Rhus glabra, or the common Sumach, less poisonous.
Rhus venenata, very poisonous and large, growing in swamps, poison elder, or swamp dogwood. Leaves 5 to 12 inches long with 6 to 13 leaflets.
Rhus diversiloba, or Californica, or the poison Oak.
Rhus aromatica, an aromatic species. Distinguished from Rhus tox. by red berries. Is non-poisonous, useful in enuresis.
What are the characteristics of the whole family?
They all produce an intense irritation of the skin, from mere itching redness to erysipelatous inflammation, with vesicles and pustules.
Mention five drugs which antidote the poison of the Rhus.
1. Anacardium orientale. Large watery blisters on non- inflamed base with swelling of various joints.
2. Croton tiglium. Fine vesicular rash or small boils.
3. Grindelia robusta.
4. Apis mellifica.
5. Cypripedium pubescens.
Give the general action of Rhus tox.
It effects powerfully the skin, mucous membranes and fibrous tissue. It also produces symptoms very like those found in low types of fever. It is also the remedy for sprains, strains, overlifting and ill effects of getting wet.
What is its grand prevailing characteristic?
Aggravation from rest and relief from motion.
What is the peculiar head symptom of Rhus?
Headache as if a board were strapped on the forehead; vertigo, with heaviness in the limbs, in the aged. Aching in occipital protuberances and soreness of scalp.
Give eye symptoms.
Conjunctivitis and iritis, when of traumatic or rheumatic origin, with severe pains worse at night; scrofulous ophthalmia and orbital cellulitis; ptosis and stiffness of the lids in rheumatic subjects. Oedematous swelling and acrid discharge.
What other drugs have this stiffness of the lids?
Causticum, Gelsemium and Kalmia.
What symptoms have we about the jaw?
It cracks on every chewing motion and dislocates easily.
What is the characteristic tongue of Rhus?
It is cracked and coated, all except a triangular space at the tip, which is very red.
In what diseases about the throat is it often indicated?
Mumps or swelling of the parotid glands, with sticking pains when swallowing; they are dark red and worse on the left side.
What is the diarrhoea of Rhus?
A bloody, slimy diarrhoea, or an involuntary stool of cadaverous odor in typhoid fever.
What are its symptoms in the respiratory system?
It is useful in influenza, with aching in the bones, sneezing and coughing; dry cough; bronchial coughs of old people; typhoid pneumonia.
In what heart affection is Rhus indicated?
Uncomplicated hypertrophy of the heart from over-exertion, with a sense of numbness in the left arm and shoulder. Rheumatic hypertrophy. Pericarditis due to septic troubles; the symptoms are worse on any change of weather.
What other drugs have numbness of the left arm with heart troubles?
Actea rac., Aconite and Kalmia.
What are the rheumatic symptoms of Rhus and what tissues does it act on specially?
On the fibrous tissues, aponeuroses, ligaments and tendons of muscles. The great keynote for Rhus in rheumatism is the relief from motion and the aggravation in damp weather; patients cannot bear cold air; the pain and stiffness is worse on commencing to move, but continued motion relieves; warmth also ameliorates.
In what other affections of these tissues is Rhus useful?
Wrenching, sprains or over-exertion of the same.
How does Causticum compare?
In Causticum the restlessness occurs only at night, whereas Rhus is restless all the time.
How does Arnica compare here?
Arnica acts more on the muscular tissue than on the ligaments; there is great soreness of the muscles.
Compare also Rhododendron.
Worse from changes of weather, especially cold; aggravation from rest, but the keynote is aggravation before a storm.
Give indications for Rhus in lumbago.
Pain in back on attempting to rise; rheumatic pains in the back and stiff neck from sitting in a draft; the lumbago is a condition which may not be relieved by motion and still indicate Rhus.
What drugs have backache worse while sitting?
Cobalt and Zincum.
What in brief are the symptoms that would indicate Rhus in typhoid fever?
Mild delirium, with desire to escape; great restlessness, with apparent relief from motion; answers questions slowly; frontal headache; dry, brown, cracked or red tongue, with triangular red tip; yellowish, brown, cadaverous and sometimes involuntary diarrhoea; pains in the limbs and a tympanitic abdomen. Hydroa on upper lip.
What is the characterizing indication for Rhus in intermittent fever?
A dry, teasing cough during the chill, and hydroa.
What are the skin symptoms of Rhus?
It produces a vesicular eruption, accompanied by oedema, with burning, itching and tingling. Blistering herpes. Cold air not tolerated.
