CHELIDONIUM MAJUS

(Celandine.)

(From vol. iv, 2^nd edit., 1825.)

(The expressed juice of the root of Chelidonium majus, mixed with equal parts of alcohol.)

The ancients imagined that the yellow colour of the juice of the plant was an indication (signature) of its utility in bilious diseases. The moderns from this extended its employment to hepatic diseases, and though there were cases where the utility of this plant in maladies of that region of of the abdomen was obvious, yet the diseases of this organ differ so much among one another, both in their origin and in the attendant derangements of the rest of the organism; morever, the cases in which it is said to have done good have been so imperfectly described by physicians, that it is impossible from their data to tell beforehand the cases of disease in which it must certainly be of use; and yet this is indispensably necessary in the treatment of diseases of mankind which are of such serious importance. Hence, a recommendation of this sort (ab usu in morbis) is a but of general, undefined, and dubious character, especially since this plant was so seldom given simply and singly by physiciams, but almost always in combination with heterogeneous, powerful substances (dandelion, fumitory, water-cresses), and along with the simultaneous employment of the so-called bitters, which vary so much in their effects.

The importance of human health does not admit of any such uncertain directions for the employment of medicines. It would be criminal frivolity to rest contented with such guesswork at the beside of the sick. Only that which the drugs themselves unequivocally reveal of their peculiar powers in their effects on the healthy human body – that is to say, only their pure symptoms – can teach us loudly and clearly when they can be advantageously used with certainty; and this is when they are administered in morbid states very similar to those they are able to produce on the healthy body.

From the following symptoms of celandine, which it is to be hoped will be completed by other upright, accurate observers, a much more extensive prospect of the real curative powers of this plant is opened up than has hitherto been dreamt of. It is, however, only the physician who is conversant with the homoeopathic doctrine who will be able to make this advantageous employment of it. The routine practitioner may content himself with the uncertain indications for the employment of celandine to be found in his benighted materia medica.

[HAHNEMANN was assisted in this proving by BECHER, GROSS, HARTMANN, HERMANN, LANGHAMMER, MEYER, TEUTHORN, and WALTHER.

The old-school authorities quoted are:

Horn’s Archiv, bd. xi.

WENDT, in Hufel. Journ, xvi.

The 1^st Edit, gives 151 symptoms, this 2^nd Edit, only 5 more.]

CHELIDONIUM

(His senses left him.)

Cloudiness (aft. 10 m.). [Gss.]

Contractive headache.

Dull headache, with beating synchronous with the pulse on the right temple, as if the vessels were too full of blood (aft. 2 h.). [Trn.]

5. Headache, aching pressing from within outwards, especially towards the forehead, which is very much aggravated by open air coughing, blowing the nose and stooping but is absent while eating, lasting all day. [Htn.]

A forcing in the cerebrum, as if it had not room on the skull, and would be forced through the ear, wherein is heard a noise like a distant water weir. [Wth.]

Disagreeable sensation in the left temple as if the blood stagnated there all at once, followed by a nobtuse shooting pain in the same place (aft. ½ h.). [Wth.]

Aching pain in the right temporal region, during which the right nostril was stopped up (aft. 6 h.). [Myr.]

Pressive tearing headache betwixt the eye-brows, which tended to press the eye-lids to, went off after eating and returned three quarters of an hour later (aft. ½ h.). [Bch.]

10. Tearing pain in the right side of the occiput, with long severe stitches towards the front (aft. 15.1/2 h.). [Htn.]

Violent tearing stitches in the left frontal eminence(aft. 3.1/2 h.). [Htn.]

Obtuse shooting extending across the whole forehead. [Lr.]

Sensation of transient drawing under the frontal bone (aft. ¼ h.). [Gss.]

Formications in the frontal eminences in intermittent, short intervals. [Gss.]

15. Shooting, aching headache in the vertex, by fits, especially on walking rapidly.

Slow, drawing, pressive-like stitch from the left side of the occiput towards the forehead (aft. ½ h.). [Htn.]

Pinching stitches in the right side of the occiput (aft. 1.1/2 h.). [Htn.]

Pinching stitches in the right side of the occiput (aft. 1.1/2 h.). [Htn.]

Pinching stitches on the left side of the occiput, as if externally, but neither increased nor diminished by pressing on it (aft. 7 h.). [Htn.]

