The usual preparations of Berberis are made from the root bark. Berberis mahonia has a great local repute in the popular treatment of the low fever (typhoid) of the Rocky mountains, an infusion of the fresh plant being used. Chills and fever are among the prominent effects of Berb. vulg.: "Coldness of body with hot face, commencing 11 a.m.; burning heat in afternoon, < during night." Ague with enlargement of spleen, of spleen pains. Affections of liver and kidneys are strongly marked; but Berb. is a medicine of wide range. Movement < its complaints. Stitches are frequent, and a "bubbling sensation" or "bubbling stitches" are characteristic. A bubbling feeling as if water were coming up through the skin. Tearing, burning pains or bubbling sensation in joints. The mental condition is one of indifference, apathy. Melancholy, with inclination to weep. There is aversion to darkness, terrifying apparitions in the twilight. In the head there is vertigo and heaviness. Darting and shooting pains often changing their localities; < movement, > open air. Heat of head after dinner or in afternoon. Puffy feeling in head; as if it were becoming larger. Scalp tense. The face is pale, with dingy grey tinge, sunken cheeks, deep-set eyes, surrounded with bluish and blackish grey border. Mouth dry and sticky; painful white blisters on tip of tongue. The pit of the stomach is puffed up. Sticking pain in region of liver and gall-bladder shooting up to left shoulder, < by pressure. Gall-stone colic, followed by jaundice. Gnawing pain in right hypochondrium, shooting up to left scapula. Pains shoot down from tenth rib to navel. Burning in either inguinal region (especially right). Berberis produces both constipation (sheep-dung stools) and diarrhoea, and a number of symptoms about the anus. Haemorrhoids, with itching or burning, particularly after stool, which frequently is hard and covered with blood. Fistula in ano with painful pressure in perinaeum, extending deep into pelvis (left side). The urinary organs are markedly affected. The emission of urine is frequently accompanied by pains in thighs and loins. Lancinating, or tearing, bubbling pains in region of kidneys; < stooping and rising again, sitting or lying; > standing. Violent sticking pains in bladder, extending from kidneys into urethra, with urging to urinate. Many cases of (especially right) renal colic have been cured by it. Frequent urging to urinate. Urine dark yellow, red, becoming turbid, copious; mucous sediment, or transparent, jelly-like or reddish, bran-like sediment. Urine slimy when passed, depositing copious loamy yellowish sediment. Greenish urine depositing mucus. During urination burning in urethra, or bladder, pressure in bladder, cutting, burning, or stitches in urethra. Dragging or lancinating pains in spermatic cord, extending into testes. Cold feeling in prepuce, glans, testes, and scrotum. In the female a marked symptom is absence of pleasurable sensation during coition. Uterine symptoms and leucorrhoea associated with painful urinary symptoms. Dysmenorrhoea, pains radiating in all directions down thighs, &c. Vagina intensely painful; reddened. Violent pain in back, with menses which are too scanty. It is a leading remedy in lumbago; pains extend from back, round body, down leg; with red sediment in urine. Numbness, stiffness, and lameness in kidney region. Many old troubles in the back. Sufferings < by fatigue. Aching in small of back; < sitting; or lying; in the morning on awakening. Neuralgia under finger-nails. B. Simmons has verified a symptom of Berb. which may be regarded as characteristic. A gentleman of 52 complained of rheumatic pains in his legs and loss of walking power. After he had walked a short distance he was compelled to stop from a feeling of intense weariness, heaviness, lameness, and stiffness of the legs, which fell sore as if bruised. A single dose effected a complete cure, improvement commencing on the fourth day. Stuart Close (H. P. xix. 218) records the cure with Berb. 200 of a woman who had cutting, burning pains in the balls of the feet on stepping. On, standing with most of the weight on the heels she had no pain. On rising in morning sensation in soles as if stepping on needles. There is great weakness, like fainting, after a walk, with perspiration and heat on the upper part of the body; cold, pale, sunken face and oppression of breathing. Great relaxation, with disinclination to do anything. On the indication "tumours and sessile growths," Ozanam cured a case of polypus of vocal cords, red, with a sessile base. Thuja had failed. Berb. 200 was given at first with good effect, the attenuation being gradually reduced with increasingly good effect until the growth disappeared entirely under the 1x, Guernsey admirably sums up the remedy as follows: "Affects particularly the lumbar region; kidneys; uterus. The patient is sometimes unable to tell the exact locality, but the pain is somewhere in the back and shoots up the back; or into the spermatic cord, or testes, bladder, buttocks or legs. The pain may shoot up or down, or both ways. Pains may be felt all over the body, emanating from the back; the pains are of a sticking, pricking, lancinating, or jerking character, flying about now here and now there. There is often a bubbling sensation in the region of the kidneys; this sensation may occur elsewhere, but it is usually found here." Great sleepiness during day and after dinner. After riding much, great sense of weakness in kidney region. Suited to: Bilious diathesis. Cases where renal or vesical symptoms are prominent.
