Cicuta Virosa - General symptoms

GENERAL

General

Cicuta virosa, Linn. ("Cicuta aquatica" is Phellandrium ^Phellandrium aquaticum). Nat. order, Umbelliferae. Common names, Water Hemlock, Cowbane; (G.) Wasserschierling, Wütherich; (Fr.) La cigue vireuse.

Preparation, Tincture of the fresh root, collected when the plant begins to flower (Hahnemann).

If she is allowed to sit quietly a long time her head gradually sinks down, while her eyes remain staring at the same point, so that when the head has sunk low down the pupils lie almost under the upper lid.

when she has ceased with a kind of internal jerk, whereby she suddenly returns to consciousness for a short time, she again falls into a similar insensible condition, wherefrom she is aroused from time to time by an internal shivering, which seems to her like a chill,.

Staring (after quarter of an hour).

she stares with unaltered look at one and the same place, and cannot help it, although she wishes to do so very much, wherewith she has not entire control of her senses, and must be very much excited to answer correctly.

she makes a visible effort by turning the head to abandon objects with her eyes, but by so doing she loses her consciousness, and everything becomes black before her eyes,.

The action on the nervous system, producing spasmodic affections, viz., hiccough, trismus, tetanus, and convulsions, give the pathological picture calling especially for Cicuta Virosa, whenever this is further characterized, by the more individual symptoms of the drug. Among these, are the Bending of the head, neck, and spine backwards, and the general action of the patient is Violent, with frightful distortions. Violent, strange desires. Sensation of internal chill. Moaning and howling. Does absurd things. Marked action on the skin.

Violent

Violent convulsive phenomena, then prolonged unconsciousness

Jerks; of head

Twitchings; of arms and fingers

Sudden shocks through body (Ignatia ^Ign---- ) or head, then rigidity or shrieks; a terrific spasm moves downward (reverse - Cup)

Epilepsy

Spasm of diaphragm; of gullet

Rigid muscles

Childish

Suspicious

Rash

Delirium

Congestion to head, with vomiting and purging (Ver-v)

Headaches, better passing flatus

Head twists to one side

Squint

Bleeding ears

Red, sweat face

Grinds teeth

Trismus

Craves chalk, coal, etc

Loud hiccough; alternating with thoracic spasm (Strychninum ^Stry)

Oppressed breathing

Tremulous palpitation

Heart seems to stop (Digitalis Purpurea ^Dig)

Turns feet inward; or big toes up during spasm

Pustules coalesce into thick, yellow (loose), massive crusts; worse head and face

Impetigo

Cow-bane. Water Hemlock. N. O. Umbelliferae. Tincture of fresh root gathered at time of flowering.

moans and howls. great agitation.

makes gesticulations. odd motions.

strange desires, as to eat coal. "Head turned or twisted to one side" is no less indicative of the drug in convulsions of children or adults. (See cases referred to below.) It corresponds to falls and the effects of concussions. Utter prostration follows the convulsive attacks.

sudden rigidity, then jerks and violent distortions.

then prostration. "jerking of the left arm all day" is a very characteristic symptom. Tremor when touched. Trembling palpitation. Convergent strabismus.

from fall or blow. Soporous sleep, weeps on being roused, distorts facial muscles and stares vacantly. Pupils dilated. Shocks from head down body. Face bluish. Froths at mouth. Jaws locked. Bites tongue. Hiccough. Hungry immediately after a meal. Tearing, jerking in coccyx. Cicuta has a marked action on the skin eruption of pustules which run together with yellowish honey-coloured scabs, especially about mouth, and matting the whiskers. Nash cured eczema capitis in a young woman with Cic. v.

male. married. a user of alcohol and tobacco.

bookkeeper. After the intense summer heat, these symptoms developed Convulsion.

from turning the head.

from slightest touch (renews the spasms).

from cold. amel. From warmth. Immediately after eating bellyache and sleepiness. Immediately after commencing to eat feels satisfied. Soon after a meal-great hunger.

Water Hemlock. Umbelliferae.

Cicuta Virosa is of interest because of its convulsive tendency. It puts the whole nervous system in such a state of increased irritability that pressure on a part causes convulsions. The convulsions extend from center to circumference; the head, face and eyes are first affected.

Convulsions An aura in the stomach gives warning of the convulsion. Some complaints spread from the chest, especially from the heart; the rigors and chills begin in the chest; and there is a sensation of coldness about the heart; and from there it extends to other parts.

Convulsions often begin about the head and throat and extend downward. The whole body is in such a state of tension that, after excitement, a fire rages throughout the economy and causes convulsions. Any irritation in the throat or oesophagus will cause violent convulsions in this region.

On swallowing a fish bone, instead of only a pricking sensation as would occur in phlegmatic individuals, the irritation is so great that a spasm commences and spreads to other parts. It was the old remedy for tetanus and spasms caused by splinters in the skin or under the nails, competing with Belladonna ^Bell At the present day we find the most frequently indicated remedies for injuries to nerves are Led. and Hyper.

Catalepsy A peculiar feature about some of the symptoms is that they resemble catalepsy. The cataleptic condition may be present or a condition very similar to it. He recollects nothing that took place or that he said during a certain period. He knows nobody, and lies without recognizing anyone, but when asked questions he answers correctly, and subsequently he has no recollection of what took place.

It is a cerebo-spinal irritant; the head is drawn back opisthotonos all the limbs are convulsed and rigid. It has cured traumatic tetanus lockjaw, epilepsy, epileptiform convulsions.

