“Our cheerfulness in social life does much depend upon the liver.” – Dr JC Burnett
“You will not be surprised to find that heart and liver affections are associated with hopelessness and despair.” – Dr JT Kent
We have seen the reasons to study Boericke’s Materia Medica and introduction to Chelidonium in part 1 of this article and we have also seen how Dr Hahnemann and Dr Bently criticised doctrine of signature.
Here in part 2, we shall study in detail Chelidonium from Boericke and I will also add references from other Materia Medica’s and repertories to augment and concur to what Boericke has written.
Here I have tried to make an augmented drug picture of Chelidonium based on Boericke
But Before going to the drug picture I would like to state as a DISCLAIMER that – I have not only mentioned the symptoms in bold and italics but I have also added from other references some important symptoms and comparisons and also other important symptoms which Boericke mentioned but didn’t highlight; It would have made no point in copying the entire bold and italics from Boericke ,as everyone can read it ,obvisouly.In brackets I have mentioned additions from sources other than Boericke. Lastly this article series is meant to emphasize the importance of Boericke and Materia Medica Pura and to bring fort some interesting and clinically useful data ,but readers(especially students) should also go back to these texts after reading these articles and do self-study; all suggestions; feedbacks and criticism especially constructive ones are most welcome .
Introduction
Mind
Boericke does not mention the mind of Chelidonium but Phatak does.
But Boericke mentioens the mind of Chelidonium in his another book ‘Thousand remedies by Boericke’
Disinclined to make any mental effort or conversation.Lethargic;apathetic.Despondent.
Anxiety allowing no rest; sadness;anger ;discomfort-feeling,without knowing really what the matter is.
Convulsion with disturbed digestion
Low delirium (pneumonia)
Head.
Icy coldness of occiput from nape of neck;feels heavy as lead.
Vertigo associated with hepatic disturbances, inclination to fall forward.
Right sides headache extending down,behind the ears and to shoulder blade.
Neuralgia over the right eye, right cheek bone and right ear, with excessive lachrymation, preceded by pain in the liver region.
(Van Woensel Erik mentions in Radar keynotes – Pressing as from a band above eyes, amelioration by closing eyes.)
(Cranium feels too small – Phatak)
Eyes
Dirty yellow colour of sclera.
Sore sensation on looking up.
Tears fairly gush out.
Orbital neuralgia of right eye, with profuse lachrymation; pupils contracted, relieved by pressure.
(Dazzling spots before eyes.Could note open eyes with prospalgia – Phatak)
Nose
Flapping of ala nasi (Boericke menitons Lycopodium in bracket) (Other important medicines for same he mentions in other drug pictures Bromium,Phosphorus,Pyrogenium (Dr Pulford mentions ,in his Lycopodium drug picture in his ‘Key to Homoeopathic Materia Medica –
Nostrils flap,but are not as wide open,nor as sooty inside as Ant tart;motion of ala slow – Chlorof.;rapid – Gaudud and Kreosote)
[(FAN-LIKE MOTION OF THE ALÆ NASI (Am-C., Ant-T, Brom., Iod., Kreos., Lyc., Merc-I-F., Phos., Pryrog., Spong., Sulph-Ac., Zinc.) – Lippe’s keynotes ]Face
Yellow; worse nose and cheeks. Wilted skin
(Nodular eruptions on face – Phatak)
(Neuralgia right side, ext. into teeth, eye; with liver problem. – Radar keynotes)
Stomach
Tongue yellow with imprint of teeth:large and flabby (Merc., Hydr.)
[Yellow tongue, taking the imprints of teeth (Ant-T., Ars., Carb-V., Dulc., Hydr., Iod., Merc., Plb., Podo., Rhus-T., Sep.) – Lippe’s keynotes]Taste bitter, pasty.
Prefers food hot and drink.
Nausea,vomiting:better,taking very hot water.
Eating relieves temporarily,especially when accompanied by hepatic symptoms.
