THUJA-OCCIDENTALIS-AMERICAN OR COMMON ARBOR VITAE.
Introduction
This native tree was imported into France from Canada in he sixteenth century but little attention as paid to it, therapeutically, until Hahnemann proved it, for he says, “no serious medicinal employment has been made in Europe before now of this plant” (Mat. Medorrhinum Pura).
Thuja has also received a thorough reproving by the Austrian Society (1846) the results being entirely confirmatory of Hahnemann’s
Hahnemann, under Thuja, m speaks of the higher dilutions and referring to Thuja 30th or 60th says: “The discovery that crude medicinal substance s(dry and fluid) unfold their medicinal power more and more by trituration succussion with non-medicinal things, and in greater extend the further, the longer, and the stronger this trituration or successes carried on, so that all their material substances seem gradually to be dissolved and resolved into pure medicinal spirit: this discovery, unheard of till made, by me, is of unspeakable value, and so undeniable, that the septics, who from ignorance of the inexhaustible resources o nature in the he Homoeopathic dilutions, see nothing by mechanical divisions and diminution until noting remains (therefore annihilation of their medicinal power), must see their error as soon as they appeal to experiment” (Mat., medorrhinum, Pura).
In other words, if you wish to condemn the value of the higher potencies, be sure and do so before you save used them. Next to potency, the subject of the number of times each dilution should be succussed used to prove a fruitful source for heated discussions. hahnemann, under Thuja give us two views of heater, for while he says,”ten times and of there l; he adds for a certain number of people: “In order to obtain real preparations of sufficiently developed by at the same time suitably moderated, power for even the more are most sensitive patients by the dilutions of medicinal substances for homoeopathic use, for some time back I gave adopted the plant in the case of all fluid medicines of succussing each diluting phial with only two strokes of the arm.”
Twelve years later (1838) we find in the preface to the fifth volume of Chronic Disease, the following paragraph, which I will quote in full:
“We frequently read in homoeopathic books that, in the case of one or another person in a certain case of disease, some high (dilution) dynamization of the medicine was of no use at all, but a lower potency proved effectual, while others have seen more gates the cause of the great difference of these effects. what prevents the prepare of the medicines (and this ought to be the homoeopathic physician himself; himself ought to forge and whet the arms with which to fight the disease)-what prevents him, in preparing a potency, from giving 10,20,50 and more successive strokes against a somewhat hard, elastic body to every vial containing one drop lower potency with 99 drops of alcohol, so as to obtain strong potencies” This would be vastly more effective than giving only a few nevertheless successive strokes, which will produce little more than dilutions, which ought not to be the case.”
This last I like in both aspects; first, that each physician should prepare his own medicines, at least his liquid potencies, for it is not only perfectly practical thing for him to do, but also a source of great satisfaction to know that the potency that he is using is just what it pretends to be; and second that the more each potency is succussed the more efficient it become.
The only explanation that I can accept as to the remedial action of a higher potency, is not he idea of mere dilution, but that by repeated succussion pr trituration there has been effected a more complete breaking up of the drug particles, resulting in a dynamization or increase of efficiency, not strength, as the meaning of the latter word is apt to be misunderstood.
A thing that we should always keep in mind is that all drugs or poisons do not affect all people with the same degree of intensity. this has been frequently shown in conducting a proving, and all physicians are aware of the increased or lessened susceptibility of certain persons to medicines. So let us remember that while, as a usual thing, we give a remedy in a certain potency, we will meet with patients on whom that same potency will prove harmful or inert, and be ready to change our potency top what the individual organism may require.
Symptoms
The main action of Thuja is on the genito-urinary organs and on th skin. It produces symptoms closely allied top the sequelae of gonorrhoea, and in some degree, to those of syphilis
It is one of the remedies to think of where you suspect a pre-existing venereal disease as being at the foundation of he trouble that the patient complains of. when the in-born modesty of the physician will prevent his asking the direct question, or the inherited perversity of the patient will cause him to lie if you question him. It is well to keep in mind that while most people will acknowledge to gonorrhoea, if they have had it, the great majority will deny syphilis, even to their physician, no matter how plainly it may show itself.
There is sadness and loathing of life, in thuja, and as Talcott says, “it is called for in mental depression and apathy, with desire to be left alone (9), when this frame of mind follows direct and personal knowledge that the way of the transgressor is hard.,” there are fixed ideas in which unworthiness to live occupies a prominent place and great emotional sensitiveness and weeping, or as frequently found, with ill humor.
We have melancholia in which he is possessed with the belief that he is mad of some brittle substance, as of glass, and will not allow people to approach for fear he will be broken, or there may be an idea of living animal in the abdomen (11), as if a child’s arm pushed against the walls or there is a sudden bounding as of something alive in the r. iliac region.
It may be that he thinks he is “under the influence of a superior power” (Hering), that his soul his separated from his body (54), or that strange people are standing by his chair, or bed (53).
Thuja has vertigo on closing the eyes, with relief on opening them (207).
The headache of Thuja may have a nervous or syphilitic origin (102) and are often associated with soreness of the scalp(91) so that the patient :cannot rest head on the pillow (Hering). The pains are worse at night and a characteristic sensation, which may be constant o transitory, is as if a nail or wedge were being driven into the head (106) by way of the temples or vertex, and relieved momentarily by touch or “by rubbing” (Hering.
The pains in the head frequently extend to the face (100) and malar bone (80), with stabbing, unendurable pains and great soreness of the parts to touch or when moving the muscles as when chewing. We may have these headache or toothache as the result of tea-drinking (7).
Thuja is of value in ciliary neuralgia (75), the pains extending over the head and face, with great soreness, cannot lie on the face nor chew;for syphilitic iritis (74), with gummata on the iris, and severe pains wore at night; also for warts (208) or other tumors of the lids.
It is useful for polypi of the ear (65), especially when they bleed easily from slight manipulation, and for otorrhoea, the discharge watery or purulent and smelling like putrid meat (63).
It is to be thought if in nasal catarrh, with dried mucus and scabs (143), or with quantities of thick, green mucus, pus and blood that seem to come from the frontal sinuses. It is also of value for warts on the nose (208).
The teeth under thuja are extremely sensitive to cold water (187) and it is a remedy of value for toothache in decayed teeth (186), m especially when the teeth decay next to the gums leaving the crown sound, with retraction of the gums (84).
it us useful in aphthous stomatitis (140) the mouth filled with painful and burning blisters.
there are warts (208) or condylomata about the anus, often associated with fissures (159), and especially with moisture around the anus, or excessive perspiration on the perineum.
Thuja is a very useful remedy for thee bad effects of vaccination(195) or when it causes diarrhoea.
In the diarrhoea calling for Thuja, the stools are copious, pale, greasy and forcible, expelled with gurgling at the anus, like water from a bung-hole (59), they are usually painless, worse after breakfast or in the morning,”always at the same hour” (Lippe) and worse “after coffee” (Hering_ (57), and it is to be thought of for chronic diarrhoea (58) recurring regularly every morning after breakfast. The urine is high-colored and strong-smelling, with weak expulsive power in the bladder and frequent interruptions of the stream (199), or a sensation as if a few drips of urine ran down the urethra, after micturition, a dribbling from the urethra (198) not from the bladder.
In an old gonorrhoea it is to be thought of when associated with inflammation of the prostate (155), which prostatic involvement may be the cause of the chronicity. It is of great value for repressed gonorrhoea, with inflamed prostate or with rheumatism (161).
