Ranunculus sceleratus. Marsh crowfoot. Celery-leaved crowfoot. *N. O. Ranunculaceae. Tincture of whole plant.
Clinical
Aneurism. Anus, itching in. *Chest, sternum, pain behind. Corns. Coryza. Diphtheria. Earache. Glossitis. Gout. Haemorrhoids. Herpes, zoster. *Liver, pain in. Neuralgia. Nose, ulceration of. Pemphigus. Quinsy. Sternum, pains in. Stomatitis. Toes, affections of. *Tongue, peeling, mapped. Varicosis.
Characteristics
The best-known characteristic of *R. SC. (which is a well-proved drug) is the mapped or peeled tongue, and when this is associated with smarting, burning, and rawness *R. SC. will be the remedy. *R. SC. has the acridity of all the Ranunculi, causing burning in mouth, throat, stomach, chest, urethra, and other parts. It causes blisters on the skin which leave a raw surface with acrid discharge. It has cured pemphigus in a three-months old infant, with continual thirst, weak, intermitting pulse, trembling, with anxious features. After *Arsenicum 4 had caused improvement, *R-sc. 3 healed up the resulting ulcers. External sensitiveness is a leading feature of *R-sc., especially of region of chest and sternum. These symptoms with others have led to the cure of many chest affections, including aneurism. A leading Concomitant of *R-sc. is arrest of breathing: pains in liver, spleen, chest, or heart, worse on deep inspiration and associated with external soreness calls for *R-sc. Gnawing and boring are common sensations with the remedy, and most of the symptoms are right- sided, but there is one left-side symptom that is peculiar: continual gnawing in left palm. The right toes, especially the right big toe, are the seat of many acute pains, giving the remedy a high place in acute attacks of gout, and also painful corns. Among the *Sensations of *R-sc. are: As if head were too full and too large. As if face covered with cobwebs (this proved a keynote in a case of aneurism which was much relieved by *R- sc.). As if a plug were lodged in umbilicus. Pressure as from a dull instrument. As if diarrhoea would set in. As of a needle thrust deep into big toe. With pains in stomach there is fainting. Convulsive twitches of limbs. The effects of *R-sc. (which German shepherds call “cold fire’) on horned cattle is: Loss of appetite, trembling and shivering, distention of abdominal veins. A dog poisoned with it became anxious, howled, tossed about, bent double, was very restless at night. He was killed, and after death the stomach was found contracted, inflamed in several parts, surface corroded, papillae prominent, swelling, pale redness and contraction of pylorus. Mahoney (*M.A., xxvi. 110) cured with *R-sc. 3 in an aged woman subject to gout aching in dorsa of feet, especially the right, with wakefulness at night. *K. ca. 30 had previously removed pain passing downward over the glutei. The symptoms are: worse By touch, pressure, blow. Worse By motion, deep inspiration, walking, letting limb hang down. Worse Evening, after midnight, morning. Worse In open air. Worse After a meal.
Relations
Antidoted by: Pulsatilla Wine and Coffee antidote only partially. The ulcers were somewhat relieved by Peruvian Balsam. Follows well: Arsenicum in pemphigus. Followed well by: Lachesis In diphtheria with denuded tongue. Compare: R. bulb. (R-sc. more irritative). Headache, gnawing in small spot at vertex, Pulsatilla Mapped tongue, Natrum mur., Arsenicum, Rhus, Tarax. (R- SC. has more burning and rawness than any). Cobweb sensation, Alm., Barytac., Borax, Bro., Bryonia, Calcarea, Con, Graphites, Magnesia carb.
Mind
Indolence, and aversion to (mental) labour, in the morning. Sadness and melancholy in the evening.
Head
Vertigo, with loss of consciousness. Headache, as if head were compressed in a vice. Gnawing, drawing, spasmodic, dull pressure, often affecting only a very small spot on vertex (or temples). Compressive and expansive pressure in temples. Heaviness and sensation of fullness in head, which seems to be swollen and increased in size. Contraction of integuments of head. Smarting and itching in scalp.
Eyes
Pain in eyes on moving eyeballs quickly. Biting-gnawing in eyes and corners of eyes. Frequent aching (painful pressing) in eyeballs. Smarting in canthi, from time to time. Eyes convulsed. Lachrymation.
Ears
Otalgia (right ear), with pressure (or gnawing pain) in head, and drawing in teeth. Drawing shooting, and boring at exterior of auditory duct.
Nose
Smarting and tingling in nose. Pricking in point of nose. Frequent sneezing. Much serous mucus in nose. Ulcers or large sores on right side of nose. 6. Face. Face as if covered with cobwebs. Drawing in face, with a sensation of coldness. Spasmodic twitchings in facial muscles and extremities, risus sardonicus. Sensation of quivering round commissures of lips, and lower lip.
