Homeopathic Materia Medica

Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica, James Tyler Kent

We will study the general system and The mind as usual. Cocculus slows down all the activities of the body and mind, producing a sort of paralytic weakness. Behind time in all its actions.

Slowly: All the nervous impressions are slow in reaching the centres. If you pinch this patient on the great toe he wants a minute and then says "oh," instead of doing it at once. In response to questions he answers slowly, after apparent meditation, but it is an effort to meditate.

And so with all nervous manifestations, thought, muscular activity, etc. He cannot endure any muscular exertion, because he is weak; he is tired. First comes this slowness, then a sort of visible paralytic condition, and then complete paralysis. This may be local or general. There are certain causes which produce these effects. A wife nursing her husband, a daughter nursing her father, becomes worn out by the anxiety, worry and loss of sleep.

She is exhausted; unable to sustain any mental or physical effort; weak in the knees, weak in the back, and when the times comes for her to sleep she cannot sleep. Sickness brought about in this manner is analogous to that caused by the Cocculus poison, and hence Cocculus from the time of Hahnemann to the present time has been a remedy for complaints from nursing, not exactly complaints that come on in the professional nurse, for Cocculus needs the combination of vexation, anxiety and prolonged loss of sleep, such as you have in the mother or daughter who is nursing, or the nurse when she takes on the anxiety felt by a member of the family; a wife nursing her husband through typhoid, or other long spell of sickness.

At the end of it she is prostrated in body and mind, she cannot sleep, she has congestive headaches, nausea, vomiting and vertigo. That shows how a Cocculus case begins. One who is thus exhausted in body and mind goes out for a ride. She gets sick headache, pain in the back, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. She gets into the car to take a journey. Sick headache comes on. She goes on a mile or two and will have nausea, vomiting and sick headache. She feels weak all over, feels as if she would sink away.

The Cocculus patient gets into a wagon to ride, sick headache, nausea, vertigo come on. The Cocculus patient cannot endure motion. Aggravated by talking, by motion, by the motion of the eyes, by riding. Wants plenty of time to turn the head cautiously to see things. Wants plenty of time to move, to think, to do everything. The whole economy is slowed down, inactive.

Tremulous, tired, excitable. The hands tremble when taking hold of anything, or he takes hold of awkwardly and drops it. Incoordination runs through this remedy, and hence it has been used with good effect in locomotor ataxia. It has staggering and numbness. Numbness is quite a feature of this remedy. Numbness of the lower extremities, in the fingers, in the shoulder, of the side of the face. Complaints from anxiety.

Mind: Extreme irritability of the nervous system. The least noise or jar is unbearable. You have heard that Bell. is worse from a jar. So is Cocculus, and quite like Bell. Cocculus is also like Belladonna in its sleeplessness, and other general conditions.

This sensation of seasickness and dizziness is sometimes felt all over the body; a sort of faint feeling which is followed sometimes by loss of consciousness, or a paralytic rigidity.

Joints: Stiffness of the joints is a common feature in Cocculus. It belongs to the limbs in general. But it is such a strong symptom I will mention it here. Limbs straightened out and held there for a while are painful when flexed. Persons who have been suffering from anxiety, prostrated, will lie on the back, straighten out the limbs, and get up only with great difficulty.

The doctor comes and he discovers what is the matter. He bends the limbs and she screams, but she is relieved after the bending, and then she can get up and move about.

You cannot find that anywhere else. It is entirely without inflammation. It is a sort of a paralytic stiffness, a paralysis of the tired body and mind. The Cocculus headaches and backaches, pains and distress are present.

A man will stretch out his leg on a chair and be cannot flex it until he reaches down with his hands to assist. Such things are strange. Faintness on moving the body, fainting from pain in the bowels, from colic. With all this slowing down of the thoughts and activities the patient remains extremely sensitive to suffering, sensitive to pain.

Spasms through the body Iike electric shocks, convulsions after loss of sleep. This patient goes on with nervousness and excitement, anxiety and loss of sleep until convulsions supervene. Tetanus. Cholera, attacks of paralytic weakness with pain, paralysis of the face, of the eyes, paralysis of the muscles everywhere, paralysis of the limbs. Even diphtheria has been known to induce a state very much like I have described as due to loss of sleep and anxiety.

