ARNICA


Homeopathic remedy Arnica from A Manual of Homeopathic Therapeutics by Edwin A. Neatby, comprising the characteristic symptoms of homeopathic remedies from clinical indications, published in 1927….


      Arnica montana. Leopard`s bane. N.O. Composite. A tincture from the root or fresh flowers.

PATHOGENESIS.

      SMALL space is allotted to arnica in modern textbooks of orthodox pharmacology, and it appears to have been ignored or dismissed without investigation. Yet the poisoning show it to be an agent of considerable power. Pains in the abdomen-general or epigastric-commonly follow its consumption in large doses, hiccough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, fainting and collapse, with or without perspiration, are common features. In case the condition was described as cholera-like. One modality of the abdominal pain is that it is not relieved by hot applications, and there may be tenderness on pressure, the case “simulating peritonitis:; very marked sleepiness was a feature in some of the cases.

General nervous agitation, anxiety, great weakness, convulsive movements and tremors, show its effects on the nervous system.

Where the dose is moderate the face may be flushed. hot and perspiring; if excessively large the skin is cold and dry, the face drawn and pale, the eyes sunken and glassy, and the pupils dilated and insensible.

Accompanying the gastro-intestinal symptoms there is, in some cases, distinct disturbance of vision-dulness of sight (not due to mucous on the cornea), diplopia, inability to judge distances, blurred vision and seeing lights or bright objects and hemianopsia (seeing only half the field of vision). This eye complex suggests some disturbance in the nerve centres controlling accommodation and the extrinsic muscles, and in the cerebral vision centres.

In the poisoning cases there does not seem to be time for mental effects to assert themselves, though in one case, where the vision was much disturbed, the victim on waking could not recognize the room he was in.

Skin.-The irritant powers of arnica on the skin are undoubted and should be classed with the poisonous symptoms, although in cases of extreme hypersensitiveness to the drug, minute or infinitesimal quantities sufficed to induce its effects. They may be caused by the ingestion of minute doses, by inhaling or olfaction of the oil or tincture, and by local applications. That the effects on the skin may be regarded as specific is shown by the fact that they were manifested in the skin areas far removed from the site of application. Control experiment has shown that similar applications of spirit of wine (unmedicated alcohol) do not induce similar effects.

The features of arnica dermatitis are as follows:-

(1) Diffuse erythema, bright, burning, biting, with slight oedema (raised edges) and spreading.

(2) On such a surface papules, small vesicles or bullae may develop. THe blisters may burst, leaving an oozing surface. Or diffuse weeping of the red area may occur, and cracks or fissures develop, like acute eczema. This acute condition may in parts resemble erysipelas and in parts eczema.

(3) Small pustules or boils may be present and may come in recurrent crops.

(4) Dusky mottled patches, not inflammatory but due either to areas of capillary congestion (e.g., occurring early in independent parts) or to slight ecchymoses.

PROVINGS.-

      The tests made with arnica on the human body, healthy and diseased confirm the results seen in poisoning cases. In so far as they may be classified, three chief groups of disorders may be mentioned: (a) gastro-intestinal or alimentary system disturbances; (b) circulatory disturbances; (c) nervous disturbances.

(a) The digestive-system disturbances are shown by the following symptoms: Nausea, salivation, eructations, disgust or loathing of food, of gnawing hunger, cramp-like pain or “pressure” in stomach region, flatulent distension of abdomen, intermittent pain in the right hypochondrium (interpreted as having its seat in the liver or duodenum), heartburn, diarrhoea (chiefly in morning after eating), cutting pains in bowels, tenesmus, and swelling of haemorrhoidal veins.

(b) Circulatory symptoms were: Palpitation (especially during night, disturbing sleep), “rush of blood to the head,” stronger pulse, slight epistaxis or traces of bright blood on blowing nose, and praecordial anguish.

(c) Nervous Symptoms.-These are as follows: Confusion and fulness of head, sparks before eyes, great drowsiness, but sleep disturbed by vivid dreams, general tiredness or weariness amounting to exhaustion, unilateral headache, with or without vertigo, worse in the morning, fibrillary contractions of various isolated muscle-bundles especially about the jaws, spinal hyperaesthesia, pressure causing involuntary startings in muscles of neck and back, girdle pain at level of epigastrium.

The skin symptoms are sufficiently described under poisonings, by which means the dermatitis was rendered most evident. The pustular rash was, however, also brought out by some of the provings.

