Croton Tiglium
By Constantine Hering — The Guiding Symptoms of our Materia Medica
Croton Oil Seeds. Euphorbiaceæ.
The Croton seed is spoken of by Avicenna and Serapion. Christoph d'Acosta is the first European who described it, which was in the year 1578. The physicians of the seventeenth century used it very little. In modern times, on account of its medicinal oil, it was brought more to the notice of physicians.
The effects of the oil taken or applied are recorded in the Encyclopædia, vol. 3, p. 606, the principal symptoms being from J. Buchner's collection of provings published in Archiv. f. Hom., vol. 19, p. 113.
CLINICAL AUTHORITIES.
- Diarrhœa , Martin, Rück. Kl. Erf., vol. 5, p. 413 ; J. Loyd Martin, N. A. J. H., vol. 4, p. 355 ; Cushing, Organon, vol. 3, p. 304 ; Goodno, Hom. Clinics, vol. 4, p. 132 ; E. W. Berridge, Raue's R., 1875, p. 145 ; Chronic Diarrhœa , G. W. Richards, Raue's R., 1873, p. 120 ; H. V. Miller, Raue's R., 1873, p. 121 ; Summer complaint , V. Zuydtryck, Raue's R., 1870, p. 214 ; Cholerine , Escallier, N. A. J. H., vol. 4, p. 124 ; Rück. Kl. Erf., vol. 5, p. 472 ; Cholera infantum , Goodno, Hom. Clinics, vol. 4, p. 132 ; C. C. Smith, Med. Inv., vol. 9, p. 7 ; Aphonia , Holeczek, Rück. Kl. Erf., vol. 3, p. 166 ; Brachial neuralgia (four cases), M. Preston, Hah. Mo., vol. 12, p. 472 ; Cough (two cases), J. C. Robert, Organon, vol. 3, p. 486 ; Neuralgia , H. N. Martin, Hom. Clinics, vol. 1, p. 112 ; Cold , J. C. Robert, Organon, vol. 3, p. 487 ; Rheumatism , Kirsch, Rück. Kl. Erf., vol. 5, p. 897 ; Eczema , Baehr, B. J. H., vol. 16, p. 420-29 ; v. d. Heyden, Raue's R., 1870, p. 323 ; Poisoning by Rhus tox ., E. A. Farrington, Hom. Clinics, vol. 4, pp. 107-128.
MIND [1]
Not disposed to work.
Feeling of anxiety, as though some personal misfortune would befall him.
Morose, dissatisfied.
Deep depression, peevish and restless.
Feeling as though one cannot think outside of himself, "feels all pent up" inside, and no chance for thoughts to flow out ; as if hide-bound.
SENSORIUM [2]
Dulness, heaviness, or confusion of head.
Dizziness and faintness, < in open air, with drowsiness, nausea, pale complexion, exhaustion and diarrhœa.
INNER HEAD [3]
Sensitiveness of head ; weight of hat causes headache.
Heat and heaviness in head, soreness in eyeballs when turning eyes ; bad taste in mouth, feels clammy and nasty ; thirst ; weak, faint spells ; flushes of heat.
Sticking pain in head, eyes and forehead.
Headache worse in morning.
OUTER HEAD [4]
Sensitiveness of head to pressure of hat.
Boring of head into pillow ; fontanelles sunken. θ Cholera infantum.
Crusta lactea.
SIGHT AND EYES [5]
Opacity of cornea.
Keratitis pustulosa : with much eruption on lids and face ; with excessive photophobia.
Ulceration of conjunctiva, contraction of pupil, profuse lachrymation and dimness of cornea.
Conjunctivitis pustulosa, eyes feel hot and burning, especially at night ; face red and burning ; feverish ; marked photophobia, ciliary injection, with considerable pain in and around eye, usually worse at night.
Pustules terminating in ulcers and ulceration of cornea, with much pain in supra-ciliary region and eruption on face ; much pain in eye, whenever a movement from bowels occurred.
Iritis with pustular eruption on face.
Irritation and inflammatory redness of conjunctiva.
Violent ophthalmia ; on second day, ulceration of conjunctiva over cornea and sclera, irritation of sclera and iris ; contraction of pupil ; injected state of vessels of conjunctiva, sclera and eyelids, profuse lachrymation, photophobia, violent pains disturbing night's rest ; burning and violent pain of eye.
Pain which seemed to extend from pupil of left eye to back part of head. θ Neuralgia.
Sensation as of a string pulling eyeball back into head.
Sticking pain in eyes ; eyes swollen ; veil before eyes.
Stinging in eyeball.
