(From vol. vi, 2nd edit., 1827.)
(The ripe seed-capsules along with seeds reduced to powder and digested in alcohol, in the proportion of 20 grains of the powder to 400 drops of alcohol, without heat, for a week, the mixture being shaken twice daily to form a tincture, twenty drops of which contain one grain of capsicum-powder.)
In both the indies where “Spanish pepper” (Piper Indicum sive Hispanicum), as it called, is indignous, it is chiefly used only as a spice. It was introduced as such into England, France, and Italy, and at length was adopted in Germany as a spice to season sauces at the dainty tables of high livers (the pulverised seeds of the still more pungent Capsicum baccatum, “or “Cayenne pepper,” being often used as a substitute) in order to stimulate the palate to a unnatural appetite, and thus – ruin the health.
In the meantime but little was heard of the medicinal use of this powerful substance. BERGIUS alone (Mat. Medorrhinum, p. 147) mentioned having cured several agues of long standing with two grain doses of capsicum; but he did not give it alone, for the old original sin of traditional medicine, the mixture craze, in induced him to combine it with bay berries, in the proportion of twenty of the latter to three of the former. He does not describe the agues cured by it according to the totality of their symptoms, but only employs the expression”olg agues” after the manner of his other school collegues, so that the virtus ab usu of the mixture prescribed is shrouded in darkness.
On the other hand, the homoeopathic physician proceeds much less doubtfully and with much greater certainty in his cures with capsicum, for guided by the peculiar, pure morbid states produced by this powerful medicinal substance in the healthy body (some of which I here record), he only attempts the removal of those natural diseases the sum of whose symptoms is contained in the greatest possible similarity among those of capsicum.
The diseases curable by capsicum are rarely met with in persons of tense fibre.
A very small portion of a drop of the tincture diluted to the trillionfold degree – each diluting bottle having been only twice succussed – I have found to be quite sufficient for a dose for all homoeopathic curative purposes; and as antidote to diminish the over – strong action of a dose of capsicum in some very sensitive persons, I have found the olfaction of a saturated solution of camphor effacicious.
[HAHNEMANN was aided in this proving by AHNER, HARTUNG, MOSSDORF, and WISLICENUS.
Symptoms are taken from the following old-school sources:
BROWNE, in Murray’s Appar. medic., i. 2nd edit.
FORDYCE, in Murray’s Appar. medic., I, 2nd edit.
PELARGUS, Obs., tom. ii,
In the Frag. De Vir. Capsicum has 147 symptoms, in the 1st Edit. 346, in this 2nd Edit. 344.]
CAPSICUM
Intoxication.
When he wakes up from sleep. His head is so stupid as if he did not know himself.
Cloudiness of the head. [Htg.]
In the morning on awaking, dull in the head.
5. During the febrile rigor and coldness at the same time anxiety, dizziness and stupidity in the head, like thoughtlessness and awkwardness, so that she knocks against everything.
Emptiness and stupidity of the head (aft. 12 h.). [Ar.]
Dulness and confusion of the head. [Ar.]
Vertigo, swaying from side to side.
All the senses are more acute. (Reaction of the vital force of the organism, secondary action, curative action.)
10. When moving the head and when walking, headache, as if the skull would burst.
Throbbing, beating headache, in one of the temples.
Beating headache in the forehead.
A throbbing, beating headache.
Aching pain in the temples.
15. Aching pain in the temporal region. [Htg.]
Pressive pain in the forehead as if it pressed from th occiput forwards out at the forehead, with a cutting from the occiput forwards (immediately).
A continual pressive headache in the forehead above the root of the nose and occasionally some stitches through the ear and over the eye.
A semi-lateral, pressive shooting headache, like a hysterical megrim, which is aggravated by raising the eyes and head, or by bowing the head forewards, and is accompanied by forgetfulness and nausea.
Drawing tearing pain in the left side of the head (aft. 17, 48 h.). [Ar.]
20. A shooting headache.
A headache more shooting than tearing, which is worse when at rest, but mitigated by movement.
An outstretching headache, or as if the brain were too full.
A pressing-asunder headache in the forehead.
A drawing headache in the forehead.
25. Drawing tearing pains in the frontal bone, more on the right side (aft. 6, 7 h. and 3 d.). [Ar.]
Violent deeply-penetrating shooting in the crown. [Ar.]
(Tearing headache.)
On the hairy scalp an eroding itching, as from vermin, which compelled scratching; after the scratching the roots of the hair and the scalp were as painful as if the hair had been pulled out.
