Spigelia anthelmia

Combined heart and eye symptoms, or the latter as an accompaniment. PAIN; in violent attacks; radiating from l. occiput to over l. eye; < stooping. Neuralgia. Sun pains. Vertigo; feet feel higher than the head. Shudders; if touched or bruised. .................... Stammering. Fears pointed things. Left supra-orbital or occipital pain; boring. EYES: sore, drawing ache; sunken; feel large; red; flowing tears on affected side; squinting; yellow rings about. Post-nasal dropping. Fetor oris. Toothache. Ravenous hunger. Pains about navel; in children. Mucus lumps in stools. Worms. Dyspnœa, < moving arms. HEART; violent, audible PALPITATION, attending other symptoms; violent sticking, or compressive pains radiating to throat, arm or scapula, < least motion; or bending double; soreness; purring; crackling. Cardiac angina, etc. Neck stiff; pains into l. temple or from l. shoulder into neck. Cutting about l. scapula. Numb l. arm. Weak, tremulous or irregular pulse. Pulsation in patellæ. Follows: Aco.

TOUCH. MOTION. Jar. Periodically; with the sun. Tobacco. Coition. Raising arms.

Lying on R. side, with head high.

NERVES: TRIFACIAL. HEART. Neck. Fibrous tissue. EYES. Teeth. LEFT SIDE.

Complementary: Spo. Related: Cact.

Spigelia

Pinkroot. Loganiaceae.

Adapted to anaemic debilitated subjects of rheumatic diathesis; to scrofulous children afflicted with ascarides and lumbrici (Cina, Stan.).

Persons with light hair; pale, thin, bloated, weak; wrinkled, yellow, earthy skin.

Body painfully sensitive to touch; part touched feels chilly; touch sends shudder through the whole frame (Kali c.).

Afraid of sharp, pointed things, pins, needles, etc.

Rheumatic affections of heart (Kali., Led., Naja) ; systolic blowing at apex. Aneurism.

Nervous headache; periodical, beginning in morning at base of brain, spreading over the head and locating in eye, orbit and temple of left side (right side. Sang., Sil.) ; pain, pulsating, violent, throbbing.

Headache; at sunrise, at its height at noon, declines till sunset (Nat. m.. Tab.).

Intolerable, pressive pain in eyeballs; could not turn the eyes without turning the whole body; worse, especially on making a false step.

Sensation: as if eyes were too large for the orbits (Act., Com.) ; sensitive to touch; as if a band around head (Cac., Carb. ac., Sulph.).

Copious offensive mucus from posterior nares, drops into throat, causing choking at night (Hydr.).

Sharp, stabbing, sticking pains through eyeballs back into the head; from cold, damp, rainy weather.

Prosopalgia: periodical, left-sided, orbit, eye, malar bone, teeth; from morning until sunset;, pain tearing, burning, cheek dark red; during cold, rainy weather; from tea.

Toothache from tobacco smoking; > only on lying down and while eating (Plan.) ; worse from cold air and water; returns from thinking about it.

Scirrhus of sigmoid or rectum, atrocious unbearable pain (Alumen).

Dyspnoea : must lie on right side or with head high (Cac., Spong.) ; pains in chest are stitching, needlefike.

Chest affections with stitching pains synchronous with pulse, < from motion, < cold, wet weather.

Palpitation : violent, visible and audible; from least motion; when bending forward; systolic blowing at apex.

Stammering, repeats first syllable three or four times ; with abdominal ailments ; with helminthiasis.

Kali c., Naja, Kal., Spong., in heart affections.

Aggravation.' — From motion, noise, touch, turning the eyes; from every shaking, commotion, or concussion.

Amelioration. — Lying on right side with the head high (Ars., Cac., Spong.).

Lecture XVIII — Spigelia anthelmintica, Curare and the Juglandaceae

Spigelia.

