STOOLS. Rhus produces a diarrhoea of blood and slime mixed with reddish mucus. Dysentery with tearing pains down the thighs on defecation. Nightly diarrhoea with violent pain in the abdomen, relieved after an evacuation or by lying on the abdomen. Involuntary stools at night when asleep. Stools of cadaverous odor in typhoid or involuntary stools. Abdominal affections assuming a typhoid state. Great exhaustion.
SEXUAL ORGANS. Swelling of glans and prepuce, dark red and erysipelatous, scrotum becomes thick and hard with intolerable itching. Oedema of scrotum. Humid eruptions on genitals. No other drug has such a tendency to produce inflammation and oedema of these organs.
RESPIRATORY. A dry, teasing cough, worse from midnight until morning, during a chill or when putting the hands out of bed is characteristic. Haemoptysis from over-exertion, blowing on wind instruments, blood bright red. Influenza with aching in all the bones, sneezing and coughing from tickling behind upper half of the sternum. Pneumonia when it assumes a typhoid condition. It is a useful remedy in the bronchial coughs of old people with expectoration of small plugs of tough mucus.
CIRCULATORY. Rhus causes an increase of the circulation. It is indicated in uncomplicated hypertrophy from over-exertion as in athletes, machinists, etc. Palpitation from over-exertion. With Rhus there is a sensation of numbness in the left arm, worse after exertion.
Aconite. Tingling in fingers as if going to sleep with heart disease.
Actea racemosa. Sensation as if the arms were bandaged to the body.
Phytolacca. Same symptom on right side as Rhus has on the left.
As Rhus produces depression the pulse is not full and strong. Under Aconite it is quick, weak and irregular or intermittent with the numbness of the left arm.
EXTREMITIES, BACK, ETC. Rhus and rheumatism are intimately associated associated. Almost any case of acute rheumatism would present some symptoms like these, red, hot, painful swelling of joints, skin burning, affected part intolerant of touch or motion, pulse increased in frequency, hard and full; scanty, high colored urine. But, however complete this picture is for diagnosis, for purposes of prescribing you must look further.
Rhus has pains of a drawing, tearing character, shooting in the joints, pain like a bruise or sprain, sensation as if the flesh were loosened on the bones. Pains better on moving about, dull redness of the swollen parts, rheumatism brought on by a chill from getting wet. Its chief favourite seat is the tendons, ligaments and fasciae. If the muscles are affected it is through the extension of the rheumatic affections from the joints and not from rheumatism primarily in the muscle substance.
The poison generated by Rhus is one of extreme subtlety and shows a tendency to invade large surface, rather than penetrate deeply into the tissues, hence the acute pains and ataxic effects produced by Rhus. Its effects tend to spread. (Teste). Rheumatic pains which are sometimes very violent and always spread over a large surface at the nape of the neck, loins and extremities. Gout, especially when characterized by cutaneous symptoms.
Rhus has an important symptom in that prominent projection and condyles of the bones are sore, as aching in occipital protuberance, etc. All the limbs feel stiff and paralyzed, aching everywhere with inability to rest in any particular position but for a moment. The cold, fresh air is not tolerated, it seems to make the skin painful. (This symptom is of inestimable value in treating rheumatic patients). There is a pain along the ulnar nerve which should be remembered. Pain between shoulders when swallowing, better from warmth. Pain in shoulders and down arms.
Lumbago, pain in the small of the back as if bruised, relieved by walking. Great pain on attempting to rise but relief from continued motion. Tearing from hip to knees. Tearing down thighs during stool is a good indication in dysentery.
We have seen that Rhus was a grand remedy for strains and sprains. This will bear a wide application, for instance, singers and public speakers who have strained their voices will find in this remedy an excellent help. Dr. Martin gives it to garrulous old women. Again, it is useful in heart strain of gymnasts and others who have hypertrophy of the heart from over-exertion, and in displacement of the womb occasioned by strain or protracted labor, when the patient is very restless and cannot sit or lie long in one place.
Arnica is similar, but Arnica acts more on muscles than on ligaments and there is great soreness of the muscles. The patient feels as if he had been pounded. For sprains Rhus is better except where there has been considerable injury to the soft parts other than the ligaments, then Arnica is the remedy.
