Capsicum annum. Cayenne Pepper. (South America and West Indies.) *N. O. Solanaceae. Tincture of the dried pods.
Clinical
Amaurosis. Asthma. Brain, irritation of. Delirium tremens. *Cough. Diarrhoea. Diphtheria. Dysentery. *Ear affections. Glandular swellings. *Haemorrhoids. *Headache. *Heartburn. Hernia. *Home-sickness. *Intermittents. *Lungs, *affections of. Measles. *Mouth, *ulcers in. Neuralgia. *Nose, *affections of. Obesity. Oesophagus, stricture of. Paralysis. Pleuro-pneumonia. *Pregnancy, *disorders of. *Rectum, *diseases of. *Rheumatic gout. *Rheumatism. *Sciatica. Scrofula. Seasickness. Stomatitis. *Throat, *sore. Tongue, paralysis of. *Trachea, *tickling in. *Urine, *disorders of. *Whooping-cough. Yellow fever.
Characteristics
*Capsicum should be studied in connection with the other great members of the Solanum family, *Belladonna, *Stramonium, *Hyoscyamus, *Dulcamara, *Solanum *Carolinense, *Solanum *nigrum, *Solanum *tuberosum (Potato), and *Lycopersicum *esculentum (Tomato). It acts with great intensity on the mucous membranes, and also on the bones: affections of bones in general, pains in bones of face, inflammation of petrous bone. *Capsicum corresponds especially to persons of light hair and blue eyes, also to persons of lax fibre and muscles, obesity, lazy, fat, unclean persons who dread the open air, clumsy children, awkward persons, haemorrhoidal troubles. Lack of reaction and bodily irritability. Symptoms generally appear on left side. As with *Dulcamara, there is extreme sensitiveness to cold and damp which worse most symptoms. The well-known burning effects of red pepper is a leading indication for its use: “Burning pains” wherever occurring demand that *Capsicum should have the first consideration, if there are no other determining symptoms in favor of another remedy. The burning of *Caps. is worse from cold water. Redness of the skin, and even a scarlet eruption like *Belladonna. Very characteristic is a cough with fetid breath, or bad taste. Cough causing splitting pain in head. Chill at 10.30 a m., beginning between shoulders and running down back. A case of poisoning in a worker in a capsicum-plaster factory brought out: severe chill with shaking, and it ended in an intense coryza. *Caps. 30 brought speedy relief in a case of tympanites following laparotomy, the concomitant symptoms being: cold nose and extremities, and cyanosis. *Caps. is a notable fever remedy. The patient is thirsty_but drinking causes shuddering. Absence of thirst during heat. Burning, pungent pains, worse by application of cold water, are very marked. Burning, pungent sensation in face worse by slightest draught of cold air, burning in throat, burning blisters in roof of mouth (diphtheria or gangrene), constriction of throat, spasmodic closure, pain when not swallowing, burning in rectum, tenesmus, haemorrhage, burning on urination, burning in bladder. *Caps. is among the remedies of the front rank in stomatitis, in inflammation of the middle ear, with involvement of mastoid cells, in the sore throat of smokers and drinkers, with inflammation, burning, relaxed uvula, sometimes dry, sometimes with tough mucus difficult to dislodge. Local burning and general chilliness distinguish *Caps. in a vast number of cases. *Caps. is indicated where there is lack of reaction in persons of lax fibre. The mental state shows home- sickness. “Home-sickness, with red cheeks and sleeplessness, with hot feeling in fauces.” (With a few doses of *Caps. I cured completely an Australian girl, of florid complexion, who had come to London to study, and who was quite incapacitated by home- sickness.) There is awkwardness, fearfulness, obstinacy. Alternating states, laughs and weeps by turns, is now jocose and sings, but becomes angry from slightest cause. Delirium: it has been given with great success in delirium tremens, mostly in drachm doses of the tincture, given in milk. better From heat is the most important modality. Patients who cannot get to sleep without a hot bottle at their back. Rest worse some forms of headache and better others. Motion causes headache as if skull would split, as if bruised, asthma, chilliness, stiff joints to crack. Ascending causes asthma. worse By touch. Shuns open air, dreads uncovering, dreads air, especially a draught. Spirits become lower as body becomes cooler. Sensation as if cayenne pepper were sprinkled on parts. Violent pains in various places, now here now there. Sensation as if parts would go to sleep. I had one patient on whom *Caps. acted well in summer, but not in winter. Equal parts of tincture of *Caps. and glycerine make an excellent liniment for external use in many cases of chronic rheumatism and neuralgia.
