**Dulcamara is a prominent remedy for rheumatism, made worse by sudden changes in the weather, especially when cold and damp.
Cimicifuga. [Cimic]
Another example of family relationship in rheumatic troubles may be found in the ranunculaceae family.
**Aconite is often a useful remedy in the first stage of rheumatic fever; it is homoeopathic, not only to the fever, but to the local affections caused by the rheumatic poison. It is in many cases a specific antidote to the whole condition. Dr.Jousset insists upon the efficacy of **Aconite tincture in acute rheumatic fever. **Pulsatilla we have already seen. **Ranunculus bulbosus is especially useful in rheumatism of the muscles of the chest and trunk. There is a great deal of soreness, the muscles have a bruised feeling, and changeable, damp weather aggravates.
**Cimicifuga is a rheumatic remedy; its chief symptom is great aching in the muscles, and this right in the fleshy part of the muscles, the belly of the muscles rather than the extremities. It is also prone to occur in the large muscles of the trunk rather than the small muscles of the extremities, here resembling **Nux vomica. It differs from **Rhus by not acting on fibrous structures, being rather a remedy for muscular rheumatism. Rheumatism in the muscles, coming on suddenly and of great severity, worse at night and in wet and windy weather, will find its remedy in **Cimicifuga.
**Actaea spicata, another of the same family, on the contrary, acts on the small joints of the hands and feet; the joints ache and swell while the patient is walking.
Under **Cimicifuga there is great restlessness, but motion aggravates.
**Caulophyllum, so similar in many other ways, differs from **Cimicifuga in having rheumatism of the metacarpal and phalangeal articulations of the hand.
Colchicum. [Colch]
Although usually thought of in gout, **Colchicum is no mean remedy in rheumatism. It has a special affinity for fibrous tissues, tendons, aponeuroses, ligaments, and periosteum. It has also shifting rheumatism like **Kalmia, Pulsatilla, etc., The pains are worse in the evening; the slightest motion aggravates; the patient is irritable; the pain seems unbearable. Sometimes it is useful when the rheumatism attacks the chest, with pains about the heart and a sensation as if the heart were squeezed by a tight bandage. There is great evening aggravation; the joints are swollen and dark red. **Colchicum is especially useful for rheumatic affections in debilitated persons those who are weak-weakness being the characteristic. It is a remedy too, for the smaller joints. As we have already seen, there are a number of remedies affecting the smaller joints of the hands and feet, such as **Actaea spicata, Caulophyllum, Ledum and Rhododendron. And there are a few more: **Benzoic acid has rheumatism of the small joints, gouty nodosities, weeping sinews, cracking in joints, gouty nodosities with great characteristic accompaniment of extremely offensive urine.
**Ammonium phosphoricum has nodes and concretions in the joints.
**Lithium carbonicum also has rheumatism of the finger joints, with tendency to heart complications and it must be compared with **Kalmia, Ledum and Benzoic acid in this respect; it has rheumatic soreness about the heart; recurring attacks also indicate it.
**Viola odorata and Ruta have rheumatism of the wrists. It is finally well to remember that **Colchicum is rarely indicated early in rheumatism but later when the patient is weak and exhausted, it may do good work.
Sanguinaria. [Sang]
**Sanguinaria inflames muscular tissue, giving a picture of acute muscular rheumatism. The muscles are sore and stiff, with flying erratic pains in them or stitching. The muscles of the back and neck are especially affected by it. The chief field of usefulness of the remedy seems to be in rheumatism affecting the right deltoid muscle. It is described as a rheumatic pain in the right arm and shoulder, worse at night or on turning in bed. It is so severe that the patient cannot raise the arm.
**Magnesia carbonica is similar in having rheumatism in the right shoulder, rheumatic pains better from warmth and worse in bed.
**Ferrum has a paralytic tearing pain in the shoulder and muscles of the upper arm so that raising the arm is impossible; but it gradually disappears on gentle motion. Although Farrington says it is especially adapted to the left deltoid muscle, most of the symptoms point to the right shoulder.
**Nux moschata, however, affects the left deltoid muscle.
**Ferrum phosphoricum is a very useful remedy in rheumatism of the shoulders, especially the right shoulder.
**Urtica urens has cured obstinate case of deltoid rheumatism in 10-drop doses of the tincture. It is thought this drug has the power to dissolve deposits of urates in the muscles.
Phytolacca. [Phyt]
The sphere of **Phytolacca seems to be where there is a syphilitic taint. It is particularly useful in pains below the elbows and knees. There is stiffness and lameness of the muscles; the pains seem to fly about, are worse at night and are especially aggravated by damp weather. Rheumatic affections of the sheaths;of the nerves; periosteal rheumatism or rheumatism of the fibrous tissues often is benefited by **Phytolacca. Rheumatism of the shoulder and arms, especially in syphilitic cases, may call for this remedy. It cured a case of right deltoid rheumatism of twenty-seven years standing.
**Kali hydroiodicum has rheumatism of the joints, especially the knees. The knee is swollen, has a doughy feel, and the pain is worse at night; usually the trouble is of syphilitic or mercurial origin.
**Mercurius has some rheumatic pains, worse at night, but sweating, as the patient always will when the drug is indicated, aggravates them.
**Silicea is a remedy to be thought of in treating hereditary rheumatism. The pains are worse at night; worse from uncovering, better from warmth.
Guaiacum. [Guaic]
**Guaiacum is a remedy with many rheumatic symptoms. It is in the chronic forms of articular rheumatism where the joints are distorted with concretions that it will do the most good, given earlier it will prevent the formation of these concretions, It is good remedy with which to follow **Causticum. A characterizing symptoms will be contraction tendons, which draw the limb out of shape, worse on any motion. We have already seen a number of remedies having these deposits in the joints, but none having these contractions. Stiffness and soreness of the joints and soreness;of the muscles are also present. Syphilitic or mercurial rheumatism may be also met at times with **Guaiacum. Gonorrhoeal rheumatism, where many joints are affected, they are rigid, hot, swollen and painful, and the contraction will be present; the muscles seem too short.
Calcarea carbonica. [Calc]
Rheumatic affections caused by working in water will call for **Calcarea. **Rhus may fail, and then oftentimes **Calcarea will complete the cure. Gouty nodosities about the fingers are also present.
**Calcarea fluorica has proved of service in lumbago. It has much the same symptoms as Rhus; the patient is worse on beginning to move, but continued motion improves.
**Arnica has rheumatism, resulting from exposure to dampness, cold and excessive muscular strain combined. The parts are also sore and bruised. Rheumatism of the intercostal muscles is also met with **Arnica. Rheumatic stiffness caused by getting the head and neck wet will be best met with **Belladonna. An other of the **Calcareas, Calcarea phosphorica, is useful for rheumatism appearing on any change in the weather; pains especially in the sacral regions and extending down the legs. These symptoms suggest also **Dulcamara.
Professor of Materia Medica in the University of Michigan Homeopathic Medical College. Member of American Institute of Homeopathy. In addition to his editoral work he authored or collaborated on: Boericke and Dewey's Twelve Tissue Remedies, Essentials of Homeopathic Materia Medica, Essentials of Homeopathic Therapeutics and Practical Homeopathic Therapeutics.