Causticum

General

CAUSTICUM. [Caustic.] Hahnemann.

Mind

► Weakness of memory ; absent-minded. ► Inattentive and distracted. ► Taciturn, distant ; disinclined to work. ► Full of timorous fancies, evenings, child fears to go to bed alone. ► Great anxiety. ► Melancholy mood. ► Hopelessness. ► Peevish, irritable mood. ► Thinking of complaints aggravates them, especially hemorrhoids.

Sensorium

► Vertigo : tending forwards and sideways ; at night in bed, on rising and on lying down again, or at 11 A.M. ; on looking fixedly at an object ; better in open air ; with weakness in the head and anxiety. ► Anaemia. ► Dulness of the head.

Inner Head

► Painless commotion in the whole head. ► Pressive pain in right frontal eminence ; dull, pressive headache. ► Stitches in the temples, worse from sitting or reading. ► Throbbing and stitches in the vertex. ► Sensation as of an empty space between the forehead and brain.

Outer Head

► Pain at a small spot on the vertex, as if bruised, only on touch. ► Tension or itching on the scalp.

Eyes

► Photophobia whole day, constantly obliged to wink. ► Flickering or sparks before the eyes. ► Sight obscured : as from a gauze before the eyes ; as from a mist ; momentarily, on blowing the nose. ► Perpendicular half sight in cataract ; has arrested cataract. ► Pain in the eyes, as if sand were in them. ► Pressive pain in the eyes, worse from touch. ► Constant inclination to touch and rub the eye, which seems to relieve a pressure in it. ► Eyes : inflamed ; burning, red, dry, stinging. ► Smarting and pressure in eyes, which seem heavy ; lids red. ► Itching of the eyes, especially of the lids. ► Inclination to close the eyes, lids seem heavy ; even paralysis of upper lids.

Weakness of the recti muscles.

Double vision. ► Blepharitis, especially if better in fresh air. ► Agglutination of the lids. ► Lachrymation even in room, though worse in open air. ► Corrosive lachrymation, pains shooting, extend up into the head ; scrofulous ophthalmia. ► Old warts on eyebrows, lids or nose.

Ears

► Roaring, or buzzing in the ears. ► Words and steps re-echo in the ears ; hears with difficulty. ► Stitches in right ear, paroxysmal, and in rapid succession. ► Feeling of obstruction in ears, with offensive purulent discharge. ► Herpes on the ear-lobe. ► Meatus dry, with a little brown wax.

Nose

► Frequent sneezing. ► Fluent coryza, with pain in chest and limbs. ► Dry coryza, with stoppage of nose. ► Blowing blood from nose, mornings. ► Profuse nosebleed. ► Pimples on the tip of the nose. ► Itching of tip and alae. ► Old warts on the nose.

Face

► Face : yellow ; sickly-looking. ► Neuralgia : right side ; worse at night, chilly, no thirst ; drawing pains extending into cheeks and ear ; spasm of muscles and numbness ; menses scanty. ► Pimples on left cheek, with severe itching. ► Acne burning after scratching, better washing. ► Paralysis of one side of face.

Lower Face

► Sensation of tension and pain in the jaws could only with difficulty open the mouth, and could not eat well, because a tooth seemed too long. ► Arthritic pains in lower jaw.

Teeth

► Painful looseness and elongation of the teeth. ► Tooth as if being crowded out of the alveoli. ► Teeth painful when chewing. ► Pain in sound teeth, or drawing in cold air. ► Stitching and tearing toothache. ► Swelling of the gums. ► Tedious suppuration of the gums. θ Fistula dentalis.

Tongue, Etc

► Taste : greasy ; of rancid fat ; putrid ; bitter ; as from disordered stomach. ► Speechlessness, from paralysis of the organs of speech. ► Distortion of the tongue and mouth when talking. ► Stuttering, difficult, indistinct speech. ► Painful vesicle on the tip of the tongue. ► Tongue coated white on both sides, red in the middle.

Mouth

► Dryness of the mouth and tongue. ► Much phlegm in the mouth and throat. ► Sore, painful spot on the hard palate. ► Swelling inside the cheek ; bites it when chewing.

Throat

► Dryness in throat, posteriorly. ► Mucus collects in the throat, cannot be raised by hawking ; obliged to swallow it. ► Hawking of mucus, with pain in pit of throat. ► Rawness in throat, with sensation like heart-burn. ► Rawness and tickling in the throat, with dry cough and some expectoration only after long coughing. ► Must swallow continually, feels as if the throat were too narrow. ► Swelling like goitre, on the throat.

Desires And Aversions

► Desire for beer. ► Thirst for cold drinks ; thirst, with aversion to drink. ► Aversion to sweet things. ► Sits down to the table with some appetite, but can scarcely eat a morsel.

Eating And Drinking

► Fresh meat causes nausea ; smoked meat agrees ; bread causes pressure in stomach. ► Coffee seems to aggravate every symptom.

Nausea And Vomiting

► Eructations : frequent, empty ; tasting of the food ; of food ; burning. ► Nausea during and after meals. ► Sour vomiting, followed by sour eructations. ► Vomiting of blood, at night.

