Lachesis - General symptoms
Bush Master, Surucucu, Laches, Lachesis Mutus, Vipera Lachesis, Fel, Lach.Have you ever used Lachesis? Yes No
Below are the main rubriks (i.e strongest indications or symptoms) of Lachesis in traditional homeopathic usage, not approved by the FDA.
GENERAL
General
(Morning), Confusion of head.
*on waking, vertigo. after rising, vertigo.
*vertigo. pains in head, etc.
*headache in frontal eminence.
tearing in forehead. after waking, heaviness in occiput.
stoppage of nose. after rising, troubles in throat, etc.
pressure in pit of stomach.
immediately after rising, pain across umbilical region.
itching in anus. *after sleep, dry, hacking cough.
on rising, *weakness of the whole body.
*weakness in all limbs.
*physical and mental exhaustion.
after waking, bruised feeling..
(Evening), The symptoms,.
eyes seemed thicker. after tea.
hawking of mucus. *sensitiveness of throat.
pain deep in throat.
*on lying down, pain in top of throat.
*longing for oysters.
eructations, etc. retching, etc.
at 6 o'clock cramps, etc., in stomach.
sticking in left side of abdomen.
*diarrhoea. cough.
on lying down, cough, etc.
dry cough. from about 9 o'clock, nervous cough.
after lying down, tightness of chest.
pains in shoulder-joint.
pain in wrists, etc. while sitting, pains in lower extremity.
tearing in feet. chill.
fever.
Loquacity. in the evening, with physical laxity, sleepiness without being able to fall asleep.
without sitting up he talks a great deal, wishes to tell stories, constantly goes from one to another.
during this he, however, recollects himself and soon knows when he has mixed and distorted anything.
he then corrects himself, but repeats the same mistakes.
thus he is tormented half the evening (first day),.
He is impelled to productive work in the evening, although he had been much fatigued during the day.
he sits all night, without the slightest sleepiness or exhaustion.
writes with the greatest freedom and increased vigor about everything that he knows.
new things constantly throng in his mind.
also next day, after very little sleep, he is just as excited.
it only gradually diminishes without subsequent reaction of mind.
on repeated provings,.
With sharp pains, especially in the forenoon, in the temples, upper and lower jaws, and eyes, sticking as with knives from the head towards the eyes, nose and temples.
the eyes became swollen, especially in the afternoon, with running of cold water from the left eye and nostril, and redness of the left eye.
the swelling gradually extended over the whole face, so that the eyes became closed.
the face was painful, itching much, as also the head and whole body.
worse in the afternoon and evening, relieved at night,.
Lids of both eyes inflamed, with burning pain, the right upper lid the most.
the eyes are painful, especially when reading (second day).
pressive pain about the right eye (third day).
burning in the left eye (fourth day).
itching pains in the lids (fifth day), which disappear, but return as a pressive pain in the eyes (fifteenth day).
burning pressure (sixteenth day).
drawing-itching pain in the lids (seventeenth day).
burning pressure in the eyes themselves (eighteenth day),.
In the evening, whilst walking, pain deep in the left ear, or between the ear and throat, which was made more severe while putting the temporal and masseter muscles on tension.
this pain disappeared in a short time, and one appeared just above the left external malleolus, which increased when the contiguous muscles were put upon the stretch in stepping.
this pain lasted for some time (second day),.
A catarrh that had come on the same day was soon excessively violent (after the 30th).
much sneezing, with dropping of water from the nose, margins of the nostrils and tip of the nose inflamed and rosy-red.
next morning the catarrh disappeared, as if it had never existed.
after the 30th it did not return, but five weeks later it came on, with fever, pain in the head, ears, and teeth, which latter he had never had before,.
Small tubercles on the right forearm (fifth day).
these gradually extend over the whole body, excepting the face, chest, and abdomen.
very violent itching at night in bed.
afterwards the eruption assumed a different character, partly larger, like nettles, hives, or insect-bites.
partly, after scratching, becoming like scarlatina, or roseola, or prickly heat.
and disappears the second day (in June),.
Itching on the sides and on the short ribs towards the umbilicus, in the morning, where there are red spots like bug-bites.
the itching is increased in the evening while walking, still worse in bed.
at the same time there are white hives on the left scapula, also involving the whole back.
on the next morning these hives were red (third and fourth days),.
After incessant itching there appears a round, red, very hard bunch on the back of the middle finger, lasting a long time, without vesicles and without suppuration.
a small deep point of pus slowly forms, of which very little exudes.
only on swallowing the hand to hang down there is a sticking pain.
six weeks later, after a blow on the bunch (which had almost entirely disappeared), it bled unusually profusely,.
Erysipelatous eruption beneath the left eye, which first itches at night.
she was wakened with fright about trifles.
in the morning the skin began to redden and swell, and became worse after the midday nap.
the next morning very thick and red, with incessant itching scarcely to be endured.
the whole lower lid was swollen, red, and itching.
preceded and followed by beating headache, on stooping,.
Pain in left side of the throat, extending to tongue, jaw, and into ear.
so violent in morning after breakfast, that he was beside himself.
therewith the tongue was sore on the left side, with sticking here and there.
the gum was inflamed, all the teeth.
left side of the face and lower jaw swollen and sensitive to touch.
pricking and sticking small spots in the thighs and legs.
disagreeable taste. loss of appetite, and bad sleep,.
Unable to get breath. must sit up.
then rattling of mucus (a noise like peas cooking), with alternations of coldness and heat in the pit of the stomach, and general chilliness and flushes of heat.
risings into the oesophagus with efforts to vomit, whereby only mucus is raised, which collects in the mouth in large quantities (after forty-eight hours),.
Constant hoarseness (from second to fourteenth days), with much mucus in the back of the throat and a sweetish taste.
on the fifteenth day some mucus is loosened, and a discharge from the nose takes place, especially in the morning.
on the sixteenth day in the morning almost a stopped catarrh.
afterwards whitish yellow mucus in the nose and throat,.
Troubled every evening, from about 9 o'clock, with a little, fluttering, nervous cough, apparently excited by a tickling in the larynx, unattended by pain, expectoration, or any symptom of a cold.
it came on at no other time, and ceased on her going to sleep (after two or three powders).
the Lachesis was discontinued and the annoyance disappeared,.
Tickling cough. the tickling is at one time in the larynx, at another in the chest, at another apparently in the cardiac orifice of the stomach.
the mucus is at one time round and gray, at another tenacious and yellow, at another watery, almost never at night.
always associated with secretion of mucus from the nose.
cannot get rid of it for three weeks,.
Short hacking cough, very fatiguing, frequently causing vomiting, expectoration scanty and difficult to raise, mingled with harder, heavier lumps of mucus.
together with pain in the pit of the stomach, so that she must hold it.
cough only during the day, worse after every sleep, and after walking, especially after talking, as though thereby the throat became dry (also worse after eating fish, and in damp weather),.
Very distressing, persistent, pressive, sticking pain near the point of the right scapula, towards the spine, deep in the back, as if something were sticking in it.
worse by paroxysms, obliging one to bend backwards, and also to take a deep breath.
not affected by breathing.
usually recurring after long sitting (second and following days, for a week),.
Burning in the stomach and hepatic region.
stomach distended, with itching in the epigastric region.
the abdomen distended hard, as from eating much.
while walking, was obliged to stand still.
a feeling as though a stone were in the upper abdomen and in the pit of the stomach which pressed downward as if it would break away, so that he was obliged to step carefully.
the feet became swollen while sitting, and were cold, though burning.
therewith, offensive odor from the mouth, which he did not notice himself,.
(Pressure in stomach coming from chest (oesophagus); a feeling as though a morsel of food remained sticking there; this sensation extended in the afternoon to stomach, causing a pressure, so that he lay down and felt really better; in evening in bed, he was unable to sleep; at one time it extended up to the right side across the chest to the shoulders, and afterwards extended towards the navel, with a burning sensation; in the morning; a sensation in the abdomen as if he would be attacked with a violent diarrhoea, but it disappeared; in the evening, a violent cough with a horribly tasting expectoration; next morning, again, the sensation about the umbilicus),.
Abdomen frequently much distended, with a disagreeable sensation as if the inner parts or ligaments from the stomach were very much stretched.
on this account she was obliged to wear the clothes, especially about the stomach, very loose, otherwise it was very distressing, and even in bed she was obliged to loosen and pull up the night-dress to avoid pressure.
she dared not lay the arm across the abdomen on account of the pressure,.
