Ferrum Metallicum

1 . Especially adapted to delicate, anaemic women with sanguine temperament ; pseudo-plethora (cheeks flushed or easily flush but mucous membranes pale).

2 . Mental and physical irritability ; intolerance of noise and pain ; patient excitable, impulsive, changeable ; solitude preferred.

3 . Great debility with breathlessness ; easily fatigued yet must have gentle exercise .

4 . Local congestions with tendency to recurrent haemorrhages, especially of upper air passages ( Ferr. acet., Ferr. phos.).

5 . Frequent attacks of hammering, pulsating headache, often with hot head and cold extremities.

6 . Weak digestion ; anorexia, sometimes alt. with bulimia ; vomiting of food immediately after eating or coughing, or it lies in stomach all day and is then vomited just after midnight, aversion and < from eggs (rev. CaIc .).

7 . Irritability of rectum and bladder resulting in (a) diarrhoea of painless, watery or lienteric stools with flatulence while eating and drinking ; (b) incontinence of urine particularly in women, spurts on coughing < day.

8 . Menses premature, profuse, protracted ; flow pale, watery, debilitating .

9 . Muscular pains about the shoulder especially left deltoid > gentle exertion ; also cramps.

10 . Patient chilly, < winter but extreme heat also < ; >walking slowly about yet weakness obliges her to sit or lie down ; > mental exertion ; < after midnight ; < sitting still.