Homeopathic Materia Medica

Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica (Kent's New Remedies), James Tyler Kent

Weakness in the reproductive system of the woman. From weakness, she is sterile, or she aborts in the early months of gestation. During parturition, the contractions of the uterus are too feeble to expel the contents, and they are only tormenting. Labor-like pains during menstruation with drawing pains in the thighs and legs, and even the feet and toes. Uterine haemorrhagia from inertia of the uterus. Relaxation of muscles and ligaments. Heaviness, and even prolapsus. Subinvolution. Excoriating leucorrhoea. Menses too soon, or too late. She is sensitive to cold and wants warm clothing, quite unlike Pulsatilla. She is hysterical, like Ignatia. She is fretful and apprehensive. She is rheumatic, like Cimicifuga, only the small joints are likely to be affected. Later she suffers from after pains, and they are felt in the inguinal region. Rheumatic stiffness of the back, and very sensitive spine. She is sleepless, restless, and withal very excitable. This remedy has cured chorea at puberty when menstruation was late.

A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, John Henry Clarke

Caulophyllum thalictroides. Blue Cohosh. Squaw Root. N. O. Berberidaceae. Tincture or trituration of root.

Clinical.─Abortion, threatened. After-pains. Amenorrhoea. Barrenness. Bearing-down pains. Chloasma. Cholera morbus. Dysmenorrhoea. False conception. Feet, affections of. Gonorrhoea. Hands, affections of. Inframammary pain. Labour, abnormal; false pains of. Leucorrhoea. Menstruation, disorders of. Ovarian neuralgia. Pityriasis. Pregnancy, disorders of. Rheumatic gout. Rheumatism. Uterine spasm. Uterine atony.

Characteristics.─Caulophyllum, "the Blue Cohosh," is closely related to Actea racem., "the Black Cohosh," in its action, though belonging to a different family of plants. It acts most markedly on the female generative organs and on rheumatic states. It has only had one proving, that by Dr. Burt, the majority of the indications having been derived from tradition and clinical experience. It has been given with success for chloasma or pityriasis versicolor, curing incidentally dysmenia at the same time. Reflex symptoms having a uterine origin; headache; vomiting; hoarseness; rheumatism; cramps and spasms. No other drug produces uterine spasms so markedly except Secale. Bearing-down pains. Paraplegia from disorders of the uterus. Left ovarian and left inframammary pains. Leucorrhoea in little girls. The pains are intermittent and paroxysmal, and fly about from place to place; generally < at night. Great nervous excitement; tremulous weakness over whole body. Can scarcely speak. Sleepless, restless, nervous; recalling the effects of coffee, which is incompatible with it. In rheumatic affections the special sphere of Caulo. is the small joints and muscles. Its action on the muscular tissue of the uterus (whether gravid or not) is to cause intermittent spasms or contractions (differing from the continuous contractions of Secale). Its special sphere in labour is: (1) when pains do not come regularly; (2) when they disappear from exhaustion; and (3) when they are too painful. Nash prescribed Caul. 3 for a lady of forty, seven months pregnant, who was attacked with severe pain and swelling of all the finger-joints; wrapping them in mustard was the only thing that relieved her sufficiently to allow her to get sleep. Caul. relieved the finger pains, but caused such severe labour-like pains that it had to be discontinued for fear of causing miscarriage. The bearing-down then ceased, and the finger pains returned and continued till delivery, when they ceased for a few days. Then the lochia increased to a flooding─passive, dark, liquid; with great weakness and internal trembling (not visible externally); and now the terrible finger pains returned. Afraid to give Caulo., other remedies were tried, but in vain. At last Nash gave Caulo. 200, which rapidly cleared up the whole case. Nash regards "internal trembling" as a strong characteristic when associated with the weakness; he has cured long-continued passive haemorrhage associated with these symptoms.

Relations.─Compare: Gels. in dysmenia (it is like Gels., and follows it well); Puls. in labour-pains, but the mental condition is opposite; Act. r.; Bell. in intermittent and paroxysmal pains; Calc. (Leucorrhoea in little girls); Lil. t., Lach., Sul., Ustil., and Vib. o. in left ovarian and inframammary pains; Mag. mur. in uterine spasms; Bry. in rheumatism; Secale, Sep., Gossyp.

SYMPTOMS.

1. Mind.─Fretful; irritable; apprehensive.

2. Head.─Headache; from uterine or spinal troubles; over l. eye; pressure behind eye; severe by spells; < stooping; from light; from noon till night.

6. Face.─"Moth spots" on forehead; with leucorrhoea.

11. Stomach.─Frequent gulping of sour, bitter fluid with vertigo; spasmodic vomiting.─Spasms of stomach from uterine irritations.

