Materia Medica

Thuja Occidentalis

Written by Dr. Manisha Bhatia

Dr. Manisha Bhatia gives us a rich description of the personality & materia medica of Thuja occidentalis. It’s a homeopathic remedy for warts, tumors, overgrowths, asthma, allergies etc. Thuja occidentalis is a polychrest anti-sycotic remedy.

Thuja occidentalis belongs to the family coniferae. The common name of Thuja is Arbor vitae, which means the tree of life. It was used earlier as an astringent, diuretic and as an expectorant. But it was Dr. Hahnemann who unfolded its life-saving and life-prolonging properties to signify its name, a real tree of life.

Thuja occidentalis

Thuja occidentalis

The history of Thuja occidentalis is somewhat novel. Hahnemann received a case where a patient complained of some symptoms similar to gonorrhea, like purulent discharge from urethra, small pimples and itching about glans penis etc. Hahnemann diagnosed his patient with contracted gonorrhea, but the patient stoutly denied the claim. Hahnemann did not give any medicine to him and asked him to report in three days. To his surprised, the patient came back well. Then the young fellow disclosed the fact that a few days before, he picked some leaves of Arbor Vitae and chewed them. This led Hahnemann to investigate the properties of Thuja occidentalis.  This is the reason that Thuja is indicated in cases coming from suppressed or maltreated gonorrhea.

Thuja patients are very secretive; they will not permit themselves to be even looked at. They do not trust anybody easily and do not portray themselves truthfully. This will not happen suddenly; usually the patient suffers with low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness. These inner doubts make the patient portray a pleasing and expected image to the world. This hiding of unpleasant aspects leads to a secretiveness. Patient learns to not display their real character anymore. You as a doctor always feel that some information is lacking or purposely withheld by the patient . Thuja occidentalis patients are very reserved and suspicious. They do not allow any type of deep communication, as they are mistrustful  and worry what might happen if they entered into deep communication. That is why they learn the art of manipulation.

Thuja occidentalis is a remedy which tends to alter the sycotic constitution, by changing the soil in which elements of the disease grow.  There are three main precursors to the chronic conditions calling for Thuja: (1) Suppressed gonorrhea. (2) Suppressed warts. (3) Vaccination. If gonorrhea is checked by injection, by cold or by any other influence, constitutional symptoms may arise which call for Thuja. Thuja occidentalis has a marked relationship to the smallpox vaccine, but has a lesser capacity to remove the untoward effects of other immunizations.

Regarding the nervous system, Thuja personality exhibits a manner which is hurried and impatient. Their movements are unnaturally active and hurried. There is a form of insanity or mania for which we  find Thuja the only remedy, and that is one where there is a fixed idea in the patient’s mind that he is made of some brittle substance, and he will be broken if touched. Or, he thinks that his body and soul are separated, or that a stranger is by his side. Another singular characteristic of Thuja occidentalis is one that was first met with in an old maid. She experienced a sensation as though a living child were in her abdomen.

The action of the drug on the nervous system is further shown in various forms of neuralgia. Thus it is indicated in the form of headache in which the patient has a sensation as though a nail were being driven into the vertex, or into the frontal eminences.

Thuja occidentalis is an excellent remedy for cases of gonorrhea where the discharge is thin and greenish, and there is scalding pain during urination. After urination there is a sensation as if a few drops of urine ran down the urethra. Warts or condylomata appear on the genitals, at the anus, about the perineum and upon mucous surfaces. In the female organs, there are cauliflower like excrescences or fungus growths of venereal origin. There is thick green leucorrhoea. Thuja occidentalis is of great use when articular rheumatism or prostatitis like complications result after the suppression of gonorrhea.

The hair is dry and split at the end; the scalp becomes scaly and covered with dry scurf. Also, Iritis with inflamed eyelids with a discharge that is thick and green. Teeth decay at the edge of the gums, the crowns being apparently normal. Pyorrhea, ranula and varicose veins on tongue and mouth. These are some of the local complaints which occur in the sycotic soil and respond well to thuja.

Thuja patients are hard people. The hardness of their emotional expressions in thuja personality manifest even on the physical level, as hard tumors.  Thuja has the singular property of softening hard tissue, even tissue naturally hard, as the nails. The warts may have a seedy look, or they may be of a cauliflower shape.

As regards physical generals, Thuja patients are chilly and worse from cold. There is general aggravation from damp weather. Perspiration is oily and sweet smelling, or sometimes offensive. Patient shows specific intolerance to onions. There is craving and aversion to onions and garlic.

