Homeopathic Materia Medica

Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica, James Tyler Kent

General features: Allium cepa is used principally for "colds."

There are various phases of these "colds," in the nose, in the throat, in the larynx, in the bronchial tubes.

The patient and all the phases of his "cold," his coryza, his Ia laryngitis, his cough, all his complaints, are aggravated by warmth, are worse in a warm room, excepting the tickling in the larynx, which is sometimes aggravated by drawing in cold air.

In this way the cou is sometimes excited by cold air but the patient himself is better in cold air and sensitive to heat.

Most of the symptoms are worse in the evening, the symptoms of coryza, the "cold.," and the general symptoms.

These are symptoms most striking general features of Allium Cepa.

It is not strange that the old ladies used to bind onions on the ear for earache and around the neck for sore throats, for onion is very frequently indicated in almost every climate for the effects of cold.

Cold, damp, penetrating winds, in any climate, are likely to bring on Allium cepa complaints-coryza, Ia grippe, influenza or whatever they may be called, and usually there is congestive headache.

Coryza: Rawness in the nose, copious flow of water from the eyes, which is always bland; copious watery discharge from the nose, which is always excoriating.

Rawness in the larynx and throat, extending down into the chest. Raw in the nose. In twenty-four hours it reaches the larynx.

Cough, excited by tickling in the larynx and when lying down at night in a warm room.

On going to bed in the evening Allium has its most troublesome aggravation.

I have heard patients describe the pain in the larynx on coughing, saying that it felt as if someone was reaching down with a hook at every cough.

Tearing in the larynx with every cough. Sneezing, rawness of all the mucous membranes and that tearing cough, all symptoms worse in a warm room and in the even ing; it is astonishing how quickly the onion will break up that "cold."

Now we will take up the particulars of the coryza. Among the earlier symptoms will be the sneezing, which comes with increasing frequency. A watery discharge drips from the nose constantly, burns like fire, and excoriates the upper lip and the wings of the nose until there are rawness and redness.

Notice that the fluid from the nose is excoriating and the fluid from the eyes bland. Bear that in mind, for when we come to study Euphrasia we will find just the opposite.

We will find just such a watery discharge from the nose and such copious lachrymation; but the lachrymation is acrid and the discharge from the nose bland. The nasal discharge of Cepa fairly eats the hair off of the upper lip. And there is so much congestion that the patient has a sensation of fullness in the nose, with throbbing and burning, and sometimes nosebleed.

Pains through the jaws, in the face; and these pains extend into the head. Dull frontal headaches, occipital headaches; headaches very severe and the eyes cannot stand the light; tearing, bursting, throbbing in the head.

Now, there is another phase of this medicine. Why it begins the left side and goes over to the right nose, I do not know, but it usually does this.

Stuffing up of the side of the nose, watery, acrid discharge from the left side of the nose - in another twenty-four hours the right side is invaded.

"Profuse nasal discharge. Colds after damp north easterly winds."

That is, after damp, cold winds, for they may come from different directions in different localities. Fluent coryza with headache, tears from the eyes, want of appetite, cough and trembling in the open air.

"Every year in August, morning coryza, with violent sneezing, very sensitive to the odor of flowers and skin of peaches."

That is one form of hay fever cured by Allium cepa. It will wipe out an attack of hay fever in a few days, when the symptoms agree.

You may know that the true nature of hay fever is not generally understood. It is really only an explosion of chronic disease, that is, it is a manifestation of psora, and can be eradicated only by antipsoric treatment. Many a time have I seen hay fever wiped out in one season by a short-acting remedy, only to return the next just the same, and perhaps another remedy will be required.

Psora: As soon as the hay fever is stopped you must begin with constitutional treatment. There will be symptoms, if you know how to hunt for them, that differ altogether from the acute attack. When the hay fever is on these do not appear.

It is a difficult matter to find a constitutional remedy when the hay fever is at its height, for it resembles an acute disease; but it is a manifestation of psora, like an other manifestation of psora, as eruptions, cough, etc.

