“Next the experiments of Tests led him to credit Chelidonium with a specific affinity for the respiratory organs. The two disorders to which he thought its symptoms specially pointed were pertussis and pneumonia. Subsequent experience has confirmed his predictions of its value. Dr. Buchmann shows that in animals poisoned by the drug the lungs are found generally engorged, sometimes hepatized. He develops in several of his provers all the symptoms of an incipient pneumonia. And he contributes from his own practice cases of the disease, in which the beneficial action of the drug was most manifest.”
An old homoeopathic text-book on Diseases of Children-given away and its author forgotten-laid it down that most cases of pneumonia in children yielded readily to Chelidonium, with which the author always started his cases. Chelidonium is one of the great pneumonia medicines, especially pneumonia of the right base. It will be observed that Chelidonium is almost exclusively a right-side medicine. It will be useful here to give Dr. KENT’S graphic picture of a Chelidonium pneumonia.
“It is generally of the right side, or right-sided spreading to the left. The right -sidedness is marked, and but small portions of the left are involved in the inflammation. The pleura is generally involved, and so there are stitching, tearing pains. You may not practice long before you will find a Chelidonium patient, sitting up in bed with high fever, bending forward upon his elbows, holding himself perfectly still, for this medicine has as much as aggravation from motion as Bryonia All of the aches and pains and sufferings are extremely aggravated from motion. This patient is sitting with a pain that transfixes him; he cannot stir, he cannot move without the pain shooting through him like a knife. The next day you will see that his skin is growing yellow. If you see him at the beginning Chelidonium will relieve him and you will present that pneumonia. It is not uncommon in children, and it is extremely common in adults. It is one of the pneumonia medicines.”
He adds, “Bryonia wants to lie on the painful side, wants to have that pressed, wants to lie on the back if the pneumonia is mostly in the posterior part of the right lung; he wants pressure and wants to lie on it. In Chelidonium he is worse from touch, as well as motion. Belladonna must lie on the other side and he cannot move a muscle. One cannot touch that right side with pleurisy. Cannot stand a jar of the bed, because of the extreme sensitiveness to motion.”
BURNETT further says, in regard to lungs: “I would, however, just dwell upon the fact that Chelidonium will very frequently cure engorgements of the right lung even when it is a concomitant of true phthisis, but it has no influence over the general phthisical state, other than what pertains to, and result from, the lower half of the right lung and liver. As an intercurrent remedy in the hepatic complications of phthisis it is capable of rendering important service.” Chelidonium has also a very violent spasmodic cough, and is found useful, the indications agreeing, for whooping cough.
Rheumatism also – but space forbids!
HUGHES mentions its “hitherto unknown influence on the kidneys: renal irritation, tube-casts, increased uric acid, diminished chloride of sodium-oedematous swellings of extremities.”
The headaches that Chelidonium can cure may be very severe. One remembers from many years ago a cottage woman in the country with such frantic headaches that she was impelled (heaven knows why!) to chop off her hand. The indication for the use of Chelidonium are forgotten, but Chelidonium quickly cured.
A little symptom-complex that spells Chelidonium, in the nondescript cases that come to outpatients, and is useful, is this: Pain at right shoulder-angle; tooth-notched tongue; great drowsiness by day. To this one may add: better for milk; better for hot drinks; especially better for hot milk.
We will close with the dictum of GUERNSEY (Guiding Symptoms): “The strongest characteristic calling for this drug, is a very severe pain in the inner lower angle of the right shoulder-blade, running into the chest. This indication furnishes keynote for the cure of an almost endless variety of complaints; also a very specific action on the liver and portal system.”.
BLACK LETTER SYMPTOMS OF PROVINGS
(From Hahnemann, Allen’s Cyclopedia and Hering’s Guiding Symptoms)
Great laziness and drowsiness, without yawning. Lethargy.
Great discomfort; feels not at all well, without knowing what is actually the matter with him. Debility and lassitude.
Distaste for mental exertion and conversation.