Griping pains in abdomen, first left, then right, for a few seconds, also in loins.
worse on walking. the pain then came on in lower abdomen and loins, being sometimes of a shooting character, with occasional slight desire for stool.
relieved by emission of flatus, and once with borborygmi.
lasting forty-five minutes, till a stool was passed (after about eight hours, second day),.
Gnawing and crawling in the bones and flesh of the right third and fourth fingers.
also under the nails, as though something were crawling about under them, commencing at the finger-tips, and extending to the second and third phalanges.
it seems as though something were boring and burrowing from the backs of the fingers through and through and upward, but without pain,.
GENERAL SYMPTOMS.
Objective.
Stretching of the whole body, commencing in the toes and going to the fingers,
Stretching after breakfast,
Jerkings,
Sudden jerking together of the whole body, starting from below, while sitting,
Always, after sleep, so stiff that he could scarcely stir or move; rubbing and stroking by another person did him good, and soon entirely removed it,
Trembling of the whole body, with ennui,
Trembling of the body, with fever, from pain on the back of the foot,
Muscular laxity; exhausted by motion and by the most moderate exertion,
Indolent; disinclined for business or study,
Indolence; heaviness after eating,
Weary, sick, dejected, with fulness after eating,
Constant and fatiguing labor does not agree with him; he soon becomes weary,
Great weariness on going out in the evening; the accustomed walk seems endless,
At mealtime, while walking on the street, so weary that he could scarcely proceed; yet he ate but little,
Weakness, especially of the arms,
Weakness, especially of the legs,
Weakness of the whole body, in the morning on rising, especially in the arms and feet,
*Weakness in the morning, in all the limbs; inclined to sleep; general exhaustion, even to lying down; better after lying down; therewith inactive, sad, disinclined to work, indifferent or gloomy, as after a night's debauch; physically prostrated and mentally indolent (second to sixteenth days),
Weakness every morning; in the beginning rather a physical prostration, then inclining him to sleep; afterward, rather a mental prostration (second to sixteenth days),
Weakness after breakfast,
Weakness after supper,
Weakness after the nightly attack of vomiting,
Weakness a few hours after waking, after emissions,
Weakness, with headache, after an emission,
Weakness, with confusion of the head,
Great weakness, now and then during the day,
Great weakness in the morning after rising; she constantly desired to sink down again, on the slightest exertion the arms sank down exhausted; therewith she felt her heart beat; often also in the evening she was very weak, so that she could not remain up long,
He would constantly sink down from weakness,
Great exhaustion of mind and body (after an ecstasy the day previous), (sixth day),
Great exhaustion and weariness in the evening; sleepiness, without however being able to fall asleep (first day),
Physical, not mental, exhaustion,
Physical exhaustion and weariness, with mental excitement,
Physical and mental exhaustion,
Great physical and mental exhaustion, especially in the morning,
Motion is very exhausting, throughout the proving,
Faintness during breakfast, with nausea,
Faintness and coldness, so that all the limbs became stiff, and he sank to the earth powerless (after two hours and a half he was found as above, and died, in spite of all remedies).
Transient faintness, with nausea, vertigo, even to falling down; vanishing of sigh for two or three minutes during breakfast; during the day, frequent attacks as if it would return,
He falls unconscious to the ground, as if struck by lightning; has an involuntary stool and vomits (bite).
Restlessness often drives him into the open air,
Restlessness drives him into the open air; he desires to accomplish much and begins many things,
Restless tossing about, with moaning, in children with sore throat,
He is obliged to do everything very rapidly; he bolts his food, and afterwards is unable to remain sitting,
Subjective.
Inclination to lie down,
Inclined to lie down, in the morning and forenoon,
Great inclination to lie down, especially after eating,
Very great inclination to lie down, sitting is almost intolerable (sixth day),
Aversion to motion,
Feeling of weariness,
Feeling of weariness drives him to sleep early,
A decided sensation of weakness in the morning in sleep.
on waking general sick feeling, vertigo, feeling of lead in the occiput, can scarcely raise the head from the pillow.
all the joints seemed sprained.
pressure in the small of the back and fulness in the abdomen.
after half an hour everything disappearing.
afterwards repeated in a less degree,.
Began to feel great heaviness and lassitude all through the body, but particularly the back and legs, soon after noon (about three hours).
the feeling of lassitude had increased, and walking tired me much more than usual, at 3.30 P.M.
this feeling partially passed off after supper (first day).
general lassitude more marked (second day).
lassitude continued (third day).
increased (fourth day),.
Febrile heat, fulness of the head, drawing in some teeth and in the bones of the face.
eyes glistening, indicating exhaustion.
with pain in knees as if sprained.
next day, febrile heat with the same symptoms, and in addition irritability.
feeling in the small of the back as though sprained.
extremely restless and uncomfortable.
symptoms as in a kind of grippe (Influenzinum influenza).
during the attack, expectoration consisted of tenacious gray mucus.
the day following, some catarrh without fever,.
A kind of fever commencing at 3 A.M.
drawing from toes upward and urging to stool, with frequent soft stool during the whole time.
then drawing in the right side and in the anus, extending up into the chest and above the region of the kidneys, with some sensation of warmth, together with pressure in the chest and sighing (and a pressure about the heart lasting a few days), followed by chilliness and stretching, with some thirst.
shaking chill in the open air.
afterwards a creeping from the anus up into the head, with dulness, dizziness, roaring in the ears, dazzling before the eyes, weakness of the arms, crawling about and twitching in the flesh, even in the limbs together with yellow color of the face.
frequently recurring, always after taking vinegar,.
He woke at 2 A.M. with general nausea, and oppression of the chest, pressure in the stomach, and, after an hour, violent vomiting, followed by some colic.
afterwards again, violent some spasmodic vomiting.
at last, vomiting of bile, with transient vertigo, accompanied by profuse sweat.
about 6 o'clock, diarrhoea and four, stools, till 9 o'clock.
together with burning in the urethra on urinating.
followed on the fifth day by general weakness and pressive headache,.
Tickling-itching extending from the thighs into the genitals, which become swollen, with a voluptuous sensation, sexual desire, and tickling.
together with these sensations, there is a tickling in the anus, which extends into the region of the kidneys, and thence up to between the shoulders, as if between the skin and flesh,.
Like all snake poisons, Lachesis decomposes the blood, rendering it more fluid; hence a hemorrhagic tendency is marked. Purpura, septic states, diphtheria, and other low forms of disease, when the system is thoroughly poisoned and the prostration is profound. The modalities are most important in guiding to the remedy. Delirium tremens with much trembling and confusion. Very important during the climacteric and for patients of a melancholic disposition. Ill effects of suppressed discharges. Diphtheritic paralysis ( Botulinum.) Diphtheria carriers. Sensation of tension in various parts. Cannot bear anything tight anywhere.