The nose may manifest only a certain phase of chronic disease in one season which may, for instance, be suited to Allium cepa. I remember one time having occasion to prescribe Allium cepa at long distance. it was near a homoeopathic pharmacy. I wired the pharmacist to send my patient Allium cepa, and he labeled it.

Well, the patient kept the bottle and used it next season, but it did no good. That is likely to be the case, even when the symptoms seem to agree. In a psoric condition a short-acting remedy is insufficient; it may help for one day only, and the deep-acting remedy that includes the patient as well as the hay fever and all the other symptoms will have to be administered.

The best time to treat hay fever is after the acute attack subsides and until it begins again the next season. It will then occur in a greatly modified form, different from any the patient has ever had, and calling for a different remedy.

That will be the case if the constitutional remedy has been properly selected.

In these coryzas the inflammation soon spreads to the ears, the throat and the larynx.

Earache: The old mothers used to put onions on the baby's ear when it had earache. That is not surprising, when we see all the pains and aches belonging to this remedy. Jerking pains from the throat toward the Eustachian tube. Violent earache, even to the discharge of pus from the car. Ringing in the ears. Stitches towards the ear from the forehead. Pain like thick threads drawing from deep within the head. Stitching, tearing pains in the ear, with whooping cough, with coryza, with laryngitis.

In the household where a medicine case is kept, Pulsatilla is the standard remedy for earache, and it is true that only occasionally has a doctor to be sent for. Pulsatilla has such a strong affinity for the ear that it will cure earache in almost all sensitive children who cry pitifully. But those who are snappish, who are never suited, who will throw away something they have asked for and slap the nurse in the face must have Chamomilla.

With Pulsatilla, Chamomilla and Allium cepa you can cure the majority of earaches in children.

Eyes: Further, as to the eye-symptoms that accompany the Allium cepa colds, remember that the discharge from the eye is bland. Although there is burning in the eyes the tears do not excoriate as they flow down over the cheek. Profuse, bland lachrymation. Lachrymation in the evening in a warm room.

Colic: We all know what a flatulent vegetable the onion is. It is a wonderful medicine for babies with colic. Cutting, rending, tearing pains, drawing the poor little thing almost double. It screams with the violent cutting in the lower abdomen.

"Stitching pains in the abdomen."

"Colicky pains beginning in the hepatic region and spreading over the whole abdomen, worse around the navel; worse when sitting."

Wind colic. Allium cepa is a wonderful remedy in whooping cough, and when it is indicated the child will often have indigestion, vomiting and flatulency; will pass offensive flatus, will be doubled up with colic. Allium cepa also cures a ragged, sensitive condition of the anus, with bleeding, in infants.

Voice and larynx: Acute complaints of the voice; catarrhal hoarseness; copious expectoration of mucus from the larynx. Violent inflammation of the larynx coming on very rapidly, with that cough I spoke of, and the tearing in the larynx.

Some will describe it as a sensation as if something were being torn loose. Those who describe more accurately will say that it feels as if a hook were dragging up through the larynx with every cough.

Tickling in the larynx with hoarseness. In the whooping cough there is this same painfulness of the larynx. The child shakes and shudders and you can see that it dreads the cough because of the tearing pain in the larynx.

Cough and difficult breathing from inspiring cold-air, yet a warm draft will so increase the tickling that it is sure to set the patient coughing. So the cough is aggravated both by cold air and a warm room.

Colds sometimes travel down into the bronchial tubes and are attended with fever and rapid pulse. If the tickling in the larynx, the cough from inspiring the cold air, worse in a warm room and in the evening, with tearing pain in the larynx, are present, Allium cepa will cure.

The cough is spasmodic and resembles croup or whooping cough. Cepa has a record for croupy cough.

The old lady binds onion on the throat of the child with croup, and no doubt, out in the back woods, where there are no doctors, it was far better than Old School treatment.

Here is a fairly good description from the Guiding Symptoms:

"Hoarse, harsh, ringing, spasmodic cough, excited by constant tickling in the larynx; cough produces a raw, splitting pain in the larynx, so acute and so severe as to compel the patient to crouch from suffering and to make every effort to suppress the cough."

"Severe, laryngeal cough, which compels the patient to grasp the larynx; feels as if cough would tear it."

