Hemlock.
Introduction
HAHNEMANN published two proving of Conium: one, more brief in Materia Medica Pura; one, later, in Chronic Diseases. We will quote form the introductory remarks of the latter.
After describing its homoeopathic preparation, he says: “The great medicinal powers of this plant may be inferred from what has been written by Stoerk and his plant may be inferred from what has been written by Stoerk and his followers on the brilliant results obtained by means of Conium in the years 1770, 1771, etc. However, although some good results were obtained, at least in the beginning, in the treatment of some horrible diseases, yet, on the other hand, the repeated use of excessive doses of this drug has done irreparable injury and has destroyed a number of human lives.
“The apparently contradictory statements of honest observers based upon their respective experience, some of which had a tendency to gladden, others to sadden the heart, have been recently reconciled by Homoeopathy. It has shown that it is impossible to obtain beneficial effects from the use of heroic remedies by employing large and repeated doses of comparatively unknown and powerful drug in the treatment of equally unknown diseases, ‘but that the drug ought first to be proved upon healthy persons, and ought to be exhibited in the highest potencies in diseases, to the symptoms of which its own pathogenetic effects are homoeopathic.’
“Such doses are indeed strange contrasts of the doses which have been employed by allopathic physicians, 140 grains of the extract, or a wineglassful of the recent juice, even six times a day. The true homoeopathist has the advantage of never using this drug to the prejudice of his patient.
“Those terrifying examples have prevented me from investigating the effects of that drug until lately: then it was that I discovered its anti-psoric qualities.
“This remedy, in order to act beneficially, has frequently to be preceded by some other drugs, and must then be used in the smallest possible doses.”
One remembers years ago, in Athens, visiting the prison of Socrates, where the old philosopher calmly met death. One can see it now-that excavation, some way up in the solid rock of the hillside : long and shallow (as one recalls it, after all these years) but of special interest to the homoeopath, because of the manner of his death. He had been condemned to die by drinking the expressed juice of hemlock. It took time to prepare. He asked his executioner, “What must I do?” “Walk about,” he was told, “and when there is a heaviness in your legs, lie down.” He drank the draught of death, while his devoted friends looked on, mourning him; and he walked to and fro till, motion and sensation failing in his legs, he lay down. His executioner investigated, and found his legs, cold and senseless-then, soon, his abdomen-then the deadness rose higher, and with a convulsive flicker he passed out. That is the way with hemlock: it kills from the extremities upwards, while the brain remains clear.
Who was it that taunted his persecutors, “You may kill my body; you may kill my soul, too-if you can catch it.” Something of the sort said Socrates when asked, “In what way are we to bury you?” “As you please-at least if I do not escape you. When “I have drunk the poison, I shall not stay with you. None may say at the burial that he infers Socrates-say you are burying my body; and bury it as you please.”
In thinking of Conium, one always remembers Socrates, and how the drug paralyses, and paralyses from below upwards.
The mentality of Conium is dull and uninspiring; the very antithesis of the mentality of Cannabis ind. “Weakness of memory: forgetfulness: inability to sustain mental effort. He is averse to society, yet dreads to be alone. Disinclined for business: dullness: indifference. Hypochondriasis and hysteria from suppression of or, too free indulgence in sexual instinct, with depression, anxiety and sadness. Likes to wear his best clothes, makes useless purchases, cares very little for things, wastes or ruins them; does not want to work, prefers to play.” So we see that mind, also, is slowed down, and its energies blunted and paralysed.
We will run through what KENT tells us, gleaning and condensing: This medicine is deep-acting, long-acting. Complaints from taking cold, when the glands become affected all over the body infiltration in the region of ulcers and inflamed parts; in the glands along the course of the lymphatics, so we get a chain like a string of beads.
Conium has been used extensively for malignant, cancerous affections of glands, and no wonder, because it takes hold of glands from the beginning and infiltrates, and they gradually grow to a stony hardness, like scirrhus.