Rapid onset, intensity, prostration or malignancy LEFT-SIDED COMPLAINTS, OR MOVING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT
Sepsis
Disintegration
Gangrene; diabetic
Carbuncle
Erysipelas
Blueness; hands
FETOR; of acrid discharges; oris; stools, etc
HAEMORRHAGE, thin; dark particles; nose-bleed; vicarious; bloody urine, etc
Purpura
ASCENDING SENSATIONS, in throat; from eyes over vertex; from nape; from ovary to heart; chills; FLUSHES OF HEAT; rushes of blood A LUMP; ascends throat and is swallowed back again; in liver, abdomen, rectum; rolls about in bladder, etc
EXCESSIVE PAINFULNESS; of throat; ulcers; spots over body
Constriction; of throat, better eating; as of a skull cap; of anus
Drawing; vertex to jaws; in rectum, etc
Tremor; of tongue; hands, etc
Hard throbbing or hammering (Fer)
Congestion
Apoplexy
Epilepsy
Nervous, excitable
LOQUACITY; rambling; then sadness or repeats same thing
Compelling delusions Persistent, erotic ideas, without ability
Depression; on awaking
Insane jealousy Suspicion Feels full of poison
Fears, going to sleep, lying down, or that heart will stop
Indolence
Vertigo, worse turning to right
Headache; heavy; bursting; down nose; side [right] feels cut off
Eyes feel small
Nose; stopped coryza; discharges with every cough; bloody pus from; rum blossom (Agaricus Muscarius Agar)
Face purple, mottled; netted veinlets; dusky during heat
Faceache
Lower jaw drops
Septic mumps
Aphthae
Much thick, pasty saliva
Tongue catches on teeth
Thick, blundering speech
Peppery taste
Can't bear anything before mouth or nose
THROAT; PAINFUL, into ears; as of a soft body in; choking; MUST LOOSEN COLLAR; hot lump in; pit feels swelled or sore spot back of pit
SWALLOWING; the wrong way; painful; returns through nose
Diphtheria; laryngeal
Tonsilitis
Quinsy
Hawks foul pellets from throat
Thirsty, but fears to drink
Dipsomania
Soreness or cramp in epigastrium Sore festering throb, deep in liver
Septic gall-bladder
Pain from anus to navel
Constipation of pregnancy
Piles; worse coughing
Pain in l
ovary; must lift covers
Dark, scanty menses Suffocates on dropping to sleep Must take deep breaths
Air hunger
Tickling, choking cough, worse touching neck or auditory canal, better retching out a little expectorate
Larynx, as of a skin hanging in, or a valve
Heart weak; turns over or too big, as if
Carditis; metastatic
Axilla; swelled glands
Numb, l
arm; finger-tips
Cracks in skin, at corner of nails
Cold knees, or cold, foul foot-sweat
Toes feel broken
Mottled or livid skin; dark marks
Eating ulcers, on legs; with dark areolae; fungoid; varicose Sleepless from cerebral irritation; tipplers
Frightful dreams; of snakes
Dilated capillaries
Chill, worse drinking; with sweat
HEAT; on vertex; IN FLUSHES, on waking or falling to sleep Sweat; about neck, during sleep; in axillae; bloody; staining blackish; garlicky
Trigonocephalus lachesis. The Surukuku Bothrops Lanceolatus Snake of South America. N. O. Ophidia. Trituration. Dilution.
Albuminuria. Alcoholism. Amblyopia. Aneurism. Apoplexy. Appendicitis. Asthenopia. Asthma. Atheroma. Bedsores. Boils. Bubo. Cćcum, inflammation of. Carbuncle. Catalepsy. Chancre. Change of life. Chilblains. Ciliary neuralgia. Cough. Cyanosis. Delirium tremens. Diphtheria. Dog-bite. Dropsy. Dyspepsia. Ears, polypus of.
wax in. noises in. Enteric fever. Epilepsy. Erysipelas. Eyes, affections of.
hćmorrhage into. Fainting. Fistula lachrymalis. Flatulence. Fungus hćmatodes. Gall-stones. Gangrene. Glanders. Gums, bleeding of. Hćmorrhages. Hćmorrhoids. Hay fever. Headache. Heart, affections of. Heartburn. Hemiplegia. Hernia. Herpes facialis. Hoarseness. Hydrophobia. Hysteria. Injuries. Intermittent fever. Jaundice. Labour, pains after. Laryngismus. Laryngitis. Leprosy. Liver, affections of. Locomotor ataxy. Malignant pustule. Measles. Méničre's disease. Merc Viv Mercury, effects of. Mind, affections of. Morvan's disease. Mouth, sore. Mumps. Neuralgia. Neurasthenia. Noises in ears. Nymphomania. Oedema of lungs. Otorrhoea. Ovaries, affections of. Paralysis. Paraphimosis. Perityphilitis. Perspiration, bloody.
The four grand characteristics of Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. are ($51$) agg. By sleep. (2) Excessive sensitiveness of the surface with intolerance of touch or constriction. (3) Left-sidedness, and the direction left to right symptoms begin on the left side and either remain there or proceed to the right. (4) amel. From the onset of a discharge. There is headache amel. as soon as nasal catarrh comes on. Uterine pains amel. as soon as menses appear. The other side of this is agg. from non-appearance of an expected discharge, and it is this which is the foundation of the appropriateness of Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. to the climacteric state. Wherever one or more of these features is prominent in any case Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. will most likely prove the remedy. Homoeopathic literature abounds with illustrations of the first named
there are endless varieties of forms in which this peculiarity may be met with. agg. By closing the eyes (vertigo) is allied to this. But the presence of the opposite condition amel. after sleep) does not necessarily contraindicate Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. Rushmore (H. P., xii. 64) cured with Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. c.m. a married woman who had been a great sufferer from headache, which always began with dim and aching eyes. The pain was of sharp, neuralgic character, in temples and eyes, agg. right side. If she could not be still with it she had nausea and very bitter vomiting. Sometimes unable to be still a minute, at others could not stir. Brought on by least fatigue. Keeps her in bed all day, and one attack is scarcely over before another comes on. Mental excitement, as receiving a call.
induces it. With the headaches she is very cold.
and with and after them has a very bitter mouth. Wants to close the eyes with the headache, which is amel. by sleep. Smarting in eyeballs and dim vision for several days after headache. During the headache much heart trouble.
after the headache "skipping beats," soreness about head, pain in side. Loss of appetite after headache. Menses regular, painless, too free. Leucorrhoea many ears. A single dose of Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. was given at the time, and the severe headache left on the way home. A constant light headache, with heaviness of head in morning, remained some days.
but, without repetition, the remedy completely cured the headaches and the heart trouble as well. The hćmorrhages of Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. have this peculiarity.
they contain flakes of decomposed blood looking like charred wheat straw.
The sensitiveness to contact of Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. is not so much on account of pain or aggravation of pain as on account of the uneasiness it causes.
In uterine affections the patient wants to lift the clothes up to prevent contact with lower abdomen.
Touching the throat in laryngeal affections causes suffocative spasms.
A minor characteristic of Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. is pain in the shin bones. "Much pain in shin bones of an aching kind only." This has been frequently verified, but W. J. Guernsey (H. P., x. 476) has pointed out Rat when such pains occur concomitantly with throat affections, Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. is specific.
Lachesis I have confirmed.
Guernsey remarks that in such cases it will always be found that the throat affection is agg. on left side or commenced on left side.
According to Hering, Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. is particularly suitable to those of melancholic disposition (Such provers showed most symptoms); next, to choleric individuals.
Phlegmatic and lymphatic persons are also suitable, but principally when their dispositions border on the melancholic, with dark eyes and tendency to laziness and sadness. Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. does not suit sanguine persons with high colour, fine, delicate skins, and impressible natures, unless the disease should have imparted to their disposition a choleric or melancholy tinge. Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. especially suits choleric women with freckles and red hair.
To this list must be added Persons who have peculiar sensitiveness of the surface of the body.
Women who "have never been well since the change of life." Debilitated, weakened persons.
Thin rather than fat persons; persons who have been changed both mentally and physically by their illness.
Drunkards. Sufferers from effect of masturbation.
Persons who have been overdosed with Merc Viv Mercury; and to syphilitic, mercurial affections.
Children and old people.
Persons who cannot stand the sun and who are agg. in summer weather.
A patient of mine, a tall, broad-shouldered, very nervous man of forty-seven, who had fled from the Cape as he could not bear the summer there, sent for me to see him at his hotel because he did not dare venture out in the middle of the day for fear of being caught in the sun. Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. 200 soon enabled him to attend garden parties.
The delirium of Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. is of the low, muttering type; at times the patient sinks into a torpid state, with cold extremities, tremor of body and hands, tremor of tongue.
Tremor of tongue is a leading feature of many Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. states.
It not only trembles, but it catches in the teeth or lower lip when the patient attempts to put it out.
The mind is profoundly disturbed.
There are rapidly alternating states exalted powers, rapid succession of ideas.
and again there is weak memory.
frequent mistakes in writing.
confusion. "Frantic loquacity, jumps from one subject to another," is a strong characteristic.
"talks, sings, or whistles constantly.
makes odd motions with arms".
"insane jealousy". "intense sadness and anxiety".
"irritable, irascible, peevish, malicious." A curious symptom in the mental sphere is a derangement of the time sense.
It occurs also in Merc Viv Merc. (to which Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. is an antidote).
but is more prominent in Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach., when a patient is always making mistakes in the time of day, and confounds the morning hours with the evening hours, Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. will generally put this right, if it does no more.
Fainting fits and vertigo on closing eyes; on looking intently at any object; in morning on waking.
Rush of blood to head.
Sun-headaches. Headache with very pale face.
Throbbing headaches in temple, with heat of head.
Headache extending into nose; amel. when nasal catarrh comes on.
A woman, forty-four, to whom I gave Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. 12 for a poisoned finger, experienced after each dose a sensation "as if a hand were in her head, moving and squeezing," an eruption of spots came out, and she felt as if she had no energy.
