Hahnemann’s Materia Medica Pura and Chronic Diseases, Metcalf’s Homoeopathic Provings, Monthly Homoeopathic Review, Vol. XII.
What is Colocynthis?
It is a gourd-like fruit, growing in Asia Minor, from which we prepare a tincture; its common name is the Bitter Cucumber. Its taste is intensely bitter.
How is the tincture prepared?
The dried fruit, freed from the outer yellow rind, is powdered coarsely and weighed. Then five parts, by weight, of alcohol are pounded on it. It is then set aside in a well- stoppered bottle in a cool, dark place for eight days, being shaken twice a day. Decant, strain and filter. Drug power, 1/10.
Give its general action.
Colocynth develops most of its symptoms in the abdomen and head, causing intense neuralgias. The nerves around the hip-joint are also a marked centre of action.
What is its greatest characteristic?
A violent, agonizing abdominal colic; relieved by bending double and by pressing something hard into the abdomen.
How does the colic of Dioscorea differ that of Colocynth?
The pains are apt to radiate from the abdomen to other parts of the body, as to the back, arms, etc. It is relieved by walking and throwing the body backwards.
What other species of colic is Colocynth used for?
Ovarian colic; sharp pains in the ovarian regions, relieved by bending double and by pressure.
What is necessary for Colocynth to be of use in any form of colic?
That the nervous elements predominate over the inflammatory symptoms.
What mental conditions has Colocynth?
Disturbances caused by mental emotions, violent anger or fright, vexation or mortified feelings.
Give symptoms of Colocynth in sciatica.
Sharp, spasmodic attacks of pain shoot down the sciatic nerve to the feet; crampy pains as if the parts were screwed in a vise; it is worse on the right side and tends to be paroxysmal; relieved by warmth and rest’ aggravated by motion. The nerves around the hip-joint and acetabulum suffer most severely.
How does Gnaphalium compare here?
Intense pains along sciatic nerve, with numbness which sometimes alternates with the pains; pains extend to toes. Rheumatic pains in toes.
Give briefly characteristic indications for Kali bichromicum, Kali iodatum, and Phytolacca in sciatica.
Kali iodatum. Darting pains in left side relieved by motion.
Kali bichromicum. Pains worse at night from lying on affected side, and especially when of mercurial or syphilitic origin.
Phytolacca. Pains darting and tearing; aggravated by motion.
What drug has sciatic pains worse while sitting, somewhat relieved by walking, and entirely relieved by lying down?
Ammonium muriaticum.
ELATERIUM.
Where is the original pathogenesis of Elaterium found?
In the Materia Medica of American Provings; Transactions of American Institute, 1846.
What is Elaterium?
It is the Squirting Cucumber.
From what and how is the tincture made?
From the fruit when not quite ripe. Proceed as directed under Millefolium.
What are the chief homoeopathic indications for its use?
Watery, frothy diarrhoeas with copious, forcible stools, preceded by violent cutting in the abdomen, nausea, chilliness, prostration and colic; olive green stools, but always gushing.
What drug is similar here?
Croton tiglium; it has a yellow, watery, gushing stool, appearing every time the patient eats or drinks.
What is the unique symptom of Momordica balsamica?
Accumulation of flatus in the splenic flexure of the colon.
What drugs of the Rubiaceae family do we use?
Cinchona, Coffea and Ipecac.
CINCHONA OFFICINALIS.
Where are the original studies on Cinchona found?
In Hahnemann’s Materia Medica Pura, British Journal of Homoeopathy, Vol. XXIV, Hughes’ Pharmacodynamics.
What special interest does this drug possess to the Homoeopathist?
It was while studying this remedy that Hahnemann made the discovery of the law of Similia Similibus Curantur, or nature’s law of healing.
From what does it takes its name?
It was named after the Countess of Cinchon, wife of the Viceroy of Peru, in which country it was first discovered and carried to Spain. It is also known as China.
What is its common name and what are the principal varieties of
it?
Peruvian bark, of which there are over fifty varieties; but three are common, the pale bark, the red bark and the yellow bark; the latter is called Cinchona flava, or Cinchona calisaya, and it is from this variety that we obtain our tincture, it being made from dried bark.
How is our tincture prepared?
