CHELIDONIUM


Symptoms of the homeopathic medicine CHELIDONIUM from A Text Book of Materia Medica and Therapeutics by A.C. Cowperthwaite. Find all the symptoms of CHELIDONIUM …


      Synonym. Chelidonium Majus. Natural order. Papaveraceae. Common name.. Celandine.. Habitat. A perennial plant growing in waste places in Germany and France. Preparation. Tincture from the fresh plant.

GENERAL ANALYSIS

Acts powerfully upon the hepatic system, giving rise to congestion, inflammation, jaundice, and a train of general symptoms indicative of serious hepatic disturbance. It also acts sympathetically upon the lungs, especially the right, producing congestion, inflammation, and symptoms of hepatization. The most important characteristic of Chelidonium is a constant pain under the lower angle of the right shoulder blade.

CHARACTERISTIC SYMPTOMS.

Mind Great anxiety. Apathy.

Head Vertigo with bilious derangements (Podophyllum). Heaviness in the head, extending into the right side of the neck. Pressure in the forehead extending to the orbits, which pain as if sore, on moving the eyes (Bryonia). Pressive pain in right side of head. Tensive pain in forehead, as from a band above the eyes (Ant. tart., Gelsemium., Mercurius, Nitr. ac., Sulphur). Heaviness in the occiput (Lachesis); with drawings downward into the nape. Pressive, drawing pains in left side of occiput. Pain extending back and forth from the vertex to neck, whereby the shoulders are drawn upward.

Eyes Neuralgic, tearing pains in and above the eyes. Whites of eyes dirty yellow (Cantharis, Crot., Iodi., Plumb.). Aching in the eyeballs; worse on moving the eyes (Bryonia, Cimic.). Dimness of vision. Blinding spot before the eyes, lachrymation when looking at it. Pressing pain under left eye, which seems to press down upper lid.

Ears Sensation as of wind rushing out of the ears. Ears feel stopped (Carb. v.). Neuralgic pains in and around the ears (Belladonna, Mercurius). Loud distant roaring in the ears.

Face Yellow color of the face (Asc.t., Hepars., Myrica, Natr. mur., Sepia), especially of the forehead, nose, cheeks, and whites of eyes. Cheeks dark, reddish-yellow (Baptisia, Gelsemium). Pain in right cheek bone; feels as if swollen. Violent tearing in maxillary antrum.

Mouth Tearing pains from right ear to right teeth, in afternoon. Tongue: dry; thickly coated yellow (Cinchona, Iodi., Phosphorus, Rumex); white slimy, with red margins showing imprint of teeth. Bitter water collects in the mouth. Bitter taste when not eating or drinking (Bryonia, Nux v., Pulsatilla, Sulphur).

Throat. Choking, as from swallowing too large a morsel. Sensation as if something pressed against oesophagus, impeding swallowing.

Stomach Eructations. Vomiting. Thirst Appetite diminished. Sharp painful stitches from pit of stomach through to back. Anxiety and oppression at stomach.

Abdomen Pains from region of liver, shooting toward the back. Stitches in region of liver (Arsenicum, Bry Cinchona, Kali carb., Mercurius, Nux v., Sepia). Nux v., Sepia). Pain in hepatic region; also in right scapula. Hepatic region sensitive to pressure. Pain across the umbilicus, as if the abdomen were constricted by a string. Griping, cutting pains in the bowels. (Bryonia, Coloc.); after eating. Spasmodic drawing pains in both inguinal regions.

Stool and Anus In rectum: Burning and cutting; crawling and itching. Contraction of anus; itching (Sulphur); during stool. Stool: thin, pasty, bright yellow (Aethusa, Borax); light gray; slimy mucous; constipated, like sheep’s dung; dark yellow.

Urinary Organs Spasmodic pain in right kidney and liver. Dragging pain in bladder, with spasmodic trembling pains in inguinal region. Violent pains in the direction of the uterus, preceding the passing of turbid urine. Urine dark-yellow; turbid on passing, dark, brownish red (Ant. tart.); stains diaper dark-red; whitish; foamy; lemon-yellow, turbid.

