Lycopodium Clavatum

Head

Confused; heaviness.

Headache ; often semi-lateral. A shattered or concussed sensation at every step. China ; Rhus.

Often a semi-lateral headache, especially at evening, much aggravated by reading or writing.

Pain over and between the eyes, early in the morning.

There are also pressing and throbbing pains in various parts of the head. The most frequent is

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an aching pressure in the occiput, or over the eyes.

The head easily becomes cold, which results in a cutting soreness of the scalp. The hair becomes gray, and falls out. Consider, in this relation, the eruptions of Lycopodium.

Complexion. Pale, sallow ; sunken eyes and blue rings around them.

Eyes

Dazed by light, and painful as if bruised.

They present many symptoms of inflammation, as redness and swelling of the eyelids, with aching pains, ulceration and nocturnal agglutination ; itch- ing in the canthi and much lachrymation.

In the eyes themselves, redness, aching and burning and stitching pains.

Vision is affected; in artificial light all objects tremble ; a constant flickering, or black spots before the eyes ; vision obscured ; letters run together or are indistinct ; one must vary the dis- tance of the book from the eye.

Ears

Tearing or stitching pains in the meatus, with the sensation that it is too narrow. The open air provokes a kind of earache.

Itching in the ear, and discharge from the meatus.

Roaring, buzzing, etc., in the ears.

Deafness : sometimes over-sensibility to noise, while walking.

Nose

Externally, pressure and aching. Inter- nally, soreness.

Frequent epistaxis. i8

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Sense of smell keen ; sometimes perverted.

Mouth

Gums swollen, hot and tender. Jump- ing toothache, relieved by warm drinks. (Relieved by cold water - indicates Coffea. Hahnemann.) Sometimes the toothache comes on from the slightest touch to the teeth or from the shock of coughing. Sometimes only at night, and causing great nervousness.

Tongue. Sore ; ulcers under it, paining when speaking and eating. Dryness in the mouth and throat, with and without thirst.

Throat

Diseases of the throat that begin on the right side and go to the left. (Lippe.) Lachesis has the reverse. Tearing and aching in the throat. The uvula is swollen. The glands are swollen, and are the seat of stitching pains.

Digestive Apparatus. The mouth is dry; bitter taste, in the morning or all day ; but food has its natural flavor. Sometimes a sweet or even a sour taste.

Heart-burn. A burning sensation comes up from stomach to throat, with a sour taste in the mouth ; sometimes so violent as to take away the breath. Or a kind of incomplete burning eructa- tion which comes as far as the pharynx and leaves a burning in the throat.

Empty, sour eructations, especially after each meal ; with gulping up of digested food.

Water gathers in the mouth, with nausea.

These are the symptoms of slow and enfeebled digestion.

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Every morning, on rising, nausea, and water- brash, with oppression of the chest, heat in the abdomen, and cold face.

Appetite fails. No thirst. (Constant sense of satiety.)

After eating, oppression of the stomach and bitter taste. The abdomen is in a ferment. Also, after eating only a very small quantity, a sudden feeling of satiety and even of fullness in the epigas- trium, with flatulent rumbling in the bowels. This is characteristic of Lycopodium. Sepia alone has the same symptom. Acidity and heart-burn with constant sleepiness after dinner.

Stomach and other digestive organs. After eat- ing and after slight cold, violent stomach pains with chilliness, the fingers becoming waxy white, as if dead. The gastralgia is like a constriction, or a gnawing, and the patient cannot bear any- thing tight around the epigastrium.

In the liver region, frequent pains and tender- ness to pressure.

The chief sensation under Lycopodium is aching pressure, and we find this produced in stomach, epigastrium and liver, with pain on pressure and deep respiration.

I have found in a case of chronic duodeni- tis, relieved by Lycopodium, always present this symptom : pressure on the hypochondrium pro- duced tender pains in the epigastrium, and vice versa.

Especially often the aching pressure in the

26o LYCOPODIUM CLAVATUM.

region of the liver, like a dull and tensive aching and pressure, on respiration, on bending the body, or on pressure with the hand. Sometimes this extends to the left side of the abdomen, and some- times down to the hip.

In the abdomen, squeezing pressure, so severe one cannot walk erect, but must go bent over or lie down ; it produces dyspnoea.

Tensive, tearing and cutting pains.

The great characteristic of Lycopodium is the production of flatus in the intestines.

The abdomen is distended thereby ; flatus becomes incarcerated in the abdomen, producing pain, finally relieved by eructations. Tension and rumbling in various parts of the abdomen. It appears that most of the abdominal pains of Lyco- podium are due to flatus.

Pains in the region of the abdominal ring, outward pressing; and the old hernia protrudes. Swelling of the inguinal glands, which pain as though suppurating.

About the anus, itching and a moist, tender eruption. Aching and pressure in the rectum, especially at night. Stitching and burning at stool, even when the faeces are not hard. Haemorrhoids swell and protrude and bleed, even when there is no constipation.

Inclination to stool, but at stool a spasmodic

pain or constriction of the anus, which makes the

evacuation difficult. It is scanty, infrequent and

-difficult After stool, much rumbling in the bowels

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and either flatulent distention of the abdomen or uterine cramps, or great lassitude.

