Chelidonium majus, Greater Celandine. *N. O. Papaveraceae. Tincture of entire fresh plant, at time of flowering.
Clinical
*Antrum of Highmore, inflammation of. Cancer. *Chest. affections of. Chorea. Constipation. Cough. Diarrhoea. Dyspepsia. Gall- stones. Gonorrhoea. haemoptysis. Haemorrhoids. *Headache. Influenza. Jaundice. Lachrymal fistula. Laryngismus. *Liver, affections of. Nephritis. *Neuralgia. *Nose-bleed. *Pleurodynia. Pneumonia. Rheumatism. Scald-head. *Stiff-neck. *Taste, altered. Tumors. Warts. Whooping-cough. Yawning.
Characteristics
*Chelidonium is a poppy and therefore allied to *Opium and *Sanguinaria, with both of which it has many features in common. But its closest analogue is *Lycopodium, with which it holds a complementary relation. I have often cured with *Chelidonium when *Lycopodium was apparently indicated and failed to act well. The juice of *Chelidonium causes vesication when applied to the skin. An extract injected locally in cancer cases has gained a reputation in the old school. The juice is yellow, resembling bile. Probably on the “signature” of the bile-like juice it was recommended as a remedy in jaundice by Galen and Dioscorides. Given on the broad ground of organ-homoeopathy, in material or semi-material doses, it has achieved notable results in cases of liver disease. But it has also fine indications. The chief “keynote” for its employment is a continued, bruised, aching pain at the inferior angle of the right scapula. *Chelidonium acts on spleen and kidneys as well as liver. It is also a venous medicine. Paralytic symptoms are prominent. There is great debility and drowsiness after eating and on waking. Prefers hot things. Desire to lie down after a meal. Aversion to move, feels tired on least exertion. There is the *Opium sleepiness and yawning. Yellowness of the skin, ulceration. *Chelidonium is a predominantly right-side medicine (like *Sanguinaria and *Lycopodium), and besides the right infrascapular pain and the action on the liver it has neuralgia over the right eye and in right malar bone, and also an action on the caecum and right ovary, and on the base of the right lung. In pneumonia with bilious symptoms it is one of the chief remedies. *Chelidonium, like *Lycopodium, has fan-like movement of alae nasi in chest affections. There may be either constipation (clay-coloured stools), or diarrhoea with bright yellow stools. There is nausea (of pregnancy) with desire for food better by drinking milk. Desire for hot drinks, only water almost boiling will stay on stomach. Chills or creeps accompany the headache or the jaundice. The dirty yellow complexion produced by *Chelidonium, with other signs of cachexia, strongly suggest cancer, and the action of *Sanguinaria, its relative, in cancer of the breast is well known. Also *Opium, in addition to its narcotic influence, is believed by Snow to have a retarding effect on cancerous growth. A somewhat typical *Chelidonium case, simulating cancer, is recorded by ***C. M. Foss. A man, 45, had catarrh of the nose, and, at the same time, of the stomach: had been told he had cancer of the stomach. Tenderness over stomach with sinking, gone feeling, at times reaching a state of painful anguish, sickness at stomach, all symptoms better by eating. *Chelidonium 6X cured at once. “Aversion to cheese” is an indication for *Chelidonium in many gastric conditions. Teste, who proved *Chelidonium, places it at the head of a group which includes *Caps. And *Viol-o. He mentions the analogy between the juice of *Chelidonium and the juice of *Garcinia morella, Gamboge. Both are bright yellow and pass to orange and brown on drying. Some old- school authorities have recommended the juice of *Chelidonium as a substitute for gamboge as a hydragogue cathartic. Among its ancient external uses was, as an application in eye affections, to chronic ulcers, and to warts. In Teste’s proving he emphasized the following symptoms: “1:30 p-m.: dull and heavy, deep-seated pain in whole right side of chest and right shoulder, without cough, but with embarrassed respirations. This pain, which is at times accompanied by dull beatings in the chest, does not allow him to draw a long breath, it is not perceptibly aggravated by the motions of the arm. The pain is particularly felt in the axilla and under the shoulder-blade, a sort of numbness of the muscles in the region of the liver, and in the whole right side of the neck, face, and head, apprehension of threatening pneumonia, great anxiety, constant desire to stir and change one’s position (lasts an hour and decreases gradually).”