Teeth
Toothache, with shooting pains, and bluntness of teeth. Jerking and shooting drawings in teeth. Red and painful swelling of gums, which bleed easily.
Mouth
Dryness of mouth. Frothy salivation. Tongue coated white. Shooting in tip of tongue. Inflammation of tongue, with burning sensation, and redness. Desquamation and rhagades on tongue.
Throat
Contraction, with choking in throat, worse by eating bread. Burning sensation in throat. Scraping in throat. Swelling of tonsils, with lancinations. Smarting and shootings in gullet.
Appetite
Sweetish taste in the morning, with white and loaded tongue. Anorexia. Violent thirst with the fever-heat.
Stomach
Risings, with taste of the food, after a meal. Frequent, empty risings. Sour, rancid risings, in evening. Nausea, especially after midnight, or in morning, with inclination to vomit. Pain in stomach, with fainting fits. Violent pains in stomach, with uneasiness. Sensation of fulness, of pressure, and of tension in epigastrium, worse by external pressure, with worse in the morning. Constrictive pains in stomach. Lancinations in epigastrium. Pain as from excoriation, and burning sensation in epigastrium. (Inflammation of stomach.).
Abdomen
Dull aching in hepatic region, worse by taking a deep inspiration. Lancinations in hepatic region. Pressure and shootings in splenic region (in liver and kidneys), worse by breathing deeply. Shootings, shocks, and pressure in lumbar region. Pains in abdomen, with syncope. Dull pressure, as from a plug, or a sensation of twisting behind navel, at night, or in morning. Spasmodic pains in abdomen. Pinching and cutting in abdomen. Jerks in abdomen (in abdominal integuments).
Stool and Anus
Itching, tickling, burning of anus. Fine stitches into rectum. Moisture in anus. Itching and pressing-out sensation at anus, as if premonitory of haemorrhoids, worse walking. Great urging after a meal, only flatus passes. Retarded evacuations. Frequent and urgent want to evacuate, with soft faeces. Serous, fetid diarrhoea.
Urinary Organs
Strangury. Burning in fore part of urethra a short time after urinating. Tickling crawling at meatus. Drops pass after urinating, wetting sheet. Frequent desire.
Male Sexual Organs
Pullings in penis. Lancinations in glans. Smarting in scrotum. Pollutions.
Respiratory Organs
Small dry cough, seldom recurring, and without effort. Obstructed and deep respiration. Involuntary sighs.
Chest
Pain in chest as if beaten, with sensation of fatigue in that part, especially in evening. Oppressive pressure on chest. Pinching and shootings in chest, and region of heart, sometimes with suspended respiration. especially in evening, or at night. Stitches in chest and intercostal muscles. Gnawing behind sternum, which suspends respiration. Painful sensibility of exterior of chest, especially of sternum. Burning soreness behind xiphoid cartilage. Painful drawing in pectoral muscles. Constant pressure as of a dull instrument below right false rib, worse inspiration. Painful sticking in right chest. Very painful pinching around left nipple.
Heart
Pressure as from a blunt piece of wood in region of heart. Stitches in region of heart. Sticking-contracting pinching in heart-region causing tightness of breath.
Back
Pain in loins, as if bruised or paralytic. Pricking and tingling in back and chest. Aching between scapulae. Sudden violent jerks in loins during walk in open air, arresting breathing.
Limbs
Gout in fingers and toes.
Upper Limbs
Soreness under right arm in armpit. Boring shootings in forearms, extending to fingers. Gnawing in right elbow-joint. Stitch in elbow. Boring in bones of hands. Gnawings in palm. Gnawing, boring, and shooting jerks in bones of fingers. Swelling of fingers.
Lower Limbs
Gnawing and boring throughout legs and feet, especially in toes. Gnawing pains in left heel. Burning and smarting on dorsum of right foot. Jerking shootings, and tingling in great toes. Sudden stitches in forepart of right big toe as if needle thrust in deep, causing him to cry out. Sudden stitches in right big toe, passing into a burning. Lancinations and burning pains in corns.
Generalities
Under this drug the symptoms usually appear on the right side, on crown of head, toes. Boring sensation, gnawing pains in inner or outer parts, prickling in outer parts. Worse evening, before midnight). (Arthritic affections). Piercing, gnawing, shooting, tingling pains, which manifest themselves, or are <, towards the evening. Pressive and drawing pains. Periodical affections. Convulsive jerks (twitches of the limbs). Syncope. Fainting with the pains.
