Carbo Vegetabilis - General symptoms - Clarke

GENERAL

General

Vegetable Charcoal. C (impure). Trituration.

The deodorant and disinfectant properties of charcoal in bulk had already been discovered when Hahnemann was at work on his Materia Medica. Provings with the crude and the potentised substances showed that the latter were much more powerful in their effect on the animal organism. These brought out the fact that there is an exact correspondence between the effect of crude charcoal and potentised Carbo veg. Both are antiseptic and deodorant. The signs and symptoms of decay and putrefaction are the leading indications for its medicinal use Decomposition of food in the stomach.

putrid diseases and ulcerations.

symptoms of imperfect oxygenisation of the blood. Carbo veg. antidotes the effects of putrid meats or fish, rancid fats, salt or salt meats, and also the pathogenetic action of Cinchona, Lachesis ^Lachesis, and Merc Viv ^Mercurius. It is suited to conditions where there is lack of reaction (like Opium).

to low states of the vital powers, where the venous system is engorged.

debility of greater intensity than Carbo Animalis ^{Carbo an}.

to children after exhausting diseases.

to old people. Leading symptoms are Numbness of limbs. Burning pains (as also Carb. an.).

both the products of a burning process).

Great debility as soon as he makes the least effort.

Guernsey considers Carb. v. especially suited to cachectic individuals whose vital powers have become weakened.

In cases where disease seems to have been engrafted on the system by reason of the depressing influence of some prior derangement. "Thus, for instance, the patient tells us that asthma has troubled him ever since he had whooping-cough in childhood.

he has dyspepsia ever since a drunken debauch which occurred some years ago.

he has never been well since the time he strained himself so badly.

the strain itself does not now seem to be the matter, but his present ailments have all appeared since it happened.

he sustained an injury some years ago, no traces of which are now apparent, and yet he dates his present complaints from the time of the occurrence of that accident.

or, again, he was injured by exposure to damp, hot air, and his present ailments result from it." Another form of debility is that following childbirth, causing falling out of hair.

Among other effects of Carbo v. are Aversion to darkness.

Fear of ghosts. Excessive accumulation of gas in stomach and intestines. "Stomach feels full and tense from flatulence." "Great pain in stomach on account of flatulence, agg. especially on lying down." Great desire for air; must be fanned; wants to be fanned hard. agg.

From warmth on the other hand it has cough agg. entering cold air from a warm room. agg.

From brandy. Coldness is characteristic cold breath (as in cholera); cold knees; cold, but wants to be fanned.

The mental state of Carb. v. is one of torpor and indolence, which distinguishes it from Arsenicum Album ^Ars. in many cases; slow thinking; agg. in morning on waking.

Indifference. There is also peevishness; easily angered.

Vertigo from stomach, with fainting, especially at meals.

Lividity is a common indication; mottled skin round ulcers; indolent gangrene; varicose veins of arms, legs, vulva.

Hippocratic countenance; cold breath.

Collapse; with cold knees.

Dull headache in occiput with confusion of mind; proceeding from occiput to forehead dull, heavy aching over eyes; in warm room; buzzing in ears very sensitive to pressure of hat.

The congestive symptoms of Carb. v. are those of poisoning by carbonic acid; pulse thready; face pale, covered with cold sweat; desire to be fanned; anxiety without restlessness; dyspnoea.

Haemorrhages are frequent; epistaxis; haemorrhage from throat in dysentery; from bowels; menorrhagia and metrorrhagia, with burning pains across sacrum and spine; haemorrhage from the lungs; dyspnoea from chronic aortitis.

In intermittents of long standing where quinine has been abused; thirst only during chill; feet ice-cold up to knees; heat in burning flushes; sweat sour or offensive; weak, mind befogged.

A. H. Birdsall has recorded a typical case of Carb. v. intermittent.

A man, 36, had had fever eight months, partially suppressed by Arsenicum Album ^Arsenic and Quinine.

Type, tertian. Headache for one or two hours before chill.

Chill always from 9 to 10 a.m., beginning in feet and hands, spreading over body; nails very blue.

Thirst with chill. Cold stage lasts two to three hours, followed immediately by hot stage; much heat in head and face, which is flushed red; thirstlessness.

Sweating stage short; sweat sour.

Apyrexia sweats easily, especially from least warmth; awakens in morning always with slight sour-smelling sweat.

Weak; dispirited; flatulent.

A single dose of Carb. v. cured.

There were only three more attacks, each of diminished intensity.

There is catarrh from warm, moist atmosphere.

The cough of Carb. v. is agg. on entering cold air from a warm room.

Hoarseness from damp air agg. morning or evening.

Cough caused by a sensation as if Sulphur ^sulphur fumes were in larynx.

There is leucorrhoea, greenish yellow, agg. in morning.

The leucorrhoea excoriates.

Many symptoms occur during menses headache; itching, burning soreness and smarting at vulva and anus; haemorrhoids.

A carbon ointment, made by carbonising a wine cork by plunging it into a clear fire and then, in its still glowing state, into vaseline and mixing thoroughly, is regarded as a sovereign remedy in anal irritation and haemorroidal troubles.

The menstrual discharge is corrosive and has a strong pungent odour.

Premature and profuse.

Preceded and followed by Leucorrhoea.

Perinaeum moist, raw, oozing.

Carbo v. has weak digestion with enormous production of flatulence, amel. by eructations.

Flatulence accompanies many other complaints, as asthma and heart affections.

Heaviness, full feeling and burning.

Aversion to fat, to meat; to milk, which causes flatulence.

Desire for coffee (which does not relieve); for acids; for sweet and salt things.

Effects of alcohol; of fish, especially if tainted; ice-water; vegetables; salt or salt meats.

Disorder from high living, and especially butter-eating.

Burning itching on skin; frozen limbs; chilblains; excoriations between toes.

Tinea capitis or scald-head.

Scalp very sensitive, feels as if bruised.

Whooping-cough with pain at base of brain.

Excessive gagging cough in the morning, compelling him to vomit everything in his stomach immediately after breakfast. Drosera Rotundifolia ^Dros. is complementary to Carbo v. in this.

Enuresis, which is agg. in morning after the first sleep.

Clinical

Acidity. Acne. Angina Pectoris. Aortitis. Aphonia. Asthenopia. Asthma. Breasts, erysipelas of. Bronchitis. Burns. Carbuncle. Catarrh. Chilblains. Cholera. Constipation. Cough. Deafness. Debility. Diarrhoea. Distension. Dysentery. Dyspepsia. Emphysema. Erysipelas. Eructations. Feet, cold. Flatulence. Gangrene. Haemorrhages. Haemorrhoids. Hair, falling out. Headache. Heart, diseases of. Influenzinum ^Influenza. Intermittents. Intertrigo. Irritation. Laryngitis. Lungs, congested. Measles. Mumps. Nose, bleeding of. OEsophagitis. Orchitis. Otorrhoea. Pregnancy, disorders of. Purpura. Scabies. Scurvy. Shiverings. Sleep, disorders of. Starting. Stomach, disordered. Stomatitis. Trachea, dryness of. Tympanites. Typhus. Ulcers. Yellow fever.