(Stomach pain amel. warm drinks, esp. milk; temporarely amel. eating – Phatak)
[Gastralgia relieved by eating (Anac., Graph., Petros., Sep.) – Lippe’s keynotes]Abdomen
Jaundice due to hepatic and gall bladder obstruction.
Gall colic.
[GALL-STONES, WITH PAIN UNDER THE RIGHT SHOULDEL-BLADE (Chelidonum,Card-M., Chin., Podo.) – Allen’s keynotes and Lippe’s keynotes]Fermentation and sluggish bowels. Constriction across as if by a string. Liver enlarged. Gall stones (Berb.).
(Pain in the hepatic region and across the umbilicus, as if the abdomen were constricted by a string –Lippe and Nash)
(Navel drawn in during colic – Phatak)
(Pain abdomen amelioration by eating, passing stool, warm drinks, lying on left side legs drawn up. – Radar keynotes)
(Ascites with yellow palms – Phatak)
Stool
Constipation; stools hard, round balls, like sheep’s dung, bright yellow, pasty; clay-colored, stools float in water; alternation of diarrhoea and constipation.
Burning and itching of anus. [Ratanh.; Sulph.]
Urinary
Profuse, foaming, yellow urine, like beer. [Chenop.] dark, turbid.
(Spasmodic pain in right kidney and liver. – Phatak)
Female
Menses too late and too profuse
(Burning in vagina, each day precisely same hour. – Radar keynotes)
(Longing for unusual articles of food during pregnancy – Phatak)
Respiratory
Very quick and short inspirations; pain on deep inspiration.
Dyspnoea.
Short, exhausting cough; sensation of dust not relieved by cough.
Whooping-cough; spasmodic cough; loose, rattling; expectoration difficult.
Pain in right side of chest and shoulder, with embarrassed respiration.
Small lumps of mucus fly from mouth when coughing.
Hoarse in afternoon.
Constriction of chest.
(Dyspnoea aggravation urinating.
Deep seated pain or nail, deep in right chest.
Bilious pneumonia.
Respiratory symptoms with liver symptoms.
Pressure in larynx as if air could not pass through.
Stitches in chest. – Phatak)
Spasmus glottidis (Ars., Bell., Brom., Chlor., Cupr., Gels., Ign., Iod., Lach., Mosch., Phos. Samb., Spong., Verat.)
Spasmodic cough; small lumps of mucus fly from the mouth when coughing (Bad., Kali-C.)
Loss of hearing during cough (Puls; better during cough-Sil.) Lippe]
Back
Pain in nape.
Stiff neck, head drawn to left.
Fixed pain under inner and lower angle of right scapula.
Pain at lower angle of left scapula.(Also to be found in Sanguinaria and Chenopaudi glauci aphis)
(Pain as if back would break, on stooping – Radar keynotes)
(Fixed pain under inner and lower angle of the right scapula; which may extend into chest and stomach causing nausea or vomiting.
Pain from neck to temple; (R).
Pressing pain in vertebrae agg. bending backwards and forwards.
Occiput heavy with pain in right side of back.
As of a string, around the neck.
Cervico-brachial neuralgia. – Phatak)
Extremities
Pain in arms, shoulders, hands, tips of fingers.
Icy coldness of tips of fingers; wrists sore, tearing in metacarpal bones.
Whole flesh sore to touch.
Rheumatic pain in hips and thighs; intolerable pains in heels, as if pinched by too narrow a shoe; worse, right.
Feels paralyzed.
Paresis of the lower limbs with rigidity of muscles.
Skin
Dry heat of skin; itches, yellow.
Painful red pimples and pustules.
Old, spreading, offensive ulcers.
Wilted skin.
Sallow, cold, clammy.
(Itching ameliorated by eating.Skin wrinkled – Phatak)
Modalities
Worse – right side, motion, touch, change of weather, very early in morning
Better – after dinner, from pressure
More modalities are mentioned by Phatak
Boericke ends the drug picture here and follows it up with remedy relationsips;While Phatak mentions Male complaints,Fever,Sleep etc.
