Rumex Crispus - General symptoms - Clarke

GENERAL

General

Rumex Acetosa ^Rumex crispus. Curled Dock. Yellow Dock. N. O. Polygonaceae. Tincture of fresh root.

Abortion. Aphonia. Asthma. Borborygmi. Bronchitis. Catarrh. Corns. Coryza. Cough. Diarrhoea. Dyspepsia. Epistaxis. Feet, tender. Gastralgia. Heart, pain in.

affections of. Indigestion. Irritation. Usnea Barbata ^Lichen. Mouth, ulceration of. Phimosis. Phthisis. Prurigo. Rheumatism. Throat, sore ulcerated. Trachea, affections of. Urticaria.

The "Yellow Dock" or "Curled Dock" is a common British weed, introduced and growing wild in North America, where the provings were made. The common Dock of our fields and roadsides, Rumex Acetosa ^Rumex obtusifolia, has a reputation among children as the best antidote to the nettle's sting.

a reputation which is very well deserved, as I can testify. Rumex Acetosa ^Rumex crispus, according to Joslin, quoted by Hale, was used by allopaths internally and externally for the cure of itch. This points to one of the leading actions of Rx. c. as developed in the provings. Among the constituents and salts of Rx. c. are Sulphur ^Sulphur and Calc Carb ^Calc. Ph. (Hale).

and Sulphur ^Sul., Calc Carb ^Calc., and Phosphorus ^Pho. are strongly represented in its action. Rx. c., again, is a close ally of Rheum ^Rheum, and has analogous purgative and other properties. The provings were made by Houghton, Joslin, H. M. Paine, Bayard, Rhees, &c., both with the tincture and with attenuations, and its characteristics were well defined. A keynote of many Rx. c. cases is sensitiveness to cold air. The cough and skin symptoms are agg. by uncovering or exposure to air. Guernsey thus describes the cough of Rx. c. "Cough caused by an incessant tickling in throat-pit, which tickling runs down to the bifurcation of the bronchial tubes.

touching the throat brings on the cough.

by covering up all the body and head with the bed-clothes there is no cough." Correspondingly this symptom of Paine's has led to many cures of skin cases "While undressing, and for some time after, considerable itching of surface of lower limbs ";.

where exposure to air is again the exciting cause. The characteristic diarrhoea of Rx. c. occurs in the early morning, driving the patient out of bed.

it comes on after catarrh, and is often associated with the characteristic cough of the remedy. The Rx. c. cough causes expulsion of urine.

and it may even cause expulsion of the foetus in pregnant women. P. P. Wells relates this case (Hale) Mrs. X. had had eight miscarriages in the early months, each miscarriage being attended with a dry, shaking, spasmodic cough in paroxysms of great violence, which was regarded as the cause of the abortions. At the beginning of the ninth pregnancy she came under homoeopathic treatment. The cough came on.

very dry, harsh, loud, shaking, agg. at night, preventing sleep, excited instantly by pressure on the trachea. Rx. c. 30 promptly relieved. Wells also cured with Rx. c. 200 (Lehrman's preparation) the following in a man Cough beginning with tickling behind top of sternum, sometimes in paroxysms lasting for five to ten minutes. Trachea sore to external pressure.

feels excoriated through its whole extent, as also do the fauces. Cough is excited by pressure on throat-pit.

violent with scanty difficult expectoration.

shakes head as if it would fly to pieces and chest so that he feels he might raise blood any minute. Paroxysms exhaust him.

headache during cough. Joslin pointed out the left chest had more verified symptoms than any other region. Further Conditions of Rx. c. are agg. lying on left side.

amel. lying on right side, agg. At 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. Another Condition of the cough is that it is induced or agg. by any irregularity of respiration, such as a little deeper breath than usual or a little more rapid. Cough when eating. Joslin reports a number of cases of gastric derangement cured with Rx. c. ($51$) A young lady had shootings from pit of stomach into chest in various directions.

sharp pains in left chest.

dull aching in forehead and slight nausea. One dose of 30th removed all her symptoms and restored her appetite. (2) A lady, 50, had had for three weeks pain in pit of stomach, aching in left chest, flatulence, eructations, pains and distension in stomach after meals. Rx. c. 200, one dose, cured in two or three hours. (3) Young lady had sensation of fulness and pressure in pit of stomach extending up towards throat, carried down on swallowing and rising again to throat. Rx. c. 200 cured. (4) A gentleman not used to tea took a cup, very weak, of the black kind.

then followed aching in pit of stomach and aching above it in chest, and especially on each side of lower end of sternum. Rx. c. 30 cured in a few minutes. The flatulence and rumbling of Rx. c. are well marked, and I have found it the best general remedy for the painless but annoying borborygmi frequently complained of by women. The left side is more markedly affected than the right. The circulation is much disturbed, violent palpitations of the heart and throbbing throughout the whole body being noted. Carleton Smith points out (H. P., x. 275) that in a case of cough cured by Cardoza with Rx. c. the characteristic was "cough only during the day, not at all at night." This gives Rx. c. a place beside Fer. and Manganum Metallicum ^Mang. Smith has cured with Rx. c. many cases of indigestion in which this symptom was present "Lump in throat, not amel. by hawking or swallowing.

it descends on deglutition, but immediately returns." Peculiar Sensations are Eyes pain as if from dryness. Tongue as if burned. Lump in throat.

it descends on deglutition, but immediately returns. Hard substance in pit of stomach. Bunch in throat or behind sternum. Pressure of a stick in rectum. As if urine could not long be retained. As if she could not get another breath. As if air did not penetrate chest. As if a feather swaying to and fro in bronchi. As if head would fly to pieces (with cough). As if he might raise blood any minute. As if cough did not reach low enough to raise phlegm. As if heart suddenly stopped. Sternum feels sprained. Raw feeling under clavicles. Hands cold when coughing. The symptoms are agg. by touch.

pressure. riding. agg. By cold.

amel. by warmth. agg. Change warm to cold or cold to warm.

changing rooms. agg. Lying down (pain in pit of stomach amel. lying perfectly quiet). agg. Lying on left side.

burning in left side. amel. Lying right side. agg. Talking. agg. Deep inspiration.

or irregularity of breathing. agg. Walking. agg. Evening and night.

and morning on waking, 3.30 and 11 p.m., 2 to 5 a.m. agg. When eating and after meals. amel. Discharge of offensive flatus.

Dry, spasmodic cough, like beginning of whooping-cough.

in paroxysms. preceded by tickling in throat-pit, with congestion and slight pains in head, and wrenching pains in r. chest.

began a few minutes after lying down at night (11 p.m.).

lasted 10 to 15 minutes, after which he slept all right.

a less severe paroxysm in bed on waking and throughout day this lasted two weeks, when he began to expectorate adhesive mucus in small quantities, detached with difficulty.

Copious diarrhoeic stool with colic pain just above hypogastrium, and a very disagreeable rumbling in bowels together with nausea and loss of appetite.

these sensations continued throughout the day with four or five evacuations which passed away in a stream as if a large quantity would be discharged.

nevertheless each discharge was suddenly arrested, and the inclination passed away entirely for a short time.

but on rising the urgency returned, and on returning to the closet a new stream poured forth as before.