Synonym. Delphinium Staphisagria. Natural order. Ranunculaceae. Common names. Stavesacre. Lark Spur. Habitat. A plant found growing in poor son in Southern Europe. Preparation. Tincture from the ripe seeds.
GENERAL ANALYSIS
Staphisagria acts chiefly on the genito-urinary organs, affecting especially the prostatic portion of the urethral mucous membrane, causing irritation and chronic inflammation, sometimes extending into the ejaculatory canals and seminal ducts, often presenting in its symptoms a picture of spermatorrhoea, in which disease it has proved of great value. Staphisagria affects also the cerebrum, the digestive tract, and the skin, as shown by its pathogenesis, resembling in its action somewhat the syphilitic and scrofulous miasmas.
CHARACTERISTIC SYMPTOMS
Mind Very peevish; throws or pushes things away indignantly (Chamomilla, Cina); in the morning. Disinclined to mental work. Apathetic; gloomy. Very sensitive to the least impression; the least word that seems wrong hurts her (Nux v., Platina). Weakness of memory (Anacardium, Kreosotum, Lachesis, Mercurius, Nux moschata); especially after sexual excesses or onanism (cinch., Phosphorus ac.).
Head Heaviness of the head relieved by resting it upon the hand. Vertigo, Sensation of a round ball in forehead, sitting firmly there, even when shaking the head. Pressive, stupefying headache, especially in forehead. Headache, as if the brain were compressed; worse in forehead. Dullness in small spot in middle of forehead. Violent praising, boring stitches in left half of forehead, from within outward, in the morning in left of forehead, form within outward, in the morning, Burning in left temple; internally and externally, as if the bones would be pressed out, worse from touch. Fine, burning, needle-like stitches, externally on the vertex. Hard, pressive pain in vertex. Feeling as if the occiput were compressed, internally and externally. Moist, itching, foetid, scurfy eruption on occiput of head and behind the ears (Graphites, Lycopodium, Silicea, Sulphur); worse from scratching.
Eyes Eyes sunken with blue-raised rings around them. Dryness and pressure in the eye-balls and lids. Pain in upper lid, worse on closing the eye. Pain as if hard substance were beneath the left upper lid. Biting, smarting in inner canthi. Itching of the margins of the lids (Sepia, Sulphur). Inflammations of margins of lids, with nightly agglutination (Calcarea c., Graphites, Sepia, Sulphur); blepharitis. Pupils dilated.
Ears Tensive stitches in left ear.
Nose Coryza, with ulcerated nostrils. Coryza; at first discharge of only thick mucus, after of thin water. Sneezing without coryza.
Face Inflammation of the bones of the face. Sharp, burning stitches in left cheek, which provoke scratching. Sensitive induration beneath chin, pain on wallowing and on touch.
Mouth Painfulness of the submaxillary glands, with or without willing. Teeth turn black, crumble and decay (Mercurius); have black streaks across them. Tearing pains in decayed teeth; worse after eating (Lachesis) and chewing (Antim crud.); after drinking anything cold (Antim crud., Calcarea c., Coccus, Sulphur), and in the open air; teeth sensitive to touch,. especially at night and in thee morning. Hard pressure frequently relieves the toothache. Constant accumulation of mucus in the mouth. Gums swollen, ulcerating, spongy; bleed when touched (Carb. c., Mercurius, Nitr.ac., Phosphorus). Tearing in gums of lower incisors, and their roots when eating. Excrescences and painful nodosities on the gums.
Throat Dry and rough, with soreness, when talking and swallowing. Submaxillary glands painful, as if swollen and bruised.
Stomach Thirstlessness. Frequent hiccough.
Abdomen A feeling of weakens in the abdomen, as if it would drop. Passage of hot flatus. Painful swelling of the inguinal glands (Calcareac., Iodium, Nitr. ac., Rhus tox.). Griping pain, twisting about, here and there, in the abdomen; incarcerated flatus. Hard pressure in right side beneath umbilicus. Pinching stitch in left viscera. Swollen abdomen in children, with much colic.
Stool and Anus Smarting, sore pain in rectum after stool. Itching in the anus, while sitting. Constipation; stool scanty and hard. Loose stools, with much flatulence (Aloe).
Urinary Organs Frequent urging to urinate, with scanty discharge in a thin stream, or discharge of dark urine, in drops (Aconite, Belladonna, Cantharis). Burning in the urethra during micturition (Ant. tart., Cantharis, Can. Sat., Coni.). After micturition, urging as if the bladder were not emptied, with dribbling of urine (Aconite, Causticum, Stramonium). Profuse discharge of watery, pale urine (natr. Mur., Phosphorus ac., Secale).
Male Organs Sexual desire increased. Effects of onanism; face sunken, abashed look; melancholy; nocturnal emissions backache; legs weak; organs relaxed. Semiannual emissions, followed by great prostration (Agaricus, Cinchona, Kali carb., Phosphorus ac.). Pressing pain in left testicle when walking; and after rubbing; wore from touch. Drawing, tearing in right testicle, as if compressed. Drawing, burning, extending from right inguinal ring, as if in spermatic cord, into right testicle. Soft, moist excrescences on and behind the glands (Nitr. ac., Thuja). Dyspnoea toward the end of coition.
