Homeopathy LibraryChelidonium Majus
Hahnemann - Materia Medica Pura · Samuel Hahnemann · 14,702 chars
General
(Express the juice from the recent root of the plant, and mix it with equal parts of spirits of brandy.)
The ancient physicians supposed that this plant might be used against bilious diseases because of its looking yellow. This induced modern physicians to extend its application, and to employ it in diseases of the liver. Although this drug has evidently been useful in certain affections of that organ, yet they are so various, their origin and the concomitant symptoms of the organism are so different in different cases, and the cases where the drug is said to have been useful, have been described with so little accuracy, that it is impossible, from such indica- tions, to tell when the Chelidonium may be used with the certainty of success.
And yet no drug should be used as a re- medial agent unless we know its properties and remedial vir- tues. The praise which is bestowed upon a drug ah usu in morbis, is very general and unsafe, and so much more in the case of the Chelidonium majus, as it has almost always been used in combination with other agents, Dandelion, etc., and the so-called amara being used as adjuvantia.
No discreet practitioner will be satisfied with the general indications alluded to above ; he will never consent to use a remedial agent the virtues of which have not been previously ascertained with the utmost minuteness and correctness by provings upon the healthy body.
The following list of symptoms is by no means perfect, but it reveals curative powers which no one had suspected in this drug ; the homoeopathic practitioner will know how to avail himself of the indications which I furnish.
Hahnemann has furnished the following symptoms of this
drug :
(Vanishiug of the senses.) Stitching headache in the ver-
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tex, ill paroxysms, especially when walking fast. Contractive headache.
(Titillating itching it the eyeballs.) He imagined a daz- zling spot was before his eye, and when he looked into it, lachrymation ensued.
Tremor and twitchings in the tip of the nose. Digging-up tearing in the antrum highmorianum. (a. 3 h.)
Diminished thirst. Nausea with inchnation to vomit (in- duced by the external use of the drug.)
Tension across the epigastrium. Colic. Pain over the left hip, as if a sac were forming in that region.
Emission of a quantity of flatulence. Diarrhoea, three times a night. Mucous diarrhoea.
Reddish urine (from using the drug externally). The urine was emitted from ten to twelve times a day, and several times in the night, a large quantity being emitted every time. (a. 24 h.) Burning in the urethra, immediately before the emission. Stitching and cutting in the urethra during micturition and mo- tion of the body.
Asthma.
Drawing, in the left fore-arm, and moving thence into the palm of the hand, which experienced a twitching motion. The left wrist-joint felt stiff", in the evening. A sort of stagna- tion, and a stiffness in the right wrist-joint, felt only during motion.
A few red pimples, with white tips, on both thighs, charac- terized by a corrosive itching. The anterior surface of the thigh goes to sleep, with fine stinging and erosive pain (from applying the plant externally). Stiffness in the tarsal joint, as if sprained.
(Apoplectic insensibility and numbness of the whole body, with trembling, the pulse being unaltered.) Diminution of an- imal heat.
OBSERVATIONS OP OTHERS.
Head
Cloudiness, (a, 10 minutes.) Dull headache, beat- ing, the beats being synchronous with the pulse, in the right temple, as if the vessels were filled too much with blood, (a. 2 h.) Headache, pressing, from within outwards, especially to- wards the forehead, increased very much by open air, cough blowing the nose, and by stooping, but which is not felt during a meal, and continues the whole day. Pressing sensation in the cerebrum, as if the skull were too narrow to contain it, and as if it would press through the ear, in which he hears a noise
CHELIDONIUM MAJUS. 71
as of a distant water-fall. — 5.
Disagreeable sensation in the left temple, as if the blood were suddenly arrested in that part, followed by a dull-stitching pain in that part.
(a. ^ h.) Aching pain in the right temporal region, with obstruction of the right nostril, (a. 6 h.) Tearing headache, with pressure, between the eyebrows, pressing upon the eyelids, disappearing after a meal and returning three-quarters of an hour after, (a ^ h.) Tearing pain in the right side of the occiput, with long, violent stitches from behind forwards, (a. 15i h.) Violent lancina- tions in the left frontal eminence, (a. 3^ h.) — 10.
Dull stitch- ing in the whole foreHead, in an oblique direction.
Sensation of transitory drawing under the frontal bone.
(a. i h.) Tin- gling in the frontal eminences, at short intervals.
A sort of pressing, slowly drawing stitch, from the left side of the occi- put to the forehead, (a. i h.) Pinching stitches in the right side of the occiput, (a. li h.) — 15.
Pinching stitches in the left side of the occiput, rather external, neither increased nor de- creased by pressing upon the parts, (a. 7 h.)
Eyes
Stupefying pressure on the right orbit, from without inwards.
