RHEUM

(Rhuburb.)

(From vol. ii, 3^rd edit., 1833.)

(A grain of fresh, good, pulverised rhuburb-root is, for homoeopathic use, to be brought to the thirtieth potency (X) in the same way as is taught in the preface to arsenic, viz, by three hours of triturition with milk-sugar and subsequent dilution and potentization.)

In the thousand years since this root was introduced into medicine – first of all by the arabians – it has been misused, sometimes (and indeed very frequently) for senseless scouring out of the intestinal canal, sometimes for allying certain diarrhoeas, but even for the latter purpose seldom with good results.

Had physicians known that rhuburb, like all other medicines, can only cure easily, certainly and permanently, affections similar in every respect to those it produces on the healthy body, they would not have remained for so many centuries in ignorance about the pure characteristic effects of this valuable plant, nor would they have made so many injurious applications of it.

The following short list of the positive effects of rhuburb will serve as a guide to some useful homoeopathic employment of it; they will show in what particular cases it must be decidedly efficacious; they will show that it causes symptoms which enable us to make a curative homoeopathic employment of it in similar symptoms of many common diseases (especially of children), and hence that we may often give it advantageously in certain cases, without making mistakes.

A very minute globule moistened with the thirtieth dilution (X) suffices for all homoeopathic curative purposes, to be repeated if necessary, The olfaction of a globule the size of mustard seed moistened with this dilution is almost always sufficient.

{HAHNEMANN as aided in this proving by GROSS, HORNBURG, F. RUCKERT, TEUTHORN.]

Symptoms are derived from the following old-school sources:

BAKER, in Murray, Appar. Medic., iv.

BROCKLESBY, in ibid.

FALLOPIUS (no reference).

FORDYCE, in Murray,Appar. Medic., iv.

MENZEL and TILLING, in ibid.

MURRAY, Appar. medic., iv.

PALLAS, Reise, iii.

PAULLI, SIM.(no reference).

PAULLINI, in Murray, l. c.

The frag. De Vir. Gives 52 symptoms: the 1^st edit 194; the 2^nd 209, this 3^rd edit one less, the omitted symptom being merely a slight variation on 113.]

RHEUM

Vertigo. [SIM. PAULLI, (Observation). . . . .]

When standing, attack of vertigo with inclination to fall on one side. [Trn.]

Cloudiness in the sinciput, drawing about in it. [Gss.]

Head quite stupid, as after intoxication. [Trn.]

5. Throbbing headache.

A hammering rose into the head as if from the abdomen (aft. 6 h.).

Formication in the temporal region. [Hbg.]

A drawing pain deep behind the frontal eminences. [Gss.]

Pulsating squeezing pain sometimes in the left, sometimes in the right temporal bone and over the crown (aft. 15 h.). [Hbg.]

10. Feeling of heaviness in the head and intermittent tearing in it (whilst walking)(aft 1 h.). [Rkt.]

Aching pain over the whole anterior part of the skull. [Hbg.]

Pressive pain in the right side of the head, especially on the crown and in the temples (aft. ½ h.). [Hbg.]

Dull, beating pain in the sinciput, chiefly when standing. [Trn.]

Slight stitches over the temples.[Trn.]

15. First an aching then a tearing pain in the head extending into the occiput.

An obtuse stretching dizzy headache, which spreads all over the brain, but is worst on the crown and in the temples.

Headache as if stupefying, as if wrenched in the head, and great anxiety as if he had done something bad, but more when moving and stooping.

Heavy in the head, with a sultry heat rising up into it.

On stooping, feeling as if the brain moved.

20. Dulness of the head with swollen eyes; afterwards aching pain in the head over one orbit, with dilated pupils (aft. 1 to 4 h.).

On the border of the upper eyelid a small gland which cause aching and burning pain.

Before going to sleep an eroding pain in the left eye, as if dirt, dust, or an insect hat got into it, with flow of tears. [Hbg.]

The eyes weep and water in the open air. [Rkt.]

Throbbing pain in the eyes. [Trn.]

25. Pressure on the eyelids, even when they are shut. [Gss.]

Drawing in the eyelids. [Rkt.]

Pupils contracted, sometimes more sometimes less. [Rkt.]

Contraction of the pupils, accompanied by an internal uneasiness (for sixteen hours).

Eyes as if weak, and when he looks long at anything, an aching in them as if they were fatigued.

30. Itching miliary rash on the forehead and arm (aft. 36 h.).

Inclination to contract and wrinkle the frontal muscles. [Trn.]

Tensive sensation in the skin of the face. [Rkt.]

