Nature of Nux Vomica Sickness, nux vomica side effects

Nature of Nux Vomica Sickness

Authored by: Prof. (Dr) Goutam DasM.D. (Homoeopathy)

[Abstract: This article includes the clinical understanding of the study of Homoeopathic Materia Medica, on the light of the teaching of our Organon of Medicine & Homoeopathic Philosophy that, whatever it maybe the name of the disease or the pathology; Homoeopaths needs to perceive, what is curable in disease and what is curative in medicine; they’re the clinically verified signs & symptoms of a remedy, the power, the essence, the image, the very nature of the sickness, those are only to be counter as stronger & similar in manifestations but different in kind for restoring the sick to health homeopathically, also expressed in this article.]

Images of Nux vomica trees, fruits, seeds, (Images.app.goo.gl)

Keywords: Nux vomica – physical appearances – chemical properties – Dynamic actions – prescriable – clinically verified – curative symptoms.

Nux vomica Description: ([1] Allen’s Encyclopedia Materia Medica, Vol. VII. P.83)

Family: Loganiaceae.

Habitat: East India, Coromondol cost, Cochin, Sri Lanka, Burma, China, Thailand and Australia.

Parts used: Seeds.

Chemical Properties: Chemicals Active Principle: Strychnine, Brucine and Loganin are the alkaloids combined with an acid as Igasuric acid. Adding Nitric acid to the seeds a deep orange-yellow colour seen.

Physical Description: The gelatinous pulp contains pale, button – like seeds; cluster of greenish-white flowers is followed by apple sized fruits; Strychnine is contained in the leaves, seeds and bark of the tree. Within the small hard shell of the fruit is a soft white.

History & Authority:

1) First used in medicine by the Arabias about 1540.

2) Germany used it as a rat poison, in sixteenth century.

3) It was used medically, as a tonic in Europe.

4) Allopaths were used it for paralysis.

5) Dr. Hahnemann introduces Nux vomica in 1805; popularize its use as Homoeopathic medicine.

6) A moderate sized tree, highly poisonous, strychnine is extracted from the seeds, was used as an antidote to plague during the middle Ages.

7) Owing, Strychnine, Brucine and Loganin in the seeds together with certain peculiar acids, but the pulp is innocent and are eaten by birds.

8) The wood of the tree is very bitter and used in India in cases of Intermittent Fever and Snake bite.

9) The word ‘Nux vomica’ derived from the Latin ‘Nux’ means ‘nut’ and ‘Vemere’ meaning ‘vomiting’ due to the peculiarity of the nut.

Introduction:

Everywhere in Nux vomica we observe the striking ‘Over-sensitiveness’; which brought out in all the symptoms. Irritable; oversensitive to noise, to light, to least current of air, to his surroundings; extremely touchy in regard to his food; … Oversensitive to medicines, over-drugging by other systems of medicine; over-drugged by tea, coffee, wine etc.[2]   

Nux vomica has a love of power and an ability to acquire power and exercise it with confidence. He is a powerful individual, except those are exhausted themselves. He is more at home with power, cannot be happy without it. His nature to rule and does so with assurance and also often with magnanimity. [3]

Nux vomica person becomes ruled by his ‘Ambition’. His intelligence is pragmatic and efficient, rather than philosophical or intellectual. He thought that any challenge can over-come by sheer effort. To over-come his limitation and to keep-up his work-pressure, he uses stimulates; that leads to gastric and nervous dis-orders; irritable to slight stress; intolerable to contradiction; his Autonomic Nervous System became exhausted, he became never satisfied, feel disturbed by his surroundings and ‘ineffectual urges’ developed as symptoms in all over the personality of the patient.

Nux vomica is a polychrest remedy called for in the treatment of various kinds of ailments affects always in an extreme manner, not only mind, head, brain, special senses, but the whole of the digestive system, mouth to anus; the whole of the respiratory system; the liver and portal system; the urinary and genital systems. It affects nerves, muscles, skin, sleep. It is a great fever medicine – symptoms agreeing. [4]

KEY POINTS:

1. Illness due to the bad effect of Excessive Mental labour, or Sexual Excess or excessive night watching.

2. Frequent ineffectual urges for stool and relief after stool.

3. Obstinate, mental rigidity, tenacious, jealous and recklessness. 

4. Chilliness, over-sensitiveness, cleanliness.

DISCUSSION: [5]

  • Anti-psoric (Dr. J.H. Allen), polychrest medicine.
  • Thermal reaction: very chilly.