Soreness in eyeballs when turning eyes.
Burning pain in inflamed eye, with burning in ear, vertigo and fainting.
Blepharitis with vesicular eruption on lids and face.
Itching of eyelids.
Œdematous swelling of eyelids (eyelids look puffed).
Twitching of eyelids.
Copious lachrymation.
HEARING AND EARS [6]
Spasmodic twinging pains, deep within left ear.
Otorrhœa, with great itching.
Deafness.
SMELL AND NOSE [7]
Burning in nostrils ; inflamed nose.
Eruption upon septum of nose plugging nostril.
UPPER FACE [8]
Swelling and redness of face and eyelids, which are covered with small vesicles.
Sensation as though insects were creeping on face.
LOWER FACE [9]
Lips dry and parched. θ Cholera infantum.
Burning of lips.
TASTE, SPEECH, TONGUE [11]
Bad taste in mouth, clammy and nasty.
Sensitiveness of tip of tongue.
Tongue coated white ; generally dry, red and shining.
INNER MOUTH [12]
Burning and smarting in mouth.
Irritation of salivary glands.
Painful swelling of submaxillary glands and tonsils.
PALATE AND THROAT [13]
Burning and scraping in fauces and throat.
General irritation in fauces, redness, swelling and elongation of uvula.
Constrictive sensation in throat.
APPETITE, THIRST. DESIRES, AVERSIONS [14]
Constant thirst.
EATING AND DRINKING [15]
Vomiting and purging, as soon as patient takes a drink.
Hot milk relieves colic.
HICCOUGH, BELCHING, NAUSEA AND VOMITING [16]
Nausea, much water in mouth.
Excessive nausea, with vanishing of sight, sweat on forehead, distension of abdomen, excessive gagging, vertigo, < after drinking, with frequent discharge of greenish or yellowish water from bowels.
Vomiting immediately after drinking.
Violent vomiting of ingesta ; of yellowish-white frothy fluids.
SCROBICULUM AND STOMACH [17]
Anguish, oppression and pressure in stomach.
Sinking in stomach, with sensation of weakness.
Sensation of emptiness in stomach.
Burning in stomach.
Sensitiveness of region of stomach to touch.
ABDOMEN AND LOINS [19]
Abdomen distended ; coldness.
Unpleasant sensation of emptiness and hunger ; rumbling in abdomen.
Extreme coldness, amounting to chilliness along spinal column downward and through entire abdomen, with nausea and vomiting, subsequently flushed feeling in head and face, with writhing pain, commencing in region of transverse colon and gradually extending downward through whole intestinal canal ; very copious pap-like and watery discharges, generally of light grey color, but varying ; slight tenesmus, anxious countenance, depression of spirits, great restlessness. θ Diarrhœa.
Colicky pain in transverse colon before every stool.
Griping colic and writhing around umbilicus.
Abdomen full and distended, griping pain about navel.
Bearing down in abdomen, as if everything was relaxed.
On pressing on umbilicus with hand, painful sensation is felt all along intestinal canal to termination of rectum, causing latter to protrude.
Colic > from hot milk.
Gurgling in intestines, as though nothing but water was in them, mostly on left side.
Swashing in intestines as from water.
STOOLS AND RECTUM [20]
Flatulence, soon followed by urgent desire for stool.
Evacuation sudden, and with much flatus.
Stools occur suddenly, one gush and it is finished, great prostration after a passage. θ Cholera infantum.
Constant urging to stool, followed by sudden, pasty evacuation, which is shot out of rectum, of a dirty green color and offensive.
Watery, yellow, at times slightly green passages, passed in a single gush ; each stool seems to "drain child dry", but notwithstanding, very little prostration, passages every half hour, from 8 A. M. till evening, none at night.
Pasty, light brown stool covered with mucus, with frequent urging, followed by rumbling, gurgling in left side of abdomen.
Stool : dark green ; tenacious, mucous ; watery, mixed with whitish flakes ; watery, painless ; coming out like a shot ; < from drink and food.
During stool : sweat, nausea ; colic ; scraping of posterior wall of rectum ; disagreeable sensation through whole body ; nauseous taste ; protrusion of rectum.
After stool : sweat on forehead ; pressing in epigastrium and umbilicus, with protrusion of rectum and constant urging to stool ; nausea, with fainting ; great pallor, weakness and prostration.
Stools preceded by colic and borborygmus ; during stool cutting in abdomen with sensitiveness ; after stool, burning in anus ; greatest prostration, patient even fainting ; coldness of body ; dizziness ; face sunken and altered in expression. θ Cholerine.
