Pages from the Manual of Materia Medica, edited by Dr. N. C. Bose. Copyright to Messrs M. Bhattacharyya & Co., 84, Clive Street Calcutta.
(N. O.–Lycopodiaceae).
Common name. Club moss.
Habitat. Nearly all northern countries.
Triturations (as directed in the Pharmacopoeias) are made of the pollen of Lycopodium clavatum, then dilutions. To convert into a liquid it is best to start with the 12x rather than with 6x as is the rule with other insoluble substances. It can be had in either forms, tincture and trituration.
Lycopodium was first proved by Hahnemann.
Therapeutic uses:
Constipation; haemorrhoids: Dyspepsia: flatulence; waterbrash; catarrh; pneumonia; bronchial catarrh of infants; otorrhoea; tonsillitis; catarrh of bladder; nephritis; gravel; chronic hepatitis; dropsy; humid eruptions; mercurial ulcers; ophthalmia; leucorrhoea; glandular swellings; caries; rheumatism. Atony. Malnutrition. Premature senility. The chief characteristic of this remedy is an excessive accumulation of flatulence in the abdomen.
Generalities:
Emaciation is the leading indication of Lycopodium; it corresponds to Grauvogls carbonitrogenoid constitution. Glands are thickened and hardened on getting feet cold. Tremulous sensation through body after eating. Discomfort, in every position at night, which vexes even to weeping; after eating. DESIRE TO GO INTO OPEN AIR. Aversion to rising in morning. Weakness, in morning on rising, with heaviness.
AGGRAVATION BETWEEN 4 and 8 P.M., BETTER at 8 P.M. BUT WEAK; this is very characteristic of Lycopodium. “It is frequently useful in dropsies of the pericardium, pleura and abdomen. In general it is a remedy for persons who are emaciated than for those who are well nourished. It is very valuable for children who look wrinkled and prematurely old. General relief in open air.” The Lyco patient cannot tolerate any exertion, weakness after every effort, Weakness after an emission, with trembling.
It is particularly adapted to ailments that develop gradually, weakening functional powers associated with digestive disorders and functional disturbance of the liver. It is principally a right- sided remedy, and it meets many symptoms running from right to left. Craving for everything warm, is another remarkable symptom of this drug. Persons with weak muscular power but intellectually keen; weakly precocious children, are the best soil for the action of Lyco.
Mind: “
It is a remedy of great value in mental torpor, especially valuable for old people, for forget-fullness of words and syllables, and confusion of ideas generally. Lack of mental steadiness: want of self-confidence. Great mental and nervous weakness, with physical relaxation. Melancholia. Hypochondriasis, often misanthropic and irritable. Very easily frightened and started.” Ill humour (Nux v.); easily aroused to anger and scorn; with violence; with taciturnity. Anthropophobia is so marked that she flees from her children.
Disinclined to talk. Fear; all day; in evening, of fancied images. Sadness (Nat. m., Ign.); with weeping and discontent; with confusion of head. Despondent and weak. CONFUSION ABOUT EVERY-DAY THINGS. Difficulty of expressing himself, better evening. Inability to comprehend or remember what is read. Stupefaction (Op., Phos. ac., Sep.). Memory weak (Anac.). Forgets words (Bell., Kali brom.).
Head:
Involuntary shaking of head, making him dizzy; shaking head on stepping hard. Every step is felt in head; and a shock in brain on every motion. Aching during hunger, better eating. THROBBING AFTER EVERY PAROXYSM OF COUGH. (Nat. m.); during and after rising (Bry.; Puls). Rush of blood; in morning on waking. SHATTERING IN TEMPLES AND CHEST DURING COUGH. Aching and throbbing in occiput; heaviness, better motion, with confused pain in forehead. Occiput fills with blood after stooping.
Eruption on scalp, with swelling of cervical glands, Hair becomes very gray (Ars.); Dearborn says, this premature grayness is preceded or accompanied by dryness of the scalp. Great falling of hair (Gnaph., Sep., Sulph), but in other parts of the body it increases. According to Lippe, “Baldness after disease of the abdominal viscera and after parturition.” Boil on occiput. Scurf over whole scalp, which the child scratches at night till it bleeds. Itching; and on face as far as beard.
“It has been used in tubercular meningitis, sleep with half- open eyes and moaning. Chronic hydrocephalus, with screaming out in sleep, but without general Apis symptoms”.
Eyes:
We meet many important symptoms here. The eyes are sunken, and surrounded by blue rings, thus completing the picture of weakness and emaciation. Inflammation, with itching in canthi, redness and swelling of lids. DISTRESSING PAIN ON EYES GETTING DRY, WITH NIGHTLY AGGRAVATION (Sulph.). Mucus, must wipe them to see more clearly (Euphras.).
