Causticum

▲   GENERAL

General

Manifests its action mainly in chronic rheumatic, arthritic and paralytic affections, indicated by the tearing, drawing pains in the muscular and fibrous tissues, with deformities about the joints; progressive loss of muscular strength, tendinous contractures. Broken down seniles. In catarrhal affections of the air passages, and seems to choose preferable dark-complexioned and rigid-fibered persons. Restlessness at night, with tearing pains in joints and bones, and faint-like sinking of strength. This weakness progresses until we have gradually appearing paralysis. Local paralysis, vocal cords, muscles of deglutition, of tongue, eyelids, face, bladder and extremities. Children are slow to walk. The skin of a Caucasian person is of a Dirty white sallow, with warts, especially on the face. Emaciation due to disease, worry, etc., and of long standing. Burning, rawness, and soreness are characteristic.

▲   MODALITIES ETC

Worse

WORSE, dry, cold winds, in Clear fine weather, Cold air; from motion of carriage.

Better

BETTER, in Damp, wet weather; warmth. Heat of bed.

▲   RELATIONSHIPS

Compare

Compare: Rhus Tox ^Rhus; Arsenicum Album ^Arsenic; Am. Phosphorus ^Phos ( facial paralysis).

Complementary

Complementary: Carboneum Oxygenisatum ^Carbo; Petrosel.

Antidotes

Antidote: Paralysis from lead-poisoning.

▲   MIND

Mind

Child does not want to go to bed alone

Least thing makes it cry

Sad, hopeless

Intensely sympathetic

Ailments from long-lasting grief, sudden emotions

Thinking of complaints, aggravates, especially hemorrhoids.

Symptoms follow intense emotions; ailments from grief

Emotions, feelings, attitude, disposition

anguish

irritability

suspicious

unhappy; grief

unhappy; sadness, mental depression

weeping, crying, tearful mood (lamenting)

at things of little importance; at the least worry, in children

Hurry; while eating

Hysteria

Intellectual faculties

impaired thinking; absent-minded (see forgetful)

impaired thinking; difficulty concentrating

Insecure, uncertain, scared

anxiety

anxiety; with fear

fear; evening

fear; something will happen

frightened easily; starting, startled; during sleep; starting from sleep

Memory; weakness of memory

Restlessness, nervousness

evening

night

▲   HEAD

Head

Sensation of empty space between forehead and brain

Constriction, tension (see also pulling, pressing)

Empty, hollow sensation; in forehead

Headache

Pain in right frontal eminence.

Pain, headache

from cold (including cold parts); from cold air

back of head (occiput)

boring, digging, screwing

stitching, sudden, sharp; temples

tearing, rending; back of head (occiput)

comes on suddenly

extending to other parts; upward

Scalp

Skin and scalp

out-break on skin; back of head (occiput)

out-break on skin; crusts, scabs; back of head (occiput)

▲   EYES

Eyes

Cataract with motor disturbances

Inflammation of eyelids; ulceration

Sparks and dark spots before eyes

Ptosis ( Gelsemium Sempervirens ^Gels.) Vision impaired, as if film were before eyes

Paralysis of ocular muscles after exposure to cold.

Lids

opening eyes difficult

eyes closed; eyes close involuntary

stuck together

Cataract

Discharges of mucus or pus

Heaviness; lids

Inflammation; glandular swellings

Pain

burning, smarting, gnawing, biting; as if sand in eye

as from something in eye; like sand in eye

Paralysis

lids; upper

lids; upper; from cold

of muscles of eyeball

Intolerance of light (photophobia); evening; 6 to 8

Swellings; glandular swellings

Ulceration; conjunctiva (external lining of eye)

Vision

Dim

Foggy

▲   EARS

Ear

Ringing, roaring, pulsating, with deafness; words and steps re-echo; chronic middle-ear catarrh; accumulation of ear-wax.