Roaring in the right ear and sensation in it as if the membrana tympani were relaxed, with dulness of hearing (as if something had fallen before the ear); the roaring and the relaxation of the membrana tympani went off (the hearing was restored) every time he swallowed strongly, but only for an instant, they recurred immediately.

A creptition and gurgling in the ear and lateral cervical muscles, which could be felt externally with the hand.

35. In the left ear a squeezing with some itching, which compels him to bore in with the finger. [Hbg.]

Pressure in the meatus auditorious, as if a finger were pressed into it from without. [Rkt.]

Sometimes a throbbing in the ears, especially when stooping whilst writing. [Rkt.]

Marked warmth round about the nose. [Hbg.]

A drawing, as it were stupefying pain along the root of the nose, which caused a formication in the tip of the nose. [Gss.]

40. Pressure as with a finger at the junction of the head with the nape. [Rkt.]

Drawing, gushing sensation on the right side of the lower jaw up into the right temple.

Digging pain in the (hollow) teeth, which seem to be higher and loose (aft. 12 to 24 h.)

In the left molars a pain accompanied with cold feeling which excited a flow of saliva. [Hbg.]

In the left upper incisors a pan accompanied by cold feeling. [Hbg.]

45. Contraction of the gullet. (From chewing and eating the stalks and leaves.) [PALLAS, Reise, iii, p. 235.]

Bitterness only of the food, even when it is sweet, but not per se in the mouth (aft. 10 h.).

The sensibility of the tongue and the whole taste become lost for one day. (From chewing the stalks.) [PALLAS, l. c.]

Sour taste in the mouth. [Gss.]

Great appetite, but the food though tasting nice soon becomes repugnant. [Gss.]

50. Whilst he loathes certain things (such as fat, insipid food), appetite for a variety if things, but he cannot eat much of them, for they immediately become repugnant. [Gss.]

The food does not taste right, and soon becomes repugnant, though he has tolerable appetite. [Gss.]

Anorexia.

Hunger, but no appetite.

He feels qualmish (squeamish, loathing and inclined to vomit).

55. Coffee is repugnant to him unless it is highly sweetened.

Dryness and dry sensation in the mouth, without desire for drink.

Fulness in the stomach, as if he had eaten too much, sometimes followed by drowsiness (aft. 8 to 12 h.).

Contractive sensation in the stomach, accompanied by nausea (aft. ½ h.).

Pressure in the stomach, as if it were very full of food (aft. ½ h.). [Hbg.]

60. Distension of the abdomen after a meal. [Gss.]

Urging to stool after a meal. [Gss.]

Nausea in the region of the stomach. [Hbg.]

Feeling of inclination to vomit (aft. ½ h.). [Gss.]

Nausea, pain in the abdomen. [MURRAY, (Observation). Appar. Medic., iv, p. 392.]

65. Feeling of nausea in the abdomen (aft. 10 m.). [Gss.]

Aching in the region of the spleen. [Rkt.]

Obtuse shooting in the left side near the scrobiculus cordis.[Gss.]

A stitch in the scrobiculus cordis. [Rkt.]

Violent throbbing and rhythmical, painless clucking in the scrobiculus cordis (aft. 1.1/2 h.). [Hbg.]

70. Tension of the abdomen. [Gss.]

On inspiration a pressure in the bowels as if they were full of fluid. [Gss.]

Rumbling and rattling in the abdomen. [Hbg.]

Across the abdomen obtuse, forcing cutting. [Hbg.]

Single cutting pains in the abdomen, without stool. [Rkt.]

75. Pressure in the umbilical region (immediately) [Gss.]

Pressure in the umbilical region, as if pressing out the bowels. [Gss.]

Cutting ithe umbilical region. [Gss.]

(Eating some plums increases the cutting in the abdomen). [Gss.]

Bellyache, flatulent distension of the abdomen. [BAKER, in Murray, l. c., p. 396.]

80. Flatulence. [Hbg.]

A cutting pain in the abdomen soon (1/2 h.) after dinner; he must bend double when sitting in order to allay it; worst when standing.

Cutting drawing in the left loin under the short ribs, and in front in the left side of the hypogatrium, just above the os pubis, a digging about in the bowels. [Gss.]

(Sharp) cutting in the left loin. [Gss.]

A tension in the left side of the hypogastium, low down just above the os pubis, after a meal (aft. 3 h.).

85. Pressure in the region of the os pubis like a strong pressure with the point of the thumb. [Hbg.]

Twitching in the abdominal muscle (aft. 20 h.). [Hbg.]

Violent cutting in the region of the lumbar vertebrae as if it were in their substance; increased by evacuation of the bowels. [Gss.]

