DRUGS AFFECTING THE OCCIPITAL REGION



Cereus Serpentinus. Back of brain feels detached and as if rotten.

The Cactus plants seem to exert considerable influence upon the circulation in the occiput. This with the well-known constrictive, band-like sensation a sensation varying from the iron grip at the heart to mere pressure, heaviness or drawing constitute the chief characteristic of these remedies.

In one prover, Cactus Grand. caused some in-coordination of cerebral origin; difficulty in fixing the attention, slight reeling gait, muscles obey inaccurately, occiput sore to touch, pressure there, which quick exercise or mental activity relieves. This last modality proves that there is an undue fullness of the transverse sinus and probably, too, of the veins in and about the cerebellum, which exercise causes to move heartward.

Chamomilla. Sense of confusion, heaviness, pressure and fullness; inclination to bend head backward. Dull stitches, desire to bend head backward. Excited disposition.

Chelidonium. Heaviness, as if, could not raise head from pillow; or, feels, as if head is lifted when he arose but occiput remained lying, held firmly by the neck. Pain in occiput with sensation as though head would be drawn backward. Tensive sensation right side of back of head. Drawing, with anxiety in chest. Pressive drawing left side of occiput. Drawing, pressing-like stitches from left side of occiput to forehead. Heaviness and tension in muscles of nape and in occiput. Violent pains back and forth, from vertex to neck, shoulders thereby drawn up.

These symptoms seem to be a part of the spinal irritation caused by Chelidonium. They are not necessarily connected with hepatic symptoms. Clinically the drug has cold sensation in occiput and nape.

China. Drawing, painful; drawing in left side of occiput or in articulation of occipital bones and atlas, (>) bending head backward. Severe pressure, as if, cerebellum would be pressed out. Drawing headache from occiput to forehead, as if, latter was drawn together, ending in throbbing in temples, (>) walking and pressure of hand, (<) when sitting. Violent pressive headache deep in brain, constricted sensation, (<) right side of forehead and in occiput, (<) walking.

Chininum Sulphuricum. Headache in forehead, extending to occiput.

Cimicifuga Racemosa. – pain from right eye-ball through to right side of occiput, slightly affecting the ear, at night. Pain in head seems to extend over and through whole brain, producing distinct sense of soreness in occipital region,(<) by motion. Pain in forehead over vertex to occiput; dizzy; yawns.

Cinnabaris.- Drawing pain from crown to occiput. Fullness, pressure in occiput and back of neck after rising from bed,(>) at noon. Rush of blood to back of head; violent itching and heat extending to each ear; lumps formed behind left ear. Pain in back part of neck when head is thrown back, extending to occiput. Constant pain in right side of head; from temples pain goes to occiput.

Clematis. Pain in occiput in morning, (<) in open air. Coca.-Pressive headache on right side and in occiput. Pain in lowest part of occiput when yawning, sometimes preventing its completion. Drawing in occiput while reading, extending to temples. Headache, in fresh air, changed to occiput, as if, it was held from ear to ear in a vise. when head is bent forward while he is writing, transient giddiness seemingly from occiput forwards.

Coca acts more on the forehead than on the back, still, in some cases of brain-fag, the occiput becomes affected.

Cocculus. In an epidemic of Cerebro-spinal Meningitis, Dr. James was very successful with this drug, when there was present a sensation, as if, the occiput opened and shut.

Coccus Cacti.- pressive pain in right side of forehead, sometimes, to occiput. Violent raging pain in right eye along squamous portion of temporal bone on inner side to occiput; as if, fluid injected paroxysmally into a small blood-vessel. Sense of a hot constricting band from mastoid to mastoid, across occiput, finally, the whole scalp seemed drawn Dull boring, towards left ear. Pressing pain, scalp, as if, swollen. Colchicum.- Sharp, painful drawing, tearing in left half of head, commencing in eye-ball and extending towards occiput. Headache from forehead towards occiput. Dull drawing from nape across occiput to ears. Pressure deep in cerebellum from the slightest literary work. Oppressive heaviness in occiput, (<) on motion or on bending a little forward. Tearing in a small spot left side of occiput.

Excellent for overtaxed brains; if the patient loses any rest, he becomes mentally tired, and suffers with nausea, bitter taste, etc, He is irritable and intolerant of even slight pain.

Colocynthinum. Heaviness, pain. Cerebellum sensitive, on turning head. Stitches traverse occiput, when he treads heavily; or dart through cerebellum like lightning on coughing.