Discharges from ear

Noises in ear

reverberating, echoes

every sound

with difficult hearing

ringing

roaring

Pain

burning

stitching, sudden, sharp

tearing in

Skin; out-breaks on skin; behind ears

Ear wax; increased

Hearing

Impaired

Lost, deafness

▲   FACE

Face

Paralysis of right side

Warts

Pain in facial bones

Dental fistula

Pain in jaws, with difficulty in opening mouth.

Chilliness

Pain

rheumatic

jaw

joint

opening mouth

sudden, sharp; during chill

tearing

comes on suddenly

Paralysis

from cold

one-sided

after getting wet

Skin

discoloration; yellow

itching (see skin)

out-breaks on skin

acne

acne; chronic, especially nose and cheeks

acne; chronic, especially nose and cheeks; in groups

acne; chronic, especially nose and cheeks; on nose

acne; forehead

acne; nose

crusty, scabby; nose; tip

pimples

pimples; nose

powdery flaking skin

tension of skin; lower jaw

warts

Stiffness, muscles; lower jaw

▲   NOSE

Nose

Scaly nose

Nostrils ulcerated

Pimples and warts.

Nose bleed

Inflammation; tip

Itching

tip

wings

inside

Skin or lining of nose

ulcers; tip

warts

Swelling; tip

Discharge

Coryza, with hoarseness

Running or blocked nose (coryza); blocked

dry

with inflammation larynx

Sneezing; morning

▲   MOUTH

Mouth

Bites inside of cheek from chewing

Rheumatism of articulation of lower jaw

Speech

difficult; from chorea (convulsive twitching, involuntary movements of limbs)

stammering

unable to speak; from paralysis of organs

Gums and teeth

Gums bleed easily.

Swelling; gums

Gums

abscess; frequently recurring

fistula (hole)

Teeth

sensation of elongated teeth

looseness

painful

pain; lower teeth

pain; left

pain; in cold air

pain; when pulled in from air

pain; pulsating

pain; extending to other parts; eyes

pain; extending to other parts; nose

pain; extending to other parts; cheek bone

pain; stitching, sudden, sharp, stinging

pain; tearing

Tongue

Paralysis of tongue, with indistinct speech

Discoloration

tongue; red; stripe down centre

tongue; white; sides

Dryness; tongue

Growths, blisters, swellings

blisters; tongue; painful

blisters; tongue; tip

Paralysis; tongue

▲   THROAT

Throat

Larynx (voice box); paralysis

scraping, clearing

morning

evening

Choking, constricting

Dryness

Hawks often

morning

ineffectual

Irritation; larynx

Mucus

must be swallowed

clinging

thick

white

in the air passages

Pain

on stooping

trachea (wind pipe); on coughing

in a streak down

burning

rawness

larynx; from coughing

trachea (wind pipe, see chest)

sore; trachea (wind pipe); on coughing

Swallowing

constantly

constantly; from thick mucus

Voice

hoarseness

hoarseness; morning

hoarseness; evening

hoarseness; with running nose

hoarseness; overuse of the voice

hoarseness; from talking

lost

from paralysis

singers

sudden

External throat

pain; throat-pit; hawking of mucus

stiffness of sides; right

tension; sides; right

▲   CHEST

Chest

Breast

nipples; cracked nipples

nipples; excoriated (as if grazed, chaffed)

milk; suppressed

Clothing

Constriction, tension

Oppressed feeling; after stool

Pain

during a cough

breast bone

when coughing

rawness

sore, bruised

breast; nipples

stitching, sudden, sharp; sides

stitching, sudden, sharp; breast bone

from lifting

stitching, sudden, sharp; heart

Skin; out-breaks on skin; breast; nipples; herpes

Respiration

Hoarseness with pain in chest; Aphonia

Larynx sore

Cough with raw soreness of chest

Expectoration scanty; Must be swallowed

Cough With pain in hip, especially left worse in evening; Better, drinking cold water; worse, warmth of bed

Sore streak down trachea

Mucus under sternum, which he cannot Quite reach

Pain in chest, with palpitation

Cannot lie down at night

Voice re-echoes

Own voice roars in ears and distresses

Difficulty of voice of singers and public speakers (Royal).