Stomach

► Pain in the stomach in the morning, increased by every quick movement ; must lie down. ► Cramp in the stomach ; pressure in the pit of stomach. ► Pinching, clawing in pit of stomach on deep breathing.

Hypochondria

► Stitches in the region of the liver.

Abdomen

► Pains in the abdomen, must bend double ; worse after the least nourishment or from tightening the clothes. ► Colic : in the morning ; pain radiates to back and chest. ► Stitches in the right side of the abdomen. ► Painful distention of the abdomen. ► Flatulency, loud rumbling and rolling in the bowels. ► Tumid abdomen, in children.

Stool, Etc

► Pressure in the rectum. ► Itching and sticking in the rectum. ► Frequent, sudden, penetrating, pressive pain in rectum. ► Frequent passage of offensive flatus. ► Stools : tough and shining ; first hard and in pieces, the last soft ; knotty, like sheep's dung. ► Frequent ineffectual efforts to stool with much pain, anxiety and redness in face. ► The stool passes better standing. ► Pulsations in the perineum. ► Fissure of the anus, pains worse when walking. ► Itching in the anus. ► Large, painful pustule near the anus, discharging pus, blood and serum. ► Hemorrhoids : impeding the stool ; swollen ; itching, stitching, moist ; stinging, burning ; painful when touched, when walking, or when thinking of them.

Urine

► Paralysis of bladder from long retention of urine. ► Involuntary passage of urine : when coughing, walking or blowing the nose ; at night when asleep. ► Diabetes insipidus. ► Retention of urine, with frequent and urgent desire, occasionally a few drops or small quantity may dribble away. ► Burning in the urethra when urinating. ► Itching of the orifice of the urethra. ► Urine : dark brown ; turbid and cloudy on standing.

Male Sexual Organs

► Increase of smegma about the glans. ► Continuous loss of prostatic fluid ; memory weak. ► Pressive pains in testicles. ► Itching of the scrotum and skin of the penis.

Female Sexual Organs

► Aversion to coitus. ► Menses : too early and too profuse, and after ceasing, a little is passed from time to time for days ; smell badly and excite itching of vulva ; only during the day ; with violent pains in abdomen and discharge of large clots ; scanty, with prosopalgia. ► Leucorrhoea : profuse, flows like the menses and has the same odor ; only at night and worse then ; with scanty menses. ► Soreness in the vulva and between the legs. ► Smarting, as from salt, in the pudendum, after urinating.

Pregnancy

► Spasmodic labor-pains. Labor-pains insufficient, irregular ; os dilated, but patient has become tired and fretful. ► Milk almost disappeared in consequence of overfatigue, night watching and anxiety. ► Nipples sore, cracked, surrounded with herpes.

Larynx

► Hoarseness : worse morning and evening, with scraping in the throat ; for several days could not speak loud. ► Croup, especially when there is a raw sensation in the larynx. ► Catarrhal croup. ► The laryngeal muscles refuse their service ; cannot speak a loud word. When he tries to raise his voice, it fails or becomes a squeak.

Breathing

► Arrest of breathing when talking or walking rapidly ; must suddenly catch after (for) breath. ► Shortness of breath.

Cough

► Violent, hollow, at times dry, with pain in right chest ; hollow, especially night and morning, with tightly adhering mucus in the chest, and with sensation of soreness on the chest ; hacking, from creeping and rawness in the throat ; with pain above left hip, and involuntary passage of drops of urine ; dry, remaining after pertussis. ► Cough worse evening till midnight ; from exhaling ; drinking coffee ; cold air ; draught of air ; when awaking. ► Cough relieved by a swallow of cold water.

Lungs

► Soreness in the chest. ► Burning soreness in a stripe down under the sternum, with cough, etc. ► Tightness of chest, must frequently take a deep breath. ► Stitches in the chest below the arms, extending to the pit of the stomach, with anxiety. ► Rattling in the chest.

Heart And Pulse

► Stitches about the heart. ► Palpitation of the heart. ► Oppression at the heart, with lowness of spirits. ► Pulse excited towards evening, with orgasm of blood.

Outer Chest

► Sensation as if the clothing were too tight. ► Painful compression of chest from both sides toward the sternum, with oppression of breath and weakness of voice. ► Stitches in the sternum from deep breathing or lifting.

Neck And Back

► Stiffness of the neck, could not move head. ► Stiffness and pain in neck and throat, with pain in occiput, muscles felt as if bound, could scarcely move the head. ► Painful stiffness of back, especially when rising from chair. ► Stitches : in the back ; in left lumber region. ► Pressing, cramp-like pain in small of back, in region of kidneys. ► Dull, drawing pain in region of os coccygis. ► Bruised pain in the os coccygis.

Upper Limbs

► Pressure on the shoulders. ► Dull drawing and tearing in the arms and hands. ► Paralytic feeling in the right hand. ► Sensation of fulness in the palm when grasping. ► Contraction and induration of the tendons of the fingers. ► Drawing pains in the finger-joints. ► Trembling of the hands. ► Convulsion of the fingers in writing ; writer's cramp. ► Warts on tip of the fingers. ► Itching on the arms.

