INTRODUCTION
COLCH. Meadow Saffron. “Archiv,” VI. Duration of Action: days, and even weeks.
COMPARE WITH
Aconite, Arsenicum, China, Cocc, Mercurius, Natr-mur., Nux-v., Opium, Puls, Sepia
ANTIDOTES
Of large does: Vinegar and honey, from six to eight drops of Caustic Ammonia to one pint of water with sugar. Of small doses: Cocc., Nux-v., Pulsatilla
GENERAL SYMPTOMS
Lacerating jerks, generally in the left side, sometimes darting through one entire half of the body. Lancinating jerks, now in the skin, then in the soft parts of the head, with sleeplessness the whole night. Sticking-drawing jerks through the periosteum, with lameness and actual paralysis of the affected part. Sticking-drawing, and drawing with pressure, particularly early in the morning, now in the shoulder, then in the right hip. Drawing, jerking, and lacerating in various muscles, particularly in the face, also in the eye-lids and incisors. When the weather is warm he experiences a lacerating in the limbs, and when it is cold a darting, great languor, and excessive sensitiveness of the body, so that he is not able to stir without moaning. Languor as after exertions. The limbs feel weak as if they would fall off. Sudden sinking of strength, he is scarcely able to talk or walk. Lameness of every muscle, particularly those of the those of the lower limbs. Painful lameness, particularly in the knee-joints, especially on raising the lower limbs, he falls on the floor. Frequently starting as if in affright.
CHARACTERISTIC PECULIARITIES
Aggravation of the mental symptoms by mental exertions. The pains are worst from evening till morning, in the evening they are frequently so excessive that they would almost drive one mad.
SKIN
Itching of several parts or of the whole body, as from nettles. Stinging in the skin, particularly the joints. Lacerating tension in various parts. OEdematous swellings and anasarca.
SLEEP
Drowsiness in the daytime, also with indisposition to work and dullness of the head. Restless night’s sleep. Frequently waking as if in affright. Sleeplessness from nervous irritation.
FEVER
Chill through every limb. Frequent shiverings along the back. Dry heat of the skin. Nightly heat of the body, also with much thirst. Pulse irritated. Pulse large, full, and hard. Pulse 90 to 100. Pulse quick and small. Violent palpitation of the heart. Sweat. Suppression of perspiration.
MORAL SYMPTOMS
Out of humor, discouraged. Peevish. Weakness of memory. Great absence of mind and forgetfulness.
HEAD
Pressure in the head, excited by mental labor. Oppressive weight in the occiput, during movement and when bending the body forward. Crampy sensation, particularly close above the eyes. Painful lacerating-drawing in the left half of the head, from the eye-ball to the occiput. Lacerating in the scalp. Great falling off of the hair.
EYES
Soreness of the eyes. Suppuration of a meibomian gland, with swelling of the lid and great nervous irritation.
EARS
Dragging pain, with darting in the ears. Discharge from the ears, with lacerating in the ear (after the measles). Roaring and stoppage of the ears.
NOSE
Feeling of oppressive weight in the nasal bones. Pain as from soreness in the septum. Bleeding of the nose, in the evening. Morbid excitation of the sense of smell. Chronic coryza, with thin, tenacious discharge from the nose.
FACE
Yellow spots in the face. Prosopalgia, beating or jerking drawing in the facial bones, sometimes with sensation as if the bones were pressed asunder. Itching and eruption in the face. Tingling in the face as after being frozen. OEdematous swelling of the face.
TEETH AND JAWS
The teeth are very sensitive in biting. Drawing pain in the teeth, as from drinking cold water, immediately after having put anything warm in his mouth. Pain as from soreness of the teeth. Lacerating in the roots of the lower teeth. Lacerating in the gums.
MOUTH
Accumulation of water, with nausea, repletion, and malaise in the abdomen. Profuse ptyalism. Nausea, with inclination to vomit, when swallowing the saliva. The tongue is heavy, stiff, and insensible. Burning and stinging in the throat.
THROAT
Biting tingling in the throat and fauces. Inflammation of the fauces.
APPETITE AND TASTE
Loss of appetite. Aversion to food, and loathing, with shaking when merely looking at the food, and still more when smelling it. Great thirst, also burning, unquenchable thirst.