The finger healed, but when she left off the medicine on account of the head pains, the finger became worse with cramping pains and a feeling of pins and needles.
There is intense nervous irritability, restless, tossing, moving; nervous exaltation, hysteria.
Trembling in whole body, thinks she will faint or sink down from weakness.
Convulsions, spasms. Cases of hydrophobia have been cured with Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach., the thirst, spasms, sensitiveness and nervous prostration closely corresponding to the symptoms of rabies.
Fainting accompanying other complaints is an indication for Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. with pain at heart; with nausea; with vertigo and pale face.
Catalepsy. Awkward gait; left side weak.
Gressus gallinaceus. Disturbances of sight and hearing are numerous.
I have frequently cured with it noises in the ears when agg. after sleep.
In hay fever it is the remedy when there is headache extending into nose agg. on suppression of the discharge, which may occur in sleep; or when the paroxysms are agg. after sleep.
Sore nostrils and lips.
Pus and blood from nose.
Red nose of drunkards.
Dark red eruptions; purplish swellings; black and blue spots are characteristic of Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach.
Ulcer sensitive to least touch.
Small ulcers surrounding larger.
The throat is in an especial degree the seat of the Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. action.
Sore throats of almost all descriptions come within its range, provided some of the characteristics are present agg. after sleep; by touch; symptoms agg. left side or proceeding from left to right; cannot bear any pressure about neck; empty swallowing is agonising, liquids are swallowed with less pain and solids with least pain.
Diphtheria, mercurial and syphilitic sore throat.
Fetid breath. The prostration is out of all proportion to the appearance of the throat.
Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. has sinking at the stomach, and cannot go long without food. Unquenchable thirst. Desires oysters, wine, coffee (coffee agrees). Symptoms are amel. after eating, especially after fruit. The throat symptoms are agg. by hot drinks. Nausea always after drinking. Everything sours.
heartburn. Alcoholic drinks agg. (except the immediate effects of the bite). Although Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. is a left-side medicine, it has a powerful action on the liver as well as the spleen. "Acute pain in liver extending towards stomach," though contrary to the general "left to right" direction, is characteristic, as I can testify. Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. is also one of the most prominent remedies in appendicitis. The general characteristics will guide here. Bubos. Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. and Naja Tripudia Naja have had the greatest success of all homoeopathic remedies in the recent epidemics of Plague in India. The bladder and rectum are most painfully affected. There is a very characteristic symptom in the bladder Sensation as if a ball were rolling loose in the bladder or abdomen on turning over. The urine is almost black.
frequent. foaming. dark. ("The patient always has to urinate after lying down, day or night, especially after sleep; more frequent in the night. Urine has little black spots or flakes like soot floating in it.").
H. N. Martin.) Stitches in kidneys. The ball sensation occurs elsewhere as if a ball, or lump, or button in throat.
as if two balls threatened to close the throat.
as if a ball rose from abdomen to throat.
as if a plug were in anus. Many severe and characteristic symptoms appear in rectum and anus. Diarrhoea of fetid, cadaverous kind and also constipation. Atony of rectum. Painful hćmorrhoids. Visible spasmodic tenesmus in paroxysms, from two to five minutes, extorting cries.
passes blood and mucus. Painful constriction of anus followed by collapse. Hćmorrhoids with scanty menses. Burning in rectum. Stitch in rectum (upwards) when coughing or sneezing. Full feeling in rectum, and sensation as of little hammers beating. Tugging upward sensation as from a mouse. Both ovaries are affected, but principally the left.
swelling, induration, tumours. Menses regular but scanty.
pains amel. when flow is established. In a case of mine, Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. 12 postponed menses for a week. Many symptoms occur in connection with menses. The breasts are affected. I have seen most obstinate and distressing eruptions appear on the nipples and areolć.
cramp-like pain in precordia. Constriction. Palpitation with numbness down arm. Cyanosis. Varicosis. Peculiar sensations of Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. (in addition to those already mentioned) are As if frightened by visions behind him.
as if knives were being thrust into brow.
as if tongue bound or tied up.
as if a part of right-side of head cut away.
as if a thread was drawn from behind to eye.
stitches as from knives in eyes.
eyes as if they had been taken out, squeezed and put back.
ears as if closed from within.
as if stuffed up as if insects whizzing in ears.
as if he had a moustache of ice as if a small crumb lodged in throat.
as if he had had a blow on neck.
as if a stricture in rectum. As if heart hanging by a thread and every beat would tear it off.
as though heart turned over and ceased beating for a moment.
as if heart hadn't room to beat. As if neck constricted with a cord. (Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. is one of the remedies for "gridle pain") as if burnt or scalded in different parts (tongue, tibia, hypogastrium). Burning sensation and pains are a leading feature throughout Lachesis. Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. is called for in many kinds of fever, particularly intermittents after abuse of Quinine. The symptoms of Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. are agg. in spring or summer.
from extremes of temperature.
from sun's rays. change of weather, especially in a warm spell. Must have open air, which amel.
but draughts of air agg. External warmth amel. (wants head closely wrapped up).
hot drinks agg. thirst.
= toothache and bleeding of gums. Cold weather, cold washing agg. Most symptoms appear or are agg. at night and in early morning after sleep. Lying down amel. pain in head.
agg. vertigo, throat, cough, breathing. Lying right side amel. earache in right ear.
palpitation. Lying left side = pain in heart. amel. Sitting bent. agg. Standing or stooping. agg. Motion generally. agg. Contact. agg. Constriction. Swallowing = stitches into ears. amel. By discharges.
Fever at night or in evening, quotidian, tertian, or quartan, and often accompanied by headache, rapid prostration of strength, and debility which obliges the patient to lie down.
want of appetite, hiccough, vomiting, sensibility of the neck to the touch, palpitation of the heart, anguish, yellow urine, diarrhoea, pains in the limbs, back, and loins, nervous and spasmodic yawnings, stretchings, swelling of the body, spots and ulcers.
Surukuku. Hering. Ophidia.
* * *
Lachesis is a frequently indicated remedy, and one that you will need to study much in order to know how to use. Lachesis seems to fit the whole human race, for the race is pretty well filled up with Bothrops Lanceolatus snake as to disposition and character and this venom only causes to appear that which is in man.
s We will first give a survey or the general symptoms, those which characterize the remedy and are of greatest importance, and the circumstances under which the symptoms appear, are brought out or are aggravated.
One who is a constitutional Lachesis patient will find himself suffering from an aggravation of his symptoms in the Spring, when he goes out from the cold weather into the milder weather, and especially is that so if it mild and rainy, or cloudy weather. Or if he goes from a cold into a warmer climate the symptoms of Lachesis will come out. The warm south winds excite the Lachesis symptoms.
The symptoms of Lachesis are worse on entering sleep He may have felt nothing of his symptoms when awake, but when sleep comes on they are aroused, and they gradually increase as the sleep is prolonged, so that a very long sleep will aggravate all the state and condition of a Lachesis patient, and when awakening from sleep he looks back on that sleep with sorrow.
The sleep has been disturbed by attacks of suffocation and by awful dreams, and now, after having slept a long time, he arouses with dreadful headaches, with palpitation, with melancholy, with sorrows from head to foot. His body is full of suffering and his mind sees no brightness in anything.
There is a cloudy state, sadness, melancholy, insane notions, whims, jealousy and suspicion. When taking a warm bath, or applying warm water to places that are inflamed, his mental symptoms are aggravated. After a warm bath or after getting warmed up, or, if he becomes chilled from being out on a cold day and then goes into a warm room, the symptoms come on. After going into a warm bath, palpitation comes on.
it seems as if his head would burst, his feet become cold, and he is shocked all over, pulsation all over, or feeble heart. Fainting in a warm bath. Girls sometimes faint when going into a warm bath. The patient may be cold and chilly yet the warm room increases or brings out the symptoms.
The general aspect of the patient and the localities will point some times to Lachesis Upon the face there is an appearance of anxiety, of unrest and distress. The face is spotted or purple and the eyes are engorged. The eyes look suspicious. If there is an inflamed spot, it is purple. If there is an inflamed gland, and Lachesis is full of inflammation of the glands and cellular tissues, there is a purple or mottled appearance.