Illness due to the bad effect of excessive mental labour, or sexual excess or excessive night watching:

Nux vomica needs to those:

  • Who leads sedentary life lack of physical exercise, busy only in excessive mental labour.
  • Night watching without tension, means mechanical duty without responsibility; (with tension is Cocculus indicus) due to mental labour, or pressure of the study, or nursing to the patients.
  • Sexual excess whatever it may be due to excess masturbations, or excess sexual intercourse; taking stimulant drugs, patent medicines, or eating rich and spicy foods… lead to develop Nux vomica patient.
  • Sleepy but can’t sleep; make the patient more and more anxious, irritable; sleepless, can’t close his eyes.
  • When students are suffering due to excess mental labour, before examinations due to late night study or who are suffering day and night due to property problems with acute Headache; Nausea-vomiting, diarrhea or Liver problems… needs Nux vomica.
  • Sleeplessness, loss of appetites, and constipation; due to excess masturbations or sexual indulgences or excess mental labour.
  • We know how physical labour helps our digestive system, but Nux patient gradually loss his appetites, can’t digest simple foods, abdomen burn, acidity, constipation developed.
  • To overcome his weakness and anorexia, he take rich, spicy foods, with excess sour, bitter or chilly very little quantity but which damaged his digestive system more and more.
  • After eating about one hour he feels pressure in abdomen, sleepiness, acidity,  and dyspepsia developed with ineffectual urges of nauseas, vomiting, stool, urine but can’t; sleepy but unable to sleep; with a feelings that if can he will be better.  
  • Eating rich and spicy foods his digestive system became weaken, and due to ineffectual urges for stool soon developed piles and dysentery; in piles with bleeding and in dysentery – pains in abdomen always > after each and every stool.
  • Due to lack of food intake he became weak; his anus, urethral orifice, uterus became so weaken that there are ineffectual urges and difficulties for stool, urine and menses are seen.
  • His Memory became weaken, losses his temper from slight things, became irritate from little things, quarrels in little contradiction, sensation feels to madder or suicide but can’t due to nervous and weak personality.
  • Nervous weakness, breakdown his personality, unable to meet the society, loss of all interest in life, in any work; stay in room, think and thinks with depression, talking like an insane.   

Frequent ineffectual urges for stool and relief after stool:

  • Whatever it may be the case is as fever, dysentery, inflammation of the liver or menstrual troubles there must be as causes in the history of the origin of Nux vomica patient first in his life style, then the second characteristics are to be present.
  • Sleeplessness, excess masturbations, pressure of study or over drugging are the causes. 
  • Ineffectual urges of nauseas and vomiting, in stool, or in urine, or in menstrual troubles but can’t; sleepy but unable to sleep; with a feelings that if can they will be better.
  • Feels temporarily relief, if they can vomit even putting fingers in throat, slight passing of stool or little sleep.  
  • Craves pungent, bitter things, tonics; aversion to meat, makes him sick; intolerance to coffee.

Obstinate, mental rigidity, tenacious, jealous and recklessness:

  • Nux vomica patients being obstinate and mental tenacity when he starts any work continue till its end. Ambitious, try to became first in everywhere he take participate; for cleaning his house, for helping  in other’s suffering, he can do anything, even losing his meals or disobey the orders of his guardians, if necessary. Whatever, if resist, became furious, even reckless; hold the neck to his wife or throw the child into fire; but to repent soon. 
  • Recklessness is bad and anger is normal; but jealousness makes the man crooked, down in nature revealed in a disgusting way.
  • He became suspicious, thinks all are misbehaving with him, and for this he quarrel with cheating and fight like a bitch.      