Female Organs Painful sensitiveness of the sexual organs, especially when sitting. Granular vegetations of vagina.
respiratory Organs Cough, with purulent, yellow expectoration, spatially at night (Lycopodium, Silicea). Itching stitches in thee costal cartilages. Itching in sternum beneath pit of throat.
Heart Palpitation of thee heart from thee least motion (merc.).
Neck and Back Painful swelling of thee glands of the throat, neck and axilla (Calcarea c., Iodi., Mercurius). Pain in small of back., as if broken or sprained; worse at rest; on rising from a seat; turning the body; principally at night and in morning (Rhododendron, Rhus tox.). Itching stitches in region of kidneys.
Limbs Drawing, tearing, stitching pains in extremities. Limbs feel beaten and painful, as after a long walk, below shoulder and below hip-joint.
Upper Limbs Stitches in shoulder joints, worse on touch and motion. Paralytic in arms, worse on motion and touch; jerking and tearing in muscles of fingers and thumbs, worse in tips. Burning itching in left thumb. PAralytic drawing in metacarpal joints, worse on motion. Numbness in tips of fingers. Arthritic nodosities on thee fingers. Ostitis of phalanges of fingers.
Lower Limbs Itching on inner side of thigh. Pain in thigh when walking. Stitches in knee-joint, worse on motion. Boring stitches in right tibia during rest. Tearing in muscles of leg when sitting and standing. Stitches in right calf. Nates ache while sitting.
Generalities Weakness of whole body; especially of knees, when walking; with bruised pain. Itching in various parts. Pain in all bones. In the morning in bed, weary, without sleepiness; limbs pain as if bruised, and as if there were no strength in them (Arnica, Cinchona). Weariness and sleepiness after eating; needs to lie down. Pain, swelling and suppuration of the bones and periosteum (Asafoetida, Hepar s., phosphorus ac.). Mechanical injuries from sharp cutting instruments. Drawing pain here and there in all the muscles of the body, while sitting (Pulsatilla). General bruised sensation when walking; weary pains as if beaten; can scarcely drag thee feet. Sweat, smelling like rotten eggs.
Skin Herpes. Itching in thee evening; burn after scratching (Arsenicum, Rhus tox.). Chronic miliary eruption. Painful swelling of glands (Calc c., Iodi.).
Sleep Sleepy all day, with frequent yawning; awake all night; body aches all over. Amorous dreams with emissions.
Aggravation At night in morning; from loss of fluids; sexual excesses; onanism; from touch; from motion.
Compare Aconite, Ambr., Calcarea c., Causticum, Cimic., Cinchona, Clem., Cocc., Coffea c., Coloc., Kreosotum, Lycopodium, Mercurius, Phosphorusac., Thuja, Sulphur Staphysagria Precedes or follows Coloc. well.
Antidote Camph.
Staphisagria Antidotes. Mercurius, Thuja.
THERAPEUTICS
Useful in may affections resulting from scrofula, especially of glands and bones, Pain, swelling, and suppuration of the bones and periosteum. Scorbutic affections; ulcers; spongy excrescences on gums; bleeding gums, etc. Antidotes the chronic effects of Mercury; of Thuja. Bad effects of sexual excess or onanism. Incised wounds after surgical operation; neuralgia; colic after intra- abdominal operations. The individual affections in which the drug is useful will be briefly considered in the usual anatomical order. Hysteria or hypochondriasis, from sexual excesses or onanism; anger, chagrin or wounded pride; with perversions, violent temper, great sensitiveness, act. Neuralgic headache. Moist eczema on and about occiput. Often a valuable remedy in affections of the eyelids. Especially valuable for styes, tumors, nodosities, steatoma, polypi; chalazae, one after the other, sometimes ulcerating. Anchylops, leaving a small, hard tumor. Scrofulous or arthritic ophthalmia; eyes burn on least exertion as if very dry, yet lachrymation is constant. Deafness after the abuse of Mercury. A valuable remedy in caries of the teeth; they turn black and crumble, especially in scrofulous or syphilitic children, or in women during pregnancy. Valuable in toothache (see symptoms). Scorbutic gums. Dental fistula. Aphthous sore mouth. Sometimes useful in the diarrhoea of scrofulous children, who have eruptions on the skin, crumbling teeth, etc.; stools hot and offensive. Enlarged prostate. Staphisagria stands next to Thuja for figwarts and condylomata, and is preferable to that remedy when the general constitutional symptoms of Staphysagria are present. The excrescences are soft, moist and offensive and are chiefly located on or behind the glands; granular vegetations in the vagina. Secondary syphilis, orchitis, especially as metastasis of mumps (Pulsatilla). Bad effects of onanism. Prolapsus uteri, with relaxed, hanging- down feeling in abdomen, generally from disappointed love, or allowing the mind to dwell on sexual subjects, even onanism. Also ovarian troubles and irregular menstruation from the same causes. Often valuable in moist itching eruptions; eczema; herpes; burn after scratching; after scratching the itching appears in another place. Herpes zoster, with shooting pains extending down the thighs. Gout; arthritic nodes.
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).