The muscular symptoms are not as conspicuous as might be expected from its clinical value in this sphere. A dull, bruised sensation in various parts, pain and tenderness around joints, pains in back as if rising from long stooping-these, however, were fairly frequent.

With any of these groups-and the groups are not necessarily isolated one from the other, but may be conjoined as parts of a general condition-headaches, lassitude and drowsiness may be associated.

The provings bring out general features which deserve especial considerations, namely:-

(a) Bruised pain and sensitiveness of the whole body, or in many parts at the same time. This bruised feeling is worse on motion. At the same time the circulation may be excited, pulsations being felt all over and vertigo being present; stitches, muscular twitchings and burnings occur in different points.

(b) Pronounced weakness comes on, amounting to faintness, from the heat of the sun, from motion, talking, &c.; but a long walk in bright cold weather may ameliorate.

The mental symptoms correspond with the physical weakness- indisposition and inability for continuous work of any kind, especially mental work or talking, inability to concentrate (thoughts wander); indifference; easily started, sullenness (will not speak); or there may be excitability and a quarrelsome, contradictory, unreasonable mood.

Head.-The head pains are of different kinds: burning, shooting (stitches), aching (dull or bruised); heavy confused feeling, jerking, or like a nail in temple. One-sided pain, especially the left, is common. These occur in any situation have a number of modalities which will be referred to in the next section.

The eyes ears and nose present no very distinctive symptoms, but share in some of the pains found in other parts of the body. Epistaxis of dark fluid blood should be kept in mind, and a little bright blood is seen when blowing the nose.

The mouth is dry, with nasty taste as of rotten eggs, or it may be putrid and slimy; or bitter, especially on waking in the morning. The breath may be foetid.

Burning and scraping in throat are produced, extending down the oesophagus.

Digestive Symptoms.-The chief effects have already been noted. Pressure in region of stomach, worse when lying and spasmodic pain deep in epigastrium, worse from eating; constipation with ineffectual urging; distention of abdomen with relief from emission of flatus (offensive or like rotten eggs); pain as if sore internally-when coughing, blowing nose or putting down the foot-these with general bruised feeling should be added to the symptoms already mentioned. The stools tend to be thin and watery, or with mucus or blood from piles, worse at night, with weakness after an action, necessitating the patient’s lying down.

Genito-urinary System.-Excess of triple phosphates in the urine has been developed by this drug, and incontinence of urine has occurred especially at night. Menorrhagia is perhaps a clinical symptom.

Respiratory System.-Stitches are common in the chest, especially the left side, worse on coughing or moving and relieved by pressure. The arnica cough seems to start from a tickling feeling in the lower part of the windpipe and is either a heavy cough shaking the whole body, or a dry, short cough, worse in the morning after rising. Breathing, movement and coughing aggravate the chest pains.

Circulatory System.-Apart from symptoms resembling those of strain or traumatism, that of feeble, irregular pulse, and pain in the region of the heart as if the part were squeezed (like that due to cactus and lilium) are the chief arnica effects.

Limbs and Back.-Stitches and bruised sensation are very conspicuous and definite in any and every part, strikingly resembling the effects of injury in some form. They are worse on motion, on first movement especially, on breathing (back and lower ribs), from jolting, towards evening (foot). The whole body aches, making the bed feel too hard.

Sleep.-Drowsiness with yawning (like nux mosch). and vivid, anxious, alarming dreams are noted; also dreams of graves and of being struck by lightning.

Febrile symptoms may be present in the shape of morning chilliness, especially on moving in bed; general shivering, while the head and face are hot and red and the rest of the body cool. Perspiration if present is liable to be sour and offensive and worse at night.

Edwin Awdas Neatby
Edwin Awdas Neatby 1858 – 1933 MD was an orthodox physician who converted to homeopathy to become a physician at the London Homeopathic Hospital, Consulting Physician at the Buchanan Homeopathic Hospital St. Leonard’s on Sea, Consulting Surgeon at the Leaf Hospital Eastbourne, President of the British Homeopathic Society.

Edwin Awdas Neatby founded the Missionary School of Homeopathy and the London Homeopathic Hospital in 1903, and run by the British Homeopathic Association. He died in East Grinstead, Sussex, on the 1st December 1933. Edwin Awdas Neatby wrote The place of operation in the treatment of uterine fibroids, Modern developments in medicine, Pleural effusions in children, Manual of Homoeo Therapeutics,