Rhus toxicodendron

Variola. Sore, bruised or STIFF. Flesh feels beaten or torn loose. Dislocative sensation. Twitching muscles. Crawling. Numbness. Trembling. Burning, swelling and lividity. Cellulitis. Acrid, rusty-red, meat water or musty secretions; causing eruptions. Scraping, gnawing or tearing loose in periosteum. .................... Sad, anxious, depressed or beclouded. Slow answers. Low delirium. Whirling vertigo; then headache. Shattering or loose feeling in brain; < jar. Board-like pressure in forehead. Painfully stiff scalp, > lying on it. Pain behind eyes; < motion. Eyelids, stiff; adherent; dry; firmly closed. Profuse, hot, gushing tears. Photophobia. Vertical diplopia. Saccular conjunctivitis. Red, sensitive tip of nose; it drips water. Roseola. Nose-bleed; at night. Violent aching in bones of nose. Face-ache. Maxillæ crack; easily dislocated; pains in. Red spot on l. cheek. Swelled, stiff face. Dry, cracked, crusty lips; herpes on. Sordes. Bloody saliva runs during sleep. Teeth feel loose. TONGUE; RED TRIANGLE AT TIP; coated diagonally or on one side only; dry red center; cracked, stiff, sore. Coppery or straw-like taste. Red, puffy, itching fauces. As of chamois skin stuck on tonsils. Sorethroat (l) in A.M.; with swelled glands. Craves cold drinks, although they < cough, chill, etc. Vomits from coughing, lying on back, etc.; fecal. Abdomen sore; swashing in; as of a lump in. Ileocæcal symptoms. Stools watery, frothy or bloody; foul; brick red; slimy; gelatinous; involuntary or with tenesmus, < drinking. Piles, < lifting. Genitals, œdema, < prepuce; itching; swelled. Nephritis. Metritis; septic. Chest pains on using arms. Dry, hoarse, tearing, tormenting cough, from tickling behind upper sternum; with bloody taste. Sudden hypostasis or œdema of lungs. Palpitation; > motion. Heart; feels tired; hyper-trophy; pains going down l. arm. Shingles. Stiff neck. Inter-scapular pain, < swallowing. Contractive or breaking backache, > hard pressure, walking about or bending backward. Lumbago. Coccyx aches into thighs. Numb, prickling limbs. Arms nervous and shaky, (l). Paralytic pain in elbows. Rhagades on backs of hands. Palms, dry, hot, cracked and sore; washing causes burning. Pains down back of thighs; < stool. Sciatica. Legs feel dead, wooden; cramp in calves; gangrenous ulcer, runs bloody water; itching. SKIN; stiff; thick; dry; hot; itching; burning; < warmth; painful to cold air. Fine VESICULAR, crusty, eczematous, moist or ERYSIPELATOUS ERUPTIONS, < genitals; alternating with dysentery. Pus erodes the hair. Rhus poisoning. Milk-crust. Baker's itch. Vesicles over abscess. Weeping ulcers. Dreams, laborious; of blood; awakes tired or nervous. Weak, rapid, sharp, tremulous or irregular pulse. Easily chilled; < least uncovering; with pains in limbs; < cough, etc. Chill as if dashed with cold water or cold water in veins; preceded by cough; alternating with heat; in single parts. Heat with busy delirium. Sweat, < during pain; with sleepiness.

EXPOSURE TO: WET; cold. Air. WASHING. Chill or draft. When hot or sweaty. Uncovering; hands, etc. BEGINNING MOTION. REST. Before storms. SPRAINS. Overexertion. AFTER MIDNIGHT.

Continued motion. HEAT: Wraps. Bath. If heated. Rubbing. Nose-bleed. Holding abdomen. An infectious irritant, exciting TYPHOID, RHEUMATIC OR PARETIC EFFECTS. NIGHTLY SHOOTING, STITCHING, TEARING PAINS; CAN'T REST IN ANY POSITION. Grippe.

SKIN: Face. Scalp. Genitals. Blood. Tissues: Cellular. Ligaments. Fibrous. Joints. Mucous membranes. GLANDS: Pyer's. Parotid. NERVES: CORD. Sciatic. Left side or left to right.

Complementary: Bry. Calc-c. Mag-c. Med. Phyt. Related: Arn. Bry. Dul.

Rhus toxicodendron

Poison Oak. Anacardiaceae.

Adapted to persons of a rheumatic diathesis; bad effects of getting wet, especially after being overheated.

Ailments : from spraining or straining a single part, muscle or tendon (Cal., Nlix) ; overlifting, particularly from stretching high up to reach things; lying on damp ground; too much summer bathing in lake or river.

Affects the fibrous tissue, especially (Rhod. — serous, Bry. ) ; the right side more than the left.

Pains: as if sprained; as if a muscle or tendon was torn from its attachment; as if bones were scraped with a knife; worse after midnight and in wet, rainy weather; affected parts sore to touch.

Lameness, stiffness and pain on first moving after rest, or on getting up in the morning, > by walking or continued motion.

Great restlessness, anxiety, apprehension (Acon., Ars. ) ; cannot remain in bed ; must change position often to obtain relief from pain (from mental anxiety, Ars. ) .

Restless, cannot stay long in one position.

Back: pain between the shoulders on swallowing; pain and stiffness in small of back < sitting or lying, > by motion or lying on something hard.

Great sensitiveness to open air; putting the hand from under the bed-cover brings on cough (Bar., Hep.).

Muscular rheumatism, sciatica, left side (Col.) ; aching in left arm, with heart disease.

Great apprehension at night; fears he will die of being poisoned; cannot remain in bed.

Vertigo, when standing or walking; worse when lying down (better when lying down, Apis) ; < rising from lying, or stooping (Bry.).

Headache : brain feels loose when stepping or shaking the head; sensation of swashing in brain; stupefying; as if torn; from beer; returns from least chagrin; < from sitting, lying, in cold, > warmth and motion.

Dreams of great exertion ; rowing, swimming, working hard at his daily occupation (Bry.).

Corners of mouth ulcerated, fever blisters around mouth and on chin (Nat. m.).

Tongue: dry; sore, red, cracked; triangular red tip ; takes imprint of teeth (Chel., Pod.).

Great thirst, with dry tongue, mouth, and throat.

External genitals inflamed, erysipelatous, oedematous.

A dry, teasing cough, before and during chill, in intermittent fever; cough, with taste of blood.

When acute diseases assume a typhoid form.

Diarrhoea : with beginning typhoid; involuntary, ivith great exhaustion; tearing pain down the posterior part of limbs during stool.

Paralysis: with numbness of affected parts; from getting wet or lying on damp ground; after exertion, parturition, sexual excesses, ague or typhoid; paresis of limbs ; ptosis.

Erysipelas, from 1. to r. ; vesicular, yellow vesicles; much swelling, inflammation; burning, itching, stinging.

Inimical : to, Apis, must not be used before or after.

Compare: Arn., Bry., Rhod., Nat. s., Sulph.

Aggravation. — Before a storm; cold, wet rainy weather; at night, especially after midnight; from getting wet while perspiring ; during rest.

Amelioration. — Warm, dry weather, wrapping up; warm or hot things ; motion; change of position; moving affected parts.

The great characteristic of Rhus is that with few exceptions the pains occur and are < during repose and are > by motion.

Sepia, often quickly > itching and burning of Rhus, the vesicles drying up in a few days.

