Cereus grandiflorus. Night-blooming Cereus. (Mexico and the West Indies.) *N. O. Cactaceae. Tincture of youngest and tenderest stems and flowers collected in summer.
Clinical
Aneurism. *Angina pectoris. Apoplexy. Arteries, atheroma of. Asthma. Bladder, paralysis of. *Brain, congestion of. Bronchitis. *Diaphragm, *rheumatism of. Dropsies. Ear, inflammation of. Fistula. Goitre, exophthalmic. haematuria. *Haemorrhages. *Headache. *Heart, affections of, hypertrophy of. Indigestion. Intermittent fevers. *Lungs, haemorrhage from. Melancholy. Menstruation, painful. *Miliaria. Neuralgia. Otitis. Ovaritis. Pneumonia. Prostate, affections of. Rheumatism. Sun, effects of. *Sunstroke. Traumatic fever. Vaginismus.
Characteristics
We are indebted to Rubini of Naples and his devoted wife for the first provings of this great remedy. *Cactus affects powerfully the entire organism, but its intensest operation is on the heart and circulation. In congestive violence it rivals *Aconite, which is one of its antidotes. As with *Aconite, too, the pains are unendurable, they extort screams. Sadness, apprehension, fear of death and a tendency to be easily frightened characterise the *Cactus mental state, as they do many conditions of heart disease. Given as an organ-remedy it will benefit a large number of cases of weakened and painful heart, and if its keynote symptom of constriction_”as if an iron band prevented its normal movements,” or “heart as if compressed violently and as violently struggled to burst its bonds”_is present, it will cure. Pain and numbness in left arm accompanying heart disease. Sharp pains in diaphragm and girdle pain round its attachment. Indigestion with these symptoms. Snader considers *Cactus specially indicated where the heart is weak and the arteries atheromatous. This is confirmed by a venerable correspondent of the *Hom. World (July, 1898), who, finding his temporal arteries much swollen and hard to touch, took several doses of *Cact. Ix, with the result that in a few days they became normal. Snader uses the lower attenuations in this condition. A case of angina pectoris was cured by the 30th, with the following characteristic: sensation as though a swarm of hornets were going from pectoral region to heart. *Cactus has the weakness and coldness of the extremities which characterise many heart cases, and render it an appropriate remedy. Constricting pains run through the pathogenesis (throat; chest; heart; bladder; rectum; vagina). Twitching of muscles, and sensation of constriction produced by touching the affected part. Haemorrhages (nose, lungs, rectum, stomach). Sanguineous congestions, which are in a way a counterpart of the constrictive sensations. Prostration. Among the other prominent symptoms of *Cactus are: “Heavy pain in vertex, like a weight.” “Periodical attacks of suffocation, with fainting, cold sweat on face, and loss of pulse.” “Fluttering and palpitation of heart, worse when walking or lying on left side.” “Heart disease with swelling of left hand only.” “Numbness of left arm.” “Rheumatism of all joints, beginning in upper extremities.” The pains are very sharp, causing the patient to cry out. Many symptoms are worse at night (*”Night-blooming Cereus”). Menses cease at night. Many symptoms worse lying down, or come on when lying down. Periodicity is well marked (quotidian fever, 11 a m.). Chill at same hour every day, 11.a.m or 11 p-m. Choudhury has reported a case cured, the characteristics being: “Chill severe, 11 a m., thirsty, headache, body hot, no separate heat.” When there is heat there is thirst and short breath. At times there is entire absence of sweat. There is worse after eating (weight at stomach), and also worse from missing a meal or fasting (Prosopalgia and other neuralgias); worse from lying on left side, from noise and light, from heat, from sun’s rays, from exertion, from damp.
Relations.
*Botanical relatives: Cereus bonplandii, C. serpentinus, Opuntia, and, in a sense, Coccus cacti. *Antidoted by: Aconite, Camph., Chi., Eup-per. *Compatible: Digitalis (Tumultuous action of heart, slow, irregular pulse, scanty urine, dropsy), Eup-per., Lachesis, Nux-v., Sulphur (Pleurisy). *Follows well: Aconite, Arnica, Arsenicum, Belladonna, Bryonia, Chamomilla, Gelsemium, Ip., Kali-br. (diaphragmitis), Lachesis, Nux-v., Rhus-t. *Compare: In mental symptoms, Digitalis, Lachesis In congestions to head, Belladonna, Gloninum In pain and pressure in head, Arnica, Carb-v., Coral., Iodium, Nux-v., Opium, Spigelia Weight in vertex, Aloe., Alumina In heart affections, Aconite, Actea r., Amyl. n., Arnica, Belladonna, Bovista, Crotal., Digitalis, Eup-per., Kalm., Lachesis, Lil-t., Naja, Pulsatilla, Spigelia, Zincum met. (as if a cap over heart), irritable heart, Cere-b., Hepar, Phosphorus In constrictions (of chest) Zincum met., Kali-chl., Cad-s., Alumina, Belladonna, Bovista, Arnica, Cahin., Kali- n., Lachesis, Stramonium, (uterus) Murex, (vagina) Kali-c. In menses ceasing at night, Causticum In leucorrhoea, Am-m. In intermittents, Arsenicum, Bryonia, Calcarea, Eup-per., Natrum mur., Rhus-t, Sulphur In dropsies, Digitalis, Kalm. In sleeplessness, Sulphur Neuralgia and other forms of pain which are sure to appear when an accustomed meal is missed, Arsenicum hemoptysis, strong throbbing at heart, Aconite (Aconite has more anxiety and fever). Pain in diaphragm, Ranunculus bulbosus (Ranunculus bulbosus has pains shoot from front to back, Cact. has sharp pains in diaphragm and girdle pain round attachment). Reptile sensation, Crocus.
