Vegetable charcoal. It is generally made from poplar, beech or birch wood, and raised to the third potency by trituration.
PATHOGENESIS.
CHARCOAL has the property of absorbing gases in its interstices, and thus ordinarily contains quantities of oxygen which, when the charcoal is brought into contact with decomposing organic matter, is released, and oxidizes the putrefying mass, while at the same time the charcoal adsorbs the gases that are formed by the oxydizing process. It has no direct action on the microbes of putrefaction, but favours the development of the aerobic organism at the expense of the anaerobic. Charcoal adsorbs, besides gases, proteins, alkaloids, and the colouring matter of plants. It passes through the stomach and intestines unabsorbed and but rarely causes any mechanical irritation.
It will be seen from the above that in its original state carbo vegetabilis has no physiological effect on the organism. To obtain this it is necessary that the crude substance should be triturated according to Hahnemann’s directions. It then becomes medicine of great power.
PROVINGS.
In its provings symptoms are developed which come on slowly, last a long time, and express a profound influence on the organism. They are symptoms of decay and putrefaction, of depressed vitality and sluggish circulation. The venous side of the circulation is the part most affected, the veins lose their contractile power and are distended, the capillaries are dilated and engorged with blood, the right side of the heart acts feebly, varicosis occurs in the limbs. With this collection of blood in the venous system the arterial system becomes depleted, the arteries are contracted over their diminished contents and the pulse is small and feeble. The stagnating blood on the venous side of the circulation is deficient in oxygen, and consequently the tissues are insufficiently nourished. Inflammations and ulcerations assume a low grade and tend to break down and become gangrenous. Repair is slow. Burning pains are felt in inflamed parts as well as in veins, capillaries and skin. The deficient arterial circulation causes the patient to feel cold, and the surface is actually cold-icy-cold very often. The hands and feet are cold, especially there is coldness of the knees; the ears, nose and face are cold, a condition of collapse may be present when even the breath is cold, the tongue cold, and the patient is covered with a cold, sweat. There is often internal burning with with external coldness. Oozing of blood takes place from the relaxed veins and engorged capillaries, and there results a passive haemorrhage of dark- coloured blood with little power to form clots. Blood oozes from inflamed surfaces and ulcers, from the lungs, stomach, uterus and bladder.
Mind-Parallel to the sluggish circulation is the sluggish mental condition. The head is confused, thinking is difficult, ideas flow slowly. there is great in difference to everything, to pleasant as well as to unpleasant circumstances, the patient feels benumbed and stupid. Sometimes, however, he is anxious and restless, especially at night, when he is afraid of ghosts. He may become excited, irritable and fearful. Vertigo often occurs associated with flatulence, and is brought on or made worse by drinking alcohol.
The head feels full, turgid and heavy as lead. There may be a rush of blood to the head, possibly with epistaxis. Painful throbbing is felt in the temples and a pressure over the eyes as of the head were bound with a pressure over the eyes as if the head were bound with a pressure over the eyes as of the head were bound with a band, relieved by counter-pressure; fulness and a pressing pain are felt at the vertex. Severe pain occurs at the occiput and at the nape of the neck, or a dull pain at the occiput, which seems to draw back the head so that it cannot be lifted from the pillow. Painful throbbing is felt in the head during inspiration. the scalp is sore and itches. All kinds of headache are made worse by exertion and by moving the head.
The eyes look dull and lustreless. The upper eyelids feel heavy as if a heavy weight is resting upon them, and the margins of the eyelids itch.
Ears-There are transient roaring and ringing in the ears, which feel swollen and sore and as if they are closing up. Discharge takes place from the left ear, and the glands behind the ear are swollen.
The face looks;pale, hippocratic, with pointed nose and cold sweat, in cases in which there is collapse. At other times the face is purple and dusky, and any stimulating food or drink will cause it to flush. The maxillary bones are sore, the upper lip quivers, is swollen, and is the seat of jerking pains. Small, watery blisters form on the lips. Epistaxis is frequent, and there is constant irritation to sneeze, with crawlings and ticklings in the nose.