I remember a case of paralysis of the lower extremities that was prescribed for by a very careful homeopathic physician many years ago. It was one of the things that surprised me in the early days of my prescribing and observation.

It was the case of a little girl with paralysis of lower extremities after diphtheria and no hope was given. But Doctor Moore (he was then an Octogenarian) looked over the case. I was acquainted with the family and with the doctor.

He studied the case carefully and gave Cocculus c.m. It was not many days before the child began to move the legs, and the condition was perfectly cleared up, and I have never ceased to wonder at it. It was a good prescription perfectly in accord with all the elements of the case.

Doctor Moore was one of the pupils of Lippe and Hering.

You can hardly see what is coming when the mental activities are slowed down, from anxiety, and loss of sleep, such as we have in nursing. The mind appears like approaching imbecility, and as you look upon the true Cocculus case you wonder if that patient has not been growing insane for a year or two, because the mind seems almost a blank. He looks into space and slowly turning the eyes toward the questioner answers with difficulty. It occurs in nervous prostration, in typhoid fever. It is so nearly like Phos. acid., that the two remedies must be carefully individualized. Time passes quickly.

He cannot realize that it has been a whole night. A week has gone by, and it seems but a moment, he is so dazed. Slowness of comprehension; cannot find the right word to express his thoughts, so slowly does his mind work; what has passed he cannot remember; forgets what he has just read; cannot talk; cannot bear the least noise; cannot bear the least contraction.

The tongue will not respond. There is confusion of mind and difficulty of articulation. An idea comes into his mind and becomes fixed. He cannot convert it or move it, but it just stays there, and if he speaks he will say something that will cause you to realize that that same idea is holding on to him. So he appears to be in a state of imbecility.

Vertigo: Mental derangement with vertigo. With most all the mental symptoms there is vertigo. He lies in a state of apparent unconsciousness, yet knows all that is going on and at times is even able to remember and describe what was going on, but does not even wink; does not move a muscle.

There is an appearance of ecstacy, a smile upon the face. Knows what is going on, yet with complete relaxation of the muscles without speech or apparent recognition of anyone. Perfectly relaxed, and yet knowing what is going on. That resembles catatonia. Unable to think.

Fears death. Feels as if some awful thing was about to happen. All this is the result of grief, anxiety, vexation, prolonged loss of sleep.

The vertigo is visually attended with nausea. A Cocculus case cannot look out of the car window, cannot look down from the boat and see water moving, without nausea immediately.

Perhaps you can even now surmise what the head symptoms are to be. With the headaches comes dizziness, extreme nausea and gastric symptoms.

Headaches brought on from riding in a wagon or riding in the cars or on shipboard; headache from motion. Cannot accommodate the eyes to moving objects; dizziness and whirling and headache.

Congestion of the head, pressing, throbbing headache. Headache as if the skull would burst, or like a great valve opening and shutting. Sick headache with vertigo. Headache again from working in the sun. Sick headache from riding in a carriage.

Eyes: Dim sightedness and disturbance of vision. Paralytic weakness of the muscles of the eyes, as well as the muscles of accommodation. The face becomes pale and sickly. Pale as death, with pains in the face, vertigo and nausea.

Tearing pains in the face. Neuralgia of the face.

Face bloated. Quivering and twitching of the muscles of the face. Paralysis of the muscles of the face. Numbness of the face. Twitching, jerking, numbness, paralysis, tearing pains.

Prostration and nervous exhaustion accompany most of the complaints of Cocculus.

Stomach symptoms. Loathing of food. Metallic taste in the mouth. Bitter taste in the mouth. Sour, nauseous taste in the mouth, and no food tempts him. He lies there sick with a little fever or a "cold."

Headache, vertigo, nausea, loathing. Intermittent fevers with pains in the limbs, especially in the knees and bones of the legs, with that peculiar stiffness, nausea, and loathing of food. In intermittent fever or perhaps a low typhoid state, we have this loathing of food with nausea.

You go to the bedside and you ask the nurse,

"What have you been feeding the patient?" and the patient gags. The thought of food makes the patient gag.