Pain; stitching, sudden, sharp; breast bone; when breathing deeply

Difficult (dyspnea)

breathing in difficult

Rattling

▲   COUGH

Cough

In cold air

Becoming warm in bed

Bending head; bending head forward

Cold drinks

Constant

Sensation as though unable to cough deep enough to start mucus

Distressing

Exhausting cough

Hoarse

Hollow

While lying down

disturbs sleep; woken by cough

Racking

Rattling

When stooping

Tormenting

Violent

▲   EXPECTORATION

Expectoration

Difficult

Mucous

Must swallow what has been loosened

Noticeable taste; greasy

▲   SKIN

Skin

Soreness in folds of skin, back of ears, between thighs

Warts large, jagged, bleeding easily, on tips of fingers and nose

Old burns that do not get well, and ill effects from burns

Pains of burns

Cicatrices freshen up; old injuries reopen

Skin prone to intertrigo during dentition.

Blisters

Gangrene; from burns or gangrenous sores

Abnormal growths

ulcers

burning

ulcers; discharges; corrosive

ulcers; discharges; grey

ulcers; discharges; thin

ulcers; discharges; watery

ulcers; with deep hole (fistula)

ulcers; with jerking pain

ulcers; phagedenic (spreading, obstinate ulceration)

ulcers; generating pus

ulcers; varicose

warts

bleeding

jagged

on stalks

Itching

Out-breaks on skin

blisters

burning

herpetic

burning

herpetic; moist

itching

pimples

rash (see granular)

scabies

scabies; suppressed

scabies; suppressed; with mercury and sulphur

after scratching

tense

tubercles (nodules, knob-like lumps)

like nettle rash

nodular

Pain

burning; after scratching

excoriated (as if grazed, chaffed); between skin folds

Swelling; stinging

Tension

Generally unhealthy

▲   BACK AND NECK

Back and neck

Pain; sore, bruised, beaten; lumbar (lower half of back); coccyx (bottom tip of spine)

Neck

Dull pain in nape of neck.

Pain; neck

Stiffness; neck

Back

Stiffness between shoulders

Pain

rising from sitting

in women; during period

lumbar (lower half of back); on rising from a seat

coccyx (bottom tip of spine)

cramp-like; lumbar (lower half of back)

pulling; coccyx (bottom tip of spine)

pressing; lumbar (lower half of back)

stitching, sudden, sharp, shooting

Skin; itching

Stiffness

painful

rising; from a seat

▲   ABDOMEN

Abdomen

Stomach; Greasy taste

Aversion to sweets

Feels as if lime were burned in stomach

Worse after eating fresh meat; smoked meat agrees

Sensation of ball rising in throat

Acid dyspepsia.

Bloated

in children

painful

Pain

cramping, griping; morning

sudden, sharp (sticking, etc.); behind lower ribs; right

sudden, sharp (sticking, etc.); sides

Bladder

fullness; without desire to urinate

inactivity of bladder

paralysis

forcible retention seems to paralyse the bladder

after excessive swelling

after childbirth, no desire to urinate

retention of urine (see urination delayed); after confinement

retention of urine (see urination delayed); painful

urging to urinate (unhealthy desire); absent

with swollen bladder

urging to urinate (unhealthy desire); ineffectual

urination; dribbling (by drops); involuntary

with retention

urination; involuntary, incontinence; daytime; and night

urination; involuntary, incontinence; night, bed wetting

first sleep

urination; involuntary, incontinence; when blowing the nose

urination; involuntary, incontinence; when becoming cold

urination; involuntary, incontinence; during cough

urination; involuntary, incontinence; laughing

urination; involuntary, incontinence; when sneezing

urination; delayed, difficult; must wait for urine to start

urination; delayed, difficult; must press; a long time before able to start

urination; unconscious; no feeling in urethra (urinary part of genitals)

urination; unsatisfactory (see incomplete and fullness, after urinating)

urination; weakness

Kidneys; pain; cramping

Stomach

desires, cravings; meat; smoked

desires, cravings; smoked things

disordered; after bread

pain; on breathing; when breathing deeply

pain; after eating; bread

pain; clawing

pain; pressing; after bread

Eating

burping, belching; tasting like food

Nausea

nausea; during headache

Vomiting

vomiting; sour

vomiting; water

▲   RECTUM, ANUS, STOOL

Rectum

Constipation

difficult stool

passes stool easier when standing

Constriction, contraction, closure, etc.