By regionClarke
Mind Careless, calm, apathetic humour.—Ill-humour, disgust to life.—Melancholy, inclination to weep, with dislike to conversation.—Anxiety, great fear and disposition to take fright.—In the twilight, all objects seem larger than they really are.—Intellectual labours are performed with difficulty and prove fatiguing, esp. in the morning.
Head Vertigo, with sensation as in fainting, and great weakness.—Vertigo on stooping and on making use of the arms.—Feeling of intoxication and giddiness.—Confusion and heaviness of the head, often with pressure, dejection, ill-humour and shiverings, commencing in the morning, after waking.—Head confused, as before a coryza.—Sensation, as if the size of the head were increased.—Sensation of swelling in the head.—Aching, tensive pains in the forehead, in the temples, and in the eyes.—Cephalalgia in the forehead and in the temples, as if from pressure from the inside outwards.—Headache < by movement, > in open air.—Acute, shooting pains in the forehead and in the temples.—Darting and shooting pains in the head after changing the locality.—Teguments of the head as if they were stretched and swollen.—Head feels full and heavy, as if a cap were pulled hard down on head.—Heat in the head after dinner (or in afternoon) and in the morning.—Sweat after exertion, on stooping, and on standing for any time.—Small red spots in the forehead and in the cheeks.—Itching or gnawing shootings in the teguments of the head and of the face.—Pustules in the teguments of the head and in the face.
Eyes Eyes sunk, with a blue or dirty grey circle.—Aching and sensation of burning in the eyes.—Painful sensibility of the eyes on reading by candle-light.—Sensation of stiffness, with pressure in the eyes.—Shootings in the eyes, originating in other parts (for instance, the forehead), and extending towards the eyes, and thence to the forehead.—Burning and dryness in the eyes, which are dull.—Dryness of, or biting-burning, or itching sensation in the eyes.—Itching in the canthi, eyebrows, and eyelids.—Redness of the conjunctiva, with confused sight, as if there were a veil before the eyes, in the morning after rising.—Ophthalmia, with the characteristic flying pains from the back; sensation as if sand were between lids and eyes.—Bubbling in eyes.—Indistinct sight, better near than at a distance.—Sensibility of the eyes to the brightness of the sun.—Sharp pains in the ball of the eye, and in the eyelids.—Heaviness in the eyelids during motion.—Burning or gnawing pains in the eyelids.—Convulsive movement of the eyelids when reading by candle-light.
Stomach Nausea before breakfast, better after.—Nausea and inclination to vomit before dinner.—Risings alternately with yawning.—Bilious risings.—Shiverings in the epigastrium.—Aching, with shooting pains in the epigastrium.—Burning, shooting pains in the stomach, sometimes extending to the pharynx.—Sticking pain in gastric region; whirling pain in.
Female Sexual Organs Tardy enjoyment in women, during coition, and often accompanied with incisive or shooting pains.—Sensation of burning and excoriation in the vagina, extending to the labia.—Pale catamenia, composed of serous blood.—Menses, consisting of grey mucus or brown blood.—Suppressed menstruation.—During the catamenia, pains in the genital parts and in the loins, or violent pains in the head, with sensation of fainting.—Catamenia insufficient, with acute drawing pains in the whole body, painful inflation of the abdomen, pain in the loins, shootings in the chest, dejected aspect, with violent pains in the head; or with ill-humour, disgust of life, dejection, smarting pains in the vagina, sensation of burning and excoriation in the anus, and pains in the arms, as far as the shoulders and the nape of the neck.