Arsenic has over-exertion combined with effect of rarefied air.
NERVOUS CONDITIONS. Sciatica. Here Rhus is indicated when it is caused by exposure to damp or wet or when due to straining in lifting, if relieved for a short time by continuous motion and worse in the open air.
Ammonium mur. is somewhat relieved while walking and entirely relieved when lying down.
Calcarea. When caused by working in the water.
Rhus must be remembered as a great anti-paralyticum, it produces a paralysis that is generally in the right side, arm or leg. Infantile paralysis of one side of the body from lying on cold or damp ground. Paralysis in the face from taking cold, Bells palsy, paralysis of a rheumatic character from sitting on cold stones, standing in the wet with much pain in the paralyzed parts.
Weakness of the lower extremities worse from rest. Weak ankles. The weakness of the limbs is attended with an oedematous condition, and puffiness, transparent watery, appearance of the skin. When grasping anything there is a feeling as if pins were pricking the fingers. Trembling after exertion, even if moderate rheumatic palsies.
FEVER. Do not be misled by the numerous fevers. We hear much of typhoid, bilious, gastric, remittent, intermittent fevers, etc. Let me quote for your comfort from Watson, the old school authority:.
Now, admitting that fever shows itself under various forms, I am persuaded that the effect upon the mind of all this sub-division is bad and hurtful. It encourages a disposition already too prevalent to prescribe for a disease according to its name! There is no line of genuine distinction between continued fevers that can be relied on.
Hear that from an allopath!.
Frequently in fevers bearing any of these names, the careful prescriber will select Rhus with the happiest effects.
A form of catarrhal fever, so-called, which is met with frequently calls for Rhus more than any other remedy. This condition commences with weakness of the whole body, (adynamia, you see) with desire to lie down, soreness or bruised sensation of the limbs, aching of limbs and bones, sometimes extending through the whole body.
Great pain in back, restlessness, worse lying still, sickness at the stomach, loss of appetite, repugnance for food, great thirst, dry tongue and mouth, tongue red with a somewhat similar condition but no thirst. Moist mouth and heavy white coating of tongue, great nausea, irritable, peevish condition finds Antimonium crudum as its remedy, the condition of mouth and tongue distinguishing.
Rhus is the corrective to use on that borderland where febrile cases merge into typhoid conditions. It is the remedy to arrest that tendency to blood deprivation which later must be met by Baptisia. Indications, extreme restlessness and partial delirium. It nips many a case of continued fever in the bud when indicated. In these low fevers there is frequently delirium, rather mild, especially with fear of being poisoned.
Rhus is frequently indicated in typhoid fever proper or when diseases take on a typhoid type, a low type, due to sinking of the vital forces. Rhus is then indicated by these symptoms: Extra-ordinary sense of debility, he gets fits of trembling in consequences of this sinking of the vital forces, then comes restlessness, he cant be still, must move, wants to go from one bed to another, becomes fearful, thinks he is poisoned, hence refuses to take his medicine or food, great apprehension at night, cannot remain in bed.
Tympanitic condition, abdomen bloated and hard as a drum. There is rush of blood to the head, dizziness and sensation as if a board were strapped across the forehead, as if brain were pressed together from the sides of the head. The tongue is red especially at the tip, restless sleep with dreams of great exertion, dry cough. Involuntary stools with great exhaustion.
The Rhus scarlet fever is attended with similar conditions, here is an oedematous condition of the fauces, soft palate and uvula, vesicles itching, smarting and burning still further indicate it. It corresponds to a dynamic case where weakness and debility are marked. The glands enlarge, especially the left parotid, the cellular tissue is infiltrated and the skin overlying, dark and erysipelatous.
Professor of Materia Medica in the University of Michigan Homeopathic Medical College. Member of American Institute of Homeopathy. In addition to his editoral work he authored or collaborated on: Boericke and Dewey's Twelve Tissue Remedies, Essentials of Homeopathic Materia Medica, Essentials of Homeopathic Therapeutics and Practical Homeopathic Therapeutics.