Contraction of the pupils.
Contractionof the pupils immediately after taking the drug ; after the lapse of an hour they had acquired again their usual size.
Aching pain above the left eye, ivhich seemed to press the upper eyelid down.
(a. ^ h.) — 20.
Pressure on the right upper eyelid.
Pimple, con- taining pus, on the tarsal cartilage of the upper eyelid, with an aching pain when touched, or when closing the eyes.
Face
Tension and drawing in the left zygoma, only when lying down. (a. 9 h.) Pale countenance.
Ears
Contusive pain in the left lobule, immediately after burning in the right lobule-, as from a hot coal.
(a. 13 h.) — 25.
Long continuing stitch in the exteriial right ear, going off gradually, (a. 3 h.) Tingling in the left ear, when walking, (a. 9 h.) A sort of whistling before the ears.
(a. i h.) Whiz- zing before the ears, like wind.
(a. \^ h.) Sensation in both ears as if wind were rushing out ; he had to insert his fin- ger into the ear frequently, in order to suppress that sensa- tion, (a. i, 3, 4 h.) — 30.
Noise in both ears, resembling the distant roar of cannon.
Pressure, with tearing, coming and going, in the right internal meatus auditorius.
(a. 2 h.) Tear- ing pain in the right internal meatus auditorius.
(a. f h.) Tearing in the internal ear ; when inserting the finger into the ear, in order to remove the tearing, tingling supervened.
Teeth
Toothache in the left upper jaw. — 35. The teeth of the left lower jaw experience a dull pain when touched, and are looser, (a. 3 to 21 h.)
Pharynx and (Esophagus : Great tension over the neck.
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and in the throat, above the larynx, as if the parts were con- stricted ; the constriction, however, amounted merely to a nar- rowing of the pharynx, (a. \ h.) Sensation, as of the la- rynx being pressed upon the oesophagus, by some external pressure, which does not impede respiration, but deglutition. (a. 5. m.) A sort of cJtoking in the throat, as when too large a m,orsel is swallowed too hastily.
Mouth and Gastric Symptoms : Slimy tongue.
Nau- seous, flat taste in the mouth, as of juniper-tea ; food, however, tastes naturally.
Bitter taste in the mouth, aliments having a natural taste, (a. 2 h.) Diminished appetite.
Desire for milk, the milk inducing' a feeling of ease through the whole body ; however much he drank of it, he did not feel inconvenienced by it, whereas it caused much flatulence before, (a. 36^ h.) — 45.
Frequent rising of air.
Empty eructations.
Inclination to vomit.
Considerable nausea, with increased warmth of the body, (a, J h.) Hiccough, (a. 1.^ h. and frequently.)
Stomach
Pinching, oppressive pain in the pit of the sto- mach, and underneath, increased by contact, (a. 3 h.) Cramp- like throbbing in the pit of the stomach, causing a breathing with anguish, (a. 5 h.) Burning under the ribs, on the left side, on a line with the praecordial region. Pain in the stomach.
Abdomen
Continual gurgling in the abdomen. — 55.
Colic.
Painful pressure close above the umbilicus.
Dull pinching in the umbilical region, followed by the emission of some flatu- lence, (a. 1 h.) Cramp-like retraction of the umbilicus, ac- companied with passing nausea, (a. 6i h.) Burning pain in the abdomen, close below the short ribs of the left side.
(a. 14 h.) — 60.
Continual cutting in the boxoels, immediately after a meal, which he had relished.
Pinching pain in the left groin, (a. 9 h.)
Stool
Costiveness ; stool like sheep's dung, hard, two days in succession. Diarrhoea.
Urinary Organs
Pressure upon the bladder, the whole day, with but little emission of urine, (a. 2 h.) — 65.
Burn- ing, immediately previous to the emission of the urine.
Go- norrhoBa.
Cold, Catarrh, Chest : Drycoryza.
(a. 2 h.) Pain in the chest.
Oppression of the chest and respiration. — 70.
Op- pression of the thoracic cavity during an expiration.
Pressure with tearing, in the left axilla, and also in the parts nearer the nipple, (a. 30 h.)
Back
Sharp stitching in the middle of the back, on the sides of the vertebrge. Dull stitches in the left loin, in quick
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succession, towards the back. (a. 10 m.) Pressure, with tearing, in the region of the lowermost lumbar vertebrcB, ex- tending to the iliac hones ; sensation, as if the vertebrce were being broken asunder, only when stooping forwards, and then when bending backwards again, for several days, also felt when walking, (a. 86 h.)
Upper Extremities : Pinching, cramp-Hke pain in the internal border of the right scapnla, hindering the motion of the arm.