I personally think Phatak and Boericke must be studied together.I will quote what Dr Mir Zahid wrote in his book ‘Understanding and utilizing the Homoeopathic Materia Medica’,after reading that you will perhaps agree why do I think so.
“A brief Materia Medica derived primarily from the work of Boger ,with additions. While most practitioners in the USA,who wanted a small “Pocket Manual”,often chose the Boericke’s word,many in the UK preffered Phatak’s word.In a comparison between them one may find Phatak to a bit more readable. Those who have used it say that the summaries he presents of the remedies contain useful details that are not found in Boericke’s”.
Phatak in his introduction has mentioned some points not mentioned by Boericke.They are as follows (mentioning few)
It is closely allied to Lycopodium when Lycopodium seems indicated but fails to act Chelidonium should be given
Pains shoot backwards or in all directions
Stitching pains due to serious effusions
Bilious complications; during gestation, lung affections
‘Toxic stagnation within the heaptobiliary syatem reflected in both body and mood’ – Dr Kavita Chandak
Here in part 2 we have seen all this ,in part 3 we shall study the mind and relationship of Chelidonium in detail and we shall also study the importance of Materia Medica pura and Chelidonium proving symptoms from the same.
I would like to conclude this article with the insightuful writings of Dr.George Vithoulkas
Sir George Vithoulkas in his ‘Essence of Materia Medica’,in Chelidonium drug picture beautifully writes about the differences between Chelidonium and Lycopodium ,followed by a sublime insight about our Homoeopathic Materia Medica.
In my experience Chelidonium, is quite similar in its constitutional picture to Lycopodium. The two can be quite difficult to differentiate, especially when you consider the whole person.
Of course, differentiation between Lycopodium and Chelidonium can be quite a problem in a particular case. Generally, Chelidonium is much more forceful and heedless of risks in expressing his domineering opinions; Lycopodium is more timid and cowardly, limiting his domination to subordinates. Both have an anxiety about health, it is less intense and more realistic and matter of fact in Chelidonium. Both remedies are right-sided but Chelidonium’s pain more characteristically radiates to the inferior angle of the scapula. Lycopodium tends to lie on its right side, whereas Chelidonium is not ameliorated in this position and will tend to lie on the left side. Both have bloatedness and distension but Chelidonium not nearly as intensely as Lycopodium. Lycopodium has much stronger desire for sweets than Chelidonium. Lycopodium usually is neutral about cheese, whereas Chelidonium either has a strong desire for or strong aversion to cheese. Both desire warm drinks and warm food and are ameliorated by them. Both do not fee well on waking, but Chelidonium has a specific aggravation at 4 a.m. Chelidonium does not share Lycopodium’s specific 4 p.m. aggravation, but both remedies are ameliorated in the evening.
The differentiation between Chelidonium and Lycopodium is a perfect example of the necessity for underlining in recording cases. The differentiation is based mostly on shades of intensity, rather than black and white differences. It could be impossible to decide based upon a written case with no underlining to convey the intensity of the symptoms as described by the patient. Homoeopathy is a science based upon finely tuned shades of differences from one remedy another to. Perhaps nowhere else is this fact so evident as in comparing Chelidonium and Lycopodium.
References
- Materia Medica Pura – Dr Samuel Hahnemann
- Pocket Manual of Materia Medica – Dr William Boericke
- Key to Materia Medica – Dr Pulford
- Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica – Dr JT Kent
- Materia Medica of Homoeopathic medicines – Dr SR Phatak
- The visual language of Homoeopathy – Dr Kavita Chandak
- Essence of Materia Medica – Sir George Vithoulkas
- RadarOpus keynotes
- Allen’s keynotes
- Lippe’s keynotes
- 200 years of Homoeopathy – Dr KD Kanodia
