Thuja occidentalis

Lecture XXX — Coniferae — Abies nigra, Sabina, Terebinthina, Pix liquida and Thuja occidentalis; Euphorbiaceae — Croton tiglium, etc.

Thuja in pseudocyesis.

Accompanying these symptoms of the nervous system indicating the drug in melancholia, and other forms of insanity, we find many disturbances in the circulation, such as ebullitions of blood, pulsations all over the body, and precordial anxiety. The action of the drug on the nervous system is further shown in various forms of neuralgia. Thus it is indicated in the form of headache known as clavus, in which the patient has a sensation as though a nail were being driven into the vertex, or into one of the frontal eminences. Thuja may also be used in neuralgia affecting either the head or the face or both. The pains are of an intense stabbing character, and are well-nigh unbearable. If the patient sits up these pains almost drive him to distraction; they may even produce unconsciousness. He therefore maintains the horizontal posture. The pains seem to begin about the malar bones and eyes, and go back toward the head. They may be due to a suppressed eruption. This neuralgia reminds us of Mezereum and Spigelia, but we distinguish it from that of the last-named remedy by the direction of the symptoms; in Spigelia the pains begin in the back of the head and come forward.

After detailing to you these unique nervous symptoms, I pass to the application of the drug to sycosis. Remember that these nervous phenomena may or may not have a sycotic basis. Thuja is a remedy which tends to alter the sycotic constitution, to change the soil in which this poison grows. There are two elements which make up disease; they are the elements of the disease itself, and those of the constitution in which it grows. The sycotic constitution to which I have referred modifies every subsequent disease, and that, too, whether there be any urethral discharge or not.

In gonorrhoea you may use Thuja when the discharge is thin and greenish, and there is scalding pain during urination. After urination there is a sensation as if a few drops of urine ran down the urethra. Warts or condylomata appear on the genitals, at the anus, about the perineum and upon mucous surfaces. I have treated one case in which the wart formed on the centre of the tongue. This was speedily cured by Thuja. These warts may have a seedy look, or they may be of a cauliflower shape. Cauliflower-like excrescences are especially apt to grow from the cervix uteri. In other cases, these warts are moist and ooze a glutinous, foul-smelling fluid. Sometimes we find ulcers about the genitals, and these have very much the appearance of chancroids; they have a dirty yellow base with hard edges. Very characteristic are such ulcers if they seem to have originated from warts. Sometimes we note fissures, or furrows about the anus, on the perineum, scrotum or glans penis. These are deep and are covered with pus. There is sweetish-smelling sweat about the genital organs. The inner sides of the thighs are red and excoriated. The testicles are often involved, one or the other of these organs being drawn up in consequence of contraction of the cremaster muscle. The testicle is swollen and aches as if bruised. There may be balanorrhoea, that is, a purulent inflammation of the inner surface of the prepuce and of the sulcus behind the corona glandis.

In the female organs we find the cauliflower excrescences which I have already mentioned; fungous growths of venereal origin about the genitals; and condylomata with thick green leucorrhoea, corresponding to the thin greenish-yellow gleet of the male.

Again, if a gonorrhoea be checked by injection, by cold or by any other influence, constitutional symptoms may arise which call for Thuja. Especially is this remedy indicated if the complication be articular rheumatism, or prostatitis; the hair dries and splits at the ends; the scalp becomes scaly and covered with dry scurf; iritis appears, accompanied by condylomata on the iris; the eyelids are inflamed and become warty. Ozsena may be an additional complication, with a discharge that is thick and green. The teeth decay at the root, the crowns being apparently normal. Other symptoms worthy of mention are pustules, which have considerable resemblance to those of Tartar emetic; chilliness during urination; nervousness and restlessness during both night and day; otorrhcea; foul breath; hoarseness. Thuja has the singular property of softening hard tissue, tissue naturally hard, as the nails. Herein lies the explanation of the ability of the drug to remove warts; it softens them and causes their absorption. The drug has a specific action in sclerotitis.

The cough of Thuja is worse during the day; seldom occurring at night. The sputum is like old cheese.

Thuja is a remedy in scrofula and marasmus. Such cases are not necessarily sycotic, but they have just such constitutions as favor the growth of this taint. The stools are watery, gurgling, forcibly expelled, and are daily worse after breakfast, and accompanied by much loud flatus; tinea ciliaris, with dry bran-like scales; irregular and imperfect eyelashes; children are pot-bellied; they scream on awaking, and are a long time becoming fully awake.

I propose now to devote the remaining moments of the hour to a consideration of the remedies similar to Thuja in the above-mentioned conditions. One of the nearest allies to Thuja is Pulsatilla, in that it has ozsena with thick greenish discharge. In gleet, also, the remedies have the same discharge, it being thicker under Pulsatilla. Then, too, gonorrhceal rheumatism, orchitis and prostatitis, are just as characteristic of Pulsatilla as of Thuja.

Kali bichromicum is useful in ozsena occurring in sycotic constitutions, the discharge being yellowish or more often greenish. The nose feels unnaturally dry. Dark greenish plugs are hawked from the post-nasal space.

Nitric acid resembles Thuja in the condylomata or warts. It is also of use in ulcers, when they are ragged in outline, and in enlarged tonsils, whether these affections be of syphilitic or of gonorrhceal origin. Nitric acid also has moist fissure of the anus (which is also present, as you know, under Thuja), balanorrhcea and thin greenish leucorrhcea. Nitric acid has, however, to distinguish it from Thuja, more aching pains in the bones, especially in those localities devoid of muscular tissue covering, as along the tibia, and over the sternum and cranium. Staphisagria suits long filiform condylomata. The system generally is depraved, as shown in the sallowness of the face, the dark rings about the eyes, the spongy gums, the yellowish-white skin, and the great debility. It is especially indicated when there has been previous mercurialization. There is generally induration of one or the other testicle.

I would like to mention here Jacaranda. This is a South American plant that was first proved by Muir. It is an excellent remedy for balanorrhoea, and for red chancroid or chancroid-like sores about the penis. It has been proved conclusively to be a good remedy. Corallium rubrum is an excellent remedy for chancre-like sores that are very red.

Mercurius resembles Thuja in the iritis, the balanorrhoea, the green urethral discharge and the rheumatism. The difference lies here: in Mercurius, sweating aggravates the symptoms, as does also the warmth of the bed. Thuja has a symptom which is not often met with, but which saved a life for Boenninghausen, namely, sweat upon uncovered parts of the body only.

Sabina is useful for condylomata which itch and burn, especially in women.

Euphrasia is called for when the condylomata are large and look like a cock's comb.

Cinnabaris is an excellent remedy when there is a combination of syphilis and sycosis. The figwarts are apt to be fan-shaped. There is a great deal of itching, especially about the joints. The complement of Thuja in these sycotic troubles is Natrum sulph. Sarsaparilla is indicated when there is a sycotic eruption consisting of little spots scarcely raised above the skin, often scaling a little, but looking like the roseola of syphilis, itching intolerably, and developing an aggravation in the spring; also when a moist eruption appears on the scalp, the pus from which causes inflammation of any part which it touches. Sycotic headache is found under Sarsaparilla. The pain begins in the back of the head, and comes forward and settles at the root of the nose, with swelling of the nose; moist eruption about the genitals, or between the scrotum and the thighs.

Petroleum also has this last-named symptom; and in addition another, namely, membranous shreds about the anus.