Rhus venenata. Poison Elder. Poison Sumach. Swamp Sumach. It is frequently named “R. Vernix,” and it is given under this name in Hempel’s fahr., but the name belongs properly to the allied Varnish-tree of Japan. (North America, in swampy ground.) *N.O. Anacardiaceae. Tincture of fresh leaves and stem.
Clinical
Boils. Chilblains. Diarrhoea. Dyspepsia. Dysphagia. *Eczema. Eruptions. *Erysipelas. Erythema nodosum. Glands, cervical, ulceration of. Haemorrhoids. Herpes. Hydroa. Impetigo. *Irritation. *Lips, Swollen, sore. Lumbago. Measles. Menorrhagia. Ophthalmia. Paraplegia. Prurigo. *Purpura. Scabies. Stiff neck. *Tongue, cracked. Urticaria.
Characteristics
*Rhus-ven. is one of the most actively poisonous of the Rhoes. P. B. Hoyt, who (according to Hale) first drew attention to it, and made the first provings, says it is more poisonous than *Rh.t., which he can handle with impunity, whilst he was violently affected by *Rh.v. in spite of extreme caution. Further, he considers it more actively curative, in a case of *Rhus sore throat, when *Rhus.t. failed *Rhus.v. acted with excellent effect. Another observer, Butman, says that person who have been poisoned by *Rhus.t. are more liable than others to *Rhus.v. poisoning, *Rhus.v. is ” set to work ” by the *Rhus.t. On the other hand *Rhus. v. in the attenuations is credited with the cure of *Rhus.t. poisoning. Hoyt’s experience is interesting. Wishing to prepare a tincture he went to a swamp and procured some sports. In doing this he had on a pair of buckskin gloves, and kept carefully to the windward side of the plant. Nevertheless in an hour and a half a most intense itching and burning (more burning) set in scrotum and penis. The glans was very painful, slight friction better for a moment the itching but not the burning. The symptoms continued next day. At 11 a.m. he made the tincture, using great caution in manipulating the plant. At 3p.m. itching and burning began on back of right hand. A restless night followed. Awoke in morning with itching, especially on palmar surface of wrists. This spread all over body, symptoms steadily advancing. Dizziness, eyes and ears became affected, fever set in. When the symptoms passed off it was found that some chronic dyspeptic symptoms and inflammation of the eyes had been much benefited. I have frequently used *Rhus.v. with good effect in skin diseases. Bayes told me of a case of universal eczema with intense distress in an old man which he cured in a fortnight with *Rhus.v. A case of pemphigus in a young man of 27 came under my care after years of treatment under allopathic specialists who had given him *Arsenic until they could give no more, telling him at the same time that nothing but *Arsenic could do him any good. *Rhus.v. 3x and 30 completely cured in a few months, and the cure enabled the patient to marry. I have found *Rhus an excellent remedy for arsenical overdosing. A minor use of *Rhus.v. is as a topical remedy in itching, burning chilblains. The O tincture painted on
relieves almost instantly and practically cures the chilblains in a large number of cases. *Rhus.v. has many symptoms referring to the bones, and according to Hering it affects those parts where the bones are directly covered with skin, as the forehead, backs of fingers, &c. There is a “pain half way down the oesophagus” which is probably a variant of the *Rhus “Pain between the shoulders on swallowing food.” *Peculiar Sensations of *Rhus.v. are: Sensation as if mouth and throat had been scalded. As if sand on lips, in mouth. Sensation in arm as if the bone would break. Pains wander about, upward and downward along the periosteum, come and go suddenly, chill runs up back. Butman observed that *blondes are more susceptible to *Rhus.v. poisoning than brunettes. When once affected persons are liable to a renewal of the affection (without further poisoning) each year at the same time. Persons poisoned by *Rhus.t. and *r. are more liable to be poisoned by *Rhus.v. Children are more readily poisoned than adults. Hale records a case bearing on the comparative action of *Rhus.v. with *Rhus.r and *Rhus.t.: A lady had several times every year a sore mouth, with intense redness of mucous membrane of tongue, cheeks and fauces in small vesicular points, intense burning and feeling as if mouth and throat had been scalded. If unchecked every mucous membrane including those of rectum and vagina became involved. No remedy helped till *Rhus was tried. *Rhus-r. and *Rhus. t. only slightly relieved, but *Rhus.v. 3 always removed the affection quickly. Under the name *Rhus vernix E. F. Beckwith relates (*M.A., xx. 369) the poisoning of *Mrs. T. Williams, 32, sandy hair, light complexion, good general health. Twelve years before she had worked all day over a stove in which the wood of Swamp Sumach was burned. She was badly poisoned, was unable to see for four or five days, and was treated with lotions of sugar of lead and butter-milk. Ever since then she had a rash just before the menses, or if she took cold. At the time Beckwith saw her she had a lump in center of left breast, a dense mass occupying nearly one-half the gland substance, which she believed to be cancer, a sister having died of what was said to be cancer of the breast. She had first noticed it, the size of a hazel-nut, six years before when nursing her last child. The symptoms connected with this were also worse before menses and had *Rhus characteristics. The symptoms from this patient I have marked (B) in the Schema. The symptoms were worse by touch and pressure. better. Gently rubbing and scratching. worse Before stools. worse Damp days. worse Hot weather. worse Rest. better Moderate exercise or open air. better Hot bath. Chills in warm room. Washing with cold water or snow better itching on back. worse Mental exercise. Motion worse pain in elbow. Walking worse frontal headache. Eating raw things worse burning of lips. All symptoms worse morning after waking. Diarrhoea 4 a.m. “Pain as if sprained” shows the relation of this *Rhus to sprains. It is most poisonous on hot days in summer, to persons immediately after a meal, and to those in a state of perspiration, my skin was perfectly dry when collecting the juice of *Rhus-v., it had not the slightest effect on me” (Bigelow, quoted by Hale).
Relations
*Antidoted by: Pho., Bryonia, Clem. (itching on hands and genitals, anus, lips, mouth, and nose), Ranunc. (rheumatic pains worse on taking cold), Nit.ac. (sprained pain in right hip). Blue clay applied externally better itching and burning entirely (Hering). Coffee had no effect on the symptoms. *Follows well: Rhus.t. *Compare: Skin and botan., Anc., Comoc. Rhus.r., Rhus.t. Stitching pains, Kali.ca. Wandering pains, Pulsatilla Pains come and go suddenly, Lycopodium Pain at root of tongue, Kali.iod.
Causation
Sprains.
Mind
Great sadness, no desire to live, or do anything, everything seems gloomy. Apprehensive, restless, variable feeling, sometimes cheerful, then hypochondriacal. Cannot connect ideas or concentrate mind, forgetful, dull, stupid.
Head
Dizzy when first getting out of bed (B). Whirling vertigo, much worse evening. Head enormously swollen, eyes closed. Dull, heavy stupefying headache. Sharp pains in parietal bones. Jerk-like drawing here and there in nerves of head. Dull frontal headache, by walking and stooping. Headache as though brain squeezed. worse Stooping (B). Tearing in right temple extending from forehead upwards into left half of head, always seated in the bone, thence to left occiput and down to nape. Jerk-like headache in occiput. Skin of forehead rough, pimples, herpes phlyctenuloides.
Eyes
Eyes nearly closed with great swelling, red. Eyes feel as if being pressed out of head. Eyes ache as though pressed on (B). Eyes feel as if sand in them (B). Smarting, burning irritation and acridity about eyes, profuse lachrymation. Blear-eyes, worse night, cannot read by candle-light (B). Photophobia. Sharp pain in right eye, extending to supraorbital region. Constant dull aching pains in eyeballs. Sight dim. It becomes black before eyes while looking. Flashes of light before eyes (B).
Ears
Transient stitches in right concha. Jerk-like tearing in bone behind right ear. Much earache, hammering-throbbing deep in ear after dark (B). Jerk-like cutting stitches in ear. Vesicular inflammation of ears, exuding a yellow watery serum. Very troublesome deafness. Ringing, rustling, and noises in right ear.
Nose
Nose red and shiny, redness not removed by pressure. Erysipelas. Profuse secretion from right nostril of thin ichorus fluid, left stopped. Both nostrils filled with tenacious mucus. Nose dry, sore. Loss of smell. Nose sore internally coming on a few days before menses, lasting three or four days after (B).
Face
Nose and right side of face much swollen, especially under right eye. Skin of face dry, rough, scurfy, seems thickened and indurated. Face red, swollen, shining, glistening, desire to rub constantly, hot water better and causes peeling. Face more swollen left side then r. Heaviness in swollen face. Boring in right upper jaw. Drawing pains in right upper and lower jaw. Sensation as if sand on lips. Face and especially upper lip swollen. Lips sore, swollen, blistered, cracked. Cannot get lips cool. Itching of upper lip and chin 4 p.m.