Chilliness, over-sensitiveness, and cleanliness:

  • Extremely chilly; can’t tolerate slight cold, cold place, cold foods aggravate his complaints.
  • Desire covering always, stay in hot, prefers application of heat in painful parts. Dislike heat only in headache.
  • In intermittent or malaria fever; Nux vomica patients are so chilly that dislike uncovering during sweating; chilly with severe shivering; with thirst or without thirst. Fever with burning inside, try to uncovered, but can’t due to chilliness. Nails became blue, bodyache. Alternate chilly and heat, but can’t uncovered; with ineffectual urges for stool, urine, nausea, vomiting; spleen or liver enlargement; jaundice; anger, shiver, and constipation must be remember.
  • Excessively over-sensitive towards sounds, smells, touches even sometime unbearable, aggravate headache, convulsion. Occasionally lack of sensitivity (Anacardium).
  • Convulsions due to nervous weakness; whole body becoming bending; tetanus, lockjaw. Peculiarity is that consciousness during convulsions, often says, ‘Hold, hold me tight’. Twitching, spasms, and convulsion.  Sometime may with unconsciousness or semi-consciousness especially during labour-pain, during menstruation with diarrhea and vomiting, with spasmodic convulsion.
  • Cough, cold and Coryza; sneezing, watery nasal discharges continue during day; nose stuffed-up at night, in close room, in bed, > lying sidewise; better in open air.
  • Backache in all complaints; in sexual or menses problems, in dysentery.
  • Nux vomica patients are slightly bent forwards, try to stay neat and clean; does not like anyone touch his things; fastidious (Arsenic alba).
  • In cases of bad effect of masturbations, relax genitalia, night-pollution, burning in urination and we take many strong medicines; but if we restraint life with Nux vomica in the beginning, we may free and peace will established in our family, in our relatives.         
  • Nux vomica constipation due to irregular peristaltic movement of the intestines (Bryonia due to lack of secretion in intestines); a kind of anti-peristalsis, more he stains the harder it is to get a stool.[6]
  • Nervous, spasmodic, sensitiveness, chilliness; anxiety with irritability, carefulness, zealous and fastidiousness are the characteristics of Nux vomica patient.[7]
  • The indigestion of Nux is an hour or two after eating – sour taste – heart –burn, must loosen clothes, with pressure like a stone in stomach – with the Nux mood and temper. The causes being, coffee, alcohol, … abuse of drugs, sedentary habits, … long night-watching, too high living.[8]     

Presenting as a patient: [9]        

Nux vomica as a patient presenting the following chief and associate symptoms:

  • Temperament: nervous, susceptible to external impression and cannot tolerate noise, odors or light.
  • Dyspepsia < an hour or so after eating; before 24-hours of attack, he became great hunger, craving meats, gravies, and fat foods; averse to coffee; violent thirst, but water distress in the stomach and causes distension; after even a light meal, he is obliged to loosen his clothing; with sour and bitter eructation, and hiccough.
  • Liver swollen, hard and sensitive to the pressure of the clothing; due to excess alcoholic liquors, and highly-seasoned food, or who have abused themselves with drastic purgatives; colic with much flatus, presses … the chest causing breathing troubles, or … the rectum and bladder, developing both urging to stool … to urinate.
  • In bleeding piles, if from some cause, the flow is suddenly checked and headache or colic results, Nux will help him.
  • In haemorrhoids … there is itching, keeping the patient awake at night, and frequently so severe  as to compel him to sit in a tub of cold water for relief; with frequent ineffectual urging to stool, and the piles are apt to bleed. But unless Nux is thoroughly indicated in such cases, it should not be prescribed, for while it may cure the piles, it is likely to excite some other trouble more unbearable than the one it has relived.
  • In diarrhea … especially < in morning; scanty, watery and urging; nausea or vomit little froth or sour fluid … but stomach is irritable that he vomits as soon as it is taken; with intolerant of milk.
  • In dysentery, with urging to stool, stop as soon as the bowels move; stools are bloody, slimy, watery and scanty; < in morning; dysentery either result of cold or comes from the suppression of an excretion, as the perspiration.
  • In hernia, whether inguinal or umbilical, on rising in the morning, a feeling of weakness in abdomen, particularly in the region of the inguinal canal; especially the left side.
  • In catarrhs… in initial stages (Pulsatilla: when discharge is green and bland; if prescribed in the beginning, it usually spoils the case), from dry, cold weather, or by sitting in cold places… associated with sneezing, and a stuffed-up sensation in the nose at night and in the open air, with fluent coryza in a warm room and during the day. The eyes water … rawness in the throat; associated with aching all over and chilliness …
  • In renal colic, usually the right kidney, pains extend into the genital organs and down the leg; with intense backache; may with haematuria.
  • In bladder, painful urging to urinate, but only a few drops at a time, with burning and scalding … uncomfortable sensations; with urging … to stool.
  • In sexual excesses, bad effects of early masturbation; with headache, frequent involuntary emissions at night, especially towards morning; with backache and difficulty in walking.
  • During pregnancy, for the morning sickness.
  • During labour, pains may be very spasmodic, with ineffectual urging to stool and urine.
  • In spine, backache, lumbar region, < at night, when lying in bed, unable to turn over without sitting up; the longer he lies in bed in the morning the more does his backache.
  • Nux patient better after an uninterrupted sleep; Dr. P.P. Wells cured his friend, Dr. Dunham, of diphtheria with this symptom; when the sleep is disturbed always worse; early in the evening he is drowsy.
  • Nux acts best when given in the evening; should not take it fasting in morning or at first awaking; neither should it taken just before or after a meal, or when the mind is on a strain.

