Sarsaparilla


Sarsaparilla signs and symptoms of the homeopathy medicine from the Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica by J.H. Clarke. Find out for which conditions and symptoms Sarsaparilla is used…


      Wild Liquorice. The rhizome of several species of Smilax. (The Officinal Sarsae radix is imported from Jamaica.) *N. O. Smilaceae (by some classed as a sub-order of the Liliaceae). Triturations and tincture of the dried rhizome.

Clinical

Asthma. Bladder, affections of. Bones, affections of. Breast, scirrhus of. Bright’s disease. Calculi. Climaxis. Constipation. Dysmenia. Dyspepsia. Dysuria. Enuresis. Eruptions. Eyes, affections of. Faintness. Glands, enlarged. Gonorrhoea. Gout. *Gravel. Hands, chapped. Headache. Hernia. *Herpes, of prepuce. Hiccough. Intermittents. Marasmus. Masturbation, effects of. Melancholia. Mercury, abuse of. Mycosis. Nipples, retracted. Plica polonica. Renal colic. Rhagades. *Rheumatism, gonorrhoeal. Seborrhoea. Spermatic cords, swelling of. Spermatorrhoea. Strangury. Syphilis. Ulcers. Warts.

Characteristics

The dried root or rhizome of *Sarsaparilla, as imported, is of the thickness of a goose quill, many feet in length, reddish brown, scentless, mucilaginous in taste, feebly bitterish, faintly acrid. According to Milne it is “diaphoretic, tonic, alternative. It is given in scrofula and secondary syphilis, and the concomitants of these diseases, such as ulcers, cutaneous eruptions, nodes, indurated glands, caries, necroses, articular swellings, and rheumatism, often improve under a protracted course of it.” Some, he adds, “think it a kind of restorative after an exhausting course of *Mercury.” This well summarizes the ancient reputation of *Sarsaparilla as a “blood purifier,” which Hahnemann’s proving has amplified and put on a fixed scientific basis. *Sarsaparilla meets the sycotic as well as the psoric (scrofulous) and syphilitic constitution, and it is “restorative” after over-dosing with *Mercurius Because it is a homoeopathic antidote to *Mercurius The chief localities of the action of *Sarsaparilla are: The urinary organs, genitals, rectum, skin and bones, right lower extremity, right lower side, inner semilateral head. In the urinary sphere there are symptoms which are very severe and also peculiar: There is great pain at end of micturition, *just as the urine ceases to flow, inability to pass water freely except in the standing position, when sitting in only dribbles, excessive pain in urethra which may run back into abdomen, passage of gravel which looks like grey sand. Many cases of renal colic and dysuria in infants with passage of sand have been cured with Sarsaparilla Gonorrhoea and the effect of suppressed gonorrhoea have also been cured with it, herpes preputialis, spermatorrhoea, with swollen cords. In the female generative sphere it has many symptoms on painful and disordered menstruation. A peculiar symptoms is “moist eruption in right groin before menses.” There are moist eruptions also on scrotum and thighs of the male, and offensive odour about genitals in both sexes. The semen may be bloody. In all cases if the other symptoms are associated with the peculiar urinary symptoms of *Sarsaparilla, this will be a strong corroborative indication. The skin is severely affected by *Sarsaparilla One of its popular uses is for “clearing the complexion.” When it succeeds it is by virtue of its homoeopathicity, for I have seen a very extensive crop of blotches produced by it in a young lady. *Sarsaparilla produces herpetic eruptions in all parts, and tettery eruptions, moist and dry. Rhagades.Itch-like eruptions prone to

