Scilla maritima. Squill. Sea Onion. (Red variety.) *N. O. Liliaceae. Tincture of fresh bulb. Acetum.
Clinical
Angina pectoris. Asthma, dry, splenic. Bright’s disease. Bronchitis. Conjunctivitis, phlyctenular. Coryza. *Cough, catarrhal. *Diabetes, insipidus. *Dropsy, splenic. Eyes, affections of, watering of. Fidgets. Heart, palpitation of. Hydrothorax. Measles. Pleurisy. Pneumonia. Spleen, affections of. Spleen-cough. Toothache. *Urine, excessive. Whooping-cough. Worms.
Characteristics
The genus *Scilla is distinguished from *Allium by having the flowers inserted one above the other on the scape, and from *Ornithogalum by having the petals deciduous. *Scilla maritima grows on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, and has had a place in medicine from the most ancient time. If much handled it irritates the skin, and in large doses excites nausea, strangury, bloody urine and haemorrhoids, fatal inflammation, gangrene of stomach and bowels, in small doses, promotes expectoration and urine, in large doses, vomiting and purging (Meyrick in Green’s *Herbal). “Its cardiac action is exactly the same as that of *Digitalis” (Mitchell Bruce). An old rule runs: “Put squills in every cough-mixture.” The continuous use of squills seems to cause teeth and gums to ache (*R.T.C.). “Diuretic, expectorant, emetic, cathartic, and a narcotico-acrid poison, in large doses it produces inflammation of the alimentary and urinary canals, and a dose of gr. xxiv has proved fatal” (Mile). According to Hamilton (*Flora Hom.) Aricenna employed *Scil. “in complaints of the gums, in inveterate coughs, in *diseases of the spleen, in dropsy and jaundice, and forbids its use in ulceration of the viscera,” the last caution also being mentioned by Celsus. The reputation of *Scil. as a splenic was revived by Rademacher, whom Burnett quotes (*Dis. of Spleen, p. 89): “I have found it quickly and surely helpful in painful spleen diseases affections painful and beyond any doubt in and of the spleen. In those dull pains on the border of the left hypochondriac and epigastric regions, there being no signs of any liver affection, I have used *Scil. as a remedy with advantage.” Rademacher also mentions as cured by *Scil.(a) those so-called “stomach pains” that are made much better by lying on the left side, and probably in reality splenic, (b) one case of continuous asthma from a splenic affection, with nocturnal exacerbation, (c) (possibly) splenic dropsy. Burnett has improved on Rademacher’s teachings, and applied *Scil. successfully in cases of spleen-cough. Hahnemann’s proving brought out many symptoms, apparently arising from the spleen, notably stitches under the free ribs of the left side. Burnett used the *Acetum scillae, and I gave this (five drops of O in water three times a day) with excellent effect in the case of an elderly lady, very gouty, who had a distressing paroxysmal cough, with a pain extending from splenic region into the throat. The cough caused the eyes to pour with tears. Besides relieving the cough, *Scil made the motions, which had been very light, darker and more natural in colour. The gushing of tears with the cough is another. *Scil. indication: The cough causes sneezing, flow of tears, spurting of urine, and even involuntary stools. The kidneys are powerfully acted on by *Scil., and many of the traditional uses of the drug have been with the idea of eliminating dropsical effusions by reproducing a great flow of urine. Hahnemann pointed out that the excessive flow of urine accompanying dropsy and other complaints was one of the best indications for its use. Boger (***H.R., xv. 33) adds the heart to the organs primarily affected by *Scil. He gives these cases: (1) Mr. B. suffered from angina pectoris, forcible cardiac contractions, *profuse urine, much loose mucus in throat and trachea, heart pain indefinite but very severe. *Scil. 30 relieved in a few hours, and kept him free from an attack for three months. (2) Miss L., pleuro-pneumonia, pulse 132, temperature 103oF, respiration 30, must sit erect in bed, *stitching pains in left chest, constant hacking cough, *frequent, hot, scanty urine, great weakness and anorexia. *Scil. cm cured. (3) Boy, 7, hay-fever for third year in succession. *Teeth show black marks, constantly rubs eyes and sneezes, bloated about eyes and face, loose cough. Under *Scil. there was complete relief in two days, and no further trouble that season. The italicized symptoms in this case are very characteristic.
