Long-leaved Water Hemlock: Cowbane.
Introduction
HAHNEMANN gives “symptoms, which can only be regarded as a commencement of a thorough proving of the peculiar effects of this powerful plant, in altering the human health.”
He says, “further and more complete provings will show that it is useful in rare cases where no other remedy is homoeopathically suited, and particularly in chronic cases.
“Traditional medicine has never made any internal use of Cicuta; for when Cicuta was prescribed, as it was very often some years ago, it was actually Conium maculatum that was meant by that name.
“The juice of the fresh root (for it has little action when dried) is so powerful that ordinary practitioners did not dare to give it internally in their accustomed big doses, and consequently had to do without it and its curative power.
“Homoeopathy alone knows how to employ with advantage this powerfully remedial juice in the decillion-fold dilution (30th).”
GUERNSEY says, “Think of this remedy for convulsions which are excessively violent-whether epileptic, cataleptic, clonic or tonic; eclampsia.”
NASH. “Another remedy characterized by its excessively VIOLENT convulsions. The patient is thrown into all sorts of odd shapes and violent contortions, but one of the most invariable is the bending of head, neck and spine backwards, opisthotonos. It is on this account that it was tried for cerebrospinal meningitis. Dr. Baker, of Moravia, N.Y., cured, during an epidemic of this dreadful disease, sixty cases of all degrees of malignancy without the loss of single cases. He thinks it is as near a specific for this disease as can be.”
Also a good remedy for the effects of concussion of brain or spine, if spasms are in the train of chronic effects, and Arnica does not relieve. In the affections for which Cicuta is useful the actions of the patient are as violent as the spasms; moans and howls, makes gesticulations and odd motions, great agitation, etc.
Also wonderful for skin affections, “pustules which run together, forming thick yellow scabs on face, head and other parts of the body. I once had a case of eczema capitis in a young woman-it was of long standing-which covered the whole scalp, solid, like a cap. I gave her Cicuta 200h and cured her completely in a very short time.”.
BLACK LETTER SYMPTOMS
(Hahnemann, Allen, and Hering.)
Absence of thought, difficulty of recollecting himself, deprivation of the senses.
Anxiety: violently affected by sad stories.
Moaning, whining and howling.
Tranquillity of mind; he was extremely satisfied with his position and with himself, and very cheerful (curative secondary effect).
Likes childish toys: jumps from bed in a happy, childish state.
Very violent in all his actions.
Anxious thoughts of the future: feels sad.
Anxiety: excessively affected by sad stories.
Mistrust and shunning of men: despises others.
Vertigo: staggering.
Pressive, stupefying headache, externally on the forehead, more when at rest.
Concussion of brain and chronic effects therefrom, especially spasms.
Head bent backwards with convulsions.
Violent shocks through head, arms and legs, which cause them to jerk suddenly: head hot.
Pupils first contracted, then very dilated.
Dilated and insensible.
Convergent strabismus in children, if periodic or spasmodic, or caused by convulsions-blow or fall.
Convulsions of facial muscles; distortions either horrible or ridiculous.
Lockjaw.
After swallowing a sharp piece of bone, or other injuries to oesophagus the throat closes, and there is danger of suffocation.
Inability to swallow.
Hiccough.
Burning pressure in stomach, and abdomen
Throbbing in pit of the stomach, which is swollen as large as a fist.
Sudden shock in pit of stomach which causes opisthotonos.
Distension and painfulness of abdomen.
Colic with convulsions and vomiting.
Frequent call to urinate.
Trembling palpitation of heart.
Feels as if heart stopped beating; sometimes faint feeling therewith.
Tension or cramp in muscles of neck: if he turns head, cannot easily turn it back again.
Pain in nape, spasmodic drawing of head backwards, with tremor of hand.
The back bent backwards like an arch.
Painful sensation on inner surface of scapulae.
Complete powerlessness of limbs, after spasmodic jerks.
Frequent involuntary jerking and stitches in arms and fingers.
A red vesicle on right scapula, very painful when touched.
General convulsions. Epilepsy.
Frightful epilepsy.
Frightful distortion of the limbs and whole body.
Convulsions with wonderful distortion of limbs; head turned backwards, back bent as in opisthotonos.
