Abies nigra

Abies nigra is the old botanical name historically applied to the black spruce of North America; the currently accepted binomial is Picea mariana (family Pinaceae). The homeopathic tincture is traditionally prepared from the young shoots and cones (fresh material), macerated in alcohol and potentised per the pharmacopoeial method [Clarke], [Boericke]. Conifer resins and terpenes (e.g., borneol, pinene) have a local irritant action on mucosae and may plausibly account for the remedy’s characteristic gastric constriction and “lump” sensations by reflex spasm of the cardia and upper stomach [Hughes]. Classical literature places Abies nigra among the small gastric remedies for senile or sedentary dyspepsia with a striking sense of weight or a hard mass in the epigastrium, often described as “as if a hard-boiled egg lodged at the cardiac end of the stomach” [Hering], [Allen], [Boericke]. Secondary actions noted include disturbed sleep after late suppers and reflex palpitations from gastric loading [Clarke], [Boericke].

No Hahnemannian proving is recorded. The symptom picture was assembled from early clinical observations and fragmentary provings/confirmations collected by Hering and T. F. Allen, later condensed by Clarke and Boericke [Hering], [Allen], [Clarke], [Boericke]. Keynotes—especially the “lump like an egg” at the cardiac end of stomach, dyspepsia of elderly or sedentary persons, and insomnia after late eating—are repeatedly confirmed in practice [Clinical] [Hering], [Boericke].

Abies-n. is the picture of post-prandial obstruction centred at the cardia: a hard, foreign body sensation—“as if a hard-boiled egg were lodged at the cardiac end of the stomach”—with a band across the epigastrium rising to the lower sternum and provoking palpitation and short breath if the patient lies down. The organism is not fiery or explosive but torpid, heavy, inert, especially in elderly or sedentary constitutions. The whole case orbits around timing and quantity of food: a few mouthfuls are enough to precipitate the crisis; late suppers are the chief saboteur of sleep. Thus, the core polarity is motion vs arrest: food loses motion and sticks; breath loses depth and is held; sleep cannot begin. Restore motion—by standing, gentle walking, warmth, simple small meals—and the system resumes its rhythm. This dynamic creates the signature diurnal swing: oppressive evenings and fractured nights whenever dietary discipline lapses; morning relief when fasting allowed the stomach to settle.

Psychologically the patient becomes order-bound about meals: early, light, and plain. Irritability is reactive, not constitutional; the sufferer is annoyed when social or business pressures force haste at table—an exact modality (worse haste while eating). Compare Nux-v. (spasmodic, sour, irritable with stimulant excess) and Lyc. (fermentative fullness with much wind). Abies-n. is quieter, heavier: less wind, more weight, and above all the cardia-bolus that compels him to stand or walk immediately after eating. Even the lower bowel reflects the theme—large, difficult stools—a literal echo of things that “do not move.”

Kingdom signature (Pinaceae) suggests resinous, constricting actions on mucosae and smooth muscle: the tight band under sternum, spasm of the gastro-oesophageal junction, and reflex cardio-autonomic phenomena. Miasmatically psoric–sycotic colouring fits the functional obstruction and habitual routine that prevents crises. The thermal trend is worse cold, better warmth to the part. Across the case, explicit cross-links hold: worse after eating/late supper → Sleep broken; worse lying → must sit/stand; better warmth/gentle walking → Stomach, Chest, Heart ease. When this web of relations appears together—elderly/sedentary, cardia “hard egg” after a few mouthfuls, post-prandial insomnia, band-tight chest, and constipation mirroring gastric arrest—Abies-n. is not merely indicated; it is characteristic. [Hering], [Allen], [Clarke], [Boericke], [Hughes], [Kent].

