Cocculus Indicus

Now, whatever individual characteristics you may have for a drug in an individual case, these characteristics should agree with the gen- eral effects of the drug ; otherwise, you are making a partial selection.

To illustrate : under Belladonna, you know of the symptom, " sleepy, but cannot get to sleep ; ' ' that is characteristic of the remedy.

But we find the same symptom under Cinchona, Ferritin, and Apis.

How are you to distinguish between them ?

By taking the general effect of Belladonna as a groundwork, into which the particulars must fit.

Now, we shall find under Cocculus symptoms that are under many other drugs, but in no other drug do they hold the same relation as they do here.

What, then, is the general effect of Cocculus Indicus?

This effect is the well-known action of the drug on the cerebro-spinal system, it having very little influence on the nerves and the ganglionic system.

How can you find this out ?

Not very easily, I confess, but

There is a concomitant symptom which you almost always find associated with those just mentioned, and that is a feeling of hollo w- ness in some one of the cavities of the body, either in the head, chest, or abdomen.

It is more than a weakness ; it is an absolute feeling as though the parts were hollow.

Talking tires these patients very much.

Cocculus to be indicated in a case of typhoid fever when the changes in or ulceration of Peyer's patches are marked, or where there are pro- fuse diarrhoea, pneumonia, and similar complications.

But in the nervous type of the fever, when the cerebro-spinal system is bearing the brunt of the disease, Cocculus becomes one of the remedies that will help us through the case.

The symptoms indicating it are the follow- ing : the patient complains of great vertigo, and this is made worse when sitting, or when attempting to change from a reclining to a sit- ting posture.

It is often associated with nausea, inclination to vomit, and even fainting.

Bryonia also has this symptom.

So far as the symptom itself is concerned there is no difference between Bryonia and Cocculus, yet, if you examine the case thoroughly, you will find that in Cocculus it is weakness of the cerebro-spinal nerves that gives origin to it.

There is great confusion of the mind; a sort of bewildered, heavy state might better explain what I mean.

It requires a great effort to speak plainly.

In some cases they cannot find the words they wish to convey their meaning.

Generally, such patients lie quietly wrapped in thought; the eyelids are heavy, as though they could hardly be lifted.

Here is a symptom reminding you of Gelsemium.

If the patient is still conscious enough to describe to you his condition, he will complain of a feeling of tightness of the brain, as though every nerve in the head were being drawn up tightly.

At other times, he has this empty, hollow, vacant feeling in the head.

An}^ attempt to move the patient produces faintness or even fainting away.

The tongue is usually coated white or yellow ; there is bitter taste in the mouth.

The abdomen is greatly distended and tympanitic ; this tympanites under Cocculus is not the same as under Ci?ichona, Carbo veg., Colchicum, Sulphur, or even Lycopodium.

There are several origins of tympanites.

It may come from the blood- vessels, from the air swallowed with the food, from changes in the food itself, and also from retention of flatus.

The latter condition is the. cause of the tympany under Cocculus Indicus.

It is not to be thought of as a remedy when flatus results from decomposition of food.

That calls for Carbo veg.

Cocculus has considerable oppression of the lungs, this being of nervous origin.

It is usually referred by the patient to the walls of the chest.

The patients are sleepless, or at least business thoughts crowd on the mind and keep them in a half-waking state, here again resembling Bryonia.

These are the symptoms which lead you to Cocculus Indicus in typhoid states.

The next division for consideration is ' ' Spasms. ' ' Cocculus Indicus is useful in spasmodic affections when the patient is greatly debilitated as to the cerebro-spinal nervous system.

Irritable weakness is the con- dition which gives rise to the spasms for which Cocculus is the remedy.

It is especially useful when spasmodic symptoms ensue as a result of prolonged loss of sleep.

This condition we meet with more frequently in women than we do in men.

The former are also more subject to spinal weakness.

You may also use Coccuhcs for spasms after sup- pressed menses.

The eyes are usually closed during these convulsions, and there is rapid oscillation of the eyeballs beneath the closed lids.

But the woman must be of a weak, nervous temperament, or Cocculus is decreasingly indicated.

Under the heading ' ' Organs ' ' we still have a word to say about Cocculus.

First, as to the headache.

Some years ago there was an epidemic of spotted fever in this city.

During that epidemic many children died, especially in its earlier days.

After a while there was discovered a symptom characteristic of the epidemic, and that was in- tense headache in the occipital region, in the lower part of the back of the head, and in the nape of the neck.

The intense headache was manifested in various ways.

Children in a stupor would manifest it by turning the head back, so as to relieve the tension on the mem- branes of the brain; others, who were conscious, would put their hands to the back of the head, while still others complained of pain in the back of the head, as if the part were alternately opening and closing.

That symptom was under Cocculus.

There were very few fatal cases after Cocculus was used.

Occipital headaches are hard to cure.

Cocculus is a good remedy.

Gelsemium is another.

In the latter there is passive arterial congestion, by which I mean that the arterial blood flows freely to a part, the pulse being full and round, and not hard and tense, as under Belladonna or Aconite.

There is often thick speech, too, with Gelsemium.

Still another remedy for occipital headache is the Juglans cathartica, sometimes called Juglans cinerea, or the butternut.

This I consider to be the best remedy for sharp pjains in the occipital region.

They are often accompanied by nausea, dull pain in the right hypochondrium, jaundice and other symptoms of liver involvement.

tardy in their appearance, and the patient suffers each month from what has been termed menstrual colic.

We have a little group of remedies for this condition, consisting of Cocculus, Pulsatilla and Chamo- milla.

First let me describe the symptoms of Cocculus.

This remedy is indicated by a colic in which the pain is as if there were sharp stones rubbing against each other in the abdomen.

There is very often with this colic excessive distension of the abdomen from accumulation of flatus.

The colic is especially liable to awaken the patient at mid- night.

It is relieved by belching, but returns again from the re- accumulation of flatus.

The patient is, of course, irritable.

Cyclamen is similar to Pulsatilla.

It has chilliness with the pains;, crying, tearful mood ; dyspepsia, made worse by eating fat food and pastry ; scanty menses ; menstrual colic.

But we make the distinction here : Cyclameji does not have relief in the cool air or in the cool room, and in many cases Cyclamen has thirst.

The resemblance between Cocculus and Cyclamen lies in the fact that both remedies suit a de- pressed condition of the cerebro-spinal nervous system.

More particu- larly the indications for Cyclamen are these : the patient feels dizzy ; is weak from any motion ; is highly anaemic ; and usually worse when sitting up.

These symptoms are commonly associated with dimness of vision.

We also find under Cyclamen this flatulent colic, arising from wind in the bowels, coming on at night, and relieved only by getting up and walking about.

Compare also, in menstrual colic, Ignatia and Nux vomica.

WE now proceed to study the Papaveracece ; an order of plants from which we obtain Opium, Sanguinaria Canade?isis, and Chelidonium majus.

As an order, they act on the circulation of the blood, tending to produce narcosis of a greater or less degree by engorging the blood-vessels of the brain.

The effect thus produced on the sen- sorium ranges all the way from sleepiness to stupor.

This, you know, is eminently true of Opium, and, to a less degree, of Sanguinaria and Chelidonium.

Fumaria officinalis contains an enormous amount of pot- ash in its ashes ;

Argemone Mexicana, the Mexican poppy or yellow thistle, has been used in the treatment of tinea.

It has a yellow juice, which, when exposed to the air, looks like Gamboge.

We shall now take up the study of these drugs seriatim.