The curious symptom, “irresistible inclination to bite the teeth or gums together,” has led to phytolacca being given with success in the dentition troubles of children, such as gastric disturbances, colic and diarrhoea, jerking of limbs and convulsions, all of which are symptoms produced by the drug. It is useful for ulcerated sore mouth in the same patients. The rheumatoid pains of phytolacca which, like those of mercury, are worse at night and from damp and movement, suggest it as a remedy for those pains when of syphilitic origin, and phytolacca has been found very useful for syphilitic pains, especially if due to periostitis or periosteal nodes.
The third case of poisoning related above shows the close similarity of phytolacca to these states, and also to erythema nodosum, for which, also, it has been successfully given. It is a remedy for neuralgia when the pain is a bruised, sore feeling and runs down the outside of the limb from hip to heel, with the modalities of worse at night, from damp and from movement. It has cured “a very severe and obstinate pain in the heel, only relieved by keeping the heels higher than the body” (Royal). Phytolacca is the remedy for intercostal rheumatism from exposure to cold and damp, for rheumatic headaches, rheumatic stiff neck, rheumatism of the dorsal muscles, and for subacute rheumatism of the long bones and the tendinous attachment of muscles. In antidotes mercurial bone pains. It is the fibrous tissues that are affected and parts close under the skin such as the tibiae, scalp, shoulder-blades and ends of the fingers and toes. The pains are shooting, jerking, flying from one place to another and are worse at night, from movement and in stormy weather. Rheumatic swellings are hard, tender and hot. When considering the influence of phytolacca on rheumatic pains, it is interesting to note that caustic potash is present in the ash of the plant to the extent of 45 percent.
Breasts.-The symptom, “pain in the right side of the chest, in region of nipple, passing through to back,” has led to the employment of phytolacca to relieve the pain from sore nipples in nursing mothers when, on putting the child to the breast, pain shoots through to the back and radiates over the body. Clinical experience has extended this use of the drug to swellings and inflammations of the breasts, and it has become a principal remedy for inflammatory swelling of that organ, for threatening abscess during lactation, for tender lumps found in the breasts at other times, for irritable mammary tumours, and even for malignant tumours, the growth of which it has in many cases checked. It is a good medicine to give when the breasts become sensitive and painful during the menstrual period.
Nose.-Phytolacca is useful for nasal catarrh when one side of the nose is stopped up and there is a fluid, acrid discharge from the other. It has been used in syphilitic ozaena and in catarrhal laryngitis with hoarseness and burning in the larynx and trachea.
Eyes.-Swellings of the meibomian glands and inflammations of the fibrous coverings of the eyeball, the sclerotic and cornea, have been benefited by it.
Skin.-Phytolacca is useful for ulcers, boils and carbuncles with burning pains, worse at night, and for syphilitic eruptions and ulcerations.
Circulation.-It should be considered in subacute endocarditis and pericarditis and for cardiac pains occurring in hearts damaged by previous attacks of rheumatism.
A tincture of the berries has been used to reduce obesity.
LEADING INDICATIONS.
(1) The leading weather modality is aggravation from rain or cold, damp weather.
(2) Shootings, like electric shocks, rapidly changing site.
(3) Indifference to life, expecting to die.
(4) Vertigo and faintness when rising from recumbent posture.
(5) Sore throat, accompanied by pain on swallowing.
(6) Follicular tonsillitis diphtheria speakers’ sore throat.
(7) Pains in fibrous tissues, worse at night, from movement.
(8) Subinflammatory affections of fibrous tissues periosteum, sheaths of muscles and tendons, eyeballs.
(9) Soreness and stiffness of muscles.
(10) Irresistible inclination to clench the teeth.
(11) Pains shooting through from nipple to back and radiating through the body when nursing.
(12) Inflammations, nodosities and tumours of the mammary glands.
(13) Syphilitic and mercurialized subjects.
AGGRAVATION :
From damp weather, exposure to open air, at night, in morning, right side, cold room, hot drinks (throat), menstrual periods, touch, pressure (pain in joints, ulcers), riding (nose, breathing), gaslight (eyes), swallowing, vomiting (headache), lying on right side (liver pains), motion, standing, walking.
AMELIORATION:
From pressure of hands (pain in breasts), rubbing (pain in hip), vomiting (nausea), open air (eyes), lying on left (painful) side (spleen pain).
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,