Water Hemlock
The action on the nervous system, producing spasmodic affections, viz, hiccough, trismus, tetanus, and convulsions, give the pathological picture calling especially for this remedy, whenever this is further characterized, by the more individual symptoms of the drug. Among these, are the bending of the head, neck, and spine backwards, and the general action of the patient is violent, with frightful distortions. Violent, strange desires. Sensation of internal chill. Moaning and howling. Does absurd things. Marked action on the skin.
Mind.–Delirium, with singing, dancing and funny gestures. Everything appears strange and terrible. Confounds present with the past; feels like a child. Stupid feeling. Melancholy, with indifference. Mistrustful. Epilepsy; moaning and whining. Vivid dreams.
Head.–Head turned or twisted to one side. Cerebro-spinal meningitis. Cervical muscles contracted. Vertigo, with gastralgia, and muscular spasms. Sudden, violent shocks through head. Stares persistently at objects. Convulsions from concussion of brain. Thick, yellow scabs on head. Head symptoms relieved by emission of flatus.
Eyes.–When reading, letters disappear. Pupils dilated, insensible strabismus. Objects recede, approach, and seem double. Eyes stare. Pupils get behind upper lids as head inclines. Effects of exposure to snow. Spasmodic affections of eyes and its appendages. Strabismus; periodic, spasmodic after a fall or a blow.
Ears.–Difficult hearing. Sudden detonations especially on swallowing. Hæmorrhage from ears.
Face.–Pustules which run together forming thick, yellow scabs on face and head, corners of mouth and chin, with burning pain. Red face. Trismus; disposition to grind teeth.
Throat.–Dry. Feels as if grown together. Spasms of œsophagus; cannot swallow. Effects on œsophagus from swallowing sharp piece of bone.
Stomach.–Thirst; burning pressure; hiccough. Throbbing in pit of stomach, which has become raised to size of fist. Desire for unnatural things, like coal (Alum; Calc). Indigestion, with insensibility, frothing at mouth.
Abdomen.–Flatulence with anxiety and crossness. Rumbling in. Distended and painful. Colic with convulsions.
Rectum.–Diarrhœa in morning, with irresistible desire to urinate. Itching in rectum.
Respiratory.–Chest feels tight; can hardly breathe. Tonic spasm in pectoral muscles. Heat in chest.
Back and extremities.–Spasms and cramps in muscles of nape of neck, and spasmodic drawing backward of head. Curved limbs cannot be straightened nor straight ones bent. Back bent backward like an arch. Jerking, tearing in coccyx, especially during menses.
Skin.–Eczema; no itching, exudation forms into a hard, lemon-colored crust. Suppressed eruption causes brain disease. Elevated eruptions, as large as peas. Chronic impetigo.
Modalities.–Worse, from touch, draughts, concussion, tobacco smoke.
Relationship.–Antidotes: Opium; Arn.
Compare: Cicuta Maculata-Water Hemlock–(Effects very similar; the most prominent symptoms being; Falls unconscious, tetanic or clonic convulsions. Body covered with sweat. Consider in epilepsy and tetanus. Tincture and lower potencies). Hydrocy acid; Con; Oenanth; Strychnia; Bellad.
Dose.–Sixth to two hundredth attenuation.
