Conium maculatum. Poison Hemlock. *N. O. Umbelliferae. Tincture of fresh plant in flower.
Clinical
Asthma. Bladder, inflammation of. *Breast, *affections of, *painful.*Bronchitis. *Bruises. *Cancer. *Cataract. Chorea. *Cough. *Depression of spirits. Diphtheritic paralysis. Dysmenia (membranous). Erysipelas. Eyes, *affections of. Galactorrhea. Herpes. *Hypochondriasis. Jaundice. Liver, enlarged. Melancholia. *Menstruation, *disordered. *Numbness. *Ovaries, *affections of. *Paralysis, Landry’s. Peritonitis. Phthisis. *Pregnancy, *painful breasts during. Prostatitis. Ptosis. Scrofula. *Spermatorrhea. *Sterility. Stomach, affections of. *Testicles, *affections of. Tetters. Trismus. Tumour. Ulcers. *Vertigo. Vision, disordered. *Wens.
Characteristics
According to Hahnemann *Conium is one of those drugs of which it
is exceedingly difficult to distinguish the primary and secondary effects. He thinks, nevertheless, that the primary action is one of “rigidity, condensation, and constriction of the fibres, with swelling of the glands and diminution of the senses.” In this Teste concurs, adding that the action is primarily inflammatory, and that this accounts for its suitability for “persons of a lively, quick, sanguine disposition, with a marked development of the glandular system,” and explains why it is characteristically adapted to painful glandular affections, “principally such as result from a strain or blow, but the precise cause of which may have escaped our recollection.” Teste places *Conium at the head of the analogues of *Aconite It is to the glands and capillary system what *Aconite is to the heart and arterial system. In many cases *Conium may be regarded as the “*Aconite of chronic diseases.” The other *Aconite analogues, according to this author, are *Chamomilla, *Seneg., *Cantharis, and *Phosphorus *ac. *Conium corresponds to chronic or subacute inflammation with sanguineous engorgement of the parenchyma, induration, and even subsequent ulceration of the tissues. *Thuja represents the slow and progressive hypertrophy of certain tissues, certain constituents of our organs. Stoerck used *Conium in his heroic fashion and made with it some notable cures of scirrhous tumors, ulcerating and otherwise, but it was Hahnemann who first showed how the remedy could be used safely as well as effectively. Guernsey writes: “This remedy is characterized by a great dizziness, brought on when lying down, and moving the head ever so slightly, or even the eyes_all the contents of the room appear to whirl around, patient wishes to keep the head *perfectly still. In urinating the water flows at first in a full stream, then stops, flows again, again stops,” etc. Nash illustrates the modality: worse by moving the head. He thinks “turning the head sideways” is the most characteristic form of it. Some give it is as “Lying down in bed and turning over,” but he regards the “lying down” as the least important part. He cured a patient who had all the symptoms of locomotor ataxy, and who could not, when walking, turn the head the least bit sideways without staggering or falling. A case of lumbago was cured with *Conium In six days, after seven months’ suffering, this symptom being present: Cannot turn over in bed without being dizzy. Worse ascending, by exercise. Feeling of ball pressing into back over left hip, pain shooting down left leg, ending in a spot that felt as though pricked by a bunch of hot needles. Under “Sensations” Guernsey gives these: “Heartburn, *e.g., in pregnant women where an excessive heartburn comes on, when going to bed at night. Attacks of *sick feeling. Sensation as if a hoop, band, or something tight was around the parts. Deficiency of irritability of the body, the body has very little sensation. Darting from within outwards, tension in inner parts, also in outer parts, pricking in the bones.” in the bones.” Another symptom is “yellow nails.” Proell (*H. W., xxx. 541) mentions a use of *Conium which illustrates the symptom: “Interrupted flow.” He has had excellent results with *Conium 10 in strangury and ischuria, when the urine cannot be discharged, from nervousness, or swelling of the prostate. (*Nat. *sul. 5 trit. was effective where the bladder could not be entirely emptied.) *Conium Has a very marked action on the pelvic organs. Constipation is very pronounced, or there may be diarrhoea. Faintness after stool. Burning, or coldness, in the rectum. Sircar has recorded (*Calcutta J. of Medorrhinum, May, 1896) a striking case illustrating the latter. A patient had severe diarrhoea, for which the doctor was about to give *Sulph., when he asked if the stools were hot. “On the contrary, they are *cold,” replied the patient. Sircar found “cold flatulence” under *Conium, and gave it on analogy with brilliant effect. On the sexual sphere *Conium Has profound action, often meeting quite contradictory conditions-hypertrophy or atrophy of glands, excess