Causation
Sun. Damp. Love disappointment.
SYMPTOMS.
Mind
Sadness and bad humour, taciturnity, melancholy, hypochondriasis. Cries, knows not why, worse by consolation. Screaming with pain. During menses, hysteria. Fear of death, belief that his disease is incurable. Love of solitude.
Head
Vertigo, from sanguineous congestions to head. Heavy pressing in the head as if a great weight lay on the vertex, better from pressure, worse from noise (even talking) and light. Throbbing pain with sensation of weight and violent neuralgias in right side of head, periodic. Feeling as if head compressed in a vice, and would burst from severity of pain.
Eyes
Dimness of sight, cannot see at a distance, objects seem obscured.
Ears
Hearing diminished by the buzzing in the ears. Pulsations in the ears (otitis).
Nose
Profuse epistaxis, soon ceasing.
Face
Paleness of the face. Bloated and red, with pulsations in head. Prosopalgia, right-sided, chronic, worse from slightest exertion, bearable only when lying still in bed, brought on by wine, music, strong light, missing dinner at usual hour.
Mouth
Loss of taste for food with nausea. Tongue purple, thick brown sordes on teeth. Prickling on point of tongue. Breath very offensive.
Throat
Feeling of warmth about throat and chest. Constriction of oesophagus, which prevents swallowing. Constriction of throat exciting a constant desire to swallow. Suffocative constriction at throat with full, throbbing carotids. Scraping sensation at soft palate.
Stomach
Appetite good, digestion weak. Complete loss of appetite, stomach rejects everything. After eating, weight and distress in stomach. Nausea in the morning, lasting all day. Acrid, sour fluid in stomach which rises in throat and mouth. Frequent vomiting. Copious hematemesis. Burning pulsation or heaviness in stomach. Constriction or pulsation in scrobiculus. Gastro- enteritis.
Abdomen
Pulsation in the celiac artery (after dinner), burning extends down from it in flashes. Sharp pains shooting through diaphragm and up into chest. Colic with loose stool. Insupportable heat in abdomen. Pain and bearing-down in lower abdomen.
Stool and Anus.
Constipation, stool hard and black. Diarrhoea, watery, mucous, bilious (in forenoon). Sensation of great weight (in anus), and urging to evacuate a great quantity, but nothing passes. Copious haemorrhage from the bowels (from the anus). Itching in the anus. Fluent haemorrhoids. Fistula in ano with violent palpitation of heart.
Urinary Organs
Constriction of neck of bladder. Irritation in urethra, as if he would pass water constantly. Urine passes by drops, with much burning. Profuse urine, of a straw color. Urine, on cooling, deposits a red sand. Haematuria, urination prevented by clots. Frequent urging, at night, with a copious flow each time.
Male Sexual Organs:-
Prostatic affections, weight in anus.
Female Sexual Organs:-
Pulsating pain in uterus and ovaries. Constriction in uterine region, round pelvis. Constriction of vagina preventing coition (vaginismus). Very painful menstruation, extorting loud cries. Menses too early, scanty menstruation, ceasing while lying. Labor suppressed. Breast, tumour in, inflammation of.
Respiratory Organs
Difficulty of breathing, attacks of suffocation with fainting. Chronic bronchitis, with rattling of mucus. Spasmodic cough and copious mucous expectoration. Pricking pains in chest with oppressed respiration (pneumonia). Oppression of breathing in going upstairs. Catarrhal cough with much viscid expectoration. Much rattling of mucus. Cannot lie in a horizontal position. Periodical suffocation, with fainting, and sweat on face and loss of pulse. Hemoptysis, with convulsive cough. Sharp pains shooting from body to back and up into chest, with sensation of rush of blood to chest (rheumatism of diaphragm).