SOW-BREAD.
Introduction
Cyclamen is one of our infrequently-used remedies, which often means a drug thoroughly proved and one of which our knowledge is limited. It was first proved by Hahnemann and four of his followers, all men, and for that reason its value on the female sexual organs was not determined, and until it was proved by the Vienna Society, many of its chief indications were not known.
It is an old remedy but had gotten into ill-repute owing to erroneous accounts given by the Arabians concerning its action, so as Hahnemann says: “Modern physicians know nothing more respecting it, scarcely as much as the ancients romanced about it.” One of the romances being, that to touch the plant would produce abortion.
Hahnemann makes a statement here that we, as scientific therapeutists, know perfectly well but are apt to lose sight of. He says: “But as our new (homoeopathic) medical art takes nothing on the authority of unintelligent tradition, and neither accepts anything because it has been praised, nor rejects it because it has been condemned, without having first subject it to impartial trial, I undertook the investigation of this much-decried root.” (Mat. Medorrhinum Pura).
Symptoms
The symptoms of Cyclamen seem to group themselves about the functions of digestion and menstruation, and while its action is similar in many respects to its allied remedy, Pulsatilla, there is this general differentiation: Pulsatilla better from or desire for fresh air; Cyclamen, worse from or with dread of the open air (5).
The Cyclamen patient is apt to be depressed and out of humor with himself; inclined to cry but prefers to do so without an audience (132); this mental state is especially noticeable in conjunction with suppressed menstruation (135). There is vertigo, associated with gastric or menstrual irregularities, objects turn in a circle (207), with relief in the house or while sitting, and with aggravation in the open air (207).
The headaches of Cyclamen are periodic and one-sided (99), “the left temple being the seat of the pain almost always” (Dunham), with flickering before the eyes (104) and, when severe, with blurred vision (104) or even blindness (104), and “relieved by applications of cold water ” (Lippe) (92). The headaches are usually due to anaemic conditions (93) or to gastric (97) or menstrual difficulties (95).
The saliva tastes salty, which gives a salt taste to all food. There is no thirst and but little appetite, with a feeling of satiety as soon as he begins to eat (177). There is a feeling of qualmishness in the stomach, an aversion to bread and butter and to fat (177) or greasy food, and according to Lippe, “could only drink lemonade without being nauseated.”
Menstruation is normally too early, or frequent, and too profuse (135), discharge black and clotted (136), with severe labor like pains from the back to the pubis. In membranous dysmenorrhoea (138) there is also a profuse flow.
In anaemia (17) and chlorosis (17) we have scanty or suppressed menstruation (134), with the one-sided headache and blindness; but in all conditions calling for the remedy there is apt to be a state of constant chilliness and great dread of the open air (5).
Dunham says that the Cyclamen patient has difficulty in going to sleep, that he wakes early in the morning unrefreshed, and while he cannot go to sleep again, feels too weak to get up.
I use Cyclamen 3d.