Rhus is best antidoted by the similimum ; the potentized remedy given internally. The dermatitis should never be treated by topical medicated applications ; they only suppress, never cure.

Lecture XXI — Rhus toxicodendron

The drug of which I wish to speak this morning is the chief member of the Anacardiaceae, namely, the poison-ivy or Rhus toxicodendron. You must remember it as complementary to Bryonia, a fact discovered by Hahnemann in his experience with an epidemic of war-typhus, during which he treated many cases, losing but two; the success he then gained was acknowledged on all sides. Many lives have since been saved by the exhibition of these two remedies in alternation; i. e., an alternation which consists in giving Bryonia when Bryonia symptoms are present, and Rhus tox. when the patient manifests symptoms calling for that remedy. This is a legitimate alternation. We must also remember a fact of which I have spoken before, but which is so important that I here reiterate it, namely, that Rhus tox. bears an inimical relation to Apis mellijica. Although the symptoms of the two are superficially similar, for some reason which I cannot explain, these drugs do not follow each other well.

We find Rhus tox. forming the centre of a very large group of medicines. If we were to study them all comparatively, it would take several hours. For example, holding as it does important typhoid relations, it has radiating from it many drugs employed in typhoid states of disease. Bryonia, as I have already said, stands close to it. Then we have diverging in another radius Arsenicum , in still another Muriatic acid, Phosphorus, Carbo veg., etc., with Baptisia and a number of others.

First, we shall study the action of Rhus tox. on the circulatory system. We find that it causes an erethism, an increase in the circulation; in other words, ebullitions of the blood. It acts on the central organ of the circulation, the heart. Thus we find it indicated in uncomplicated hypertrophy of that viscus, i. e. , hypertrophy not associated with valvular lesions. From what cause? From the effects of over- exertion, as may frequently happen in athletes and in machinists who wield heavv tools.

Rhus tox.

V Bryonia.

Compare Rhus with i. Blood.

2. Fevers.

3. Fibrous tissues. -{ Heart, pulse.

Typhoid symptoms.

-Intermittent, etc.

f Aponeuroses, tendons.

Joints.

Cellulitis.

4. Skin.

(^ Over-exertion.

J Eruptions.

( Erysipelas.

5. Mucous membranes.

Influenza.

Diarrhoea.

6. Organs.

Arnica, Bromium, Aconite, Kal mia, Pulsatilla, Actea r. , Phyto lacca dec.

In cardiac affections.

Phosphorus, Arsenicum, Muriatic acid, Carbo veg., Baptisia, Arnica, Phosphoric acid, Taraxacum, Bry- [ onia.

J Arnica, Arsenicum, Sulphur, Petroleum, Ruta, Staphisagria, Kali carb.

, Ledum, Valerian, Anacardium, Conium, Lycopodium, Pulsatilla, Ferrum, Rhusrad., Kalmia, Colchicum, Rhododendron.

Lachesis, Ailanthus, Arum triphyllum, Belladonna, Calcarea ostrearum.

Mezereum, Nux juglans.

Cinchona, Sulphuric acid, Belladonna, Spigelia, Carbo animalis.

Calcarea ostrearum, Sepia, Gelsem- ^ ium, Kalmia.

In typhoid fever.

In rheumatic affections.

In scarlatina.

In eczema.

In head symptoms.

In eye symptoms.

Other remedies useful in this condition are Arnica and Bromium. These remedies, when indicated, must be given persistently for days and even weeks, until you have succeeded in bringing about a proper absorption of the surplus cardiac muscular fibres. We also find Rhus indicated in palpitation of the heart, following over-exertion. When Rhus tox. is the remedy in heart disease, you usually find accompanying the disorder a sensation of numbness of the left arm and shoulder. The patient experiences a weak feeling in the chest, as if the heart muscle were tired, and this is worse after any exertion. The palpitation at times seems worse when he is sitting still. Aconite has tingling in the fingers in association with heart disease. The fingers feel as if they were going to sleep. Anxiety is always present with this drug.

So, too, with Kalmia, which has the same symptom in the left arm, with cardiac affections.

Cactus has this symptom associated with constrictive sensation as of an iron band about the heart; and Sumbul with heaviness and sharp, wiry shooting pains in the fingers.

Pulsatilla has numbness, particularly about the elbow, very frequently with hypertrophy or dilatation of the right ventricle. Actea racemosa has the sensation as though the arm was bandaged tightly to the body.

Phytolacca, however, affects the right side of the body. It has the same sensation in the right arm that Aconite, Kalmia and Rhus have in the left.

Now the pulse of Rhus tox. Rhus produces a depression of the system, hence its pulse is not apt to be so full and strong as we find under Aconite. It is accelerated, but with this acceleration there is apt to be weakness of its beat. At other times, it is irregular or even intermittent; all these are characteristic of Rhus tox. With these different kinds of pulse, we often find the numbness of the left arm which I have just mentioned.

Let us next take the typhoid symptoms of Rhus; by this I mean typhoid-like symptoms, symptoms which indicate sinking of the vital forces such as appears in diseases assuming a low type. Other things being equal, you may rely on Rhus whenever acute diseases take on a typhoid form. Dysentery assuming this form may call for it. The same is true of peritonitis, pneumonia, scarlatina and diphtheria under similar conditions and when no other remedy is positively indicated. Rhus must, therefore, act on the blood, poisoning that fluid. The symptoms which indicate it in typhoid fever proper are these: in the first place, the temperament helps you a great deal. The patient is of a rather mild temperament. The delirium is of a mild character, and not violent. At times, it is true, the patient may exhibit a disposition to jump out of bed, or to try to escape, but when he is more or less conscious, he manifests little petulance or irritability. It is not, then, a violent anger that characterizes Rhus tox. You will notice that this delirium is associated with restlessness, not only mental but physical as well. The patient constantly tosses about the bed. He is first lying on one side of the body, then on the other. At one moment he is sitting up, during the next he is lying down. You observe then a constant desire to move, and it is even possible that the patient is relieved by the change of position. Sometimes we find exceptionally, in the beginning of the disease, that the patient wants to lie perfectly quiet. This is on account of the great weakness. He feels perfectly prostrated. In fact, the sense of debility is an early symptom, far outstripping the rest of the symptoms in their course, and out of proportion to them. He is indifferent to everything. Sometimes the patient has hallucinations. He fears that he will be poisoned. He will not take the medicines you leave him, or the food and drink that is offered him, as he fears that his attendants desire to poison him. As the stupor progresses, he answers very slowly, as if reluctantly or else in a petulant way ; but he is not violent. He has severe headache, the pain of which he compares to a sensation as of a board strapped to the forehead. This is often associated with a rush of blood to the head, as shown by sudden flushing of the face. He has epistaxis, and this relieves the headache. The blood that escapes is dark in color. His sleep is restless and he dreams of roaming over fields or of great exertion, as climbing, swimming. The typhoid fever may affect the lungs and produce pneumonia, with the usual cough, difficult breathing, and rust-colored sputum attending that affection; with all these symptoms you find the tongue dark brown, dry and cracked. The cracks gape considerably and at times bleed. Sometimes the tongue and mouth are covered with a brownish, tenacious mucus ; at others, you find the tongue taking the imprint of the teeth. Now, let me beg of you not to give Mercurius .simply because the latter symptom is present. Mercurius has very little application to typhoid fever; it will spoil your case unless decided icteroid symptoms are present. The tongue of Rhus tox. very often has a triangular red tip, which is quite different from the more evenly coated flabby tongue of Mercury. There is disturbance of the stomach and bowels. The patient has diarrhoea with yellowish-brown or greenish stools of a cadaverous odor. Stools may come involuntarily, during sleep. The urine escapes involuntarily, and sometimes leaves a reddish stain. The patient complains of tearing pains in the limbs with almost intolerable backache. Sometimes (like Bryonia) he dreams of the business of the day. (Aurum, Causticum, and Aurum mur., also have this restlessness of the limbs, worse at night.) The surface of the body is dry and hot, and often redder than normal. Sometimes red spots will be found on the skin. If he has sweat, it is copious and sour-smelling, and is accompanied by a miliary rash. The abdomen is tympanitic ; and it is especially sensitive over two important points, the right iliac region and the region of the spleen, which organ, by the way, is swollen. Finally, the stools become scanty and greenish and are unattended by tenesmus. In women a uterine haemorrhage may complicate the case, but this gives no relief to the symptoms. Symptoms of pulmonary congestion appear. Rales are heard all through the chest, especially in the lower lobes of the lungs. The cough is at first dry, and then becomes more frequent and loose, with expectoration of blood-streaked sputum. These, then, are the main symptoms which lead you to prefer Rhus in the treatment of typhoid fevers. Very briefly let me show you how it may be distinguished from its concordant remedies ; and first, I shall speak of some of the remedies that may follow Rhus tox.