13. Stool.─Stool, soft white.─Watery stools, great quantity, runs a perfect stream from bowels, but no pain; 1 a.m.

15. Male Sexual Organs.─Every few minutes sharp, stinging pains in glans penis.

16. Female Sexual Organs.─Tension and fulness in hypogastrium; sensation as if uterus congested.─Spasmodic pains in uterus.─Painful menstruation; spasmodic, intermittent pains in bladder, stomach, groins, even chest and limbs; congestion and irritability of uterus; scanty flow.─Before menses: pain in small of back; great aching and soreness of lower limbs; bad breath; bitter taste; vertigo; chilliness; flow very scanty; blood very light; with intense nausea and vomiting of yellow bitter matter; pain unremitting for several hours; habitual cold feet became warm under the remedy.─Amenorrhoea, spasms, cramps or great atony.─Hysteric convulsions during dysmenorrhoea.─Leucorrhoea sharp, acrid, very weakening; with heavy eyelids; of profuse bland mucus; in little girls; with forcing-down pains; with sterility.─Threatened abortion; spasmodic bearing-down; severe pain in back and loins, but uterine contractions feeble.─Habitual abortion from uterine atony.─Spasmodic rigidity of os; pain like pricking needles in cervix.─Labour-pains short, irregular, spasmodic, patient very weak and irritable.─Weak labour-pains passing off with a shiver.─After-pains.─False conception.─Haemorrhage.

17. Respiratory Organs.─Hoarseness and loss of voice.─Panting breathing.

20, 21. Neck, Back, and Limbs.─Rheumatic stiffness of nape.─Severe drawing insterno-cleido-mastoid drawing head to left.─Dull pains in lumbar region.─Rheumatic, drawing, flying pains in limbs; in hands; thighs, knees, ankles, feet and toes.─Severe drawing pain in wrists and fingers.─Cutting in joints when closing hands.─Fingers very stiff.─Joints crack walking or turning.─Paraplegia.

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

Blue Cohosh (Berberidaceae)

Especially suited to women; ailments during pregnancy, parturition, lactation. Rheumatism of women, especially of small joints (Act. s.); errative pains changing place every few minutes (Puls.); painful stiffness of affected joints. Pains are intermittent, paroxysmal, spasmodic. Chorea, hysteria or epilepsy at puberty, during establishment of menstrual function (Actaea). Leucorrhoea: acrid, exhausting; upper eyelids heavy, has to raise them with fingers (Gels.); with "moth spots" on forehead (Sep.); in little girls (Calc.); preventing pregnancy. Habitual abortion from uterine debility (Alet. - from anaemia with profound melancholy, Helon.); Spasmodic rigid os, delays labor; needle-like pricking pains in cervix. Labor pains short, irregular, spasmodic; tormenting, useless pains in beginning of labor (Act.); no progress made. Will correct deranged vitality and produce efficient pains, if the symptoms agree. Haemorrhage, after hasty labor; want of tonicity; passive, after abortion (Sec., Thlaspi). After pains: after long exhausting labor; spasmodic, across lower abdomen; extend into groins (in the shins, Carbo v., Coc.). Lochia protracted; great atony; passive, oozing for days from relaxed vessels (Sec.).

Relations. - Simiar: to, Act., Bell., Lil., Puls., Sec., Thlas., Vib. Similar: to, labor pains of Puls., but mental condition opposite. Similar: to, Sep., "moth patches" and reflex symptoms from uterine irregularities.

Leaders In Homoeopathic Therapeutics, Eugene Beauharnais Nash

Is another very valuable "woman remedy", because of its specific action upon the uterus. It deserves a thorough reproving. I cannot better show its virtues than by reporting a case.

A married lady, aged 40, with wry neck of long standing, was seven months' pregnant. She was attacked with severe pains and swelling of all the finger joints. The only way she could get relief from the intense pain so that she could rest or sleep at all was by enveloping her fingers in mustard. I prescribed Caulophyllum 3d, which relieved the finger pains, but brought on such severe labor pains that I was obliged to discontinue it for fear of premature labor. Then the bearing-down pains ceased, and the finger pains returned and continued in full force until she was delivered of her child, when they also ceased for two or three days. Then the lochia, instead of decreasing, gradually or normally, increased until it amounted to a metrorrhagia. The flow was of a passive nature, dark and liquid. There was great sense of weakness and internal trembling (not visible externally) and now, to crown her suffering, the terrible finger pains returned again. I was afraid of the Caulophyllum, although it seemed indicated, because it brought on the bearing-down pains when I gave it before. But after giving Arnica, Sabina, Secale and Sulphur without the least improvement, I concluded to try Caulophyllum high. I did so in the 200th potency and cured the whole case promptly and permanently. Now this was a perfect Caulophyllum case, and if I had given it properly in the first place I have no doubt I would have saved that woman all unnecessary suffering.

I have given this remedy in long continued passive haemorrhage from the uterus after miscarriage when I had the characteristic weakness and sense of internal trembling present. It has often regulated irregular spasmodic labor pains, and has also often relieved pains of the same character in dysmenorrhoea. I repeat, this remedy deserves a careful reproving.