Causticum - General symptoms - Hahnemann

GENERAL

General

CAUSTIC SUBSTANCE.

Lime, in the state of marble, owes its insolubility in water and its mildness to an acid of the lowest order which is combined with it.

when heated to red heat the marble allows this acid to escape as a gas. During this process the marble, as burned lime, has received (besides the latent heat) another into its composition, which substance, unknown to chemistry, gives to it its caustic property as well as its solubility in the water, whereby we obtain lime-water. This substance, though itself not an acid, gives to it its caustic virtue, and by adding a fluid acid (which will endure fire), which then combines with the lime by its closer affinity, the watery caustic (Hydrastis Canadensis ^Hydras Caustici?) is separated by distillation.

Take a piece of freshly burned lime of about two pounds, dip this piece into a vessel of distilled water for about one minute, then lay it in a dry dish, in which it will soon turn into powder with the development of much heat and its peculiar odor, called lime-vapor. Of this fine powder take two ounces and mix with it in a (warmed) porcelain triturating bowl a solution of two ounces of bisulphate of potash, which has been heated to red heat and melted, cooled again and then pulverized and dissolved in two ounces of boiling hot water. This thickish mixture is put into a small glass retort, to which the helm is attached with wet bladder.

into the tube of the helm is inserted the receiver half submerged in water.

the retort is warmed by the gradual approach of a Carbo Veg ^charcoal fire below and all the fluid is then distilled over by applying the suitable heat. The distilled fluid will be about an ounce and a half of watery clearness, containing in concentrated form the substance mentioned above,.

it smells like the lye of caustic potash. On the back part of the tongue the caustic tastes very astringent, and in the throat burning.

it freezes only in a lower degree of cold than water, and it hastens the putrefaction of animal substances immersed in it. When Muriate of Baryta Carb ^Baryta is added, the causticum shows no sign of Sulphuricum Acidum ^{sulphuric acid}, and on adding oxalate of ammonia it shows no traces of lime.

Of this distillate put one drop in vial filled about 2/3 with 99 or 100 drops of alcohol, potentize the mixture by ten successive strokes and continue in this manner through 29 similar vials with alcohol, developing each attenuation and potency with ten successive strokes, carrying it to the decillionth (causticum X) dynamic development. One or at most two of the smallest pellets moistened with this fluid constitute the dose of this mighty antipsoric.

the duration of its action often extends far beyond 50 days.

In the second volume of the "" there is mentioned a (less pure) preparation of causticum under the name of Caustic-tincture, but the proving of Causticum as to its peculiar effects on the changes of human health was yet very imperfect. But after I had recognized its antipsoric virtues, its proving was completed in the following list of symptoms, and thus the homoeopathic selection of this great antipsoric for the appropriate cases was rendered possible, which with the lesser number of symptoms was frequently impossible without making injurious mistakes.

As an antidote to its too violent action with very excitable patients, smelling of sweet spirits of nitre will serve, presumably also the tincture of crude coffee.

Causticum may be advantageously repeated after the intermediate use of other antipsoric remedies, when it is again homoeopathically indicated; but it should always be used in a different degree of potency.

In healing the diseases to which this medicine is homoeopathically appropriate, the following symptoms were either relieved or removed

Hypochondriac dejection.

melancholy. sorrowful thoughts at night and weeping by day.

anxiety. distrust of the future.

hopelessness. tendency to get frightened.

passionateness. peevishness.

dizzy vertigo. dull, gloomy pressure in the brain occupying the head.

shooting in the head. stitches in the temples.

shooting in the upper part of the head with rigid fullness.

lachrymation. inflammation of the eyes.

. incipient amaurosis.

dark webs floating before the eyes.

flickering before the eyes.

growling and humming before the ears and in the head.

roaring in the ears. eruption on the tip of the nose.

old warts on the nose or eyebrows.

painful teeth, protruding from their sockets.

chronic suppuration of some one spot on the gums.

fistula dentalis. mucous troubles in the fauces and behind the palate.

mucous expectoration through hawking or a hacking cough.

repugnance to sweet things.

qualmishness like fainting fits.

vomiting of sourish water.

pressure on the stomach after eating bread.

pressing and griping in the stomach.

cramp-like pains in the stomach.

stitches in the scrobiculus cordis.

pressure in the epigastrium.

pressure in the whole of the abdomen after eating.

distention of the belly in children.

inflation of the abdomen.

obstruction of flatus with hard stool.

chronic constipation. tough stool, shining like fat.

light-colored and white stool.

during stool, cutting in the rectum.

during stool discharge of blood.

itching of the anus. protrusion of the varices of the rectum.

fistula of the rectum in the nates.

urging to urinate, with thirst.

