Sanguinaria Nitrica - General symptoms

GENERAL

General

Twisting pain in the left side, not far from the pubis and crest of the ilium, worse while sitting, standing, and bending towards the right side.

also on pressure. better on walking erect.

the pain afterwards extended from this place around to the left hip and up behind the short ribs.

especially noticed on bending to the right (eighth day),.

Great nausea (after thirty minutes).

it operated most violently as an emetic, producing six or seven full vomitings (after thirty-five minutes).

he drank a considerable quantity of warm tea, with the view of assisting the operation and to allay the violent irritation which was produced in his throat.

all the contents of his stomach, as well as the tea, on being discharged, were of a color similar to the decoction of the root,.

Sudden attack of constriction in the pit of the stomach, as if she would suffocate.

she tears open her clothes, and throws herself on the bed, with vomiturition.

she could breathe better when lying on either side, but the difficulty of respiration returned at once when turning on the back.

palpitation of the heart so violent that it is felt in the head, as if the blood was sent up by a steel spring.

severe on the left side.

this lasted until evening.

she could not eat any dinner and nothing for supper, except a cup of tea (fourteenth day),.

Diseases of rectum

Sanguinaria Canadensis ^{Sanguinaria canadensis}. Blood-root. Puccoon. N. O. Papaveraceae. Tincture of fresh root. (The resin, leaves, seeds, seed-vessels, powdered root, and expressed juice have also been used.) Acetum.

The Blood-root, or Puccoon, commonly found throughout the United States and Canada, is the sole representative of the genus Sanguinaria of the Papaveraceae.

It is herbaceous, has a thick, branching root stock, which creeps along underground; and in early spring sends up from the ends of the little side branches a single long-stalked leaf, and another stalk bearing a solitary flower.

The leaf is wrapped round the flower-bud when it rises from the ground, and is bluntly five to nine-lobed, roundish at first, but afterwards kidney-shaped.

The American Indians formerly used the orange-coloured juice of the root for smearing their bodies, and for staining various domestic articles.

The plant has also been successfully used by American and French dyers (Treas. of Bot.).

Hale says of the root "It is succulent, and when cut or broken emits from numerous points on the transverse surface a light orange, or rather dark vermilion-coloured juice, which has a bitterish, acrid but peculiar taste, which remains long in the mouth and leaves a persistent burning in the throat.

The juice of the stem is between a red colour and a yellow, as that from the stem of Chelidonium Majus ^Chel. maj. is pure yellow, and that from Papaver somnif. is white." It is well to bear in mind the parallelism observable between these three Poppies, no less in their medicinal than in their physical properties.

The time for collecting the root is early spring or late autumn.

An alkaloid, Sanguinarin (identical with Chelerythrin of Chelidonium Majus ^{Chelidonium majus}), has been isolated, and the Nitrate of this has been studied separately.

Hale refers to a paper by Dr.

Tully, published in 1813, in which Sanguinaria Canadensis ^Sang. is described as being analogous in its action to Squills, Senega ^Senega, Digitalis Purpurea ^Digitalis, Guaiacum ^Guaiacum, and Ammonia, which shows an accurate conception of its range.

In doses of from eight to twenty grains of the powdered root, Sanguinaria Canadensis ^Sang. is an active poison producing Nausea; burning in stomach; tormenting thirst; faintness; vertigo indistinct vision; violent, spasmodic efforts of the stomach, free vomiting, followed by alarming prostration.

S. L. Mitchell has recorded fatal poisoning of four workmen who drank the tincture in mistake for brandy.

They were all soon seized with severe racking and burning pains in the stomach and bowels with intense thirst. "Burning" is one of the leading notes of the remedy, and is found in many different parts.

Winterburn has published (H. M. vii. 532) two cases illustrating this indication in the region of the stomach ($51$) Mr.

F., 48, of sanguino-bilious temperament, energetic, refined, had been ill with pains in the stomach several months.

