Nux vomica. [Nux-v]
Nux vomica affects powerfully the urinary organs, yet it is seldom thought of as having anything specially characteristic about these organs. It affects the lower part of the spine, and we have as a consequence, in the first place, incontinence of urine; there is irritability at the neck of the bladder, and the same symptoms is found here as with the rectum. There are frequent ineffectual efforts to urinate, and these are accompanied by burning and tearing pains; the urine passes in drops. Again, it is indicated in vesical torpor or paralysis; here we have dribbling of urine or retention. Haematuria from abuse of drugs calls of Nux vomica. Cystitis, with this painful urging and scanty urine indicates the remedy. The straining is violent at times, and the urine is dark with a red brick-dust sediment, or bloody, or mixed with a tenacious mucus.
Opium is similar to Nux in having a partial paralysis of the bladder with spasmodic condition of the sphincter, but with Opium the patient is unconscious that the bladder is full, and there is no desire to pass water. The Stramonium patient passes no water because the urine has been suppressed; it is not secreted.
Camphor gives prompt relief in spasmodic retention of urine.
Nux is useful in the irritable bladder of gout and alcoholism, and to relieve pain and spasm in the passage of urinary calculi.
Causticum. [Caust]
In paralytic conditions about the bladder Causticum deserves first place. It is one of our great remedies in enuresis, and its characteristics are involuntary micturition at night in sleep, when coughing, sneezing or blowing the nose, showing a weakness of the sphincter. Another indication of this is the difficulty the patient has in passing the last few drops of urine; the fact that he has to wait a long time before it starts, and that during the act it is expelled very slowly, showing not only a weakness of the sphincter but a weakness of the whole muscular system of the bladder. Nocturnal wetting of the bed in children, occurring during the first sleep at night, calls for Causticum. Paralysis of the bladder after labor also calls for this remedy. Zincum is another excellent remedy in these bladder troubles, and it has some symptoms similar to Causticum, such as involuntary spurting of urine when coughing or sneezing; there is apt to be more pain in Zincum cases, however; Scilla and Natrum muriaticum also have involuntary micturition when coughing. Another symptom of Causticum is an excessive deposit of urates in the urine. Another remedy which clinically has proved very useful in enuresis from weakened muscular action is Ferrum phosphoricum. Rhus aromatica has enuresis of nervous origin, and has been used successfully in senile cases.
Sepia. [Sep]
One of the prominent remedies for lithaemic conditions is Sepia, and the condition of the urine becomes an indication for its use. It has a reddish clay-colored sediment adhering to the vessel, a sediment of red sand so-called. The Sepia urine differs from others in being offensive. Sepia is also a remedy for wetting the bed at night during the first sleep. Lycopodium is a prominent remedy for the indication of red sand in the urine. It is a sort of gravel and is passed in quantities, so that often the child will scream with pain on passing the water. Lycopodium will then help. Sarsaparilla and Benzoic acid have similar symptoms, the latter having as a characteristic a strong horse-like urine. Natrum muriaticum also has their red sand or brick-dust sediment. Another remedy having this symptom very marked in Ocimum canum. This is a very useful remedy in renal colic and gravel. The patient has to micturate every few minutes, during which he wrings his hands and groans with pain. Nausea is often present. The quantity of sand deposited is very large. In cystitis, with a constant desire to urinate and dragging in the bladder, Sepia may prove useful; here it will be indicated by its general Symptoms.
Vesicaria is recommended to favor expulsion of gravel and sand in urine, also Thlaspi bursa Pastoris.
Mercurius corrosivus. [Merc-c]
A remedy affecting the genitourinary tract profoundly is Mercurius corrosivus. It has the most violent tenesmus of the bladder of an remedy, resembling most closely Cantharis; it has also extreme burning, and hence is indicated in cystitis with these symptoms, or in kidney troubles associated with this pain in the neck of the bladder. The patient has frequent calls but passes little urine, and the urine is bloody and albuminous. It is one of the comparatively few remedies producing albumen in the urine. Phosphorous is another, and Plumbum yet another, and all three have proved serviceable in Bright’s disease. The great vesical tenesmus, burning, and bloody urine will indicate this remedy at once, whether it be in cystitis, albuminuria after diphtheria or kidney disease.
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.