Synonym. – Capsicum Annuum. Natural order. – Solanaceae. Common names. – Cayenne; red pepper. Habitat. – an herbaceous plant, native of tropical America and Asia, cultivated in almost all parts of the world. Preparation. – Tincture from the ripe, dried fruit.
GENERAL ANALYSIS
Acts almost exclusively upon the mucous membranes, especially those of the alimentary canal, the condition set up being one of intense irritation, favoring congestion and inflammation. A similar action is, to some extent, had also upon the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. Capsicum also produces a chill and fever like that of malarial origin. The tendency of the capsicum inflammation is to destruction of tissue, thus giving rise to ulceration, abscesses, and phlegmonous conditions. Like Cantharis the drug is eliminated through the kidneys, producing irritation, strangury, tenesmus, etc. The chief feature of Capsicum is the sensation of intense burning and smarting which it produces, as if Cayenne pepper had been sprinkled upon the parts.
CHARACTERISTIC SYMPTOMS.
Mind Taciturn, obstinate, easily offended (Nux v.). contended, jocose and singing, but angry from the slightest causes. *Homesickness (Helleborus, Phosphorus ac.); with flushed cheeks; sleeplessness; hot feeling in fauces. *Children become clumsy and awkward.
Head. Vertigo, *during cold stage of intermittent fever. Headache as if the skull would burst (Bryonia, Cinchona, Natr. mur., Mercurius, Pulsatilla); on coughing, moving the head or walking (Bryonia). Sticking headache, worse on rest, better on motion. Confusion. Intoxication. Aching above root of nose, with stitches through eye and over ear. Aching temples; throbbing. Pressing frontal headache. throbbing headache in forehead; drawing tearing pain in frontal bone, more on right side. Pressive pain in temporal region; drawing tearing in left side of head.
Eyes. Pressing pain in eyes, as form a foreign body. Eyes seem large, reddish and protruding.
Nose. Influenza, with violent sneezing and discharge of thin mucus, sometimes with burning, tickling and roughness. Stopped coryza, with crawling and tickling in the nose. Nosebleed.
Ears. Painful swelling behind the ears; caries of mastoid process (Aurum). Tearing pain behind the left ear. Pressive pain in ear, especially with cough, as if an ulcer would open.
Face. Pain in face, partly like bone pains, excited by external touch. Lips swollen, cracked smarting, chapped.
Mouth. Foetid odor from the mouth (Arnica, China ars., Hepar s., Kreosotum, Mercurius, Nitr. ac.). tough mucus in mouth. Watery flat taste in mouth, followed by heartburn.
Throat. Burning (Aconite, ARs., Cantharis, Mercurius cor.), and pains in the throat; worse between the acts of swallowing. Pain in throat when coughing, as if from painful swelling or ulcer. Spasmodic contraction of the throat (Belladonna, Carb. v. Hyoscyamus, Stramonium).
Stomach. Burning in the stomach (Arsenicum, Camph., Cantharis), especially after eating. Heartburn; waterbrash. Nausea and vomiting, with headache; nervous; spasmodic vomiting. Vomits phlegm with the chill; vomiting in malignant fevers. Stomach icy-cold, afterward sensation of trembling or burning in stomach, with occasional pungent eructations.
Abdomen. Tensive pain from abdomen to chest, as from distension of the abdomen. Flatulent colic (Coloc., Lycopodium), drawing, twisting pains. Abdomen distended; suffocative arrest of breathing.
Stool and Anus. Tenesmus (Mercurius); burning pain in anus (Arsenicum, Cantharis). Haemorrhoids, burning and itching (Sulphur). Stool mucous; frequent mucus, mingled with blood, causing tenesmus (Mercurius cor.); after drinking. After every stool thirst, and after every drink shivering.
Urinary organs. Burning, biting, and smarting after urination (Cantharis, Can. sat.). Burning at orifice of urethra, before, during and after urination (Cantharis, Can. sat.). Stitches in orifice and forepart of urethra when not urinating (Can. sat.). Strangury with tenesmus of bladder (Cantharis, Mercurius cor.). Burning urine.
Male Organs. IMpotence; scrotum cold (Berberis). Purulent discharge from the urethra like cream. Dwindling of testes.