Clinical Cases:

Case – 1: S.D., AGED 27 YEARS, FEMALE; consulted me, with a history of acute coryza, sneezing, watery nasal discharges continue during day; nose stuffed-up at night, in close room, in bed; better in open air; backache; chilly; nausea; sleepy but can’t close her eyes; irritable for last 3 days, and she was totally free of troubles from the first dose of Nux vomica 200C.

Case – 2: P.P., AGED 42 YEARS, MALE; consulted me, with a history of an acute fever around 100°F for last 3 days; he is weak, nervous, irritable, chilly; diarrhea with painful urging, sitting for long time, but little pass with temporarily >; nausea; backache; can’t sleep and he was free from his complaints after taking the two doses of Nux vomica 30C.

Remarks:

1) Nux vomica 30C, 200C, 1MC, 10MC are commonly used, as per the interpretation of the demand of the degree of susceptibility of the patient in individual cases.

2) Abbreviation: < = aggravation; > = amelioration.

Bibliography:

1) Boericke W, Organon of Medicine; S. Hahnemann, translated by R. E. Dudgeon; Indian edition, Calcutta, Roy Publishing House, 1961

2) TYLER ML, Homoeopathic Drug Picture; B. Jain Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, ISBN 81-7021-163-8; BOOK CODE B-2529 [4, 6, 7, 8]

3) Bandhyapadhya N, Oushadh pariyachay; HPCO, Calcutta, 12th edition [5]

4) FARRINGTON, E.A., CLINICAL MATERIA MEDICA; B. Jain Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi; Fourth Edition, Revised and Enlarged by HARVEY FARRINGTON; Reprint Edition: 1995 ISBN 81-7021-029-1; BOOK CODE B-2235 [2, 9]

5) BAILEY M.PHILIP, HOMOEOPATHIC PSYCHOLOGY; B. Jain Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi; Reprint Edition: 2008 ISBN: 978-81-319-0318-6 [3]

6) www.Homoeopathy360, ‘Nature of Bryonia alba Sickness’

About Author:

Prof. (Dr.) Goutam Das M.D, (Homoeopathy)

Dept. of Organon of Medicine, AJSHMC&RI, Mehsana, Govt. of Gujarat – G. I. A Institution. 

Examiner, H.N.G. University, Patan, (Gujarat)

Ex. Academic Director & Principal In-Charge, NHMCH&RC, Agra (U.P.)

Ex. Examiner, Homoeopathy University, Jaipur, (Rajasthan)

Ex. Faculty & Examiner (U.G. & P.G.) Dr.B.R.A.Uneversity, Agra, (U.P.)

Ex. Faculty & Examiner JRN RVHMC, Deemed to be University, Udaipur, (Rajasthan)

Ex. Senior House Physician, PCHC&H, Kolkata (W.B.)

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