Boger mentions that Lippe notes “Black teeth” as a symptom of *Scil. Boger adds that the nails become brittle and split, and that veterinarians use *Scil. for cracked hoof in horses. The use of *Scil. as an “expectorant” depends on its power of producing free secretion from the respiratory mucous membranes: in homoeopathy this free secretion is one of the leading indications. Hering says *Scil. is suited to the pleurisy and pneumonia that follow blood-letting. ***H. P. Holmes (*A. H., xxi. 176) has an excellent article on *Scil., to which I am indebted for many comparisons in the ***RELATIONS section. Sherbino (*M. A., xxii. 398) gives this verification of a *Scilla symptoms: Miss H., 15, fleshy, light complexioned, blue eyed, large for her age. *Her left eye was much smaller, and lids not so wide open as those of right eye. *Scil. 1M (Jen.) was given in May, and repeated each month for three months. Improvement began in the first month. On December 28th *Scil. 45m (Fincke) was given, and soon after that the restoration was complete, the eyes were a perfect match. *Peculiar Sensations are: Eyes as if swimming in cold water. Nostrils as if sore. As if diarrhoea would set in. As if chest too tight. Tickling creeping in chest. As if intestines would burst through abdomen. Stitches are very prominent: in teeth, in chest, in head. The symptoms are: worse In morning, by inspiration, by motion, by uncovering. Better by rest, lying down in bed, wrapping warmly. Drinking cold water causes cough. Worse exertion, ascending, cold air. Better sitting up. Better expectorating even a small quantity. Worse coughing.
Relationships
Antidoted by: Camph. Compatible after: Bryonia Compare: Headache, worse motion, chest symptoms, Bryonia (Bryonia cough is worse change to warm, Scil. cough worse change to cold air). Stitches, swollen upper eyelids, K. ca. Cold drink causes or worse cough, Lycopodium, Silicea (better by cough, Causticum). Expectoration sweetish and offensive, Calcarea, Stannum Spurting of urine when coughing, Causticum Alm., Conium, Natrum mur., Pulsatilla Involuntary stool when coughing, Pho., when sneezing, Sul, when urinating, Ail., Alo Mur. Ac., Sul. Convulsive twitching of limbs, “fidgets,” Meny., Psorinum, Rhus. Causticum, Zincum met. Icy-cold feet, rest of body warm, Meny. Sweat only on toes, Scil. under toes, Tarax. Averse to uncover in fever, Nux. Furious, exhausting cough, Coral., Cuprum, Stannum Cough worse in cold air, Carb. v., Pho., Rx.c., Verbascum Tickling in chest, Verbascum Sensation of cold water in eyes, Lachesis (cold tears), Berberis, Euphr., Alm., Conium, Lycopodium, Platina, and Medorrhinum (cold feeling), Thuja (as if cold air blowing out through eyes). Bloated round eyes in morning, Elaps. Coryza, Agraph. n., Cep., Arsenicum, Phosphorus, Chlorum, Ar- t. Anxiety and fear of death, Aco., Arsenicum Irritable, angry about trifles, Chamomilla Rubs face and eyes, Scil. Conium Rubs and picks nose, Ar-t. picks nose, lips, and fingers till they bleed, Sanicula rubs eyes and nose on waking. Splenics, Cean., Querc. Sweetish taste of food, Lycopodium, Mercurius, Pul.
Causation
Blood-letting.
SYMPTOMS.
Mind
Great anxiety of the mind, with fear of death.-Angry over trifles.- Aversion to mental and bodily labor.
Head
Vertigo, in morning, with nausea, as if he would fall sideways on rising from bed.- Cloudy dizziness.- Headache in morning on waking, with pressing pains. Some slow stitches extending into right side of forehead.- Painful sensitiveness of vertex every morning.-Pulsation in head when raising it.-Stinging headache.- Quickly passing pain in occiput, left to r.- Affections of brain: child rubs face and eyes much, especially eyes, as if to relieve itching, profuse or scanty urination.
Eyes
Staring look, with eyes wide open.- L. eye looks smaller than r., left upper lid swollen.- Contraction of pupils.- Eyes feel as if swimming in cold water. Phlyctenular conjunctivitis.- Lachrymation and sneezing.
Ears
Tearing behind left ear.- (Tearing pains in both ears.).
Nose
Violent, constant sneezing and fluent coryza. Sneezes during cough, eyes water, rubs eyes and nose.- Acrid, corrosive, fluent coryza in morning, a regular general snizzle, mucous cough with spurting of urine and even of watery stools.-Coryza with ulcerated nostrils. Nostrils painful as if sore, with violent coryza (in morning).- Humid eruptions under nose, with stinging itching.
Face
Changeable expression and colour of face.-During the heat redness of face, followed by paleness, without coldness.- Distorted countenance, with red cheeks, and without thirst.- Humid, spreading eruption on upper lip.- Black, cracked lips and black teeth.- Lips twitch and are covered with yellow crusts.
