Cocculus has been used from ancient times as a poison for stupefying fish, and making them easy to catch. Correspondingly we find it produces great disturbance of the sensorium in human beings, and all the symptoms of intoxication. It is commonly used as an adulteration of beer to heighten its intoxicating properties. A very characteristic symptom is a sensation of hollowness or emptiness in the head or other parts. Allied to this is a sense of lightness of body. Another characteristic is an opening and shutting sensation, especially in the occiput. Along with the vertigo is nausea and vomiting which bring it into close relation with sea-sickness and carriage-sickness. Coccul. corresponds perfectly to the sensitive condition caused by loss of sleep and night-watching, and is the first remedy to think of for removing this. "Irritable weakness" is a leading note in the Cocculus effects. The Cocculus patient is very sensitive to fear, anger, grief, and all mental disturbances; also to noise and touch. Enlargement of liver after anger. Easily startled. Fear of ghosts and spectres. Stinging pains, stitches, constriction; in the hands a pithy feeling. Many symptoms are < at menstrual period; piles during menses. Cocculus has cured a case of delirium at onset of menses during first and second days; the patient said, "I always see something alive, on wall, floor, chairs, or anywhere, always rolling, and will roll on me." Cocculus is suited to persons of mild and sluggish temperament; light-haired persons; hypochondriacal, timid, fearful, and nervous persons. Other prominent features of Coccul. are: Paralytic pains, or pains as of dislocation. Paralytic weakness; lax-muscles. "Weakness of neck muscles with heaviness of head." Sensation as if single parts had gone to sleep. Immovability of parts affected. Of localities, the right hypochondrium (especially liver), inner hypogastrium, inner forehead, back, upper arm, and bones of arm are chiefly affected. This has been verified: "Spasmodic, flatulent colic, about midnight, flatus passed without relief," recurring several nights; promptly cured by Coccul. 3x. Lippe cured a case of enlargement of the liver after parturition, the indication being "the liver was more painful after anger." The sensitiveness to touch is very great and serves to indicate Cocculus in preference to other remedies in many affections where this is pronounced, in articular rheumatism, in ulcers, in neuralgic affections of bones. The least jar is unbearable (travelling by land or sea). < By touch, pressure, or jar. < From motion generally; moving body; rising from bed; bending over or stooping. < Kneeling; walking; swallowing saliva. Sitting > some symptoms. Many symptoms are < evening and night, especially about midnight and 1 a.m. Sensitive to air either hot or cold. Longs for cold drinks, but eating or drinking anything cold = tearing in limbs. < Open air. < From sun. < By warmth of bed. > In a room. A decoction of Cocculus is a domestic remedy used locally for destroying head- or body-lice.
By regionClarke
Mind Pre-occupation of mind, and sad and melancholy reflections, as if the patient had sustained wrongs.—He sits as if wrapped in deep sad thoughts, and does not take notice of anything; anxiety.—Loss of will and power to decide on any action.—Hypochondriacal humour; despair.—Strong, anxious apprehension, inquietude, and fear of death.—Disposition to be frightened.—Excessive susceptibility.—Disposition to take everything in bad part and to be angry.—Mania.—Mistakes concerning the lapse of time; it passes too quickly.
Head Confusion of the head, esp. after eating or drinking.—Dulness in the head, increased by reading or meditation.—Vertigo, as from intoxication, or on rising up in the bed, with inclination to vomit, which forces the patient to lie down again.—Fits of vertigo, with nausea and loss of consciousness.—Headache, with inclination to vomit or vomiting, and pain as from a bruise in the intestines.—The headache is aggravated after sleeping, eating, or drinking (coffee), in the open air, while riding in a carriage; and is relieved in a warm room, or when becoming warm in bed.—Violent aching pains, esp. in the forehead.—Stupid feeling in the head (cold perspiration on forehead and hands).—During motion, headache, as if the eyes were being torn from the sockets, with vertigo.—Pain in the head, which seems, as it were, empty and hollow, or sensation of constriction in the brain.—Pulsative pains, sometimes in the crown of the head, sometimes in the temples.—Convulsive trembling of the head, caused by weakness of the muscles of the neck; worse after sleeping and in the open air, from coffee and tobacco; better in the warm room.
Eyes Pressure and pain, as from a bruise, in the eyes, and difficulty in opening the eyelids at night.—Pain in the eyes, as if they were torn out of the head (with headache).—Convulsive rolling of the balls of the eyes during the spasms.—Pupils very much dilated; or contracted.—Dryness of the eyelids.—Inflammation of the eyelids.—Eyes prominent and glassy.—Dim-sightedness (after reading a short time the print is all blurred).—Confusion of sight, with black spots before the eyes.—Phantoms before the eyes.