Phosphorus follows Rhus well when the pneumonic symptoms have failed to yield to that remedy, and when the diarrhoea continues. The stools are yellow and blood-streaked, sometimes looking like "fleshwater.

Arsenicum follows Rhus in the erethistic form of typhoid fever. Notwithstanding the terrible prostration, the patient is still irritable and anxious, even to the last hours of life. The profound weakness continues, the mouth grows blacker and the diarrhoea persists, notwithstanding Rhus. Here let me give you a word of caution. Beginners are apt to give Arsenicum too soon. If this is done, they only hasten the troubles that they are endeavoring to prevent. Arsenic is an excellent remedy when indicated, a dangerous one when misused. I therefore say, "do not give it early in the course of typhoid affections, unless the symptoms clearly call for it." Like Rhus, Arsenicum has restlessness, prostration and prominent abdominal symptoms. Thirst is intense. Pains are of a burning character. The stools are darkbrown, offensive and bloody, and more frequent after midnight. Muriatic acid is also useful in the erethistic form. It has many symptoms in common with Rhus. It is to be preferred when the decomposition is still more evident ; the prostration is great, the patient being so weak that he slides down toward the foot of the bed. The stool and urine escape involuntarily.

Hyoscyamus has the symptom, fear of being poisoned, in a more marked degree even than Rhus, but otherwise has no great resemblance.

But we also find Rhus similar to remedies which suit the torpid form of the disease. Foremost in this list is Carbo veg. The Rhus patient often runs into a Carbo veg. state, in which case he lies perfectly torpid, without any sign of reaction. The limbs are cold, especially the legs from the feet to the knees, and are covered with a cold sweat. The pulse is rapid and with little volume, the discharges from the bowels are horribly offensive.

Still another remedy is Baptisia. This is indicated when we have, as under Rhus tox. , brown or blackish coated tongue, and well-marked fever. The face presents a dark red, besotted appearance, like that of one intoxicated. The discharges from the bowels are dark, fluid and very offensive. The patient is drowsy and stupid ; he goes to sleep while answering questions ; or he is restless, tossing about the bed with the illusion that he is double, or is scattered about, and must try to get himself together again. He complains of the bed feeling too hard. The tongue is often studded with aphthous ulcers.

Arnica and Baptisia both have a drowsy, stupid state ; the patient complains of the bed feeling too hard, and goes to sleep while answering questions. But, under Arnica, there is complete apathy ; ecchymoses and bed-sores appear on the body, there is also involuntary stool and urine ; and, if the lungs are affected, the sputum is bloody. Phosphoric acid follows well after Rhus when there is increased debility or prostration with perfect apathy. The stools are bloody and slimy. Nose-bleed, when it occurs, brings no relief.

Taraxacum should also be borne in mind. Boenninghausen's son was taken with typhoid fever and was attended by his father. Among his symptoms was the restlessness I mentioned as characteristic of Rhus tox.

, yet that remedy gave no relief. Looking up the materia medica, Boenninghausen found that Taraxacwn had this same restlessness of the limbs with tearing pains, and in addition it also had a symptom which was present in his son's case, mapped tongue. He gave Taraxacwn with prompt result.

The indications for Bryonia in typhoid states I will defer until next month, when I lecture on that drug in detail.

Next we see the disturbances in the circulation produced by Rhus exhibited in another form of fever, namely, intermittent fever. Rhus is suitable for intermittent types of fever when the chill begins in one leg, usually in the thigh, or between the shoulders or over one scapula. It is very important always to note the point it which the chill starts in this disease. For instance, under Eupatorium and sometimes Natrum mur., it begins in the small of the back ; under Gelsemium, it runs up the spine. In the Rhus case, during the chill there is a dry, teasing cough, a symptom which you will also find under Cinchona, Sulphur, Bryonia and Sabadilla. Along with the external chill there is internal heat. Thirst is absent. Often, too, we find skin symptoms, as urticaria and fever blisters, the latter being situated about the mouth. The sweat is very general, excepting about the face.

We now come to the study of the action of Rhus on the fibrous tissues. Allow me to include under this tissue the aponeuroses and tendons of muscles, the ligaments about joints and the connective tissue. No remedy has a more profound action on the fibrous tissues than has Rhus tox. First of all, I will speak of its action on the tendons of muscles. We find Rhus useful whenever these tendons are inflamed, whether it be from over-exertion or from a sudden wrenching, as in the case of a sprain. We find, also, that we may give Rhus in other affections arising from over-exertion. For example, if a musician from prolonged performing on wind instruments suffers from pulmonary haemorrhages, Rhus will be his remedy. If from violent exertion a patient is seized with paralysis, his trouble may yield to Rhus tox. In sprains, Calcarea ostrearum follows when Rhus has relieved, but failed to cure.

Let me here speak of a few other remedies applicable to the bad effects of over-exertion, in order that you may differentiate them from the drug which is the subject of this lecture.

Arnica acts more on the muscular tissue than on the ligaments. Hence, we would find it indicated when, as a result of long exertion, there is a great soreness of the muscles. The patient feels as if he had been pounded. It has not that strained feeling of Rhus. When a joint is clearly sprained, Arnica is not the best remedy, unless there is considerable inflammation of the soft parts other than the ligaments. Arsenicum is to be thought of for the effects of over-exertion, particularly if that exertion consists in climbing steep hills and mountains. Here you have the effects of breathing rarefied air as well as those of the exertion. It is also useful for inflammation and soreness in enarthrodial joints from concussion , as, for instance, when the head of the femur is jammed violently into its socket.

The general characteristic, however, which helps you to decide for Rhus in all these cases is this : the patient has relief of his symptoms by continued motion, while he experiences aggravation on begimiing to move. The reason for this symptom is that the fibrous tissues become limbered up as the patient continues to move.