With severe pains in the bowels come convulsive movements and convulsions. if the stomach is disordered or chilled, or if he has fear or other mental conditions, convulsions come on. He is extremely sensitive to touch, and touch arid drafts bring on convulsions.

The convulsions spread from above downwards, and thus it is the opposite of Cuprum Metallicum ^Cuprum The convulsions of Cuprum Metallicum ^Cupr spread from the extremities to the centre.

i. e., the little convulsions, merely cramps, are first felt in the fingers and then in the hands and later in the chest and whole body.

In Cicuta the little convulsions of the head, eyes and throat spread down the back to the extremities with violent contortions. The convulsions of Secale Cornutum ^Secale sometimes begin in the face.

At times he knows no one, but when touched and spoken to he answers correctly. Suddenly consciousness returns and he remembers nothing of what has occurred. He confuses the present with the past. He imagines himself a young child. Everything is confused and strange. He does not know where he is.

The faces of old friends look strange.

he looks at them and wonders if they are the same persons he used to know. His house and familiar places look strange. Voices sound strange. The senses of sight and smell and all the other special senses are disturbed and confused. He is confused as to himself, his age and circumstances. A woman on coming out of the cataleptic attacks often takes on childish behavior.

A man thinks that he is a child and acts like one.

silly laughter, playing with toys, and other acts of childish behavior. He feels as if he were in a strange place, and this causes fear. Thinks of the future with anxiety. Mental torpor.

loss of ideas and sensation extending over a certain period. Memory a blank for hours or days with or without convulsions.

Convulsions generally take the place of the ecstatic or cataleptic condition. Natr. m. is somewhat similar to the mental condition of Cicuta Virosa, as the Natr. m patient goes about doing all her household work and other functions and next day knows nothing about it. Nux Vomica ^Nux mos is another remedy that has such a complete blank when going about doing things, a complete abstraction of mind.

Desires This patient has strange desires; desires to eat coal and many other strange articles, because he is unable to distinguish between things edible and things unfit to be eaten; eats coal and raw potatoes.

Cicuta Virosa is likely to occur before the convulsion, great horror in the, countenance, yet he has no recollection of the horror when be comes out of the convulsion. That state of anxiety and fear comes after the attack has begun, though the convulsions have not yet come on.

Between the convulsions the patient is mild, gentle, placid and yielding, which distinguishes it from Strych. and Nux Vomica ^Nux v. convulsions. The Nux Vomica ^Nux convulsions are all over the body and are worse from touch and draft, blueness and purple color of the body, but between the convulsions the patient is very irritable.

Of course, when they go out of one convulsion into another you cannot see this, but when out of the convulsion the Nux Vomica ^Nux patient is very irritable. The Cicuta patient, out of the convulsion, is full of sadness, anxiety, and darkness, borrows trouble from the future, is affected by sad stories, is pessimistic.

He is afraid of society, afraid of company, and wants to be alone. He is suspicious and shuns people; despises others; over-estimation of himself. In this it approximates Platinum Metallicum ^Plat but there is no further resemblance between the two remedies.

Full of fear; fright will bring on convulsions, like Op., Ignatia ^Ign., and Aconite ^Acon.

Concussion of the brain and chronic injuries therefrom, especially spasms. Semi-lateral headaches forcing the patient to sit still erect.

Cicuta Virosa may change into a spasm. The head is bent back in spasms.

jerking back of the head.

spasms begin in the head and go downward. Violent shocks in the head, arms and legs. Head hot and extremities cold, like Belladonna ^Bell in its convulsions. Sweat on the scalp when sleeping. Child rolls head from side to side. Hot head.

Strabismus may be the only spasm the child is subject to from cerebral irritation. Every time the child is frightened it has strabismus; when touched or when it has cold, or after a fall biting the head, or coming periodically, it has strabismus.

It has troubles from shaving; it is useful in such eruptions as come in the whiskers; barber's itch; a solid crop of eruptions all over the face wherever the whiskers grow. Eruptions on the cheek like eczema. Swelling of the submaxillary glands. Erysipelatous eruptions.

It is closely related to Conium Mac ^Conium about the lips and lids, in that a small amount of pressure causes induration. It has cured epithelioma of the lips.

Feels as if the heart stopped beating. Spasmodic symptoms of the back.

Opisthotonos. All conditions of the limbs are of a spasmodic character.

Full of vertigo. The whole sensorium is violently excited. Things turn around in a circle. Vertigo on walking, glassy eyes, etc. Complaints brought on from injuries to the skull, from blows on the head. Many times there is no trouble in the region of the injury.

there may be compression and yet all the pains be in distant parts.

drawing of the muscles and cramps.

he falls over limp, he is put to bed, and though he answers questions he remains in a semi conscious state, knowing no one.

Cicuta is also one of our best remedies for convulsions during dentition or worms if Cina ^Cina does not help. It is also a good remedy for the effects of concussion of the brain or spine, if spasms are in the train of chronic effects therefrom and Arnica ^Arnica does not relieve. In the affections for which Cicuta is useful the actions of the patient are as violent as are the spasms -moans and howls, makes gesticulations and odd motions, great agitation, etc.

All sorts of convulsions -tonic, clonic epileptic, cataleptic, worm, puerperal, etc.- if of a very violent character, should call to mind Cicuta.

It is 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 200th and cured her completely in a very short time. She had used many local applications without benefit.

Region

BRAIN

NERVES

Skin