• Stomach—cardiac end and epigastrium. Central action with constant weight/pressure “as of a hard mass,” spasm at the cardia, and food arrest early after swallowing; reflexes to chest and sleep. See Stomach, Chest, Sleep. [Hering], [Allen], [Boericke].
• Oesophagus—cardio-oesophageal junction. Sensation of a bolus that will not pass; empty swallowing aggravates. Cross-reference Throat/Stomach. [Clarke], [Hering].
• Heart—reflex from stomach. Palpitation and precordial uneasiness when the stomach is loaded or after late suppers. See Heart/Chest. [Clarke], [Boericke].
• Rectum—constipation of the aged. Large, dry, difficult stools with unsatisfied feeling; gastric inertia mirrored below. See Rectum. [Hering], [Allen].
• Sleep centres—post-prandial insomnia. Sleepless after eating late; disturbed, anxious, heavy-limbed nights from gastric oppression. See Sleep. [Clarke], [Boericke].
• Appetite and cravings—dietary errors. Intolerance of heavy meats/pastries; some note aggravation from tea or tobacco; eating brings a quick sense of “full hard lump.” See Food & Drink. [Allen], [Boericke].
• Diaphragm and epigastric attachments. Tight band-like constriction under sternum, referred to as “strapped down” feeling. See Chest/Respiration. [Hering], [Clarke].
• Elderly, sedentary, or dyspeptic constitutions. Sluggish digestion with early satiety and weight; daytime dullness, night restlessness. See Generalities. [Boericke], [Clarke].

The dyspeptic state colours the mood: anxiety and preoccupation about digestion, with an irritable intolerance of interruption at meals [Clarke]. There is a tendency to worry, especially about business or responsibility, which aggravates the gastric constriction during eating—this tallies with the modality (worse from haste and worry while eating) already noted [Hering], [Clarke]. Patients may feel gloomy or despondent in the evening as the day’s food “sits like a stone,” yet by morning—if no late supper—there is some relief with clearer thinking [Clinical]. The dyspepsia induces mental dulness after meals and restlessness at night, mirroring the stomach–sleep axis described under Sleep [Boericke]. Hypochondriacal attention is paid to the epigastrium and heart action, with fear that “food will not pass,” a fixed idea corresponding to the cardia spasm [Allen]. Crossness and impatience appear when forced to eat socially or rapidly, echoing the aggravation from haste. Averse to exertion after food, preferring to stand or pace slowly, connecting to the “better for gentle walking” modality [Hering]. When chronic, the mind becomes habit-bound about meal timing and quantity (early, small, simple), a coping pattern repeatedly recorded in clinical notes [Clarke].

Sleeplessness after late supper is a prime feature: patients cannot get off to sleep because as soon as they lie down, the hard lump at the cardia rises to the sternum with tight band and palpitation [Clarke], [Boericke]. They rise to sit or stand and pace gently (Better erect gentle walking), then try again; this cycle may repeat to the small hours [Hering]. Dreams are heavy, anxious, or business-coloured when they doze; stomach sensations cut short deeper stages (see Dreams) [Allen]. In contrast, when supper is early/light, sleep becomes fair, and the morning is markedly better—this striking diurnal polarity is clinically constant [Boericke]. The pattern differentiates from Coff. (mind overactive from joyous excitability) and Nux-v. (wake at 3–4 a.m. irritable), whereas Abies-n. is plainly post-prandial gastric [Kent], [Clarke]. Patients learn to fear bedtime after eating, becoming meticulous about meal timing (Mind cross-link). Warmth to the epigastrium in bed may enable sleep (Better warmth) [Allen]. Case: A bookkeeper, 68, with nightly insomnia if supper after 8 p.m.; Abies-n. 3X with dietary order abolished the midnight pacing and “stone in stomach” [Clinical]. Morning restoration after a good night underscores the stomach–sleep reciprocity central to this remedy.

Dreams of business, anxiety about tasks undone, or of choking/obstruction, all coloured by the cardia spasm [Clarke]. Heavy, oppressive dreams with a band on the chest; starts and wakes unrefreshed if he has eaten late (Sleep cross-link) [Hering]. Food-themed dreams (meat, pastry) may precede a worse night. No vivid joyous exaltation (contrast Coff.) [Kent]. Dreams lessen when supper is omitted, confirming the causal chain (Modality). Morning recall is poor if the night was fragmented [Boericke].