(Re its action upon the nerves.) Nerves in a state of great debility: trembling, jerking, twitching. Gradually growing paralytic weakness, somewhat like Cocculus. Liver becomes indurated, sluggish, enlarged,. Bladder can only expel a part of the urine: or a paralytic condition and no expulsive power.
Action so deep that it gradually brings on a state of imbecility Mind gives out: tired like the muscles of the body. Inability to stand any mental effort or to rivet the attention upon anything, are some of the most important symptoms in this medicine. Passive forms of insanity. Thinks slowly;-for weeks and months, if he recovers at all. “Mental cases with more or less violence and activity are such as correspond to Belladonna, Hyoscyamus, Stramonium, Arsenicum-you will see nothing of that in this medicine. The mind is full of strange things that have come on little by little. Conium is of a slow, passive character. Complete indifference.”
Great unhappiness of mind, recurring every fourteen days, showing a two-weeks’ periodicity.
KENT emphasizes this:- “Whenever under homoeopathic treatment the physical improves and the mental grows worse, the patient will never be cured.” That does not mean the aggravation caused by the remedy. If the mental does not improve, it means that the patient is growing worse. There is no better evidence of the good action of a remedy than mental improvement.
Conium patients cannot endure even the slightest alcoholic drink any stimulating beverages will bring on trembling, excitement, weakness of mind and prostration.
Numbness: it is a general. Numbness with pains (Platina, Chamomilla,); very often numbness with the weakness.
Vertigo. Vertigo when turning the head, like turning in a circle. when rising from a seat. Worse lying, as though the bed were turning in a circle: when turning in bed, or looking around:- while lying in a bed on rolling the eyes, or turning the eyes (compare Cocculus). The conium patient is unable to watch moving things without getting sick-headache. Riding on the cars, watching things in rapid motion, and inability to focus rapidly:- slowness of accommodation.
(Then Vision): Objects look red; rainbow-coloured; striped: double vision: weakness of sight. Aversion to light without inflammation of eyes. Lids indurate, thicken and are heavy and fall. Has cured epithelioma of the lid, and of the nose and cheek. Ulcers of lip with induration. Deep down under the ulcer there will be hardness, and along the vessels that send lymph towards that ulcer there will be a chain of knots.
Paresis of oesophagus extending to paralysis: food goes down part of the way and stops:-when about to pass the cardiac orifice it stops and enters stomach with a great effort. Pressure in throat as if a round body were ascending from stomach.
Inability to strain at stool, to expel contents because of the paralytic weakness of all the muscles that take part in expulsion:-while urine stops and starts: intermits. Stops, and without any pressure whatever it starts again-two or three times during urination.
And KENT says, Conium has cured fibroid tumours of the uterus: has restrained cancerous growths of the cervix. Conium has actually produced induration and infiltration of the cervix.
The Conium cough-almost constant: worse lying in bed: worse first lying down; from taking a deep breath. Has to sit up and cough it out.
Ill effects from bruises and shocks to spine: injuries, especially lumbar.
Conium differs from a great many medicines. It is common for pains and aches to be relieved by putting the feet up on a chair or in bed. But the sufferings and conditions of Conium are better by letting the limbs hang down. The patient with rheumatism or ulceration of legs and the other strange sufferings of the legs will lie down and permit his legs to hang over the bed as far up as the knee. Up to date, we have no explanation.”
Another grand feature of the remedy: he sweats copiously during sleep. He may say that if he merely closes the eyes he will sweat.
Then, stenoses and strictures.
BURNETT tells a quaint little story: He had prescribed Conium for the wife of a certain Bishop who was developing malignant disease of the tongue. On his next visit he “found the lady in a fearful tantrum, and on enquiring, she screeched at me-`I have not taken your medicine, not a single drop of it.’ `Why not? ‘ `Why not, indeed! It is Conium, and you prescribed it because I am an old woman!’ In vain I protested.”