The dried bark is coarsely powdered and the procedure is the same as described under Colocynthis.
What are the alkaloids of Cinchona?
Cinchonine, Cinchonidine, Quinine, Quinidine and Quinamine.
What is the usual allopathic dose of Quinine?
From I to 30 grains.
Give briefly the general action of Quinine.
In small doses it stimulates, and in large doses it depresses the activity of the cerebro-spinal system-hence its homoeopathicity to states of atony. Weakness, especially from any drain on the system, is the general sphere of action calling for this drug. The element of periodicity also is most characteristic.
Give the symptoms of the affection known as cinchonism.
This is a name given to a group of nervous symptoms produced by overdosing with Quinine. The first warning is usually a buzzing in the ears, with more or less deafness, headache and vertigo, and dimness of sight. Heart’s action weakened; sometimes an intoxication not unlike that of Alcohol is produced, followed by delirium, stupor, with difficult respiration and convulsions.
What are the principal drugs to antidote the evil effects of Quinine?
Arsenic, Ipecac, Lachesis, Pulsatilla, Ferrum and Veratrum.
Give the indications calling for Arsenicum.
Profound prostration; patient is tired and languid in the morning; great thirst, swollen spleen, dropsical swelling and recurring neuralgias.
What is the grand effect of Cinchona upon the blood?
It produces a condition of anaemia; a condition of bloodlessness, both in quality and quantity.
What is the great characteristic in cases of debility?
Weakness, debility and diseases resulting from the loss of vitals fluids, such as blood, semen, milk, or in exhausting diarrhoeas.
When is Cinchona indicated in hemorrhages?
Dark clotted hemorrhages, from any part of the body, with coldness of face, collapse, gasping for breath, and the patient wants to be fanned; ringing in the ears.
Does the Cinchona patient usually like cold air?
No; Cinchona patients are aggravated by drafts of air, and hemorrhage is the only condition where they want it.
What other drug has a copious passive hemorrhage and where the patient wants to be fanned?
Carbo veg.
What is a marked amelioration of Cinchona?
Warmth and a warm room.
What is the headache of Cinchona?
Headache with violent throbbing of the carotids; head feels as though skull wound burst; sensation as if brain beat in waves against skull. Anaemic headache.
How does this compare with the Belladonna headache?
The headache and throbbing of carotids so characteristic of Belladonna is due to hyperaemia, while under Cinchona it is an anaemic condition.
Give the symptoms of Cinchona in digestive disturbances.
It has a sense of satiety after a few mouthfuls of food, and a painful distension which is only momentarily relieved by belching; there is a sensation as if the food had lodged in the oesophagus behind the sternum; the food is apt to lay a long time in the stomach and finally be vomited undigested. The distension after eating a little is characteristic.
What other drug have this full feeling?
Carbo veg., which has relief from belching, and Lycopodium, which has the symptom that after a few mouthfuls there is a feeling as if a full meal had been eaten.
What is the diarrhoea of Cinchona?
Painless diarrhoea, which is slimy, bilious blackish, of a cadaverous odor, and mixed with undigested food, worse at night and after eating,with rapid exhaustion and emaciation; the child is hungry and soon after it eats, its bowels move. Worse after eating and from fruit.
What are two other drugs having an undigested stool coming on after eating?
Ferrum met. and Arsenicum.
How does the stool of Phosphoric acid differ from that of Cinchona?
It lacks the debility of Cinchona.
What are the symptoms of Cinchona in intermittent fever?
Restlessness before the chill, absence of thirst during chill and heat, but marked thirst during the sweat; during the chill wants to be covered, but has no relief there from; during heat wants to uncover, but becomes chilly on doing so; sweat is profuse and debilitating; yellow, sallow face; no characteristic time, perhaps occurring more in the afternoon and evening; all stages well marked, anticipating chill every second day. During apyrexia patient feels well (Arsenic, feels sick and miserable). It is seldom of use in inveterate cases, where the liver and spleen are hypertrophied and where much Quinine has been taken, though an enlarged spleen does not contraindicate the remedy.
How does differ from Chininum sulph. or the sulphate of Quinine?
Here the chills return with great regularity, clear intermissions, regular paroxysms, nearly clean tongue and profuse sweats.
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.