I may say that there is somewhat of an exception to this characteristic, and that is in that painful disease known as lumbago. I find that in the beginning of this affection Rhus is the remedy, whether the patient is better from motion or not. The symptoms calling for Rhus are great pains on attempting to rise, stiff neck of rheumatic origin from sitting in a draught, rheumatic pains in the interscapular region, better from warmth and worse from cold. There may also be constrictive pains in the dorsal muscles, relieved from bending backward. Sulphur also has rheumatic pains, with stiffness in the lumbar region, and with sudden loss of power on attempting to move.

Petroleum and Ruta are useful when these rheumatic pains in the back are worse in the morning before rising.

Under Staphisagria, the lumbar pains compel the patient to get up early.

Kali carb. has sharp pains in the lumbar region, worse at 3 A. m., compelling the patient to get up and walk about. The pains shoot down the buttocks.

Ledum has pain in the back, which may be compared to a feeling of stiffness after sitting still for a long time. There is a crampy pain over the hips in the evenings. In the morning the feet are stiff and rigid.

Valerian causes, and therefore will cure, violent drawing, darting, jerking pains in the limbs, which appear suddenly. They are worse from sitting and better from motion. The patient also has a strained feeling in the lumbar re%ion, subject to the same modality as the pains in the limbs.

In rheumatism Rhus is indicated, not so much in the inflammatory form as in the rheumatic diathesis, when the characteristic modality just mentioned is present, and when there is aggravation during damp weather, or from dwelling in damp places. Another peculiarity of Rhus is that prominent projections of bones are sore to the touch, as, for example, the cheek-bones. This shows you that Rhus affects the periosteum. Still another characteristic is that the patient cannot bear the least exposure to cool air.

Rhus may also be used for either horse or man when the patient has become warm from exercise, and the resulting free perspiration has been checked by rain or dampness.

In these various rheumatic affections, I wish you to compare, first, Anacardium, which has a stiff neck, worse from beginning to move. Cojiium has worse from beginning to move, but relief from continued motion.

Lycopodium and Pulsatilla, which are worse on beginning to move but better from slow motion.

Ferrum, which has neuralgic and rheumatic pains worse at night, relieved by slowly moving about at night.

Capsicum, which has many symptoms relieved by moving about. Rhus radicans has drawing, tearing pains in the legs. It has also rheumatic pains in the back of the head. It is useful in pleurodynia or false pleurisy, when the pains go into the shoulders. In the provings made by Dr. Joslin it caused pains following the course of the ulnar nerve.

Kalmia latifolia has tearing pains down the legs, without any swelling, without fever, but with great weakness. You see that it here resembles Colchicum.

Rhododendron has great susceptibility to changes in the weather, particularly from warm to cold, and to electric changes in the atmosphere. Associated with this susceptibility to changes in the weather are numbness, formication, etc.; pain in the limbs, especially in the bones of forearms, hands and feet. As under Rhus, these pains are worse during rest. Sometimes the patient complains of a weak, paralytic feeling. Symptoms may remit for hours or days. Rhododendron is particularly useful in chronic rheumatism affecting the smaller joints. It is one of the best remedies for what has been termed rheumatic gout, and for a hard, rheumatic swelling of the big-toe joint, often mistaken for bunion.

Ledum is an invaluable remedy in gout, and in rheumatism affecting the smaller joints. The pains characteristically travel upward. There are nodes about the joints. In gout, Ledum is useful when the pains are worse from the warmth of the bed and ameliorated by cold applications ; when there is an cedematous condition of the feet ; when Colchicum has been abused, and the patient has become greatly reduced in strength by this asthenic remedy. You will find that both Ledum and Colchicum cause acute tearing pains in the joints, with paralytic weakness of the limbs, and numbness and coldness of the surface. As in Rhus tox., the brain feels sore at every false step. Ledum also has drawing pains in the joints, aggravated by wines ; the muscles feel sore as if out of place.

You note from the schema that Rhus has an action on the cellular tissue. It is useful in cellulitis accompanying diphtheria, and in orbital cellulitis, with the formation of pus. Herein lies a positive distinction between Rhus and Apis, which never produces cellulitis with abscess.

In carbuncle, another form of connective tissue inflammation, Rhus is indicated in the beginning, when the pains are intense and the affected parts are dark red. If given early, Rhus may abort the whole trouble. If not, you may have to resort later to Arsenicum, Carbo veg., or even Anthracinum.

Rhus has a most remarkable action on the skin. It produces an erythema ; rapidly progressing to vesication, often accompanied by oedema and with the final formation of pus and scabs. The cutaneous surface about the eruption is red and angry-looking.

Rhus is indicated in eczema. If the face is attacked, there is oedema of the loose cellular tissue about the eyelids, with pains which we may denominate burning, itching, and tingling, to make a nice distinction between this remedy and Apis, which has burning and stinging pains. The eruption is moist, offensive and suppurating, at times impetiginous. A red line marks the spread of the disease. Rhus gives us also a perfect picture of vesicular erysipelas. The structures for which this drug has a special affinity are the scalp and the skin of the face and the genital organs. The affected parts are dark red, and the inflammation (in the sick) travels from left to right. The erysipelas of Apis travels from right to left ; the affected parts are rosy-red, pinkish or dark purple ; thirst is absent ; but Apis requires the presence of oedema.

In scarlatina Rhus is indicated, especially in the adynamic forms, and should very quickly supplant Belladonna when these symptoms appear. The child grows drowsy and restless. The tongue is red and sometimes smooth, a very unusual symptom is scarlatina. The fauces are dark red and have a peculiar cedematous appearance. The cervical glands are enlarged and there may be an enlargement of the left parotid. There may even be impending suppuration of these parts. The cellular tissue about the neck is inflamed, so that the cutaneous surface here has a dark red or bluish erysipelatous hue. If the child is delirious, the delirium is always mild. The eruption does not come out fully, but when it does appear it is of a dark color, and is apt to be miliary. Rhus, you see, thus acts on the vital forces. It depresses the sensorium, as shown by the drowsiness and mild delirium. The secretions are altered, becoming acrid. Not only the cervical glands, but the glands in all parts of the body may become enlarged, and especially those of the axilla. The body is emaciated and the patient grows weaker.

Lachesis and Ailanthus follow Rhus well in this condition, but they present an even more adynamic picture. Ailanthus is especially indicated when the skin is covered with a scanty dark bluish rash. The throat inside is swollen. The cellular tissue of the neck is infiltrated. There is excoriating nasal discharge and the child is drowsy and stupid.

Aruni triphyllum is similar to Ailanthus in that it has the excoriating coryza. The corners of the mouth are sore, cracked and bleeding. The saliva even is acrid. The child is irritable and restless. (See lecture on Aracetz.)

Belladonna also has this enlargement and induration of the axillary glands, but it is often neglected in this condition. It is especially useful for the symptom occurring in females at the climaxis. In scarlatina compare Calcarea ostrearum. The parotid glands become affected. The rash recedes, leaving the face puffed and pale. In variola you will find Rhus indicated when the pustules turn black from effusion of blood within, and when there is diarrhoea with dark bloody stools.

In eczema you should compare Mezereum with Rhus, especially in scrofulous cases when hard, thick chalky crusts form, which crack and ooze copiously of pus. Itching is more intense at night when the patient is warmly wrapped up. Sometimes pimples surround the main seat of the disease.