(In the eyeballs a tickling itching.)

20. Stupefying pressure on the right orbit as if from without inwards. [Gss.]

Contraction of the pupils (immediately). [Bch.]

Contraction of the pupils immediately after taking the medicine, but afte an hour they dilated to their ordinary size. [Trn.]

Pressive pain over the left eye that seemed to press down upper lid (aft. ¾ h.). [Htn.]

Pressive on the right upper eyelid. [Hrr.]

25. A pimple on the left upper tarsal cartilage containing pus, with aching pain in it on touching it and on shutting the eyes. [Hrr.]

A dazzling spot appeared before the eye, and when he looked into it the eye watered.

Tension and drawing in the left zygoma, only when lying (aft. 9 h.). [Gss.]

Pale face. [Trn.]

Pain as from a contusion in the left ear lobe, and immediately afterwards burning in the right lobe as from a live coal (aft. 13 h.).[Myr.]

30. A long-lasting stitch in the right external ear that gradually disappears (aft. 3 h.). [Htn.]

When walking, ringing in the left ear (aft. 9 h.). [Lr.]

Ringing before the ears, like whistling (aft. ½ h.). [Myr.]

Roaring before the ears, like like a strong wind (aft. 1.1/2 h.). [Myr.]

Intolerable sensation in both ears, as if wind rushed out of them, so that he must often introduce the finger in order to remove this sensation (aft. ½, 3, 4 h.). [Wth.]

35. In both ears a noise like distant thundering of cannon. [Wth.]

Intermitting tearing pressure in the right internal meatus auditorious (aft. 2 h.). [Hrr.]

Tearing pain in the right internal meatus auditorious (aft. ¾ h.). [Hrr.]

Tearing in the inner ear; by boring in the finger in order to relieve it, ringing came on in addition. [Myr.]

Toothaache in the left upper jaw. [Lr.]

40. In the tip of the nose a trembling and quivering.

A digging tearing in the Antrum Highmorianum (aft.3 h.).

The teeth of the left lower jaw have a dull pain when touched, and are loose (aft. 3 to 21 h.). [Bch.]

Great tension on and in the throat, above the larynx, as if it were constricted, whereby, however only the gullet was narrowed (aft. ½ h.). [Gss.]

Sensation as if the larynx were pressed upon the oesophagus from without, whereby not the breathing but the swallowing was rendered difficult (aft. 5 m.). [Gss.]

45. A choking in the throat, as if too large a morsel had been too hastily swallowed. [Gss.]

Tongue covered with a white fur. [Wth.]

Slimy tongue. [Gss.]

Disgusting flat taste in the mouth, as after drinking elder-flower tea, but the food tastes quite right. [Gss.]

Bitter taste in the mouth, whilst food and drink tasted all right (aft. 2 h.). [Myr.]

50. Diminution of the appetite. [Bch.]

Diminution of the thirst.

Much thirst for milk, followed by comfortable feeling through the whole body; though he took a good deal of it, he did not suffer any inconvenience, whereas formerly a great deal of flatulence was produced (aft. 36.1/2 h.). [Bch.]

Frequent eructation of air. [Trn.]

Empty eructation.[Gss.]

55. Inclination to vomit. [Horn’s Archiv, vol. xi, (Not acessible.) ii.]

Nausea with inclination to vomit. [Horn’s Archiv, vol. xi, (Not acessible.) ii,]

Nausea with inclination to vomit (from external use).

Great nausea with increased temperature of the body (aft. ¼ h.). [Wth.]

Hiccup (aft. 1.1/2 h. and oftener). [Lr.]

Pinching aching pain in and under the scrobiculus cordis, which caused anxious breathing (aft. 5 h.0. [Htn.]

Burning on the leftside under the ribs on a level with the scrobiculus cordis. [Gss.]

Pain in the stomach. [Horn’s Archiv, l. c.]

A tension over the epigastric region.

Constant gurgling and rumbling in the abdomen. [Gss.]

65. Pain in the abdomen.

Pain in the abdomen. . [Horn’s Archiv, l. c.]

Painful pressure just above the navel. [Gss.]

Dull pinching in the umbilical region, followed by discharge of flatus (aft. 1 h.). [Htn.]

