Colocynthis


Proving Symptoms of homeopathy medicine Colocynthis, described by Richard Hughes in his book, A Cyclopedia of Drug Pathogenesis, published in 1895….


Introduction

Citrullus Colocynthis, Schrad. Bitter apple or cucumber. Nat. Ord., Cucurbitaceae.

Provings

I. HAHNEMANN, Materia Medica Pura, vol. vi of original, vol. i of translation. Contains 26 symptoms from self, 195 from 6 fellow – provers, and 29 from authors.

2. IBID., Chronic Diseases, Part 3 of original, vol. of translation. Contains a few additional symptoms only, from self.

3. Dr. ARNETH, aet. 25, choleric temp., strong and healthy.

3 a.In November, 1842, took increasing doses of tinct. up to 25 dr. from 1st to 13th, without result. On 14th and 15th took 45 dr. twice daily. From 16th to 23rd, without repeating medicine, had (contrary to habit) two pappy stools daily, with slight abdominal griping. Stools having become natural again on 24th and 25th, on 26th took at 1 p. m. 50 dr. Pappy stool that evening and next morning, and abundant urination, were only results. 27th. – 70 dr. At 11 a. m. increased urine, and on following day there was griping in epigastrium after each meal, worse towards evening, and pretty severe drawing in left testicle for 1/4 hour 29th. – 80 dr. at 2 p. m. Next morning furuncle on face, and on December, 2nd another on back. Both disappeared in a few days.

3 b. All traces of former action of drug having disappeared. A took, December 7th, morning and evening, 3j of 3rd (aqueous) dil. After it two pappy evacuations. 8th. – Repeated dose at bedtime;had scarcely got into bed before he experienced in epigastrium more violent griping than from tinct., but without evacuation following. 9th. – Same dose morning and evening. After each two pappy stools. From 10th to 14th took daily 3j of 2nd dil. about room. 11th. – Towards evening began irritability of larynx, and voice became rough and hoarse. 12th. – Besides these symptoms, distressing dryness of air passages, and on 2 next day sensible and unpleasant fatigue in affected parts. Remarkable aggravation after each dose. Two pappy stools daily. Foregoing symptoms having subsided, 21st – 23rd took twice daily same dose. For first 2 day only usual griping (lasting 4 days more) and pappy stools. On night of 22nd, in bed, drawing in right shoulder. 23rd. – In afternoon, violent drawing pain in all teeth (quite unprecedented). 24th. – Besides the toothache (which lasted all day) in evening moderate tension of ant. sup. spinous process of left ilium, which next day changed to violent drawing, extending to groin and upper third of inner aspect of thigh, pretty violent all days, and not disappearing till 26th; with singular feeling of stiffness in left great toe. No toothache since night of 24th. ON 26th, 3j in evening, and next day a noon 3iss and in evening 3j of 1st dil. without result save for a slight conjunctival irritation not uncommon with him.

3 c. From December 27th to January 6th great inclination to looseness, often 3 stools a day. On 9th (being quite well) and 2 following day took at noon 3j of 4th dil. Soon after first dose violent eructations for 1/2 hours 10th. – Drawing and tearing in right shoulder – joint in morning, lasting all day. Painful tension in left patella in evening 11th. – Pain in patella so considerable that walking was painful; heat and swelling found there on undressing in evening, with indistinct pulsation. Itching at anus all day; stools natural. By 12th symptoms had disappeared; and no result could be obtained from 5th dil. ( CEsterr. Zeitsch., left)

4. BOHM, aet. 40, atoning for every error of diet by a violent fit of colic, took on several occasions small increasing doses of tinct. Upto 3 dr. no effect was noticed, but whenever dose exceeded this there came on after eating cutting in umbilical or hypogastric region, with tenesmus or fluid stool. On October 3rd he took 12 dr. in forenoon. Soon afterwards slight colic in umbilical region; little appetite at noon; violent eructation after eating, cutting in hypogastrium, and fluid stool with tenesmus. Cutting and tenesmus lasted till in evening he got warm in bed. Slept well, and felt well on waking while in bed; but soon after rising had fresh attack of umbilical colic and frequent eructations. On going out felt very weak; had little appetite at noon; fluid stool after eating, with discharge of flatus and painful feeling in abdomen whole afternoon, only removed (as before) on getting warm in bed. These symptoms were daily renewed till 13th, when, after cocculus taken as antidote, they rapidly disappeared. (Ibid.)