Flatulence

loud

offensive

Haemorrhoids

hard

large

touch

walking

Moisture

Pain

while walking

perineum (between rectum and genitals)

burning; after stool

pressing (pressure)

soreness

while sitting

while walking

sticking

Skin and lining

excoriated (as if grazed, chaffed)

excoriated (as if grazed, chaffed); must rub anus until raw

excoriated (as if grazed, chaffed); between buttocks; from walking

fistula (additional hole)

Stool

Soft and small, size of goose-quill ( Phosphorus ^Phos.) Hard, tough, covered with mucus; shines like grease; small-shaped; expelled with much straining, or only on standing up

Pruritis

Partial paralysis of rectum

Rectum sore and burns

Fistula and large piles.

▲   GENITALS ETC

Urine

Involuntary when coughing, sneezing ( Pulsatilla ^Puls.) Expelled very slowly, and sometimes retained

Involuntary during first sleep at night; also from slightest excitement

Retention after surgical operations

Loss of sensibility on passing urine.

Urethra

Urethra (urinary part of genitals); itching; passage

numbness

sensation absent, when urinating

pain

while urinating

pain; burning; during urination

Male

Male

itching; penis

itching; penis; foreskin

itching; scrotum

pain; pressing; testes

pain; stitching, sudden, sharp; testes

Female

Female

vaginal discharge

Womb

Uterine inertia during labor

Genitals

Male

itching

increased cheesy residue under foreskin

Female

pain; labour pains; spasmodic

sexual intercourse; enjoyment absent

sexual intercourse; desire diminished

Menses

Menses cease at night; Flow only during day ( Cyclamen Europaeum ^Cycl.; Pulsatilla ^Puls.) Leucorrhoea at night, with great weakness

(Nat Mur ^Nat-mur.) Menses delay, late ( Conium Mac ^Con.; Graphites ^Graph.; Puls.)

Female

period; first period delayed in girls

period; late

▲   EXTREMITIES, LIMBS

Extremities, limbs

Left-sided sciatica, with numbness

Paralysis of single parts

Dull, tearing pain in hands and arms

Heaviness and weakness

Tearing joints

Unsteadiness of Muscles of forearm and hand

Numbness; loss of sensation in hands

Contracted tendons

Weak ankles

Cannot walk without suffering

Rheumatic tearing in limbs; better by warmth, especially heat of bed

Burning in joints

Slow in learning to walk

Unsteady walking and easily falling

Restless legs at night

Cracking and tension in knees; stiffness in hollow of knee

Itching on dorsum of feet.

Arthritic nodules; finger joints

Awkwardness

lower limbs

lower limbs; stumbling when walking

Coldness; lower limbs; foot

Contraction of muscles and tendons

upper arm

tendons

fingers

lower limbs

thigh; hamstrings

hollow of knee

Cracking noise in joints

knee

knee; when descending stairs

knee; while walking

Cramps

foot

foot; sole

toes

Emaciated, extremely thin; foot

Heaviness; upper limbs

Inflammation; indurated (hard from inflammation); fingers; tendons of

Movements and positions

chorea (convulsive twitching, involuntary movements of limbs)