Spasmodic retraction of the navel accompanied by transient nausea (aft. 6.1/2 h.). [Bch.]

70. Burning pain in the abdomen, just under the short ribs of the left side (aft. 14 h.). [Gss.]

Continued cutting in the bowels, immediately after eating, the food, however, was relished. [Gss.]

Pinching pain in the left inguinal region (aft. 9 h.). [Htn.]

Flatus is passed in large quantities.

Constipation: the stool is passed in small, hard lumps, like sheep’s dung(for two successive days). [Trn.]

75. Diarrhoea. . [Horn’s Archiv, l. c.]

Every night three diarrhoeic stools.

Mucous diarrhoea.

Urging to urinate, all day long, with scanty discharge of urine (aft. 2 h.). [Lr.]

He must urinate during the day ten to twelve times, and at night two or three times, and each time copiously (aft. 24 h.).

80. Just before passing urine, a burning. [Myr.]

Reddish urine (from the external application).

Burning in the urethra, immediately before the urine comes away.

A shooting and cutting in the urethra when urinating, and during bodily exercise.

Urethral blenorrhoea. (This is the return of a suppressed gonorhoea, occuring while Chelidonium was being taken for the swollen testicle which had resulted.) [WENDT, in Hufel, Journ., xvi, iii.]

85. Stuffed coryza (aft. 2 h.). [Lr.]

Pain the chest. . [Horn’s Archiv., l. c.]

Tightness of the chest.

Oppression of the chest and respiration. [Gss.]

Oppression of the thoracic cavity during expiration. [Gss.]

90. Tearing pressure in the eft axilla and further forwards towards the nipple (aft. 30 h.). [Hrr.]

Sharp shooting near the vertebrae in the middle of the back . [Gss.]

Obtuse stitches, in rapid succession, in the left lumbar region more towards the back (aft. 10 m.). [Gss.]

Tearing pressure on the lowest lumbar verterbrae, extending forewards to the neigbourhood of the os ilii; it feels as if the vertebrae was broken away from one another, only when bending forwards and on again bending backwards, for several days, felt also when walking (aft. 86 h.). [Hrr.]

Pinching spasmodic pain on the inner border of the right scapula, that prevented him moving the arm (aft. 1 h.). [Htn.]

95. (When sitting) shooting in the left axila(aft. 2 h.). [Lr.]

Tearing in the muscles of the right upper arm (aft. 28 h.). [Hrr.]

Paralytic pressure on the left upper arm (aft. 2 d.). [Hrr.]

A kind of paralysis in the muscles of the upper arm, on moving it. [Gss.]

Cramp-like pain in the left elbow-joint, which a bent position of the arm made still more painful (aft. 4.1/2 h.). [Htn.]

100. A drawing in the left forearm and thence into the palm of the hand, in which there was a quivering movement.

Relaxation of the muscles of the right forearm, so that they can only be brought into movementwith difficulty, and every movement and grasping anything caused pain (aft. 26 h.). [Htn.]

The left wrist-joint was as if stiff in the evening.

In the right wrist-joint an impediment to movement and stiffness, only perceptible on moving.

Squeezing tearing pain in the back of the right hand (aft. 1.1/4 h.). [Htn.]

105. Tearing shooting pain in the right metacarpal bones, which is much increased by pressing on them (aft. 26 h.). [Htn.]

Fine tearing in the metacarpal boen and carpal bone of the right thumb (aft. 7 h.). [Hrr.]

Paralytic tearing in the metacarpal bones and the proximal joints of the thumb and index finger of the left hand. [Hrr.]

The distal phalanx of the fingers of the right hand became yellow, cold, and as if dead, the nails blue (aft. 1 h.). [Myr.]

Fine tearing in the tips of the fingers of the right hand. [Hrr.]

110. Frequently recurring tearing in the distal phalanx of the little finger of the right hand, independent of moving or touching (aft. 3.1/4 h.). [Htn.]

Burning itching in the left-hip-joint on its anterior aspect (aft. 10 m.). [Gss.]

A pain above the left hip, as if something were swollen and bulged out there.

From the hip-bone to the toes of the right foot, a paralytic drawing pain, which remained the same when walking, sitting, and lying, and suddenly disappeared (aft. 39.1/4 h.). [Bch.]