Weary, indolent disposition.
Vertigo: with bilious vomiting and pain in liver, with stumbling as if to fall forward; on closing eyes, etc.
Pain over left eye; seemed to press down upper lid.
Pressive pain right side forehead.
Heaviness in the occiput. (Headaches, sick headaches, neuralgias.)
Curious symptoms: cranium feels too small; a forcing in the cerebrum, as if it had not room in the skull, and would be forced through the ear, with noises.
Right supraorbital neuralgia.
A long-lasting stitch in right EAR.
Intolerable sensation in both ears, as if wind rushed out of them.
In both ears, thundering of distant cannon.
Whites of EYES dirty yellow.
Stitches above left eye.
Increased secretion of meibomian glands.
Remarkably yellow colour of the FACE, especially forehead, nose and cheeks.
The usual redness of the cheeks has a mixture of yellow of a dark colour.
Greyish-yellow sunken countenance.
TONGUE thickly coated yellow; with red margin; showing imprint of teeth.
Mucus in mouth with tough mucous saliva.
Bitter taste in the mouth.
Great tension on and in the THROAT, above the larynx, as if it were constricted, whereby, however, only the gullet was narrowed.
Sensation as if the larynx were pressed upon the oesophagus from without, whereby not the breathing but the swallowing was rendered difficult.
A choking in throat, as if too large a morsel had been too hastily swallowed.
Loss of APPETITE with disgust and nausea.
Hiccup.
All complaints lessen after dinner.
Nausea in hepatitis, and in the vomiting of pregnancy.
Bilious vomiting.
Constriction, tension and sensitiveness in pit of STOMACH and right hypochondrium.
A sharp painful stitch in pit of stomach, which extends through body to the back. (Queer sensation, as of an animal wriggling in epigastrium.)
Stitches in region of LIVER. Pressive pain, liver.
Pains from region of liver shooting towards back and shoulder.
Pains transversely across umbilicus, as if abdomen were constricted by a string.
Abdominal plethora. Haemorrhoids. Liver affections.
Continued cutting in BOWELS, immediately after eating: food however was relished.
Diarrhoea and constipation alternately.
Thin, pasty, bright yellow STOOLS.
URINE dark yellow, clear.
Urine turbid on passing it, brownish-red, like brown beer.
Urine stains the diaper dark yellow.
Short, quick BREATHING with oppression, (>) deep inspirations.
Nightly attacks of asthma, with constriction in chest, region of diaphragm. (Hindrance to breathing as by a tight girdle.)
Stitches beneath the right ribs.
Deep-seated pain in the whole of right side of CHEST.
Oppression of chest, clothing seemed too tight.
Soreness in right lower ribs. (Hepatization of lungs: haemoptysis; pneumonia.)
Stiffness of NECK.
Stitches beneath right scapula. Pains in right scapula.
Stitches: pain, beneath right shoulder blade.
Tearing lowest lumbar VERTEBRAE, extending to neighbourhood of os ilii; as if vertebrae were broken away from one another, only when bending forwards, and on again bending backwards.
Pain in right shoulder.
Tips of fingers cold, yellow “dead”; nails blue; esp. right.
Drawing pain hips, thighs, legs, feet; especially right side.
Loss of power left thigh and knee when treading.
Hard pressure, below both patellae.
Pain right knee with burning and stiffness; (<) moving.
Neuralgia in limbs: rheumatism, least touch exceedingly painful sweat without relief.
Limbs heavy, stiff and lame: flabby. Tremble and twitch.
Burning HEAT of hands, spreads over body.
SWEAT during sleep, after midnight towards morning(>) waking.
TISSUES. Chronic, gastric and intestinal catarrhs.
Hepatitis; jaundice; fatty liver; painful enlargement of liver; gall stones; bilious conditions.
Distension of veins; abdominal plethora; haemorrhoids.
Yellow-grey colour of skin.
Itching of skin. Red, painful pimples and pustules.
Old, putrid spreading ulcers.