Spigelia is another member of the order LoganiacecE. To understand it as a remedy is not a difficult thing to do, if we start with the idea that it acts on the nerves, having as a grand characteristic, neuralgia. Associated with these neuralgic symptoms we almost always find symptoms sympathetic from the head, whether these be neuralgic or not. Mentally, we find the patient exhibiting fear, anxiety, forebodings, as though something were about to happen. This is a very common symptom with nervous, neuralgic subjects, especially those whose nerves are very much weakened. Another symptom which sometimes appears is fear of pointed things; for instance, the patient is afraid of pins. There is often, also, precordial anguish. The neuralgia itself, if it involves the head, begins in the occiput, coming forward and settling over the left eye. It may also involve the cheeks, especially the left. There are burning, jerking, tearing pains, worse from any noise or from any jarring of the body. They are usually aggravated by change of weather, and are especially worse in stormy weather. At the acme of the pain there is often bilious vomiting. The period of exacerbation is marked. The pain begins in the morning with the sun, increases during the day, and diminishes toward evening.

We often find Spigelia indicated in sick-headache when the patient can bear neither noise nor jarring of the body.

This remedy is our mainstay in ciliary neuralgia. The pain may be in either eye; more frequently, however, it is in the left. There may be photophobia from slight retinitis; sharp stabbing pains in the eye, or radiating from the eye. The supraorbital region is tender to touch. The eye-ball feels swollen, or as if it were too large for the orbit. Associated with these symptoms are lachrymation and coryza. Three remedies are here to be compared with Spigelia. The first of them is Mezereum. This is useful in ciliary neuralgia. The pains radiate and shoot downward. There is a cold feeling as though a stream of cold air were blowing on the eye. Mezereum is especially indicated when the bones are involved, a frequent sequence of mercury.

Another remedy useful in ciliary neuralgia is Thuja. I^ike Mezereum, it has a cold feeling in the eye, but the pains take the opposite direction; they go upward and backward instead of downward. Still another remedy to be thought of is Cedron, which has neuralgia recurring at the same hour with clock-like regularity. Spigelia is a valuable heart remedy. It is to be thought of when there are sharp stitching pains referred to the left chest, shooting into the arm and neck; on placing the hand over the heart, there is a peculiar '

' purring '

' feeling. The patient is worse from the slightest motion of the hands or arms. He cannot lie down. The pulse is not synchronous with the heart-beat'.

Spigelia may be used for worms. It should be given when there are strabismus from abdominal irritation, jerking over the eyes, paleness of the face, with blue rings around the eyes. The patient feels faint and nauseated on awaking in the morning, when there is also hunger, which is relieved by eating breakfast; there is colic, worse about the navel; stool consisting of mucus, fseces and worms.

Afraid of sharp, pointed things, pins, needles, etc.

Spigelia is an important remedy in pericarditis and other diseases of the heart, because the provings were conducted with the greatest regard for objective symptoms and the subjective symptoms are by innumerable confirmations proved to be correct (C. Hering). Has marked elective affinity for the eye, heart, and nervous system. Neuralgia of the fifth nerve is very prominent in its effects. Is especially adapted to anæmic, debilitated, rheumatic, and scrofulous subjects. Stabbing pains. Heart affections

and neuralgia. Very sensitive to touch. Parts feel chilly; send shudder through frame. A remedy for symptoms due to the presence of worms. Child refers to the navel as the most painful part (Granat; Nux mosch).

Worse, from touch, motion, noise, turning, washing, concussion. Better, lying on right side with head high; inspiring.

Pain beneath frontal eminence and temples, extending to eyes (Onos). Semi-lateral, involving left eye; pain violent, throbbing; worse, making a false step. Pain as if a band around head (Carbol ac; Cact; Gels). Vertigo, hearing exalted.

Prosopalgia, involving eye, zygoma, cheek, teeth, temple, worse, stooping, touch, from morning until sunset.

Feel too large; pressive pain on turning them. Pupils dilated; photophobia; rheumatic ophthalmia. Severe pain in and around eyes, extending deep into socket. Ciliary neuralgia, a true neuritis.

Forepart of nose always dry; discharge through posterior nares chronic catarrh, with post-nasal dropping of bland mucus.