In the abdominal muscles a gushing gurgling sensation, just as if he could hear it.

Pains in the abdomen before and during the stool, which cease after completion of the evacuation.

90. Pinching pains in the abdomen preceding a discharge of flatus (aft. 24 h.).

Pinching(The chief primary action of rhubarb in the abdomen does not seem to be so much an easy, loose, copious vacuation, or painless diarrhoea, but rather a colicky, or even ineffectual faecal stools it cannot be suitable for autumnal dysenteries (not with standing the partial similarity of its abdominal pain), particularly as the other symptoms if rhuburb differ considerably from those of this epidemic ailment.) in the abdomen, he has great inclination for stool (the colon is greatly disposed for evacuation) but he can do nothing, as the rectum is inactive (aft. 24 h.).

Flatulence in the abdomen seems to rise up towards the chest, and to cause pressure and tension here and there.

Pappy, sour smelling stool; its evacuation is followed by shivering, and after its evacuation there occurs renewed urging with pinching (constriction) n the bowels (aft. 6 h.).[Gss.]

Frequent urging to stool, whereupon a thin, pappy, foetid stool occurs, with cutting in the abdomen and immediately after this evacuation feeling of tenesmus – in spite of every effort nothing will come away, although urging to stool is still present – whereupon after some time an evacuation takes place; when he at length gets off the night-stool, the urging that had gradually been allayed becomes again much more violent; the pains in the abdomen also increase which come on with the evacuation of the stool. [Gss.]

95. In the morning in bed after waking, when throwing off the cloths, cutting in the abdomen and discharge of flatus (aft. 14 h.). [Gss.]

The urging to stool is increased by moving and walking. [Gss.]

A kind of tenesmus (aft. 5 h.). [Hbg.]

In the region of the anus a painful sensation as after long continued diarrhoa. [Hbg.]

Stool mixed with mucus. [Hbg.]

100. Stool first of soft then hard faeces; before and during it violent cutting (aft. 24 h.). [Trn.]

stool the first portion of which was firm, the last liquid.

Diarrhoeic evacuations of faeces with mucus.

Stool of greyish mucus.

When walking a pressive pain in the inguinal ring as if a hernia would protrude.

105. Fine, frequent, itching pricks in the last inguinal gland.

Weakness of the bladder; he must press strongly when urinating, otherwise the urine would not come away completely. [Hbg.]

Urging to pass water. [MURRAY, l. c., p. 400.]

Burning in the kidneys and bladder. [FALLOPIUS, . . . . .]

Reddish-yellow urine, as in jaundice and acute fevers. [MURRAY, l. c., p. 390.]

110. Urine bright yellow, verging towards green. [Trn.]

Scalding of the urine (aft. 20 h.).

(Frequent discharge of much urine.)

Obtuse, quick stitches under the last rib, on expiration and inspiration (lasting a long time).

Single stitches in the chest (aft. 6 h.).

115. (Oppression on the chest).

First in the left, then in the right pectoral muscles also, a crepitating gushing as in small bubbles, audible to himself and persistent.

Contraction of the chest. [BROCKLESBY, (Observation.) in Murray, l. c., p. 396.]

Tightness of the chest on breathing deeply the chest does not give way sufficiently; just as if a weight lay on the front of the chest under the neck, and pressed it down. [Gss.]

Pressive tightening pain above the sternum, sometimes also single stitches. [Rkt.]

120. A burning pain at the left side of the sternum. [Hbg.]

Dry cough in the evening (aft. 5 h.). [Hbg.]

Cough with expectoration of mucus for five women. [PAULLINI, (Observation.) in Murray, l. c., p. 390.]

Simple pain in both nipples, apparently proceeding from flatulence in the abdomen.

125. A long-continued stitch in both nipples.

Stiffness in the sacrum and hips, he cannot walk upright.

Single stitches in the arms,

Tearing in the upper arms and finger-joints. [Rkt.]

Feeling of twitching in the right elbow.

130. In the morning a twitching in the arms and hands, also at rest and when moving.

Tearing in the forearms. [Rkt.]

The muscles of the forearm are as if contracted, with trembling movement of the hands. [Rkt.]

Sensation as if commencing going to sleep in the under side of the forearm. [Rkt.]

135. Swollen blood-vessels on the hands (aft. 2 h.). [Hbg.]

Hot feeling and heat in the palm. [Rkt.]

Cold sweat on the palm, whilst the back of the hand, as also the rest of the body, was warm (aft. 20 h.). [Hbg.]

Sweat on the palms when the hands were closed. [Rkt.]

A tearing from the thumb to the little finger, across the hand. [Hbg.]

