Arsen On going to stool, painful constriction immediately above the anus, which extends towards the sacrum. After stool the anus burns like fire, causing intense agony, restlessness and exhaustion. Heat and pain in the rectum, with a kind of tenesmus, as in dysentery, with continual pressure.
Causticum There is great difficulty in walking, for the pain in the anus and rectum becomes intolerable. Much pain in the perineum. Large, painful pustule near the anus, discharging pus, blood and serum.
Gratiola After stool, painful pressure in the abdomen when walking, relieved by sitting down. Sticking pain about the umbilicus. Tearing in the rectum, or prickling in the anus. Painful cramps in the os coccygis.
Ignatia Painless contraction of the anus for many days. Soon after stool, pain in the anus, shooting far up into the anus, or constriction and smarting, like touching a wound. Very easy prolapsus of the rectum. Pain in the anus returning at the same hour each day; worse walking, and still worse standing, but relieved on sitting down.
Lachesis On going to stool the anus feels as if closed. Internal, cramp- like pain in the anus before and after passage. Prolapsus of the rectum, which is thick and tumefied; and when it returns it contracts spasmodically.
Mezereum Painful constriction, tearing and drawing at the anus, in the perineum, and from thence through the urethra. After stool the anus contracts upon the prolapsed rectum, which remains strangulated, causing, when touched, a pain like a wound.
Natrum mur.
On going to stool, the rectum seems contracted, then is voided, after great effort, only a small quantity of hard feces, with tearing, bleeding and smarting at the anus, and finally, some soft matter. Ripping up sensation in the anus after stool. Much sticking and sharp pains in the anus and rectum between the stools; and at night in bed.
Nux vomica
Sore, painful stools, either much too large and difficult, or too small and insufficient, with a sensation as if something remained in the rectum still to be discharged, but with an entire inability to do so.
Phosphorus The pains for Phosphorus are mostly lancinating in the anus and up the rectum, sometimes attended with smarting. After stool, strong desire to urinate. Acute smarting pains after a soft stool, extending into the abdomen.
Plumbum A sensation as if a rough body were traversing the rectum during stool. Sensation as if the anus were drawn strongly upwards. Much trouble with the urine, in not being able to pass it, apparently from want of sensation to do so; the will to do so cannot effect it, as if from paralysis.
Sepia Constrictive pain in the rectum, extending to the perineum and into the vagina. Pain in the rectum on going to stool and which persists for a long time after sitting down, and finally an imperfect stool is voided with sore, smarting pain. There is a sense of weight in the anus, like a constant drag.
Silicea Painful effort to stool for some time and finally the stool recedes into the rectum; such efforts are repeated several times before a passage is effected, with sore, sticking, shooting pains.
Sulphur Tenesmus for a hour after having been to stool. On attempting to sit down for stool, the pain in the anus prevents her from doing so. After stool a pulsating pain continues in the rectum the whole day. Lancinating pains from the anus upwards, after stool, so violent as to cause syncope. At night there is much difficulty in lying in bed, from lancinating and uneasiness in the rectum, tenesmus, &c.
Tabacum Violent pain in the small of the back during soft stool, and much tenesmus and burning.
Thuya oc.
During an attempt at stool, the pain in the anus and rectum is so great that she has to desist; she cannot then pass the stool. Violent contraction in the anus and rectum, followed by tearing as if in the bowels. Burning pricking in the anus between the stools. Violent burning in the anus while walking.
Zingiber Hot and painfully sore feeling in the anus continually.
Ptyalism The profuse flow of saliva, which sometimes occurs in the earlier months of pregnancy, usually lasts but two or three months; although cases are recorded in which it continued during the whole period of gestation.
Where this discharge is excessive, it must necessarily prove very exhausting. Its source must be found in some peculiar constitutional dyscrasia, which ultimates itself in this direction, under the stimulus of pregnancy. Hence the Homoeopathic remedies are found to relieve the difficulty and at the same time benefit the whole system of the patient. This is just the reverse of the experience derived from the Allopathic use of astringent gargles. Two cases are referred to by Cazeaux, in one of which the sudden suppression of the ptyalism was followed by apoplexy, in the other symptoms of suffocation appeared. This eminent Allopathic authority is unwilling to admit that these results were the actual consequences of such suppression; but the intelligent Homoeopath would expect nothing less.
The salivation, if unattended by other symptoms, may require Mercurius; but in most cases there are other gastric disturbances, all of which must be duly considered. For remedies, therefore, consult those mentioned in the preceding chapter.
Urinary Difficulties As gestation advances, the increasing size of the uterus causes it to press more and more upon the bladder. Thus the capacity of the latter organ is diminished by the lateral pressure, which necessitates a much more frequent discharge of urine. The same frequent micturition results also from the direct irritation of the neck of the bladder. Thus there may be hourly calls to pass water, which are sometimes but partially relieved by the flow of a few drops only at a time. Or the irritation may amount to dysuria; an actual strangury, or even to a complete retention of urine.
These difficulties may arise in the earlier stages of pregnancy, especially where the unusual size of the pelvic cavity allows the foetus to remain too long within it. Or they may appear in consequence of some displacements, such as prolapsus, anteversion or retroversion of the uterus. Where some displace-ment appears to be the cause, which may sometimes be known by the suddenness of the onset of the difficulty, especially if it follows some accident or over-exertion, the case should receive the treatment recommended in a preceding chapter for uterine displacements. If it prove to be retroversion, the use of the elevator may be necessary to replace the organ. The other varieties of displacement scarcely ever require manual assistance; since perfect rest in the horizontal position and the exhibition of the Homoeopathically indicated remedy will in most cases readily relieve the uterine and the urinary difficulty at the same time. The catheter may sometimes be required, in order at once to relieve the patient of the great distress under which she may belaboring from enormous accumulation of urine.
Incontinence of urine sometimes appears, especially in the later stages of pregnancy. When it appears in the early months it results from the pressure of the womb upon the neck of the bladder, before it rises out of the pelvic cavity, causing a loss of tone of the part. This difficulty will often yield to the indicated remedy; but if not, where it comes on in the early stage of pregnancy it may be expected to disappear upon the emergence of the uterus from the cavity of the pelvis.
For the medical treatment of these difficulties, the following remedies should be carefully studied according to the indications here given, and compared in the Materia Medica with reference to any concomitant and constitutional symptoms which may also be present in the case.
Aconite Retention of urine with stitches in the region of the kidneys. Difficult and scanty emission, with pinching around the umbilicus. Bright red, hot urine. Enuresis accompanied with profused perspiration. Desire to urinate accompanied with great distress, fear and anxiety.
Apis Burning smarting pain before and after urination. Stitching pain in the urethra during enuresis.
Arnica After passing a little urine, she wishes to pass more, but is unable for the present. Brown urine with brick-red sediment.
Belladonna Much difficulty in passing a small quantity of urine; it flows in a very feeble streams or in drops. The urine is often as yellow as gold. There is a constant dribbling of urine, wholly involuntary. Also enuresis with profuse perspiration.
Camphor. Retention of urine with constant pressure on the bladder and desire to urinate. Burning in the urethra during emission of urine.
Cannabis. Burning during and after emission.
Cantharis. Very frequent urination, even sixty times an hour, with violent cutting pain so severe as to make her scream. The urine is often bloody. Very frequent micturition, with cutting and burning-cutting pain. Strangury with frequent urging.
Capsicum. Burning smarting after micturition as from the application of Cayenne pepper.
Causticum. Frequent desire to urinate, a small portion passing involuntarily. Involuntary passing of urine at night.