The nurse will say that every time she mentions food the patient gags. The thought of food or the smell of food in the other room, or in the kitchen, will nauseate the patient. Two medicines have this: Cocculus and Colchicum.

Paralysis: Paralytic conditions. Paralysis of the oesophagus. Cannot swallow.

"Paralytic condition of the throat after diphtheria."

Sore throat with low forms of fever. The fever is gone but the patient does not rally, there is much nervous trembling, numbness, twitching of muscles and great weakness. Sensation as though a worm were crawling in the stomach.

Spasms of the stomach. Violent attacks of gastralgia, violent cramp of the stomach. Griping, pinching, constrictive pain. The pain in the bowels feels as if the intestines were pinched between sharp. stones.

This causes fainting and vomiting. Colicky pains in the bowels great distension of the abdomen, such as is found in typhoid fever tension of the abdomen after drinking; flatulent colic.

Tearing, cutting, spasmodic pains in the bowels. Radiating pains in the bowels accompanying diarrhea. A paralytic condition of the rectum. Inability to press at stool. Urging to stool and burning in rectum. Disposition to stool, but peristaltic motion in upper intestines is wanting.

Women: Copious menstrual flow, menses too soon; last too long. Catamenia two weeks before the time. In women prostrated from grief and from anxiety, and from prolonged loss of sleep, menses come too soon, are copious and prolonged.

Headache, vertigo, nausea. Violent, cramping pains in the bowels, clutching pains in the uterus during menstruation. Again, just such a patient as described will have a suppression of the menstrual flow, or for weeks and months will have no menstrual flow; or just at the time the menstrual period should come on there is a copious leucorrhea that takes the place of the menses.

The woman is emaciated, and grows more and more sickly and chlorotic. The face is of greenish, yellow, sallow hue.

"Leucorrhea in place of the menses," or

"copious leucorrhea between the menstrual periods."

The heart is weak, pulse feeble. Paralytic weakness in the limbs, numbness, jerking of the muscles, twitching, quivering, loss of sensation, loss of power, muscular weakness in all the limbs. Numbness and paralytic feeling in the limbs.

Awkwardness of the fingers and hands. On attempting to grasp the one band with the other there is migratory numbness, or a more permanent numbness associated with paralytic weakness, sometimes changeable; sometimes one side is numb and the other paralyzed.

The soles of the feet go to sleep. Numbness of the soles of the feet, such as we have in locomotor ataxia; cold feet. The knees give way from weakness. Totters while walking and threatens to fall to one side. Knees stiff. Paralysis of the lower extremities, proceeding from the small of the back. Arising from cold, from the abuse of Mercury.

Paralysis of the lower limbs, with stiffness, numbness and bruised feeling.

Sleeplessness from long nursing and from night watching; that is a symptom that I have called your attention to so often. Anxious, frightful dreams; ill effects from loss of sleep and night watching.

"Slightest loss of sleep tells on him."

A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, John Henry Clarke

Cocculus Indicus. N. O. Menispermaceae. A tincture is prepared from the powdered seeds, which contain a crystallisable principle Picrotoxine (which see), a powerful poison.

Clinical.─Anger, effects of. Bones, affections of. Cerebro-spinal meningitis. Chorea. Colic. Convulsions. Debility. Faintness. Fear, effects of. Haemorrhoids. Headache. Hernia. Intermittent fever. Knee, weakness of; cracking in. Memory, weak. Mental excitement, effects of. Menstrual headache. Menstruation, painful. Overstrain, bodily or mental. Palpitation. Paralysis. Parotitis. Phthiriasis. Rheumatism. Riding in carriage, effects of. Sea-sickness. Sleep, affections from loss of. Somnolence. Spasms. Spinal irritation. Tympany. Vertigo. Vomiting.

Characteristics.─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.

