- Common Name: Black Lead / Plumbago
- Source: Prepared from pure flake graphite
- Miasm: Psoro-sycotic
- Temperament: Sad, timid, chilly, and obese
- Thermal: Chilly patient
- Side Affinity: Left side predominantly
Sphere of Action
Acts profoundly on the skin, glands, digestive system, and female reproductive organs. Especially useful for chronic skin conditions, menstrual irregularities, and obesity with constipation.
Key Clinical Indications
Skin Diseases
- Dry, hard, rough skin
- Eczema with sticky, honey-like discharge
- Cracks behind ears, nipples, corners of mouth
- Unhealthy skin that takes long to heal
- Nails deformed, brittle, thick, and crumbling
Female Disorders
- Late, scanty or suppressed menses
- Leucorrhoea like white of egg (profuse, gushing)
- Hardness and induration of ovaries
- Excoriation and itching of vulva
Gastrointestinal
- Constipation with large, knotty stools
- Burning in stomach; eructations tasting of food
- Flatulence, distension of abdomen
- Aversion to meat, sweets
Mental and Emotional
- Timid, indecisive, weeps easily
- Dull, confused, melancholic
- Sensitive to music; it makes her weep
- Memory weak, forgets words while speaking
Characteristic Symptoms
- Oozing, sticky, thick discharge from skin eruptions
- Constipation with anus contracted
- Obesity in chilly persons with tendency to skin complaints
- Cracks in skin, especially in winter
- Rawness in bends of limbs (joints, knees, elbows)
- Cold sores, fissures with bleeding
Mind Symptoms
- Fears: poverty, misfortune, bad news
- Depressed, slow to act
- Lack of confidence, hesitates
- Music affects deeply; emotional
Modalities
|
Worse From |
Better From |
|
Cold, damp weather |
Warmth |
|
At night |
Covering |
|
During menses |
Discharges (when start) |
|
Suppressed eruptions |
Regular evacuation |
Potency & Dosage
- Commonly used in 6C, 30C, or 200C
- Chronic skin cases may require long-term low potencies
- Repetition should be cautious in chronic cases
Relationships
|
Complementary |
Similar Remedies |
Antidotes |
|
Argentum Nitricum |
Lycopodium, Sepia, Sulphur |
Nux vomica, Aconite |
Clinical Tips
- Graphites is the constitutional remedy for obese women with delayed menstruation and skin problems.
- Use when there is eczema with sticky discharge, especially behind the ears.
- Also useful in tinnitus with roaring, hissing sounds.
Mnemonic to Remember Graphites
“GRAPH” =
- Greasy skin eruptions
- Rough, cracked skin
- Aversion to sweets and meat
- Plump (obese), chilly women
- Honey-like discharge
One-Line Summary
Graphites is suited to obese, chilly, timid individuals with skin eruptions that ooze sticky, honey-like discharge and chronic constipation.
Tags
MATERIA MEDICA