Digestion.-The teeth rapidly decay and the gums bleed and recede from the teeth, chewing is painful and there are tearing pains in the molars. The tongue has a dark brown or heavy white coating, vesicles round its edges smart and burn, there is increase of saliva or alternate dryness and salivation. Thirst is not relieved by drinking water, the taste is bitter or acid. Thick, yellow mucus collects in the throat and the posterior nares; the throat feels constricted so that swallowing food is difficult, and swallowing, coughing and blowing the nose cause pain in the posterior nares as if they were sore. Appetite is wanting, the patient is averse from meat, fat things and milk, and longs for coffee, acids, sweet and salt things (graphites has aversion from salt and sweets). Almost any kind of food causes distress in the stomach, flatus accumulates and the patient is always belching rancid or empty eructations or sour waterbrash. Belching relieves the stomach distress and also other symptoms, such as headache and rheumatic pains. Burning and griping occur in the stomach, and the epigastric region is very sensitive. The gastric symptoms are aggravated by wine, coffee, too much milk or butter, fats in general, fish, especially if tainted, ice-water, and flatulent vegetables. Haematemesis from the stomach sometimes occurs, and then the patient is collapsed with thready, intermittent pulse, cool breath, and cold surface. Flatus is apt to collect under the short ribs, and pressing, pinching pains are felt in the region of the spleen. The abdomen is bloated, sore and hard, and there is flatulent colic, made worse by the least food, and relieve4d by passing flatus up or down. The flatus passed is hot, moist and offensive, and an acrid, corrosive moisture escapes from the rectum. The stools are loose rather than constipated, and may be foetid, watery, and bloody, and passed with burning and tenesmus. When dysenteric the stools are terribly offensive and cadaverous smelling, sometimes involuntary, and they are enveloped by filaments of yellow mucus. The parts round the anus are excoriated, and there is protrusion of blue haemorrhoids which burn, are offensive, and may suppurate.
The urine is generally dark and scanty with a thick, white sediment, but it may be profuse and colourless. Heavy, painful pressure is felt in the bladder, with a frequent urging to urinate, which gives but scanty result.
Sexual.-In the male the genitals hang down relaxed; semen and prostatic fluid escape easily and, maybe, involuntarily. In women there are dragging down and a feeling of weight in the hypogastrium, the menses are too early and too profuse and are preceded by sharp pains in the uterine region. In association with this is a nervous, fidgety sensation in the thigh. The menstrual blood is acrid, pale and thin or thick. An excoriating leucorrhoea precedes and follows menstruation and is worse from moving about. Varicosis, and red sore, aphthous ulcerations on the pudenda are common. When there is menorrhagia there is burning pain across the sacrum and the haemorrhage is passive. Labour pains are week and cease because of uterine atony. The patient is very debilitated during nursing, and lumps form in the mammae, with burning pains and induration of the axillary glands.
Respiratory System.-The larynx feels raw and there is hoarseness with a deep, rough voice, which fails altogether if exerted, and is worse in the evening and in damp evening air. There is aphonia in the morning. The trachea feels dry and swollen, breathing is difficult and rattling, the patient wants to be fanned. Burning, as from glowing coals, is felt in the chest and a sensation of weakness and great fatigue (stan.). Cough is in hard spells, at times, dry. at the times with purulent, slimy, tenacious, offensive sputum that tastes sour or salt (lyc., phos., sep.). Cough is excited by tickling in the larynx, or by irritation as from sulphur fumes, and may be accompanied by vomiting. With paroxysms of violent cough there may be haemoptysis.
Circulation.-The pulse is thread-like, weak, intermittent; the face and limbs are cold and covered with cold sweat, and there is cyanosis from stagnation of blood in the capillaries. There may be palpitation. Pulsation is felt over the whole body and flushes of heat mount upwards and end in a sweat. The limbs feel bruised, are numb and cold, easily go to sleep when lain upon; drawing, paralytic pains are common, and the legs, above the ankles especially, may be the seat of indolent varicose ulcers with burning pains. A gangrenous condition may be present.
Edwin Awdas Neatby founded the Missionary School of Homeopathy and the London Homeopathic Hospital in 1903, and run by the British Homeopathic Association. He died in East Grinstead, Sussex, on the 1st December 1933. Edwin Awdas Neatby wrote The place of operation in the treatment of uterine fibroids, Modern developments in medicine, Pleural effusions in children, Manual of Homoeo Therapeutics,