Conium Maculatum


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


Generalities

      This is the poison which was supposed to have been given to the Greek philosopher Socrates for causing his death. It affects the NERVES, AND MUSCLES, causing incoordination and paralysis; uncertain gait, difficult speech; patient becomes gradually WEAK. Irregular, action; development of symptoms. Sudden loss of strength while walking. Trembling of all the limbs. Suddenly sick and weak, with numbness. Useful in old age or for those persons who become old early; for old maids, for bachelors, for youths who suffer from ill effects of masturbation. Glands esp. MAMMARY and ovaries are affected with engorgement, and STONY INDURATIONS. Sensation as of a lump; in brain; in epigastrium. Ascending symptoms; paralysis; after diphtheria. Tearing, stabbing pains. New growths. Arteriosclerosis. Multiple neuritis. Cancerous diathesis. Patients who are worse when idle. Paroxysms of hysteria and hypochondriasis from sexual abstinence or sexual excess. Hysterical convulsions. Ill effects of contusions, blows, overstraining, overwork. Grief. Easily intoxicated. Women broken down, tired of life, discouraged; who feel as if they were to cry; and swallow and choke as from a lump in the throat. Progressive debility. Chronicity. Clothes distress. Faints at stool. Sensation as of a hoop or band or something tight around the part.

Worse

      SEEING MOVING OBJECTS. ALCOHOL. Raising arms. After exertion_bodily or mental. Injury. Sexual abuse or excess. Continence. Cold; taking cold. Old age. Lying; with head low. Turning in bed. Pressure of tight clothing. Jar. Night. Standing. Before and during menses. Dry, hot air. Spring.

Better

      Letting affected part hang down. Stooping. Moving, walking. In the sun. Dark. Pressure. Walking bent. On sitting down. Fasting.

Mind

      Depressed, timid, averse to society, yet fears being alone. Slow grasp; difficult understanding. Weak memory. No inclination for business or study. Indifferent. Difficulty in understanding what he is reading. Superstitious. Unable to sustain mental effort. Periodical insanity, of alternating type. While walking on the road wants to hold somebody and abuse him. Trifles seem important. Thinks that animals are jumping on his bed. Sad; dissatisfied with herself and Surroundings. Cannot think after using eyes. Cares very little for things; makes useless purchases, wastes or ruins them. Likes to wear his best clothes. Sadness worse by sympathy. As if great guilt weighed upon him. Fears when alone, but dread of strangers or company, during menses.

Head

      VERTIGO; whirling. worse lying, turning over in bed; least motion of the yes or head; of old age. Hot spots on head. Temples compressed worse after meals. Sensation as of a lump in right half of brain. Sick headaches, with inability to urinate. Pain in head from sinciput to occiput better stooping and moving the head. Sensation of fulness, bursting in brain during headache. One side numb and cold.

Eyes

      Feel crossed Lids; heavy, droop worse outside. Photophobia and excessive lachrymation; without inflammation or from slightest abrasion or ulceration of the eye. Burning in eyes. Vision coloured; red. As of fringe falling over eyes. Vision diminished in artificial light. Cataract after eye injury. Ptosis of eyelids. Sweats on closing eyes. Diplopia. Black spots before eyes, with vertigo. Myopia. Vision becomes blurred when vexed.

Ears

      Accumulation of ear wax like pulp of paper; or blood red hard wax, causing hardness of hearing. Oversensitive to noise. Parotid gland swollen and hard. Ears feel stopped on blowing nose.

Nose

      Smell acute. Easy bleeding, picks nose constantly. Polypus. Frequent sneezing. Obstinate obstruction of nose.

Face

      Moist and spreading herpes on face. Cancer of the lip (from pressure of pipe). Sub-maxillary glands are swollen and hard.

Mouth

      Toothache worse cold food, not by cold drinks. Speech difficult from paralysis of tongue. Cancer of tongue. Sour saliva. Distortion of tongue and mouth.

Throat

      As if a round body were ascending from stomach (globus). Food goes down the wrong way and stops while swallowing. Paresis of oesophagus. Constant inclination to swallow as from a lump in the throat worse walking in open air. Tonsils enlarged.

