Synonym. Creosotum. Common names. Creasote. Kreosote. Wood Tar. Preparation. One part of Kreosote made from beech-wood tar is dissolved in ninety-nine parts of alcohol to make the 2x dilution.
GENERAL ANALYSIS.
Kreosote acts upon the lymphatic system, and especially upon the mucous membranes of the digestive and female generative organs and upon the skin, producing catarrhal conditions, with tendency to disorganization, ulceration, and destruction of he parts involved. the chief characteristic of Kreosote is the corrosive, acrid character of its secretions.
CHARACTERISTIC SYMPTOMS.
Mind. Weakness of memory (Agaricus, Ambr., anac., Ledum, Mercurius, Nux moschata, Natr. mur., Phosphorus ac.).
Head. Vertigo. Painfulness in the head, as after a carouse *(Nux v). Throbbing pains, especially in the forehead.
Eyes. Sight confused, a s when looking through a veil (Causticum, Croc., Hyoscyamus, Petrol., Phosphorus, Pulsatilla, Rhus tox.). Heat and burning in the eyes, and lachrymation (Aconite, Arsenicum, Mercurius, cor.) The tears are acrid like salt water. swelling of he eyelids and their margins (Pulsatilla, Staphysagria)
Ears. Roaring in the head; also humming and difficulty of hearing before and during menses
Nose. Offensive smell before the nose (Calcarea c.). Frequent sneezing, especially in morning. Catarrh, fluent or dry, with much sneezing. Chronic catarrh with old people
Face. Pale face; bluish tinge; bloated. Upper lip feels sore and is cracked. Flushes of heat, with circumscribed redness of the cheeks (Sanguinaria, Sulphur). Burning pains; worse talking or exertion; better lying on unaffected side; nervous, excitable.
Mouth. Tongue coated white (Antim crud., Bryonia, Nux v., Pulsatilla, Sulphur). Drawing pains in the teeth (Merc). Gums bleed readily; scorbutic, spongy, and ulcerated (Mercurius, Nitr. ac., Phosphorus). Putrid odor from the mouth (Arnica, Iodi., Nitr. ac., Nux v.).
Stomach. Bitter taste, especially in the throat. Water after it is swallowed tastes bitter. Nausea; like that of pregnancy (Nux moschata, Kali carb., Pulsatilla); with burning in mouth; with spitting of saliva and general chill, without heat or thirst. Urging to vomit, nothing but saliva results. Retching; morning when fasting. Vomiting; of sweetish water, in morning, fasting; of food. Painful hard spot at or to the left of the stomach.
Abdomen. Feeling of fullness, as after having eaten too much (Lyc(). Pain like electric shocks from abdomen to vagina. Constriction of hypochondria (Acon). Cannot tolerate right clothing (Calcarea c., Carb v., Graphites). Cannot tolerate tight clothing (Calcarea c., Carb. v., Graphites). Distention of the abdomen (Antim crud., Bryonia, Caps.) Colic, resembling the pains of labor.
Stool. Constipation;l stool hard, and expelled only after much pressing (Bryonia,, Nux v., sulph.).
Urinary Organs. Frequent urging to urinate (Aconite, Apis, Cantharis); always with get haste and passing a great deal (Mercurius). Urine offensive (Benz. ac., Calcarea c., Acid Sulphuricum, Nitr. ac.) colorless (Ignatia, Phosphorus ac.); reddish sediment (bell., Lycopodium, Carb. v., Sepia, Graphites).
Female Organs. Menses too early, too profuse and too protracted (Calcarea c.). Leucorrhoea of a yellow color, staining linen yellow, with great weakness (Carb. an). in legs; acrid, causing itching and biting anon external genitals. white Leucorrhoea, having the odor of green corn. Burning between the pudenda on urinating. soreness between the pudenda; also between the thighs and pudenda, with of the vagina (Cantharis, Coni.); obliged to rub the parts; external genitals swollen; hot hard and sore. Soreness and smarting between the labia and vulva (Sp.). Nausea during pregnancy; ptyalism; very offensive excoriating lochia. Dwindling away of the mammae(Iodium, Kali iod), with small, hard, painful lumps in them.