If there is an ulceration the ulceration bleeds black blood, which soon coagulates and looks like charred straw. From the wounds there is much bleeding. Small wounds bleed much like Phosphorus Phosphorus and Kreosotum Kreosote. A prick of a pin will ooze great drops of blood. Ulcers eat in, have false granulations, are putrid, bleed easily, and the blood is black, and all round the ulceration there is a purple, mottled appearance, looking as if about to become gangrenous.
Often gangrene does come; gangrene of parts that have been injured. Sloughing with great offensiveness. The parts turn black and slough. The veins become varicose. These are found upon the limbs, having the appearance of the varicose veins that come after gestation. Enlargement of the veins is a prominent condition of Lachesis
From the slightest exertion of the mind or from the slightest emotion the extremities become cold, the heart becomes very feeble, the skin is covered with sweat and the head is hot. Warmth does not seem to relieve the coldness of the feet and hands.
they are so cold. They may be wrapped up in flannels and still they remain cold, but suffocation is brought on. He cannot breathe and wants the windows open. It is weakness of the heart.
sometimes so weak that it can hardly be heard or felt, and the pulse is feeble and intermittent. At other times there is audible palpitation of the heart.
As we go over the symptoms of the text we will notice something singular about the complaints, that is, their tendency to affect the left side, or to, begin on the left and extend to the right. The paralysis begins by gradually appearing weakness upon the left side. Which extends to the right side. It has a strong affinity for the ovaries, and in this it will be found that the left ovary is affected first. So, in inflammation of the ovaries, the left will be affected first, and later the right.
The inflammation begins on the left side of the throat and gradually goes to the right. The left side of the head is commonly most affected. The left eye becomes painful and the pain extends to the right. The left side of the back of the head, in the occipital headache, will be more affected than the right. This does not always follow, and if the reverse is true it does not contra-indicate Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach, but such is the common feature of it. Left upper and right lower has been observed.
In many symptoms of Lachesis, there is morning aggravation This is the well-known Lachesis aggravation after sleep.
the patient will sleep into the aggravation. In the milder symptoms this aggravation is mild and is not felt until after the patient wakes up from a long sleep, but if the aggravation is one that is of considerable violence, the patient may feel it immediately on going to sleep, and it arouses him.
for instance, the heart symptoms. As soon as he goes into a sleep he rouses up with palpitation, with dyspnoea, with suffocation, with exhaustion, with vertigo, with pain in the back of the head, and many other circulatory disturbances.
All sorts of impulsive insanity. The mind is tired. The patient puts on an appearance like the maudlin of a drunkard, talks with thick lips and thick tongue, blunders and stumbles, only partly finishing words; the face is purple and the head is hot.
There is choking and the collar is uneasy about the neck.
and the more uneasiness about the neck, the more choking, the more confusion of mind and the more appearance of intoxication. You will see if you talk with one who is intoxicated with whiskey symptoms like Lachesis, he stumbles through, hardly realizing what he says, half finishing his sentences and his words, leaving his "g's" off, all the present participles.
he stumbles and blunders, he mutters, and tells you first one thing and then another.
These symptoms are increased under the circumstances mentioned in the Spring; in the warm weather following a cold spell; in rainy weather; after a warm bath; after sleep.
The mental state is large. Jealousy without any reason. Unwarranted jealousy and suspicion. Many times this medicine has cured suspicion in girls, when they were simply suspicious of their girl friends. She never sees a whispered conversation going on but they are talking about her, to her detriment.
Suspects that they are contriving to injure her, and she will resort to any scheme to see if they were not talking of her to her detriment. A woman imagines that her friends, husband, and children are trying to damage her; that her friends are going to put her in an insane asylum.
Apprehension of the future. Thinks she is going to have heart disease, and is going insane.
and that people are contriving to put her in an insane asylum. Imagine her relatives are trying to poison her and she refuses to eat. She thinks sometimes that it is only a dream and she can hardly say whether she dreamed it or whether she thinks it. She thinks she is dead, or dreams that she is dead, and in the dream preparations are being made to lay her out, or that she is about to die.
Thinks she is somebody else, and in the hands of a stronger power. She thinks she is under superhuman control. She is compelled to do things by spirits. She hears a command, partly in her dream, that she must carry out. Sometimes it takes the form of voices in which she is commanded to steal, to murder, or to confess things she never did, and she has no peace of mind until she makes a confession of something she has never done.
The torture is something violent until she confesses that which she has not done. Imagines she is pursued. Imagines that she has stolen something, or that somebody thinks she has stolen something, and fears the law. She hears voices and warnings, and in the night she dreams about it. The state of torture is something dreadful, and it then goes into a delirium with muttering. The delirium is carried on like one muttering when drunk. This state increases until unconsciousness comes on and the patient enters into a coma from which he cannot be aroused. The patient also goes through periods of violence and violent delirium.
It is full of religious insanity You will find a dear, sweet old lady who has always lived what would be called an upright and pious life, yet she is not able to apply the promises that are in the Word of God to herself.
these things seem to apply to somebody else but not to her. She is full of wickedness and has committed the unpardonable sin. She is compelled to say these things.
she is overwhelmed by these things and she is going to die and going to that awful hell that she reads about. The physician must listen to this with attention. The physician might make the mistake in this instance of making light of such feelings. If he does, the patient will not return, and he will be deprived of the chance of benefiting her.
No matter what her whims are, no matter what her religious opinions are, her state of mind must be treated with respect. It must be treated as if it were so.
She must have sympathy and kindness. It is an unfortunate thing for a doctor to get a reputation of being an ungodly man, among pious people, as he will be deprived of doing these people an immense amount of good. He must be candid with all the whims and notions of the people that he visits in the world. He must be everybodyAEs friend and he can be such without any hypocrisy if he is simply an upright and just man.
The state of religious melancholy, with religious insanity, is not uncommonly attended with much loquacity, with talkativeness, which Lachesis is full of. It is commonly among women, very seldom among men, that we find this religious melancholy. Now, this woman is impelled to tell it.
she will annoy her intimate friends, day and night, with this story of the damnation of her soul and her wickedness and all, the awful things she has done. If you ask her what things she has committed she will say everything, but you cannot pin her down to the fact that she has killed anybody. If you allow her to go through with her story she will tell you all the crimes in the calendar that she has committed, although she has been a well-behaved and well-disposed woman.
There is another kind of loquacity belonging to Lachesis The patient is impelled to talk continuously. It is found in another. state in which the patient is compelled to hurry in everything she does and wants everybody else to hurry, With that state of hurry is brought out the loquacity, and this is something far beyond comprehension, until you have once heard it.
There is no use attempting to describe it, it is so rapid, changing from one subject to another. Sentences are sometimes only half finished.
she takes it for granted that you understand the balance and she will hurry an. Day and night she is wide awake, and with such sensitiveness to her surroundings that you, would naturally think, from what things she hears and how she is disturbed, by noise, that she can hear the flies walk upon the walls and the clock striking upon the distant steeple.
You do not get all these things in the text, you have to see them applied. But the things I give you that are brought out clinically are those things that have come from applying the symptoms of the remedy at the bedside to sick folks.
"Most extraordinary loquacity, making speeches in very select phrases but jumping off to most heterogeneous subjects."
"One word often leads into the midst of another story."
they may come on in the puerperal state, or may take the form of insanity. It is a long acting remedy, and if it has been abused its effects will last a life time.
In many cases a close connection between the mental symptoms and the heart symptoms will be noticed, especially in young women and girls who have met with disappointment, who have been lying awake nights because of disturbance of the affections, or from disappointment, or from shattered hopes, or from grief.
Prolonged melancholy, mental depression, hysterical symptoms, weeping, mental prostration and despair, with pain in the heart, with a gone sensation or sensation of weakness in the heart, with difficult breathing. She meditates upon suicide, and finally settles back into an apathetic state, in which there is an aversion to, everything, to work, and even to thinking.
I might impress upon your mind the head symptoms if I related the case of a patient who described her symptoms probably more typically than you can find in the books. She was sitting up in bed and unable to lie down.
she was worse from lying down, her face was purple, her eyes were engorged, the face puffed and tumid and the eyelids bloated. She sat there perfectly quiet in bed and described the pain as a surging sensation, which came up the back of the neck and head and then over the head.
That is a typical feature of Lachesis A surging in waves. Waves of Pain that are not always synchronous with the pulse. They may not relate to the flow of blood at all. The surging is aggravated by motion, not so much in the act of motion, but after moving. It is sometimes felt after walking or changing to another place, and sitting down again.
that is, a few seconds after the motion is completed the pain begins, and it comes to its height instantly and then gradually subsides into a very steady surging or a more steady ache.