Nux jugla,7is is one of our very best remedies in tinea favosa, especially when it occurs on the scalp and behind the ears. Itching is intense at night, so that the patient has difficulty in sleeping. Scabs appear on the arms and in the axilla.

Psorinum produces a scaly dirty-looking eruption with itching worse from the warmth of the bed.

Graphites has more rough skin and oozing of glutinous fluid. We next study the action of Rhus on the mucous membranes. It produces a copious coryza with redness and oedema of the throat. It is indicated in influenza with severe aching of all the bones, sneezing and coughing. The cough is dry in character, and is worse in the evening until midnight and from uncovering the body ; cough from tickling behind the upper half of the sternum. Especially is Rhus indicated when the trouble arises from exposure to dampness. Mezereum has cough worse from sunset to 12 p. m. Sanguinaria and Pulsatilla, evening cough better sitting up in bed, the former with relief from belching.

Hepar resembles Rhus in the exaggerated sensitiveness to cold air so that even the exposure of a hand excites the cough, which, however, is usually moist.

In diarrhoea calling for Rhus, the stools consist of blood and slime mixed with reddish-yellow mucus. Thus you see that it is of dysenteric character. With this character to the stool, Rhus is indicated in dysentery, when there are tearing pains down the thighs during defecation. I once cured with Rhus a case of small-pox which had degenerated into a haemorrhagic type, pustules containing bloody pus; the indications for the remedy were : stools of dark blood, with pains tearing down the thighs during stool.

In other abdominal inflammations assuming a typhoid type, Rhus may be indicated, as I have already said, whether the affection be peritonitis, enteritis, typhlitis, perityphlitis, or metritis. In diseases of the puerperal state, Rhus is a capital remedy when the symptoms are of a typhoid type.

There is a colic curable by Rhus. It may or may not be of rheumatic origin. The pain is relieved by bending double and moving about. It thus differs from Colocynth, which has relief from bending double, but not from motion, although the severity of the pain may drive the patient into moving about.

Now, the head symptoms of Rhus. There is a form of vertigo, common with old people, which comes on as soon as the patient rises from a sitting posture. It is associated with heavy feelings in the limbs, and is doubtless indicative of some senile changes in the brain. Rhus tox. is one of the remedies which can palliate this condition. Sometimes they have a swashing feeling in the brain when moving about. In this swashing feeling in the brain, compare with Rhus the following : Cinchona, Sulphuric acid, Belladonna, Spigelia, and Carbo animalis.

Rhus is of value in many affections of the eye. We find it useful in scrofulous ophthalmia when phlyctenules form on and about the cornea. Most intense photophobia is present. The eyelids, which are also involved in the inflammatory process, are spasmodically closed. If you force the lids apart there will gush forth a yellow pus. The pains in the eyes are worse at night.

You may use it in conjunctivitis caused by getting wet (also Calc. ost.).

Rhus may also be used in iritis either of rheumatic or traumatic origin. The inflammation may extend to and involve the choroid, and still Rhus will be the remedy. Pains shoot through the eyes to the back of the head, and are worse at night. On opening the eyes there is a profuse flow of hot tears. In some cases the inflammation may go on to suppuration.

In glaucoma, Rhus has sometimes proved useful.

In orbital cellulitis, it is almost a specific. It should always be given in cases in which the symptoms indicate no other remedy. It is also one of the best remedies we have for ptosis in rheumatic patients after exposure to dampness.

Causticum is here the nearest concordant remedy of Rhus, but you must also think of Gelsemium, Sepia, and Kalmia in this symptom. The last-named remedy has a sensation of stiffness in the eyelids and in the muscles about the eyes.

The otalgia of Rhus is accompanied by pulsations in the ear at night ; sensation as if some one was blowing in the ear ; whistling, etc., becoming loud, as if the membrana tympani had burst, when lying down.

A local symptom of the face calling for Rhus in rheumatic patients is pain in the maxillary joints as if the jaw would break. Every time the patient makes a chewing motion with the mouth the jaw cracks. Easy dislocation of the inferior maxilla calls for Rhus. Ignatia and Petroleum are here similar.

In toothache, Rhus may be indicated when the pains are made worse by cold and relieved by warm applications. There is an exception to this however, /. e.

t in jumping toothache, when the pain is momentarily relieved by the application of the cold hand. The teeth feel loose, or as if they were too long and as if asleep. The gums are sore and feel as if ulcerated.

In various forms of paralysis, Rhus may be indicated, especially in rheumatic patients when the trouble has come on from over-exertion or exposure to wet, as from lying on the damp ground. In the latter case, the trouble probably finds its origin in a rheumatic inflammation of the meninges of the cord.

If, however, the exposure to wet excites a myelitis, Dulcamara is the remedy.

Rhus may also be used in the acute spinal paralysis of infants. In these different forms of paralysis, Sulphur holds a complementary relation to Rhus.

Listless, sad. Thoughts of suicide. Extreme restlessness, with continued change of position. Delirium, with fear of being poisoned (Hyos). Sensorium becomes cloudy. Great apprehension at night, cannot remain in bed.

Poison-ivy The effects on the skin, rheumatic pains, mucous membrane affections, and a typhoid type of fever, make this remedy frequently indicated. Rhus affects fibrous tissue markedly-joints, tendons, sheaths-aponeurosis, etc, producing pains and stiffness. Post-operative complications. Tearing asunder pains. Motion

always "limbers up" the Rhus patient, and hence he feels better for a time from a change of position. Ailments from strains, overlifting, getting wet while perspiring. Septic conditions. Cellulitis and infections, carbuncles in early stages (Echinac). Rheumatism in the cold season. Septicæmia.

Worse, during sleep, cold, wet rainy weather and after rain; at night, during rest, drenching, when lying on back or right side. Better, warm, dry weather, motion; walking, change of position, rubbing, warm applications, from stretching out limbs.

Feels as if a board were strapped on the forehead. Vertigo when rising. Heavy head. Brain feels loose and as if struck against skull on walking or rising. Scalp sensitive; worse on side lain on. Headache in occiput (Rhus rad); painful to touch. Pain in forehead and proceeds thence backward. Humid eruptions on scalp; itching greatly.

Jaws crack when chewing. Easy dislocation of jaw (Ign; Petrol). Swollen face, erysipelas. Cheek bones sensitive to touch. Parotitis. Facial neuralgia, with chilliness; worse, evening. Crusta lactea (Calc; Viol tric).

Swollen, red, œdematous; orbital cellulitis. Pustular inflammations. Photophobia; profuse flow of yellow pus. Œdema of lids, suppurative iritis. Lids inflamed, agglutinated swollen. Old injured eyes. Circumscribed corneal injection. Intensive ulceration of the cornea. Iritis, after exposure to cold and dampness, and of rheumatic origin. Eye painful on turning it or pressing, can hardly move it, as in acute retrobulbar neuritis. Profuse gush of hot, scalding tears upon opening lids.

Pain in ears, with sensation as if something were in them. Lobules swollen. Discharge of bloody pus.

Sneezing; coryza from getting wet. Tip of nose red, sore, ulcerated. Swelling of nose. Nosebleed on stooping.

Teeth feel loose and long; gums sore. Tongue red and cracked; coated, except red triangular space at the tip; dry and red at edges. Corners of mouth ulcerated; fever-blisters around mouth and chin (Nat mur). Pain in maxillary joint.