Tongue fissured, painful. Tearing toothache; worse, after eating and cold. Foul odor from mouth. Offensive taste.

Itching and crawling. Frequent ineffectual urging to stool. Ascarides.

Violent palpitation. Præcordial pain and great aggravation from movement. Frequent attacks of palpitation, especially with foul odor from mouth. Pulse weak and irregular. Pericarditis, with sticking pains, palpitation, dyspnœa. Neuralgia extending to arm or both arms. Angina pectoris. Craving for hot water which relieves. Rheumatic carditis, trembling pulse; whole left side sore. Dyspnœa; must lie on right side with head high.

Chilliness on the slightest motion.

Compare: Spigelia Marylandica (maniacal excitement, paroxysmal laughing and crying, loud, disconnected talking, vertigo, dilated pupils, congestions); Acon; Cact; Cimicif; Arnica (Spigela is a chronic Arnica); Cinnab (supra-orbital pain); Naja; Spong (heart); Sabad; Teucr; Cina (worm symptoms). Antidote: Pulsat.

Sixth to thirtieth potency for neuralgic symptoms; second to third potency for inflammatory symptoms.

Spigelia Anthelmintica

Pains: Spigelia is especially known by its pains. It is indicated in persons who are debilitated from taking cold and who have become rheumatic, run down, victims of pain.

Hardly a nerve in the body escapes; shooting, burning, tearing, neuralgic pains; they are most marked about the eyes and jaws, neck, face, teeth, shoulders, burning like hot needles through the face and neck in any direction, stitching, tearing, worse from motion, from doing anything, even thinking, mental exertion, worse from eating.

Pains in the neck and shoulders are better from heat; those about the eyes are better from cold. Shooting, tearing pains in the extremities like hot wires.

Sometimes the pains are worse from lying down, but most commonly better from keeping still; worse from light, eating, motion, jarring; so sore in the painful region that any gentle exercise like going up or down stairs, or riding in a carriage that jar, makes the pain unbearable.

The Spigelia patient is sensitive to cold, to atmospheric changes, he is a rheumatic patient, but the nerves a-re attacked by neuralgia.

Eyes: Violent pains about the eyes.

Routine practice limits the use of the remedy to this region. Worse from hard pressure though sometimes better from it, if gentle and prolonged, firm pressure, but any movement of the pressing hand aggravates. The part is turgesced and inflamed. Eyes red and engorged.

Chest: Neuralgic affections of the muscles of the chest.

Many of the Spigelia pains in the chest are attributed to the heart, but there is intercostal neuralgia; tearing pains shooting into the shoulders and neck, especially the left side and down the arm. Pains shooting hither and thither. Irregularity of the heart. Painful complaints associated with valvular troubles, especially growing out of rheumatism. Pericarditis and endocarditis of rheumatic character. Thrusting pains in the chest like a knife, in the eye like a knife.

Mind: This remedy needs further proving, its mental symptoms are scarcely known.

"Weak memory; disinclination to work; restless and anxious, solicitude about the future; gloomy, suicidal mood; afraid of pointed things, pins, etc.; easily irritated or offended."

This is all that is thought worthy of admission into the Guiding Symptoms, showing that the mental state has not been well brought out. Many complaints are manifested in the morning; tired in the morning and full of tearing pains. Old anemic subjects where there has been a transfer of the complaints to the nerves; broken down, pallid, nervous, with neuralgia, palpitation, irregular pulse. Vertigo on rising; gets up with violent pains and dizziness. So nervous that she must "fly," full of excitement, cannot keep still, cannot keep control of herself.

Head: Pulsating and stitching in the head; sometimes better lying with the head high; worse from stooping, motion, and from noise. Sometimes better from washing in cold water when the pain is about the eyes and head, but worse after washing; better while the cold water is applied. With these headaches and neuralgias there is stiff neck and shoulders, an apparent stiffness in that he cannot move on account of pain.

He sits in a chair as if transfixed, is aggravated from noise, light, from seeing things move in the room, which he must follow with his eyes. "Fine burning, tearing pains in the brain." It seems to be in the brain, but is more likely in the nerves of the scalp.