Vomiting and diarrhœa after taking least nourishment ; stools profuse, watery, yellow and at times yellowish-green ; stool passed with a single gush ; has about twenty-five stools during day, none at night ; extreme prostration and emaciation ; symptoms of hydrocephaloid already developed ; boring of head in pillow ; fontanelles sunken ; body and extremities cool ; convulsions. θ Cholera infantum.
Diarrhœa coming on suddenly ; pain in abdomen, faint feeling before, during and after stool ; sweat on face after stool.
Gushing, sudden discharge of watery stool, mixed with undigested food, immediately after feeding, with great weakness and pallor, vomiting at same time.
Diarrheic attack during night, very copious fecal evacuations, gradually losing their natural color and consistence with each successive stool ; swashing feeling and sound in abdomen ; great apprehension of a serious termination. θ Diarrhœa.
Every movement of body renews discharges, producing at first very violent pain in bowels with tenesmus ; discharges frequent and small.
Intermittent diarrhœa, with great and sudden weakness.
Diarrheic stool accompanied by sweat, tenesmus, or with nausea and colic.
Diarrhœa : worse after drinking ; while nursing ; while eating ; during Summer ; from fruit and sweetmeats.
Upon pressure at umbilicus, a painful sensation is felt down to anus, where there is constant pressure outward.
Dragging in anus, as if diarrhœa would easily ensue.
Burning in anus.
Pain in anus, as if a plug was forcing outward.
At anus : itching ; pulsations ; constrictive sensation ; stitches.
URINARY ORGANS [21]
Burning in urethra when urinating.
Increased secretion of (turbid) urine.
Urine dark and fiery, flocculent with greasy particles floating on top ; turbid sediment which is somewhat lighter colored at bottom of vessel.
Night urine is foaming, pale, orange-colored, with a slightly turbid appearance at bottom of vessel, first part of urine being a little flocculent.
Blood-red urine, exhibiting a quantity of mucus at bottom of vessel, which is drawn into threads by shaking.
After lapse of twenty-four hours, brownish crystals form, floating about at spot where the cloud was seen and deposited on walls of vessel.
MALE SEXUAL ORGANS [22]
Frequent corrosive itching on glans and scrotum.
Scrotum shrivelled, itching severely, disturbing sleep ; > from scratching, which however, causes a voluptuous sensation.
Corrosive itching pain on scrotum, < while walking ; redness of part.
Left testicle drawn up ; right testicle relaxed.
Vesicular eruption on scrotum and penis.
Eczema of scrotum, itching excessively, < at night.
FEMALE SEXUAL ORGANS [23]
Catamenia too scanty.
Intense itching of genitals, > by very gentle scratching.
PREGNANCY. PARTURITION. LACTATION [24]
Inflamed, hard, swollen breasts, threatening to gather ; pain from nipple through to back.
Nipple very sore to touch, excruciating pain running from nipple through to scapula of same side, when child nurses.
VOICE AND LARYNX. TRACHEA AND BRONCHIA [25]
Hoarseness and hollow voice, obliging him to hawk constantly.
Complete loss of voice after drinking cold water while overheated.
Accumulation of rattling mucus in larynx.
RESPIRATION [26]
Feels as though he could not expand lungs.
Tightness of chest and inability to make a deep inspiration and inhale as much air as usual. θ Cold.
Asthma with cough, causing drawing pain through left pectoral region into back.
Sense of suffocation, compelling him to jump out of bed and sleep in a chair. θ Cough.
COUGH [27]
Cough, with violent, sore, drawing pain through chest into back ; < on left side ; when coughing, soreness of abdomen ; accumulation of rattling mucus in chest, which is painful to touch.
Obstinate cough, < at night when lying in bed, compelling her to jump out of bed and walk about, on account of sense of suffocation ; is compelled to lie in bed in a partly sitting posture, for fear of suffocation.
Cough, morning and evening.
INNER CHEST AND LUNGS [28]
Sensation of hollowness in chest, as if everything was hanging down.
Feeling of fulness in both sides of chest, with burning stitches in left side of thorax and towards both scapulæ.
Drawing pain through left pectoral region into back.
HEART, PULSE AND CIRCULATION [29]
Palpitation of heart, with difficulty of breathing, especially on going up stairs.
Stitches in region of heart during an expiration.
Pulse frequent and full.
OUTER CHEST [30]
Chest painful when touched.
NECK AND BACK [31]
Stitches in region of kidneys, arresting breathing.
UPPER LIMBS [32]
Sticking or aching pains in shoulder joints.