Abies-n. centres on gastric inertia with spasm of the cardia, producing the famous “hard-boiled egg” or “stone” sensation soon after a few mouthfuls, and a band-like constriction rising to the sternum with palpitation and short breath if the patient lies down [Hering], [Clarke], [Boericke]. The symptom chain explains the modalities: worse after eating, worse late suppers, worse lying/stooping, worse cold, and worse heavy meats/tea/tobacco; better erect gentle walking, better warmth to epigastrium, better small, simple, early meals [Allen], [Hering]. The constitution is commonly elderly or sedentary, with constipation of large, difficult stools, a lower reflection of the upper “stuck” theme (Rectum) [Hering], [Allen]. Diurnal polarity is typical: evening oppression and night insomnia after rich/late food, morning relief when fasting and after a soft stool [Boericke]. Distinctions: vs Nux-v. (spasmodic irritability, sourness, hepatic anger); vs Lyc. (fermentation, much wind, right hypochondrium); vs Abies-can. (gnawing emptiness, ravenous yet cannot eat, craving pickles). Abies-n. is weighty, stuck, cardia-centred, and needs standing, warmth, and simplicity to restore motion [Kent], [Clarke], [Hughes].

No characteristic febrile remedy state. Evening heat of face and precordial region may arise with palpitation after heavy supper (Heart) [Clarke]. Heat abates with relief of the stomach. There may be a sense of internal heat without sweat, again post-prandial [Hering]. Not a malarial or septic picture. Temperature otherwise normal. Compare Nux-v. in gastric fevers; Abies-n. lacks the acrid sourness and explosive irritability [Kent].

Chilliness in cold weather accompanies the epigastric band; cold drinks may immediately intensify the tightness (worse cold, worse cold drinks) [Hering]. Heat flushes face and chest during palpitation (Heart) [Clarke]. Sweat is slight, sometimes on pacing at night when trying to settle after late eating (Sleep) [Boericke]. No keyed pattern of alternating stages as in Ars. or Gels. Autonomic, diet-linked thermic changes predominate [Hughes]. Warm applications ameliorate (Better warmth) [Allen].

Heaviness or dull frontal ache follows even small meals, concurrent with epigastric weight and a band-like tightness under the sternum [Hering]. The headache is reflex from gastric stasis—akin to Nux-v. but without the irascible, over-stimulated picture; rather a torpid, oppressed feel (micro-comparison: Nux-v. has spasmodic irritability; Abies-n. has inert weight) [Kent], [Clarke]. Vertigo on stooping after meals relates to the chest/diaphragm constriction; relief comes from erect posture (see modalities) [Hering]. The scalp can feel tight, as if “drawn,” paralleling the thoracic band sensation [Allen]. Evening aggravation after rich food is typical; morning is clearer if supper was omitted [Boericke]. A mini-case: dull frontal fulness thirty minutes after roast meat, eased by hot compress over stomach—head clears as epigastric spasm subsides [Clinical].

Lids feel heavy after eating, with a tendency to doze but without true sleep, because the gastric oppression prevents onset (cross-reference Sleep) [Clarke]. Vision may blur slightly during the post-prandial period from autonomic strain; better with fresh air walking (also better gentle motion) [Hering]. Some record burning of margins with tea abuse, in those who note tea aggravation of stomach (Food & Drink) [Allen]. Photophobia is not characteristic; rather a tired, weighty feeling behind eyes reflecting systemic heaviness [Boericke]. Evening reading after a late meal is irksome, and patients pace the room instead, aligning with “better for gentle walking” [Clinical]. On fasting mornings the eyes feel clearer and more open, paralleling relief in Generalities [Clarke].

Fullness or slight humming after a heavy supper may accompany palpitation (reflex autonomic effect), cross-linked to Heart/Sleep [Clarke]. No marked otic inflammation belongs here; notes are reflex and vascular. Noise aggravation is not a keynote; the discomfort is more from thoraco-abdominal pressure causing a sense of head-ear stuffiness [Allen]. Ears feel “hot” when the epigastric band tightens in cold weather, reflecting sympathetic drive (see Chest/Generalities) [Hering]. Relief comes with venting wind and easing the stomach [Clinical]. Evening social meals with loud talk annoy primarily because they force rapid eating, not noise per se, tying back to the Mind and Modality (worse haste while eating) [Clarke].

Little primary action; dryness in heated rooms after late supper can appear (autonomic), relieved by fresh air walk (Better gentle walking/fresh air) [Hering]. Odours of rich food provoke aversion when dyspeptic; desire for simple broths instead (Food & Drink) [Clarke]. Morning is clearer if fasting; night oppression heightens nasal stuffy sensation without true coryza [Boericke]. No proving catarrh is characteristic; symptoms are reflex [Allen].

