Spongia Tosta 30 Uses, Benefits – Spongia Tosta Materia Medica

• SADNESS, feels like crying all the time
• Fainting, worse descending
• Sensation of weakness, especially in the chest, worse talking
• Expectoration – SWEETISH, muco-purulent. Cough is dry, deep, in paroxysms of three
• Pain increases and decreases gradually
• Lies with one leg stretched out (extended), the other drawn up
• Monday constipation; constipation occurring on days following rest-day

Source: Animal kingdom
Synonyms: Roasted sponge
Family: Porifera
Prover: Dr Hahnemann
Duration of Action: 20-30 days
Miasmatic Background: Psora as a background
Diathesis: Tubercular
Thermal Relationship: Chilly patient

Introduction and History: It is a deep and slow acting remedy. According to Hahnemann, toasted sponge was first mentioned as a specific for goitre by the chemist, Arnol von ilanold in the thirteenth century but it was generally mixed with other substances where it failed in curing the disease till Hahnemann proved it.

Preparation and Parts Used: It is prepared from the tincture by taking 20 grains of the tincture in 400 drops of alcohol.

Constitution and Physiognomy: It is especially adapted to diseases of children and women who are of light hair, lax fibre and fair complexion.

Active Principles (Chemical Constituents): Spongia contains iodine which is responsible for many of the symptoms produced by it. However, it contains other elements besides iodine also.

Ailments From: Every mental excitement, suppressed gonorrhoea, maltreated orchitis.

Seat of Action (Pharmacodynamics): It acts on the mucous membrane of air passages, respiratory organs, glands, male genital organs, etc.

Physio-pathological Changes (Pathology)

1. Affects the heart valves, larynx, trachea and glands, especially ductless glands. A remedy especially marked in the symptoms of respiratory organs, cough, croup, etc.
2. Acts on the glandular system producing enlargement and induration of glands; especially affects the thyroid and testicles.
3. Acts on mucous membranes producing inflammation; especially that of the larynx and trachea; with great hoarseness, aphonia and a dry, barking cough along with obstruction of respiration as if a plug were there.
4. It acts on the heart and affects the nutrition of heart producing lack of nutrition; fibrinous deposits upon the valves.
5. Acts on blood producing increased fibrin and anaemia.

Characteristic Mental Symptoms (Psychology)

1. Patient awakens in a fright and feels suffocated, as if he had to breathe through a sponge.
2. Every mental excitement increases the cough.
3. Patient weeps with dreams, whooping cough, fever, sweat.
4. Patient is despondent about loss of sexual power.
5. Patient has an irresistible desire to sing with excessive mirth.

Characteristic Physical Guiding Symptoms

Goitre: Swelling and induration of the thyroid gland with suffocative paroxysms at night.

Cough: Cough is dry, barking, croupy, rasping, ringing, wheezing, whistling; everything is perfectly dry, no mucous rales. Worse after eating sweets, cold drinks, lying with head low. Better eating or drinking warm things.

Dryness: Great dryness of mucous membranes of the air passages – throat, larynx, trachea, bronchi, dry as a horn.

Croup: Indicated remedy in croup. Patient is anxious, wheezing; worse during inspiration, before midnight.

Palpitations: Violent palpitation with pain and gasping respiration; patient awakens suddenly after midnight with suffocation and great anxiety; valvular insufficiency, before or during menses.

Angina pectoris: There are contracting pains, heat, faintness, suffocation, anxiety and sweat; worse after midnight.

Male: Swelling of the spermatic cord which is painful; testicles are swollen, bruised, squeezed; after suppressed gonorrhoea or maltreated orchitis.

Sore throat: Sore throat worse after eating sweet things.

Important Characteristic Features

Cough or croup: Indicated and well suited remedy for croupy affections. Patient awakens in a fright and feels suffocated as if he had to breathe through a sponge. Every mental excitement increases the cough. There is great dryness of mucous membranes of the air passages – throat, larynx, trachea, bronchi, ‘dry as a horn’. Cough is dry, barking, croupy, rasping, ringing, wheezing, whistling; everything is perfectly dry, no mucous rales. Cough is dry, sibilant like a saw driven through a pine board. Worse after eating sweets, cold drinks, lying with head low. Better eating or drinking warm things. In croup, patient is anxious, wheezing, Worse during inspiration, before midnight.

General Modalities

Aggravation: By Sweets, cold drinks, smoking, lying with head low, dry cold Winds, reading, singing, talking, swallowing.

Amelioration: By eating, or drinking warm things.

Remedy Relationships

Follows well: Brom, Сon, Carb-v, Fl-ac, Hep, Kali-br, Nux-v, Phos, Puls.

Antidotes: Camph.

Comparison

Goitre, with spells of suffocation at night: Brom, Iod, Spong.

Acute laryngitis; larynx too sensitive to touch: Acon, Ign, Spong.

Croup: Acon, Hep, Spong.

Cardiac cough: Naja, Spong.

Violent palpitation, pain and gasping: Acon, Lycps-v, Spig.

Dosage: 6 to 200c potency.

Repetition: Bears repetition very well.

Therapeutic Value: Angina pectoris, Catalepsy, Chin disorders, Clumsiness, Colds, Constipation, Cough, Croup, Diplopia, Exophthalmos, Fainting, Gonorrhoea, Heart-hypertrophy, Hernia, Jaw-joint pain, Laryngismus, Laryngitis, Lung disorders, Myopia, Orchitis, Rheumatic fever, Sore throat, Testicular inflammation, Tracheo-bronchitis, Varicose veins, Whooping cough, Worms.