SPHERE OF ACTION
This is a cerebro-spinal irritant, and selects for its special centre of action, the brain, genito-urinary organs, and vascular system.
Upon the Brain it produces vertigo; so dizzy that she could not stand; depression of spirits; delirium tremens; headache as if a nail had been driven into the brain,&c.; but it is upon the sentient nervous system that Coffea spends most of its action.
Stapf says the primary effects of Coffea are, a pathological excitation of all the organic functions. When Coffea acts moderately upon the healthy organism, the irritability of the organs of sense is morbidly increased, the visual power becomes more acute, the hearing more sensitive, the taste is finer, the sensorium is more vivid (hence increased susceptibility to pain), the mobility of the muscles is increased, the sexual desire is more excited; even the nervous activity of the digestive and secretive organs is increased; hence a morbid sensation of excessive hunger, increased desire and facility of the alvine evacuations and of the emissions of urine. To what an extent the nervous and animal activity of the organism is increased by Coffea. appears from the sleeplessness which it excites in various shades and degrees; from the peculiar pathological excitation of the mind and soul; and from febrile warmth which it excites to a considerable degree.
Prof. Lehman says: Coffea increases the activity of the vascular and nervous systems, while at the same time it retards the metamorphosis of plastic constituents.
Prof. Hempel says: It excites the circulation, stinging and smarting on the skin; increased frequency, although proportionate diminution in the volume, of the pulse. A sort of vascular orgasm, flashes of heat, and transitory flushes in the face.
According to Lehman, it causes violent excitement of the vascular and nervous systems, palpitation of the heart, extraordinary frequency, irregularity, and often intermissions of the pulse, oppression of the chest, pains in the head, confusion of the senses, singing in the ears, scintillations before the eyes, sleeplessness, erections and delirium.
Upon the Sexual system.-It first excites most powerfully the sexual instinct, producing sexual dreams and nocturnal emissions, followed by great prostration of the whole nervous system. The female sexual organs are also excited in the same way.
Upon the Urinary Organs it generally produces an increased secretion of watery urine. In one case of poisoning it produced an almost entire retention of urine, with continual and painful urging, only passing a few drops of urine at a time. This case was really inflammation of the bladder.
Upon the Lungs.-It causes spasmodic constriction of the lungs and larynx, with dry, hacking cough, and sometimes asthmatic breathing.
GRAND CHARACTERISTICS.
The pains are insupportable; feels them most intensely; cannot bear to be touched, the parts are so sensitive.
Great sensitiveness, with general excitability.
Ecstasy, full of ideas; quick to act; no sleep on that account.
The physical system seems exalted and almost transported by the mental exaltation.
She is in a complete state of ecstasy.
Extreme wakefulness.
Child cries easily; while crying it suddenly laughs quite heartily, and finally cries again.
All the senses are rendered more acute; reads fine print easily; hearing, smell, taste, and touch acute; particularly also an increased perception of slight passive motion.-HERING.
Affections after sudden emotions, particularly pleasant surprises.-HERING.
Adapted to neurotic disease, in people with a nervous or sanguine temperament, especially if the disease has been caused by excessive joy.
Head.-Headache, as if a nail were driven into the brain, or as if the brain were torn or dashed to pieces.
Headache, as if a nail were driven into the brain, worse the open air.-HAHNEMANN.
Head feels too small, (opposite to Nux vomica).-F.
Headache, as if the head would fly to pieces; aggravated by noise and light.
Digestive Organs.-Nightly toothache.
Excessive dryness of the mouth at night.-TESTE.
Loss of taste.-TESTE.
Burning sour eructations.-TESTE.
Violent spasmodic eructations, with rising of the ingesta.- TESTE.
Tension of the epigastric region with sensitiveness to the touch.-TESTE.
Colic so painful as to drive the patient mad.
Constant alternations of constipation and diarrhoea.-TESTE.
Spasmodic contraction of the sphincter, with burning and itching in the anus.-TESTE.
Profuse flow of watery nervous urine.
Generative Organs of Women.-Great sensitiveness of the female genital organs; cannot bear to have them touched, they are so sensitive.
Genital organs itch voluptuously, and are very sensitive.- Excessive sensitiveness about the vulva, with voluptuous itching; would like to rub or scratch the part, but it is too sensitive.
Aversion to sexual intercourse in women, it is so painful.- TESTE.
Profuse menstruation, with excessive sensitiveness of the organs and voluptuous itching.
Leucorrhoea of mucus, and sometimes blood.
Labor pains insupportable to her feelings; she feels them intensely; weeps and laments fearfully.
Men.-Nocturnal emissions, followed by great languor and irritability of temper.
Excessive excitability of the sexual desire.
Air Passages.-Continual inclination to cough; feels exhausted after coughing.
Sensation of rawness in the trachea.-TESTE.
Dry, hacking cough, like whooping cough, with this difference, that the spasms are principally experienced during the inspirations, not during the expirations.-TESTE.
Constriction of the chest, asthma at night.-TESTE Generalities.-Tearing pains in the flesh and cellular tissue, rather than in the bones; in the parts between the articulations themselves.-TESTE.
Trembling of the bands, with hear in the palms and coldness of the back of the hands.-TESTE.
Measly spots on the skin, with dry heat at night; over- excitability and weeping.-HERING.
The free use of strong Coffee is a specific for gout and rheumatism, where there is a disposition to the formation of chalkstones in the joints.-DR. W. HAMILTON.
(1836-1897)
Characteristic materia medica Published 1873
Physiological materia medica, containing all that is known of the physiological action of our remedies; together with their characteristic indications and pharmacology. Published 1881