Female Organs Menses too late, too profuse, and of too long duration (Ferrum). Burning in vagina, recurring each day at precisely same hour.

Respiratory Organs Hoarseness (Aconite, Carb. v., Causticum) Cough: after waking, on rising, with sensation of dust under sternum; racking, as in consumption, with much expectoration; violent, somewhat spasmodic; in paroxysms (Drosera). Short and oppressed breathing, with sensation of constriction in chest; anxiety. Pains in chest and back. Oppression of the chest; clothing seems too tight. Spasmodic pressure behind middle of sternum, extending into the bronchi with constriction. Stitches in chest (Bryonia, Kali carb.). worse right side; worse during inspiration. Stitches beneath right ribs.

Back and Neck Stiffness of the neck (Rhus. tox., Lycopodium). Pain in right cervical muscles, and in region of right clavicle. Stiffness in back between the shoulders. Drawing from nape of neck down the back. Pain in or beneath the right shoulder blade (abies can., Podophyllum); stitches. Pain in right shoulder. Constant pain inferior angle of right scapula (Aesculus hip.); may extend into chest or stomach. Pain as though lower lumbar vertebrae would separate when bending forward.

Limbs Limbs feel heavy, stiff, lame; feel paralyzed; cold. Rheumatism, the least tough touch anywhere is exceedingly painful; sweat without relief. Rheumatism worse in the lower limbs, especially in the right tarso-tibial articulation, worse from walking.

Sleep Frequent yawning; drowsy and sleepy during the day (Nux moschata).

Generalities Great debility and lassitude after eating and after waking in the morning. Paralytic drawing and lameness in single parts. Indolence, better in the open air, with prostration and sleepiness. Numbness in muscles of various parts, especially on right side.

Fever Chill and coldness of whole body, most in hands and feet. Intense heat in evening, after lying down. Sweat in the morning or toward morning (Calcarea c.).

Compare. Bryonia, Baptisia, Caulophyllum, Cimic., Cinchona, Gelsemium, Lycopodium, Magnesia carb., Mercurius, Nux v., Podophyllum, Phosphorus, Pulsatilla, Sulphur

Antidotes Aconite, Camph., Acids, wine or coffee.

Chelidonium Antidotes Bryonia

THERAPEUTICS.

Chelidonium is particularly useful in the treatment of various functional and organic disturbances of the liver from simple biliousness, to congestion and inflammation. It is a valuable remedy in jaundice, and has proved palliative in the passage of gall-stones. ITs hepatic symptoms are well defined soreness, swelling and pain in right hypochondrium; tongue coated yellow with red margin, showing imprint of teeth; or coated white; diarrhoea, stools yellow or clay-colored; skin and whites of the eyes yellow. These symptoms may be more or less present, but there is another symptom that is still more characteristic and is always present if Chelidonium is well indicated a pain under the angle of the right shoulder blade, which may extend to the chest, stomach or hypochondrium. The drug is of frequent use in neuralgia dependent on disordered liver, especially when affecting the right side of the head and face, over right ear or right eye, or in right cheek bone. Headache, vertigo, dullness, lethargy, hypochondria, associated with disturbances of the stomach and liver. Gastric catarrh and gastralgia with symptoms already mentioned. Sometimes indicated in rheumatism associated with hepatic derangements. Frequently useful in catarrhal affection of the respiratory tract, especially in what is known as bilious pneumonia, when affecting the right lung. Also in the capillary bronchitis of children, and whooping cough. Cough loose and rattling, expectoration difficult, oppressed breathing, hepatic disturbances, pain under right shoulder blade, etc. Chelidonium has very little affinity for the left side of the body.

A.C. Cowperthwaite
A.C. (Allen Corson) Cowperthwaite 1848-1926.
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).