Gum guaiacum. Guaiacum officinale. The gum-resin of Lignum sanctum or Lignum vite, a large tree growing in W. Indies. *N. O. Zygophyllaceae. Tincture of the gum-resin.
Clinical
Abscess. Amenorrhea. Aneurism. Bones, affections of. Bronchitis. Caries. Cholera infantum. Constipation. Contraction. Cough. Diarrhoea. Diphtheria. Dysmenorrhea. Earache. Emaciation. Fever. Gout. Growing-pains. Headache, internal and external. Hernia. Membranous dysmenorrhea. Mercury, effect of. Neuralgia. Osteomalacia. Otitis. Ovaries, inflammation of. Phthisis. Pleurisy. Pleurodynia. Rheumatism. Sciatica. Stomach, affections of. Syphilis. Throat, affections of. Tonsillitis. Toothache. Torticollis. Vomiting.
Characteristics
*Guaiacum, which is one of Hahnemann’s antipsorics, is best known as a remedy in gout and rheumatism and as a diuretic, but latterly it has also taken a place in old-school therapeutics as a remedy for consumption. homoeopathic provings have developed and defined the sphere of its utility in all these respects and many more. It acts on mucous membranes, muscles, joints and bones, and causes contraction of tendons with resulting deformity. Gouty nodosities on joints. Verwey (*H. R., ix., 627) treated a lady who for several years had a frequently recurring gouty inflammation of the knees. *Guai. 30 was given (after *Chi. 30 had failed to relieve) without obvious benefit. *Guai. I was now given and after a few hours the swelling broke and the pains quickly subsided. A short time after, the same patient accidentally injured the same knee. Under *Guai. I the swelling soon broke and the pain was relieved. But an abscess formed at the same time on the upper thigh. The pain became unbearable and the patient’s husband “begged for more of the drops that had twice before made the swelling break.” It was again given and in six hours the abscess evacuated. On two later occasions Dr. Verwey saw *Guai. act in the same way on scrofulous and gouty abscesses. This is probably analogous to its action in quinsy. In cases indicating *Guaiac. the affected parts are very sensitive to touch, and there is worse from heat. Rheumatism in syphilitic and mercurial patients. Acute tonsillitis, simple or rheumatic. Syphilitic sore throat. “Burning in the throat” is the keynote symptom of most cases of sore throat. It was first recommended by Brinton in the *Lancet in 1857 for quinsy, was given in full doses and produced a crisis of sweat and profuse urination. Ozanam gave it in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd centesimal dilutions and found that he got the curative effects without crisis, which was an unnecessary effect of the drug. *Guaic., says Ozanam, seems to combine the properties of *Belladonna, *Apis, and *Barytac. It has the erythematous or inflammatory angina with bright redness of *Belladonna, the edema of *Apis, and the phlegmon with tendency to suppuration of tonsils of *Barayta carbonica and Apis (*H. R., II. 217). Proell records the cure of a case of secondary syphilis in a gentleman who had inflammation of the palate supervening on hard chancre. The isolated, sore, red spots threatened to extend deeper and perforate. *Mercurius *cor. 3x, *nitricum acidum 3, *Aurum mur. 3, and *Mez. 3 were given in succession, each for one or two weeks, without avail. The syphilitic inflammation continued to spread, the brain became affected as shown in confusion of thought, remarkable depression of spirits and weakness of memory. *Guaiac. 3x was now given, and even on the next day improvement was noticeable. In fourteen days the whole trouble had vanished, the mind was clear, cheerfulness and memory returned and remained (*H. R., i. 109). The growing pain of children are relieved by it. The secretions of *Guaiac. are very offensive. Burning sensations in mouth, throat, and stomach, stitches in chest going from front to back, or from below upward, in region of apex, worse from motion and from deep inspiration: “Sharp pain about mid-day under right breast to shoulder” was removed in a case of mine by *Guaiac.