The headache begins in the morning on waking. The milder Lachesis headaches begin in the morning on awaking and wear off after moving about a while. With the headaches and complaints in general there is a momentary vanishing of thought.
all sorts of vertigo. Vertigo, with nausea and vomiting. The vertigo inclines the patient to turn to the left.
Lachesis has bursting pains in the head congestive pains with a feeling as if all the blood in the body must be in the head, because, the extremities are so cold and the head pulsates and hammers. This pulsating headache is part of a general pulsation from head to foot. In all arteries and inflammed parts, there is pulsation. The inflamed ovary pulsates, and it feels at times as if a little hammer were hammering upon the inflammed part with every pulsation of the artery. Lachesis has a number of times cured fistula in ano when associated with this feeling as if a hammer continually hammered the little fistulous pipe.
It has cured fissure of long standing when it felt as if the inflamed part were being hammered. Haemorrhoids have been cured when this sensation of hammering was present. So that we see this pulsation in the head is not a special symptom, but is a general symptom, brought out in relation to the head.
Some symptoms are valuable because of the frequency of their association, and when such is the case their concomitant relation. becomes important. The cardiac symptoms are frequently connected with the headache symptoms in Lachesis It is seldom that you will see Lachesis headaches without cardiac difficulty. A weak pulse or the pulsation felt all over the body, is more or less associated with violent Lachesis headaches.
In relation to the head symptoms and mind symptoms and the sensorium in general, the oversensitiveness that is found in Lachesis ought to be mentioned. His symptoms become very intense. The vision becomes very intense.
the hearing becomes intense.
the sense of touch especially is overwrought. The touch of the clothing becomes very painful, while hard pressure may be agreeable. The scalp becomes so sensitive to the touch of the hand that it is painful, while the pressure from a bandage is agreeable.
Oversensitive to noise, oversensitive to motion in the room, to conversation and to others walking over the floor. By these circumstances the pains are increased. The patient becomes extremely sensitive throughout all the senses of the body.
The oversensitiveness to touch is probably extensively in the skin, because of the fact that hard pressure often gives relief. In one who is suffering from peritonitis, front inflammation of the ovaries or uterus, or any of the abdominal viscera, the skin is so sensitive to. the clothing that contrivances are sometimes necessary to relieve the suffering from, the touch of the bed clothing. Something in the form of a hoop will be found in the bed, or the patient will have the knees drawn up, or with the hands will hold the clothing from touching the body. The ordinary weight of the hand may bring out the soreness that is in the abdomen, which is an entirely different soreness, whereas the clothing touching the abdomen only brings out the oversensitiveness of the skin. The mere touch of the skin with the finger or hand is unbearable.
The eye symptoms are worse after sleep, and the eyes are oversensitive to touch and light. With the eye symptoms we have headaches, because the brain and eyes are so closely associated. In the sore throats, when the spatula or tongue depressor happens to touch the wall of the throat, the tonsil, or the root of the tongue, there is a feeling as if the eyes would be pressed out. Violent pain in the eyes from touching the throat.
Lachesis is a great jaundice medicine, because it produces much disturbance in the liver. Yellowness of the skin and whites of the eyes, and thickening of tissues about the eyes.
"Fistula lachrymalis," which is accompanied by long standing eruptions about the face.
Oversensitiveness of the meatus auditorus externus. Anything introduced into the canal of the ear will cause violent, spasmodic coughing and tickling in the throat. So sensitive is the mucous membrane of the ear that a violent cough, like whooping cough, will come on from touching the mucous membrane of the ear. This only shows the oversensitiveness of reflexes, and the oversensitiveness in general. With the hearing there is the same oversensitiveness that we have spoken of elsewhere. The Eustachian tube becomes closed with a catarrhal thickening, stricture of the Eustachian tube.
Lachesis has inflammatory conditions, very chronic in character, with crusty formations in the nose, sneezing, watery discharges from the nose and catarrhal headaches. Sometimes the headache goes off when the catarrhal discharge comes, and when the catarrhal discharge stops the headache comes on. Violent headache with discharge, with sneezing and coryza. Congestive headaches with coryza.
very offensive discharges from the nose. Bleeding from the nose need not surprise you, because Lachesis is a hemorrhagic remedy.
The nose swells up and becomes purple. The nasal bones are very sore, soreness upon sides of the nose. Lachesis is an especially useful medicine in old drunkards who have red nose, and in heart affections with red nose. A red knob on the end of the nose, a strawberry nose.
The nose is tumid, yet it will not remain pitted upon pressure. The lips feel as if inflamed, yet are not inflamed, simply sensitive to pressure. The face has also an oedematous appearance in which there is pitting upon pressure, in cardiac affections, in cases of Bright's disease. On the other hand the face becomes very pale, pale and cold.
the skin covered with scaly eruptions.
Eruptions that bleed easily, with crusty eruptions, with vesicular eruptions. Eruptions that fill with blood, bloody vesicles and large blood blisters, such as occur sometimes in burns, with burning. The face becomes jaundiced and very sallow. At times it takes on the appearance also of a chlorosis.
If you have once seen the chlorotic color, it need not be described. It is a condition of anemia, with yellowish pallor, ash colored or grey, intermingled with a sort of greenish color, so that the ancients often referred to it as green sickness. Again the face becomes livid and puffed like the bloated aspect of drunkards, the mottled purple appearance of drunkards who have been drinking for years, until they are bloated and broken down and have a besotted aspect. You see that in Lachesis
In Lachesis we have a remedy for erysipelas and gangrenous affections, and about the affected part there is the Lachesis appearance, that is the mottled, purplish appearance. Lachesis has become clinically a marked remedy for erysipelas and for gangrene. As provers do not follow up remedies until they produce these things, we have to gather them from the poisonous effects and clinical observation.
The tongue swells and is protruded very slowly. It is dry and catches on the teeth and seems to have lost its stiffness. Seems like a rag, or as if the muscles did not act upon it so that it cannot be protruded, or if it is protruded it trembles and quivers and jerks and catches on the teeth. Again it is swollen, it is denuded of its papillae, and smooth, shiny and glassy as if varnished.
In the mouth there is a soapy appearance of the saliva. The saliva runs into the mouth copiously and the patient will often lie with the head over the side of the bed, and the saliva dripping into a pan or commode. The saliva is stringy and can be pulled out of the mouth in strings; white mucus or saliva.
Lachesis is not an uncommon feature in diphtheria, in sore throat, in inflammation of the tongue and mouth and gums, and in inflammation of the salivary glands. When this mucus is thick, tough, yellow, stringy and ropy it is like Kali Bich Kali bichromicum You will often find in severe sore throat that the patient will lie and gag.
and cough, and attempt with difficulty to protrude the tongue to expel the saliva from the mouth.
Very often the pain is so severe in the root of the tongue that he cannot expel the saliva by the tongue and he will lie with the open mouth over a commode, or with a cloth over the pillow, to receive the thick, ropy saliva. In such a state with sore throats, especially those that commence on the left side and go to the right, you hardly need to question longer, for it is the aspect of Lachesis
Pharynx The muscles of the pharynx become paralyzed and will not act, and hence the food will collect in the pharynx, that is, the bolus to be swallowed goes to the pharynx and stops, and then a tremendous effort at swallowing, with gagging and coughing and spasmodic action of the chest, takes place in order to carry on respiration, and he will not again attempt it. This state often occurs with diphtheria.
I have a number of times seen it brought about by the physician, who has, instead of giving just enough Lachesis, high enough and similar enough to the disease to cure, given it as low as he could get it, the 8 th or 10 th, dissolved it in water and fed it all through the diphtheritic state.
When you come across cases that have been treated in this way you need not be surprised if a post-diphtheritic paralysis comes on, because Lachesis will produce it. It may cure the diphtheria, but it will leave its poisonous effects which will last that patient a lifetime. Every spring the symptoms of Lachesis will crop out. In all the circumstances of aggravation described the symptoms of Lachesis will crop out if he has once been poisoned by it.
In the sore throat we have a combination of symptoms. Lachesis has produced this state, going from left to right.
but with the sore throat there is a sensation of fullness in the neck and throat, difficult breathing, pallor or plethoric appearance of the face, choking when going into sleep, the peculiar kind of saliva and aggravation of the throat symptoms from warm drinks.