Some red papulaes with white apices on both thighs, with smarting eroding itching.

115. Gone-to-sleep feeling of the anterior surface of the thigh, with fine stitches and sore pain (from external application).

A kind of paralysis and loss of power in the left thigh and knee when treading. [Gss.]

The knees bend under him when standing and walking (aft. 12 h.). [Htn.]

Hard pressure two fingers’ breadth under the right patella. [Hrr.]

Hard pressure, two fingers’ breadth under the left patella, more towards the inner side. [Hrr.]

120. Shooting in the right hough (when sitting) (aft. 2 h.). [Lr.]

Down-drawing pain in the left calf. [Lr.]

Some burning painful spots, with stitches in their centre, above the tendo Achillis; the pain is increased by scratching. [Trn.]

Some stiffness in the ankle-joint, as if sprained.

Aching pain in the right ankle-joint, when sitting (aft. 1.1/2 h.). [Myr.]

125. Clucking pain in the dorsum of the left foot (aft. 9 h.). [Myr.]

Cramp in the sole of the right foot, which togetherwith the toes was bent downwards; the toes were as if dead and insensible; the cramp was relieved by compressing the calf with the hand, but was aggravated by attempting to tread (aft. 12 h.). [Bch.]

Single transient needly-pricks alternately on various parts, sometimes on one hand or one arm, sometimes on one foot, on the knee, on the abdomen, &c. [Gss.]

(Apoplectic insensibility and numb sensation of the whole body, with trembling, but unaltered pulse.).

fatigue and laziness of the limns; it is impossible for him to move a limb quickly, he is disinclined to move and avoids doing so; at the same time, yawning and drowsiness (aft. 15 h.0. [Htn.]

130. After a meal very great laziness and disinclination for work, with drowsiness. [Htn.]

In the morning on awaking, such great weariness, that he can with difficulty make his mind to get up. [Wth.]

Great laziness and drowsiness without yawning (aft. 9 h.). [Gss.]

Great discomfort: he feels not at all well, without knowing what is actually the matter with him; he must lie down but could not sleep, and everything was intolerable to him. [Gss.]

Desire to lie down, without being sleepy or able to sleep. [Gss.]

135. After a meal, desire to lie down, without actually being able to sleep; he started up several times in this slumbar, and when he got up, the headache was worse. [Htn.]

Sleep with dreams about the occupations of the day. [Lr.]

Restless sleep full of dreams. [Myr.]

Restless sleep, without particular dreams. [Bch.]

Very restless sleep with quick waking and with profuse sweat, which occurred during sleep and continued till the morning, even when awake. [Htn.]

140. Morning sweat. [Myr.]

Sweat during the morning sleep. [Wth.]

Diminished temperature.

While lying in bed, in the evening, he is seized with a violent rigor, that lasted about an hour, with external warmth all over the body, and yet with goose-skin, followed by sweat which lasted all night (aft. 38 h.). [Htn.]

Every time he goes out into the open air rigor, without coldness (in summer), which did not leave off until he again came into the room (for 2 d.). [Htn.]

145. Sometimes he had a feeling of warmth all over the body at once, sometimes a feeling of coldness ; he had often an alternation of this sort in single limbs (aft. 18 h.). [Bch.]

Shivering through the whole body, with unaltered temperature thereof, without thirst. (aft. 3 h.). [Lr.]

Shivering all over the body, with unaltered temperature thereof.[Gss.]

Strong, not rapid pulse (when sitting) aft. ¾ h.). [Lr.]

Cold hands (aft. 2.3/4 h.).[Lr.]

150. Rigor(with cold hands) over the whole body. [Myr.]

Rigor with nausea, without eructation (aft. ¼ h.). [Myr.]

Shivering in the hands, which are warmer than usual (aft. ¼ h.). [Gss.]

The right leg, up to the knee, is icy cold, with feeling of coldness in it, whilst the other leg and all the rest of the body are normally warm and the blood-vessels of the hand and arms swollen (aft. 3.1/2 h.). [Htn.]

Extraordinarily depressed, full of gloomy thoughts about the present and future, causing him to weep; he could get no rest in any place. [Myr.]

155. Sad to weeping and depressed about the present and future. [Wth.]

Cherrful disposition. (Curative secondary action.) [Lr.]

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