Face looks sallow or heavy after meals, with drawn lines from epigastric distress (reflex viscerofacial expression) [Clarke]. Lips can appear dry after tea/tobacco in sensitive patients (Food & Drink) [Allen]. Cheeks flush with palpitation from gastric overloading (Heart), then pale as the spasm settles [Boericke]. A “pinched” look around mouth accompanies the “stone in stomach” sensation during the cardia spasm [Hering]. Morning complexion improves when no late supper interfered with sleep (Sleep) [Clinical]. Cold weather aggravation can add a bluish lip tinge during tightness (Chest) [Hering].

Dry mouth without thirst after rich food may be noted (Nux-v. contrasts with irritable thirst) [Kent], [Clarke]. Tongue often clean or only slightly coated despite heavy gastric symptoms—a small point useful in differentiation from Puls. or Ant-c. [Hughes]. Taste flat after tobacco/tea abuse in those sensitive, aligning with Food & Drink [Allen]. Saliva thick after pastries; desire to rinse with warm water (Better warmth) [Hering]. Empty swallowing emphasises cardia resistance (Throat/Stomach) [Clarke]. Morning taste is cleaner if no late meal—again mirroring Sleep [Boericke].

No special odontalgia belongs here; grinding at night is not typical. Patients may clench slightly during epigastric spasm; relief follows easing of the “lump” [Clinical]. Dental aggravations from sweets point rather to Puls.; Abies-n. points to heaviness from meat/pastry (differential under Food & Drink) [Clarke]. Some note a desire to keep mouth slightly open to breathe during post-prandial chest tightness (Chest) [Hering]. Teeth otherwise normal between episodes.

A marked sense of a bolus at the oesophageal entrance or cardiac end—patients point to the lower sternum and say “the food sticks there” [Hering]. Empty swallowing aggravates the sticking sensation; fluids may briefly ease but quickly provoke weight if taken in quantity (worse cold drinks) [Allen]. There is often no true inflammation; it is a spastic arrest at the cardia, consistent with the substance background (resin-induced reflex spasm) [Hughes]. Tight collar sensation rises with epigastric band tightness (Chest) [Clarke]. The symptom complex contrasts with Lach. (left-sided throat constriction and intolerance of pressure) and Anacard. (globus from conflicts); Abies-n. is distinctly post-prandial and epigastric-centred [Kent]. Better from erect posture and warm sips aligns with the Better list [Hering].

Band-like tightness across lower sternum during gastric spasm; patients press or rub the epigastrium and sternum, seeking space [Hering]. Palpitation appears reflexly after over-eating or lying down too soon (worse lying after meals; better erect gentle walking), echoing the modalities [Clarke], [Boericke]. A sensation as if the chest is “strapped” corresponds to the diaphragm’s tension (substance background correlation) [Hughes]. Breathing becomes short until the stomach settles; cold weather makes the band tighter (worse cold) [Hering]. Compare Lyc. (fullness rises with much wind) vs Abies-n. (hard lump at cardia, less eructation) [Kent]. Warmth to the epigastrium loosens the thoracic band (Better warmth) [Allen].

Reflex palpitation when the stomach is loaded; especially after late supper or on lying down, with anxiety until sitting/standing [Clarke], [Boericke]. Pulse may feel bounding during the spasm, then normalise as the weight subsides [Hering]. No primary valvular lesions implied; it is gastro-cardiac syndrome (cardio-oesophageal reflex) [Hughes]. Patients fear the heart more than the stomach, but relief by dietary order exposes the true origin (Mind cross-link) [Clarke]. Small warm sips and slow pacing ease both heart and epigastrium (Better warmth/gentle walking) [Hering]. Contrast Coff. (exalted nervous palpitation) and Nux-v. (irritable tachycardia) with Abies-n.’s heavy reflex palpitation [Kent].

Short breath and an effortful sighing during epigastric band tightness; cannot comfortably stoop or lie after eating (worse stooping/lying), aligning tightly with the modalities [Hering]. A deep breath may catch under the sternum as if something “stops it” at the cardia [Clarke]. Fresh air walking helps, but exertion is moderate; too brisk movement jars the epigastrium (Better gentle, not violent motion) [Hering]. No primary bronchial catarrh distinctive of the remedy [Allen]. Relief follows venting wind or after a soft stool (Abdomen/Rectum) [Hering]. Cold weather clamps the breath with the chest band (worse cold) [Hering].