There is not always an aggravation of the pain itself from warm drinks, but the patient is often unable to swallow warm fluids. The swallowing of warm fluids often causes choking, and after a swallow of warm tea is taken the patient will clutch at the throat and it seems as if he would suffocate. He says,
"Oh I do not give me any more warm drinks."
Something cold will relieve. The dyspnoea and the distress about the throat is increased by swallowing something warm. Now, in the sore throats of Lycopodium Lycopodium, warmth often benefits, but it is also true in some cases of Lycopodium Lycopodium sore throat, they want cold drinks and cold feels good to the throat.
Very often in the more acute symptoms of Lachesis a warm drink in the stomach is hurtful and causes nausea and suffocation and increases the choking and palpitation and the fullness in the head, whereas in the chronic cases of Lachesis, those that have been poisoned years before, there will be a sensation of nausea and tendency to vomit from taking a drink of cold water and then lying down.
The nausea comes on after lying down, that is, let the patient take a drink of ice cold water and go to bed and nausea will come on. Such a state is peculiar to Lachesis It has been a later observation of those who have long before proved Lachesis The symptoms of Lachesis have sometimes to be taken years after.
Lachesis has ulcers in the throat. It has aphthous patches, it has red and grey ulceration, it has deep ulceration. The tendency to ulceration upon the margins of mucous membranes is peculiar to Lachesis
Also ulceration upon the skin, where the circulation is feeble. It seems that the pain in the throat is particularly marked between the acts of swallowing, and the pressure of the bolus going over the inflamed tonsils relieves the pain.
Always choking when swallowing, choking and gagging in the throat.
The cough is a choking cough and produces a sensation of tickling. This is like the Belladonna Bell cough. Belladonna Bell antidotes a Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach cough, it has a cough so much like Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach that no one can tell them apart.
Again the throat takes on extreme dryness in Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach, and this dryness is without thirst, dryness with aversion to water. Much inclination to swallow.
the tendency is to continuously swallow, yet it is painful. Empty swallowing is more painful, than the swallowing of solids. Some Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach patients suffering from cardiac affections are annoyed with constriction of the throat, choking in the throat when anything warm is swallowed, and sometimes when going into a warm room, choking and palpitation of the heart.
Tendency to chronic sore throat or recurrent sore throat and ulceration with every recurring sore throat. Liquids, of course, you will see, are analogous to empty swallowing, and empty swallowing causes more pain than the bolus which presses upon the sore throat, because it is of the nature of a slight touch. The slight touch increases the soreness and pain in the throat. Slight pressure of the collar increases the pain in the throat.
With the sore throat the muscles and glands about the neck become painful, inflamed and swollen, and very tender to the touch. With the sore throat, very commonly, there is pain in the base of the brain or in the back of the head, and soreness of the muscles of the back of the neck, which is often relieved by lying on the back and aggravated by lying on either side.
If you look into the throat it has a mottled, purplish appearance. Put all these things together, with the copious flow of tenacious saliva, and you will be able to manage cases of diphtheria that commence on the left side and spread to the right, whether the membrane is scanty or copious.
Tonsilitis with suppuration of the tonsils, when the left tonsil becomes inflamed and after a day or two the right one becomes inflamed and swollen, and they both finally go on to suppuration, or when one swells and suppurates and the other swells and suppurates. Diphtheritic appearances of the throat, spreading from left to right The pharynx is full of thick, white, ropy mucus in the morning.
must hawk out a mouthful of mucus in the morning.
Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach has a series of liver troubles with jaundice.
congestion of the liver, inflammation of the liver, enlarged liver and the Nux Moschata nutmeg liver. Cutting like a knife in the region of the liver. Vomiting of bile.
vomiting of everything taken into the stomach. Extreme nausea.
continuous nausea with jaundice. White stool. It has cured cases with gall stone.
"Cannot endure any pressure about the hypochondria."
In the chronic state the sensitiveness of the skin is so great over the abdomen, and about the waist and hips, that the wearing of the clothing creates pain, great restlessness and uneasiness, the patient grows increasingly nervous and finally goes into hysterics. Sensitiveness over the lower abdomen.
can scarcely allow her clothes to touch her.
It is also laid down as a remedy for the climacteric period Now if you will study the cases of many women at the climacteric period you will find that many of them have the flushes of heat and the surgings in the head and the great circulatory disturbances that are found under Lachesis This is also true of the complaints, the headaches, etc., that come in women at the climacteric period and at the menstrual period.
The Lachesis symptoms are strong in women during menstruation. There is violent headache, boring pain in the vertex, nausea and vomiting during menses.
The discharge in the female, either as a menstrual flow or as a hemorrhage, is black blood. Pain in the left ovarian region, or going from left to right. Induration of one or both ovaries. It has cured suppuration of the ovaries. The uterine region is very sensitive to touch, to the slightest contact of the clothing.
in inflammation of the ovaries, pains in the ovaries and uterus going from left to right. Pains in the pelvis going upwards to the chest, sometimes a surging of pain going upwards, grasping the throat. Labor pains surge up, with clutching at the throat, or the labor pains cease suddenly, with clutching at the throat.
The menstrual pains increase violently until relieved by the flow. The menstrual sufferings are before and after the flow, with amelioration during the flow. The menstrual flow intermits one day and then goes on for one day, and during the intermission there is likely to be pain or headache.
Menorrhagia with chills at night and flushes of heat in the daytime. During the menstrual period violent headache, especially at such times as the flow slackens up.
It is a general feature of Lachesis to be relieved by discharges
Catamenia flow but one hour every day; on stopping, violent pains follow in region of left ovary, alternating with gagging and vomiturition.
It is especially useful at the menopause, because of the flushes of heat. Uterine hemorrhage, fainting spells, suffocation in a warm room; orgasm of blood most violent. Complaints during pregnancy.
Inflammation of the veins of the leg. Varicose veins, blue or purple, extreme sensitiveness along the veins; sensitive to the slightest touch, though relieved by pressure.
The study of Lachesis is only a commentary on some of its important parts.
The face is purple and mottled, the eyelids are tumid, very much puffed.
not bloated as in oedematous subjects, but puffed. There is not the pitting upon pressure that we find in oedema, although Lachesis has that, but there is a puffiness peculiar to Lachesis, the face looks swollen and inflamed, due to a venous stasis, so that the face is purple and mottled.
he is unable to articulate.
Feels very sad and despondent, worse after sleeping, or in the morning.
Enemy of all constriction; must loosen everything (neck, chest, throat, abdomen, etc.)
Left-sided affections generally, especially throat, chest, ovaries.
Inflamed parts very tender to touch and of bluish or dark color.
Great weakness and trembling; tongue trembles when protruding it; catches under the teeth (lower).
Blood decomposes, breaks down, haemorrhages; blood uncoagulable; ulcers and even slight wounds bleed profusely.
Modalities worse at climacteric; touch, constriction or pressure, sun-heat, after sleeping; better after discharges (suppressed or delayed discharges).
Many complains connected with the menopause hot flushes, hot sweats, burning vertex headaches, haemorrhoids, haemorrhages.
Great physical and mental exhaustion; trembling in whole body; would constantly sink from weakness.
To Dr. Constantine Hering belongs the honor of introducing and developing the wonderful medicinal properties of this Bothrops Lanceolatus snake poison. If he had never done anything beside this for medicine, the world would owe him an everlasting debt of gratitude. It alone would immortalize him. All this, and more; notwithstanding, Chas. Hempel wrote in his first volume of Materia Medica "In spite of every effort to the contrary, the conviction has gradually forced itself upon my mind that the pretended pathogenesis of Lachesis, which has emanated from Dr. Hering's otherwise meritorius and highly praiseworthy efforts, is a great delusion, and that with the exception of the poisonous effects with which this publication is abundantly mingled the balance of the symptoms are unreliable." Hempel modified his views somewhat, I think, in later editions.
Now, it is interesting to note that in Allen's Encyclopaedia of Pure Materia Medica, the verified, and especially the black-typed symptoms, almost all of them, are verifications of provings made with the 30th potency. It is also significant that the provings of Hahnemann's polycrest remedies, mostly made with the potencies, are among the most useful and reliable we have to-day. Some have sought to destroy confidence in the provings of all remedies which are made with the 30th potencies and upwards; not only that, but in their power to cure even when the provings were made with cruder preparations. With us, who know the value of these potencies, all such efforts only excite pity. But many who do not know are misled and prejudiced so as to never dare to test for themselves. To all such we say take no man's ipse dixit, but prove all things, "hold fast that which is true." .