Respiratory Organs (Sessile polypus of vocal cord.).—Hoarseness, with soreness or inflammation of the glands of the neck.
Neck And Back Drawing, acute rheumatic pains in the nape of the neck.—Pustules in the nape of the neck, in groups, esp. near the scalp.—Shooting pains between the shoulder-blades, increased by breathing.—Acute drawing pains in the dorsal spine.—Bubbling sensation in back.—Stitches in the spine.—Pustules in the back.—Sensation of tension, of stiffness, and of torpor in the loins, as if they were swollen or benumbed.—Aching, tensive, acute, drawing, or shooting pains in the loins.—Sensation of tensive pressure in the loins, often with heaviness, heat, or torpor of these parts, esp. in the morning on waking, aggravated by sitting or lying, sometimes diminished by evacuations, or by the emission of wind.—Pain in the small of the back; worse when sitting and lying, in the morning when awaking (during menstruation).
Lower Limbs Sensation of weariness and pain, as of fatigue, in the legs, sometimes with heaviness, stiffness, and a sensation of paralysis, as after a very long walk, or as from dislocation in the parts affected, esp. in the soft parts, but also in the bones, and easily excited by movement.—Great weakness of the legs while walking.—Sensation in the legs as if they had wasted away.—Tensive pains in the thighs, in the calves of the legs, and in the knees, as if tendons were too short.—Drawing, tensive pains in the legs.—Starting of the muscles of the legs.—Sensation of cold on the outside of the thighs, as if from quicksilver circulating under the skin.—Sensation of weariness, of bruising, and of paralysis in the knees while walking, and afterwards, as well as on rising after having been seated a long time.—Lymphatic swelling of the tendo Achillis, with pains on lifting the foot, and a sensation as if the foot were bearing a heavy load.—Swelling of the foot after movement, with sensation of burning, swelling of the heel, and cramp in the foot.—Sensation of dislocation in the joints of the toes.—Heels pain as if ulcerated on standing.—Stitches between metatarsal bones, as from a nail when standing.—Tearing in balls of feet, with pain when stepping on them.—At every step stinging in the big toe.—Burning pain in the soles of the feet, esp. in the evening.—Drawing, acute, or burning pains in the toes.—Pain of excoriation in the toes, with redness, as if from chilblains.
Skin Small pustules, red, burning, itching or shooting, and painful on being touched, upon the skin over the whole body: they change into brownish spots, like large freckles.—Warts: small, flat.
Sleep Sleepiness during the day, esp. in the morning and afternoon; after dinner.—Unquiet sleep, disturbed by burning itching of the skn, or by anxious dreams.—Sleep unrefreshing.—Waking in the morning between two and four o'clock, without being able to go to sleep again, with tension and congestion in the head, and thirst.—Sleep greatly prolonged, with pain, as of a bruise, and pressure on the loins, and on the thighs.—Frequent waking, and fatigue, as from want of sleep.
Fever Shiverings before dinner, and sometimes after, with feet icy cold, mouth dry and clammy, and pains in the l. side of the epigastrium.—Shiverings in the morning in the back, in the arms and in the thighs, followed by burning heat, with giddiness and violent shooting pains in the head, and sore throat; on the third day, sweat, smelling like urine.—Heat in the hands and head in the afternoon, continuing for several days.—Disposition to sweat on the least exertion, esp. in the afternoon, with anxiety.—Thirst, with the mouth dry, esp. in the afternoon.—Pulse slow and weak, or full, hard and rapid.
Books*
Antidoted by Camphora 3, Belladonna 2, Berberis
Complementary—
Follows well Bryonia Alba, Kali Bichromicum, Rhus Toxicodendron +1
* Number of books that state the relation, where more than one. Historical text from the classical materia medica (1828–1950). Not medical advice, and not a claim that any remedy works. homeopathylibrary.com/remedy/berberis-vulgaris
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