Colocynthis


Colocynthis signs and symptoms of the homeopathy medicine from the Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica by J.H. Clarke. Find out for which conditions and symptoms Colocynthis is used…


      Citrullus colocynthis. Cucumis colocynthis. Bitter Apple. *N.O. Cucurbitaceae. Native of Turkey. Tincture of pulp of fruit.

Clinical

Cataract. Ciliary neuralgia. *Colic. Coxalgia. Diabetes. *Diarrhoea. *Dysentery. Dysmenorrhoea. Glaucoma. Headache. Hoarseness. Menstrual colic. *Neuralgia. *Ovaries, *affections of. Paraphimosis.*Peritonitis. Rheumatism. *Sciatica. Toothache. Tumour. Uterus, pains in. Vagina, pains in.

Characteristics

“The strongest characteristic calling for the use of this remedy is an agonizing pain in the abdomen causing the patient to bend over double. Relief is obtained by motion, such as twisting, turning and wriggling around, and the motion is kept up steadily while the pain lasts, the pain is worse by eating or drinking the least amount. This pain may occur alone, or in the dysentery, cholera, etc. The doubling over the patient is the chief characteristic” (Guernsey). The patient bends double or presses something hard against the abdomen. He leans over chairs, the table, or bed-posts to get relief. According to Nash *Mag. *phos. comes nearest to it in colic and neuralgic affections. *Chamomilla is also very close, both having colic from disturbing emotions, but the *Chamomilla child does not double up, it tosses about. The *Staphysagria Patient is likely to have black or decayed teeth and sore eyelids, and there is chronic tendency to colic. *Veratrum has colic better bending double, but it has also cold sweat.

*Dioscorea has wind colic, but is better by stretching out. The *Stannum child wants to be carried with the abdomen on the mother’s shoulder.

The nearest analogue to *Colocynthis in its entire action on the human body is its botanical congener *Bryonia, with which it should be compared. Both have the same general features, pain in muscles, nerves, and joints, gastro-enteric disturbance, and the same condition in regard to rheumatic joints, worse by movement. Both have great irritability and ailments from mental emotion, though the latter features is more marked in *Colocynth. Arthritis and gouty headaches with ophthalmia, facial neuralgic pains extending to eye.

*Coloc. has diarrhoea from grief, indignation or chagrin. Suppressed lochia from indignation. Diabetes with milky, gelatinous, or colloid urine. The characteristic griping of *Coloc., forcing the patient to bend double, may be accompanied by cramps in other parts, which may occur with or without stool, if a stool occurs it gives immediate relief (*Nux the opposite), any attempt to eat or drink worse. Cramps occur in the legs, uterus, and ovaries. A sensation as if clamped with iron bands is very characteristic in (coxalgia, dysmenia, etc.). Dragging in uterus and vagina. Griping, cutting, tearing, and spasmodic pains in the body, burning pains, pulsations through the body, sensation as of hard stones or potatoes in the body. Easily intoxicated by stimulants. Affections of right side generally. The pains are often accompanied by stiffness and retarded motion of the affected parts, often affect the hip-joints, pains affecting joints are much worse by motion, many neuralgic pains are better by rest. Abdominal pains are better by violent exertion. Better lying with head bent forward. Rheumatic pain in the limbs is better by discharge of flatus. Touch worse, and pressure better many of the pains. Warmth better most pains. Worse evening and night. *Coloc. has, like *Lycopodium, *Helleb., and *Causticum, a 4 P.M. aggravation. One prover had: “At 4 P.M. the colic came on, six days in succession.” This has been verified clinically. *Coloc. is suited to blondes, persons of choleric temperament, and those liable to cramps and colic, from fruit, lead-poisoning, or excessive venery.

Relations.

Coloc. is *antidoted by: Camph., Causticum, Chamomilla, Coffea, Opium, Staphysagria Large doses are counteracted by tepid milk, infusion of galls, Camph., and Opium *It antidotes: Causticum, Magnes. *Compatible: Staphysagria, Chamomilla *Complementary: Mercurius (dysentery) with much tenesmus). *Compare: Bryonia (nearest analogue), Elat.,

Cucurbita pepo. Dioscorea (griping, tearing, cutting, spasmodic pains in body, but better stretching body and motion), Digitalis (paraphimosis), Causticum (joint rheumatism, follows Coloc. in colic), eyes feel hard, Cann-i., Cantharis, Chamomilla, Chelidonium, China (beer intoxicates easily), Cocc., Gambogia, Lycopodium, Mercurius, Nux-v., Plumb. (inclination to assume strange attitudes in bed). Staphysagria (anger with vexation, abdominal pains, neuralgia_they follow one another well), Verat,, Pulsatilla (hoarseness 4 P.M.). From emotions, Chamomilla, Bryonia, Gelsemium, Ph-ac. Ignatia, stiffness of knee-joints and all joints, Colchicum, stiffness after acute rheumatism, hinders squatting, Graphites Compare also Guaiac., Crot-t.

Causation

Anger. Indignation. Chagrin. Grief. Catching cold.

SYMPTOMS.