chorea (convulsive twitching, involuntary movements of limbs); from fear

constant movement; during sleep

trembling

paralysed parts

hand

hand; with pain

hand; while writing

Pain

after slight exertion

rheumatic

joints

gouty

joints; rheumatic

elbow; at bend of elbow; on stretching arm

fingers; joints

hip; left

hip; on coughing

thigh; open air

knee

open air

foot; when warm in bed

foot; back of foot; warmth of bed

foot; sole

pulling; upper limbs

pulling; forearm

pulling; hand

pulling; fingers; joints

pulling; thigh; open air

pulling; thigh; warm in bed

pulling; knee

open air

warmth of bed

pulling; leg; warmth of bed

pulling; foot; open air

pulling; foot; warmth of bed

pressing; shoulder

sore, bruised; upper limbs

sore, bruised; forearm

sore, bruised; lower limbs

sore, bruised; thigh

morning; in bed

between thighs

sore, bruised; leg

morning; in bed

tearing; joints

tearing; upper limbs

tearing; forearm

tearing; hand

tearing; fingers

tearing; lower limbs

open air

warmth

tearing; knee; open air

tearing; knee; warmth of bed

tearing; leg

open air

rheumatic

warmth of bed

tearing; foot

Paralysis

appearing gradually

on one side of body (hemiplegia)

right

after getting wet

upper limbs

hand

right

sensation of paralysis

Restlessness

evening

night

during sleep

upper limbs

night; during sleep

lower limbs; morning, in bed

lower limbs; evening; in bed

lower limbs; night

in bed

lower limbs; leg; morning, in bed

lower limbs; leg; night

lower limbs; leg; during sleep

Skin

chicken pox (see swelling); leg

discoloration; lower limbs; marbled

discoloration; thigh; marbled

discoloration; knee; marbled

excoriated (as if grazed, chaffed); between thighs

itching; like insects crawling on skin; foot; sole of foot

itching; upper limbs

itching; lower limbs

itching; leg

calf

itching; foot; back of foot

out-break on skin

pimples

upper limbs

upper limbs; pimples

lower limbs

lower limbs; blisters

leg; blisters

warts; hand

warts; fingers; tips

warts; fingers; close to nails

Stiffness

joints

during chill

knee

ankle

Swollen

hand; feels swollen, but not visible; when grasping anything

foot

Tension, tightness

elbow; bend of; when extending arm

thigh

hamstrings

knee; hollow of knee

Tingling, prickling, asleep (see numbness); foot; sole

Problems with walking, gait; late learning to walk

Weakness

paralytic

tottering

lower limbs

▲   FEVER AND CHILL

Fever and chill

Night; midnight

Bed

Chilliness (see also whole body; temperature)

Drinking

External; in spots

Internal

With perspiration; after chill

Shaking, shivering, rigors

Sides, one-sided

left

At certain time of day or night; from 12 p.m.

Drinking cold water

With shivering

Stages of chill, heat and sweat; chill then sweat, without intervening heat

▲   INJURIES AND ACCIDENTS

Injuries and accidents

Poisoning; chronic effects of lead poisoning

▲   GENERALITIES

Fatigue

Lethargic, tired; evening

Sleep and dreams

Very drowsy; can hardly keep awake

Nocturnal sleeplessness, with dry heat, inquietude.

Sleepiness, tiredness

Yawning

Convulsions

Convulsions

epileptic

internal

with paralysis

followed by paralysis

Jerking; as in convulsions

Perspiration

Night

Long-lasting

Profuse; while walking; in the open air

Single parts

After stool

Other symptoms worse while perspiring

While walking (see exertion); in open air

Generalities

Evening

Dry weather

Eating and food

after eating

coffee

cold drinks

Faintness, fainting

Flabby feeling

Pain

burning externally

burning externally; parts grasped with the hand

gnawing, biting; internally

jerking; externally

pressing; externally

sudden, sharp; bones

tearing; muscles

Paralysis

gradually appearing

one-sided

right

single parts

Perspiration gives no relief

Pulse; frequent, accelerated, elevated, exalted, fast, innumerable, rapid; evening

Stretching

night

Tension; externally

Temperature (felt and effects of temperature); cold feeling; lack of vital heat

hot feeling

flushes of heat

followed by chill

cold in general

cold air

cold, dry weather

Trembling; rising from sitting, affected parts

Twitching

twitching, involuntary movements (chorea)

twitching, involuntary movements (chorea); from fright

twitching, involuntary movements (chorea); rheumatic

On waking

Walking

From getting wet

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