The child will reach up to the larynx and clutch it. This is wholly different from the Aconite condition, when the child, after exposure to a dry, cold wind, wakes before midnight with a hoarse, barking cough, and clutches the larynx.

So Aconite cannot be substituted for Allium cepa.

Traumatic neuritis: Another affection over which this remedy has marvellous power is traumatic neuritis, often met with in a stump after amputation. The pains are almost unbearable, rapidly exhausting the strength of the patient.

A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, John Henry Clarke

Cepa. Common Red Onion. N. O. Liliaceae. Tincture of the onion; or of whole fresh plant gathered from July to August.

Clinical.─Anus, fissure of. Ascites. Catarrh. Cold. Coryza. Cough. Diarrhoea. Facial paralysis. Feet, easily galled. Hay-fever. Hernia. Influenza. Laryngitis. Panaritium. Pneumonia. Trauma. Whitlow. Whooping-cough. Yellow fever.

Characteristics.─Allium cepa covers more symptoms of common cold than any other remedy, as the well-known effect of onions in producing tears would suggest. It will cure a large proportion of cases of cold in the head, but the conditions which most particularly indicate it are: Cough, or cold, or headache < in warm room, > in open air, < again on returning to warm room. It causes burning of eyelids, nose, mouth, throat, bladder, skin. Inflammation and increased secretion of mucous membranes: neuralgic pains like a long thread; in face, head, neck, and elsewhere; < evening; towards ear from deep within head. The toothache of Cepa is > by cold air or cold washing. It is suited to traumatic neuritis. Hurts do not heal. The feet are easily galled by walking. It was recommended by Dioscorides as a remedy for this condition, and homoeopathy has confirmed his observation. Desire for raw onions is an indication for it. Thread-like pains are common in various parts and are characteristic of Cepa. Thread-like pains in face. Left-side facial paralysis has been cured by Cepa. The cough of Cepa is caused by tickling in larynx; constant inclination to hack in order to relieve it. It has cured violent catarrhal laryngitis; hoarse cough with feeling as if it would split and tear the larynx, causing watering of eyes. Cough from inhaling cold air. Cepa has yawning and drowsiness. A raw onion eaten just before going to bed is a popular remedy for sleeplessness. Cepa is a left-side medicine primarily. Symptoms go from left to right. Left eye; left facial paralysis; left inguinal ring. Rest <; motion >. < Afternoon and evening; when lying down. Damp cold wind and weather = colds and toothache. But cold water and open air >; warm room < Picking or sucking teeth > toothache. Eyes sensitive to touch.

Relations.─Compare: Al. sat., Alo., Conval., Lil. tig, Scilla (botan.); Antidoted by: Arn. (toothache); Cham. (abdominal pains); Nux v. (coryza recurring in August); Verat. (colic, with despondency); Thuja (offensive breath and diarrhoea after eating onions). Roasted coffee will remove onion breath. Followed by Calc. c. and Silic. in polypus. Incompatible: All. sat., Alo., Scilla. Complementary: Phos., Puls., Sars., Thuj. Compare also: Aco., Chlorum, Ipec.; Lach. (left to right).

Causation.─Effects of exposure to damp cold winds and weather. Colds of spring; hay-fever of August; epidemics of spasmodic cough in autumn. Wet feet. Eating spoiled fish. Injuries. Surgical operations (fine shooting pains after).

SYMPTOMS.

1. Mind.─Very melancholy.─Fears pains will become unbearable.─Often very anxious, with catarrh, dulness of intellect.

2. Head.─Dulness.─Dull headache, with coryza, < in the evening; > in the open air; but < when returning to a warm room.─Pains in temples, most in right; aggravated by winking; extending over forehead, worse on l. side.─Pain in occiput and down the neck.

3. Eyes.─Flow of (mild) tears.─Excessive non-excoriating lachrymation; l. eye worse, with redness of the eyeball; sensitive to light; worse evenings.─Sensation as if eye were hanging by a string or torn.─Itching, biting, burning in the eyes.─Dulness of the eyes, with aversion to light, and coryza.─Letters appear smaller.─Near objects seem distant with yawning.─Swelling around the eyes.

