WORMSEED.
Introduction
As the authorities that I have consulted differ as to the name of his plant, let us, until we are shown our error, consider Cina as the Artemesia santonica, or European wormseed, and Santoninum as the Russian or Asiatic santonica, or European pauciflora. Cina derived its popular name, wormseed, from its use for centuries as a vermifuge, and we use it, not for its mechanical but for its curative effects, for Hahnemann, who fist proved it, found that it produced on the healthy human body, those symptoms that would lead one to suspect the presence of round worms, or the seat, pin or thread worms.
Symptoms
These symptoms are “fretfulness, ravenous appetite and swollen abdomen, itching of the nose and anus, frequent micturition, restless sleep and twitchings in various parts of the body” (Hughes).
It must not be forgotten, as Dr. Deschere has already expressed it, that where symptoms like those of helminthiasis present themselves, Cina will cure whether worms are present or
not (208).
It is especially in children that we find the most frequent call for this remedy and the child who needs it is a little devil, as far as temper is concerned. That I may not seem to exaggerate, I quote the symptoms: “Children become very fretful, cannot be pleased; cannot be quieted by any persuasion; proof against all caresses and though very weak when sick they are very cross and obstinate and strike everybody.”
We have a stupefying headache in Cina, worse in the occiput (100) and associated with vertigo that is relieved by lying down (207), and it is a remedy to be thought of for cerebral symptoms of meningeal irritability, especially in children suffering from worms, particularly with swollen and hot abdomen. It is of value for strabismus depending upon worms, especially when the child was a pale, sickly look and “blue rings around the eyes” (Hering).
There is great itching of the nose in Cina, and the child rubs it, or is constantly boring into the nose and picking it until it bleeds (145). Pallor around the nose (145) and mouth is marked in Cina, when the child is troubled with worms.
In children with disordered stomach and bowels, who require Cina, we find twitching of the muscles of the face and about the eyes, sometimes the whole face is burning hot, or one cheek is red and hot and the other is pale (27); these symptoms vary rapidly.
Cina is to be thought of in neuralgia of the malar-bone (80) with a sensation as if pinched with pincers (79) and with aggravation from external pressure (79). There is ravenous hunger (119), often soon after a meal, the child wants a great variety of things and refuses ordinary food. The abdomen is swollen, hard and hot, with soreness to touch or pressure (12), especially above the navel, where there is also a good deal of colic. The colic is sometimes better from pressure (175).
The diarrhoea is watery, with little pieces of white mucus looking the popped corn (60) and associated with white, turbid urine. The child passes worms, both round and thread.
There is frequent desire to urinate or on involuntary micturition during the day (198) or at night (198).
Cina may be thought of in broncho-pneumonia of children (151), where, is addition to the characteristic crossness of the remedy, we find a gurgling or swallowing after coughing.
In whooping cough there is this same gurgling, or “clucking sound”, as Farrington calls it, that goes down the oesophagus as the child finishes the paroxysm.
There is great mental excitement in Cina, children wake in fright (81), scream and tremble and the paroxysms of whooping cough are worse “when awaking from sleep” (Lippe). There is twitching of the extremities during sleep (193) as well as grinding of the teeth (187).
I use Cina 30th.