A clairvoyant had recommended "a decoction of blood-root and bone-set in tablespoonful doses." Each dose produced "intense burning pains in the stomach lasting for hours," and it had to be discontinued.

Several-weeks later Winterburn was consulted, and this is the condition he found Burning in epigastrium, with pressure, agg. at night, but coming on soon after lying clown and compelling patient to arise.

Eructations gave no amel.

Appetite great; bowels torpid, an unsatisfactory relief each morning, leaving a sense of discomfort.

Peculiar drawing pain in shoulders and arms during sleep, so that when she woke the lists were tightly clenched and flexed on the sternal end of clavicle.

lameness and weariness of the muscles followed. Sanguinaria Canadensis ^Sang. 200, chosen after careful comparison with Nux Vomica ^Nux, Graphites ^Graph., and others, was given every night at bedtime.

After the first dose the symptoms disappeared "like magic," and the patient was soon well. (2) Mrs.

S., 30, a chronic inebriate, had been drinking steadily for three weeks when sickness and diarrhoea set in. Nux Vomica ^Nux 1x aggravated the nausea. Arsenicum Album ^Ars. 6 checked the diarrhoea and relieved the intense thirst, but did nothing to allay the vomiting.

Patient was irritable, angry.

Everything she took, even water, was instantly ejected.

About every twenty minutes she had a spasm or cramp of the stomach, with gagging and coughing, bringing up some frothy mucus.

The straining caused great pain in chest and abdomen.

There was, besides, the most intense burning, extending from the stomach up the oesophagus to pharynx, which felt swollen and dry.

The only tolerable position was lying slightly turned on her left side.

Lying on right side was impossible.

Rising from lying = vertigo.

Cheeks and hands livid.

She believed she would soon die, and was unwilling to be left alone. Sanguinaria Canadensis ^Sang. 200 was given every two hours.

By evening the nausea had ceased, but the burning pain remained as before.

The smallest particle of food gave great agony; it seemed as if a spot the size of a florin was ulcerated, and any contact with this was excruciating.

She slept better, but awakened next morning in a fright.

Next afternoon she was able to take a little solid food, and from that time recovery was rapid.

Burning is a leading note of Sanguinaria Canadensis ^Sang.

Burning of eyes; of ears.

Tongue and throat feel as if they had been burnt or scalded.

Burning palms and soles.

Burning in chest; between breasts, streaming from breasts to abdomen.

Leonard (Min. H. Mag., ii. 295) says "a circumscribed burning in the chest, commonly followed by heat through abdomen and diarrhoea," is a strong indication for Sanguinaria Canadensis ^Sang. in pneumonic conditions. Sanguinaria Canadensis ^Sang. has also the circumscribed hectic flush on the cheeks, as in phthisis, in which it is frequently indicated. (Sanguinaria Canadensis ^Sang. has also the "hopefulness" of phthisical patients.) The flushed face, at times dark red or livid, is also a prominent feature of Sanguinaria Canadensis ^Sang., as it is of Op. Sanguinaria Canadensis ^Sang. affects the whole respiratory tract, irritates the nasal mucous membrane, and causes coryza, with pain at root of nose, lost or perverted sense of smell, and sensitiveness to the odour of flowers. Influenzinum ^Influenza, hay-fever, ozaena, and polypus have all come within its range.

Laryngitis and membranous croup have been cured by it; and I have found it meet a greater proportion of the tracheal and bronchial coughs of epidemic Influenzinum ^influenza than any other remedy.

The chief features are Violent, dry cough; wheezing, whistling, metallic; sputa almost impossible to raise.

Like Chelidonium Majus ^Chel., Sanguinaria Canadensis ^Sang. is a right-side medicine, and affects especially the right lung; and is suited to pulmonary affections with liver involvement.

After Influenzinum ^influenza children often get a cough scarcely distinguishable from whooping-cough.

