Ignatia amara. (Strychnos ignatia? Strychnos multi flora? The actual tree from which the so-called “beans” are obtained is not known.) Faba. indica. St. Ignatius’ Bean. (Philippine Islands.) *N. O. Loganiaceae. Tincture and trituration of the seeds.
Clinical
*Abdomen, distended. *Anger, effects of. *Anus, affections of. *Anxiety. *Appetite, disordered. *Back, weakness of. Catalepsy. *Change of Life. *Chorea. *Clavus. Convulsions. *Croup.
*Debility. Dentition. *Depression of Spirits.* Diphtheria. Dysmenorrhea. *Epilepsy. *Fainting. *Fear, effects of. Flatulence, obstructed. Glands, enlargement of. *Haemorrhoids. *Headache. *Heart, affections of. *Hiccough. *Hysteria. *Hysterical-joint.* Intermittent fever. *Locomotor ataxy. *Melancholia. *Numbness. *OEsophagus. *Paralysis. Phlyctenular ophthalmia. Proctalgia. Rectum, prolapse of. Rheumatic fever. Sciatica. *Sensitiveness. *Sinking. *Sleep, disordered. *Spinal irritation. *Tenesmus. *Throat, sore.* Toothache. *Tremors. *Urine, *abnormal. *Vagina, spasm of. *Voice, lost. *Yawning.
Characteristics
In order to obtain a proper understanding of the power and place of *Ignatia it is necessary to get rid of two prevalent erroneous ideas. The first of these is that *Ignatia is a remedy for hysteria and nothing else, and the second is that it is the only remedy ever required in cases of hysteria. One minor inconvenience attending these notions is, that patients have become very shy of the drug, and resent having it prescribed for them, thinking that their doctor deems them hysterical if he does prescribe it. The recent outbreak of plague in the East has recalled the fact that *Ignatia has earned a reputation as curative even in that disease. Honigberger relates that it was a common plan when plague was raging in Constantinople for people to wear a bean attached to a string as a prophylactic, he administered “minute doses” of it to patients affected with plague with the best success. Later on he himself caught the disease in India, and cured himself with the same remedy (H. W., xxxiii. 51). In intermittent fever it is the only remedy that will cure certain cases. In the early part of my homoeopathic career I astonished myself once by curing rapidly with *Ignatia (prescribed at first as an intercurrent remedy) a severe case of rheumatic fever, which had been making no progress under *Bryonia, etc. The mental symptoms called for *Ignatia, and along with these the inflammation of the joints, as well as the fever, disappeared under its action. The seeds of *Ignatia contain a larger proportion of *Strychnia than those of *Nux vomica, and the great differences in the characteristic features of the two medicines prove the wisdom of considering medicines apart from their so-called “active” principles. There are many activities in plants besides the alkaloids they may contain, and these are often the determining factors of the drug’s specific action. It is in the mental sphere that the majority of the keynote symptoms of *Ignatia are developed. “Although its positive effects,” says Hahnemann (M. M. P.), “have a great resemblance to those of *Nux. v. (which indeed might be inferred from the botanical relationship of these two plants) yet there is a great difference in their therapeutic employment. The emotional disposition of patients for whom *Ignatia is serviceable differs widely from that of those for whom *Nux v. is of use. *Ignatia is not suitable for persons or patients in whom anger, eagerness, or violence is predominant, but for those who are subject to rapid alternations of gaiety and disposition to weep, or other characteristic emotional states, provided always that the other corporeal morbid symptoms resemble those that this drug can produce.” Guernsey thus depicts the Ignatia state of mind: “Any one suffering from suppressed or deep grief, with long-drawn sighs, much sobbing, etc., also much unhappiness, cannot sleep, entirely absorbed in grief, for recent grief at the loss of a friend, affections of the mind in general, particularly if actuated by grief, sadness, hopelessness, hysterical variableness, fantastic illusions.” To this list fixed ideas may be added, and desire to be alone. *Ignatia covers many of the effects of grief, especially if recent. I once gave instant relief with *Ignatia 30 in the case of a lady who had just heard of her brother’s death (not unexpected), and who complained of an intense pain in the head just over the root of the nose. The consequences of worry, or a worrying state of mind, no less than grief, call for *Ignatia an introverted stated of mind. The special indication of *Ignatia in cases of hysteria is the rapid alternation of moods. Uncontrollable laughter alternating with outbursts of tears. Laughs when she ought to be serious. Sensitive, impressionable. This condition with the characteristic globus hystericus (a lump rises from the stomach into throat as if she would choke, she swallows it down but it constantly returns, worse by drinking water) unmistakably indicate *Ignatia Nervous twitchings and even convulsions also occur. Distortion of the facial muscles whenever the patient attempts to speak. Pains rapidly alternate in character and are excessive. Exaggerated and outlandish symptoms. Rapid alternation of effects is one of the leading features of the drug, also paradoxicalness. *Ignatia has cured many cases of diphtheric and other sore throats, when the pain has been better by swallowing. In the fever of *Ignatia, the thirst occurs during the chill and in no other stage. This is a