(a. 1 h.) Stitching in the left axilla when sitting, (a. 2 h.) Tearing in the muscles of the right upper arm.
(a. 28 h.) Paralytic pressure on the left upper arm.
(a. 2 d.) A kind of paralysis in the muscles of the upper arm, when mov- ing it. — 80.
Cramp-like pain in the left elbow-joint, increased by bending the arm.
(a. 4-|- h.) Weariness of the muscles of the right forearm, so that they could only be moved with diffi- culty, and were painful at every motion and when seizing something, (a. 26 h.) Clawing and tearing pain in the dor- sum of the right hand.
(a. li h.) Lancinating pain in the metacarpal bones of the right hand, increased by pressing upon the parts, (a. 26 h.) Fine tearing in the region of the meta- carpal and carpal bones of the right thumb, (a. 7 h.) — 85.
Paralytic tearing in the metacarpal bone, and the posterior joint of the thumb and index of the left hand.
The anterior joints of the fingers of the right hand becam,e yellow, cold and dead, the nails were blue.
(a. 1 h.) Fine tearing in the tips of the fingers of the right hand.
Frequently recurring tearing in the anterior joint of the little finger of the right hand, independent of motion or contact, (a. 3^ h.)
Lower Extremities : Burning itching in the left hip- joint, anteriorly, (a. 10 m.) — 90.
Paralytic drawing pain from the iliac bones to the toes of the right foot, unchanged when walking, sitting, or lying down, and disappearing suddenly.
(a. 39^ h.) A sort of paralytic weakness in the left thigh and knee when treading.
Sudden bending of the knees when standing or walking, (a. 12 h.) Hard pressure, in a space of two fingers' breadth, below the right patella.
Hard pres- sure, in the space of two fingers' breadth, under the left pa- tella, m,ore towards the inner side. — 95.
Stitching in the bend of the right knee (when sitting), (a. 2 h.) Drawing pain, from above downwards, in the left calf.
A few spots, with a sensation of burning pain, and stitching in the centre, above the tendo Achillis ; the pain was increased by scratching.
Aching pain in the right tarsal joint, when sitting, (a. li h.) Gurgling pain in the dorsum of the left foot.
(a. 9 h.) — 100.
Cramp in the sole of the right foot, which is curbed downwards,
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together with the toes ; the toes were Hke dead, and without sensation ; the cramp subsided by compressing the calves with the hand, but it increased when trying to set the foot upon the floor, (a. 12 h.)
General Symptoms : Shooting prickings now in the hand or arm, now in the foot, knee, abdomen, etc.
Weariness and lassitude of the limbs ; he finds it difficult to move a limb fast ; he dreads motion, yawns, feels drowsJ^ (a. 15 h.) Great laziness after a meal, with drowsiness and indisposition to work.
In the morning he felt so weary, that he could not get up.
Sleep
105.
Great droiosiness and laziness, no yawn- ing, (a. 6 h.) Great uncomfortahleness ; he does not feel well, loithout knowiyig what ails him : he has to lie down without being able to sleep ; every thing was unpleasant to him.
Desire to lie down, without being drowsy, and without being able to sleep.
After a meal, desire to lie down, without being able to go to sleep, he frequently started from his slumber, and when rising, the headache was worse.
Sleep, full of dreams about his every-day business. — 110.
Restless sleep full of dreams.
Restless sleep, without any particular dreams.
Restless sleep, with sudden waking and excessive sweat, which had come on during sleep, and continued in the morning even while awake.
Morning-sweat.
Sweat during the morning- sleep.
Fever
When lying in the bed, in the evening, he is seized by violent chills and shakes, continuing almost an hour, the external body feeling warm ; nevertheless, goose-flesh was present ; terminating in sweat which lasted the whole night, (a. 38 h.) When walking out, he was attacked with chills and shaking, without coldness, (in the summer,) and continuing until he re-entered the room (for two days). He felt alternately warm and cold through the whole body ; sometimes this alter- nation only existed in single limbs, (a. 18 h.) Shuddering through the whole body, the warmth being unchanged, no thirst, (a 3 h.) — 120.
Strong pulse, not quick (when sitting), (a. i h.) Cold hands, (a. 2^ h.) Chills and shaking (with cold hands) over the whole body. Chills and shakes, with nausea, without eructations, (a. i h.) Shuddering, on the hands, they are warmer than usual, (a. i h.) — 125. The right foot is cold as ice, up to the knee, feeling also cold to the prover whereas the other foot and the rest of the body have their nat- ural warmth, and the veins of the hands and arms are swollen (a. 31 h.)
Moral Symptoms : Desponding, full of sad thoughts about
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the present and the future, he could not remain in any one place.
Sad, unto weeping, and desponding on account of the present and the future.
Cheerful.
(Curative effect.)