Sore, with swollen glands. Sticking pain on swallowing. Parotitis; left side.

Want of appetite for any kind of food, with unquenchable thirst. Bitter taste (Cupr). Nausea, vertigo, and bloated abdomen after eating. Desire for milk. Great thirst, with dry mouth and throat. Pressure as from a stone. (Bry; Ars) Drowsy after eating.

Violent pains, relieved by lying on abdomen. Swelling of inguinal glands. Pain in region of ascending colon. Colic, compelling to walk bent. Excessive distention after eating. Rumbling of flatus on first rising, but disappears with continued motion.

Diarrhœa of blood, slime, and reddish mucus. Dysentery, with tearing pains down thighs. Stools of cadaverous odor. Frothy, painless stools. Will often abort a beginning suppurative process near the rectum. Dysentery.

Dark, turbid, high-colored, scanty urine, with white sediment. Dysuria, with loss of blood.

Swelling of glands and prepuce-dark-red erysipelatous; scrotum thick, swollen, œdematous. Itching intense.

Swelling, with intense itching of vulva. Pelvic articulations stiff when beginning to move. Menses early, profuse, and prolonged, acrid. Lochia thin, protracted, offensive diminished (Puls; Secale), with shooting upwards in vagina (Sep).

Tickling behind upper sternum. Dry, teasing cough from midnight until morning, during a chill, or when putting hands out of bed. Hæmoptysis from overexertion; blood bright red. Influenza, with aching in all bones (Eup perf). Hoarseness from overtraining voice (Arn). Oppression of the chest, cannot get breath with sticking pains. Bronchial coughs in old people, worse on awaking and with expectoration of small plugs of mucus.

Hypertrophy from overexertion. Pulse quick, weak, irregular, intermittent, with numbness of left arm. Trembling and palpitation when sitting still.

Pain between shoulders on swallowing. Pain and stiffness in small of back; better, motion, or lying on something hard; worse, while sitting. Stiffness of the nape of the neck.

Hot, painful swelling of joints. Pains tearing in tendons, ligaments, and fasciæ. Rheumatic pains spread over a large surface at nape of neck, loins, and extremities; better motion (Agaric). Soreness of condyles of bones. Limbs stiff paralyzed. The cold fresh air is not tolerated; it makes the skin painful. Pain along ulnar nerve. Tearing down thighs. Sciatica; worse, cold, damp weather, at night. Numbness and formication, after overwork and exposure. Paralysis; trembling after exertion. Tenderness about knee-joint. Loss of power in forearm and fingers; crawling sensation in the tips of fingers. Tingling in feet.

Red, swollen; itching intense. Vesicles, herpes; urticaria; pemphigus; erysipelas; vesicular suppurative forms. Glands swollen. Cellulitis. Burning eczematous eruptions with tendency to scale formation.

Dreams of great exertion. Heavy sleep, as from stupor. Sleepless before midnight.

Adynamic; restless, trembling. Typhoid; tongue dry and brown; sordes; bowels loose; great restlessness. Intermittent; chill, with dry cough and restlessness. During heat, urticaria. Hydroa. Chilly, as if cold water were poured over him, followed by heat and inclination to stretch the limbs.

Complementary: Bry; Calc fluor. Phytol (Rheumatism). In urticaria follow with Bovista. Inimical: Apis. Antidotes: Bathing with milk and Grindelia lotion very effective. Ampelopsis Trifolia-Three-leaf Woodbine––(Toxic dermatitis due to vegetable poisons-30 and 200. Very similar to Rhus poisoning). Desensitizing against Ivy poisoning by the use of descending doses of the tincture by mouth or by hypodermic injections is recommended by old school authorities, but is not as effective as the homeopathic remedies especially Rhus 30 and 200 and Anacard, etc. Anacard; Croton; Grindelia; Mezer; Cyprip; Plumbago (eczema of vulva); Graph. Compare: Rhus radicans (almost identical action); characteristics are, burning in tongue, tip feels sore, pains are often semilateral and in various parts, often remote and successive. Many symptoms are better after a storm has thoroughly set in, especially after an electric storm. Has pronounced yearly aggravation (Laches). Rhus radicans has headache in occiput even pain in nape of neck and from there pains draw over the head forwards. Rhus diversiloba-California Poison-oak (antidote to Rhus; violent skin symptoms, with frightful itching; much swelling of face, hands and genitals; skin very sensitive; eczema and erysipelas, great nervous weakness, tired from least effort; goes to sleep from sheer exhaustion); Xerophyllum (dysmenorrhœa and skin symptoms). Compare, also; Arn; Bapt; Lach; Ars; Hyos; Op (stupefaction more profound). Mimosa- Sensitive Plant––(rheumatism, knee stiff, lancinating pains in back and limbs. Swelling of ankles Legs tremble).

Sixth to thirtieth potency. The 200th and higher are antidotal to poisoning with the plant and tincture.

Rhus Toxicodendron

Modalities: The complaints of this remedy come on from cold damp weather, from being exposed to cold damp air when perspiring.

The patient is sensitive to cold air and all his complaints are made worse from cold and all are better from warmth. In a general way, the aching pains, the bruised feelings over the body, restlessness throughout the limbs, and amelioration from motion are features that prevail throughout all conditions of Rhus. While he is better from motion and better from walking, if he continues to walk he becomes exhausted. Any continued exertion of the body or mind exhausts the Rhus patient. He suffers from rheumatic conditions with pains in the bones, lameness in the muscles, lameness in the tendons, ligaments, and joints from suppression of sweat, from becoming chilled.

These occur with or without fever. Rhus is suitable in old chronic rheumatic conditions. He is stiff, lame, and bruised on first beginning to move. This passes off on becoming warm up, but soon be becomes weak and must rest.

Then comes the restlessness and aching and uneasiness which drive him to move and which again make him better, but soon he becomes weak and these continue, so that he is never perfectly at ease and never finds rest. Inflammation of the glands and of the mucous membranes; inflammation of the muscles. Cellulitis of the pelvis, of the neck, about the glands with much swelling. Inflammation of the skin that becomes erysipelatous; purple; pitting upon pressure with large blisters that fill with serum, sometimes bloody. It has abscesses and carbuncles and vesicular eruptions.

Glands: Inflammation of glands that are hot and very painful.

They are hot and end in suppuration. Abscesses of the axillary glands and of the parotids. Scrofulous inflammation of the glands of the neck and lower jaw. Inflammation of the periosteum and of the bones. Scrofulous and rickety affections. The prominent projections of bones become sore to touch, especially the cheek bones. Its complaints are more or less periodical. It has cured many cases of intermittent fever, is often suitable in remittent fever, and is a most useful remedy in continued fevers and in a low form of typhoid fever.

Pains: The pains that run through Rhus are aching, tearing, and bruised pains often attended with numbness and paralytic weakness of the limbs.

It has paralysis of the limbs with loss of sensation. In infantile paralysis Rhus is a very common remedy. The nurse-girls at the present time often bring on in the child this paralytic condition and spinal paralysis. The nurses take the infants to the park, take them out of their carriage and put them down upon the cold damp ground and in a few days the child comes down with infantile paralysis. Rhus will cure these cases because the symptoms take the Rhus type. Hemiplegia, especially of the right side. Twitching of the limbs and muscles. It has cured chorea brought on from taking a cold bath.

Mind: Most of the mental symptoms of Rhus are such as prevail during low forms of fever, especially in typhoid.