Respiratory Organs. Scraping and roughness of the throat, with hoarseness (Mez., Nux v.). Shortness of breath (Aconite, Arsenicum, Phosphorus) Convulsive cough, with inclination to vomit (Ant. tart.). Paroxysmal. moist cough, caused by a crawling behind the sternum. Burning in the chest (Arsenicum, Nux v.(. Stitches in the chest, just over the heart (Lilium tigrinum, Kali carb.). Frequent blood spitting; severe pains in chest; afternoon fever and morning sweat.
Neck and Back. Glands of neck swollen (Baryta, Calcarea c., Mercurius, Hepar sc., Iodium). Pains in small of back, like labor-pains (cimic., Pulsatilla)
Limbs. Bruised pain in he limbs (Arnica). Pain in the left thumb, as if sprained end stiff.
Generalities. General weakness and prostration. Faintness in morning, when rising earlier than usual. Hemorrhages;l small wounds bleed much (Phosphorus). Numbness;;loss of sensation. Rapid emaciation. Excoriation of mucus surface (Hydras.). Most symptoms better in the open air.
Skin. Itching;becomes exceedingly violent toward evening Pustular eruptions over the whole body (Crot. tig., Iris).
Sleep. Great desire to sleep,. with frequent yawning. Sleeplessness tosses about without any apparent cause.
Conditions. Suitable for old women. For tall, lean persons.
Compare. Ant, tart., As., Carbolicum acidum, Carb. v., Calcarea c., Graphites, Hepar s., Ipecac., Iodium, Mercurius, Nitr. ac., Petrol;., Phosphorus, Secale c., Sulphur (followed well by Sulph., also Arsenicum in cancer). AFter carb. v. it disagrees.
Antidotes. Aconite, Arsenicum, Cinchona, Ipecac., Nux. v.
THERAPEUTICS.
In Kreosote the acrid and foetid (from decomposition) character of the secretions, especially from mucous surfaces, and the extreme burning pains are very characteristic and of great clinical importance. So also is the general tendency to haemorrhages and destruction of tissue. The drug is especially useful in scrofulous affections, putrid ulcers, gangrene and gangrenous tendencies of ulcers in general, with horrible odor, burning pain, etc. Senile gangrene. Cancer, with very offensive secretions. Blepharitis with moderately profuse discharge and much smarting in eyes. Acute aggravations of of chronic Keratitis, hot, smarting lachrymation. Chronic inflammation and swelling of lids and margins, with agglutination. Humid eruption about the ear, with swelling of cervical glands. Epithelioma and lupus of nose, lips and face, with burning pain. Scorbutis; gums spongy and bleeding; rapid decay of the teeth. Children’s teeth begin to decay as soon as they appear. Persistent vomiting in infants; in dyspepsia, food is not retained. Sympathetic vomiting, as of phthisis, cancer of liver or uterus; pregnancy, chronic kidney disease, etc. Seasickness. diarrhoea, offensive, acrid stools, nausea and vomiting. thin, foetid bloody, sometimes dark and clotted stools during typhoid fever, with great prostration. Cholera infantum. Chronic enuresis Diabetes. A valuable remedy in inflammation, erosions and ulcerations of he uterus, cervix and vagina, characterized by offensive, e excoriating discharges. One of the most valuable remedies for a an acrid offensive Leucorrhoea. Cancer of uterus or soft parts, with characteristic discharges and violent burning pains. Putrid state of the uterus after parturition; offensive lochia. Aphthous or inflammation state of external parts, symptomatic of ovarian or uterine disease. Malignant induration and ulceration of stomach. Haematemesis. Gastro malacia. Haemorrhages from the uterus change to actuaries Leucorrhoea, and then back again to blood and so on. Menorrhagia. Metrorrhagia. Pruritus from acrid leucorrhoea. STerility caused by acrid Leucorrhoea. Dwindling of he mammae., with small, hard, painful lumps in them. Chronic laryngeal and bronchial catarrh, with symptoms already given. Whooping cough. winter cough of old people, spasmodic at night. Chronic pneumonia or phthisis with violent burning pains in chest, spasmodic cough etc. Gangrene of the lungs. Urticaria, extremely violent itching towards evening after menstruation.
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).