Respiratory Organs. Crawling and tickling in larynx and trachea, with dry hacking cough; evening after lying down (Hyoscyamus). The cough expels an offensive breath from the lungs (Crocus, Sanguinaria). Coughing causes pressure towards bladder, after cough stitches extend outward in region of bladder. Oppressed breathing and pain in chest; as if chest were too full; as if constricted. Throbbing pain in the chest. Dyspnoea, which seems to rise from stomach.
Neck and Back. Jerking, tearing pain in the right cervical gland. Drawing, tearing pain in and near the spine.
Lower Limbs. Shooting tearing from the hip to the knee and foot, especially on coughing. Drawing pain in the hip joint, worse form touch and on bending the trunk backward. Tensive pain in the knee.
Sleep. Yawning, restless sleep, full of dreams.
Generalities. Burning and smarting pains, now here, now there. *Vital forces exhausted; no power to react (Laur.). paralysis; gangrene; meteorism; typhus (Carb. v.). He shuns all motion (Cinch). Sensation as if parts would go to sleep.
Fevers Chill begins in back (Eupat. purp., Lachesis, (with thirst; worse after drinking. Shivering and chilliness after every drink (Tarax.). Chill, followed by sweat, or by heat, with sweat and thirst. Fever heat, with violent burning (Aconite, Arsenicum).
Conditions. Most useful in persons who are fat, lazy, uncleanly, clumsy, awkward, peevish, easily offended; light hair, blue eyes; dislike to open air. Those who do not respond well to medicine, and react badly; old people; those of exhausted vitality, who are run down and debilitated with no power to react.
Compare. Argentum nit., Arsenicum, Belladonna, Caladium, Cantharis, Cinchona, Crot., Ignatia, Lycopodium, Mercurius c., Natr. m., Nux v., Pulsatilla, Rhus tox., Veratrum alb.
Antidotes. Caladium, Camph., Cina., Cinchona, Sulphur
CApsicum Antidotes. Caladium, Cinchona, Coffea
THERAPEUTICS
In all inflammatory conditions Capsicum is chiefly indicated by the peculiar peppery burning character of the pains, usually accompanied by chilliness. Coryza, with violent tickling, sneezing and burning. An excellent remedy in chronic suppuration of the ear; also of middle ear; with perforation of the tympanum; caries of mastoid, painful swelling, tendency to involve meninges of brain. Tonsilitis, pharyngitis, etc., with burning pains, spasmodic contraction; pains worse when to swallowing; especially when occurring in those who smoke and use alcoholic liquors. Elongation of the uvula (both locally and internally). Diphtheria with same symptoms, gangrenous sloughs forming (also may be used as a gargle). Dyspepsia: heartburn; water brash; burning in stomach. Stomatitis. Haemorrhoids with burning, itching and soreness. Diarrhoea and dysentery; bloody, mucous stools, violent burning and tenesmus; stools after each drink; also thirst after stool, drink causes shivering; pain in back after stool. Catarrhal asthma. Threatening gangrene of the lung, each cough expelling an offensive odor. Cystitis; catarrh of bladder; strangury; gonorrhoea; all characterized by violent burning, tenesmus, etc. In impotence. In intermittent fever, with symptoms already named, Capsicum is an excellent remedy. It may also be indicated in typhoid and scarlet fever. Also recommended for complaints from drinking coffee. Fevers from or after abuse of quinine.
ALLEN CORSON COWPERTHWAITE was born at Cape May, New Jersey, May 3, 1848, son of Joseph C. and Deborah (Godfrey) Cowperthwaite. He attended medical lectures at the University of Iowa in 1867-1868, and was graduated from the Hahnemann Medical College of Philadelphia in 1869. He practiced his profession first in Illinois, and then in Nebraska. In 1877 he became Dean and Professor of Materia Medica in the recently organized Homeopathic Department of the State University of Iowa, holding the position till 1892. In 1884 he accepted the chair of Materia Medica, Pharmacology, and Clinical Medicine in the Homeopathic Medical College of the University of Michigan. He removed to Chicago in 1892, and became Professor of Materia Medica and Therapeutics in the Chicago Homeopathic Medical College. From 1901 he also served as president of that College. He is the author of various works, notably "Insanity in its Medico-Legal Relations" (1876), "A Textbook of Materia Medica and Therapeutics" (1880), of "Gynecology" (1888), and of "The Practice of Medicine " (1901).