I have found Sanguinaria Canadensis ^Sang. the chief remedy for this.

It is also the remedy for severe cough after whooping-cough.

and the breath and flatus are also offensive. Menses offensive, flow bright red.

later blood darker and less offensive. Before menses itching of axillae. Eruption on the face of young women, especially during scanty menses. Climacteric disorders flashes of heat.

leucorrhoea. painful enlargement of breasts. The headaches of Sanguinaria Canadensis ^Sang. are of great intensity, and have some striking characteristics. They are ($51$) periodic.

every seventh day. (2) begin in the morning, increase to noon, and then diminish.

(3) are bursting, or as if the eyes would be pressed out.

(4) begin at occiput, spread upwards and forwards, and settle over right eye.

(5) like a flash of lightning in occiput.

(6) amel. by sleep. (7) return at climacteric. Hering described the headache of Sanguinaria Canadensis ^Sang. as the "American sick-headache".

rush of blood causing faintness and nausea, pains lancinating or throbbing. Can neither bear light nor odours nor least jar, as any one stepping across the floor.

at height of headache vomiting of food and bile.

pain so violent patient goes out of her mind or seeks relief by pressing head against pillow or with the hands. Cooper gives as a keynote "If he goes without food, gets bilious headaches." Sanguinaria Canadensis ^Sang. has also neuralgia of the face amel. by kneeling down and pressing head firmly against the floor.

pain extends in all directions from the upper jaw. The ears are strongly affected by Sanguinaria Canadensis ^Sang. Cooper gives me this case Girl, 19, had her throat bad three years from scarlatina, and lately increasing deafness.

noises all over head, and vertigo and sudden flushings in daytime.

menses too frequent, and profuse leucorrhoea.

it pains tier to walk from backache.

had to give up teaching from this.

appetite poor from the headaches and tinnitus.

often has pain behind angles of lower jaw and swellings of gland. All disappeared after a single dose of Sanguinaria Canadensis ^Sang. Ø, though at first the leucorrhoea was increased. "Fulness and tenderness behind angle of jaws" is, according to Cooper, a keynote. Sanguinaria Canadensis ^Sang. causes many symptoms of rheumatism, but the most characteristic is a rheumatic pain in right arm and shoulder.

cannot raise the arm, agg. at night. Pains in places where the bones are least covered. Peculiar Sensations are As if paralysed. As if forehead would burst. As of a band across forehead. As if head were drawn forward. As if electric current shooting through head. As if temples and scalp were alive with irrepressible pulsation. As if eyes would be pressed out. As if hairs were in eyes. As if she was in a railway car which was moving and jarring her, and as if all about her moved rapidly and confusedly. Pain like drawing a rope on a windlass as tight as possible. Tongue as if burnt. Tip of tongue as if scalded. Tongue as if in contact with something hot. Throat as if swollen. Throat so dry it seems as if it would crack. Pharynx as if burnt or scalded. As if some hard substance in stomach. Constriction in pit of stomach as if suffocating. As of a mass in lower part of rectum. As if upper part of chest were too full of blood. Larynx as if swollen. F. Nichol in giving Hale his experience with Sanguinaria Canadensis ^Sang. in croup, says he used (following Paine, eclectic) a solution of Sanguinarin in vinegar, and he found that the most effective preparation. The symptoms are agg. by touch. Hard pressure amel.

(must kneel down and press head hard to floor in neuralgia). Slightest jar agg. Lifting = lumbago. Lying dawn amel. rheumatism and headache.

but agg. cough and most other complaints. Cough agg. Lying with head low agg. cough. Lying on left side amel. agg. Lying on right side. Sitting up and passing flatus amel. cough. Motion.

turning head quickly. turning in bed.

stooping. coughing. exercise agg. Cannot raise arm from side but can swing it to and fro (in rheumatism). Eating agg. Going without food = headache. amel. Eructations (mind confused). Swallowing agg. Vomiting amel. (Nausea; headache). Smoking = hiccough, agg. At night. amel. After sleep. Headache agg. by day, sunrise to sunset. Cold open air amel. Cold room agg. cough. Damp weather agg. The right side is more affected than the left. Symptoms go from right to left. Periodicity is very marked.