5. FLEISCHMANN, aet 41, strong but gouty, took on 1st day 5 dr., and on 2nd day 10 dr. without effect. On 3rd days 15dr.; violent griping in umbilical region all day, feeling of coldness in abdomen, looseness of bowels. These symptoms lasted with more or less intensity for several day, and he too no more for three weeks. Beginning then again with 10 dr. besides previous very troublesome symptoms he had discharge of blood from anus, which continued for more than a year afterwards, with violent sticking and burning pain in small of back and anus. Before this proving he had never had anal haemorrhage. (Ibid.)

6. FROHLICH, aet. 32, liable to furuncles on face, laryngeal catarrh, constipation, and haemorrhoids. November 21st. – Took 5 dr. at 6 a. m. and 10 dr. in evening without effect. 22nd. – 10 dr. in morning, fasting. At 1:30 p. m. umbilical colic, with painful stitches in bladder, subsequently alternating with same in rectum, disappearing on discharge of flatus; also transient headache, feeling as if temples were screwed into, with heaviness of eyelids without sleepiness. Symptoms disappeared after cafe noir. Copious urination during days, and one soft but not copious stool. 23rd. – Woke with slight griping round navel; took 20 dr., and in 1/2 hours had loud rumbling and discharge of flatus; griping round navel, increasing after fruit; stitches, transient in upper jaw, frequent in left flank and along outer border of left sole; cramp-like drawing in right calf. These symptoms lasted all day, and did not diminish after coffee. At 7 p. m. 20 dr. N. quiet, but all next day (which was foggy) he felt uncomfortably chilly and had continual griping about navel. In evening very weak; sacrum and lower limbs painful as after a forced march, and a tearing-sticking pain encircled right inner malleolus. On evening of 24th took 20 dr., and on following morning 25 dr. After some beer at 11 a. m., violent griping, coming on in paroxysms and only disappearing after dinner. In evening 40 dr. At 3 a. m. awoke by violent constrictive pain in umbilical region, lasting 15 morning. No med. or symptoms till 28th and 29th, on which day he took 40 dr. in morning, fasting. In forenoon, griping and slight urging, both much increased after dinner till 4 p. m., with 2 stools, second having mucus in it. On 30th took 60 dr. in morning fasting, and 40 in evening. Same abdominal symptoms, but less marked; in evening painful lassitude in sacrum and lower extremities; flying stitches in humeri. December 1st – Pain in ankle while walking, as if from a false step, ceasing at rest; feeling of stiffness in hands, continuing longer. 2nd – 7th. – Stitches in ankle; tearing in shoulder; occasional deep stitch in left flank; weary feeling in sacrum and viscid soft scanty stool every 3 days (Ibid.)

7. A young woman, slightly chlorotic, took April 29th 2 globules of 3rd dil. Soon, inodorous eructations and unusual discharge of flatus; later, drawing tearing pains in whole abdomen and in finger-joints of left hand. May 1st. – Three globules. Same eructations; drawing in nape and dorsal muscles. 3rd. – Same; pain in sacrum; tearing drawing in both thighs and in left arm down to finger-joints. 5th. – Four gl. Drawing in left hypochondrium; tearing in left calf a far as heel. 9th. – Six gl. Stitches deep into abdomen; tearing in joints of left hand.

Similar doses, with similar effects, were taken every 3 or 4 days till June 6th. Symptoms generally appeared 6 – 7 hours after dose, lasted 9 -10 hours, and even manifested themselves slightly on following day (Ibid.)

8. A sister of the above took same dose, with corresponding effects. She had, however, more frequent isolated deep stitches as from a needle, sometimes in right sometimes in left flank, apparently connected with ovaries. Neither experienced any other symptom connected with genital system. (Ibid.)

9. Dr. GERSTEL, aet. 38, stout, full-blooded, in good health, save that he is liable to dyspeptic difficulties, cramp in stomach, and diarrhoea (after taking cold in feet), besides slight rheumatism, permanent palpitation, and moderate haemorrhoidal bleeding every 4 – 8 weeks.