Relations.─Antidoted by: Camph., Cham., Cupr., Ign., Nux v., Staph. It antidotes: Alcohol, Tobacco, Cham., Cup., Ign., Nux v., and the fever of Thuj. Incompatible with: Caust., Coffee. Compatible: Follows well Aco. (endocarditis with fearfulness); Cham., Nux, Ign. Compare: Aco., Act. r.; Ant. c. (gastralgia), Agar. (somnolency), Ant. t., Ars., Bell., Calc., Carb. v. (parotitis), Cham., Coff., Cupr., Ign. (headache), Ip., Iod., Lach., Merc., Mosch., Nitr., Nux mos. (somnolency), Oleand., Petr., Puls. (headache), Rhus, Sabi., Sassafras, Scutel., Silic., Stram., Tab., Val., Ver. In effects from noise, Nux, Nit. ac. Sense of lightness, Asar., Can. ind., Calc., Gels., Sticta, Sil., Thuj.; menstrual sick headache, Lac. def.; fear of ghosts, Aco., Ars., Bro., Carb. v., Lyc., Pho., Pul., Sul., Zn. Umbilical hernia, Nux (without urging, Bry., Nat. mur., Ver.); < from kneeling, Mag. c., Sep.; nausea constant, Ip., Kali c., Sul., Ign., Acet. ac.; uterine spasm, dysmenia, dark flow, Ign. (Coccul. is distinguished by having weak, lame feeling in small of back; as if about to be paralysed; trembles on beginning to walk); weak from talking, Ver., Sul., Calc.; functional paralysis from fatigue or mental emotions, Ign., Pho., Nat. m., Collins.; in occipital headache, Gels., jug. c. Weakness of neck muscles, Ant. t.; > putting head back, Seneg. (<, Clem., Cinnab.). Compare also: Picrotoxin and Picric acid in paralytic sensations and effects of fatigue. Teste places Coccul. in his Causticum group.

Causation.─Anger. Fright. Noise. Sleep, loss of. Seasickness. Travelling. Over-strain, mental or bodily. Sun. Tea-drinking.

SYMPTOMS.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Ears.─Buzzing in the ears, with hardness of hearing, and sensation as if the ears were stopped; with noise as from rushing water.─The r. ear feels closed.─Swelling of the parotids.

5. Nose.─Swelling of the nose, sometimes semi-lateral (r.).─Coryza, with ulcerated nostrils.─Very acute sense of smell.

6. Face.─Face of a burning red, puffed and hot.─Transient heat in the cheeks.─Flushes of heat in the face after drinking.─Blue circles round the eyes.─Face convulsively contracted.─Cramps in the cheek-bone and in the masseters.─Swelling and induration of the sub-maxillary glands.

7. Teeth.─Pains in carious teeth, but only when eating.─Looseness of the teeth, with swelling of the gums.

8. Mouth.─Dryness of the mouth (in the night), without thirst.─Foam before the mouth, forming bubbles.─Tongue loaded with a yellow coating.

9. Throat.─Difficulty of speech, as from paralysis of the tongue.─Dryness of the throat.─Excessive sensitiveness of the palate; the food seems to be too strong, or too salt.─Constriction in the gullet, which seems to be paralysed.─Burning pain in the oesophagus, and in the throat, with sulphurous taste in the mouth.

10. Appetite.─Metallic, copperish taste.─Acid taste, esp. after a meal, or when coughing.─Acid taste of bread.─Bitter taste of tobacco.─Desire for cold drinks, and esp. for beer.─Thirst during a meal.─Excessive loathing of all food and drink.─Repugnance to all acids.─Bulimy.

11. 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.

12. Abdomen.─Pain in the hypochondria as from a bruise.─Pressive pain in the hepatic region, aggravated by coughing or stooping.─Shootings in the hepatic region.─Abdominal pains, as if the intestines were bruised, or as from an internal abscess, when moving.─Pressure, as from a stone, in the umbilical region, and in the abdomen.─Sensation in the abdomen, as if it were hollow and empty.─Inflation of the abdomen.─Contractive pinchings in the upper part of the abdomen, with suspension of respiration.─Burning pains, pullings and tearings in the abdomen.─Cramp-like pains in the abdomen.─Hysterical spasms in the abdomen, in women.─Flatulent, cramp. like colic, esp. at night, aggravated by coughing, or by stooping forwards.─Tendency to protrusion of inguinal hernia.

13. Stool and Anus.─Constipation, with tenesmus.─Evacuation hard and difficult.─Ineffectual desire for stool, with constipation.─Contractive pain in the rectum, preventing sitting (in the afternoon).─Diarrhoea, with emission of flatulency before the stool.─Loose evacuation of a putrid smell.─Faeces soft and yellow, which cause burning in the anus.