Stomach Risings, with pain in the stomach and in the epigastrium.—Risings with inclination to vomit.—Frequent empty eructations, leaving a bitter taste in the mouth and throat.—Eructations with nausea and sticking pains in the pit of the stomach.—Empty, or fetid and putrid risings.—Attacks of nausea inducing syncope.—Inclination to vomit on rising up in the bed, which compels the patient to lie down again.—Inclination to vomit during a meal, or in consequence of a chill, with abundant accumulation of saliva.—Vomiting and nausea from the motion of a carriage, or of the sea.—Sensation of fulness in the stomach, with difficulty of respiration.—Violent cramp-like pains, squeezing, as if from a claw and cramps in the stomach, sometimes a short time after a meal.—Anxious oppression and pinchings in the epigastrium, with difficulty of respiration.
Female Sexual Organs Premature catamenia, with cramps in the abdomen.—Painful catamenia, with abundant discharge of coagulated blood, followed by haemorrhoids.—Suppression of catamenia, with spasmodic and pressive colic, flatulency, paralytic debility, oppression, anxiety, cramps in the chest, fits of nausea, even to fainting, and convulsive movements of the limbs.—Catamenia too scanty and irregular, with leucorrhoea in the intervals.—(Metrorrhagia.).—Discharge of sanguineous mucus from the uterus, during pregnancy.—Leucorrhoea like blood.—Leucorrhoea, similar to water in which meat has been washed, intermixed with a sanious and purulent serum.—Cramps in the uterus.
Respiratory Organs Fatiguing cough, from oppression of the chest, which manifests itself only during the cough.—Oppressed breathing, from contractive sensation in the trachea, as if irritated by smoke, causing constant coughing.—Periodical cough, every fourth night, towards midnight, or about two o'clock in the morning, with constriction in the throat which brings on coughing.
Neck And Back Cracking of the vertebrae of the neck, during movement.—Weakness of the muscles of the neck, which are inadequate to the support of the head.—Red spots on the neck.—Paralytic tearings (in the back and) in the loins.—Pullings and tearings in the back, esp. when speaking, walking, and stooping.—Tremor in the back.—Shootings between the shoulder-blades, and in the loins.
Lower Limbs Paralysis of the lower limbs, proceeding from the loins.—Drawing tearings in the knees, feet, and toes.—Pain as if from a bruise in the thighs, during movement.—Pain in the heel (os calcis) as if bruised.—Cracking in l. hip-joint.—Cracking of the knees, during movement.—Inflammatory swelling of the knee, with transient lancinations.—Burning sensation in the feet.—Hot and itching swelling of the feet, sometimes in the evening.—Numbness in the feet.—Cold and perspiration of the feet.
Skin Great itching, esp. in the evening, or when undressing, or at night in bed.—Red pimples, like grains of millet, with itching in a warm temperature.—Eruption of hard and knotty pimples, with red areolas and burning pain.—Induration, cold swelling of the glands, with stinging pains.—Ulcers very sensitive to contact.—Red spots in the chest and on the side of the neck.—Pale (chlorotic) colour of the skin.
Sleep Obstinate inclination to sleep in the morning.—Sleeplessness on account of anxiety and bodily restlessness.—Spasmodic yawning.—Sleep retarded in consequence of a great flow of ideas.—Half sleep, like coma vigil.—Sleep interrupted by frightful anguish and inquietude.—During sleep, starts, cries, convulsive movements of the hands, of the eyes, and of the head.—Vivid dreams, exciting fear.—Anxious, frightful dreams, dreams of death, of disease, &c.—Fear of ghosts at night.—Sleep unrefreshing, with frequent waking.
Fever Shivering, and sensation of cold, with trembling.—In the evening, shivering and shuddering in the back.—Chill in the afternoon and evening, principally on the legs and in the back; not relieved by heat.—Dry heat during the night.—Perspiration during the night, which is only cold on the face.—Morning sweat, esp. on the chest.—Intermittent fever, with colic and lameness of the small of the back.—Fever, with tendency to become chilly, though the skin is hot to the touch.—Chilliness alternating with heat.—Burning heat and redness of the cheeks, often with cold in the feet.—Fever with cramp-like pains in the stomach, and paralytic weakness in the loins.—Easy perspiration during movement, with great fatigue.—Sweats night and morning.—Pulse full, hard, and frequent.—Pulse small and spasmodic; sometimes it cannot be felt.
Books*
Antidoted by Nux Vomica 3, Camphora 2, Antimonium Tartaricum +9
* 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/cocculus-indicus
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