GASTRIC SYMPTOMS
Constant singultus. Nausea, with inclination to vomit, with constant flow of saliva, dryness of the throat, uneasy turning from side to side, great absence of mind, and sinking of strength. Bilious vomiting, with violent colic, succeeded by bitterness in the mouth and throat. Violent vomiting, with trembling and spasms, throwing up the ingesta. Every motion excites or renews the vomiting. The vomiting is preceded by painful contraction of the abdomen. The pains abate somewhat after the vomiting.
STOMACH
Sensitiveness in the region of the stomach, it does not bear contact. Tingling in the stomach, as if he would vomit (when raising the trunk). Pain as from soreness in the stomach. Burning in the stomach, also with heaviness, or pain. The stomach feels icy-cold. Oppressive sensation in the pit of the stomach. Stitches in the pit of the stomach.
ABDOMEN
Pain in the abdomen, with chilly feeling and weakness in the abdomen and stomach. Pains in the whole abdomen, with malaise. Colicky pains in the abdomen. Burning or feeling of coldness in the abdomen. Pain in the abdomen, as from incarceration of flatulence, particularly in the right hypochondrium. Great distention of the abdomen, also when the abdomen, also when the abdomen is empty, aggravated by eating. Swelling of the abdomen. Peritoneal dropsy, with a fold above the pubic arch.
STOOL AND ANUS
Frequent urging to stool, with scanty, hard stool and pain in the anus. Scanty stool, with great straining. Extremely painful stool. Disposition to diarrhoea, with shifting of flatulence. Loose stools, preceded by colic. Frequent evacuations of transparent, jelly-like mucus, relieving the colic. Bloody stools, mingled with a skinny substance. Fall dysentery, with discharges of white mucus and violent tenesmus. Lacerating or lancinating-lacerating in the anus. Tingling and jerking in the anus. Burning at the anus. Prolapsus-ani.
URINE
Constant desire to urinate, with diminished discharge of urine. Ischuria. Scanty emission of dark-red urine, with burning and tenesmus in the urethra. Increased secretion of urine, with urging. Emission of quantity of pale urine, preceded by burning in the urinary passages. The urine is like fire, and goes off constantly. Brown, black urine. Whitish sediment in the urine. Tingling burning in the urethra, after micturition, early in bed, with renewed urging, discharge of some drops of urine, burning in the urethra and anus. Constant burning in the urinary passages, with diminished secretion of urine.
GENITAL ORGANS
The menses are to early. Suppression of the menses, which had just made their appearance.
TRACHEA
Tingling in the trachea and chest, with cough. Hoarseness in the morning, with roughness in the throat. Frequent, short, dry, hacking cough, from titillation in the larynx. Nightly cough with involuntary ejaculation of a few drops of urine.
CHEST
Difficulty of breathing. Asthma. Oppression of the chest with anxiety, or else alternate paroxysms of anxiety and oppression. Frequently tightness across the chest, or else crampy pressure. Darting when breathing and coughing, particularly in the left breast. Lacerating in the right breast, not far from the axilla, with pain as from soreness when touching or moving the parts. Spasms in the chest. Hydrothorax. Violent palpitation of the heart. Lacerating in the region of the heart. Burning stinging in the outer breast burning through the sternum.
BACK
Stinging in the small of the back. Drawing in the small of the back, worse during movement. Pain in the lumbar region. Lacerating and lancinations in the back. Stitches below, between, and over the shoulder-blades. Sticking tension between the scapulae, mostly during movement. Pressure in the neck, with pain from contact. Painful tightness in the muscles of the right side, during deglutition and when touching them.
ARMS
Painful lameness in the arms, which makes it impossible to hold even the lightest things. Crampy pain on top of the right shoulder. Bubbling sensation in the left upper arm. Burning pressure in the left upper arm. Lacerating in the lower arm, also in both elbows in the direction of the upper arm. Lacerating in the hand, also lancinating lacerating. Troublesome itching of the hands. Lacerating, also lancinating-lacerating, in the fingers and joints of the fingers. Drawing, with pressure, or rheumatic drawing in the thumbs.
LEGS
Lacerating in the hips, calves, legs, and feet, worse at night. Cramp in the left thigh, with sensation as if the thigh had gone to sleep. OEdematous swelling of the legs and feet. Drawing pressure in the toes. Tingling in various toes as after getting frozen.