14. Urinary Organs.─Aqueous urine with urgent inclination.─Frequent want to make water, even in pregnant women.─Frequent desire to urinate, with small discharges.

15. Male Sexual Organs.─Itching in the scrotum.─Pulling pains as from a bruise in the testes, on their being touched.─Great sensibility and excitability of the genital parts, with desire for coition.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. Chest.─Suspension of respiration, which stops in the pit of the throat, as if from constriction of the throat.─Tightness and constriction of r. side of chest.─Stitches in the chest (sternum) when walking.─Short, intermittent respiration.─Pressure on the chest, as if from a stone.─Hysterical spasms in chest.─Cramps in chest, with sighs and groans.─Tensive constriction in the chest, sometimes on one side only, with difficulty of respiration.─Gurgling and sensation of emptiness in the chest.─Fatigue of the chest, from reading aloud.─Congestion in the chest, with anxiety.─Red spots on the chest.

19. Heart.─Palpitation of the heart; nervous, with anxiety.

20. 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.

22. Upper Limbs.─Lancinations in the shoulder-joint, and in the arm, during repose.─Lancinating pains in the arm, proceeding from a wounded finger.─Convulsions of the arm, with retraction of the thumbs.─Paralysis of the arms.─Palpitation of the muscles of the arm.─Pain, as from a bruise, in the bones of the arm, during movement (when lifting them up, and when touching them).─Lameness of the arm (cannot write).─Hot and arthritic swelling of the hands.─Numbness, or heat and cold alternately, of one or other of the hands.─Tingling of hands and paralytic trembling.─Torpor of the hands.─Cramp-like contractions, and starting of the fingers.

23. 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.

24. Generalities.─Pullings and paralytic tearings, by fits, or continuous, in the limbs and in the bones.─Paralytic immobility of the limbs, with drawing pains in the bones.─Convulsive movements of the muscles in different parts.─Aching, digging pains in the limbs.─Pains, as from a bruise, even in the internal organs.─Sensations of hollowness; as if bruised in outer parts; same in bones; numb feeling of outer parts; sensation as if single parts had gone to sleep.─Affections of the r. hypochondrium (particularly of the liver); inner hypogastrium, inner forehead, back, upper arm, bones of the arm.─Aversion to open air; hysterics; paleness of the skin, red spots; shuddering in general.─Sensation of hollowness or of constriction in the internal organs.─Painful sensibility of the limbs to the slightest touch.─Painful stiffness and crackings in the joints.─Semi-lateral sufferings.─Rheumatic pains, with hot swelling of the parts affected.─Attacks of gout, with swelling of the affected parts.─Shooting pains in lymphatic swelling.─Engorgement and induration of the glands.─Haemorrhage.─Cramps and convulsions of the limbs, and of the whole body, sometimes induced by ulcers, or by wounds, painfully sensitive to the touch, or on using the parts affected.─Convulsive movements of the limbs and of the muscles, as in St. Vitus' dance.─During the convulsive fits, face red, puffed, and hot.─Trembling of the limbs.─Attacks of epilepsy.─Paralysis, chiefly semi-lateral, with insensibility of the parts affected.─Aggravation of the sufferings by sleep, speech, drinking, and eating, but esp. on taking coffee or smoking tobacco, as well as by cold air.─Hysterical spasms, with anguish.─Weakness and loss of strength, after the least bodily fatigue, movement, or the interruption of sleep.─Want of vital energy.─Fainting fits.─Numbness, sometimes of the hands, sometimes of the feet, in transient fits.─The open air is insupportable, whether it be warm or cold.─Emaciation.

25. 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.

26. 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, etc.─Fear of ghosts at night.─Sleep unrefreshing, with frequent waking.

27. 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.