"Violent pain in the left parietal bone on motion or walking or making a misstep; toward eveningviolent pressure and pressing outward in the forehead, worse from stooping, worse from pressure with the hand; tensive tearing pain in the forehead, especially beneath the frontal eminence, extending towards orbitis."

Notice the intensity of the pains. Burrowing, tearing pain in the occiput, in the left side of the vertex and forehead, worse from motion, from loud noise, and when he speaks loudly or even on opening the mouth slightly; better when lying down.

Pressive pain in the right side of the forehead, involving the right eye, in the morning in bed, but still more after rising; pain deeply seated, unaffected by pressure, very acute on motion, on suddenly turning the head, the brain seemed to be loose; worse from every joy, step, or straining at stool.

When moving the muscles of the face, there is a sensation as if the head would burst. Sensation as if a band were about the head. Neuralgic pain settles in and above the left eye, or below it, from cold in damp, rainy weather; hyperesthesia of the filaments of the fifth pair.

On the pain first beginning there is not so much hyperesthesia, but as it goes on this increases and the eye becomes congested. I have seen the pains so severe that they produced perfect prostration, cold sweat, vomiting.

The Hepar patient is so sensitive to pain that he becomes unconscious; faints with the pain. Cham. feels pain with such intensity that he gives way to violent frenzy, irritability, and outbursts of anger.

The Spigelia patient suffers intensely and the pain leaves its mark, the part becomes red and inflamed and sensitive. The head pains are worse from warmth; better temporarily from cold; the pains in other regions are the reverse. The Phos. head and stomach symptoms are better from cold; the chest and body are better from warmth. In Ars. the head is often better by washing in cold water, while the patient himself is sensitive to the cold and wants warmth in the rest of his complaints.

Eyes again: Spigelia is full of visual symptoms; visual symptoms bring on complaints; at times he can do nothing but look straight ahead, for he has vertigo even when there is no pain, from looking downwards, every, thing goes round in a whirl.

Such a state is common to many people when they look down from a height, but Spigelia has it from looking down along his nose, so he sits and looks straight ahead.

Esophoria; exophoria disturbances in accommodation all sorts of tiny spasmodic conditions it is most difficult to fit glasses no settled focus, no fixed vision. Spigelia has from a mere neuralgic state what Ruta has from eye strain. Latent errors of vision.

Eyes that are always changing need a remedy. Stabbing pains in and around the eye, often radiating in every direction from one point. Eyeball sensitive to touch. Eyes worse when thinking about them. Worse at night. Intolerable, pressing pain, worse on turning the eye, dizzy on attempting to move the eyes, must turn the whole head to see.

Pain radiates to the frontal sinuses and head. Sensation as if the eye were too large for its orbit. I remember a patient who had been traveling about from oculist to oculist, who had many visual troubles and no glasses would suit. She had one sharp, stinging pain over the left eye day and night and she could only sleep when worn out. Lac fel. cured. Constant, fine, stinging pain over left eye was brought out by the provers of cat's milk.

This medicine has cured a pterygium, probably a false pterygium, that came from violent neuralgia, prolonged and lasting for months.

Chest: Stitching pains in the chest, worse from the least movement, breathing, sensation of tearing in the chest; trembling feeling in the chest when moving the arms or from any movement.

Can lie only on the right side with the head high. Rheumatic troubles especially in the left side of the chest. Feeling as if the heart were compressed with a hand. Purring feeling over the region of the heart, wave-like motion not synchronous with the pulse.

Waving palpitation not synchronous with the pulse. Trembling of the carotids. Acute pericarditis with anxiety and weight in the praecordium. These troubles following a rheumatic attack, at its close or many months after the fever has subsided. Spigelia is seldom indicated in rheumatism of the heart in phlegmatic persons who do not feel intensely. When a rheumatic affection attacks the venous side of the heart, and there is a sense of stuffiness, of fullness through the whole body, limbs swollen, but do not pit on pressure, face mottled, it is a serious case and may end in Bright's disease and death.