Ratanhia - General symptoms - Clarke

GENERAL

General

Rhatany Root. Ratanhia. Mapato. Pumacuchu. The root of several species of Krameria, especially Krameria triandra. N. O. Polygalaceae (or Leguminosae according to some). Tincture of the root.

ulceration of. Throat, contraction of. Tinnitus. Worms.

"Krameria triandra, remarkable for its entire, obovate, acuminate leaves, covered on both sides with silky hair, is one of the species most known as yielding the Rhatany root of commerce, but all the species (of Krameria), as far as known, are intensely astringent.

In Peru an extract is made from this species which is a mild, easily assimilated astringent medicine, possessed of great power in passive, bloody or mucous discharges; it acts as a tonic in weakness of digestive organs and muscular debility, and is even useful in intermittent and putrid fevers.

It is also styptic and restores tone to relaxed parts, and when applied as plaisters is said to cure all kinds of ulcers.

An infusion is used as a gargle and wash, and the powder forms with Carbo Veg ^charcoal an excellent tooth-powder.

The colour of the infusion of the root of the Krameria is blood-red, on which account advantage is taken of it to adulterate port wine" (Treas. of Bot.).

Teste (who puts Rat. in his Sulphur ^Sulphur group), writing of its pre-homoeopathic use, says, "There is perhaps no plant the properties of which have been so well indicated by chance as this.

Used as an astringent and tonic, this root sometimes arrests passive haemorrhages (epistaxis, haemoptysis, metrorrhagia, &c.).

It was successfully used against scurvy, mucous discharges, such as chronic catarrh of the bronchia, vagina, large intestines, &c., against various forms of incontinence of urine, chronic oedema of the skin.

Dr. Tournel, who, no doubt, did not suspect that Ratan. produced abortion, had the happy idea of prescribing it as a tonic in cases of incipient miscarriage, and thus preventing that accident in delicate and nervous females who had never yet been able to go their full time." All these uses are really homoeopathic, as is also the cure of a case of fissure of the rectum by Bretonneau, whom Teste quotes from Trousseau and Pidoux A lady suffered from constipation and fissure of rectum, which caused her horrible pains and had damaged her health.

Bretonneau ordered a daily injection mixed with one-fourth of Rat., and in a short time constipation and fissure were cured.

Other like cases were cured; and then the same treatment was given in cases of fissure without constipation, and again with the same success.

The provings (Hartlaub and Trinks chiefly) bring out the keynotes of Rat. in rectal cases "Straining, stool so hard she cried out, with great protrusion of haemorrhoids.

followed for a long time by burning in anus." The burning persisting for a longtime after the stool is very characteristic of Rat.

and it occurs when the stool is diarrhoeic as well as hard.

Burning also precedes and accompanies the stool.

Another peculiarity in connection with the stool is a bursting headache, which accompanies and follows a straining at stool.

Dry heat with sudden stitching like knife-stabs.

Oozing at anus. Dropping of blood from anus.

One patient cured by Rat. of fissure had amel. by application of hot water; he sat in a sitz-bath as hot as he could endure; the relief only lasted while in the bath.

In connection with the rectal symptoms is an important head symptom "Pains in middle of forehead, as if brain would fall out," and a similar pain after stool.

The head pains are also agg. on bending forward.

The eye symptoms are striking burning, smarting, twitching of lids, obscured vision.

Ratanhia symptom has led to the cure of cases of pterygium Inflammation of whole of eye; a membrane seemed to extend to central point of eye, which burned.

The old use of Rat. in nose-bleed, scurvy, and as a tooth-powder are justified by the symptoms of the proving Violent nose-bleed; bleeding gums; toothache agg. lying down.

A curious symptom in the aching molars is a sensation as if coldness rushed out of them.

Toothache of pregnancy compelling the patient to get up at night and walk about. "Tasteless water collects in mouth" may meet another condition of pregnancy; and Rat. both causes and prevents abortion, metrorrhagia and leucorrhoea.

It also meets fissure of the breasts in nursing women, as well as fissure of the anus.

Contractive sensations (Rat. is astringent") are numerous in stomach; groins; anus; eyes; neck; muscles; throat; "painful spasmodic contraction of throat during which she could not speak a loud word." Peculiar Sensations are As if intoxicated.

As if head in a vice. As of a white speck before eyes; skin before eyes.

As if coldness rushed out of molars.

As if rectum and anus were all twisted up.

As if splinters of glass in rectum and anus.

As if rectum protruded and then suddenly went back with a jerk.

As if abdomen (and chest) cut to pieces.

Movement as if something alive in abdomen.

As of cobwebs about right side of mouth.

Jerkings and quiverings.

Eyelids feel stiff. Right side is most affected.

Cushing, who made a proving of Rat., says (Med. cent. quoted H. R., xi. 142) it caused great itching in the rectum.

and he has cured with it since nearly every case of pin-worms in his practice. In a woman, old and feeble, he cured with Rat. 3x internally, and a Rhatany rectal suppository each night, frequent discharges of mucus, blood and pus from the bowels night and day with great pain and burning in rectum almost wholly preventing sleep. Cushing considers that, next to Sanguinaria Nitrica ^{Sang nit}., Rat. meets more rectal cases than any other remedy. Rummel (quoted H. R., i. 140) relates the case of a servant girl who had rapid twitching of the lids of right eye to such an extent as to hinder her seeing. There seemed to be also a rotary motion of the ball. Belladonna ^Bell. and Calc Carb ^Calc. failed to relieve. Rat. 12 relieved quickly. The symptoms are agg. By touch (teeth). Pressure amel. pain in chest. agg. Lying down.

amel. by motion. agg. Straining at stool.

sitting bent over (headache).

stooping. Stepping = pain in ribs. Sitting = weariness and heaviness in right thigh.

pain in right knee and great toe. Bending arm agg.

extending it amel. Eating agg.

emission of flatus amel. After dinner, hiccough.

before dinner, abdominal distension. amel. Hot-water applications. amel. Open air.

moving about in open air. agg. Night.

"most symptoms come in evening, night and morning. They are amel. by exercise and in open air, very much agg. by uneasiness of mind" (Teste).