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

Cocculus Indicus (Menispermaccae)

For women and children with light hair and eyes, who suffer severely during menstruation and pregnancy; unmarried and childless women. Adapted to book-worms; sensitive, romantic girls with irregular menstruation; rakes, onanists and persons debilitated by sexual excesses. Nausea or vomiting from riding in carriage, boat or railroad car (Arn., Nux m.), or even looking at at a boat in motion; sea- sickness; car-sickness. Headache: in nape and occiput; extending to the spine; as if tightly bound by a cord; with nausea, as if at sea; at each menstrual period; < lying on back of head. Sick-headache from carriage, boat or train riding. Diseases peculiar to drunkards. Loss of appetite, with metallic taste (Mer.). Time passes too quickly (too slowly, Arg. n., Can. I.). Great lassitude of the whole body; it requires exertion to stand firmly; feels too weak to talk loudly. Bad effects: from loss of sleep, mental excitement and nigh watching; feel weak if they lose but one hour's sleep; convulsions after loss of sleep; of anger and grief. Trembling of arms and legs; from excitement, exertion or pain. Vertigo, as if intoxicated upon rising in bed; or by motion of the carriage (Bry.). Sensation: in abdomen of cutting and rubbing on every movement, as of sharp stones; of hollowness in head and other parts (Ign.). During the effort to menstruate she is so weak she is scarcely able to stand from weakness of lower limbs (Alum., Carbo an.); after each period haemorrhoids. Leucorrhoea in place of menses, or between periods (Iod., Xan.); like the washings of meat; like serum, ichorous, bloody; during pregnancy. Cannot bear contradiction; easily offended; every trifle makes him angry; speaks hastily (Anac.). When fever assumes a slow, "sneaking," nervous form, with vertigo; with disposition to anger.

Relations. - Compare: Ign., Nux, in chorea and paralytic symptoms; Ant. t. in sweat of affected parts. Has cured umbilical hernia with obstinate constipation after Nux failed.

Aggravation. - Eating, drinking, sleeping, smoking, talking, carriage riding, motion or swing of ship; rising up during pregnancy.

Leaders In Homoeopathic Therapeutics, Eugene Beauharnais Nash

Weakness of cervical muscles, can hardly hold the head up.

Weakness in small of back as if paralyzed; gives out when walking; can hardly stand, walk or talk.

Hands and feet get numb; asleep.

Headache with nausea and vomiting; gets faint and sick on rising up or riding in carriage or boat.

General sensation of weakness; or weak, hollow, gone feeling in head, stomach, abdomen, etc.; < by loss of sleep or night watching.

Great distention with flatulent colic, wind or menstrual colic; crampy pains, inclined to hernia.

Modalities: < sitting up, moving, riding in carriage or boat, smoking, talking, eating, drinking, night watching; > when lying quiet.

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Farrington says: "Cocculus acts on the cerebro-spinal system, producing great debility of these organs. * * * It causes a paralytic weakness of the spine, and especially of its motor nerves; thus we find it a certain and frequent remedy in paralysis originating in disease of the spinal cord. * * * It is especially indicated in the beginning of the trouble, when the lumbar region of the spine is affected; there is weakness in the small of the back as if paralyzed; the small of the back gives out when walking. There is weakness of the legs, and by the legs I mean the entire lower extremities; the knees give out when walking, the soles of the feet feel as if they were asleep, the thighs ache as if they were pounded; first one hand goes to sleep, then the other; sometimes the whole arm goes to sleep and the hand feels as if swollen. These symptoms lie at the foundation of the symptomatology of the whole drug; they all seem to depend upon spinal weakness." Dunham says: "Its sphere of action is preeminently the system of animal life; the voluntary muscular system first, and then the sensorium are the primary seats of action. Nausea extending to the point of vomiting and accompanied by faintness and by severe vertigo when lifting the head is a characteristic symptom." Hughes says: "It influences the voluntary muscles rather than the intellectual powers; with this Hahnemann's provings entirely agree." Pareira says: "It acts rather on the voluntary muscles than the intellectual powers." We have given these quotations from different authors in order to find whether they afforded us much help from a practical standpoint. Dr. Hughes says the provings of Hahnemann corroborate these generalizations. We quote from the provings:

"Weakness of the cervical muscles with heaviness of the head, muscles seem unable to support the head." (Calc. phos, Verat. alb.). "Paralytic pain in the small of the back, with spasmodic drawing across the hips, which prevents walking." "His knees sink down from weakness, he totters while walking and threatens to fall to one side."