Vertigo terrible. when moving head rapidly and looking upward.

with nausea, fainting, and headache.

with ringing in ears. on rising from a sitting or stooping position.

on quickly turning the head.

with dim vision. with dull, heavy feeling in stomach as if caused by some hard substance there.

in cold weather. during sleep.

at climaxis.

Blood root is an old domestic remedy. A great many eastern farmers' wives will not go into the winter without Sanguinaria Canadensis ^{blood root} in the house.

In the cold winter days, when the coryzas come on, a "cold" in the head, throat and chest, then they get the Sanguinaria Canadensis ^{blood root} ready and make a tea of it. With them it is a routine remedy for "colds" They give it to combat all complaints, and there is no doubt but that even in this crude form it does break up "colds," because the provings show its relation to chest troubles and "colds" that go to the chest.

It begins in the occiput and travels upward and settles over the right eye and in the right temple. It gets worse during the day and is aggravated by light, so that he is driven into a dark room and compelled to lie down.

Vomiting comes on and the vomited matter is bile, slime, bitter substance and food, and then comes relief of the pain. The headaches are, relieved from passing flatus up or down. If the patient suffers when he goes to bed with hot palms and soles, so that he must put them out of bed, this is an additional striking feature.

Take an individual who has missed his chronic headache, by some means, for a considerable time, but since then he has become increasingly sensitive to cold, and "colds" settle in the nose, throat and bronchial tube and these parts feel as if on fire, with rawness and burning.

the expectoration is thick, tenacious mucus.

disturbance of the belly, with much belching, and the belching is especially noticed after a violent attack of coughing.

It is not a very long acting remedy. When a periodic sick headache is interrupted by Sanguinaria, if a deeper drug, an antipsoric, is not given, the headache will return or something worse will come on, as Sanguinaria does not go deep into the nature of the case. I remember a case in which the patient missed his Sanguinaria headache and an epithelioma developed, which was cured by Phosphorus ^Phosphorus

A patient much debilitated with bronchial catarrh; susceptible to cold, to every change in the weather, from change to damp weather, to every draft, to change of clothing; always taking new "cold"

There is burning in the chest behind the sternum.

thick, tough, ropy expectoration.

spasmodic cough, and every cough ends in belching.

eructations of gas. empty eructations. If to the burning in the chest, the severe pains in the larynx and trachea when talking, and cough ending in belching, you add heat in the palms and, soles, Sanguinaria will patch him up and mitigate the trouble.

Many such cases get Sulphur ^Sulphur, but to their destruction. There is a class of remedies that suits these phthisical patients better than Sulphur ^Sulphur, Silicea ^Silicea and Graphites ^Graphites.

remedies such as Pulsatilla ^Pulsatilla, Sanguinaria, Senecio Jacobaea ^Senecio gracilis and Coccus Cacti ^{Coccus cacti}, which palliate, mitigate his sufferings, and may even build him up so that he could take a medium potency of a deep remedy.

But the deeper remedies ought to be avoided if the vital force is low, if the body is too much damaged to be repaired. Hahnemann warned against the use of Phosphorus ^Phosphorus in such cases of deficient vitality. Sanguinaria is a surface remedy; it does excellent palliation.

The Sanguinaria patient has "rose colds" in June. Sensitive to flowers and odors; subjects with bay fever. Hay fever patients with burning in the nose, in the throat, as if dry; as if the mucous membrane would crack open.

Dryness and burning in the larynx, with hoarseness.

dryness and burning throughout the chest, with asthma.

associated with burning of the palms and soles. Examination shows the palms to be dry, wrinkled and hot to the touch.

so, also, the soles, where the skin is thickened and indurated. Corns that burn.

the toes burn and the patient puts the feet out of bed for relief.