The mental state is one of weakness: weak memory and disinclination to labour. Sad and depressed. Fretful, obstinate, sharp stitches in brain. Sensation as if the brain were loose. Neuralgia of left side of head and face, extending to neck. External headache, with sensation as if blood-vessels were over- filled, extending to face and neck. Tearing pains in skull. Swelling and sensation of swelling in eyes and nose. Eyes feel protruded. Houghton cured with *Guaiac. 3x a case of gouty inflammation of the meatus of the ear and tympanum after failure with *Ferr-ph. Concomitant rheumatic lameness and soreness led him to *Guaiac. Heat, swelling and blotchiness of face. Prosopalgia every day from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m. Toothache when biting jaws together. “Violent hunger, afternoon and evening ” shows its relation to the “sinking” sensations of *Sulphur and the antipsorics. There is a desire for apples which better gastric symptoms, and aversion to milk and food generally. Flatulence is marked. There is nausea from sensation of phlegm in throat. “Every morning vomits a mass of watery phlegm with great exertion, followed by great exhaustion.” There is morning diarrhoea with skin dry and chilliness. In cholera infantum the face is like that of an old person. In constipation the stool is hard, dry, crumbling, and very offensive. Some marked symptoms appear in the urinary organs: Continuous urging even after urination, with profuse fetid urine. Stitches in neck of bladder after ineffectual pressure to urinate. Cutting while urinating. Chilly crawls over *mammae. There are many marked symptoms in the respiratory sphere. Violent, spasmodic, inflammatory affections of windpipe and larynx, with palpitation preventing motion, or calling for help, feels suffocating. Cough dry or with copious bloody or purulent expectoration of very offensive odor. Contractive pain between scapula. Chilliness in back. Yawning and stretching better general ill-feeling. The least motion worse. After a cold, has violent pains in limbs. Clothes feel damp. On walking in open air has perspiration on head. Cannot bear heat with pains in limbs. Periodicity is marked. Stomach affection returns every summer.
Relations
*Antidoted by: Nux. *Antidote to: Causticum, Rhus. *Compatible: After Mercurius (Rheumatism, gout, and syphilis), after Sulph. (in cholera infantum), after Causticum (in torticollis). *Compare: Phos- ac. (growing pains), Actea r. (pleurodynia and tuberculosis), Bryonia (chronic rheumatism when the joints are distorted, worse motion, pleurisy in second stage of phthisis), Coloc. (contractions after rheumatism), Causticum (Guaiac. is better than Causticum, which it follows well, when either gout or rheumatism causes distortion of limbs worse every attempt at motion, especially if there are gouty nodosities on joints), Araceae (late tuberculosis, pleuritic pains left apex ), Kal. i., Mazer., Phytol., Rhodo., Stilling.
SYMPTOMS.
Mind
Obstinacy. Strong desire to criticize, and to despise everything. Indolence and dread of movement. Weakness of memory, and excessive forgetfulness, especially of names. Fixed look, and absence of ideas, especially in the morning.
Head
Pressive pain, extending from the base of the brain upwards, or traction and tearing in the sinciput and temples. Violent lancinations in the brain, from the base upwards. Tearing (rheumatic pains) in one side of the head only, as far as the cheek. Pulsations, throbbings (and shootings) in the temples, with sensation as if the head were swollen, and the blood-vessels congested. Sensation as if brain were detached and loose. Pulsative throbbing in the outer parts of the head, with stitches in the temples, removed for a short time by external pressure and by walking, worse by sitting and standing. Lacerating in whole left side of head. Neuralgia left side of head and face extending to neck. Sweat chiefly on head and forehead (when walking in open air). Tearing pains in skull.
Eyes
Sensation of swelling, or actual swelling of the eyelids, with sensation as if the eyes were protruding, and as if the eyelids were too short. Pupils dilated. Amaurosis. Pimples in the eyebrows, and round eyes.
Ears
Tearing and squeezing in the ears.
Nose
Pains in nasal bones. Nose swollen. Fluent coryza.
Face
Redness and painful swelling of the face. Shootings in the cheek-bones and in the muscles of the cheeks, as if knives were plunged in. Neuralgia left side of face, head and nape 6 p.m. to 4 a.m. daily.
Teeth
Aching in the teeth, on closing them. Pulling and tearing in the teeth, terminating in shootings.
Throat
Burning pain in the throat. Acute tonsillitis, right tonsil much swollen, dark-red, constant aching pains, sharp stitches towards ear on swallowing. Syphilitic sore throat. Throat dry, cannot swallow without a drink.
Appetite
Insipid taste, with want of appetite, and disgust for everything, accompanied by expectoration of mucus. Empty risings. Immoderate hunger. Nausea, excited by a sensation as if the throat were filled with slimy mucus. Repugnance to milk. After eating without appetite she gets sick.