Mind

Mental dejection with taciturnity. Aversion to talk, disinclined to answer questions. Inclined to be angry and indignant. Lachrymose humour. Anxiety and inquietude, with an inclination to run away. Want of religious feeling. Disinclined to occupy oneself, even averse to visit his otherwise well-liked friends.

Head

Easy intoxication (from drinking beer). Vertigo, which occasions falling, on turning the head quickly, with tottering of the knees. Headache, as from a draft of air, which is dissipated by walking in the open air. Compressive pain in the sinciput, aggravated by stooping, or lying on the back. Pressing pain in the forehead and root of the nose, as if a coryza would appear. Attacks of semi-lateral headache, drawing and cramp-like or pressive, with nausea and vomiting, sometimes daily, towards five o’clock in the afternoon. Pain in the forehead and in the eyes, as if proceeding from the outside inwards. Headache with violent pains, which do not permit a recumbent posture, and occasion cries or weeping. Attacks of headache, followed by suffocation. Congestion in the head. Burning pain in the skin of the forehead, and the scalp. Heat in the head. Profuse perspiration on the head, itching, smelling like urine (also on the hands, thighs, and feet), worse at night in bed, relieved after rising and walking in the warm room.

Eyes

Sensitive pressure in the eyes, esp., when stopping. Obscuration of the sight. Great white light at side of and below right eye. Shimmering circle with rays before right eye. Inflammation of the eyes. Burning and incisive pains, and shootings in the eyes (and forehead). Eyes feel hard. Aching in upper and outer portions of right eyeball in evening, worse by rubbing it with finger, it feels harder than usual there, this aching lasted some days. Smarting in eyes, painfulness of eyeballs. Pressive feeling in orbits, towards root of nose. Painful pressure in eyeballs, especially on stooping. Pains in eyes, sharp cutting in right eyeball. Stitches as with knives in right eyeball, extending to

root of nose. Pain as from pressure on both eyelids from above downward. External strabismus of right eye, with smarting lachrymation. Dryness, burning, smarting, lachrymation. Discharge of acrid serum from the eyes.

Ears

Warmth in right ear. Obstruction before left ear. Itching, sticking deep in ear, extending from Eustachian tube to tympanum, better by boring in ear with finger. Crawling within ear better by boring. Difficult hearing, everything heard is accompanied by a roaring noise. Constant roaring and throbbing in both ears. especially left.

Nose

Fluent coryza. Severe burning above the nose. Throbbing burrowing pain in nose extending from left side to root.

Face

Pale and wasted face, with downcast (sunken) eyes. Tensive, tearing, burning or shooting pains (prosopalgia) in the face, often on left side only, and extending to the ears and into the head. Cramp-like sensation in the left malar bone, extending into

left eye. Scabs on the face. Face of a deep red colour (during the fever). Face puffed, with heat and redness of left cheek, and tearing pains.

Mouth

Pains in the teeth, as if the nerve were pulled or stretched. Pulsative pains in the teeth on left side Burning at the tip of the tongue. Sensation as if the tongue had been scalded by some hot fluid. Roughness of the tongue. Tongue loaded with a white or yellow coating. Cramps in the gullet, with empty eructations and palpitations of the heart.

Stomach

Diminished appetite, without thirst, though accompanied by a strong desire for drink, with a sickly taste in the mouth. Constant nausea with risings. Bitter taste in the mouth, and of all food and drink. Colic and diarrhoea, however little is eaten. Pains in the stomach sometimes after a meal. Vomiting of food, or of greenish matter. Vomiting, with diarrhoea. Painful sensitiveness of the epigastrium to the touch. Violent pressure on the stomach (with sensation of hunger), and in the precordial region.

Abdomen

Inflation of the abdomen, as from tympanitis. Feeling in the whole abdomen as if the intestines were being squeezed between stones. Cramp-like pain and constriction in the intestines, especially after a fit of anger. Excessively violent colic, with incisive, cramp-like, or contractive pains, which compel the patient to bend double ( worse in any other position), with restlessness in the whole body, and with a sensation of shuddering in the face, which seems to proceed from the abdomen. Pain in the abdomen when walking (navel). Colic, with cramps in the calves of the legs. Colic, as if from a chill. Colic, with cramps in the calves of the legs,_Colic, as if from a chill. Colic after a meal. The colic and abdominal pains are relieved by bending double, by violent exercise, by coffee and tobacco-smoke, every other food or drink causes an aggravation. Pinching, and sensation of clawing in the abdomen, mitigated by violent exertion. Cuttings and shootings in the abdomen, as from knives, with shiverings and tearing along the legs. Great sensibility, soreness, and sensation of emptiness in the abdomen. Grumbling in the abdomen. Inguinal hernia.

John Henry Clarke
John Henry Clarke MD (1853 – November 24, 1931 was a prominent English classical homeopath. Dr. Clarke was a busy practitioner. As a physician he not only had his own clinic in Piccadilly, London, but he also was a consultant at the London Homeopathic Hospital and researched into new remedies — nosodes. For many years, he was the editor of The Homeopathic World. He wrote many books, his best known were Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica and Repertory of Materia Medica