Sulphur ^Sulphur, Silicea ^Silicea and Sanguinaria have periodic weekly headaches. Arsenicum Album ^Arsenicum has a headache every two weeks. Not that these remedies will not cure other headaches, for Sanguinaria has also a headache every three days. The majority of headaches coming every two weeks are cured by Arsenicum Album ^Arsenicum or greatly mitigated in broken down constitutions. The attempt to cure a chronic sick headache should be made before the senile decline.

"Pulsations in the head with bitter vomiting; aggravated by motion."

The headache is generally aggravated by motion, but not so strikingly as in Bryonia ^Bryonia When the Sanguinaria headache increases. towards the afternoon or night, it becomes so severe he must go to bed.

and the head becomes sore, and then a step or jar is extremely painful. A severe headache is likely to be disturbed by light, noise, motion, etc.

"Headache as if forehead would burst with chill, and burning in stomach."

"Headache over right eye."

Sanguinaria Nitrica is a characteristic feature.

"Periodic sick headache.

begins in the morning, increases during the day, lasts till evening.

head feels as if it must burst, or as if eyes would be pushed out.

throbbing, lancinating pains through brain, worse on the right side, especially in the forehead and vertex.

followed by chills, nausea, vomiting of food or bile.

must lie down or remain quiet.

ameliorated by sleep.".

Some of these things are not found in every case, but they all go to make up a Sanguinaria headache.

Pains All sorts of neuralgic pains; cutting, tearing, lacerating pains; as if the muscles were torn, or put on a stretch.

Tearing pains anywhere, neuralgic or rheumatic. Pains about the scalp, but more particularly about the shoulder and neck; stiff neck; cannot turn over in bed; cannot raise the arm, though he can swing it back and forth.

Pain streaks up the neck.

pain in the deltoid. It prefers the right side, but also cures the left side. Rheumatic pains in the right shoulder so that ho cannot raise the arm, and all the muscles of the neck and back of the neck become involved.

stiff neck. If the pain comes on in the day it increases as the day advances to night. Complaints are worse at night in Sanguinaria.

A patient comes to you after exposure to cold; he cannot raise the arm; it hangs by his side; pain worse at night in bed, worse turning over (as he uses the shoulder muscle to turn over). It is probably in the deltoid, but you need not speculate on the tissues involved.

It competes with Ferrum Met ^Ferrum All red-faced, highly-flushed people, who cannot raise the arm and have pain which is worse in the daytime, not night, and ameliorated by slow motion need Ferrum Met ^Ferrum Sanguinaria is not relieved by motion.

it is aggravated by such motion as calls the arm into use. Ferrum Met ^Ferrum has relief from slow motion, aggravated from rapid motion and the pain comes in the daytime.

While Ferrum Met ^Ferrum has a uniformly red, plethoric face, Sanguinaria has a pale face. In the chest complaints Sanguinaria has a circumscribed red spot over the malar bones, such as seen in hectic patients.

No food or drink stays on the stomach. Headaches associated with such troubles. Vomiting and diarrhea with complaints.

Catarrhal affections are prominent.

Chronic catarrh of the throat apparent thickening of the mucous membranes of the throat. Nose and pharynx fill with mucus. He hawks it out; there is a dry burning sensation, but the burning is most marked every time he takes a fresh cold.

Acridity of discharges is another feature. Acrid mucus forms in the nose, causing burning in the throat. Acrid, hot fluids eructated from the stomach, excoriating the throat and mouth. The diarrhea is accompanied by an acrid watery stool.

especially in infants.

the nates become raw and red. This burning extends all through the bowels.

burning in the abdomen and stomach in old gastric troubles.

vomiting of even a teaspoonful of water with burning.

old gastric irritation.

dyspepsia. all sorts of disorders of the stomach.