. many pollutions. lack of erections.

. menses too scanty. soreness between the legs and the pudenda.

. continual stuffed coryza.

chronic hoarseness short cough.

inability to eject the detached mucus.

short breathing. painful stiffness of the back, chiefly when rising from a seat.

stiffness in the nape of the neck and the sacrum.

drawing and tearing in the scapulae.

rigidity in the nape of the neck.

swelling of the cervical glands like a goitre.

drawing in the arms. eruptions on the arms.

pressive pain above the elbow.

sensation of fullness in the hand in grasping.

shooting in the fingers, extending to the elbows.

pains in the sole of the foot the back, the ankles and toes of the feet when walking.

. pain in the distended veins and varices.

unsteadiness in the walk of a child, and tendency of same to fall.

restless in the body. palpitation.

. anxious dreams. chilliness.

sensitiveness to cold.

night-sweat.

The names of those who contributed to the following symptoms are indicated by the following abbreviations; . ; . ; ., ; ., ; ., ; ., ; ., ; ., ; ., .

The pathogenesis of Causticum has quite a history belonging to it. In the (1805) Hahnemann published thirty symptoms as obtained by him from a substance he called "Acris tinctura." In the first and second editions of the appears a more extensive pathogenesis of this preparation now called "Aetzstoff Tinctur- Tinctura acris sine Kali." To this (in its latest form containing 307 symptoms) belong the observations of Becher, Franz, Hartmann, Hermann, Hornburg, Langhammer and Stapf and over 100 of Hahnemann's. In the third edition (1833) the drug is not included, and consequently it is not to be found in Dudgeon's translation of the work. This was because in 1830 Hahnemann had transferred its pathogenesis to the where it has 1014 symptoms, among which are those already published, the new ones being furnished by himself and Rummel. It is now called simply AEtzstoff" or "Causticum," and is differently prepared. In Volume III of their Hartlaub and Trinks give, from Nenning's hand, nine symptoms from the older and seventy-three from the newer preparation. From these materials with Hahnemann's own later observation is made up the symptom list now translated.

CAUSTICUM.

The first twelve hours, cheerfulness, light-hearted mood, easy flow of ideas.

but after twenty-one hours (in the morning, on awaking, and the whole forenoon) anxious, tremulous, sleepy obtuse in the head, with pressive heaviness in the occiput and in the forehead, heaviness in the limbs, with almost constant pains in the joints and muscles in the fingers, arms, shoulders, knees and feet.;.

So far it seems to have been a curative action on a previous opposite state of mind and spirit.

* * * * *

A stitch, first, one continuing for eight minutes on the lower part of the sternum on inspiring and expiring, then a stitch in the sternum continuing all the forenoon with alternating violence, most observable on expiration.

this stitch was connected with a constant dull stitch in the left shoulder joint, which was also most sensible at expiration.

Drawing pain, extending from the wrist through the metacarpal bone into the little finger, in the tip of which it is most severe.

on stretching out the hand, the pain is even greater, and involuntarily draws the finger together, while the drawing from the wrist also seizes upon the other fingers, and gradually draws them all double, sometimes more, sometimes less.

Eruptions of the size of a pin's head, with hollow tip.

without moisture, on forehead, nape, scapulae, arms, hypogastrium, especially on the thighs and in the houghs.

they itch especially when warm, and especially in the warmth of the bed.

when not warm, they, being white, are hardly visible in the skin.

but when scratched, they come out quickly, and when scratched open, they leave red spots of larger size.

for five days (aft. 16 d.).

Attack of spasms. in slumber, in the evening in bed, he felt that he could not rightly move his tongue, the raised himself screaming, but fell back again, stretched out his arms and legs, then he moved them, contorted his eyes, gnashed his teeth.

at the same time saliva flowed from his mouth and he was icy cold.

after a quarter of an hour his consciousness returned, but with it, great anxiety.

this recurred after three quarters of an hour.

with flighty thoughts and a heavy tongue.

all of this went off on drinking a mouthful of cold water.

Attack (of uterine spasm).

pains, now in the hypogastrium, then in the stomach, now in the chest, then again in the sacrum, which compelled her to bend double.

she could not straighten herself without the most violent pains, could bear no clothes in the region of the stomach, and could not eat even things most easily digested, without getting the most violent pains in the abdomen and stomach.

only warmed stones placed upon the parts gave her momentary relief.

everything in her abdomen felt as if crammed full.

as if it would burst open, with continual ineffectual effort to eructate (aft. some days).