Table 4 Qualitative symptom profiles of intervention and control groups, former homeopathic drug proving and clinical use

Mind

Tranquillity and calmness, feels content although being in trouble, ability to reflect on things from a different perspective.

Concentration deficiency, confusion, disorientation, feeling as if ‘head like in cotton’, ‘like under a bell’, ‘as if drunk’, helplessness, sadness. Oversights, being at loss of words, things fall from the hands, slowing down, fatigue, tiredness, weakness.

Irritability, impatience, helplessness, sadness.

Irritability improves or increases. Discouraged and feeling of being incompetent.

Irritable. Angry. Aggressive and depressive (aggravated before menses), cannot suffer himself, cannot cry. Ambitious, stingy. Concentration weak after influenza/viral infection.

Senses acute, senses of smell, hearing of voices increased, vision more clear.

Calmness with stressful emotional situation.

Tiredness in the day and evening.

Irritability, feeling of mental overload, desire for rest. Impatience.

Fears of aging and poverty.

Desire to chew and bite his own inner cheek.

Being at loss for words, concentration deficiency, being disorganised, not able to think clearly, feeling of standing beside himself. Mistakes in writing and problems in calculating.

Improved concentration.

Head

Strong cephalalgias, heading on from the nape outgoing, on both sides, more prominent on the left side, vaguely oppressive, bonnet-like pain from the inside outwards. Aggravated after awakening, the sun, warmth, motoring, beginning of the menses. Ameliorated at 3 p.m., by lying with supported nape, deviance.

Oppressive pains behind eyes and forehead and temples, move to the back of the head. Foggy brained feeling of head. Nausea and loss of appetite. Amelioration by rest, lying, pressure on eyes; aggravation in standing position, walking. Suction-like feeling from the skull cap down to the right side and dizziness.

Foggy brained feeling of head. Headaches and nausea. Suction-like feeling from the skull cap down to the right side.

Congestion in head. Pressure at vertex. Pressure over the left temple as if in a vice.

Awakening at 5 am by cephalalgias. Migraine. Eczema of the scalp. Alopecia.

Cephalalgias with pain rising up from the nape of neck to the back of the head, and at the same time to the forehead, pulsating and knocking pain in right hemisphere, stitching. Wave-like pulsations, aggravated 12 to 3.30 p.m., in the evening, with beginning of menses, motion; ameliorated by rest, at 4 to 6 p.m. Photosensitivity. Feeling of pressure to eyeballs.

Cephalalgias, oppressive, like band feeling around temples, like a nail in the forehead, as if a knife stitches in nasal root and from nasal septum downwards. Feeling of pressure in ears, aggravated in the afternoon, in the evening.

Rotary vertigo in the evening, ameliorated while sitting, with sweating and frost feeling in legs.

Eyes

Dryness, sandy feeling, allergic oculorhinitis.

Dryness, sandy feeling, allergic oculorhinitis.

Swelling beneath the eye. Watery and itching eyes as if allergy season. Sharp pain through the eye. Eye discharge.

Dryness, conjunctivitis. Allergic swelling of eyelids.

Ears

Oozing, itchy exanthema behind the ears.

Oozing, itchy exanthema behind the ears.

Tinnitus, ear pains, deafness.

Nose

Allergic coryza, itching, running or blocked nose, yellow and viscous to liquid mucous, nosebleed.

Allergic coryza, itching, running or blocked nose, yellow and viscous to liquid mucous, nosebleed.

Epistaxis from right nostril.

Chronic sinusitis. Allergic rhinitis.

Nasal discharge that is clear like with allergy. Sneezing. Aching and burning sinuses.

Face

Redness and sensations of heat, soreness, dryness, burning.

Sensations of soreness, dryness, burning.

Fever blister on lower lip.

Herpes labialis.

Mouth/Throat

Dryness feeling. Metallic taste. Aphthae.

Feeling of soreness, dryness, redness of the mucosa, chronic pharyngitis with vesicles and wheals (lasting for 6 months), difficulties in swallowing, ameliorated by drinking of hot drinks and eating food, warm foods.

Pharyngitis with vesicles and wheals.

Aphthae on tongue and lower lip that are painful. Boils on the gums. An odour like rotten meat originating from the throat.

Aphthae. Tongue whitish [?], with dental impressions. Suppurations of roots of teeth. Pains swallowing.

Tongue: burning, soreness, aphthae, vesicles.

Rough scratching, constrictive feeling of throat.

Teeth: pulling pains at incisors, pain of molars in the root area, ameliorated with warm foods and drinks.

Changed taste of foods.

Boils in mouth with a rotten meat odour coming from throat

Neuralgic pain of upper and lower tooth row on the right side.

Corrosive burning ‘as if burning liquid runs down the pharynx’, rough scratching, constrictive feeling of throat.

Scratching sore throat on swallowing.

Lymph nodes at neck swollen. greenish–brown–yellowish sputum. Changed taste of foods. Dry lips, burning sensations. Whitish fur on tongue.

Stomach

Slack feeling in the stomach, nausea.