Lower Limbs

► Soreness high up, between the thighs. ► Aching in the hip-joint, as if dislocated. ► Bruised pains in the thighs and legs, mornings in bed. ► Cramp in the calf, mornings in bed. ► Drawing and tearing in thighs and legs, knees and feet, worse in open air, better in warmth of bed. ► Cracking in the knees when walking. ► Tension in the knee and ankle-joints. ► Tensive pain and stiffness in hollow of knee, when walking. ► Marbled skin of thighs and legs. ► Unsteady walking and easy falling, of little children. ► Cramp in the feet. ► Ball of the great toe : crawling, burning ; severe pressive pain ; burning stitches. ► Phagedenic blisters and ulcers on the heel. ► Sudden cramp in tendo-achillis at night. ► Crawling in both soles as from something alive. ► Itching on the dorsum of feet.

Limbs In General

► Arthritic pains in all the limbs. ► Weakness and trembling of all the limbs. ► Paralytic weakness of the limbs. ► Intolerable uneasiness in the limbs in the evening.

Position, Etc

► At night cannot get a quiet position, nor lie still a minute. ► Partly laid on feels sore, must turn often. ► Lifting : 30. Motion : 40, 44. Quick motion : 17. Can scarcely move the head : 31. Walking : 20, 26, 33, 40. Standing : 20. Sitting : 3. Must sit up : 37. Rising : 2, 31. Lying down : 2. Must lie down : 17, 37. In bed : 2, 33, 40.

Nerves

► Weakness and trembling. ► Faint-like sinking of strength. ► Restlessness of the body. ► Hemiplegia after cerebral hemorrhage or softening. ► Epileptic attacks during time of puberty, also worse during new moon. ► Convulsions : with screams, gnashing of the teeth, and violent movements of the limbs ; with feverish heat and coldness of hands and feet. ► Chorea even at night, right side of face and tongue may be paralyzed.

Sleep

► Yawning and stretching. ► Intense sleepiness, can scarcely withstand it, must lie down. ► Sleeplessness at night on account of dry heat. ► Very uneasy all night, after a short sleep awakened by anxiety and restlessness, which scarcely allowed ten minutes quiet in one place ; must sit up ; involuntary throwing of the head from side to side, until exhaustion brought on sleep. ► Starting from sleep ; many motions with arms and legs, during sleep, at night. ► Dreams : anxious ; quarrelsome.

Time

► Morning : 7, 17, 19, 25, 27, 33, 40. 4 A.M. : 40. Evening : 1, 25, 27, 29, 34, 40. 6 to 8 P.M. : 40. Evening, till midnight : 27. Night : 2, 8, 16, 21, 23, 27, 34, 36, 37, 40. Midnight : 40. Day : 5, 23.

Temperature And Weather

► Warmth of bed : 33. Room : 5. Open air : 1, 5, 33, 40. Cold air : 27. Cold water : 27. Draught : 27.

Chill, Fever And Sweat

► Chill and chilliness ; predominating, frequently with coldness of the whole left side ; on diseased parts. ► Much internal chilliness, immediately followed by sweat without intervening heat ; severe internal chill about midnight. ► Shivering beginning in and spreading from the face. ► Chill lessened by drinking, and in bed. ► Heat from 6 to 8 P.M., heat descending. ► Flushes of heat followed by chilliness. ► Profuse sweat : when walking in open air ; from motion. ► Sour-smelling night-sweat. ► Morning-sweat toward 4 A.M.

Attacks

► New moon : 36.

Sides

► Right : 3, 6, 8, 18, 19, 27, 32, 36. Left : 8, 31, 40.

Tissues

► Rheumatic and arthritic inflammations, with contraction of the flexors and stiffness of the joints. ► Tearing, piercing pains at night, compelling motion, but not thereby relieved. ► Emaciation of the feet. ► Hemorrhages of very dark blood. ► Painful varices, ulcers, or warts ; net-like appearance of the capillaries.

Contact, Injuries, Etc

► Touch : 4, 5, 20, 35. Rubbing : 5. Tight clothing : 19, 30.

Skin

► Intertrigo, during teething. ► Excessively itching moist tetter on the neck. ► Eruption of pimples on the tip of the nose. ► Itching : over the whole body ; at various parts, especially on tip and wings of the nose ; face ; scrotum ; back ; arms ; palms ; dorsum of feet. ► Injuries of the skin which had healed, become sore again.

Stages And States

► Dark hair and rigid fibre most affected. ► Children with delicate skin.

Relationship

► After the abuse of sulphur and mercury in scabies, Caustic. may be indicated. ► Antidotes to Caustic. : Asaf., Coffea, Coloc., Nux vom., Spir. nitr. dulc. ► Rheumatic contraction of tendons of arms and legs much increased by Caustic., was promptly relieved by Guaiac. ► Inimicals : Acids, Coffea, Phosphor.