Hyoscyamus


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


Generalities

      Commonly known as Henbane or Hogbane disturbs the MIND; brain and nervous system profoundly. Diabolical force seems to take possession of the brain preventing its functions. It causes a perfect picture of mania of a quarrelsome and lascivious nature. Convulsions; trembling, jerks; twitchings, cramps are very marked features. Active mania or convulsions, alternate with, or ends in deep sopor. Motions of the arms are clutching or angular; throws arms about, misses what is reached for; totters while walking. Paralysis after spasms. Epilepsy; vertigo before the attack. Falls suddenly to the ground with cries. CARPHOLOGY, picks at bed clothes, at fingers. When lying on back, suddenly sits up and lies down again. Child sobs and cries without waking. Eclampsia. Subsultus; during fevers. Septic fevers. Slides down in bed. Ill effects of suppressed lochia or milk. Fright, disappointed love. Chorea; local, twitchings of solitary muscles; squinting, stammering. Suitable to nervous; irritable, excitable persons. Sensation as if walking on and through air.

Worse

      EMOTIONS; jealousy; fright; unhappy love. Before and during menses. TOUCH. Cold. Sleep. Lying.

Better.

      Sitting up. Motion. Warmth. Stooping.

Mind

      Many bewildering aberrations. MANIA. Erotic, (females) exposes genitals; sings amorous songs. Does foolish things, behaves like one mad. Laughs, sings, talks, babbles, quarrels. Fumbles the genitals. jealous. Suspicious. Fears; being alone, being pursued; of water; being poisoned, being bitten etc. Laughs at everything, foolishly. Restless, jumps out of bed, wants to escape. Speaks each word louder. Rage; with desire to strike, bite, fight, insult, scold, and to kill. Plaintive cries esp. on the slightest touch even in stupor. Unconsciousness, can barely be aroused. Muttering delirium. Thinks one is not at home. Speechless from fright. Confusion. First cannot think, then can scarcely be aroused. Talks with imaginary persons, to dead ones. Imagines things are animals. Fear of being bitten by beasts. Plays with fingers. Silly; does comical acts. Look at hands because they seem too large. Syphilophobia.

Head

      Waves of pulsation in head. Pulsating headache. Vertigo, before spasms, from smell of flowers, gas etc. Rolls or shakes the head to and fro; when bending forward; in stupor; after concussion of the brain. Brain feels loose. As of water swashing in head.

Eyes

      Aversion to light. Eyes open but does not pay attention. Spasmodic closing of lids. Eyes roll about in orbits. Squint. Constantly stares at surrounding objects. Objects; seem red, large, or with coloured borders (yellow).

Ears

      Deafness, from paralysis of auditory nerve.

Nose

      Nostrils sooty, smoky. Sudden jerks at root of the nose. Loss of smell and taste.

Face

      Pale, flushed, dark red. Muscles twitch. Grimaces, and makes ridiculous gestures. Lower jaw drops. Muscles twitch, when protruding the tongue. Lock jaw.

Mouth

      Sordes on teeth; closes tightly. Foam at mouth. Tongue protruded with difficulty, can hardly draw it in. Speech; impaired, lost from fright. Stiff dark, red, cracked tongue, looks like burnt leather. Bites the tongue while talking. Tongue dry, rattles in mouth. Grinds the teeth, during convulsions, children. Teeth feel loose when chewing; also too long. Violent pain in teeth, with twitching of muscles of hands, face etc.

Throat

      Elongation of uvula. Constriction of throat, inability to swallow liquids; solid and warm food better. Fluids come out through the nose, or go down into larynx.

Stomach

      Hiccough; from concussion of brain; of nursing children. Vomiting with convulsions. Cramps in stomach better after vomiting; worse after irritating food. Aversion to water.

Abdomen

      Colic, as if abdomen would burst. Colic; with vomiting, eructations, hiccough and screaming. Red spots on abdomen. Umbilicus open, urine oozing through. Stools; involuntary, bloody, yellow, watery or although hard, worse mental excitement, during sleep; during fevers; while urinating. Gastritis or peritonitis with hiccough. Diarrhoea after parturition.

Urinary

      Frequent, scanty, painful, nightly urination; or retention of urine; after childbirth; paralysis of bladder. Involuntary urination.

Male

      Lascivious; exposes his genitals, plays with genitals, during fever.

Female

      Lascivious; uncovers sexual parts. Nymphomania. Hysterical or epileptic spasms, before menses. Convulsive trembling of hands and feet, during menses. Enuresis, during menses. Painless diarrhoea in lying-in women. Colds that settled in the womb and bring on labour-like pains. Convulsions during pregnancy. No will to make water in child-bed. Milk and lochia suppressed.

Respiratory

      Dry, hacking spasmodic cough; from a dry spot in larynx at night; worse lying, eating, drinking, talking, singing; better sitting up. Hemoptysis_bright red; with spasms. Spasms of chest with shortness of breath, forcing him to bend double. Exhausting cough, with sweat.

Neck and Back

      Stiff, contracted to one side.

Extremities

      Trembling of hands and feet. Toes spasmodically contracted while walking or going upstairs. Fists clenched with retraction of thumbs (in convulsions).

Sleep

      Nervous wakefulness. Falls asleep while answering. Starts out of sleep; frightened. Sits up and then goes to sleep again. Profound sleep. Laughs during sleep.

Fever

      Low fever with hot, pale skin. Warm sweat.

Related

      Bell; Phos; Stramonium

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'.