Dryness of lids, feeling as from dust, in morning on waking, with necessity to close them. ULCERATION AND REDNESS OF LIDS, with smarting lachrymation. Sensitiveness to day-light. Weak vision. It is of great value in NIGHT-BLINDNESS (China, Verat.a. Phos.), especially when accompanied by floating of black spots at a short distance from eyes (Cycl., Sulph.). Far-sighted. Dim vision, as through a cobweb or fog, in morning; as from glutinous moisture in eyes which he cannot wipe away. Letters run together when reading.
It has been of service in “Polypus in external canthus. Catarrhal conjunctivitis. Purulent ophthalmia, with associated inflammation of the cornea in the chronic stage.” It has benefit- ted many cases hemeralopia dependent upon chronic degenerative changes in the retina.” It arrests the progress of cataract, when associated with key-note abdominal symptoms of Lyco. Asthenopia.
Ears :
Suppuration and discharge. Has cured numerous cases of chronic deafness, with and without otorrhoea, especially after scarlet fever and measles. Polypus. Eczema of external ear, especially behind ear (Graph.). Rush of blood. Sensitiveness to noise (Sil.). Roaring.
Nose:
It is useful, yet frequently neglected, remedy in nasal catarrh, especially in acute conditions. Coryza worse after -noon when walking, with heat in head, burning in eyes and cold limbs. STOPPAGE, towards morning; towards evening (Puls.); CHILDS BREATH IS OFTEN STOPPED IN SLEEP FOR FIFTEEN SECONDS, EVEN WHEN MOUTH IS OPEN. It is useful in acute coryza, with swelling of the nose externally and stoppage internally, the stoppage being especially worse at night. (Iod., Nat. carb., Nux v., Puls.). VIOLENT CORYZA. WITH SWELLING OF NOSE (Phos.); with catarrhal headache. STOPPED AT NIGHT, SO THAT HE COULD NOT GET HIS BREATH. Watery coryza, with acrid discharge, alternating with stoppage. Smell acute; even the smell of hyacinths causes nausea. Odor of crabs in nose on expectoration.
Lyco. is very useful in “influenza, with stoppage of the nose, sometimes excoriating. Stoppage of nose, when Lyco. symptoms are associated with a feeling of dryness posteriorly or with scanty excoriating discharge anteriorly; it is not only valuable in chronic catarrhs, but is too frequently overlooked in acute coryza.” Dryness of the entire mucous membrane, worse evening, with stoppage at root; hardened mucus in nose; blowing out of bloody mucus. “Stoppage of nose in diphtheria. Polypus of nose. Fan-like motion of wings of nose in pneumonia (Phos)”.
Face:
Yellow (Chelid., Sep.); pale and puffy. YELLOWISH GRAY. It takes a sickly color; emaciated, and pinched. Ulcer on vermilion of the lower lip (Sulph.). Itching pimples on upper. Tearing pain in cheek-bones.
Mouth:
Teeth yellow (Iod., Nit. ac.); they loose, with easy bleeding of gum. Toothache, as if suppurating WHEN CHEWING AND ON TOUCH, with sensitiveness; drawing, better warm drinks. Throbbing pain at night; after eating; with swelling of gum. Profuse bleeding from gums when cleaning teeth (Iod., Merc., Carbo veg.). Tongue coated white. (Bry., Ant. cr.). with prominent papillae; in morning, with bad taste; with acidity in mouth. VESICLES ON TIP (Nat. m., Sulph.). Laxity, with heaviness of tongue.
Dryness, without thirst. Bad odor. Salivation, from sublingual glands; from submaxillary glands, with tension in submaxillary region which was sensitive to touch. Saliva tastes salty; dries up on palate and lips to a tenacious mucus. Taste bitter (Puls., Bry., Chel., Sulph.) in morning. Taste sour. after eating (Puls.); after drinking milk; on drinking cocoa; Sour taste to all food. It is a valuable remedy in acid dyspepsia.
Throat:
FEELING AS IF A BALL ROSE FROM BELOW INTO THE THROAT (Ign., Nux mos.). THROAT FEELS CONTRACTED, NOTHING GOES DOWN; TOO TIGHT FEELING ON SWALLOWING, FOOD AND DRINK REGURGITATE THROUGH NOSE. Dryness. Constricted feeling in pharynx, with difficult swallowing of liquids (Chelid). Mucus, in pharynx; in fauces; with inclination to swallow. Hawking of mucus; thick, yellow, offensive, easily expectorated; in small greenish-yellow masses. Swelling and elongation of uvula. Ulceration of tonsils; like chancres.
Calcutta
Chief Editor, Homeopathic Herald