Relations
*Antidoted by: Caladium, Camph., Cina, Chi., Sul-ac., or vapor of burning sulphur. *It antidotes: Effects of Alcohol, Coffee, Opium, Quinine. *Compatible: Belladonna, Lycopodium, Pulsatilla, Silicea *Compare: Arnica, Belladonna (headache, etc.), Bryonia (headache from cough), Cantharis (burning pains, throat symptoms, dysentery, urinary symptoms), Psorinum (lack of reaction, despair of recovery, Caps. in persons of lax fibre), Lachesis (thirst before chill, continues into chill, drinking worse, also Elaps), Natrum mur., Carb-v. and Meny. (intermittents, Natrum mur. is the “chronic” of Caps.), Carb-an. and nitricum acidum (inflammation behind ears, Aurum and nitricum acidum preferable in abscess, Silicea in chronic suppuration), Ph-ac. (home-sickness, Caps. has red face), Arsenicum, Alumina, Carb-v., Lycopodium have burning pains better by heat. Mercurius, nitricum acidum, Sulphur have passage of blood from bowels, Crot-t. (after drinking urging to stool), Helleborus (colic with spasm of bladder), Platina (burning, pungent pain in face, worse slightest draught of air, warm or cold). Compare also Solanaceae.
SYMPTOMS.
Mind
Tendency to take alarm. Discontent. Opinionativeness. Strong disposition to take everything in bad part, to fly into a rage, even on account of harmless jests, and to utter reproaches. Capricious and exceedingly changeable humour. Dullness of all the senses. Want of reflection and awkwardness. Nostalgia, with redness of the cheeks and sleeplessness. Disposition to jest, and to utter witticisms, but gets angry at least trifle.
Head
Bewilderment of the head. Intoxication, as if from spirituous liquors. Headache, as if the cranium were going to burst, on walking, or moving the head or coughing. Attack of semi-lateral headache, pressive and shooting, with nausea, vomiting, and loss of memory, aggravated by movement of the eyes. Shooting, or acute, drawing pains, especially in the sides of the head. Pain of pressive severing in the brain, as if from fullness. Pulsative headache, (better in motion). Gnawing itching in the scalp, with pain in the roots of the hair after scratching.
Eyes
Pressure in the eyes, as if from a foreign body introduced into them. Inflammation of the eyes, with redness, burning pain, and lachrymation. Eyes prominent. Confusion of sight, especially in the morning, as if something were swimming on the cornea, mitigated for an instant by rubbing. Objects appear black when brought before the eyes. Sight entirely extinct, as if from amaurosis.
Ears
Acute drawing pains in the ears. Itching and pressure in the bottom of the auditory tube. Painful swelling on the bone behind the ear, worse by touch. Tearing behind left ear. Diminution of hearing after previous burning and stinging in the ear.
Nose
Epistaxis, especially in bed, in the morning. Painful pimples under the nostrils. Dry coryza, with tingling and tickling in the nostrils.
Face
Redness of the face (without heat), often alternately with paleness. Many small red spots on the face. Corroding, itching tetter on the forehead. Pains in the face, in the bones, where they are aggravated by the touch, or in the nerves where they are aggravated during sleep. Dull pressure on the cheek-bone. Swelling of the lips. Ulcerated eruptions, and fissures in the lips.
Teeth
Pains in the teeth, as if they were set on edge, or elongated. Pullings in the teeth, and in the gums. Swelling of the gums.
Mouth
Burning vesicles in the mouth and on the tongue. Viscid saliva in the mouth.
Throat
Sore throat with painful deglutition and pulling sensation in the pharynx. Inflammation, with dark redness and burning of the throat. Cramp-like contraction of the throat. Uvula elongated, with sensation as if it were pressing on something hard.
Appetite
Unnaturally increased appetite, alternated with aversion to food. Aqueous and insipid taste. Sour taste in the mouth, and also a taste of broth. Want of appetite. Desire for coffee, with inclination to vomit before or after taking it. Pyrosis. Nausea, felt generally in the epigastrium, with pressure on the part.
Stomach
Pain in the stomach, which is inflated. Sensation of cold in the stomach. Burning pain in the stomach, and in the epigastrium, especially just after a meal. Shootings in the epigastrium, on breathing rapidly and deeply, on speaking, and on the part being touched.
