Lachesis and Ailanthus follow Rhus here but they have even more adynamia and a bluish rash.
In Arum the corners of the mouth are sore, cracked and bleeding the child is irritable and restless.
Therefore remember in Rhus scarlatina, the adynamic character, the miliary rash, vesicular eruption like millet seeds itching violently, the fauces dark red and oedematous, the glands and cellular tissue around the neck inflamed, rheumatic pains, drowsiness with restlessness.
In other kinds of fever Rhus is indicated when the chill is accompanied by a dry cough and great restlessness. The chill is apt to begin in one leg. During the heat urticaria breaks out over the body with violent itching. Great craving for milk. Hydroa on upper lip, rheumatic symptoms.
SLEEP. Rhus disturbs the sleep greatly, the patient becoming restless, constantly turning about and often suffering from great nervous depression.
SKIN. The properties of Rhus were brought into notice before Hahnemann to a limited extent in 1798 by Dufresnoy, a physicians of Valenciennes. Dufresnoys attention was attracted to the plant by the circumstance of a young man, who had suffered for six years with an herpetic eruption on the wrist, which was cured by accidental subjection to its influence.
It seems that at a lecture at the Botanical Garden of Valenciennes, where the doctor held forth on the poisonous effects of contact with Rhus, one of the students, with a certain amount of mischievousness, common to the species, knowing his own non-susceptibility to the poison, gravely assured the young florist that that was all talk and idle assertion of the professor and to prove it took some of the leaves and rubbed them over himself.
The young florist, not to be outdone in exposing the professors wild statement, did likewise but with a terrible result and an acute poisoning such as you can readily imagine. In about ten days the young man recovered from the effects and to this and the doctors great surprise, found that his eczema, a constant companion of six years, had disappeared. This led Dufresnoy to experiment freely and successfully with Rhus in this case of ailments but it remained for Hahnemann to show the law.
The most prominent seat of action of Rhus is on the skin, with this we are made very familiar by the susceptibility of most people to the poisonous emanations of the plant. Redness, swelling, intense itching with formation of vesicles is the condition produced. Hence it corresponds to cutaneous affections of the vesicular order, herpes, herpes zoster, eczema, pemphigus, also to erythema erysipelas and prurigo, vesicular eruptions on the feet, burning and stinging. There is a tendency to invade large surfaces rather than dip down into the tissues.
Erysipelas of the vesicular variety with blistering, burning and itching and swelling, large blebs, blisters filled with bloody serum, skin purple, spreads to the right. Urticaria from getting wet during rheumatism, worse from cold air. Pemphigus, each bulla with a red areola. Carbuncles and boils, malignant and gangrenous, miliary eruptions, hence measles. Extensive but superficial burns, with tendency to erysipelas and typhoid conditions. Variola with dark pustules. Rhus is almost a perfect simillimum to septicaemia and it has proved one of our most useful remedies in this condition.
ANTIDOTES TO RHUS POISONING.
1. Anacardium gastric symptoms.
2. Croton tig. Fine vesicular rash, especially of face and genitals, great itching and painful burning with redness, formation of vesicles and pustules which dry up and fall off, especially useful in children.
3. Mezereum. Scrofulous cases, thick crusts which crack and ooze pus continually and copiously. Thick chalky scabs. Intense itching.
4. Graphites. Skin is rougher and the oozing is very sticky and glutinous. Other remedies for Rhus affections are Ammonium carb., Grindelia robusta, which may be applied locally in cases of poisoning with benefit, Arsenicum, Cypripedium, which has proved beneficial in cases of poison oak, Sepia, Bryonia and Urtica urens. Bathing with sour milk or with solutions of soda will sometimes allay the itching which at times is intolerable.
Remember that the characteristic of the eczema produced by Rhus is moist, offensive and suppurating, with great redness, burning, smarting and itching and a red line marks the spread of the eruption.
THE RELATIONS OF RHUS.
They are very numerous and very influential, belonging to our medical aristocracy, our best families.
Apis and Rhus are very similar and they are inimical, both are useful in erysipelas, scarlet fever, diphtheria, etc., but remember the Apis swelling is pale rosy in hue, that of Rhus, darker and deeper, Apis is very sensitive, has sore, bruised and stinging pains and is aggravated by heat and warm applications, while Rhus is better. The Rhus eruption is vesicular, the itching is more marked. Apis is often accompanied with dyspnoea, demanding open air, wants the windows open.
Both have a desire for milk, but as a rule Apis is a thirstless remedy. Rhus has great thirst. Apis is more nervously restless, fidgety, with Rhus motion relieves because it limbers up the stiffened joints and muscles. Arsenicum again resembles Apis, but Apis does not dip down into disease so far. The prostration of Arsenicum is still more intense, its restlessness aggravated with anguish and fear of death. Its burning thirst and after midnight aggravation will distinguish it.
The Homoeopathic Recorder, Vol., XLVII., No. 5.
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.