4. Ears.─Earache.─Discharge of pus from the ear.─Hardness of hearing.

5. Nose.─Profuse watery discharge from the nose, with sneezing, acrid burning, excoriating the nose and upper lip.─Fluent coryza, with running of water from the eyes, headache, heat, thirst, cough, trembling of the hands; < in evening and in a room; > in the open air.─Ichor oozing out of nose; second stage of scarlatina.─Bleeding of the nose.─A sort of hay-fever every August, morning coryza, violent sneezing, sensitive to the odour of flowers and skin of peaches.─Nasal polypi.

6. Face.─Paralysis of l. half of face, also in limbs of same side.

9. Throat.─Sensation as of a lump in the throat.─Expectoration of a lumpy mucus through the posterior nares.─Pain in throat extending to the ear.─Bad odour from the mouth and throat.

11. Stomach.─Canine hunger.─Appetite, increased or diminished.─Strong craving for raw onions; cannot take any other nourishment.─Pressure in stomach.─Pain in region of pylorus.─Thirst, with heat and coryza.─Nausea, coming from stomach up the throat into the fauces.─Weak, empty feeling in stomach.─Sour eructations.

12. Abdomen.─Rumbling in bowels.─Very offensive flatus.─Belching, with rumbling in and puffing up of the abdomen.─Violent cutting pain in the left lower abdomen, with frequent desire to micturate, and burning micturition.─Pains in hepatic region, spreading into the abdomen.─Violent pains in l. hypogastrium, with urging to urinate, urine scalding.─(Strangulated hernia has been known to follow the eating abundantly of cooked onions.).─Abdomen distended, rumbling, urging, and finally diarrhoea.

13. Stool and Anus.─Diarrhoea after midnight and in the morning.─Flatus very, offensive.─Haemorrhoids, tearing, jerking pains in anus.─Stitches in the rectum.─Rhagades at the anus.─Itching at the anus (worms).

14. Urinary Organs.─Strangury after wet feet.─Dribbling or spouting of urine in old people.─Frequent and copious urination.─Urine red, with much urging and burning in urethra.─Pressure and other pains in the region of the bladder.─Sensation of weakness in the bladder and urethra.

17. Respiratory Organs.─Oppressed breathing, from pressure in the middle of the chest; worse in the evening.─Cough when inhaling cold air.─Catarrhal hoarseness.─Acute bronchitis going from l. to r.─Tickling in throat, with aching in larynx.─Constant inclination to hack.─Hacking cough from inhaling cold air.─Violent catarrhal laryngitis; the hoarse cough seemed to split and tear the larynx.─Much sneezing; he inflates the lungs, raises himself on his toes, then gives a hearty sneeze.

20. Neck and Back.─Intense pain in nape of neck.─Chilly crawls run down the back, most at night, with frequent urination, followed by heat and thirst.

22. Upper Limbs.─Much pain under r. shoulder-blade.─Sore, tired feeling of the limbs, esp. arms.─Trembling of the r. hand.─Panaritium.─Painful affections of the fingers about the nails, red streaks running up the arm.

23. Lower Limbs.─Soreness; the skin is rubbed off by the shoes, esp. on the heel.─Pain on most external soft part of r. big toe and l. middle finger.

24. Generalities.─Stitches and burnings; aching.─Stitches (head, eyes, ears, rectum, skin).─Burning (eyelids, throat, nose, mouth, bladder, skin).─Bad effects from wet feet.─Phlegmasia alba dolens.─Traumatic neuritis, pains violent and continuous, wearing out patient.─Inflammation and increased secretions of the mucous membranes.─Senile gangrene.─Trismus after injuries.─Weak and tired; has to lie down.─Aching throughout the body.─Neuralgia from old injuries.─Neuralgic pains, like a long thread, in face, head, neck, and elsewhere; < evenings.

25. Skin.─Pricking as from pins.─Redness; nettle-rash, measles, scarlatina, when the complaints are characterised by the characteristic catarrhal symptoms.─Panaritia of lying-in females, red streaks running up arm, very painful.