appear in spring. Itching eruption on forehead during menses. It causes great emaciation, causing the skin to be shrivelled and lie in folds. It is *suited to children with faces like old people and enlarged abdomens, to dark-haired persons to lithic or sycotic diathesis. Farrington gives these indications: (1) *Sycotic eruption, little spots scarcely raised above the skin, often scaling a little, but looking like the roseola of syphilis and itching intolerably, worse in spring. (2) Moist eruption on scalp, the pus from which causes inflammation of any part it touches. (3) *Sycotic headache, beginning at back of head, coming forward and settling at root of nose, with swelling of nose. (4) Moist eruption about genitals or between scrotum and thighs. *Sarsaparilla Has many symptoms relative to the female breast, and scirrhus of the breast has been cured with it. The nipples are soft, unexcitable, they are retracted and cannot be made to come out. Retraction of the nipples is a suspicious sign even when there is no appearance of tumour, and *Sarsaparilla should be helpful in patients of cancerous history when this condition is present. This shrivelling of the nipples is part of the shrivelling, withering, wrinkling, and hanging in folds which characterizes the skin generally. Burnett (*H. W., xv. 62) records the case of Miss X., 32, whom he found ill in bed and in great pain. There was vomiting of bitter matter, diarrhoea, and fainting, the initial stage of a painful period. Conjunctivae yellow, and apparently a sharp upset of the liver. *Card. m. O removed the pains and vomiting, *Chelidonium 1 relieved tenderness of the liver which remained. The patient had painful menses for twenty years, that is, continuously from the commencement, except one year when at school at Tunbridge Wells. She used to begin, generally early in the morning, with bitter vomiting, diarrhoea and fainting fits, with exceedingly cold perspiration, the pain in back, thighs, and hypogastrium she described as dreadful. She had to lie down the first day, the second day the pain continued still very bad, and went off on the third. The *left nipple was considerably retracted, arising from a fall when patient was a little child, and in addition to the above-named symptoms she had severe pain in left breast extending down left arm, and the breast was so tender that she would often hold her hand in front of it to ward off any contact. Twenty-four powders, each containing *Sarsaparilla 30 gtt. i., were ordered, one at bedtime. The next flow was *painless, but the breast was as painful as ever. Twelve doses of *Sul. 30 were given in as many days, and then *Sarsaparilla 30 again. The painful menstruation remained cured, but the breast was unchanged. Twenty-four powders were now ordered, the first, twelfth, and eighteenth containing each ten globules of *Sarsaparilla 100, the rest unmedicated. Patient reported: The first two or three weeks she thought she had taken a severe cold, as she had such a peculiar pain between the shoulders as if the flesh were taken hold of and twisted round. After a few days it got better, and “there has been scarcely any pain in the part since.” The retraction of the nipple seemed to Burnett a little less. With the same remedy Skinner (*ibid.) cured many cases of retraction or flattening of the nipple in nursing women. On two occasions with high potencies of *Sarsaparilla he enabled a lady to nurse her child when it was utterly hopeless without the simillimum. *Peculiar Sensations are: As if in a dream. As of a great weight in head. Buzzing as if a large bell had been struck in head. As if he had been hit with a hammer on top of head. As if something pressing on head. As if gauze spread over left eye. As if a grain of sand in eye. As of a needle pricking point of nose. Face as if bruised. Jaw as if being broken. As if he had eaten nothing [*Sar. Has the “sinking” sensation of the great antipsorics.] As if diarrhoea would come on. As if bowels were pressed out. As if bound down to bed by a sort of suction. As if

breath were stopped by a spasm. Breast-bone as if bruised. As if chest were too short. As if tips of fingers ulcerated, or as if salt were put on a wound. Limbs as if paralysed. There is general sensitiveness. Pains shoot in different directions. Anxiety accompanies the pains of Sarsaparilla, and the pains causes depression. The symptoms are worse by touch, pressure, tight clothes, scratching. Scratching causes itching to begin in another place, causes eruption on forehead to become humid. Rest better, motion Worse lying down worse asthmatic breathing. Sitting worse. Standing better (difficult micturition). Stooping causes pains from occiput to forehead. Walking worse. Worse Going up (or down) stairs. Many symptoms are worse on moving. worse in spring. Warmth better. Warm diet worse. Cold diet better. Warm room worse vertigo. Entering cold air from warm room causes rash. Cold air ameliorates pain in molars. Cold, wet weather worse. Washing worse. Chilliness worse. Seminal emission worse dim sight. Bread worse. Yawning worse.

Relations

*Antidoted by: Belladonna, Mercurius *It antidotes: Mercurius *Compatible: Cep., Hepar, Pho., Rhus, Sepia, Sul. *Complementary: Mercurius, Sepia *Compare: In sycosis, warts, Thuja, Acid nitricum Herpes, Natrum mur., Petroleum “Gone” feeling, Sepia Emaciation, Abrotanum, Iodium, Nat., Sanicula Dry, flabby skin, Barayta carbonica, Opium Pain at end of urination, Berberis, Equis., Medorrhinum, Thuja Urine passed without sensation (unknown to

patient), Causticum Sand on diaper, child screams before and whilst urinating, Brx., Lycopodium Excruciating pains from right kidney downwards, Lycopodium, Ocim. Nipples withered, unexcitable, Silicea Itching eruption on forehead during menses, Eug. j., Sanguinaria, Psorinum Bloody emissions, Ledum, Mercurius, worse Going up or down stairs, better on level, Cannabis sativa (Brx. Worse going down stairs). Faintness during or connected with stool, Ap., Nux-m., Pul., Spi., Verbascum (with *scanty stool, Croton tiglium, Dulcamara, Ox. Ac., Pet., Sul.). Swelling of spermatic cords from unrequited sexual excitement, Mag. mur. Antidotes to Mercurius, Belladonna, Camph., Carb. v., Chi., Dulcamara, Electric., Hepar, Hyoscyamus (loss of voice), Lachesis, Lycopodium, Opium, Mez., Acid nitricum, Sepia, Silicea, Sul. Stench on genitals, Mercurius, Sanicula (Sanicula of fish brine). Plica polonica, right side, distension after eating a little, Lycopodium ameliorates Cold diet, Pho. ameliorates Loosening cravat, Lachesis Flickering before eyes with headache, Ir-v., Kali- bi.

John Henry Clarke
John Henry Clarke MD (1853 – November 24, 1931 was a prominent English classical homeopath. Dr. Clarke was a busy practitioner. As a physician he not only had his own clinic in Piccadilly, London, but he also was a consultant at the London Homeopathic Hospital and researched into new remedies — nosodes. For many years, he was the editor of The Homeopathic World. He wrote many books, his best known were Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica and Repertory of Materia Medica