A variety of Cactus grandiflorus. *N. O. Cactaceae. Tincture of stems.
Clinical
Eczema. Emaciation. Eyes, neuralgia of. Heart, affections of. Insanity. Kidneys, affections of. Neuralgia.
Characteristics
The principal symptoms of *Cer.*bon. are in connection with the heart, as in the case of *Cactus, with which it must be compared. The symptoms are worse at night, worse from pressure of clothing, better undressing. *Cer. *bon. was proved by John H. Fitch in substantial doses (*H.P., xii. 533). The prover lost 7 1/2 pounds in weight. He felt weighed down by an incubus. When mental symptoms subsided, bodily symptoms increased and *vice versa. Could not bear contact of clothes, felt better on undressing. Among the marked symptoms were: Wants to be at work, on something useful. Pains through globe of eyes and orbit. Pain through heart, in left great pectoral muscle, left side of chest. Expanding sensation in chest followed by sudden collapse. The effect on the nervous system passed off in four or five days. The pains of *Cer. bon. have a tendency to spread to other parts. Most appear on left side. “Itching in right popliteal space” lasted eight or nine years after the proving. “Itching with roughness of the skin like eczema above left knee anteriorly.” “Itching, with eruption like herpes below left scapula remained permanent.” Fitch (who regards *Cer. *bon. as an “antipsoric of remarkable power”) cured with it: (1) a case of eczema of both hands extending up to elbows. (2) Deposits in urine. (3) Dropsy of cardiac and renal origin. (4) Left intercostal neuralgia. (5) Anterior crural neuralgia. Also two cases of insanity_(6) one in a young woman, gloomy, restless, inclined to curse, swear, and throw things at persons, if resisted, (7) the other in a married women who had spiritual delusions_that she had committed the unpardonable sin, etc. This came on originally after confinement.
Relations.
*Compare: Cact., Anhalonium. (Visions of colours), Graphites, Anacardium (tendency to swear).
SYMPTOMS.
Mind
Desire to engage in work, to have all time employed, to be engaged in something useful. Desire to be dissolved. Disposition to pray. Apathetic, difficult to keep attention fixed. Irritable, inclined to curse and swear. Time seems to pass slowly. Spiritual delusions, thinks she has committed the unpardonable sin.
Head
Feeling as if head suspended from some support under skull and base of brain. Head felt drawn to left backward. Pain extending through forehead (left) to occiput. Painful stunning feeling in right frontal bone. Sensation as of a board bound to back of head, more left Severe pain in occiput, running through to brain, worse walking or descending steps. Profuse falling off of hair.
Eyes
Heavy feeling in eyes, soreness. Pains through globe of right eye, of left eye and orbit. Strong light painful. Perception of a cluster of orange-coloured spots, round and symmetrical.
Ears
Pain behind left mastoid process extending upward and back-ward, through ear and head.
Nose
Sneezing. Discharges hardened mucus, greenish.
Face
Haggard look. Pain along right malar bone, running to temple, through to occiput.
Mouth
Tongue: red, deep purple. Watery sensation in mouth. Salivation.
Throat
Persistent mucus in throat, pale greenish or clear.
Abdomen
Pain in left groin sharp and cutting as from calculus in ureter.
Stool
Copious urgent evacuation. Felt very well after. Ineffectual
urging.
Urinary Organs
Pain in kidneys, as from calculus. Sticking pain right ureter. Deep-coloured, strong-smelling urine.
Male Sexual Organs.
Priapism in presence of opposite sex. Anesthesia of genitals.
Respiratory Organs
Clearing the larynx of mucus. Breath fetid. Long, deep, uneasy respirations, worse before rising. Cough on throwing off outer garments.
Chest
Chest expands itself seemingly to its utmost capacity, in an instant collapsing, to be repeated. Deep inspiration at intervals, as from oppression. Intercostal neuralgia. Somewhat persistent pain in cartilages of lower left false ribs. Chest feels empty.
Heart
Irritable heart. Heart symptoms worse lying left side. Pains in chest left side and through heart. Pains in left pectoralis major. Convulsive pains at heart on going to bed at night. Sensation as of a great stone laid on heart, soon after as if chest broken out just in front of heart. As if heart transfixed by a bolt. Pricking pain.
Neck and Back
Pain on left side of neck, and along clavicle, at night. Pain in upper portion of spine and medulla, running upwards and expanding to surface of brain, worse stooping or bending head forward. Pains running along back down to arms. Vertebral spines tender to touch. Pain in right scapula.
Upper Limbs
Pain in both upper arms. Pain with numbness in arms and hands.
Lower Limbs
Pain in right hip. Pain inner side left knee. Itching in right popliteal space.
Generalities
Lost 7 1/2 pounds in weight. Ill at ease, restless. When mental symptoms subside, bodily one are worse, and conversely.
Skin
Pustules on body, especially on nates. Intolerable itching. (The skin symptoms persisted for nine years.).
Sleep
Fits of yawning. Drowsy, slept all night without undressing. Dreamed: of large assemblies, of forgotten scenes. Re-dreamed old dreams.