"At one time his feet are asleep, at another the hands." "The hand trembles while eating, and the more the higher it is raised." "Now one hand, now the other, seems insensible and asleep." The soles of the feet go to sleep, while sitting." "General attacks of paralytic weakness, with pain in the back."

All these are verified symptoms from Allen's Encyclopaedia of Pure Materia Medica. They are in the simplest terms, and while they do agree with the statements of the above quoted learned men, acting upon the spine and motor muscles, could be applied to the cure of the sick according to the directions of Hahnemann by any layman of ordinary intelligence. Thus is the practice of curative medicine simplified, being delivered from speculative theorizings of dreamers, and if it will cure the sick in the case of a Cocculus patient, it will by the same unerring law of "symptom covering" do it in every curable case.

We might sum up the whole action of this remedy upon the nervous system in one word, viz., prostration, but what does that amount to for purposes of prescribing. Many remedies prostrate fearfully, but each one has its peculiar kind of prostration, and when men, like I heard a celebrated surgeon in a homoeopathic college do, make their boast that they prescribed on physiological ground, without any regard to symptomatology, I can but feel that such know little or nothing of the art of homoeopathic prescribing, no matter what their other attainments. According to Hahnemann's teachings symptomatology leads in scientific prescribing, no matter what the pathological condition.

Aside from the symptoms which attend the general prostration and spinal trouble, or coupled with them, we have the following which are characteristic. "Confusion or stupefaction of the head, increased by eating and drinking." "Vertigo, as if intoxicated and confusion of the mind." "Whirling vertigo on rising up in bed; which compelled him to lie down again." "Sick headache with nausea and inclination to vomit." "All these symptoms are made particularly worse by riding in carriage or boat." Sea-sickness. (Sea-sickness > on deck in fresh cold air.) (Tabac.). The headaches and vertigo of Cocculus are different from Bryonia, notwithstanding the fact that both are made worse by rising up in bed. In Bryonia and some other remedies the sickness at the stomach precedes the headache which in Cocculus is exactly the reverse. Painful sensation of weakness or emptiness in the head is found under Cocculus and is in keeping with the general weakness. This sensation of emptiness, which is another name for weakness, is a general characteristic of Cocculus, and is found in head, abdomen, bowels, chest, heart, stomach; in short, in all internal parts. The nausea of Cocculus, which is so constant a symptom of the headaches, is something like that which is so characteristic of Colchicum, viz.: "Extreme aversion to food, caused even by the smell of food, although with hunger." With Colchicum there is more pronounced nausea, as well as aversion. The patient is nauseated even to faintness. There is with Cocculus a metallic taste in the mouth.

The sensorium comes under the same profound depression that invades the general nervous system. The patient is sad, absorbed within himself, brooding, moody, silent, sits in a corner buried in sad thoughts, etc. This is particularly the case in nervous fevers. Depression, depression, depression. Cocculus has some very important symptoms in the abdominal and uterine regions.

One is great distention of the abdomen. This is found in both flatulent colic and dysmenorrhoea. In flatulent colic, for which it is so valuable a remedy, the patient complains of a sensation as if the abdomen were full of sharp sticks or stones. The attacks are often at mid-night. The flatus seems here and there, and passage of it does not seem to relieve much, for new forms again take its place.

Then again there seems to be great pressure in the inguinal region as if hernia would occur. In dysmenorrhoea, in addition to the distention, there are griping, cramping pains, which are very severe, and also a remarkable degree of weakness. She is so weak that she can hardly stand, walk or talk. This is very characteristic and, so far as weakness goes, resembles Carbo animalis, but in Cocculus it is in line with the general prostration of the remedy, while in Carbo animalis the flow weakens her. In Cocculus the flow may not be at all excessive, but on the contrary may grow less and less and a leucorrhoea appear in its stead, or even between the menses also. This is the way we have to differentiate between remedies if we are successful in practice.

Now, if I were to give the four great characteristic symptoms of this remedy they would be these:

1. Weakness of cervical muscles, with heaviness of head.

2. Affections caused or < by riding in cars, carriage or boat.

3. Sensation of weakness, or hollowness in various organs.

4. Ill effects from loss of sleep, night-watching or over-work. (Causticum Cuprum met., Ignatia, Nitric acid.).