Frightful convulsions. (Epileptic fits, with swelling of stomach, as from violent spasm of the diaphragm.) Hiccough: screaming: redness of face: trismus.
Loss of consciousness, and distortion of limbs.
Tonic spasm renewed from slightest touch: opening door; loud talking.
An elevated eruption over whole face (and on both hands, as big as peas) which causes a burning pain when touched* *Hahnemann says, “I have cured chronic pustular, confluent eruption on the face with only a burning pain, with one or two doses of a small portion of a drop of the juice, but did not venture to administer a second dose under three or four weeks, if the first was not sufficient.”
Vivid dreams about events of day.
Vivid unremembered dreams.
Frequent waking out of sleep, in which he perspired all over, but from which he felt strengthened.
They all wish to come near the warm stove.
ITALIC SYMPTOMS; QUEER SYMPTOMS
Aberration of mind, singing, performing most grotesque dancing steps, shouting.
Represented to himself as dangerous everything that would happen to him.
Feels as if he were in a strange place. (Opium-Compare. Bryonia)
He did not think he was living in ordinary conditions: everything appeared strange and almost frightful.
Depreciation and contempt of mankind: fled from his fellows: was disgusted with their follies.
Want of trust in people and anthropophobia: suspicious.
Or,-he felt like a child of seven or eight years old, objects were very dear and attractive to him, as toys are to a child.
Keeps staring: at the same place; cannot help doing so. Has not full command of her senses if she compels herself forcibly, by turning away her head, to cease having her eyes directed on the object, she loses consciousness, and all becomes black before eyes.
Staring look. Stares with unaltered look at one and the same place.
Suddenly consciousness returns and she remembers nothing of what has occurred.
Vertigo. Objects seem to move in a circle:- to move hither and thither, though they retain their right shape.
Must seat herself more firmly, because she sees nothing firm or steady about her; thinks she is herself unsteady. Imagines she is swaying: everything swings backwards and forwards like a pendulum. When she has to stand still, she wishes she could lay hold of something: objects seems to come near, and then recede again from her.
Falls to the ground: falls and rolls about.
Neck feels stiff and muscles too short.
Most violent tonic spasms, so that neither the curved limbs could be straightened, nor the straight limbs curved.
Head retracted or bent forward and stiff.
Heart seems to stop.
Jerking of head.
As if throat had grown together.
Walks with feet turned inward, swings feet with each step, describing the arc of a circle.
Thumbs turned inward during epilepsy.
In epilepsy, spasm renewed from slightest touch or jar. (Nux vomica, Strych., Belladonna)
On waking, brain feels loose and shaking.
Useful after concussion of brain: after wounding oesophagus, where there is spasm that prevents swallowing. [Although the epileptic and other convulsions are very violent, yet many of the symptoms suggest petit mal.]
“Acts particularly on the nervous system: a cerebro-spinal irritant, producing tetanus, epileptic and epileptiform convulsions, trismus and local tonic and clonic spasms in general.”
KENT says, “This remedy is of most extreme interest because of its convulsive tendency. It puts the whole nervous system into such a state of increased irritability that pressure on a part causes convulsions.
“Convulsions extend from centre to circumference. The convulsions spread from above downwards, and thus it is the opposite of Cuprum. The convulsions of Cuprum spread from the extremities to the centre: the little convulsions, cramps, are first felt in fingers, then hands, later in chest and whole body. In Cicuta the little convulsions of head, eyes and throat spread down the back with violent contortions.
“Read the mental symptoms: at times knows no one, but when touched and spoken to answers correctly. Suddenly consciousness returns and he remembers nothing of what has occurred. Imagines himself a young child: everything is confused and strange. Voices-places-strange. After cataleptic state feels like a child and acts like one: plays with toys. Memory a blank for hours or days, with or without convulsions. (Nat. mur.) Nux mosch. is another remedy that has such a complete blank when going about, doing things.
“Wants to eat coal-raw potatoes.
“Between the convulsions the patient is mild, gentle, placid, yielding, reverse of Nux and Strych. Nux has convulsions all over the body, worse for touch and draught, blueness: BUT, between the convulsions the patient is very irritable.
