Cocculus Indicus. *N. O. Menispermaceae. A tincture is prepared from the powered seeds, which contain a crystallizable principle Picrotoxine (which see), a powerful poison.
Clinical
Anger, effects of. Bones, affections of. Cerebrospinal meningitis. Chorea. *Colic. Convulsions. Debility. Faintness. Fever, effects of. Haemorrhoids. *Headache. Hernia. Intermittent fever. *Knee, *weakness of; *cracking in. *Memory, *weak. Mental excitement, effects of. Menstrual headache. *Menstruation, *painful. Overstrain, bodily or mental. Palpitation. *Paralysis. Parotitis. Phthiriasis. Rheumatism. Riding in carriage, effects of. *Sea-sickness. *Sleep, *affections from loss of. Somnolence. Spasms. Spinal irritation. Tympany. *Vertigo. *Vomiting.
Characteristics
*Cocculus has been used from ancient times as a poison for stupefying fish, and making them easy to catch. Correspondingly we find it produces great disturbance of the sensorium in human beings, and all the symptoms of intoxication. It is commonly used as an adulteration of beer to heighten its intoxicating properties. A very characteristic symptom is a sensation of hollowness or emptiness in the head or other parts. Allied to this is a sense of lightness of body. Another characteristic is an opening and shutting sensation, especially in the occiput. Along with the vertigo is nausea and vomiting which bring it into close relation with sea-sickness and carriage-sickness. *Coccul. corresponds perfectly to the sensitive condition caused by loss of sleep and night-watching, and is the first remedy to think of for removing this. “Irritable weakness” is a leading note in the *Cocculus effects. The *Cocculus Patient is very sensitive to fear, anger, grief, and all mental disturbances, also to noise and touch. Enlargement of liver after anger. Easily startled. Fear of ghosts and spectres. Stinging pains, stitches, constriction, in the hands a pithy feeling. Many symptoms are worse at menstrual period, piles during menses. *Cocculus has cured a case of delirium at onset of menses during first and second days, the patient said, “I always see something alive, on wall, floor, chairs, or anywhere, always *rolling, and will roll on me.” *Cocculus is suited to persons of mild and sluggish temperament, light-haired persons, hypochondriacal, timid, fearful, and nervous persons. Other prominent features of *Coccul. are: Paralytic pains, or pains as of dislocation. Paralytic weakness, lax-muscles. “Weakness of neck muscles with heaviness of head.” Sensation as if single parts had gone to sleep. Immovability of parts affected. Of localities, the right hypochondrium (especially liver), inner hypogastrium, inner forehead, back, upper arm, and bones of arm are chiefly affected. This has been verified: “Spasmodic, flatulent colic, about midnight, flatus passed without relief,” recurring several nights, promptly cured by *Coccul. 3X. Lippe cured as case of enlargement of the liver after parturition, the indication being “the liver was more painful after anger.” The sensitiveness to touch is very great and serves to indicate *Cocculus in preference to other remedies in many affections where this is pronounced, in articular rheumatism, in ulcers, in neuralgic affections of bones. The least jar is unbearable (travelling by land or sea). worse By touch, pressure, or jar. Worse From motion generally, moving body, rising from bed, bending over or stopping. Worse Kneeling, walking, swallowing saliva. Sitting better some symptoms. Many symptoms are worse evening and night, especially about midnight and 1 a m. Sensitive to air either hot or cold. Longs for cold drinks, but eating or drinking anything cold causes tearing in limbs. Worse Open air. Worse From sun. Worse By warmth of bed. better In a room. A decoction of Cocculus is a domestic remedy used locally for destroying head-or body- lice.
Relations.
