Cistus Canadensis


Dr. S.R. Phatak describes the clinically confirmed symptoms of the homeopathic remedy Cistus Canadensis in his Concise Materia Medica, published in 1977….


Generalities

      Commonly known as Rock Rose is an ancient remedy for scrofulosis. It affects the GLANDS esp. of naso-pharynx; neck and mammae (left). It also produces herpetic eruptions, scorbutic states, chronic swellings and gangrenous ulcerations. The patient is painfully sensitive to cold; to cold inspired air. Feeling of coldness in various parts; of tongue, saliva, in throat; eructations, in stomach; worse sweating; even the discharges. Mucus discharges are thick, yellow, foul; leave a painful rawness. Suppurations. Internal and external itching. Formication through the whole body, with anxious, difficult breathing. Malignant diseases of glands of neck. Poisoned wounds, bites, phagedenic ulcers. Burnings. Indurations. Callosities, with cracks.

Better

      Eating. Expectoration.

Worse

      Cold; taking; draughts; inspired air. Cold water. Mental exertion; excitement. Touch. Motion.

Mind

      Bad effects of vexation. Fear.

Head

      Aches when he misses the meals, better eating. Head drawn to one side by swelling in the neck.

Eyes

      Feeling as if something passing around the eye. Canthi cracked.

Ears

      Watery foetid discharge of pus; after eruptive diseases. Tetters on and around the ear extending to external meatus.

Nose

      Cold feeling or burnings in. Tip painful. Eczema of the nose. As of a lump in naso-pharynx. Chronic nasal catarrh, frequent violent sneezing. Pressing pain at the root of the nose, with headache.

Face

      Itching, burning and crusts, on zygoma. Caries of the lower jaw, with suppurating glands on neck. Open bleeding cancer on lower lip. Lips cracked.

Mouth

      Scorbutic, receding gums, easily bleeding; disgustingly putrid. Tongue feels cold. Breath cool. Saliva cold. Hurts when protruding the tongue. Pyorrhoea.

Throat

      Cold affects the throat; which feels cold. Soft, spongy feeling; itching in the throat. Becomes sore on inhaling least cold air. Dry spot in throat better by sipping water. Pains when coughing. Glands swollen and suppurating. Goitre, with frequent diarrhoea.

Stomach

      Cool feeling in; before and after eating. Desire for cheese; for pungent things. Eructations cold.

Abdomen

      Cool feeling all over. Diarrhoea; from coffee and fruits, with goitre, with nausea. Thin hurried stools worse in morning.

Male

      Itching on scrotum.

Female Genitalia

      Induration and inflammation of mammae (left). Sensitive to cold air. Cancer. Bad smelling leucorrhoea.

Respiratory organs

      Larynx and trachea feel cool on inhaling cold air. Coldness in chest. Expectoration of quantities of glairy, tenacious mucus, on lying down. Trachea feels narrow and breathing becomes difficult preceded by formication. Chest feels raw, after expectoration.

Neck and Back

      Hard swollen glands in the neck. Burning bruised pain in coccyx preventing sitting, worse touch.

Extremities

      Cold feet. Cracked finger tips, sensitive to cold. Workmen develop hard place on their hands, with cracks.

Skin

      Hard, thick, dry, cracked. Itching, crawling all over, without eruptions.

Fever

      Chilliness. Sweats, easily; at night.

Related

      Calc; Helod; Hepar

S.R. Phatak
A pioneer of Homoeopathy in Maharashtra, Dr Shankar Raghunath Phatak was born on 6th September, 1896. He did his MBBS from Grant Medical College, in 1924. Started his practice but somehow not satisfied with Allopathic Treatment.

He was convinced about Homoeopathy while going through Sir William Osler's writings on 'History of Medicine' so switched over to an entirely Homoeopathic Practice in 1932. He also started working on Homoeopathic literature along with his Practice.

He has contributed immensely to homoeopathic literature. He was an ardent follower of Dr Boger. His Repertory is based on Boger's ''A Synoptic key to Materia Medica'.