Staphisagria

Lecture XXXIII — Helleborus and Staphisagria

Staphisagria.

Staphisagria. < V Colocynthis.

Causticum.

( i. Blood.

Sycosis, Scurvy.

2. Loss of Fluids.

3. Organs.

Similar to Nux vomica, Mercurius, Thuja, Cistus Canadensis, Colocynthis, Chamomilla.

Staphisagria is indicated in patients who appear pale, and are worn out and exhausted, especially as regards their nervous system. Both brain and spinal cord are weakened under its influence. The face is rather sunken, the nose is peaked and pointed, and the eyes are sunken and surrounded by blue rings. Mentally, the Staphisagria child is rather impetuous and irritable, reminding one strongly of Chamomilla; the adult Staphisagria patient is hypochondriacal. There may be one of several causes producing this last-named mental state. First, sexual excesses: it is called for in these hypochondriacal moods after self-abuse, and also when this mental state occurs in young men and young women as a result of permitting the mind to dwell too much on sexual subjects. Owing to his bad habit the boy becomes apathetic and gloomy, and has the complexion and sunken face that I have described. He rather prefers solitude, and is shy of the opposite sex. Locally, there is to be noted an irritability of the prostatic portion of the urethra. This state of affairs usually follows self-abuse; it is seldom the result of excessive sexual intercourse.

Platina was recommended by Grauvogl as a drug capable of curing spasms or convulsions, emaciation, and that train of symptoms which follows prepubic abuse of the sexual organs.

Still another remedy, Caladium, is to be thought of when, from masturbation, the glans penis is as flabby as a rag. The prepuce, when it is withdrawn behind the glans, remains there, not having contractility enough to replace itself. Nocturnal emissions occur either without dreams or with dreams that are foreign to sexual subjects. Other remedies indicated in this condition are Dioscorea, Gelsemium, and that well known group to which I have already referred in a previous lecture, Nux vomica^ Sulphur, Calcarea ostrearum and Lycopodium. Among the new remedies, Bromide of Potassium or Kali bromatum has been suggested. I have seen it do good when there was mental depression and weakness of the legs after self-abuse. In the female, in whom masturbation is not so common, we find ovarian symptoms resulting from the habit. Staphisagria becomes the remedy when these organs are in a state of irritability, especially in nervous excitable women. It ma}' also be used in women of this class when these symptoms occur in the prolonged absence of their husbands. When pruritus vulvae is also present, Caladium often helps. Staphisagria has another set of mental symptoms of a different t} 7pe from those just mentioned. The patient is easily excited to anger, sensitive to the least impression, and takes offence at every little meant or unmeant insult.

We find Staphisagria indicated in what I have already termed a mental colic; that is crampy pains in the abdomen following a fit of anger, just as we found present under Chamomilla and Colocynth. Chamomilla is called for in these cases when hot face, red cheeks and hot perspiration are associated with the colic; and Colocynth, when the severe pains cause the patient to double up for relief. Staphisagria is here complementary to Colocynth, stepping in to complete the cure when Colocynth is insufficient.

We find Staphisagria indicated also in diseases of the skin and of the bones. This drug has long been used as a local wash to destroy lice or vermin. You may use it internally when an eczematous eruption appears on the skin. This may occur on any other part of the body, but it is especially apt to be found on the head and face. The eruption is usually dry, and formed of very thick scabs, and itches violently, this last being an indication for the local application of Staphisagria. The peculiarity of this itching is that when scratching stops it in one place, it goes to another. At other times these scabs are moist, and are yellowish in color and very offensive, even breeding lice. Thus you see Staphisagria is suited to crusta lactea or eczema capitis.

Again this drug may be indicated in children who are weak and broken down as the result of a syphilitic or sycotic inheritance. In such children you almost always find the teeth decaying rapidly. The milk-teeth are scarcely full grown before they become black in creases or spots and crumble away. In this respect Staphisagria rivals Kreosote, which is one of the best remedies for premature decay of the milk-teeth, when they first become yellow, then dark and finally decay. In Thuja, as you will remember, the teeth decay at the edge of the gums.

