Senega


Senega signs and symptoms of the homeopathy medicine from the Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica by J.H. Clarke. Find out for which conditions and symptoms Senega is used…


      Polygala senega. Seneca Snake-root. *N. O. Polygalaceae. Tincture of powdered dried root.

Clinical

Amblyopia. Ascites. Asthma. *Bladder, irritable, catarrh of. Blepharitis ciliaris. *Bronchitis. Constipation. Cornea, opacity of. *Cough. Enuresis. Facial paralysis. Hay-fever. Hydrothorax. Hypopion. Influenza. Iritis. OEsophagus, stricture of, catarrh of. Phthisis mucosa. Pleurisy. Pneumonia. Snake-bites. Sneezing: fits of, at end of cough. Styes. Throat, sore. Whooping-cough.

Characteristics

*Senega was introduced to medical practice by Dr. Tennant, of Virginia, who was led to test its properties through hearing that the Indians used it as an antidote to snake-bites. As it relieved the symptoms of snakes venom, Tennant concluded that it might also relieve dyspnoea, cough, and haemoptysis arising from other causes, and gave it with success in cases of pneumonia, pleurisy, and hydrothorax (Teste). Other old-school practitioners used it as an expectorant in chronic respiratory catarrh, acute phthisis, rheumatic fever, dropsies, incipient cataract, croup. It is at present regarded as “a stimulant, diaphoretic, and expectorant, especially in chronic bronchitis.” It is in affections of the chest, eyes, and bladder that homoeopaths have found it of most service, and the extensive provings have supplied excellent data for prescribing. Teste (who includes *Seneg. with *Phosphorus ac., *Chamomilla and *Cantharis in his *Conium group) considers it specially suited to “females of slender and tall make, thin, but having retained a good deal of sprightliness and moral power. He cites this case in which it gave great relief: Lady, 45, had contusion, pressive, sometimes cramping, very old pains in chest, anterior wall of which was sensitive to contact (on both sides), pains at times worse. at times better in open air, respiratory mucus at apices feeble, without rhonchus, dyspnoea when walking, and especially when going up stairs, paroxysms of vesicular agitation in chest as if she would faint, catarrhal cough, not very frequent, with ropy, not very profuse expectoration, spitting of red blood now and then, paroxysms of palpitations, during which the rhythm of the heart changed to an almost imperceptible tremor, and which, in some instances, lasted all night, and even longer, menses regular, the palpitation generally took place after the period or in consequence of some moral emotion. This patient was apparently of the type Teste mentions, and the case shows that the correspondence of type must not be too closely considered, for other observers, including myself, have found *Seneg. more *suited to plethoric, phlegmatic persons, persons tending to obesity, fat persons of lax fibre, fat, chubby children, and old persons. *Senega is one of the sources of *Saponin. It has a nauseous taste, and leaves a scraping sensation in the throat. Guernsey outlines its action thus: “Where there is a great burning in the chest, either before or after coughing, profuse secretion of mucus. Dryness of inner parts which are usually moist, dry skin. General affections of the windpipe, left side of chest particularly, right eye, lower eyelids.” Nash (who has only obtained success with low attenuations of *Seneg.) Has cured many cases of “cough with great accumulation of mucus, which seems to fill the chest, with much rattling, wheezing, and difficult breathing.” It is especially valuable, he says, with old people, but works well with others. I have used *Seneg. only in the 30th, and have found it answer to its indications exceedingly well. In the case of a very stout elderly lady, of phthisical family history, who had pneumonia of both bases, especially right, very violent paroxysmal cough, with ropy, difficult expectoration tinged with blood, *Seneg. 30 quickly relieved a very dangerous condition when other remedies had failed. Leading indications for *Seneg. In chest cases are: (1) Great accumulation of clear albuminous mucus, which is difficult to expel. (2) Great soreness of walls of chest (3) Pressure on chest as though lungs were forced back to spine. Whooping-cough in fat, chubby children, clear mucus like white of egg, difficult to raise, cough worse towards evening. The soreness of the chest walls makes *Seneg. appropriate to cases of pleurodynia. There is hoarseness, and the throat is so dry and sensitive it hurts the patient to talk. Cough often ends in sneezing. Clinton Enos (quoted *A. H., xxiv. 253) related this case: A very fat girl, age 10, with cold, damp feet and hands and sweating about the head, had spells of sneezing for two years, even since whooping-cough. Several spells a day lasting about half an hour. Sharp pains in chest and temples during the attacks. In nose a large quantity of mucus with stuffed-up feeling. One dose of *Seneg. 200 removed the whole trouble in a week. ***A. R. Macmichael (***N. A. J. H., xl. 824) cured Mrs. B., 40, of acute catarrhal laryngitis which had lasted ten days with *Seneg. left There was hoarseness, hawking of thick, tenacious mucus (profuse, a quart in twenty-four hours) from larynx, especially in morning, with burning sensation.Relief set in within three hours from first dose. *Seneg. acts on the eyes even more powerfully than on the nose, producing pains, inflammation both of the exterior and interior of the eye and lids, and much disorder of vision. The eye troubles are worse when looking intently at an object, and another modality brought out in the proving has taken the rank of a keynote: better Bending head backwards. The symptom in which it was first noticed was this: “When walking towards the setting sun he seemed to see another smaller sun hover below the other, assuming a somewhat oval shape when looking down, *disappearing on bending the head backwards, and on closing the eyes.” The prover took from 40 to 6 drops of the tincture. ” worse Bending head forward” and “< stooping” are scarcely less characteristic. Eye symptoms as an accompaniment of head symptoms indicate *Seneg.: “Violent rush of blood to head when stooping, especially to eyeballs, where a painful pressure is experienced.” Extreme tenderness is another note of *Seneg.: “A sort of aching pain in head, in sinciput, and occiput, not worse by pressure, worse sitting in warm room, accompanied with pressure in eyes, *which did not bear touch.” Pressure, dulness, heaviness are the leading head sensations. There is painful sensitiveness of hearing. The digestive organs are disordered. *Seneg. Has been used as an emetic. The urinary organs are very prominently affected, irritability and catarrh being the leading effects. There is frequent urging, scalding in urethra before or after micturition, and the urine is loaded with mucous threads. *Peculiar Sensations of Seneg. Are: Eyes, as if they were pressed out, as if eyeballs were being expanded, as if soap in eyes. As if red pepper throughout nostrils and air passages. As if chest too narrow. Dyspnoea as from stagnation in lungs. As if lungs pushed back to spine. As if chest would burst. Wrist as if sprained. Joints as if lame. *Seneg. Has the gnawing hunger and empty feeling well marked. It is predominantly left- sided in its action. The symptoms are worse by touch and pressure (but pressure on left side better ). worse Rubbing. Most symptoms worse rest, better walking in open air. Rest better dry cough. Lying down causes tickling in larynx, fear of suffocation. Lying on right side causes pain in chest. Motion causes pain under sternum. Motion of arms causes soreness of walls of chest. Worse Going up stairs. Stepping hard, walking fast, or running causes pain through mediastinum, piercing pain between scapulae. better Bending head back. Worse Stooping, bending forward. Worse Morning, and night. Whooping cough worse towards evening. Worse In warm air, in warm room. Lachrymation, sore chest. Cough and chilliness worse in open or cold air. Sweat better. Worse Looking intently at an object.