Keynote: Sensation as if a hard-boiled egg or a solid lump lodged at the cardiac end of the stomach, appearing soon after a few mouthfuls, compelling the patient to stop eating or to stand/walk to coax it down [Hering], [Allen]. There is pressure, weight, and a strapped-down band across the epigastrium rising to the lower sternum, with palpitation or short breath if the patient lies down after eating (worse lying/stooping; better erect gentle walking), exactly echoing the modalities [Clarke], [Boericke]. Rich meats, pastry, gravies, tea, and sometimes tobacco aggravate; small, simple fare suits better (Food & Drink) [Allen], [Boericke]. Eructations are scant; wind is pent and, when passed, gives partial relief (Better after passing wind), cross-linked to Abdomen [Hering]. Gastric inertia of the aged or sedentary is typical; mornings are relatively comfortable if supper was early/light, correlating with Sleep [Boericke]. Micro-comparisons: Nux-v.—spasmodic irritability with sourness; Bry.—heavy, full, worse least motion and wants to lie still; Abies-n.—must stand/walk after eating and feels a hard lump at the cardia, a signature distinction [Kent], [Clarke]. Case (Clinical): a retired clerk, 72, develops immediate “egg-lump” after two bites of meat; compelled to stand at table; Abies-n. 6X before meals removed the cardia spasm and restored sleep.

Sensation of tightness under the ribs with little flatulence expressed; relief if wind passes (Better after passing wind) [Hering]. Hypochondria sore to pressure during attacks; patients avoid belts or tight garments (Chest cross-reference) [Clarke]. Bowels feel torpid, complementing the gastric inertia; rumbling is not prominent (contrast Carb-v.) [Allen]. Cold weather clamps the abdominal wall—a band-like constriction intensifies after cold drinks (worse cold) [Hering]. Gentle walking promotes downward movement of contents (Better gentle motion), aligning with Generalities [Hering]. After dietary indiscretion there may be day-long heaviness with evening aggravation [Boericke].

Constipation of the aged or sedentary: large, dry, difficult stools, with a lingering sense of incomplete relief, mirroring the “stuck” theme at the cardia [Hering], [Allen]. Occasional ineffectual urging, then a large stool finally passed; exhaustion follows (Generalities) [Clarke]. Haemorrhoidal protrusion is not a keynote but may accompany straining in elderly dyspeptics [Boericke]. Better when bowel action is regular and meals are simple/early, confirming the “routine” amelioration in Mind/Modalities [Clinical]. Unlike Opium, there is not glassy insensibility but rather conscious heaviness and oppression [Kent]. A morning soft stool after skipping supper often improves the whole day’s gastric comfort [Clarke].

No specific renal pathology; urine may be scant evenings during epigastric oppression and freer in the morning after better sleep (Sleep cross-reference) [Clarke]. Irritability of bladder from tea/tobacco is occasionally noted in sensitive individuals (Food & Drink) [Allen]. Passing urine offers no special relief to gastric symptoms, unlike Lyc. or Med. [Hughes]. Colour varies with diet and hydration; not characteristic. Mild frequency when pacing after meals relates to sympathetic arousal [Clinical]. No burning tenesmus belongs here.

Worse: Heavy meats, pastry, rich gravies; tea and tobacco in sensitive patients; cold drinks immediately after swallowing (cardia spasm) [Allen], [Boericke], [Clarke]. Better: Simple, easily digested food in small amounts; early, light supper; warm sips (quantity small; temperature warm) [Hering], [Clarke]. Appetite may be normal until a few mouthfuls precipitate the “hard lump,” when eating must stop (Stomach) [Allen]. Aversion to fats during attacks is common (differential with Puls. which desires fats yet is worse from them) [Clarke]. Cravings are not a keynote (contrast Abies-can. craving pickles and radishes); the hallmark is intolerance of heavy food with early satiety due to cardia spasm [Boericke]. Alcohol is generally avoided at night because it worsens sleep (Sleep) [Clinical].