26. Sleep.─Yawning; with headache and cramp in stomach; with sleepiness near objects seem distant.─Gaping in deep sleep.─Wakes 2 a.m.─Dreams of being near water; of battles, precipices, deep wells; of storms, high waves; annoying in convalescents.

27. Fever.─Pulse full and accelerated.─Heat, with rumbling in the abdomen, coryza, and thirst.─Flitting heat over whole body, and thirst.─Coldness alternates with heat during catarrh.─Sweats easily and copiously.

Keynotes and Characteristics with Comparisons of Some of the Leading Remedies of the Materia Medica (Allen's Keynotes), Henry Clay Allen

Onion (Liliaccae)

Acute catarrhal inflammation of mucous membranes, with increased secretion. Catarrhal dull headache, with coryza; < in the evening, > in open air; < on returning to a warm room (compare, Euph., Puls.). Headache ceases during menses; returns when flow disappears (Lach., Zinc.). Eyes: burning, biting, smarting as from smoke, must rub them; watery and suffused; capillaries injected and excessive lachrymation. Coryza: profuse, watery and acrid nasal discharge, with profuse, bland lachrymation (profuse, full of acrid tears, bland and fluent coryza, Euph.). Acrid, watery discharge dropping from tip of nose (Ars., Ars. iod.). Spring coryza: after damp northeasterly winds; discharge burns and corrodes nose and upper lip. Hay fever; in August every year; violent sneezing on rising from bed; from handling peaches. Nasal polypus (Mar. v., Sang., Sang. nit., Psor.). Catarrhal laryngitis; cough compels patient to grasp the larynx; seems as if cough would tear it. Colic: from cold by getting feet wet; over eating; from cucumbers; salads; haemorrhoidal; of children; <sitting, > moving about. Neuralgic pains like a long thread; in face, head, neck, chest. Traumatic chronic neuritis; neuralgia of stump after amputation; burning and stinging pains. Panaritia: with red streaks up the arm; pains drive to despair; in child-bed. Sore and raw spots on feet, especially heel, from friction. Efficacious when feet are rubbed sore - Dioscorides. Phlebitis, puerperal; after forceps delivery.

Relationship. - Complementary: Phos., Puls., Thuja. Compatible: before Cal. and Sil. in polypus. Similar: to, Euph., but coryza and lachrymation are opposite. Bad effects from getting wet (Rhus).

Aggravation. - Predominantly in the evening and in warm room (Puls. - in open air, Euph.).

Amelioration. - In cold room and open air (Puls.).

Leaders In Homoeopathic Therapeutics, Eugene Beauharnais Nash

Coryza with frequent sneezing and profuse acrid discharge, corroding upper lip and nose. Lachrymation also profuse but bland. (Euph. reverse).

Cold extends to the bronchi, with profuse secretion of mucus; coughing and much rattling (Chelidon).

Modalities < in the evening, and in warm room, > in open air (the coryza).

* * * * *

Anyone who has cut up raw onions for coming knows what is the effect upon the eyes and nose – irritation, which causes violent sneezing and lachrymation. Then, if the homoeopathic law of cure is true, it ought to be a good remedy for coryza, and so it is; but like every other remedy, it cures its own peculiar and characteristic form of the disease.

It has constant and frequent sneezing, with profuse acrid discharge, which burns and corrodes the nose and upper lip, and it is worse in the evening and indoors and better in open air. It has also profuse lachrymation, with burning, biting and smarting of the eyes, but the discharge is bland; that is, it does not make the eyes sore afterwards. There may or may not be headache; if there is it is, like the coryza, worse in warm room or evening and better in open air. I have found it particularly useful in children when the profuse coryza or cold extended downward to the bronchi, with a like profuse secretion in the bronchial tubes, with much coughing and rattling of mucus. Before Cepa came into homoeopathic use we used to give Euphrasia when there was profuse coryza and lachrymation. The difference between the two remedies is, that with Cepa the nasal discharge is acrid and the lachrymal bland, while exactly the reverse is true of Euphrasia. The action of the remedy seems to be primarily in the nose with the one and in the eyes with the other, and thus we must learn to differentiate between all remedies.