Stomach

      Acrid heartburn and acrid eructations worse on going to bed. Distention of stomach after taking milk. Pain in stomach better eating but worse few hours (2 or 3) after eating, better in knee chest position. Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Craves coffee, salt, sour things. Aversion to bread. Vomiting; of coffee grounds, chocolate coloured lumps or clear sour water. Cancer, ulcer.

Abdomen

      Distension worse after taking milk. Cutting pain before passing flatus. Severe aching in and around the liver. Chronic jaundice and pain in right hypochondrium. Trembling of whole abdomen. Abdomen hard and distended. Tremulous weakness, palpitation of heart after every stool. Involuntary stool; during sleep. Cold; flatus; stool; Constipation on alternate days. Burning or coldness in rectum. Hypogastric pain goes down legs. Ineffective urging to stool.

Urinary organs

      Interrupted urination, urine stops and starts; better standing. Dribbling in old men. Cutting and burning after urination. Difficulty in passing urine in the beginning even when standing, then it flows freely. Urine feels hot.

Male

      Testes enlarged. Erections imperfect and of too short duration. Seminal discharge, provoked by mere presence of a woman or contact. Sexual nervousness, dejection; after coition. Ill effects of suppressed sexual appetite. Cutting in urethra while semen passes. Dribbling of prostatic fluid worse stools, emotions etc. Itching in prepuce. Sexual desire without erection. Impotence.

Female

      Menses; irregular; too late; scanty. Dysmenorrhoea, with drawing down thighs. Breast enlarged and become painful before and during menses, worse at every step. Wants to press breast hard with hand. Mammae lax and shrunken with or without sexual desire. Hard tumours in mammae; with stitches or piercing pain. Cancer. Stitches in mammae and in nipples, on taking deep breath or walking. Too much milk before menses. Leucorrhoea; white, acrid; preceded by griping in abdomen; after urination. Cutting pain in ovaries and uterus. Ovaries enlarged and indurated; lancinating pains. Ovaritis. Fears when alone, but dread of strangers or company during menses. Ill effects of suppressed sexual desire, of suppressed menses. Motion of child painful during pregnancy. Prolapse of uterus from straining at a hard stool. Itching deep in vagina.

Respiratory organs

      Constant, tormenting cough, from dry spot in the larynx or tickling in chest and throatpit, worse when lying down, laughing, talking and during pregnancy, has to sit up. Cough seems to come from abdomen. Loose cough without expectoration, has to swallow what he coughs up. Caries of the sternum. Want of breath worse least exertion. The clothes lie like a weight on chest and shoulders. Cough on taking deep breath. Tightness of chest better by coughing. Sharp pain from sternum to spine.

Heart

      Palpitation, worse exertion, drinking, at stools, etc. Pulse unequal, irregular.

Neck and Back:

      Pain between shoulders. Spinal injuries. Drawing pain in the lumbar vertebrae worse standing. Coccygodynia. Pediculated tumour at the centre of back. Neck cold. Enlargement of neck. Small, flat wart like growths on buttocks.

Extremities

      Shoulders feel bruised; clothes lie like a weight on them. Hands; weary, heavy, trembling, unsteady. Axillary glands enlarged. Nails yellow. Fingers and toes numb. Heels, as if bone would push through them. Shooting in heels. Perspiration on hands. Weak lower limbs, as if paralysed. Cracking in knee joint. Can walk straight and steadily, with eyes closed, but staggers, becomes giddy, is nauseated when walking with open eyes.

Sleep

      Drowsiness by day. Sleeps after midnight. Nightmares in sleep.

Fever

      Coldness of nape, of calf etc. Hot flushes; or sweat; on dropping to sleep, or even when closing the eyes. Sweat; under the eyes, on chin, in poplitea; cold on nape and palms; offensive causing smarting of skin.

Skin

      Greenish, like an old bruise. Red spots turning yellow or green. Urticaria from violent bodily exertion. Foul or eczematous eruptions. Gangrenous ulcers. Petechiae in old persons. Anaesthesia or inactivity of the skin. Pimples, small red, burning appear with scanty menses and disappear after menses.

Related

      Arn; Bar-c; Calc-f; Caust; Gels; Iodium

Complementary

      Phosphorus

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'.