Nausea and cephalalgias, loss of appetite, aggravated by thinking of food, ameliorated by eating.

Nausea and cephalalgias, aggravated by thinking of food. Feeling of pressure on stomach.

Nausea after eating or on waking. Sour stomach and burning during the night. Weakness with vomiting.

Feeling as if a stone is lying in the stomach, ameliorated by warm drinks. Feeling of sickness in the morning, with teeth brushing. Vomiting.

Feeling of pressure on stomach, piercing, hard, cramping sensation. Aggravation in the evening, by belching, eating and drinking. Amelioration by eating.

Abdomen

Pains in the lower abdomen, spasmodically with flatulence.

Oppressive pains, ‘as if hand around stomach’. Pains in the right epigastrium. Fist-like starting point of pain in the area of the cholecyst, oppressive, pulling sensation of pain. Amelioration by raising, sitting and stretching. Aggravation by stooped seats.

Oppressive pains, ‘as if hand around stomach’. Pains in the right epigastrium. Fist-like starting point of pain in the area of the cholecyst, oppressive, pulling sensation of pain. Amelioration by raising, sitting and stretching. Aggravation by stooped seats.

Pain in general. Cramping pain. Cramping pain better bending over and worse lying or stretching. Intermittent pounding pain on lower left side.

Stomach aches, flatulence, jaundice with cholestase. Pancreas damage by insecticide-loaded food. Diarrhoea after unacceptable food. Thin, bright, sharply smelling stools.

Offensive flatus in evening. Stabbing pains during bowel movements. Diarrhoea.

Urinary tract

Burning in the urethra, aggravated by urination.

Burning in the urethra, aggravated by urination.

Female genitals

Monthly period with increased bleeding.

Monthly period too early or too late. Dysmenorrhoea with spasmodic pains. Stitching and tense pain of the breasts before menses.

Monthly period too early or too late. Dysmenorrhoea with spasmodic pains. Stitching and tense pain of the breasts before menses.

Delayed menses. Short menses.

Irregular bleedings between menses, premenstrual breast pain.

Increased sexual desire after menses.

Respiration, chest, heart

Cough, spasmodically with choking. Aggravated in lying. Sharp, strong pain of right rib curves in the axillary line, aggravated in the morning with the awakening, ameliorated by getting up, walking around, external pressure, massage. Inhaling is difficult.

Palpitations. Pulsations. Pressure feeling and narrow feeling on thorax: ‘As if something heavy lies on the chest’. Burning and heat feeling behind sternum. Aggravated by lying on the left side, by drinking green tea, emotional strain.

Palpitations. Pulsations. Pressure feeling and narrow feeling on thorax: ‘As if something heavy lies on the chest’. Burning and heat feeling behind sternum. Aggravated by lying on the left side.

Bronchial itch with cough.

Allergic rhinitis, asthma.

Sensation as if lungs overexpanded.

Back

Gluteal pains on the left side, pulling, oppressive, emitting to left femur, aggravated in the mornings, at noon, while sitting, with walking, distension, pressure, driving car.

Myalgias in the shoulder nape area, burning pain, ameliorated by stretching. Pain in the ileosacral area, aggravated by long sitting, standing position, ameliorated by warmth and motion. Sudden clinching back pains in the crossings of TH 12 to L1, mixture of pressure and blockade, ameliorated by motion, bathing feet in the sea, aggravated by sitting and lying.

Burning myalgias, ameliorated by warmth.

Pain at left lower abdomen, ameliorated by position change.

Pains lumbar vertebra column and ileosacral, on the right side, stitching, oppressive, ameliorated by bending forward.

Extremities

Knee pain on the left, aggravated by motion, climbing down stairs. Feeling of distortion and pains in wrists and ankle joints, as if swollen, ameliorated by motion.

Pains and cracks in the knee joint. Sensitive soles. Myalgias, cramps. Feeling of heaviness, drawing, soreness in muscles. Tired feelings.

Myalgias, cramps. Feeling of heaviness, soreness in muscles. Tired feelings.

Aching ankle pain or improvement of aching foot arches. Foot pain. Right knee displacement during sleep causing the tendons to draw up the leg. Aching of calf extending from ankle to knee better stretching.

Oedemas of the fingers and ankles. Pain in finger joints. Thumb joint arthrosis.

Sleep

Fatigue with the awakening, night awakening.

Fatigue with the awakening, night awakening.

Sleep disrupted by waking for extended times.

Tiredness, desire to sleep.

Brooding thoughts that keep her awake.

Skin

Vesicular eczema of the hands.

Dryness of the skin. Warts, small pinhead-like warts in soles.

Dryness of the skin. Warts, small pinhead-like warts in soles.

Itchy skin.

Eczemas and exanthemas caused by chemical substances and medicines. Acne.

Body temperature / sweating

Flushes of heat and increased sweating.

Coldness, freezing. Need for warmth, feverish sweating.

Appetite

Appetite decreased, increased.

Desire for warm food.

Desire for warm food.

Thirst

Decreased thirst feeling.

Dryness of mouth, desire for warm drinks.

Desire for warm drinks.