The most prominent feature of the action of Iodium is its power of causing absorption. It is this power which has made the drug such a favourite among old-school practitioners as a paint in all kinds of swellings. Given internally its power is much greater: the absorbents are stimulated to fresh activity; muscles, fat, tissues, and glands waste away, and general emaciation is the result. When new growths and hyperplasias are present, these come under the action of Iod. before the normal tissues. I have seen it given with excellent effect in the lower attenuations, when swollen and deformed joints have been left behind after an attack of acute rheumatism. Scrofulous and syphilitic indurations, effusions and tumours, and especially goître, are equally amenable to its resolvent action. Emaciation of single parts. In this connection must be mentioned its power to set up a ravenous appetite. "Eats ravenously, yet emaciates," is a keynote. It seems as if the waste of tissue set up the desire for absorbing great quantities of food. Absence of appetite is also among the effects of Iod., and either condition may indicate it. I once used it with excellent effect in the case of a young woman who had had a nervous shock, and had lost all appetite and desire to live. She was much emaciated, and had quietly made up her mind to starve herself to death. I gave five drops of Iod. 3x in a wineglass of water half an hour before meal-times, and her appetite returned with such vigour she could not choose but eat, and was soon restored to a normal mental and bodily state. I have recorded another similar case of nervous shock producing rapid emaciation and vomiting cured by Iod. in my book on Indigestion. Both these patients were somewhat dark, and Iod. is specially suited to persons of dark hair and complexion; dark, yellow, tawny skin. Herein it is the antipodes of Bromium and Spongia. Its mental symptoms are more marked than those of Brom. There is increased erethism, patient very excitable and restless, moving about from place to place. Fears every little occurrence will end seriously. In his anxiety shuns every one, even his doctor. Fixed ideas are among the Iod. effects; also sudden impulses. A patient of mine had once been given Iodine for goître by an allopath. She was compelled to discontinue it because it produced this inconvenient symptom: impulse to run; she felt she must fall if she walked. Iod. produces atrophy of nerve and brain tissue, as well as of other tissues (Allen mentions that it is valuable in persistent headaches with vertigo in old people); and it also has a place in acute hydrocephalus; and in pleuritic effusions. In tubercular disease of all kinds it may be called for: tabes mesenterica; pulmonary phthisis. In rheumatism and heart affections it has a large sphere. It is indicated by indurations or atrophy of testes, ovaries, and uterus. The salivary glands and pancreas are especially affected by Iod., and a diarrhoea of milky, whey-like stools, often indicative of pancreatic disease, is especially amenable to its action. In pneumonia and phthisical affections with lung consolidation it is of great service. The chief indications are: Dyspnoea; cough with blood-streaked expectoration; tickling all over chest; weakness and emaciation; < of symptoms in a warm room. This last, "< by warmth," is a leading modality of Iod. In defects of growth, curvature of bones, and in children's ailments, it follows well upon Calc. In phthisis of rapidly-growing young people, thin and dark, it is especially indicated. There are many marked symptoms in the heart sphere: palpitation from slightest cause; sensation as if being squeezed; hypertrophy. With the heart symptoms there is a "gone," exhausted feeling, and the patient is scarcely able to breathe or walk. C. S. McKay noticed lumbrici passed by an infant who had tasted Iodine accidentally, and used the experience in another case, giving a dilute solution (one part of the Ø to three of water; of this three drops every three hours), and produced the expulsion of lumbrici when Santonin had completely failed. An Ioduretted solution of Kali iod. (Kali iod. gr. xxxv., Iod. gr. iv., Aqua one ounce; ten drops for a dose) has been used with success as a taenicide, expelling the tapeworm, dead. Erethism is marked in Iod.: nervousness; restlessness; twitching; subsultus tendinum and trembling; also sense of trembling in inner parts. Facial paralysis and epilepsy have followed suppression of goître by large doses of Iod. Weakness is excessive. Fainting on going upstairs. (General weakness and loss of appetite and pain in temples, and pain in left chest as if something were being torn away: heart large.—Cooper). Motion and exertion of all kinds <. Sitting up >, and lying down < dyspnoea and heart affections. < By warmth; by wrapping up; in warm room. < In wet weather. Drinking cold milk > constipation. > By eating, of hunger and other symptoms, is another marked character of Iod. Iod. is a sensitive remedy, and many symptoms are < by touch and pressure. Nash thinks Iod. one of the remedies affected by the moon's changes. In cases of goître where it is indicated he gives a powder of Iod. c.m. every night for four nights after the moon has passed the full.