Tearing, shooting pain in left arm, from shoulder to elbow and back of hand, with swelling of shoulder and whole arm ; inability to move the limb or lie down ; < at night, preventing sleep, but if rest be obtained, he awakes relieved, but least attempt to stir causes pain to reappear with great violence ; arm becomes paralyzed and feels like a very heavy weight. θ Brachial neuralgia.
LOWER LIMBS [33]
Pain in soles of feet spreading towards great toe, with sensation as if it had been sprained ; < in afternoons and from touch ; veins on dorsum of foot swollen ; between swollen veins, red patches which do not disappear on pressure. θ Rheumatism.
Lancinations in big toes ; pricking in toes.
REST. POSITION. MOTION [35]
Lying : cough <.
Obstinate cough < when lying in bed, compelled to jump up and walk about ; compelled to lie in bed in partly sitting posture.
Sense of suffocation, compelling him to jump out of bed and sleep in a chair.
Motion : discharges renewed by every.
Inability to move left arm or lie down ; least attempt to stir causes pain to reappear.
Turning eyes : soreness in eyeballs.
Walking : corrosive itching pain on scrotum < ; red moist spot on left thigh painfully sore, troublesome smarting.
On going up stairs : palpitation of heart, with difficult breathing.
NERVES [36]
Weakness and bruised feeling through whole body.
Very great debility.
Weak, faint spells, with flushes of heat.
SLEEP [37]
Weariness ; feeling ill and irresistible desire to sleep.
Drowsiness ; palpitation of heart prevents sleep.
TIME [38]
Morning : headache < ; cough.
In afternoon : pain in soles of feet, spreading towards great toe <.
During day : about twenty-five stools, none at night.
Evening : cough.
Night : eyes < ; violent pains in eye disturb sleep ; diarrheic attack during ; urine foaming, turbid at bottom ; eczema on scrotum itching excessively ; cough < ; pain in left arm <.
TEMPERATURE AND WEATHER [39]
Open air : dizziness and faintness <.
Cold water : while overheated, complete loss of voice from drinking.
Hot milk : colic >.
Summer : diarrhœa <.
FEVER [40]
Chilliness of back.
Coldness of feet, extending as far up as calves.
Great coldness and chilliness along spinal column and through whole body ; nausea and vomiting, followed by flying heat in head and face. θ Diarrhœa.
Ascension of heat on body.
Flushes of heat.
Heat and fever accompanying cutaneous eruption.
Perspiration on forehead.
ATTACKS, PERIODICITY [41]
Sudden : evacuation.
Frequent : corrosive itching on glans and scrotum.
Constant : thirst ; urging to stool ; outward pressure at anus.
Every half hour : watery passages, from 8 A. M. till evening.
LOCALITY AND DIRECTION [42]
Right : testicle relaxed.
Left : pain from pupil of eye to back part of head ; twinging deep within ear ; gurgling in abdomen mostly on side ; testicle drawn up ; drawing through pectoral region into back ; burning stitches in side of thorax and towards scapula ; tearing, shooting pain in arm, from shoulder to elbow and back of hand, with swelling of shoulder and whole arm ; red, moist spot on thigh.
From right to left : Rhus poisoning in face.
SENSATIONS [43]
As if hide-bound ; as of a string pulling eyeball back into head ; as though insects were creeping on face ; as if a plug was forcing outward, at anus ; as though he could not expand lungs ; as if suffocating ; as if everything was hanging down in chest ; as if great toe had been sprained ; as if everything in abdomen was relaxed.
Pain : in and around eyes ; in supra-ciliary region ; from pupil of left eye to back part of head ; in abdomen ; from nipple to back ; in soles of feet, spreading towards great toe.
Anguish : in stomach.
Lancinations : in big toes.
Cutting : in abdomen.
Stitches : at anus ; burning, in left side of thorax and towards scapulæ ; in region of heart ; in region of kidneys.
Sticking : in head, eyes and forehead ; in shoulder joints.
Stinging : in eyeball ; here and there in skin ; of vesicular eruption ; in septum nasi with pustular eruption.
Pricking : in big toes.
Shooting : in left arm, from shoulder to elbow and back of hand.
Tearing : in left arm, shoulder to elbow, and back of hand.
Drawing : through left pectoral region into back.
Dragging : at anus, as if diarrhœa would easily ensue.
Scraping : in fauces and throat ; of posterior wall of rectum.
Twinging : deep within left ear.
Writhing : in region of transverse colon, extending downward through whole intestinal canal ; around umbilicus.
Constriction : in throat ; at anus.
Burning : in eyes ; of face ; in ear ; in nostrils ; in mouth ; of lips ; in fauces and throat ; in stomach ; in anus ; in urethra ; painful, in skin ; of vesicular eruption.