Slight shudder on the hairy part of he head, which is diminished by scratching, but then erturns with increased violence (aft. 2 h.). [Htg.]
30. Unusual redness of the face, without heat, but after half an hour a wretched appearance and pale complexion (aft. 3 h.). [Htg.]
Sweat on the forehead. [Ar.]
Facial pains, sometimes as pains in the bones, excitable by external touch, sometimes as fine penetrating through the nerves, which torment him when going to sleep.
(On the left side of the face pimples, with smarting sensation as from salt.)
In the face red points, and on the forehead a tetter with eroding itching (aft. 2 and 24 h.).
35. Very dilated pupils.
Great dilatation of the pupils. [Ar.]
Pressure on the eyes so that he cannot open them wide enough. [Ar.]
Eyes projecting out of the head with paleness of face (aft. 16 h.).
An aching pain in the eyes as from a foreign body.
40. In the morning a burning in the eyes, which are red and water.
Fine shooting pain in the eyes. (From the exhalation.)
Inflammation of the eyes.
In the morning a dimness of vision, as if a foreign substance swam upon the cornea and obscured it, so that by rubbing the eye the transparency can be restored for some instants.
All objects appear black before the eyes.
45. Vision almost quite extinguished, like blindness.
Tearing in the concha of the ear.
An itching pain quite deep in the ear (aft. 16 h.)
An aching pain quite deep in the ear (aft. 1 and 8 h.).
On the petrous bone behind the ear a swelling, painful to the touch.
50. Tearing pain behind the left ear (aft. 6 h.). [Ar.]
A pain under the ear.
(An itching mingled with stitches in the nose.)\
Contractive twitching pains in the left side of the nose to above the left eye (aft. 5 h.). [Ar.]
Burning tensive sensation on the left nostril, as if a pimple would come there. [Mss.]
55. Epistaxis in the morning in bed, and afterwards frequent blowing of blood from the nose.
Bloody nasal mucus.
Painful pimples under the nostrils.
Burning in the lips. [Mss.]
Ulcerated eruption on the lips – not in the angles – which is painful only on moving the part.
60. Swollen lips.
Rough lips.
Chaps on the lips; fissured lips.
Pains on the left side of the lower jaw, as from a boil or an ulcer, for three – quarters of an hour. [Ar.]
Swelling of the gums.
65. Drawing pain in the gums.
A drawing pain in the tooth, which, however, is not increased either by touching the tooth or by eating.
The teeth feel to him as if lengthened and elvated, and as if on edge.
Eruption of pimples on the inside of the cheeks.
On the tip of the tongue, pimples, which when touched cause shooting pain.
- Flow of saliva.
Twitching tearing pain in the right cervical glands. [Ar.]
Pain when swallowing, as in inflammation of the throat, but when not swallowing a drawing pain in the oesophagus.
Pain in the upper part of the oesophagus, when not swallowing, as if the parts were sore and spasmodically drawn together, as in water-brash.
A simple pain in the fauces, only when coughing.
75. In the palate a pain, as if it were pressed or pinched by something hard, art first more when not swallowing, afterwards more whilst swallowing.(aft. 1.1/2 h.).
Scontraction of the oesiphagus.
Dryness in the mouth.
On the anterior part of the tongue, a dry feeling, without thirst, in the morning (aft. 8 h.).
Adipsia.
80. Viscid mucus in the mouth (aft. 2 h.).
Taste in the mouth as from foul water.
Insipid, qualmish, earthy taste (e.g. of butter).
Watery insipid taste in the mouth, then heart-burn.
Heart-burn.
85. Eructation from the stomach only when walking, and at every eructation a stitch in the side; when sitting no eructations and hence no stitch.
An astringent, sourish taste in the mouth.
Sour taste in the mouth.
Sour taste of soup (aft. 2 h.).
Qualmishness in the stomach (aft. 1 h.).
90. A coldness in the stomach; a sensation as if cold water were in it – followed by a sensation as if he trembled.
Want of hunger, anorexia.
When he would eat he must force himself to do so; he has no appetite although food tasted all right.
After a meal, frequently yawning.
Longing for coffee (aft. 8 h.)
95. Nausea wirth inclination to vomit, and spitting of saliva after drinking coffee.
Inclination to vomit.
Hahnemann's three major publications chart the development of homeopathy. In the Organon of Medicine, we see the fundamentals laid out. Materia Medica Pura records the exact symptoms of the remedy provings. In his book, The Chronic Diseases, Their Peculiar Nature and Their Homoeopathic Cure, he showed us how natural diseases become chronic in nature when suppressed by improper treatment.