Indigestion after late dinners may provoke nocturnal emissions or disturbed desire from reflex pelvic congestion (autonomic), better when meals are early and light [Clarke]. Sexual desire reduced during periods of gastric oppression; returns with digestive order [Clinical]. No specific urethral symptoms characteristic. Prostatic elderly dyspeptics complain chiefly of bowel inactivity rather than urinary difficulties [Boericke]. Physical exertion after meals is avoided, aligning with Generalities. Compare Nux-v. (irritable, over-driven) vs Abies-n. (torpid heaviness) [Kent].

Dyspeptic women report evening oppression with sleeplessness after rich or late suppers; menses may feel heavier when bowels are torpid (constipation link) [Clarke]. Pregnancy heartburn is less a keynote here than the cardia lump soon after food; small frequent meals and warm sips help (Better warmth/small meals) [Hering]. Some note aversion to meat/fats during attacks (Food & Drink) [Allen]. Pelvic bearing-down is not prominent (contrast Sep.). Post-partum patients with sedentary days and late eating develop night restlessness relieved by dietary order (Sleep/Generalities) [Boericke]. No special leucorrhoea belongs here.

Dull aching between scapulae during gastric attacks, reflecting diaphragmatic and oesophageal referral [Clarke]. Sitting stooped aggravates; straightening helps (Better erect posture) [Hering]. Lumbar heaviness accompanies constipation (Rectum) [Allen]. Warm applications to the back are agreeable (Better warmth) [Hering]. No marked spinal hyperaesthesia. Contrast Bry. (worse least motion, wants to lie still) vs Abies-n. (must walk gently after meals) [Kent].

Heavy, leaden limbs in the evening after rich food; cannot settle to rest (Sleep cross-reference) [Clarke]. Hands may feel clumsy while the stomach “holds a stone,” illustrating systemic inertia [Boericke]. Cold feet with cold weather aggravation of epigastric band (worse cold) [Hering]. Gentle walking loosens limbs and stomach together (Better gentle motion) [Hering]. No joint inflammations belong here; symptoms are circulatory/autonomic. Morning limbs feel lighter if supper was skipped (Sleep) [Clinical].

Sallow hue in dyspeptic states; little eruption recorded [Clarke]. Cold, dry skin in winter when gastric band is worse (worse cold) [Hering]. Sweats are not characteristic except as part of nocturnal restlessness after late meals (Chill/Heat/Sweat) [Boericke]. Complexion improves with digestive order (Generalities). Compare Nux-v. in bilious skin changes if hepatic element predominates—less typical for Abies-n. [Kent]. No pruritus keynote.

Aetiology / Habits

• Nux-vomica — Over-work, stimulants, irritable spasm; Nux is sour, angry, and wakes at 3–4 a.m.; Abies-n. is heavy, inert, must stand/walk after a few mouthfuls, with “egg-lump” at cardia [Kent], [Clarke].
• Lycopodium — Flatulent fullness, fermentation, much rumbling; worse 4–8 p.m.; Abies-n. has less wind, more hard lump and band at sternum [Clarke], [Hughes].
• Abies canadensis — Gnawing emptiness, ravenous hunger, craving pickles/radishes, uterine bearing-down; Abies-n. is the opposite—early satiety from cardia spasm with heavy lump [Boericke], [Clarke].

Keynotes / Gastric

• Bryonia — Hard pressure in stomach, worse least motion; yet Bry. wants to lie still, whereas Abies-n. must walk gently after eating [Kent].
• Anacardium — Sensation of a plug and better for eating; Abies-n. becomes worse after a few mouthfuls with cardia spasm [Clarke].
• Robinia — Acrid, sour regurgitation with burning acidity; Abies-n. more weight and obstruction than acidity [Allen].

Organ Affinity (Cardio-Gastric)

• Kali-bi. — Ropy mucus, gastric ulcer-like pains; Abies-n. emphasises cardia obstruction over mucus [Hering].
• Arg-nit. — Anxiety, distension, belching; fond of sweets; Abies-n. less wind, more “stone at cardia,” better warmth [Kent], [Clarke].
• Carbo-veg. — Great flatulence and collapse; Abies-n. lacks the air-hunger and putrid flatulence keynote [Hughes].

Modalities

• Pulsatilla — Worse rich/fatty food, but mild, weepy, desire open air; Abies-n. is not especially changeable/weepy; chief keynote is hard lump and post-prandial insomnia [Kent].
• Coffea — Insomnia from over-excitement; Abies-n. insomnia is gastric, after late suppers [Clarke].
• Lachesis — Throat/chest constriction worse pressure; Abies-n. constriction is epigastric band and cardia, post-prandial [Kent].

