Burts physiological Materia Medica classes the action of Causticum as first through the cerebro-spinal nervous system and principally the motor tracts of the cord with resultant paralysis. Farrington, in addition to naming paralysis as the predominant action of this drug, further outlines its sphere of action upon bone by Causticum, it being confined mostly to the epiphysis of the long bones as compared with the action of Phosphorus which is more pronounced upon the diaphysis of the bones. Burt also points out that the action of Phosphorus is principally through the vegetative nervous system and is spread over thirteen fields of which the cerebro-spinal is the ninth of Phosphorus upon bone is almost exclusively confined to the inferior maxilla and the tibia, the destructive process of the former being the more common.
ulcers, in general, are featured in both drugs. This fact is borne out both in the repertory analysis and the study of the materia medica, the ulcers of Causticum being fistulous, or following burns with throbbing and burning pain and watery pus, as compared with the ulcers of phosphorus which may be either painless or with piercing, festering pain, with viscous pus (Gross).
Finally a few words from Jahr. He states that, in general as well as in partial paralysis one of the most important remedies is Causticum and he admits that while Causticum is not sufficient to cure paralysis he has never yet treated a case of long standing where this drug did not materially contribute towards a cure. He recommends this drug highly after suppressed eruptions or ulcers; for semilateral paralysis, right or left-sided; for paralysis of the facial nerves; for paralysis of the tongue and organ of speech.
William Boericke recommends Causticum as an antidote for paralysis resulting from lead poisoning. Gross also expresses this thought when he mentions Causticum in ailments from abuse of Lead of Cinchona, etc., as compared with Phosphorus where the ailments are more frequently the result of abuse of Iodine or Natrum muriaticum. How much we can incorporate this idea into this discussion is problematical yet it may be mentioned here as food for thought.
We consider it almost unnecessary to make the statement that for this case Causticum is our choice.
