Each drug stands as an independent unit whose characteristics have to be studied independently of those of any other drug. Hempel.
SYNONYMS- Charthamus Maculatus, Cnicus Marianus, Circium Maculatum, Silybum Marianus, Milk Thistle, St. Marys Thistle, Cardo Lechero, Cardo Lechal, Cardo Mariano, Cardo Maria, Cardo de Nuestra Senora.
NATURAL ORDER-Compositae.
ORIGIN- Native of Southern Europe, Asia, Africa and Canary Islands.
HOMOEOPATHIC PREPARATION- The mother tincture is prepared from the ripe whole seeds.
DRUG POWER- Of tincture 1/3.
Carduus marianus was empirically used by Rademacher in 1848.
This remedy was proved for first time upon healthy man by Dr. Reil, in Germany, in the year 1852; reproved by Dr. Buchmann in 1879 and by myself, following the rules of pure proving pointed out by the founder of Homoeopathy, Dr. Samuel Christian Frederick Hahnemann, in the potencies of mother tincture, 3x, 6x and 30x, obtained from Luyties Pharmacal Comp. (St. Louis, Mo., U.S.A.) in Mexico City, 1935.
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PHARMACODYNAMIC ACTION- This drug in massive doses produces a profound nervous depression, dizziness, heaviness of the head, persistent nauseous state and yellow- greenish vomitus. It has elective action upon the liver, extrahepatic biliary ducts, portal system and vascular walls of the veins. Carduus marianus originates troubles upon metabolism, cholesterol and sugar.
By reflex action it produces respiratory phenomena with dyspnoea of asthmatic type.
This drug affects so deeply the liver that it is capable of producing in it cirrhosis of Laennecs type due to its action of hardness upon the biliary ducts; also active and passive congestions of the same liver giving place to hepatitis; cholecystitis, angiocholitis and catarrhal duodenitis. Cholestasis and predisposition to biliary lithiasis are produced by the prolonged use of Carduus marianus in massive doses. Angiocholitis and acute cholecystitis produces obstructive jaundice, which is also observed in obstruction of the biliary ducts by calculi.
On account of its action upon the portal system and vascular walls, it produces very important pelvic symptoms in relation with intestinal and rectal functions, giving place to bleeding hemorrhoids and prolapse of the rectum.
TYPE AND MODALITIES- Carduus marianus is adaptable to stout people with sedentary life of individual who abuse alcoholic beverages, especially beer. Aggravating pains produced by motion and pressure.
CHARACTERISTIC SYMPTOMS.
MIND AND HEAD- Dizziness and mental confusion. Heaviness of the head that gets worse lying down and by motion. Forgetful, apathetic; the dull heavy pain of the head leaves the sensation of stupidity. Vertigo with tendency to fall forward. Supra orbital neuritis on the right side. Bleeding nose.
CHEST- Pain in the thoracic region which distention, pain from the chest to the back, spreading out to the abdomen with urgency to urinate. It becomes worse with motion and walking. Asthmatic respiration. Cough derived from hepatic or splenic troubles.
STOMACH- Bitter taste of the mouth with thirst. Poor appetite, furred tongue, aversion to salt and meat. Continuous nausea with sialorrhea. Persistent pain in the epigastrium with bitter, yellow or greenish vomit. Pain in the epigastrium two hours after the meals. Aerophagia with a pressing pain the epigastrium which compels the patient to get up from the bed at night. continuous sensation of fulness in the stomach even taking small quantity of food. Persistent vomitus during pregnancy; hematemesis; hiccough with bitter taste.
ABDOMEN AND HYPOCHONDRIA- Pain in the hepatic and vesicular regions with exaggerated sensibility of the left lobe of the liver. The pain starts from the epigastrium, following the edges of the ribs and finishing in the interscapular regions.
Sensation of epigastric pressure which improves by ejecting flatus. Pain on the left side in the splenic region which increases with inspiration. Hyperaemia of the liver. Induration of the liver with enlargement of this organ, producing dyspnoea with cough and hard expectoration.
Constipation alternating with diarrhoea. Hard, knotty, difficult stools due to retention phenomena through the intestinal tract, or bright yellow diarrhoea with pain in left colon and rectum and burning sensation when stool passes. Bleeding haemorrhoids, melaena.
RECTUM- Prolapse with burning of anus. Bleeding haemorrhoids with hard and knotty evacuations, or diarrhoea with pale, clayish stools. Cancerous rectocolitis.
URINE-Cloudy, dark, yellow color due to presence of billiary pigments. Burning in the urethra. Decrease in quantity of urine. Urine with calcium oxalate and rich in urobilin. Hematuria.
SKIN- Yellowish; itching at night. Varicose veins.
EXTREMITIES- Pain from hip joint down. Difficulty in rising up. Weakness of the feet, especially after have been sitting down.
CLINICAL APPLICATIONS- This remedy is especially indicated in hepatic diseases, active or passive hyperaemia of the liver.
Syndrome of portal hypertension, cholecystitis and angiocholitis, mainly when these troubles appear after infectious disease such as grippe, typhoid fever, undulant fever, colibacillar infections, etc., etc.
Duodenal catarrh and dyspepsia due to cholestasis. Jaundice from calculus retention. Hepatocellular jaundice with ascites. Cholemic and hemolytic jaundice. Hepatic insufficiency and familiar cholemia of Gilbert. Calculous cholecystitis, cirrhosis of the liver, cholesterinemia, acholia, varicose ulcers and phlebitis.
RELATIONSHIP- Compare: Elemuy, chelidonium maj., Leptandra virg., Taraxacum, chionanthus, Fel tauri, cholesterin, Calculobili, Nux vom., Myrica cer., Iris vers., Ptelea, Mercurius viv., Podophyllum, Bryonia alb., Aloe soc., Hamamelis virg., Clematis vit.
MEXICO., D.F.