Tongue red and burns as if in contact with something hot. Burning in pharynx and oesophagus, burning in roof of mouth. Tonsillitis with burning.

"Heat in throat, ameliorated by inspiring cold air; throat so dry it seems as if it would crack."

Sanguinaria Nitrica burning excoriated feeling applies to all the mucous membranes affected.

Patient suddenly taken w bed with a chill; burning in the chest symptoms of pneumonia; rusty expectoration; violent cough; every cough felt as a concussion at the bifurcation of the trachea; as if a knife were in the parts; as if torn asunder; and after the cough copious, loud, empty eructations. No other remedy has this.

"Nausea with burning at the stomach, with much spitting."

Nausea not relieved by vomiting. Keeps on vomiting and retching. Burns as if on fire. Arsenicum Album ^Arsenic is often given by mistake, because of the great burning.

"Vomiting of bitter water; of sour, acrid fluids; of ingesta; of worms; preceded by anxiety; with headache and burning in stomach; head relieved afterwards; with prostration."

Such symptoms occur in headache, disordered stomach, sour stomach. The sour stomach is manifested by sour eructations or sour vomiting. A patient often speaks of "a sour stomach," and you must find out whether be means sour eructations or sour vomiting.

He says he "spits up" sour food.

With the headache and many complaints Sanguinaria has a faintness; like a hunger, yet not for food. A sinking, faint, "all gone," empty feeling. It is like Phosphorus ^Phosphorus with its "hungry headache"

Psorinum ^Psorinum leads all others in "hungry headaches," but Psorinum ^Psorinum wants to eat and cannot get enough.

Sanguinaria has a hunger, but it is not for food; aversion at the thought and smell of food. Psorinum ^Psorinum can eat a wolf meal, and so can Phosphorus ^Phosphorus It is a false hunger with the headache in Sanguinaria

"Burning in stomach; with headache and chill."

Belching up of acrid fluids in asthma; hay asthma. Sanguinaria palliates asthma associated with stomach disorders. Do not forget Nux Vomica ^Nux in asthma from stomach troubles.

Liver complaints. pains and aches and sense of fullness. Bilious trouble described in general terms. It seems as if the liver makes an enormous quantity of bile, but there is a gastro-duodenal catarrh, so that the bile is regurgitated into the stomach instead of going down, and it is eructated as bitter, green, yellow fluid.

vitiated bile.

Sanguinaria Nitrica is a peculiar thing. If you watch a chronic Sanguinaria patient you will notice that the stomach will be disordered for a week.

spitting up bile much flatulence.

sour hot eructations. then all at once this will disappear, and a diarrhoea, which fairly floods him, comes on suddenly.

a bilious, liquid, gushing stool. Natrum Sulphuricum ^{Natrum sulph}., Sanguinaria, Pulsatilla ^Pulsatilla and Lycopodium ^Lycopodium cure this alternation of diarrhoea and constipation.

"Os uteri ulcerated; foetid, corrosive leucorrhoea."

"Distension of abdomen in the evening and flatulent discharges by vagina from os uteri, which was constantly open; at same time a pain passing in rays from nape of neck to head."

"Chronic dryness in throat, sensation of swelling in the larynx and expectoration of thick mucus when associated with dryness, rawness, burning and smarting."

"Whooping cough; constricted, spasmodic across throat beneath jaws; cough worse at night with diarrhoea."

"Severe cough occurring after whooping cough when patient takes cold, which partakes of the spasmodic nature of whooping cough."

An adult takes cold and has a spasmodic cough, like whooping cough. He says it is a stomach cough, because there is a gagging with it. In all there is burning and diarrhoea.

"Distressing, dry, spasmodic, exhaustive coughs, especially in children; worse towards night, lying down, going into a cold room to. sleep, feeling of rawness and burning in bronchi."

The trachea seems so sore, and it is sore; a bolus of food passing down the oesophagus can be plainly felt; he can outline the part where the food passes.