_”Extremely profuse emission of a whitish and foaming urine.” _”2 p-m.: drowsiness which is so marked, even in the open air, that she is near falling asleep while walking, lasts half an hour.” According to Rademacher *Chelidonium acts or the *centre of the liver. *Chelidonium has a strong action on the respiratory sphere. A characteristic cough is caused by a sensation of “dust” in the air passages. St. Clair Smith relates a case. A young lady had for several weeks a dry, racking, fatiguing cough night and day, worse night, no expectoration and no pain. She looked completely worn out. The cough was excited by a sensation as if throat and larynx were full of dust. *Chelidonium 3, a powder every two hours, was given. She only took three when the “dust” left the throat and with it the cough, and never returned. Carleton Smith cured this: “Dry cough through day with pain and stitches right side, severe hoarseness 5 p-m., voice scarcely audible.” In rheumatic affections *Chelidonium has a large field. oedema, heat, tenderness and stiffness are the leading indications. Here is a case: A baby girl had rheumatism of both ankles for a week, when it settled in the right one, which became greatly swollen, very tender, painful and hot. Constipated for two months previous, whitish stools. *Chelidonium improved in twelve hours, and entirely cured in a week. In another case of acute rheumatism of feet and ankles, supervening on a slow, remittent fever, *Chelidonium cured after the failure of *Rhus and *Bryonia The patient was a girl of six. Both ankles were affected, feet much swollen and extended. The slightest movement or touch extorted screams. The only relief was constant bathing with hot water. ***W. A. Burr cured a case of right sciatic rheumatism, of ten years’ history, in a very corpulent woman, age 55. In her case there were aggravations coming on in the afternoon and evening of each day, and lasting into the middle of the night. During the paroxysms the outer ankle and lower leg became cyanotic, swelling around ankle, constriction above, great sensitiveness to touch and motion. Very nervous during the spells. Great external sensitiveness, aversion to touch, and worse from it. Pressure better some symptoms and worse others. Eating better stomach symptoms: all complaints lessen after dinner. Change of weather worse, warmth worse, cold water better. Open air worse headache, pain in right eye, and causes chill, and drowsiness. Motion worse most symptoms. Coughing and blowing nose better headache. Rest better. Lying on face better pain in kidneys and bladder. Lying on left side better pain in stomach. Many symptoms are worse 4 a m., also 4 p-m. and afternoon.
Relations.
*Antidoted by: Aconite, acids, wine and coffee, Camph. (Teste). It is *antidote to: Bryonia *Compatible: Arsenicum, Bryonia, Coral. r. (whooping-cough), Ledum, Sulphur (Hepatized lung), Ip. (spasm of glottis). *Compare: In pain below angle of scapula, Jug-c., Chenop. (Lower than angle and nearer spine), Ran-b. (edge of left, through to chest), Lob-c. (inside edge right scapula), Ang. (Cutting from just beneath right scapula to breast, near nipple), Bryonia, Bryonia is a close analogue in many symptoms_yellow tongue, swelling of liver, Lycopodium is complemented by Chelidonium (some differences are: Lycopodium has sour taste, Chelidonium bitter, Lycopodium has rumbling in left hypochondrium, and Fulness after a small quantity of food. Lycopodium and Belladonna have symptoms beginning and ending suddenly, Chelidonium has headache ceasing suddenly). Mercurius (bilious pneumonia. Sharp pains through right lung to back, Mercurius has slimy stool and great uneasiness before and after, the stool of Chelidonium being free), Kali-c. (pneumonia in later stages, copious exudation into lungs, rattling with cough, worse 2_3 a m.), Colchicum (nausea with desire for food), Carb-an. (Leucorrhoea staining yellow), Act-r. (waving sensation in brain), Aconite, Arsenicum, Belladonna, Bryonia, Calcarea, Caps., Chi., Gambogia, Graphites, Ignatia, Nit- ac., Nux-v., Phosphorus, Podophyllum, Pulsatilla, Rhus, Sepia, Spigelia, Sulphur, Viol.
o.
SYMPTOMS.
Mind
Remarkable tranquillity of mind for two or three days, followed after a while by ill-humour. Low-spirited, desponding, with inclination to weep. Forgetful, absent-minded. Restlessness and uneasiness of conscience, felt she had committed the unpardonable sin.