very unlikely condition, and no other remedy has it. Empty retching is better by eating. Suddenness is another note of the *Ignatia effects. Sudden loss of function in any organ. There are many bodily conditions not associated with mental disturbance that require *Ignatia, for it must always be borne in mind that the *absence of any particular characteristic of a drug is no *contraindication to its use provided other indications are sufficiently pronounced. Ignatia will cure many painful conditions of the anus and rectum, including piles and prolapse when characterized by “sharp stitching pain shooting up the rectum,” or “constricting pain at anus worse after stool, better while sitting.” Pressure as of a sharp instrument from within outward is a characteristic. “Headache as if a nail were driven out through the side of the head, better by lying on it.” Pains change their locality, come gradually and abate suddenly, or come and go suddenly. Headaches terminate with a profuse flow of urine. In dentition it is frequently called for. It has cured hydrocephalus from sudden metastasis from bowels to brain during dentition, with sudden pallor, delirium, rolling of head, difficult swallowing, convulsive movements of eyes and lids. The eye symptoms are also noteworthy. It has cured many cases of inflammatory affections, especially with intense photophobia and nervous excitement, also asthenopia with spasms of lids and neuralgic pains. *Ignatia is one of the remedies which have “goneness,” or sinking at the stomach, in a very pronounced degree. It often occurs in the night, keeping the patient awake. With this there is a disposition to sigh. Sometimes a feeling as if the stomach were relaxed. There is regurgitation of food. Hiccough worse by eating, or smoking, or emotional disturbances (especially in children), empty retching better by eating, vomiting at night of food taken in evening. Hysterical vomiting. Sour saliva and sour taste in mouth. Toothache, worse after a meal, not so bad while eating another paradoxical condition. The facial expression of *Ignatia is one of deadly pallor, or it may be flushed at times. There are twitchings of individual muscles of eyelids or mouth, and fluttering in chest, and in smaller muscles of body, heart flutters and rises in chest, causing choking and oppression, it seems to rise and fall as she attempts to sleep. Convulsions, spasms from fright. The child stiffens out and bends backward. Half-unconscious state, thumbs clenched, face blue. Cramps and spasms are prevalent as with *Nux. The dysmenorrhea in which *Ignatia is indicated has labor-like bearing-down in hypogastrium, better by pressure, by lying down, by change of position. The flow is black, putrid, if profuse, clotted. Spasms and convulsions, *ending in long-drawn sighs, are met by *Ignatia Nash relates a case of puerperal convulsions in which this feature led to a cure. There are a number of characteristic respiratory symptoms: Hysterical aphonia. Laryngismus stridulus, patient sits up in bed, hoarse, hacking cough. The characteristic cough of *Ignatia is an irritable and irritating cough: the longer the cough lasts the more the irritation to cough increases. Kent describes it as: “Hack, hackety-hack, ending in sobbing.” Cough every time he stands still during a walk. Hollow, spasmodic cough as from sulphur fumes. Cough as from inspired feathery dust. Sensations of formication and numbness are very general. Pains are apt to be in small circumscribed spots. The fever characters are: Thirst during cold spell only. Red face during chill. Chill better by external heat (wraps, stove). External chilliness and internal heat. As soon as heat commences must be uncovered (opp. *Nux). Sensation as if sweat would break out but does not. Sweats: when eating, cold at times, generally warm, sometimes sour. Ignatia is one of the chilly medicines like *Nux vomica, *Caps., *Arsenicum Cold worse and warmth better (except in the last stage of fever). Rest better the pains, and so does change of position. Lying down better. Lying on side worse headache, lying on painful side better headache. Sitting better anal and many other symptoms. Worse by stooping, walking, standing. Worse from slight touch, better from hard pressure. Soft pressure better headache. Slightest touch worse stomach pains, cramps in uterus, tenderness of scalp and region of pylorus. There is great aversion to tobacco, which worse many symptoms. Aversion to warm food, meat, alcohol. Desire for sour things, for bread, especially rye bread. Worse from emotion, from sweets, coffee, strong smells, from ascarides, when yawning. Better from changing position, while eating, from eructation, when taking an inspiration, from swallowing. *Ignatia acts rapidly, and the duration of its action, according to Hahnemann, is short. “It is best administered in the morning if there is no hurry. When given shortly before bedtime it is apt to cause too much restlessness at night.” It is adapted to the sensitive, excitable, nervous temperament, women of a sensitive, easily excited nature, dark hair and skin, but mild disposition, quick to perceive, rapid to execute. *Ignatia has been called the “feminine” of the “masculine” *Nux. B. Simmons defines the place of *Ignatia in sciatica thus: “Lancinating, cutting pains, beating, bursting pains, worse in winter, better in summer, chilliness with thirst, flushes of heat, chiefly face, without thirst.” The limb is swollen and thigh knotty, and she cannot get up or lie down without pain, generally left side.