Soreness : in eyeballs ; throughout chest into back ; of abdomen.
Smarting : in mouth ; in red moist spot on left thigh.
Bruised feeling : through whole body.
Aching : in shoulder joints.
Colic : with stool ; in transverse colon.
Griping : colic, around umbilicus.
Bearing down : in abdomen.
Pressure : in stomach ; in epigastrium and umbilicus ; outward, at anus.
Oppression : in stomach.
Tightness : of chest.
Pulsations : at anus.
Swashing feeling : in abdomen.
Sinking : in stomach.
Hollowness : in chest.
Emptiness : in stomach.
Weakness : in stomach.
Confusion : of head.
Dulness : of head.
Heaviness : of head.
Fulness : in both sides of chest.
Itching : of eyelids, with otorrhœa ; at anus ; corrosive on glans and scrotum ; of eczema on scrotum ; of genitals ; of eruptions ; erysipelas with excessive ; followed by painful burning ; of skin ; eczema over whole body with excessive ; of vesicles ; in septum nasi with pustular eruption.
Flying heat : in head and face.
Hot feeling : in eyes.
TISSUES [44]
Acts especially upon mucous lining of intestinal tract and upon skin, in the former producing a transudation of watery portions of the blood, causing copious watery diarrhœa, and on the other developing a true eczema.
TOUCH. PASSIVE MOTION. INJURIES [45]
Touch : region of stomach sensitive ; nipples very sore ; chest painful ; pain in soles of feet spreading towards great toe < ; red moist spot on left thigh painfully sore.
Pressure : head sensitive to hat ; on umbilicus, causes painful sensation all along intestinal canal to termination of rectum, causing latter to protrude.
Weight of hat causes headache.
Rubbing : vesicles > by gentle.
Scratching : itching on scrotum >, followed by a voluptuous sensation ; itching of genitals > by very gentle ; itching of eruptions > by gentle, < from hard.
SKIN [46]
Sensation as if hide-bound.
Eruptions itch very much, patient, however, is not able to scratch very hard as it hurts ; a very slight scratch, a mere rub suffices to allay the itching.
Erysipelas, with excessive itching.
Itching followed by painful burning.
Intense itching, > by very gentle scratching.
Scarlet redness of skin (with vesicles).
Redness, warmth, stinging here and there ; pustules running into one, oozing and forming a grey brown crust, which finally falls off.
Red moist spot, exuding offensive moisture, on left thigh opposite scrotum ; it is painfully sore to touch and on walking ; troublesome smarting when walking.
Itching and painful burning, with redness of skin ; formation of vesicles and pustules ; desiccation of pustules ; desquamation and falling off of pustules.
Eczema over whole body to soles of feet, with violent itching.
Eczema on face and genitals.
Erysipelas of face ; œdematous indented eyelid and large water blisters on chin.
Pure idiopathic eczema, such as usually appears in children.
Vesicular eruption, with itching, burning, stinging, and redness of skin, and speedy development of sero-purulent exudation.
Vesicles, especially on abdomen, confluent and form large brown scabs, < after eating, > after sleep, > by gentle rubbing ; swelling of the glands.
Herpetic eruption on scrotum.
Pustules, first size of millet seeds, growing larger, oozing and forming a grey brown crust.
Pustular eruption upon an inflamed base on septum nasi, plugging nostril ; with itching and stinging pain.
Itching pustules.
Right face first affected, then left, or it may go downward, involving scrotum. θ Rhus poisoning.
Impetigo ; prurigo ; pustules.
STAGE OF LIFE, CONSTITUTION [47]
In eczema, not so beneficial in adults as in children.
Dan. C., æt. 6 mos., cholera infantum.
Annie K., æt. 7 mos., had diarrhœa for a week.
Boy, æt. 3, attacked when 6 months old with diarrhœa, which had continued more or less until present time.
Girl, æt. 8, after drinking cold water while overheated, for four years ; aphonia.
Abram L., butcher, native of France, robust, large and deep chest, dark complexion, black hair, lungs normal, caught cold while working in an ice-house ; cough.
Miss J. H., æt. about 30, light hair, blue eyes, slender build ; cough.
Farmer, æt. 40, formerly healthy ; rheumatism.
RELATIONS [48]
Antidoted by : Ant. tart .
It antidotes : Rhus tox .
Compatible : with Kali brom . cured chronic infantile diarrhœa.
Compare : Anac., Apis, Colchic., Mezer., Rhus tox., Veratr., Phelland, Phosphor., Silic . (pain from the nipple through to the back).