*Antidoted by: Camph., Chamomilla, Cuprum, Ignatia, Nux-v., Staphysagria *It antidotes: Alcohol, Tobacco, Chamomilla, Cuprum, Nux-v., and the fever of Thuja *Incompatible with: Causticum, Coffee. *Compatible: Follows well Aconite (endocarditis with fearfulness), Chamomilla, Nux-v. Ignatia *Compare: Aconite, Actea r., Antim crud. (gastralgia), Agar, (somnolency), Antim tart., Arsenicum, Belladonna, Calcarea, Carb-v. (parotitis), Chamomilla, Coffea, Cuprum, Ignatia (headache), Ip., Iodium, Lachesis, Mercurius, Mosch., Nit., Nux-m. (somnolency), Olnd., Petroleum, Pulsatilla (headache), Hyoscyamus, Sabin., Sassafras, Scut., Silicea, Stramonium, Tabacum, Valer., Veratrum In effects from noise, Nux-v., nitricum acidum Sense of lightness, Asarum europaeum, Cann-i., Calcarea, Gelsemium, Stict, Silicea, Thuja, menstrual sick headache, Lac-d., fear of ghosts, Aconite, Arsenicum, Bromium, Carb-v., Lycopodium, Phosphorus, Pulsatilla, Sulphur, Zincum met. Umbilical hernia, Nux-v. (without urging, Bry, Natrum mur., Veratrum), worse from kneeling, Mag-c., Sep, nausea constant, Ip., Kali-c., Sulphur, Ignatia, Acet-ac., uterine spasm, dysmenia, dark flow, Ignatia (Cocc. is distinguished by having weak, lame feeling in small of back, as if about to be paralysed, trembles on beginning to walk), weak from talking, Veratrum, Sulph, Calcarea, functional paralysis from fatigue or mental emotions, Ignatia, Phosphorus, Natrum mur., Collinsonia, in occipital headache, Gels, Jug. c. Weakness of neck muscles, Antim tart., better putting head back, Seneg. (Worse Clem., Cinnb.). *Compare also: Picrotoxin and Picric acid in paralytic sensations and effects of fatigue. Teste places Cocc. in his Causticum group.
Causation
Anger. Fright. Noise. Sleep, loss of. Sea-sickness. Travelling. Over-strain, mental or bodily. Sun. Tea-drinking.
SYMPTOMS.
Mind
Pre-occupation of mind, and sad and melancholy reflections, as if the patient had sustained wrongs. He sits as if wrapped in deep sad thoughts, and does not take notice of anything, anxiety. Loss of will and power to decide on any action. Hypochondriacal humour, despair. Strong, anxious apprehension, inquietude, and fear of death. Disposition to be frightened. Excessive susceptibility. Disposition to take everything in bad part and to be angry. Mania. Mistakes concerning the lapse of time, it passes too quickly.
Head
Confusion of the head, especially after eating or drinking. Dulness in the head, increased by reading or meditation. Vertigo, as from intoxication, or on rising up in the bed, with inclination to vomit, which forces the patient to lie down again. Fits of vertigo, with nausea and loss of consciousness. Headache, with inclination to vomit or vomiting, and pain as from a bruise in the intestines. The headache is aggravated after sleeping, eating, or drinking (coffee), in the open air, while riding in a carriage, and is relieved in a warm room, or when becoming warm in bed. Violent aching pains, especially in the forehead. Stupid feeling in the head (cold perspiration on forehead and hands). During motion, headache, as if the eyes were being torn from the sockets, with vertigo. Pain in the head, which seems, as it were, empty and hollow, or sensation of constriction in the brain. Pulsative pains, sometimes in the crown of the head, sometimes in the temples. Convulsive trembling of the head, caused by weakness of the muscles of the neck, worse after sleeping and in the open air, from coffee and tobacco, better in the warm room.
Eyes
Pressure and pain, as from a bruise, in the eyes, and difficulty in opening the eyelids at night. Pain in the eyes, as if they were torn out of the head (with headache). Convulsive rolling of the balls of the eyes during the spasms. Pupils very much dilated, or contracted. Dryness of the eyelids. Inflammation of the eyelids. Eyes prominent and glassy. Dimsightedness (after reading a short time the print is all blurred). Confusion of sight, with black spots before the eyes. Phantoms before the eyes.
Ears
Buzzing in the ears, with hardness of hearing, and sensation as if the ears were stopped, with noise as from rushing water. The right ear feels closed. Swelling of the parotids.
Nose
Swelling of the nose, sometimes semi-lateral (right). Coryza, with ulcerated nostrils. Very acute sense of smell.
Face
Face of a burning red, puffed and hot. Transient heat in the cheeks. Flushes of heat in the face after drinking. Blue circles round the eyes. Face convulsively contracted. Cramps in the cheek-bone and in the masseters. Swelling and induration of the sub-maxillary glands.
Teeth
Pains in carious teeth, but only when eating. Looseness of the teeth, with swelling of the gums.
Mouth
Dryness of the mouth (in the night), without thirst. Foam before the mouth, forming bubbles. Tongue loaded with a yellow coating.
Throat
Difficulty of speech, as from paralysis of the tongue. Dryness of the throat. Excessive sensitiveness of the palate, the food seems to be too strong, or too salt. Constriction in the gullet, which seems to be paralysed. Burning pain in the esophagus, and in the throat, with sulphurous taste in the mouth.