Urinary Organs

Secretion diminished. Urine dark, with a yellow or reddish deposit. " Red sand in the urine. Terrific pain in the back before every urination, relieved by urinating." (G.)

Smarting and burning, when passing water, in the female urethra ; and stitches or drawing or cutting pains through the urethra and toward the abdomen. Painless discharge of blood through the urethra.

Sexual desire and power diminished markedly in males.

The menses anticipate a little and are too profuse; preceded by flatulent distention of the abdomen ; great heaviness of the legs ; chill and heat at night; ill humor and disposition to weep.

During the menses, acid taste, headache, severe backache; swelling of the feet, nausea and a kind of faintness.

Leucorrhoea in spells; of a blood-red color; "with cutting pains going across the body from ^ight to left." (G.)

Respiratory Organs. Fan-like motion of the alse nasi (Dr. D. Wilson's indication in severe pneumonia). Catarrhal conditions. Frequent sneez- ing. Coryza, both dry and fluent. When dry, oppressing respiration, with burning headache. When fluent, with swelling of the nose and copious acrid and offensive discharge.

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The cough is provoked by a tickHng irritation in the larynx, as if from vapor of sulphur. Some- times dry ; and, when so, very fatiguing, producing pain in the head, stomach and abdomen ; some- times loose, the sputa being a thick gray, grayish yellow, or yellow, or mixed with blood and having a saltish taste. These and other symptoms have led to the successful use of Lycopodium in con- sumption, etc.

In the chest, a sensation as if the lungs were full of mucus, with a whistling sound in the trachea on inspiration ; a fullness and oppression in the open air and after eating.

Aching, with or without soreness, producing some dyspnoea and much mental depression. Tear- ing and tension under the clavicles, and stitch on deep inspiration.

Externally, stitches and burning pains in the nipples and discharge from them of blood and water ; hence Lycopodium in sore nipples, etc.

Back

Backache so severe that it makes it impossible to sit, and the pain even extends, as a constrictive sensation, to the chest.

Tearing in the sacrum, kidneys and back, espe- cially near the spine. Drawing and aching between the scapulae.

The aching in the kidneys is increased before, and diminished after, urinating.

In the extremities, we find tearing and aching pains ; and more frequently during repose than motion. Pains, tearing, etc., from the neck to the

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shoulder and elbow, especially at night and during repose ; also in the whole arm to the wrist ; in the hand and fingers while they are in bed, but ceasing when they are taken out of bed. Tearing and aching in the joints and ends of the fingers, with burning and sometimes itching of the palm. Consider these symptoms in connec- tion with the red deposit in the urine. (Rheumatic gout?)

In the lower extremities the same pains about the hips, in the nates ; down the thigh and legs ; under the heel and in the toes.

A paralytic weakness is often felt in the arms ; as though they would fall by the side ; yet they are strong enough in work.

The same sensation in the limbs.

The limbs go to sleep easily.

Every four days a pain in the leg from the hip to the foot, causing limping. (Verified.)

Intertrigo. The finger joints are red, inflamed, swollen ; and burn and pain.

Swelling of the feet and limbs. (Dropsical.)

Feet cold, with cold sweat, which makes them sore.

Sleep

Fruitless efforts to yawn (like chloro- form). Great day sleepiness, but late sleeping at night. Restless ; wakes often with vivacious, trou- blesome dreams. Starting on falling asleep. Tired on waking in the morning.

Fever

Chill predominates ; comes more in the evening ; not much heat, nor sweat ; generally

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every second day, often affecting only one side of the body.

Sometimes the sweat follows the chill without intervening heat ; or the chill and heat are mixed up.

Sweat mostly on the chest and trunk ; at night or early in the morning.

Lippe says: "Night sweats cold, clammy, sour, fetid, bloody, smelling like onions."

Disposition. Great anxiety ; timidity ; fears to be alone.

Also indifference to external influences. Depres- sion; sadness; inclined to weep. "Great fear of being left alone."

Weakness : bodily ; mental ; moral.

Skin

Red, itching and burning, or painless spots of eruption.

Eczematous, suppurating eruption on the head, with swollen cervical glands.

Dark red spots and blotches on the face, sup- purating. Fine eruption about the mouth and on the chin. Warts on the fingers and hands. Inter- trigo ; especially between the thighs and on the scrotum ; also, under the arms.

Compare Carbo animalis and Calcarea sul- phuris.

Stiffness in the limbs and joints, and great weakness.

Generalities

The pains are aching, — pressive, drawing and burning.

Restlessness, and excited circulation in the evening, producing a feeling of trembling.

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Ulcers that are present bleed when bandaged, and have a stitching pain.

The symptoms are worse from four to eight p. M., and recur regularly ; as do those of Sabadilla.

Lycopodium affects the mucous membranes of the respiratory, digestive, and genito-urinary organs; makes digestive processes slow; hence wind, water and acidity.

Produces lithic acid deposit in quantities ; hence pains in the kidneys and bladder, etc. ; and hence indirectly the pains in the limbs and joints. Pro- duces catarrhal condition, and muco-purulent sputa.

Nervous action weakened ; a great remedy for overworked brains and where brain trouble, for e. g., softening, threatens from overwork or from metastasis of ulcers suddenly healed ; see the tor- por ; the use of wrong words ; failure to collect and command the thoughts, etc.