Relations

*Antidoted by: Bryonia, also Arnica, Belladonna, Camph. *Followed well by: Calcarea, Pho., Lycopodium, Sul. *Compare: Saponin (a derivative of Senega root). In bronchial affections, Ammonium Fat, plethoric people disposed to catarrhs, Calcarea Muscular asthenopia, loss of voice, paralysis (facial, &c.), Causticum Laryngeal and pulmonary catarrh, Pho. Bronchial catarrh, Spongia Whooping-cough, Coc-c., Kali-bi. (Seneg. clear phlegm, cough worse towards evening, Coc-c. clear phlegm worse morning, Kali-bi. yellow phlegm worse morning). Pleurodynia, pleurisy, Bryonia Mucous phthisis, Stn.

Causation

Bites, poisonous. Sprains.

SYMPTOMS.

Mind

Hypochondriacal melancholy, with great readiness to take offence.-Excessive anguish, often with accelerated and hasty respiration.-Liveliness, with irritability, and disposition to gave way to paroxysms of rage and fury.

Head

Head bewildered, with dizziness.-Feeling of confusion and emptiness in head, with aching of eyes (or pressure in them worse by touch), and obscuration of sight.-Vertigo, with noise in ears.- Headache which also affects the eyes, is worse by heat of a room, and better in open air, or in a cold temperature.- Pressive pain in forehead and orbits after dinner, especially left side of head, better in open air.- Drawing in sinciput and temples, extending to face.- Sanguineous congestion in head and eyes when stooping.-Pulsative cephalalgia, with aching of the eyes.- Shuddering and itching in scalp.- Eruption on head.

John Henry Clarke
John Henry Clarke MD (1853 – November 24, 1931 was a prominent English classical homeopath. Dr. Clarke was a busy practitioner. As a physician he not only had his own clinic in Piccadilly, London, but he also was a consultant at the London Homeopathic Hospital and researched into new remedies — nosodes. For many years, he was the editor of The Homeopathic World. He wrote many books, his best known were Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica and Repertory of Materia Medica