Colocynthis. Boring in right side of occiput. Violent, long- continued pressure in lateral occipital protruberances. Pressure, tension, (<) at inferior lateral protuberances. Pressing boring, drawing in muscles of neck, on different parts of occiput, (<) right side. Sensation in neck, extending towards occipital protuberance, as if, a heavy weight lay there transversely.

Useful in rheumatic and neuralgic patients. Motion aggravates, but firm pressure often relieves.

Comocladia. Violent pain from posterior of right eye to occipital protuberance; eye-ball sore, profuse lachrymation, eye feels as large as two. Sharp pain in occiput down the neck. Aching in right temporal bone, thence to occiput; whole base of head painful on moving head.

Conium. Heavy sensation, (<) sitting bent, when erect. Fullness and confusion, Pressure on left side of occiput; or in right side like a plug. Pain at every pulse, as if, pierced with a knife. Tearing while walking. Tearing in occiput, nape, and especially orbits with constant nausea so that must lie in bed. Pressure in forehead, than heaviness, later same in occiput. Headache from forehead to occiput, as if, something were loose on shaking head.

Copaiva.-Dull pain. Lancinating pressure in occipital protuberance. Pulsating, deep-seated stitches. Stitches in left occipital protuberance, with occasional shocks in whole head.

Crot. Horridus. Sudden vertigo; nearly falls off of chair; full congested feeling in front of brain; aching over left eye, with sharp pain small spot in centre of left occiput. Cerebellum, post mortem found injected. Pain, as from a blow, lying down again after rising.

Croton Tiglium- Confusion of left or whole of occiput. Pressive headache. Sticking pain, between nape and occiput.

Cuprum Arsenicosum. Dull, heavy aching back of head. Dull soreness in right occipital bone, (<) pressure.

Digitalinum. – Confused, (<) forehead with pulsating pain in occiput, (>) walking in open air. Confusion in occiput. Dull pain. violent boring in left side of occiput. Drawing as if, occiput and vertex were rising; afterward pressure in occiput.

Digitalis. Violent pressure in left half of occiput. Sensation of pressure in occiput, right to left; from occiput, right to left; from occiput to vertex, confusion and incipient vertigo. Violent sticking pain, (<) occiput and vertex, less the forehead.

Dioscorea. Severe pain, (>) pressure. Sharp, twisting pain,(>) rubbing. Pulling pain, causing stupid sensation. Dull pain. Severe pain in back of neck, to back of head and both shoulders.

Dirca Palustris.- Pain in head low in occiput, thence over top of head to forehead, there a strong congestive headache with throbbing of carotids. Pains all through head, vertex and occiput extending down into spine. Headache in left half of head, throbs and beats, (<) coughing or moving, (<) touching back of head, (>)when hair was down or high on head.

Dulcamara. Whole head heavy, as if, scalp were tense, (<) in nape, where it becomes a crawling. Occiput heavy. Occiput feels enlarged Pressive, stupefying pain in occiput, rising from nape. Slow sticking, as from a needle drawn in and out.

Elaps. Pain seems in the right side of cerebellum. Pressive pain in nape, as if, from sinking down of the cerebellum.

Equisetum. – Slight boring, changing from side to side in occipital region. Dull drawing back of head and neck. Very sharp and quick pains near left superior curved line of occipital bone. Pains change from frontal to occipital region and dart from left to right there.

Eriodictyon. – Aching in base of cranium. Sense of outward pressure on all sides of head, (<) at cerebellum upwards. Pressure outward, (<) back of head. Intense, dull, heavy, pain in back of head and over eyes. Burning pain. In asthmatic colds, with supra-orbital and occipital headache, this herb will prove very serviceable.

Eryngium Aquaticum.- Dull dragging pain in occiput, neck and shoulders. Pain extends forward into eye with blurring, (<) exercise or least excitement.

This drug causes a headache that is worse in frontal region, (<) over left eye,, (<) thinking intently, lowering head, etc.- sitting stooped, it passes into neck and along muscles of shoulders. Dimness of sight is a valuable accompaniment. The eyes burn and are congested, with purulent, fluid, profuse discharge. The symptoms are very suggestive of headache of optic region.

E. A. Farrington
E. A. Farrington (1847-1885) was born in Williamsburg, NY, on January 1, 1847. He began his study of medicine under the preceptorship of his brother, Harvey W. Farrington, MD. In 1866 he graduated from the Homoeopathic Medical College of Pennsylvania. In 1867 he entered the Hahnemann Medical College, graduating in 1868. He entered practice immediately after his graduation, establishing himself on Mount Vernon Street. Books by Ernest Farrington: Clinical Materia Medica, Comparative Materia Medica, Lesser Writings With Therapeutic Hints.