9 a. November 20th, at 4:30 p. m., took 15 dr. of tinct. 1 1/2 hours after a moderate dinner. A few morning after dose a slow stitch on right beneath navel; soon after on left of navel; colic only perceptible when walking, disappearing when standing still or even when going downstairs, but disappearing when standing still or even when going downstairs, but returning on walking on a level; drawing in upper right teeth, with feeling as if upper lip was swollen; constant ringing in right ear; slight inflation at epigastrium with pulsation in sacrum, ameliorated by emission of flatulence; general hot flush, especially in face, with sweat on forehead; constriction round middle of left leg as if from a narrow ribbon; free discharge of flatus. All these symptoms appeared within 1.1/2 hours. On 22nd took 25 dr. morning fasting, but after usual stool. Soon after dose rumbling in abdomen and deep-seated Pulsation in it, not perceptible to hand laid upon it; sticking in public region; transitory tickling itching on thigh, and same repeatedly in face, shoulders, flanks, as well as at extremity of glans penis, with tendency to urinate; feeling of numbness down outer side of right calf as though in track of nerve, increasing to sensation as if nerve were swollen, passed into dull pressive contraction, and slowly disappeared; soon after same feeling in great toes; constrictive pressure in dorsum and ankle of left foot and in right upper arm. All these symptoms appeared in course of 1 hour while lying in bed. Half an hour later griping in hypogastrium, going off in stitch towards left pubic region, with rumbling and sense of inflation; immediately after, dulness of right head, especially temple; numbness of right forearm; dull stitches of left leg; yawning; lassitude; copious urination. On 23rd, at 7 a. m., fasting, 40 dr. A tearing in left nape, experienced yesterday before taking drug, aggravated during its action and then entirely disappearing, becomes again excited; sticking pressure in various parts of body; some swelling of abdomen about navel, accompanied by slight dulness in forehead and temple; sensitiveness of incisors; unusual thirst; burning in urethra after urinating; burning and sore pain with moisture at anus as if after diarrhoea, and stitches in rectum. At 11 p. m., just before going to bed, 23 dr. Immediately, pressive pain in vertex and left eye; colic with violent borborygmi; copious discharge of flatus; drawing twitching with dull throbbing in left iliac region, and in right loin over crista ilii towards buttock; pressive pain on both eyeballs from above downwards; burning of under lip; prickling at end of glans; heat, especially in upper limbs. 24th. – In morning soon after waking, sticking-drawing pains, now here, now there; usual normal stool, soon followed by one of pappy consistence, and this by burning in anus, and at same time prickling in orifice of urethra after maturating. Towards noon, colic only when walking, disappearing every time he stood still; pain, starting from upper abdomen, when more severe extended upwards towards chest, and then became constrictive, sensibly aggravated by any shock (as violent hawking); bowels painful on strong pressure on abdomen, as if excoriated; unusual thirst; another pappy stool. Soon after dinner, when walking in open air, oozing at anus and discharge of moisture from rectum instead of expected flatus; oozing continued whole afternoon; at 6 p. m. another pappy stool, with much mucus, and subsequent burning at anus. Soreness of abdomen continued all evening accompanied by thirst and early sleepiness. At night very sound sleep. 25th. – Dullness of head early in morning especially in frontal region, with unusual weakness of memory. Normal evacuation. Frontal headache returned in forenoon when walking. Towards noon, after violent exercise, colic of yesterday returned, less violent, with dull pain in right temple, aggravated by stooping, and gloomy mood. Finally, strong heat rising from abdomen, towards chest, ending in partial sweat on abdomen and chest, with prickling at, and oozing from, anus, and very copious urination. Some slight intimations of colic were perceived, principally about noon, on next 2 days.

Richard Hughes
Dr. Richard Hughes (1836-1902) was born in London, England. He received the title of M.R.C.S. (Eng.), in 1857 and L.R.C.P. (Edin.) in 1860. The title of M.D. was conferred upon him by the American College a few years later.

Hughes was a great writer and a scholar. He actively cooperated with Dr. T.F. Allen to compile his 'Encyclopedia' and rendered immeasurable aid to Dr. Dudgeon in translating Hahnemann's 'Materia Medica Pura' into English. In 1889 he was appointed an Editor of the 'British Homoeopathic Journal' and continued in that capacity until his demise. In 1876, Dr. Hughes was appointed as the Permanent Secretary of the Organization of the International Congress of Homoeopathy Physicians in Philadelphia. He also presided over the International Congress in London.