophy, especially testes, ovaries and mammae. 7. Anemia, emaciation and general debility. Elimination of Drug in Healing Crises: Catarrhal discharges from nose, sneezing, severe pain over the frontal sinuses; intense headaches; swelling and redness of the gums, hard and soft palates; foulness of the tongue; increase of mucus in the mouth; cough and frothy expectorations; papular, acneform, vascular or pustular eruptions; open sores, hemorrhoidal discharges and other symptoms according to location of the poison in the system. Signs in Iris: Have been described in introductory paragraph of this chapter.
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