LEADING USES. – Debility from loss of body fluids – Haemorrhage, Diarrhoea, Spermatorrhoea, profuse sweating, expectoration, suppuration, excessive lactation, etc. Simple Intermittent Fever; simple Remittent Fever, with prostration, and variable Hectic Fever, from Abscesses or prolonged suppression in any part; periodically recurring Neuralgias, and other affections marked by periodicity; sensitiveness of the nervous system to physical impressions; Anasarca when associated with Ague or disease of the spleen; sweating, in cases of extreme debility, especially after severe fevers, the patient waking up every morning with his linen soaked. Disturbing dreams, causing anxiety and starting, the anxiety or confusion remaining some time after waking. Irritation of the spine, and spinal pain, with imperfect circulation, shown by blueness of the nails, coldness of the extremities, with numbness, etc., are well met by China. Debility, however, is little benefited by China so long as its cause remains in operation.
NERVOUS SYSTEM. – Intermittent Neuralgia; Vertigo with dimness of sight, humming in the ears, and flushed face, succeeded by depression, yawning, etc.; tremblings, from debility caused by excessive mental labour.
HEADS, EARS, ETC. – Periodical neuralgic and congestive headache and faceache; headache, with a sense of constriction over the top of the head, and buzzing, singing, humming, or roaring noises; weight, fulness, and tension in the head, flushing of the face, etc. Brow-ague (malarial); nervous Deafness with noises in the ears.
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM. – Diarrhoea (chronic), or Diarrhoea occurring early in the morning or after a meal, without pain; simple summer Diarrhoea with severe griping, or absence of pain; passage of undigested food; periodically (malarial) Dysentery-with cold extremities, feeble pulse, etc.; sinking at the stomach, relieved by eating, but soon recurring; sensation of emptiness with or without hunger; Jaundice, in feeble persons, with sallow, dirty- yellow complexions, stitches in the liver, slimy-bilious taste, and loss of appetite; drowsiness and oppression after eating, and qualmishness in the stomach; congestion and enlargement of the spleen; ascarides in tubercular children liable to Diarrhoea, with large abdomens.
URINARY SYSTEM. – Scanty and turbid urine, with whitish or brick-dust sediment; periodic paroxysms of Haematuria.
GENERATIVE SYSTEM. – Nocturnal Emissions and Spermatorrhoea, with debility, depression of spirits, Indigestion. Menstruation continuing too long, or being profuse, with large, dark clots; irregular menses, irregularity of labour pans; debility from excessive menstruation, Leucorrhoea, or lactation.
SKIN. – Unhealthy Ulcers in cachectic patients of a sallow appearance, with cold and dry or clammy skin; Dropsy, moist Gangrene.
ANTIDOTES. – The ill effects resulting from the too free use of Bark or Quinine are best met by Nat.-Mur., Arsenicum, Ferrum, Veratrum, Belladonna, or Ipecac., according to the accompanying symptoms.
33. – Cimicifuga Racemosa-Actaea Racemosa – Black Cohosh – Squaw-root.
This plant grows abundantly in shady and rocky woods, on rich grounds, from Maine to Michigan, and in some other parts of America.
In common with most English homoeopathic physicians, we have derived our knowledge of this drug chiefly from Dr. Hale’s admirable work on the “New Remedies.” We have used it largely for many years, and can abundantly confirm the greater part of Dr. Hale’s recommendations.
LEADING USES. – The provings of this plant are somewhat full, and point to an extended range of action. Its special sphere of action is in nervous, uterine. Rheumatic, and muscular affections. The left side of the body is chiefly involved. It will be found that those maladies which can be traced to, or are associated with, the generative organs, or Rheumatism, are most amenable to its action.
NERVOUS SYSTEM. – Restlessness; nervous tremors; apprehensive “nervousness”; nervous weakness and prostration; excitement, followed by irritation, and exhaustion. Facial Neuralgia; pains in the left side under the breast, in the back and lumbar region, Chorea, especially when associated with deranged menstruation. Depression of spirits, from over-nursing, or uterine disorder. Weariness, sense of confusion, and heaviness, and dulness from mental labour or want of sleep. Spinal irritation, from rheumatic or uterine causes.