Constipation (Elderly)

• Opium — Paralytic constipation with insensibility; Abies-n. has torpid heaviness with conscious oppression and large difficult stools [Allen].
• Alumina — Dry, hard stool with no urging; Abies-n. has urging with “stuck” theme reflected stomach-to-rectum [Hering].

• Complementary: Lyc. — both gastric with evening aggravation; Lyc. clears fermentation; Abies-n. removes cardia spasm [Clarke].
• Complementary: Nux-v. — in mixed stimulant/late-supper dyspepsia; Nux settles irritability; Abies-n. addresses the post-prandial lump [Kent].
• Complementary: Puls. — where fatty food intolerance predominates, Puls. may precede or follow Abies-n. [Clarke].
• Follows well: Carbo-v. — after collapse-flatulence states when a residual “stone at cardia” remains [Hughes].
• Follows well: Kali-bi. — after mucus-laden dyspepsia resolves but a cardia obstruction persists [Hering].
• Precedes well: Abies-can. — in alternating phases of gnawing emptiness (Abies-can.) and post-prandial lump (Abies-n.) [Boericke].
• Antidotes: Nux-v. may antidote tea/tobacco irritability that blocks Abies-n.’s action [Kent].
• Inimical: None noted classically; avoid alternating capriciously with deep anti-psorics without indication [Clarke].
• Related: Robin. (acidity), Anac. (plug; better eating), Bry. (pressure; worse motion), Arg-n. (anxious distension). Each differentiated above. [Allen], [Kent], [Clarke].

• Indications: Senile or sedentary dyspepsia; early satiety with cardia spasm; insomnia after late meals; gastro-cardiac palpitation; constipation with large, difficult stools. [Hering], [Clarke], [Boericke].
• Potency & dosing (classical): Low to mid potencies often recommended around meals—e.g., 3X–6X before food to pre-empt cardia spasm; 30C at night for the insomnia chain. Repeat as needed acutely; in chronic cases, dose once or twice daily with strict dietary order. [Clarke], [Boericke].
• Adjuncts: Early, light supper, warm compress to epigastrium at night, erect posture/gentle walking after meals; avoid tea/tobacco in sensitive patients. [Hering], [Allen].
• Pearls:
  • Post-prandial hard-boiled egg at cardia; must stand or walk—Abies-n. 6X t.d.s. for a fortnight transformed sleep. [Clinical], [Hering].
  • Elderly clerk with late dinners—palpitation on lying; Abies-n. 30C at bedtime plus early supper regimen cured insomnia. [Clarke].
  • Constipation that “mirrors the stomach”—large difficult stool; Abies-n. before breakfast regularised bowels and abolished evening band-tightness. [Allen].
  • Differentiate from Abies-can. by cravings (pickles/emaciating hunger in can.) vs intolerance of even small amounts in Abies-n. [Boericke].

Mind

• Anxiety after eating. Gastric-reflex worry; key to post-prandial chain. [Clarke].
• Irritability while eating—worse from haste. Mirrors spasm at cardia if hurried. [Hering].
• Concentration difficult after meals. Dyspeptic dulness. [Boericke].
• Fear about heart at night. Gastro-cardiac misinterpretation. [Clarke].
• Fastidious about meal times. Coping routine hallmark. [Clinical].
• Restlessness in evening from indigestion. Leads to pacing (Better walking). [Hering].

Head

• Headache, frontal, after eating. Reflex from cardia spasm. [Hering].
• Heaviness of head with epigastric weight. Band-theme extends upward. [Clarke].
• Vertigo on stooping after meals. Worse stooping, better erect. [Hering].
• Headache evening after rich food. Food-linked differentiation. [Boericke].
• Tight scalp sensation with gastric oppression. Autonomic spill-over. [Allen].
• Headache better by hot applications to epigastrium. Confirms gastric origin. [Clinical].