Next to these remedies you may think of Antimonium crudum, and in other cases still, Chamomilla and Cojjea.

In the Staphisagria patient the gums are unhealthy, swollen, spongy and bleed easily when touched by food or by the finger, this condition being associated with painful swelling of the submaxillary glands. It is especially indicated after the abuse of Mercury.

Staphisagria is useful in children suffering from inflammation of the eyes, particularly of the lids with hardened styes.

For those little cystic tumors which form in the eyelids midway between the inner and outer surfaces, Graphites is the best remedy. Baryta carb. also cures tarsal tumors.

The Staphisagria children have an eczematous eruption composed of yellow scabs about the ears. The exudation from these is bloody and seems to cause rawness of the skin. Still further, we find Staphisagria affecting the bones. It causes swelling of the periosteum with subsequent suppuration.

It also produces fig-warts or condylomata on the skin; these are usually pediculated. This symptom places Staphisagria among the sycotic remedies. Thus we find it a suitable companion of Thuja, being preferable to that remedy when there are present the form of eruption already mentioned, the crumbling of the teeth and the pediculated condylomata.

In some cases we find it indicated in syphilitic ulceration after the abuse of Mercury, the discharge being thin and acrid. An examination with the probe reveals diseased bone beneath.

We have several remedies similar to Staphisagria in bone affections, whether of syphilitic or scrofulous origin. One of them is Stillingia. This is ,of great use in syphilitic affections of the long bones, such as the femur, tibia, humerus, etc., and in periosteitis or in osteitis, the pains being worse at night and in damp weather. In addition to this you almost alwa3 7s find an excoriating coryza, the well-known syphilitic ozaena.

Another remedy is Mercurius. Still another is Kali hydriodicum, especially when there is a combination of syphilis and mercury in the case.

Strontiana carb. is suited more to the scrofulous constitution. It is indicated in osteitis, particularly of the femur, with ulcers which discharge more or less broken-down bone. With the bone trouble there is apt to be a profuse exhausting diarrhoea almost like that accompanying hectic fever.

Another remedy is Chloride of Gold and Platinum which is useful for either caries or necrosis.

Gettysburg Salts, which owes its effectiveness to the lithium carbonate it contains, is useful especially in caries of the vertebrae and of the hip-joint.

Another use of Staphisagria is found in its application to gout. It is not so useful for the acute paroxysms as it is when gout becomes systemic, and the sodium urate, instead of being eliminated by the kidneys, is deposited in the various joints and organs of the body, producing arthritic nodes.

It is also indicated in arthritic ophthalmia. The eyes burn and feel very dry, notwithstanding which there are smarting and profuse lachrymation. The pains go from the eyes into the teeth.

In these gouty affections of the eyes, Colocynth is also a good remedy. Upon the stomach Staphisagria seems to produce a relaxation, so that the organ appears to hang down and is flabby and weak. This same symptom you will find under Ipecacuanha and Abrotanum. In Staphisagria there is a desire for brandy, wine or something stimulating. Such patients are subject to colic, which greatly resembles that of Colocynth.

You must also remember Staphisagria as a remedy in colic following operations about the abdomen. It is also efficacious when an incised wound, whether inflicted by the surgeon or by accident, is unduly sensitive.

In diarrhoea in children Staphisagria is indicated when the disorder is associated with a peculiar form of stomacace; the tongue and gums are white and spongy, while there are cutting pains before and after stool, with a great deal of tenesmus of the rectum during stool, and escape of flatus, which is usually hot and smells like rotten eggs (here being similar to Chamomilla) , stool being renewed by any attempt to take food or drink.

In its action on the female organs, Staphisagria causes prolapsus uteri, and this prolapsus is almost always associated with a flabby condition of the stomach. The whole abdomen—contents and parietes — feels as if it would drop, so relaxed is it. If you investigate thoroughly, you will find that disappointed love or permitting the mind to dwell on sexual subjects has favored this relaxation. The leucorrhcea which accompanies this condition is yellow and excoriating.