HEAD. – Rheumatic, nervous, and menstrual headaches – severe aching pain in the eye-balls, and over the eyes, increased by movement of the head or eyes; dull pain in the occipital regions, from within outwards, with shooting pains down the back of the neck; fulness, heat, and throbbing in the head, and feeling on going upstairs as if the top of the head would fly off; Neuralgia in the forehead and eye-balls. Throbbing, aching pain in the top and back of head, from the shoulders down the spine, with strange, wild appearance, dilated pupils, Delirium, tremors, illusions of vision, – rats, mice, insects, etc. – dull aching in the eye-balls, sense of soreness in the eyes, black specks, Diplopia, roaring in the head, etc.; Hysteria, with similar pains, sensations, and illusions. Cimicifuga is well adapted to the nervous “sick-headaches,” and headaches generally, of delicate, nervous, and hysteric females, especially if connected with menstruation, pregnancy, or the critical age; also to the headaches of hard students, and the cerebral confusion and distress of drunkards after alcoholic indulgence. In these conditions the absence of gastric disturbance is a further indications for this remedy.
CIRCULATORY SYSTEM. – Recent affections of the heart following, or due to, Rheumatism, with irregular pulse, palpitation, pains, etc.; paroxysms of pain and distress-the heart’s action seeming to cease suddenly with a feeling as of impending suffocation – similar to those of Angina Pectoris, chiefly felt after lying down at night, especially from rheumatic or uterine irritation; pain or anxiety about the heart, down the left arm to the hand, with palpitation, numbness of the left arm and exhaustion. Pain in the left side, or under the left breast (see “Nervous System”).
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM. – It is not usually indicated in the more obvious diseases of the lungs, but it is of value in certain disorders of the respiratory system, nervous cough, and dryness of the throat, or sense as of a dry spot in the larynx, inducing cough in girls and women, from uterine disorder, pregnancy, Hysteria, etc.; spasmodic action of the larynx in hysteric patients with hoarseness, the sense of fulness or choking. Pleurodynia or stitch-in-the-side, worse on exertion, and when taking a full breath. Catarrhs of women and children, with acute pains in the limbs, aching in the eye-balls, watery Coryza, head-, face-, and tooth-ache, dry, tickling Cough, worse at night.
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM. – The vomiting and sinking at the stomach, caused by Cimicifuga, are not gastric, but associated with brain or uterine disturbance. Primary dyspeptic complaints are not within its sphere.
URINARY SYSTEM.- Pale, profuse urine, from nervous depression, as in Hysteria, uterine ailments, pregnancy, etc.
GENERATIVE SYSTEM (Female). – Amenorrhoea – especially associated with Chorea, Hysteria, or headache; or with intense headache, pain in the eye-balls, back, and limbs; uterine cramps, etc. Delayed menstruation – With heavy headache, palpitation, and melancholy. Dysmenorrhoea with sever headache before menstruation, and, during the discharge, aching in the limbs, pain in the back, ovarian region, hips, and thighs, with pressing down, labour-like pains in the abdomen, tenderness in the hypogastrium, and depression, nervousness, etc., the discharge being dark and coagulated; after the menses, the patient feels weak, and has neuralgic pains, with lowness of spirits. Menorrhagia – from atony of the uterus – with dark, coagulated discharge. Leucorrhoea, also associated with uterine weakness. Abortion and miscarriage, even when habitual, is sometimes under the control of Cimicifuga, if administered early in threatened abortion or for some time before the usual period of miscarriage, When the general symptoms correspond. Disorders of Pregnancy, nervousness, depression, sleeplessness, sickness with uterine disturbance, cramps and other neuralgic or muscular pains. Sinking at the stomach, occurring at the climacteric, or in connection with other uterine troubles; chilliness, frontal headache, aching in the eye-balls, and limbs, dejection. Intermittent labour pains, and other difficulties attending labour; it acts best as a preventive of these administered for several weeks or months before labour. After-pains, with nervous irritability, sleeplessness, and melancholy, especially when arising from exhaustion of the uterus after prolonged or frequent labours; Prolapsus uteri from the same causes. Suppressed lochia, with uterine spasms, Cramps in the limb, headache, and even Delirium; Puerperal Mania – great despondency, etc., especially in rheumatic patients.
LICENTIATE OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS; MEMBER OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS; LICENTIATE IN MIDWIFERY, LONDON AND EDINBURGH, ETC. PHYSICIAN TO THE READING AND BERKSHIRE HOMOEOPATHIC DISPENSARY.
Author of "The Stepping Stone to Homeopathy and Health,"
"Manual of Homoeopathic Treatment". Editor of "The Homoeopathic World."