Lachesis is a remedy of wide range of action. It has an alternate action on the mind and sensorium, that of excitation and depression. Illustrative of the former are the following symptoms "Quick comprehension, mental activity with almost prophetic perception, ecstasy, a kind of trance. Exceptional loquacity, with rapid change of subjects; jumps abruptly from one idea to another." This kind of excitation may be found in acute chronic complaints.
Lachesis has some prominent head symptoms where no other remedy can take its place. It is one of our best remedies for sun headaches; of course it does not compare with Glonoin Glonoine for the immediate effects of sunstroke, but does come in well after the first effects are overcome by that remedy. The patient is troubled with headache every time he is exposed to the sun's heat, and the trouble has become chronic (Natrum Carbonicum Nat. carb.).
Lachesis is another characteristic symptom, namely weight or pressure on the vertex. (Cactus Grandiflorus Cactus, Glonoin Glonoine, Menyanthes Menyanthes). This is found mostly in women suffering at the menopause, and coupled with it in such cases there is sometimes burning on the vertex. Sulphur Sulphur has this symptom, but if it occurred at the menopause the remedy would oftener be found in Lachesis, unless, indeed, there were some marked psoric complications. Lachesis has a variety of headaches, but I know of only two characteristics that have been of very much value to me in prescribing for them, namely, with then headache very pale face, and the patient sleeps into the headache; dreads to go to sleep because she awakens with such a distressing headache. These two are very valuable indications, otherwise I would expect to get my indications outside of the headache itself. "Headache extending into the nose, comes mostly in acute catarrh, especially when the discharge has been suppressed or stops after sleep. This kind of headache is often found in hay fever, with frequent and violent paroxysms of sneezing. Now if the hay fever paroxysms of sneezing are decidedly worse after sleeping, even in the daytime, Lachesis 2000th may stop the whole business for the season." Being an old hay fever subject myself, I am authority on that statement.
We now come to the action of Lachesis on the alimentary tract; first the gums are often swollen and spongy, easily bleeding.
"Throat and neck sensitive to slightest touch, or external pressure (Sepia Sepia).." This is very characteristic. Another peculiarity is that empty swallowing, or swallowing of saliva or liquids, aggravates a great deal more than swallowing of solids. The pains in the throat run up into the ears. There is much mucus in fauces, with painful hawking. In tonsillitis and diphtheria, swelling of tonsils begins on left side and extends to the right (Sabadilla Sabadilla). The pains are aggravated by hot drinks (reverse, Sabadilla Sabadilla). All these symptoms are peculiar to Lachesis, and are all apt to be very much worse after sleep. In old quinsy subjects, where the trouble always began on the left side, I have often not only aborted the attack, but cured the predisposition thereto.
If the skin turns purple or bluish, as if mortification were impending, there is no remedy like it. Not only is Lachesis an unusually efficacious remedy for these acute throat troubles, but for those of a chronic form, and the same symptoms are present, even in syphilitic throat troubles. We have placed great stress upon the great sensitiveness of the throat to all touch or pressure; but this does not end it, for, as Lilienthal expresses it, Lachesis is the great enemy of all constriction. "The pit of stomach sore to the touch, or even to pressure of clothes." "Cannot bear any pressure about the hypochondria." In the abdomen there is "Painful distention, flatulence, which is very annoying, can bear no pressure.
Lachesis has some peculiar symptoms of stool and anus. There is an urging, or rather a pressing down, in the rectum, but it is worse when he attempts a stool; hurts so that he must desist. It feels as if the anus were closed. This is somewhat like the constant or rather frequent, though ineffectual, urging to stool of Nux Vomica Nux vomica.
Lachesis is often of great use in that very common malady, haemorrhoids; and here you have the constricted feeling, whether the piles are external or blind, and sometime a beating or throbbing, or as the patient will perhaps express it, a sensation of "little hammers" beating in the rectum. All these symptoms and many more show the affinity of Lachesis for the anus and rectum, as they do also its power over disease of the whole alimentary tract.
The respiratory organs and chest also come under the influence of Lachesis. Paralysis of the vocal chords, causing loss of voice.
larynx is sensitive to least touch; it causes suffocation.
seems to sleep into it. Spasm of the glottis; sensation of something running from neck to larynx, stopping the breath. It has great shortness of breath when walking, especially in old topers and in heart affections, when this condition is always the guide to its use. "The least thing coming near the mouth or nose interferes with breathing.
Now look out for the Lachesis tongue in these cases. Lachesis is also one of our most useful remedies in heart troubles, acute or chronic, the peculiar suffocation, cough and aggravation from constrictions being the guiding symptoms.
No remedy more profoundly impresses the nervous system than this. In the first place it causes trembling, not from fright or excitement, but from extreme weakness. In this it resembles Gelsemium Sempervirens Gelsemium; both have great trembling of the tongue on trying to protrude it. With both remedies the whole body trembles.
There is, however, another place in which I have seen it accomplish much and that is in the languor, weariness and prostration from hot weather. The heat not only aches, but the whole body seems prostrated by sun heat. (Antimonium Crudum Antim. crud., Gelsemium Sempervirens Gelsemium, Glonoin Glonoine, Natrum Carbonicum Natrum Carb., , Nat Mur Natrum m, Natrum Carbonicum c">.)
Worse after sleep, or rather the patient sleeps into an aggravation, is a genuine characteristic of Lachesis, no matter what the enemies of Lachesis say of it. On this line there is one particular symptom to which I wish to call attention, i. e., "As soon as the patient falls asleep, the breathing stops." This is as Hering expresses it. I have oftener found it this way; the patient cannot go clear off into sleep, because just on the verge of it the breath stops and he wakens catching for breath. This is often found in heart troubles, functional or organic, and is very distressing. Grindelia Robusta Grindelia robusta has a similar symptom. (Also Digitalis Purpurea Digitalis).
We find ourselves drawn out to a greater length on this trul; remedy than we had anticipated when we began writing we have also found it a much more useful remedy than we had anticipated from our impressions of it when reading Charles Hempel (for whom we have great respect) in our studenthood. It wears well for those who use it in the 30th potency and upwards. Don't forget that Lachesis is preeminently a left-sided remedy, as Lycopodium Lycopodium is a right-sided one. Left-sided paralysis, ovarian affections, throat troubles, lung troubles, headaches, etc., all make us think of Lachesis first because of its positiveness in this respect. Of course, if the other symptoms were present in right-sided affections we would not hesitate to use it. Lachesis is often a remedy of great value in skin affections.
Now we bid our old and tried friend an affectionate good-by for a time, and heartily recommend all who have not done so to seek his acquaintance.
Region
Mind
Throat
NERVES CUTANEOUS
VASO-MOTOR
Sympathetic PNEUMO-GASTRIC
BLOOD; HEART
CIRCULATION
LEFT SIDE; then right THROAT
OVARIES
FEMALES
Vertex
Characteristics
much to his wife's dismay. Towards morning he slept, and on waking his mind was clear. He drank a little water to moisten his throat, and the first question this indomitable prover asked was "What did I do and say?" His wife remembered vividly enough. The symptoms were written down, and this was the first instalment of the proving of Lachesis. The natives crept back one by one next day, and were astonished to find Hering and his wife alive. The Bothrops Lanceolatus snake grows to seven feet and upwards in length, has fangs nearly an inch long, a reddish brown skin marked along the back with blackish brown rhomboidal spots. Nearly all the provings of Lachesis were made with the 30th and higher attenuations.
agg. from sleep. I will take an illustration from Nash An old syphilitic suffered from obstinate constipation, and was taken with severe attacks of colic. The pains seemed to extend all through the abdomen, and always came on at night. The man was not making any progress, when one day he remarked to Nash, "Doctor, if I could only keep awake I would never have another attack." And in response to an inquiring look from the doctor, he added, "I mean that I sleep into the attack and waken in it." He never had another. One dose of Lachnanthes Tinctoria Lach. 200 cured the colic and the constipation too. "Sleeps into an aggravation;" "agg. after sleep whether by day or by night;" "as soon as he falls asleep the breathing stops "
Preparation
Thinks she is some one else; in the hands of a stronger power; that she is dead and preparations are being made for her funeral; that she is nearly dead and wishes some one would help her off.
Thinks she is dead, and that preparations are being made for her funeral; thinks herself pursued by enemies; fears the medicine is poison.