of function or abrogation. “Unsatisfied sexual desire” is a very leading indication, and sufferings therefrom in either sex are effectually allayed by *Conium I have used the remedy with very great good in numberless cases of weakness from masturbation in men and youths. “Emission on the slightest stimulus, such as merely being in the society of a woman,” is very typical. Many “engaged” young men have been helped by the remedy. It corresponds more to scanty menses than the opposite. Goodno (Hoyne’s Therapeutics-Amer. Hom., xxi. 386) cured a girl of 25 of severe dysmenia (which had existed since the periods commenced) with scanty, almost arrested flow. She had also epistaxis, cough, and stitches through left lung at times. Two years previously, after unusual excitement, she had bearing-down pains, prolapse, and anteversion. The dysmenia pains were relieved by *Sepia and other remedies, but prolapse increased, with bearing-down as though the womb would be forced from vulva, worse standing and walking before and during menses, intermittent flow of urine, with cutting after micturition, obstinate constipation of long standing, stool (once in seven days) large, hard, followed by tremulous weakness, she must lie down, dull pain below left mamma. Prompt relief and speedy cure were effected by *Conium 1M. Scanty menses (especially in old maids) is an indication. Checked lochia. Pains in breast before menses, worse by every step, is a strong indication for *Conium Also all effects of hurts to the breast by falls or blows. After a blow on the breast a course of *Conium should always be given. Nash mentions another characteristic of *Conium: “Sweats day or night, as soon as one sleeps, or even on closing the eyes.” This enabled Lippe to cure a man of 80 of hemiplegia. ***R. C. Markham cured with *Conium 1M. an obstinate cough, dry, hard, frequent, with asthmatic wheezing or fine rattling in chest on deep breathing, worse slightest exposure to cold air, getting into cold bed, or out of a warm one, or even putting arms out was sufficient to bring on severe coughing. The guiding symptom which appeared last and led to the remedy was this: “Pain in the apex of left lung, with soreness in a small spot, midway between neck and shoulder just back of clavicle. *The pain, cutting and stitch-like, ran downward and inward toward the sternum. ***A. H. Birdsall reports a case of contusion of testicle. He found the patient writhing in agony, the pain complained of being “sharp, cutting, running up spermatic cord to lower part of back, and also through scrotum to root of penis. *Conium 200 relieved in five minutes, and at the end of twenty minutes the pain was gone (*H. P., ix. 190.) *Conium, corresponds to: light-haired persons, old persons, old, feeble men, old maids and bachelors, women of rigid fibre and easily excited, and also to those of the opposite temperament, persons of strong, sedentary habit more than to lively, slender persons and children, persons who are easily intoxicated with stimulants, women who have scanty menses, scrofulous constitutions, cancers and glandular enlargements. The effects of blows or falls, effects of grief, of over-study. Patients who are worse when idle. *Conium is said to have been, and almost certainly was, the poison with which Socrates was executed, and whether or not this was the case ascending paralysis, which occurred in his poisoning, is an indication for *Conium. Benumbed sensation, inability to sustain mental effort, weak memory, tired sensation in brain, imbecility.Hot spots on head. Erysipelas, pain piercing to brain. Red vision. Weakness, tremulousness and palpitation after every evacuation. Sensation of unreality, as if in a dream. Insanity, periodical or alternating. Vertigo worse on turning in bed. Accumulation of earwax. Craving for salt, coffee, and sour things. There is the same flatulent tendency as with *Ammoniac and *Asafoetida, its relatives. Numbness and deadness of limbs. Stabbing pains are a great indication for *Conium. Weak-spells, faintness, sudden loss of strength while walking. Paroxysms of hysteria and hypochondriasis from abstinence from sexual intercourse. In phthisis patients cannot expectorate, must swallow sputa. The eye symptoms are very pronounced: photophobia, ptosis, etc. These symptoms are worse night and early morning. Most symptoms appear when at rest, especially in the night and in periodical attacks, some when walking in the open air. Worse during eating, while standing, while lying down (cough), when at rest, when lifting the affected part, when turning in bed (vertigo), moving the head ever so little, turning head sideways. Better in the dark, from letting the affected limb hang down, from moving, when walking, by stooping. Aversion to open air. Desire for warmth, especially that of sun. Liability to take cold from least exposure of feet. Great liability to take cold. Night and morning sweat, with offensive odour and smarting in skin, or offensive odour without sweat. Touch worse, cannot bear the pressure of tight clothing. Jar, shock, or fall worse.
