Generalities
In ordinary practice colocynth was used as a drastic purgative. In homoeopathy not only it is useful in acute affections of DIGESTIVE TRACT AND INTESTINES; but it has a long lasting action on NERVES (Large) esp. TRIFACIAL; SCIATIC and spinal. In abdomen it produces, SUDDEN ATROCIOUS, CRAMPINGS; griping, tearing pains which make the patient TWIST; and turn, cry out; or wriggle for relief or bend him double; patient presses something hard against the abdomen, pains are accompanied by nausea and diuresis and the patient vomits from intensity of pain. Neuralgic pains are CUTTING; pinching, clamping, gnawing or boring, followed by numbness; better by pressure. Cramps and twitching and shortening of the muscles; or parts seem too short. Constrictions. It is suitable to easily angered, irritable persons; with tendency to corpulency. To women of sedentary habits with copious menstruation. Cysto-spasms after operations on orifices. Ill effects of anger, indignation, chagrin; grief, catching cold. Excessive venery. Convulsive jerks and constrictions, during pain. Sensation as of being encircled with an iron band, screwed up tightly. Throbbing throughout the whole body. Burnings. Prostration, as if all his strength was failing. Faints; with pain and with coldness. Formication in affected part.
Worse
EMOTIONS; VEXATION; chagrin. Anger. Lying on painless side. Night, in bed Draughts. Taking cold. Before and after urination.
Better
HARD PRESSURE; on edge. Heat. Rest. Gentle motion. After stool or flatus. Doubling up.
Mind
Greatly affected by the misfortunes of others. Anger, easily vexed during pain. Want of religious feeling. Screams with pain; wants to walk about, disinclined to talk, to answer. Impatient. Does not want to meet the friend. Morose; becomes offended at everything.
Head
Vertigo when quickly turning the head; to the left. Head pains worse stooping, lying on back and moving eyelids, with nausea, and vomiting. Roots of hair painful. Head hot.
Eyes
On stooping feeling as if eyes would fall out. Violent pains before development of glaucoma; eyes become stony hard. Pain and twitching in eyelids. Burning eyelids.
Ears
Sounds re-echo in ears. Crawling, itching, stitching, aching better by putting finger into ear.
Face
Prosopalgia, with eye symptoms, or alternating, with pain in coeliac region, with chilliness. Face distorted Cheeks cold. Pain anywhere is reflected on the face.
Mouth
Persistent bitter taste. Burning on the tip of the tongue. Scalded sensation of the tongue. Teeth feel too long.
Throat
Cramps in gullet, with empty eructations and palpitation of the heart.
Stomach
Vomits from pain. Sensation in stomach as if something would not yield; drawing pain in the stomach. Very thirsty. Vomiting of bitter water. Pain in stomach, with pain in teeth and head. Potatoes and starchy food disagree. Coffee better colic.
Abdomen
VIOLENT, CUTTING, GRIPPING, GRASPING, CLUTCHING OR RADIATING, COLICKY PAINS; COME IN WAVES; better DOUBLING UP; HARD PRESSURE; worse least food; or drink, except coffee and tobacco smoking. Flatulent colic. Intestines feel squeezed between stones. Colic, with a cramp in calves, from drinking when over heated. Cutting in bowels at navel. Pressure better the pain in abdomen in acute stage but when pain remains for a long time, parts become tender then pressure worse the pain. Stools; frothy, watery, shreddy, yellow, sourish or gelatinous; with flatulence and pain. Dysenteric stools, renewed each time by least food or drink. Slippery bubbles escape from anus. During colic infant lies on abdomen and screams when he is slightly moved. Chronic watery diarrhoea worse in the morning. Diarrhoea; from pain, from anger with indignation.
Urinary organs
Burning along urethra during stools. Pain on urination over the whole abdomen. Renal colic, with diuresis; Cysto-spasms after operation on the orifices. Urine; gelatinous, sticky, stringy. Red hard crystals adhering to the vessels. Urine, milky white coagulates on standing; diabetes.
Male
Sensation as if everything were flowing towards genitals, from both sides of the abdomen, causing seminal emission. Para- phimosis.
Female
Clutching pain in ovarian region better drawing up double, with restlessness. Dysmenorrhoea worse eating and drinking. Ovarian cyst, with pain better flexing thigh on pelvis. Suppression of menses or lochia from indignation. Menses copious in women with sedentary habits. Painful nodes in mammae. Ovarian tumours, cysts.
Respiratory organs
Short cough when smoking tobacco. Difficulty of breathing during menses; ovarian tumour.
Heart
Feels pushed up by a distended stomach. Strong throbbing in all blood vessels.
Back
Pain under right scapula; better pressure. Lumbar ache better pressure. Cramp like pains in the hips better lying on the affected side. Neck stiff worse moving head. As of a heavy weight in lumbo-dorsal region better lying on left side.
Extremities
Contraction of muscles. Sciatic pain, shooting, band-like, screwing better pressure, heat; worse least motion, rotation, at night. Limbs drawn up like hedge hog. Cramps in muscles during coition. Pain in deltoid (right). Knees feel stiff, cold. Feet cold, with colic.
Sleep
Sleeplessness and restlessness, with pains; after anger.
Fever
Coldness of hands and soles, rest of the body warm. Chill and shivering with pains. Sweat; at night, cold, smelling like urine.
Related
Staphysagria
Complementary
Causticum
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'.