What variety of erysipelas does it correspond to?
The vesicular variety, where the skin looks dark and is covered with vesicles.
When should Rhus be given in scarlet fever?
When the child is drowsy, restless, has a red and smooth tongue, oedematous fauces and enlarged glands; eruption does not come out well and is miliary; great depression and weakness.
How does Ailanthus compare here?
The rash is dark-bluish, the throat is swollen, there is an acrid nasal discharge, and the child is drowsy and stupid.
Give indications for Rhus in cellulitis and carbuncle.
There is formation of pus, intense pain and dark red swelling, with the general prostration of the remedy. It is one of our best remedies in septicaemia.
What remedy complements and what remedy is inimical to Rhus?
Bryonia complements and Apis is inimical.
What members of the Berberidaceae family do we use in our Materia Medica?
Berberis vulgaris, Caulophyllum thalictroides and Podophyllum peltatum.
BERBERIS VULGARIS.
Where do we find the original pathogenesis of Berberis?
British Journal of Homoeopathy, Vol. XXXIII.; American Homoeopathic Review, Vol. VI.
What is Berberis vulgaris?
It is the Barberry, our tincture coming from the bark of the fresh root. Prepare in the same manner as described under Sanguinaria.
Give its general action.
Acts principally upon the kidneys, bladder and liver. It is called for when the renal and vesical symptoms are prominent. The lumbar region is very painful-pain radiates in all directions.
What are the kidneys symptoms of Berberis?
Sticking, tearing pain in the renal region; worse from deep pressure. The pains extend down the back, and down the ureters into the bladder; the back feels stiff and numb and the pains radiate from the kidneys.
Continue and give its bladder symptoms.
Cutting in the bladder, extending down the urethra; burning pain on urinating; the urine is yellow, turbid and flocculent, with whitish or red sediment; tearing pains in the bladder.
What are the indications for Berberis in liver troubles?
Sticking pains under the ribs and pains which go from the liver to the abdomen; bilious colic, with gall stones and jaundice.
PODOPHYLLUM PELTATUM.
Where are our original studies of this important remedy?
In the Materia Medica of American Provings and Hale’s New Remedies.
What is Podophyllum?
It is the May apple or Mandrake; its alkaloid is Podophyllin.
What part do we use, when gathered and how is the tincture prepared?
The fresh root gathered after the fruiting season is treated in the same way as described under Gelsemium. The tincture is brownish orange color, has a bitter acrid taste.
Give its general action.
It chiefly affects the intestinal canal, especially the small intestine, producing a kind of gastro-enteritis; it also produces an irritable condition of the rectum and anus, with piles and prolapsed rectal mucous membrane.
Give Characteristics of Podophyllum in diarrhoea.
A painless morning diarrhoea of watery, yellow stools, which are profuse and pour out like water from a hydrant, preceded by retching and vomiting, followed by a sensation of great weakness in the abdomen, and especially in the rectum; the stools are worse after eating and drinking, and there is apt to be a natural stool later in the day.
The essentials are:
1. Early morning stools.
2. Watery, pasty, yellow or undigested, forcibly expelled.
3. Painless.
4. Weakness in rectum following stool.
Is it ever useful in the diarrhoeas of dentition?
In greenish, watery stools, with grinding of the teeth, rolling of the head, whining and moaning during sleep, it is an excellent remedy.
What is another indicating feature of Podophyllum in diarrhoea?
Prolapsus of the rectum during stool.
What are the liver symptoms of Podophyllum?
Torpid or chronically congested liver; the liver is swollen and sensitive; the face is yellow and also the whites of the eyes; there is a bad taste in the mouth; the tongue is yellow or white and takes the imprint of the teeth; there may be also constipation and clay-colored stools from absence of bile.
CAULOPHYLLUM THALICTROIDES
Where is the pathogenesis of Caulophyllum found?
In Hale’s New Remedies.
What is Caulophyllum and how prepared?
It is the blue Cohosh, papoose root, or squaw root, and the tincture is made from the fresh root gathered early in the season when growth begins in the same manner as the preceding.
What is its general physiological action?
Professor of Materia Medica in the University of Michigan Homeopathic Medical College. Member of American Institute of Homeopathy. In addition to his editoral work he authored or collaborated on: Boericke and Dewey's Twelve Tissue Remedies, Essentials of Homeopathic Materia Medica, Essentials of Homeopathic Therapeutics and Practical Homeopathic Therapeutics.