140. A violent shooting tearing pain in the thumb (aft. 3 h.).

Fatigue of the thighs, as after too great exertion.

Twitching, felt sad seen from without, of single muscular parts on the back of the thigh, especially when these muscles are stretched out, when sitting and when drawing up the knees whilst lying.

The legs go to sleep when they are crossed over one another.

Tensive aching pain in the left hough down to the heel.

145. In the hough a gushing gurgling sensation, just as if it could be heard.

Painless gurgling in the hough to the heel.

Stiffness of the knee, which is painful when moved.

When standing a down-drawing tired pain in the left hough.

Tired tension in the right hough.

150. Shooting in the left knee when walking. [Gss.]

A gurgling downwards in the leg, accompanied by shooting.

(In the morning after rising, feeling of dislocation of the left ankle-joint, painful when treading.) [Gss.]

Shooting in the left foot on the border of the sole behind the little toe. [Hbg.]

A burning intermittent pain between the inner ankle and the tendo achillis, as if a red-hot coal were occasionally applied there (aft. 5 h.). [Hbg.]

155. transversely across the instep a pain compounded of tearing and shooting.

A pricking itching in the hollow of the sole.

In the ball of the left big toe a gushing crepitating sensation.

Pricking itching at the root of the little toe, almost as if after frost bite.

Exhaustion in the whole body when walking. [Trn.]

160. Exhaustion and weakness in the whole body. [Rkt.]

Heaviness of the whole body, as if he had not slept enough. [Hbg.]

All the joints are affected with a simple pin when moving (fatigue of all the limbs)(aft,. 12 and more h.).

The limbs on which he lies go to sleep.

Heaviness of the whole body, as when awaking from a deep sleep.

165. Frequent yawning. [Gss.]

Sleepiness.

Sleepiness. [Hbg.]

Causes sleep. [FORDYCE, in Murray, l. c., p. 393.]

Before going to sleep he involuntary raises the hands over the head. [Hbg.]

170. Nocturnal phantasy in restless sleep, as if he were going about in a half-conscious state, half dreaming half waking. [Hbg.]

During sleep snoring inspiration (aft. 1 h.).

At night dreams of vexatious, annoying things.

Anxious dreams of deceased relations. [Trn.]

Vivid dreams of sad anxious import.

175. During sleep he stretches his hands over the head.

In sleep he is restless, whines and bends the head back.

The child tosses about at night, begins to cry out several times, and asserts while trembling that men werethere.

The child is pale; in sleep she grumbles in a quarrelsome manner, and has convulsive drawing in the fingers, facial muscles and eyelids.

In the evening in sleep he talks nonsense and moves about in bed with closed eyes, without speaking, and has at the same time great heat.

180.In the morning, after sleep, laziness and a violent squeezing and tensive headache across the whole anterior half of the head. [Hbg.]

After waking she is a long time in coming to herself.

After sleeping he feels a heaviness in the whole body.

After sleeping the eyes are sealed up with the eye-gum.

After sleeping the mouth is covered with ill-smelling mucus.

185. After sleeping he has a foul taste in the mouth.

After sleeping he has a foul taste in the mouth.

After sleeping he smells badly from his mouth (has a foetid breath.)

After sleeping he has pressure in the scorbiculus cordis, which on inspiring spreads over the sternum and changes into a bruised pain.

(Slight chilliness, in the morning.) [Trn.]

He has shivering without being outwardly cold (aft. ½ h.).

Alternate chill and hear, only for two minutes, at the same time quite tired and anxious, everything was disagreeable to her, even what she usually liked best.

He feels hot all over, without having thirst (aft. 2 h.).

He has heat in the hands and feet, though the arms and thighs are not hot, and the face is cool.

Heat and hot feeling in the cheeks. [Rkt.]

195.Warmth of the whole body without thirst. [Hbg.]

Heat and hot feeling in the cheeks. [Rkt.]

Quick pulse. [Hbg.]

Sweat smelling of rhuburb and straining the linen yellow. [MENZEL, and TILLING, (Observation.) in Murray , l. c., p. 390.]

Cool sweat in the face especially about the mouth and nose (aft. 3 h.).

200. On the slightest exertion he perspires on the forehead and hairy scalp.

Talking nonsense. [BROCKLESBY, l. c.]

He is silent and nothing makes an impression on him.

He is lazy and laconic.

Sulky, silent and reserved. [Trn.]

205. Whining, anxious peevishness.

The child demands various things impetuously and with weeping.

Mental state as if half asleep (aft. 1.1/2 h.). [Rkt.]

Gloomy disposition; he cannot remain long at one occupation. [Rkt.]

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