There is then incoherent talking; answers questions hastily. There is anxiety, apprehensions, and fear. Intense fear at night. The complaints of Rhus often come on in the night. The mental symptoms are worse at night. The delirium is worse at night.

The fears and anxiety are worse at night. The chronic mental symptoms of Rhus are despondency, mental prostration, inability to sustain a mental effort, disgust for life and thoughts of suicide. He wants to drown himself yet he has fear of death. He desires to die yet he has not the courage to commit suicide. In many instances he is filled with suicidalthoughts; sadness and weeping yet he knows not why. Irritability and anxiety as if he had met with some misfortune, restlessness, anxiousness and nervous in the extreme in acute and chronic complaints.

Colds settle throughout the body and limbs. He is full of dizziness as if intoxicated; staggers, when walking.

Head: The headaches are commonly such as occur in fevers, in rheumatism, and in inflammation of the bladder.

The brain feels loose or there is an undulating feeling in the head. Pain in the head as if the brain were torn. Stupefying headache with buzzing in the ears. Stitching pains in the head; feeling as if the parts were screwed together; feeling as if the brain were pressed. The muscles of the head are sore.

The periosteum of the cranium is sore to touch. The pain in the back of the head is ameliorated by holding the head backwards. Tingling in the scalp. Rush of blood to the head. Humming in the ears. Formication in the scalp.

Pulsating headaches. Meningitis with high fever. Great restlessness with these Rhus symptoms. Cerebro-spinal meningitis with the anxiety and restlessness. Aching in the bones; amelioration from motion. Eruptions upon the scalp; very sensitive to touch. The scalp is very sensitive on the side lain on. Tearing, drawing pains in the periosteum of the head; pressure in the bones of the skull as if screwed together. From every exposure to cold, damp weather, or from suppressing the sweat upon the head, comes pain in the head; rheumatic headaches. Headaches are worse from wetting the hair. Vesicular eruptions upon the scalp; erysipelas of the scalp with large blisters; eruptions upon the scalp that suppurate. It is a very useful remedy in the treatment of eczema of the scalp in infants; herpetic eruptions upon the scalp.

Eyes: Inflammation of the eyes in rheumatic subjects from exposure to cold, damp weather, from suppressing the perspiration, with restlessness and fever.

Pustules upon the cornea; photophobia; suppuration of the eyes. Inflammation of the iris of a rheumatic character. There is much swelling and the eyes are closed from swelling. Very acute conjunctivitis; chemosis; eyes red and aggravated in the morning; scrofulous inflammation of the eyes from becoming cold. The lids are red; oedematous. The pains in the eyes are worse from moving the eyeballs, especially the bruised pain. Paralysis of the muscles of the eyeball the result of rheumatism and exposure to the cold, or from getting the feet wet. Red eyes and lachrymation; erysipelas of the lids; paralysis of the upper lids. The lids are agglutinated in the morning with a copious, purulent, mucous discharge. The Rhus patient, is subject to styes on the lower lids; neuralgia in the eyes.

Ears: Neuralgia in the ears; erysipelatous inflammation of the external ears with vesicles; inflammation of the parotid gland.

Nose: Haemorrhage from the nose; violent coryza.

The nose is stopped up from every cold; great soreness in the nostrils; discharge from the nose of thick, yellow mucus; green, offensive mucus. Much swelling of the nose from erysipelas. The tip of the nose is red and sensitive. The nose is puffed and oedematous. Eruptions upon the nose and in the corners of the nose; eczema of the nose and much swelling.

Face: Erysipelas of the face with burning, large blisters, and rapidly extending inflammation which becomes very purple and pits upon pressure.

The erysipelas of the face often extends from left to right across the face. There is much burning, itching, and tingling, delirium, and high fever, and the mental state referred to above. Eczema of the face chronic suppurating eruptions of the face. Stiffness of the jaws rheumatic condition of the jaws and of the joints.

The corners of the mouth ulcerate; fever blisters; lips dry and parched and covered with reddishbrown crusts in typhoid fever; lips bleed. We have many symptoms of the mouth especially in connection with typhoid fever.

The tongue is sore, raw, and bleeding; burning of all the tissues in the mouth; red tongue. The taste is putrid and metallic. The teeth are covered with blood; fever in the gums with blood; blisters upon the tongue and the whole mouth appears to be raw and sometimes bleeding. The mouth is dry and an accumulation of saliva and sometimes bloody saliva in the mouth, which runs from the mouth during sleep. In Rhus the thirst is often violent, but there is difficulty in swallowing solids from constriction of the throat; painful swallowing; inflammation of the throat; cellulitis of the throat internal and external with painful inflammation of the throat. Enlargement of the neck; swelling of the glands of the neck.

The neck is stiff; sometimes erysipelatous inflammation of the parotids; neck greatly swollen. Rhus has cured diphtheria with these symptoms. Rhus is especially suitable for inflammation of the oesophagus. When it is acute from swallowing corrosive substances, because of the extensive cellulitis that such substances cause it makes the case like Rhus.

This remedy is very freaky. For instance hunger without appetite; hungry sensation or sensation of emptiness in the stomach without desire for food. Dryness of the mouth and throat with great thirst; unquenchable thirst for cold drinks especially at night with great dryness of the mouth. Yet the cold drinks bring on chilliness, bring on the cough.

Stomach: Pain in the stomach and nausea. His desires are also strange. Desires oysters, cold milk, and sweets. Aversion to meat. Rhus has nausea and vomiting; bilious vomiting and nausea from drinking cold water; nausea after eating, with sudden vomiting; inordinate appetite with inclination to vomit; worse at night and after eating.

Pulsation in the pit of the stomach; gnawing pain in the stomach fullness and heaviness in the stomach as from a load; pressure in the pit of the stomach as from a great weight; pain in the stomach and nausea, especially after cold things; pain in the stomach after ice cream; nausea after eating ice cream.

Liver and abdomen: In the liver there is swelling and tenderness on pressure, so that he cannot lie on the right lobe of the liver.

The soreness is increased on beginning to move; shooting pains in the region of the liver. In the abdomen we have many of the complaints of Rhus. Distended abdomen during typhoid fever; extreme soreness of the tissues of the abdomen to touch; cannot bear any pressure; sensitive to clothing.

Colic; pains and violent colic compelling him to lie on the back and draw up the limbs. Inflammation of any of the tissues of the abdomen; peritonitis; enteritis; typhlitis. During these violent inflammatory conditions of the bowels, typhoid symptoms are likely to be present with involuntary stools. Inflammation and swelling of the glands of the abdomen and groin. With typhoid conditions there is diarrhoea, copious, watery, bloody stools or mushy stools involuntary stools; frothy stools. Diarrhea during typhoid fever the diarrhoea is worse during the night and better during the day time; involuntary stools with great exhaustion. It has cured cholera infantum of a low type and it is often useful in dysentery with bloody, mucous stools. Violent tenesmus; violent tearing, pinching pains in the abdomen; involuntary stools; dysenteric stools; dysenteric discharges that drive him out of bed in the morning sometimes as early as 4 o'clock. Haemorrhage of black blood from the bowels. Shooting pains in the rectum. It has cured hemorrhoids when there is great soreness and when they are internal or protruding; protruding after stool with pressing in the rectum.