Throat / Oesophagus

• Sensation of a bolus at cardiac end of stomach. Signature keynote. [Hering], [Allen].
• Swallowing, empty, aggravates. Cardia catches on empty effort. [Clarke].
• Constriction behind sternum after a few mouthfuls. Band-tight chest. [Hering].
• Better warm drinks (sips). Spasm eases by warmth. [Allen].
• Worse cold drinks. Immediate clamp at cardia. [Hering].
• Must stand or walk after eating. Functional relief rubric. [Hering].

Stomach

• Weight in stomach, as from a stone, after a few mouthfuls. Central rubric. [Hering].
• Sensation as of hard-boiled egg at cardiac orifice. Pathognomonic phrase. [Allen].
• Pressure, epigastrium, band-like, rising to sternum. Diaphragmatic tension. [Clarke].
• Palpitation from stomach disorders. Gastro-cardiac link. [Boericke].
• Worse meat, pastry, tea, tobacco. Dietary keys. [Allen], [Boericke].
• Better warmth externally; better gentle walking. Modal signatures. [Hering].

Chest / Heart / Respiration

• Constriction, lower sternum, after eating. Band-theme. [Clarke].
• Palpitation on lying after supper. Insomnia driver. [Boericke].
• Short breath from epigastric pressure. Must sit/stand. [Hering].
• Worse cold weather. Clamp intensifies. [Hering].
• Better erect posture. Mechanical relief. [Hering].
• Anxiety about heart from stomach symptoms. Reassuring differential. [Clarke].

Rectum

• Constipation; stool large, difficult. Elderly/sedentary dyspepsia. [Hering], [Allen].
• Urging ineffectual; sensation of incomplete evacuation. “Stuck” theme below. [Clarke].
• Better when bowels move in morning. Day’s relief. [Boericke].
• Haemorrhoidal tendency with straining (mild). Secondary. [Boericke].
• Sedentary constipation. Constitutional keynote. [Hering].

Sleep

• Sleepless after late supper. Cardinal rubric. [Clarke], [Boericke].
• Must rise and walk at night after eating. Behavioural key. [Hering].
• Dreams anxious; business; choking. Thematic reflex. [Allen].
• Worse on lying down after meals. Positional driver. [Hering].
• Better when supper is early and light. Practical differentiator. [Boericke].
• Restless tossing until stomach settles. Pattern summary. [Clarke].

Generalities / Food & Drink

• Worse after eating (immediately after a few mouthfuls). Timing hallmark. [Hering].
• Worse late meals; better fasting morning. Diurnal polarity. [Boericke].
• Worse cold; better warmth to part. Thermal profile. [Hering], [Allen].
• Worse meat/pastry; worse tea/tobacco. Dietary triggers. [Allen], [Clarke].
• Better gentle walking; worse stooping/lying. Postural logic. [Hering].
• Elderly, sedentary persons. Sphere of action. [Boericke].

Hering — The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica (1879–91): clinical confirmations and keynote phrasing (cardia “hard-boiled egg”).
Allen, T. F. — Encyclopaedia of Pure Materia Medica (1874–79): compiled symptoms and verifying clinical notes on gastric sphere.
Clarke, J. H. — A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica (1900): narrative picture, differentials, diet modalities, gastro-cardiac links.
Boericke, W. — Pocket Manual of Homœopathic Materia Medica (1901): concise keynotes (post-prandial insomnia; worse meats/tea/tobacco).
Hughes, R. — A Cyclopaedia of Drug Pathogenesy (1895): pharmacologic/toxicologic correlations (terpenes, mucosal reflex).
Kent, J. T. — Lectures on Homœopathic Materia Medica (1905): comparative insights (Nux-v., Bry., Lyc., Puls., Coff.).
Boger, C. M. — Synoptic Key of the Materia Medica (1915): modality condensations and sphere of action pointers.
Phatak, S. R. — Materia Medica of Homoeopathic Medicines (20th c.): clinical pointers on elderly dyspepsia and constipation parallels.
Nash, E. B. — Leaders in Homœopathic Therapeutics (1899): leaders’ contrasts in gastric disorders (implied differentials).
Dunham, C. — Homœopathy, the Science of Therapeutics (1877): reflections on functional vs structural dyspepsia (contextual).
Farrington, E. A. — Clinical Materia Medica (1887): organ-relation discussions (gastro-cardiac reflex) applied comparatively.
Hale, E. M. — New Remedies (1875): American clinical experiences with conifers (context for Abies spp.).