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About the author

Dr. Manisha Bhatia

M.D. (Hom), CICH (Greece)
Dr. (Mrs) Manisha Bhatia is a leading homeopathy doctor working in Jaipur, India. She has studied with Prof. George Vithoulkas at the International Academy of Classical Homeopathy. She is the Director of Asha Homeopathy Medical Center, Jaipur's leading clinic for homeopathy treatment and has been practicing since 2004.

She writes for Hpathy.com about homeopathic medicines and their therapeutic indications and homeopathy treatment in various diseases. She is also Associate Professor, HoD and PG Guide at S.K. Homeopathy Medical College. To consult her online, - visit Dr. Bhatia's website.

27 Comments

  • Dear Doctor,
    This was a very good article that has clarified many aspects about Thuja. Thanks for providing article that was full of knowledge.

    Mahesh

  • Very very impressive article and useful. Thanks for article regarding thuja. My wife has a ball/tumor on front of shoulder and she is taking thuja. please let me know Doctor is this remedy good too.

  • Dear Author,
    excellent picture of Thuja’s remedy; I completly agree with the mental state.That remember me a very young patient with Crhon disease, very secretive and longing for anonimity but intrusive toward others because she told me, during the first visit :”when I’m intruding in other’s affairs I avoid to think to myself”.
    Thank You for the article
    best regards- Salvatore Piraneo

  • daer dr i have nasal polys some one told me take thuja but when i went to homeopathic drug store shopkeeper askint me that in what potency u need it. so dear doctor kindly help me in this regard i wait for ur son reply…

  • Dear Doctor,
    It is a pleasure to see a more or less complete picture of the remedy “Thuja”in your article. I am a homoeopath too. Lately I got the opportunity to treat a lady suffering from genital warts. Allopaths term it some kind of viral disease. Whatever they call it-I collected the symptoms and found thuja suitable for the patient. she aquired the disease from her husband who is the carrier of the disease. The lady experienced the symptoms right after she got her 1st pregnency. Thuja 30 cured her in 18 months.
    Thank you for your article.

    Best regards,

    Dr.Shah Alam D.H.M.S. Dhaka, Bangladesh

  • Dear Doctor: My son has been suffering from symptoms of acute discomfort in the penis area since being with a woman who had gonorrhea. This has been going on several years now. Very uncomfortable pain in the penis and surrounding areas. The alopathic doctors are telling him every thing is normal. If he were to try this treatment what is the strength and dosage he should take to relieve this condition. He is very depressed and needs treatment soon. I am worried as a mother. Thank you for this imformation. Many will benefit. Sincerely, Ruth

  • This article was very useful for me to understand a Thuja. DR. Manisha I wish to read more of your articles especially materia medica. Kindly inform me how do I find the same. I tried the search option but could not find articles by you. Awaiting your reply. Thank You.

  • Thanks to Dr Manisha Bhatia for very beautiful article on Thuja. Very nicely explained. We hope she will continue writing more such articles.

  • Hello Sir
    I am suffering for pimple.my age is 21+.Some pimples are big in size and are pus filled.Some burst out with a little blood also.Touching the pimples is very painful.Which medicines should I take? Please help me sir.

  • You have given very valuable information. Thank you very much for your service to people who are suffering from various diseases.

    • My son Manjunath 41 years old is suffering from Multiple sceloris.It may be due to small pox vaccine given to him when he was ,5 months old. Since then he is suffering . During those days we had not heard the term Multiple Sceloris. Now a homeopath is giving Thuja 1 M. Is it okay? Can he take this every day? Is it dangerous to take everyday?

      • I would not take it every day. A potency like that is meant to be taken once, after which you have to observe for, perhaps, a month’s time, to see if any changes take place.

  • Thuja extremely emotional dionysos twisted dual personality when angry head congestion better by uncovering head esp evening with oily sweating.David Lilley classifies it as snake plant inside feeling something malicious outside show maha spiritual.Male with female voice and female with hoarse voice plus hair on unwanted parts.Blames parents.Face distended veins.Atrophy long muscles hips give way limbs feel paralyzed.Fastidious like arsenic.What a complicated chilly person with social phobia.How to deal such persons only top grade homeopath will fitin.

  • Hi
    You mentioned , thuja can soften hard tissues . What about tissues hardened due to scarring. How effective is this remedy for urethral stricture

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