Abstract Urtica urens, a commonly used medicine for urticaria alternating with rheumatism and uricemia, is often neglected for its other uses. The article highlights the different dimensions of its explorations and uses in our day-to-day clinical practice along with past research explaining its efficacy.
Keywords: Urtica urens, Homoeopathy, Past Researches
Introduction
- Common Name: Stinging-nettle
- Synonyms: English – Dwarf nettle
- Abbreviated as: Urt-u
- Doctrine of Signature: the common name ‘stinging nettle’ implies its production of stinging or stinging-burning like pains.
- Family: Urticaceae
- Description: It is an annual herb, erect, simple or branched with height up to 60cm and with numerous stinging hairs. Leaves are long petiole, elliptical to broad, ovate and blunt or rounded in general outline.
- Physiological action: Produces burning, stinging pain along with inflammation with formication of the skin followed by vesicular eruption containing bloody serum.5
- Habitat: It is a native to Eurasia, including the Himalayan regions of Kalimpong, Darjeeling and Sikkim in India and can be found in North America, New Zealand and South Africa.8
- History and Authority: Introduced by Fiard in 1936 and proved by Coxe9,10
- Part used: Whole plant
- Constitutions: Gouty constitutions.
- Diathesis: Uric acid diathesis.
Homoeopathic Approach
- Best remedy for first degree burns confined to skin when the integument and the subjacent tissues are intact. Sunburn with intense burning, itching. It is used both locally and given internally.
- Haemorrhages of all kinds – uterine haemorrhage: menorrhagia alternating with acrid leucorrhoea; haematemesis, haemoptysis after violent exertion in whooping-cough, haemorrhage from bladder. Gerarde has used the juice by inserting into the nostrils which stopped nosebleed, it is “good against inflammation of the uvula.” A leaf of the nettle when placed on the tongue and pressed to the roof of the mouth stopped nose bleeding.
- Favours urinary gravel elimination of years old. Acrid urine causes itching. Uric acid toxaemia. Urine suppressed with strangury, diseases of bladder and kidneys.
- Antidote to hemlock, mushrooms, quicksilver, henbane, serpents, scorpions, specific for bee-stings, ill-effects of eating shellfish. Gerarde has mentioned its antidotal action to snake–bites.
- In Sweden nettles are regarded as a remedy for anaemia and fresh nettles are cooked, eaten like spinach for the purpose or a nettle-tea which is prepared from dry nettles.
- Affects the breast glands with swelling of the breasts with stinging, burning pains. Agalactia: Diminished secretion of milk after childbirth. Insufficiency or entire absence of milk secretion. Arrests the flow of milk after weaning. Allen has mentioned its use in a case where it caused swelling of the breasts and profuse flow of milk in a woman years after the birth of her last child.
- Dr. Nothingham mentions curing a lady who had an agonising vulval eczema with itching and burning along with dry, scaly eruptions along with indescribable sexual excitement induced by constant rubbing.
- Spleenic disorders with stitching pain in the spleen and headache worse over eyes. Tumour of liver. (Burnette)
- Burnette often cured vertigo with this medicine.
- Skin: Hives associated or alternating with rheumatism. Urticaria of the scalp suddenly appeared. Urticaria after having shell fish with pinworms. Violent itching, raised, red blotches, burning heat with formication. Nettle-rash, worse even in the same season. Prickly heat. Angio-neurotic oedema. Consequences of suppressed nettle-rash. Vomiting from suppression of nettle-rash. Itching and stinging of scrotum with swelling, keeps him awake.1,2,3 Both the eruption and the itching disappear as soon as the patient lies down and reappears immediately on rising from the recumbent posture.4
- Dr. Cooper said that when a bundle of nettles applied to a rheumatic joint or a part it has been a favourite remedy. Symptoms return at the same time every year. Rheumatic gouty pains in the right deltoid muscle which are very striking in arms, wrists and ankles. Continuous pain in the deltoid <rotating arm inwards, could not put on the coat. Soreness and stiffness on the inside of my left knee.
- Fever of gout. Dr. Burnett says, “The fever of gout generally comes on at night.”
Modalities –
- >lying down.
- <from snow air, water cool moist air, cool bathing, yearly, by touch, lying on arm. Burning in skin is <after sleep, from application of water, exposed to cool, moist atmosphere.
Past researches
- In this research Urtica urens mother tincture has been proved to be efficacious in the reduction of serum uric acid level along with Individualised homoeopathic medicine. This study therefore opens up a new path that the mother tincture is also significant in reduction of serum uric acid level.11
- A study on Pharmacognostic and Physicochemical properties of Urtica urens was published in Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy in 2019 which gives a detailed about its authentication and the identification for the raw material.12
Discussion and conclusion
The article aims at giving a diversified aspect of urtica urens and its clinical conditions where it can be used. It also gives a brief idea about the past researches done in favour of its efficacy and the different chemical properties. Additionally, more research needs to be conducted to prove the other aspects other than the urticaria and uricemia which is the need of the hour for a better clinical practice.
References
- Murphy R. Lotus Materia Medica 13th Impression India. 3rd Edn. B Jain Publishers Pvt. Ltd.; New Delhi; 2022
- Clarke JH. A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica. 36th impression India: B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd. 2020, vol 3
- Boericke W. Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica and Repertory. Reprinted. New Delhi: B Jain Publishers(P)Ltd.; 1998.
- Choudhuri NM. A Study on Materia Medica and Repertory. New Delhi; B. Jain Publishers; 1988.
- Blackwood AL, Blackwood AC. Materia Medica. B. Jain Publishers; 2002.
- Riley DS. Materia Medica of New and Old Homoeopathic Medicines. USA: Springer-Verlag GmbH.; 2012
- Verma PN, Vaid I. Encyclopaedia of Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia. B Jain Publishers Pvt. Ltd. Vol. 1V; 2007. p. 2499
- Wikipedia Contributors. Urtica Urens [Internet]. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation; 2024. Available From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/urtica_urens
- Allen TF. The Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica. Delhi B. Jain Publishers; Vol. X. 1997
- Hering C. The guiding symptoms of our Materia Medica. Reprint edition. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers. Vol X;1984.
- Nayak C, Pattanaik N, Chattopadhyay A, Misra P, Bhar K, Michael J, et al. Individualized homeopathic medicines and Urtica urens mother tincture in treatment of hyperuricemia: an open, randomized, pragmatic, pilot trial. Journal of Complementary and Integrative medicine. 2020 Oct 20;0(0).
- Patel S, Biswas B, Rambabu K, Jhansi S, Potu R, Sundaram En, et al. Pharmacognostic and Physicochemical Study of Urtica Urens L.: A Drug Used in Homoeopathy. IJRH 2019; 13:91-9