Urinary: Urging to urinate with tenesmus and pain in the region of the prostate gland causing urging to stool, ameliorated by moving about. There are more or less tearing pains in the region of the kidneys. Albuminous urine; bloody urine; urine hot; muddy; white sediment, becoming turbid on standing; bloody drops of urine dribble away.

Violent tenesmus of the bladder with dribbling of blood; retention of urine; urine is voided slowly from paralytic weakness of the bladder. There is sometimes complete paralysis of the bladder with involuntary urination at night in bed. Frequent urging to urinate day and night; weakness of the bladder in girls and women with frequent desire to urinate, especially in the women dribbling of the urine in cold air and on becoming very cold.

Men: In the male sexual organs we have inflammation erysipelatous in character. Eczema of the genitals. The scrotum becomes thick and hard with intolerable itching; oedematous swelling of the genitals; erysipelas of the genitals; humid eruptions upon the genitals.

Women: In the female we have the same symptoms, especially erysipelatous swelling of the genitals and some eruptions.

The woman has prolapsus of the uterus from straining or lifting; weakness of all the pelvic muscles; labor-like pains in the abdomen from straining.

Copious menstrual flow; clotted blood with laborlike pains. The menstrual period comes too soon, is too profuse, and lasts too long. The flow is acrid, causing excoriation of the parts. Every over-exertion brings on menorrhagia. Membranous tissue in the menstrual flow; suppressing of the menstrual flow from becoming wet; from getting the feet wet, or becoming chilled.

Similar complaints come on in pregnancy from overstraining and a tendency to abortion. The after-pains are very torturesome. The woman suffers from cellulitis such as occurs in milk-leg. Typhoid symptoms come on and inflammation of the mammary glands. The milk vanishes.

Larynx: In the larynx many of the colds locate producing hoarseness, rawness, and roughness. Soreness in the chest; muscular exhaustion of the larynx from loud and much exercise of the voice. Hoarseness on first beginning to sing; which wears off on singing a few notes or wears off after talking a little while; burning and rawness in the larynx.

Rhus is suitable in many cases of influenza, such as begin in the nose and extend into the larynx with hoarseness and with Rhus symptoms. Respiration is hurried; oppression of the chest; very difficult and hard breathing, especially in pneumonia and bronchitis and in colds that settle in the chest.

Cough: Rhus gets out of breath on exertion. The cough of Rhus is very tormenting; teasing cough; paroxysms of almost any kind; tormenting, dry, teasing cough before and during chill.

He knows that the chill is coming because of the dry, teasing cough; cough with taste of blood in the mouth; dry, hoarse, racking, rheumatic cough. cough from rheumatic fever.

Chest: Inflammation of the lungs; inflammation of the pleura with stitching pains, much fever, progressing toward the typhoid state with aching in the bones; restlessness; general amelioration from motion; intense fever, marked thirst, great prostration; typhoid symptoms.

The pneumonia is of a low type; pneumonia such as would denominate typhoid. Rhus has expectoration of blood from the lungs and from the mucous membranes of the air passages; hemorrhage from the chest from overexertion; hemorrhage from blowing wind instruments; hemorrhage from the chest from violent mental excitement.

The heart is weak, tremulous with palpitation violent palpitation when sitting still; pulsations move the whole body anxious palpitation in the morning on waking; palpitation from exercise. It seems as if exertion had strained the muscles of the heart; hypertrophy of the heart from violent exercise; hypertrophy that comes on in athletes, in runners; organic diseases of the heart with sticking pains. Numbness and lameness of the left arm with heart disease.

Back: In the back, we have stiffness and lameness.

This is most noticeable on beginning to move, but wears off on moving about. Pains in the shoulder with stiffness; pains between the shoulders on swallowing food; rheumatic symptoms; painful tension between the shoulder blades.

The small of the back aches while sitting. Painful stiffness on rising from a seat; pain in the back as if bruised, sore and lame all over the back. The pain in the back is ameliorated by lying on something hard or from exercise.

There are violent pains in the back, especially in the lumbar region, as if the back were broken. It is a remedy for lumbago brought on from getting wet, from overlifting, from taking cold, and from suppressing the sweat. He is ameliorated from motion and from moving about; worse on beginning to move.

This remedy has many spinal symptoms with paralytic weakness either of the lower limbs or of one part of the body, Stiffness and lameness in the sacrum aggravated on resting after exercise. It might now be predicted that symptoms are to be found in the limbs from what has been said in general.

There are stitching pains, pressing pains, all sorts of rheumatic lameness, and these pains are ameliorated from motion and are worse from keeping still. They are brought on from cold air and from suppressing the sweat, and as these pains grow worse they became tearing down the limbs, drawing pains. Paralytic pains, benumbing pains, and these are relieved from motion; numbness throughout the limbs; numbness and aching in the arms from heart disease; numbness in the joints; jerking, tearing pains in the joints. Paralysis of the arms; erysipelas with much swelling in the limbs; swelling of the bands and arms.

When grasping anything a tingling and pricking is felt in the hands and fingers; crawling and numbness in the finger tips and fingers; swelling of the fingers; eruptions upon the hands and fingers. In the lower limbs, we find similar pains and similar modalities pain in the hip when lying upon it; tearing, drawing pains in the lower limbs; sciatica with tearing, drawing pains in the lower limbs, worse during rest and ameliorated from motion, brought on from becoming chilled, from cold damp weather, from exposure, and from suppressing the sweat.

In sprains such as occur in the ankles and in fact any of the joints, after Arnica has removed the first and most painful symptoms, Rhus becomes useful for weakness of tendons and muscular fibers such as always follows sprains. It is a routine remedy for this weakness in joints following sprains. The pains rush in streaks down the limbs; restlessness in the lower limbs at night, but amelioration from motion; must keep the limbs in constant motion; paralysis of the lower limbs, great weariness and heaviness of the lower extremities; weakness of the lower limbs on going up stairs; swelling of the joints of the lower limbs; stiffness of the knees and feet. Paroxysmal pains in the legs from getting wet, especially when sweating; complaints from living in damp houses; rheumatism in the lower limbs from living in damp houses.

Skin: Ulcers on the legs. Intolerable itching of the legs at night in bed; eruptions upon the feet and legs; foetid sweat of the feet in persons of rheumatic tendency, Eczema of the lower limbs. Rhus is a useful remedy in fevers. In typhoid sufficient has been said. It is a very useful remedy in scarlet fever with coarse rash. When the rash has been suppressed, with inflammation of the glands and much sore throat. During fever there is often violent urticaria which passes off during the sweat; night sweat with much itching eruption; fevers from suppressed foot sweat; rheumatic fevers; fevers worse at night; fevers that come with cold sores on the lips, remittent fevers and intermittent fevers takes on the typhoid type and run through their course as symptomatic typhoid fever.

Intolerable itching of the skin; tingling in the skin; eruptions burn and itch violently; much moisture with eruptions upon the skin. Large blisters form upon the skin either with or without erysipelas. The incessant itching is sometimes relieved by "scalding" the parts, as it is called by some who are poisoned with Rhus, by "scalding" with water as hot as it is possible to bathe the parts in. Rhus has cured shingles and the tendency to herpetic eruptions. It has made a grand record with humid eczema such as have raw surfaces; excoriated; oozing much. It is very commonly the remedy for hives that come on from getting wet or hives that come on during rheumatism or during chills and fever; hives that are worse in the cold air.